"Qiao Xiaon'an, you're twenty-four and still a virgin. Don't you think that's strange?"
Qiao Xiaon'an had just settled into her seat in front of the restaurant's glass window.
The disdainful sound of her mother's voice floated to her from the other end of the phone.
Because of this, her previously light and pleasant mood sunk, even the brightly blooming roses outside the window had lost some of their bloom.
She thought it would be a sunny day today.
There should have been a chance for a pleasant encounter.
But now due to this conversation, she wasn't looking forward as much to the arranged date that was to follow.
However, she still patiently sighed resignedly.
"Mother, I am twenty-four, not thirty-four, okay? Also, are you sure I'm your biological daughter?"
Without yielding, the voice kept on, "Qiao Xiaon'an, yes, you are young now. But you have forgotten how that green tea bitch stole Chu Nantian from you? If you had slept with Chu Nantian earlier, would the green tea bitch family dare to show their arrogance in front of me?"
At the mention of Chu Nantian, Qiao Xiaon'an's heart still couldn't remain calm, "Mother, enough, can you not mention Chu Nantian, let's talk about the blind date instead."
"The man you're meeting today is a good catch, he earns 30,000 a month, and he's an executive in a state-owned enterprise. Don't miss out, make sure you have a good date."
"I'll go on the blind date properly, but after this no more fussing about virginity, and please no more Chu Nantian, otherwise, we're done, oh, not just friends, the mother-daughter relationship ends."
Qiao Xiaon'an checked her phone. She was just a few minutes away from the appointed time.
Therefore, before the other side could say anything else, she hung up the phone briskly.
As with every date before this, she would have freshened up her makeup out of politeness.
But today was an exception.
After hanging up the phone, she thought about a problem.
Why could two people who used to love each other so much become strangers with a turn around.
In the end, the person one chooses to marry just needs to be suitable, that's all.
At that moment, a shadow appeared in front of her, followed by a rather weird sounding man's voice, "Hello, are you Miss Qiao Xiaon'an?"
His voice sounded a bit hoarse and uncomfortable, but still she politely stood up and softly replied, "Hello, I'm Qiao Xiaon'an."
At the moment she opened her mouth, the man seemed to be moved.
Her lips, painted with a natural-colored lipstick under the lighting of the fascinating Parisian glow, were very charming.
It was probably a nice experience to press one's lips onto hers.
The man nodded and laughed, "Hello, I am here to meet you for this date, my surname is Zhong."
Both of them sat down. The man looked at her and saw apart from the beautiful lips, she was a really pretty girl. Her black hair hung neatly without any modification or traces of perm or dyed hair. The white earrings on her earlobes set off her snow-white skin. Saying she was twenty-four did not seem accurate, she looked more like eighteen or nineteen.
The man thought she was pleasing from the first glance, his peach blossom eyes fell on her as if he was appreciating a precious piece of jewelry.
However, Qiao Xiaon'an seemed to want to flee the scene. When she received Mr. Zhong's photo, he looked pretty decent, but now the man sitting before her not only had a beer belly but also half of his hair missing.
She kept her head low while the man proceeded to introduce himself:
"Miss Qiao, I am twenty-eight."
"I'm an executive at a state-owned enterprise, with a monthly salary of thirty thousand."
"If you agree to marry me, I am willing to allow you to be a full-time housewife."
Listening to him, Xiao'an felt that this man was too upfront. Who brings up marriage right from the start? His behavior felt quite odd to her. Even if he had a salary of three million a month and was handsome and charming, she would still not want to be his full-time housewife.
Women should have their own careers too.
They should be absolutely financially independent and not imprisoned in marriage.
So, she smiled and said, "Mr. Zhong, I think we have not reached the point of discussing marriage, and besides…"
At this time, the waiter came to take their order.
She had to silence herself for a while.
They waited until the waiter finished noting down the dishes and walked away.
The man adjusted the frame of his glasses and resumed the previous topic.
"Miss Qiao, if you marry me, you won't have to work hard."
"But all the consumables you buy, like clothes, bags, shoes, should not cost more than 200 yuan."
"I can provide for your food and lodging, but I can't afford a gold-digger."
Upon hearing this, she had no choice but to interrupt him with a frown.
"Mr. Zhong!"
"Firstly, I don't like being a full-time housewife."
"Secondly, I have my job and income, and I don't need a man to take care of me."
"Thirdly, it feels like we're just meeting for the first time, not discussing marriage."
Mr. Zhong pushed his glasses up again and laughed softly, "If you could earn an income and also help me take care of the household, that would be the best."
If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Zhong was introduced by her mother's good friend, Mrs. Zhang, and her mother had repeatedly told her to take it seriously, she would have left immediately.
After just a few exchanges, she was certain that she had no interest in continuing a relationship with Mr. Zhong anymore.
She stayed only out of politeness.
She wondered why he was so calm. Did his 30,000 yuan monthly salary make him feel so good about himself?
She wanted to find an excuse to leave, but the man seemed excited and couldn't stop talking.
"Miss Qiao, Aunt Zhang has told me about your situation, and I am very satisfied with you."
"The most important question now is, do you accept cohabitation and a trial marriage before we get married?"
"In this way, we can understand each other's temperament before marriage, test each other's physical health, and determine the harmony of our intimate life."
"We are all adults, I am being a bit straightforward, but I assume you can handle it?"
At this moment, the waiter brought the dishes they had ordered, and delicately reminded them that the soup had just been taken out of the cooking pot and they should be careful not to burn their mouths.
The soup was Qiao Xiaon'an's favorite. But now, she had lost her appetite entirely.
Just as she was getting up to find an excuse to leave, the man asked again, "Miss Qiao, what do you think about premarital cohabitation?"
Qiao Xiaon'an reluctantly sat back down. She couldn't hide her impatience behind a smile anymore, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"So, as adults, can we casually jump into bed, casually have a trial marriage, and break up if it doesn't work out?"
Mr. Zhong shrugged his shoulders, "How do you know if it's suitable without trying?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Qiao Xiaon'an bluntly got up, picked up her bag, didn't even look at him, and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhong, I don't think there's a point in us continuing this talk."
"Why? I earn so much, and I'm willing to support you. Why don't you want to?"
She didn't want to disappoint him, but he insisted on an answer. She looked at him earnestly and said, "You talk too much and you're too arrogant." As for his unattractiveness, she swallowed it back. She didn't want to insult him too much since he was, after all, a grown man.
When Mr. Zhong saw her preparing to leave, he immediately frowned and glanced at her, "Didn't Aunt Zhang say you had a boyfriend before, and you were together for five years?"
Qiao Xiaon'an paused for a moment, her back to the man. Then she heard him continue.
"After being together for five years, surely you had intimate relations?"
"Since you're already 'second-hand,' why act so prudish?"
"Besides, I'm just asking you for a trial marriage and cohabitation. I'm not going to abandon you afterward. If you're healthy and our intimate life is harmonious, I would still marry you."
His voice, which had previously been gentlemanly, was now full of disdain and mockery.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiaon'an turned around.
She picked up the pot of soup on the table.
And poured it all over Mr. Zhong...