Ji Yao: ...
Lin Qiong was carefree in drinking his plum soda when,
Bang!
"What are you doing?" Lin Qiong said coughing and spluttering. He rubbed his back, which was smacked.
Ji Yao glared at him and said, "This is the price you pay for betraying freedom and running into the arms of a man."
Lin Qiong: ...
The two stood on the roadside, and Lin Qiong glanced at the time. It had been three hours, and it was time to go back.
But coincidentally, at this moment, Ji Yao's phone rang. It was a call from the long-awaited third blind date.
Since Ji Yao's family had arranged this blind date, she felt obligated to answer the call, fearing the person might complain to her mother. In the end, she was the one who suffered.
After finishing the call, Ji Yao sighed. Lin Qiong, with a mouthful of plum soda, glanced at her and swallowed the soda before asking, "What's wrong?"
Ji Yao tilted her head at a forty-five-degree angle and looked up at the sky, saying, "The third person is on their way and will arrive shortly."
Lin Qiong nodded, his fluffy head bobbing, and said, "Do you still want to continue?"
Ji Yao shook her head.
"I don't feel like I came here for a blind date today."
Lin Qiong: ?
Ji Yao's expression turned solemn. "I feel like I came to experience a calamity."
As he watched his only friend feeling down because of the blind date, he moved around restlessly, unsure of how to console her.
Lin Qiong looked at Ji Yao, who had a look of despair on her face, and said, "How about...?"
Ji Yao turned her head to look at him.
Lin Qiong swallowed nervously and tentatively suggested, "Let me reject them on your behalf."
Ji Yao stepped forward, opening her arms, and Lin Qiong stopped for a moment before gently giving her an encouraging hug.
Just as Lin Qiong was patting Ji Yao's back, preparing to comfort her, Ji Yao said, "I was waiting for you to say that."
Lin Qiong: ...
The two of them retraced their steps back to the coffee shop, but this time it was Lin Qiong who took a seat at the blind date table. Shortly after they arrived, the third blind date arrived as well.
Lin Qiong observed that compared to the previous two individuals, this person appeared relatively normal. Huh...there were normal people in this world after all.
Lin Qiong stood up and waved at him, saying, "Over here." The person glanced at Lin Qiong and then pointed to himself, as if asking a question. Lin Qiong nodded.
The person walked over and took a closer look at Lin Qiong before tentatively asking, "Miss Ji, did you go to Thailand?"
Ji Yao, who was sitting behind: ...
Lin Qiong replied calmly, "No, Miss Ji is still in our homeland. I am her friend."
The person seemed puzzled and asked, "Then where is Miss Ji? I came here to meet her."
Lin Qiong calmly responded, "Miss Ji had some urgent matters to attend to today, so I came on her behalf."
The person furrowed their brows and asked, "Is something urgent going on?"
Lin Qiong replied, "Nature calls."
"..."
The person looked at him and asked, "May I know your name?"
"Lin Qiong."
"So you are Lin Qiong!" The person looked at him in shock. "Why do you look so different?"
Lin Qiong: ...Can you be a little more polite?
Wang Chuxiu looked at the person in front of him and said, "It was you who caused Sun Jie to end up like that."
Lin Qiong had a puzzled expression on his face and asked, "Like what?"
Wang Chuxiu: "Like a disgrace."
"..."
In the business world, it's common for acquaintances, especially those of similar age and similar background, to gather together for indulgence in food, drinks, and entertainment.
Sun Jie had also told them about Lin Qiong, mentioning that he had nightmares because of him. Previously, they had never heard of Lin Qiong in their circle, but after his marriage to Fu Xingyun, he gained some minor fame.
Wang Chuxiu initially thought that Lin Qiong was just an ugly character causing trouble, but he didn't expect him to look quite pleasant. In fact, after hearing Sun Jie's description of this person, he felt a bit fearful upon seeing Lin Qiong.
After all, Sun Jie could be considered the leader of their group of idle second-generation wealthy individuals. If Lin Qiong was able to strike a blow against Sun Jie like that, then this seemingly harmless young man in front of him must be extraordinary.
Could he be... a wolf in sheep's clothing?
Wang Chuxiu swallowed and then got back to the point, "Are you here today to understand me on behalf of Miss Ji?"
Lin Qiong glanced at the time and replied, "I am here to reject you on her behalf."
Lin Qiong observed the subtle expressions on the person's face, and for some reason, he seemed to detect a trace of... fear?
Wang Chuxiu's face became somewhat unnatural, and he coughed, "I came here today to meet Miss Ji for a blind date. We haven't met each other, and she doesn't know much about me. It wouldn't be good to reject me right away. Besides," Wang Chuxiu looked up at Lin Qiong and continued with his trump card, "I was invited by Miss Ji's mother. It is likely that her mother is also satisfied with me, otherwise, she wouldn't have considered me as a potential son-in-law."
Lin Qiong saw through the other person's intentions with just one glance, noticing the bright red mark on the collar of Wang Chuxiu's clothes, and spoke, "You have the intention to get married."
Wang Chuxiu was surprised, "How did you know?"
Lin Qiong had encountered many wealthy second-generation individuals like him in his past life, and he could almost see through what they were thinking. "Your family is also pressuring you to get married."
Wang Chuxiu frowned.
Lin Qiong shrugged, "But you don't want to give up your current extravagant lifestyle. You want to marry someone from a suitable background to appease your family, and then continue your playboy lifestyle outside."
Being accurately described made Wang Chuxiu's scalp tingle.
Lin Qiong glanced at him, "But with your messy and filthy lifestyle, who from a decent family would want you? I believe Miss Ji's mother was just deceived by your sweet words."
Wang Chuxiu stood up, momentarily at a loss for words.
Lin Qiong proceeded to give Wang Chuxiu a ten-minute lesson in being a decent man.
Wang Chuxiu sat in his seat, bowing his head, dominated by fear, finally understanding Sun Jie's pain. "You will face consequences for insulting people like this!"
Lin Qiong didn't care at all.
Seeing that he couldn't provoke a reaction from the other person, Wang Chuxiu stood up unwillingly and said, "I... I will definitely pursue Miss Ji and make you regret what you said today. I demand an apology!"
Lin Qiong also stood up, towering over him due to the height advantage, looking down at him. He wasn't angered by the insults. Then he chuckled lightly.
Wang Chuxiu: ?
Lin Qiong's lips curved into a smile. "Stop trying to pursue my friend. Few good things happen to those who go against me."
Wang Chuxiu: ... Ahhhh!
Lin Qiong called out to Wang Chuxiu as he was running from the coffee shop. "Wait! Help me deliver a message to Sun Jie."
In fact, Lin Qiong still felt somewhat guilty about the incident that had hurt Sun Jie's, vulnerable heart.
Wang Chuxiu stopped and turned to look at him.
Lin Qiong racked his brain to come up with a comforting sentence, "If he's small in some places, he is bigger in others."
Wang Chuxiu: "...Are you the devil?"
Lin Qiong: ...
Watching the figure of the other person running, even stumbling at times, Lin Qiong sighed silently.
Ji Yao, who witnessed everything: ...
Lin Qiong looked at her, "Alright, I should go back now, or Xingyun will have nothing to eat."
Ji Yao was surprised, "You can cook too!" Then she started to scrutinize Lin Qiong up and down, "You don't seem like someone who can cook."
Lin Qiong, always mindful of his image, blushed and said shyly, "I'm willing to do anything for Xingyun."
Ji Yao clapped her hands, what a touching love.
After bidding farewell to the person, Lin Qiong left the coffee shop. Lin Qiong took out his phone and made a call. The ringing went on for a while before the person on the other end picked up with a cold and indifferent voice, "What's the matter?"
Lin Qiong spoke, "Wait a little longer, I'll be back soon."
Fu Xingyun replied, "I'm not waiting for you."
"...Oh," Lin Qiong didn't mind, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Fu Xingyun replied, "Anything."
In the next moment, Fu Xingyun heard a clear voice saying, "Then let's have stir-fried green vegetables."
Fu Xingyun: ...
After the other person named a dish, Lin Qiong hung up the phone.
Lin Qiong first went to a large supermarket to buy the ingredients for tonight's meal. While waiting for the bus, he noticed a milk tea shop across the street. He looked at an unoccupied taxi not far away and then glanced at the milk tea shop on the other side of the street.
...
"Two cups of pearl milk tea with ice, please. Thank you!"
The cashier quickly agreed, looking at the handsome young man in front of him.
"Hey, look at that handsome guy ahead! So handsome!"
A girl was tapped on the shoulder by her friend, grinning, "They say he's handsome, can he not be?"
Her friend's eyes lit up with excitement, "Let's go and ask for his WeChat."
"Is that okay? What if he has a girlfriend?"
"If he has a girlfriend, they can break up later, right? Let's try."
The girl still hesitated, "But what if he rejects us?"
"No worries, I have a plan." Her friend patted her shoulder, "Watch me."
Then, her friend walked up to Lin Qiong's side and said to the cashier, "Could you give me a taro milk tea with pudding? Oops, I forgot to bring my phone."
While waiting for the milk tea, Lin Qiong glanced at the person next to him. The person turned to him and said, "Hey handsome, I forgot my phone. Can you help me pay first? My friend is holding my phone, and I'll go get it now. I'll WeChat you later. Don't worry, I come to this shop often, I won't cheat you."
Lin Qiong didn't think much of it and nodded, "Okay."
He took out his phone and scanned the shop's QR code. The person pretended to go inside the shop to find someone. "Alright, we're halfway there. I'll get his WeChat soon. Wait for good news." Then, the person turned around and walked briskly back into the milk tea shop.
"Hey handsome, I'm back. How much is it?"
Lin Qiong glanced at the amount on his phone and said, "It's twelve yuan."
"Okay." The person quickly took out their phone and asked, "So, should I scan your code or you scan mine?"
Lin Qiong swiped the screen and replied, "You can scan mine." As he said that, he extended his hand with the phone, showing the QR code for payment on the screen.
The person: ...