November.
The early winter in Yuecheng was as warm as spring.
Lai Zhiyun rare found herself waking up early today.
After climbing out of bed in a daze, she went straight to the balcony to catch the breeze.
Originally, she meant to wake herself up, but the wind felt so comfortable that it backfired.
Far from becoming alert, she found herself feeling even sleepier.
Uh...
Why did she have to wake up early again?
After yawning twice and slapping her face, Lai Zhiyun's mind gradually became clear.
Today, her dad had arranged a blind date for her.
Supposedly, the guy was exceptional in every way.
He graduated from a prestigious school and stood at 187 cm tall;
He was handsome and came from a good family;
He wasn't busy at work and had a high income;
He was good at outdoor sports and was no mama's boy.
With credentials like that, he still needed a blind date?
He was probably being pressured to marry by his family, right?
As for her, she wasn't currently interested in dating and didn't want to marry young.
The only reason she agreed to the blind date was the prospect of money.
At first, when her father told her how outstanding this blind date was, Lai Zhiyun had only perfunctorily acknowledged it without taking it seriously.
But old He truly was a crafty one!
To reel her in, he played his "cash-ability" card, saying she'd get her allowance increased by twenty times just for meeting the guy.
And then, she shamelessly found herself tempted.
Who could ever think they had too much money?
For her, a true money lover, this was an opportunity to make money that she had to grab.
She even checked her text messages repeatedly the day before, hoping the money would be deposited into her account sooner.
After all, the money was nothing but an empty promise until it was in her account.
Only when it hit the bank could she rest easy.
With that thought, Lai Zhiyun checked her phone again.
Once more, she confirmed that to this moment, she still hadn't received any new deposit notifications from her bank.
She couldn't help but wonder, Strange, why is her dad slacking in the money transferring department this time?
Then it seemed like she didn't need to get up early.
Thus, when a wave of drowsiness crashed over her once more, Lai Zhiyun yawned and felt entirely justified in pushing the thought of the blind date out of her mind.
She resolutely headed back to the embrace of her bed to slip into a delightful slumber.
*
"Ring ring~~~~~~"
Waking up again, Lai Zhiyun was roused by the ringing of her cell phone.
"Hello—"
"You're still not up?"
"Hmm."
"You had an arrangement today, did you forget?"
"No." Holding the phone to her ear, Lai Zhiyun replied groggily, her eyes half-closed, still not fully awake.
"The money has been transferred to your card, and..."
"Really?"
The moment she heard "money," Lai Zhiyun was instantly wide awake.
"Dad, wait a second, let me check the message."
As she spoke, she sat up in bed, swiped her phone screen a couple of times, opened the unread text message, glanced at the newly deposited amount, and silently counted the string of digits, breaking into a delighted grin.
"Dad, listen, thank you. You not only warmed up all seasons but nearly brought me to happy tears."
"You are my great dad, my good dad, I have a good dad..."
This kiss-up attitude was a clear sign of how money could make her eyes shine.
"Do you still remember the name of the person you're supposed to meet?"
The slightly amused voice of He Yannian on the other end of the phone indicated that he was quite satisfied with Lai Zhiyun's flattering display of gratitude.
"Remember. Zhou of thoroughness, Liao of vastness, Zhou Liao."
"Dad, don't worry, I'll definitely put on makeup this time when I go out, and even if I have nothing to talk about after meeting someone, I'll maintain a polite smile for sure. I won't embarrass you."
Feeling good, Lai Zhiyun's mouth was as if coated with honey; she picked only the pleasant words to say, without worrying whether she could deliver or not – she guaranteed first, then considered.
"Forget makeup, no need to doll yourself up on purpose, just wear whatever you normally wear. I'm sending you on a blind date, not to a beauty pageant."
"Oh. Okay."
"When you meet, if you run out of things to talk about, just eat more. Don't force yourself to pander to the other person."
"Okay, what else?"
"Sending you on a blind date is for you to see the world, not to rush you into marriage. As a young lady, you should still be somewhat reserved. Don't just swoon over a good-looking guy at first sight."
"Oh, what else?"
"And..." He Yannian paused, "are you now ready and willing to listen to my ramblings?"
"Yep, very willing, especially since you've given quite a bit today," Lai Zhiyun said with a chuckle.
"...So, our father-daughter bond is entirely maintained by money?"
"Not really, there's affection, but..."
"It can't compare to your mother," He Yannian cut in.
"Yeah," Lai Zhiyun nodded. "After all, I share a last name with my mom, so I'm definitely closer to my own mother."
"I'm your biological father."
"That's why I always take the money you give."
A dad is a dad, but however much money he gives, it still can't compare to a mother's love.
"You can't be serious? You and mom have been divorced for over a decade, and I'm twenty-two now; are you really still competing for attention and getting jealous over mom with me? It's unnecessary."
Hadn't she made it clear enough over the years?
Although she wasn't a momma's girl, she did clearly play favorites.
If she had to choose between her mom and dad, she would definitely choose her mom.
"All my life, my mom hasn't stopped singing your praises."
"Yes, yes, your mom's the best, the most righteous. Such an ungrateful child!"
Indeed, a daughter is like a warm jacket, but what's frustrating is that, at this moment, she wasn't warming him up.
"It's not too bad. In my heart, mom ranks first, my sister second."
As for her biological dad, he could only stand further back in the line.
"...."
Upon hearing this, He Yannian fell silent.
This warm jacket really could let the cold air in at any moment.
But even so, he couldn't bring himself to hang up.
He changed the subject and continued the conversation.
Father and daughter talked on the phone for a solid half an hour.
After hanging up, Lai Zhiyun glanced at the time displayed on her phone's screen.
Nine thirty-seven.
One has to admit, Old He really was a talker.
The one who arranged the blind date was him, and the one worried about her being love-struck was also him.
Luckily, her dad really was her dad, only arranging a blind date and not planning an arranged marriage for her.
Otherwise, she would have immediately blocked him.
No amount of money could change that.
*
There were two more hours until the blind date at eleven-thirty.
Lai Zhiyun was not in a rush.
After getting up, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, then washed her hair.
She didn't plan on having much for breakfast, nibbling on half a cucumber to fill her stomach while saving her appetite for hotpot later.
She didn't put on makeup either.
While heading out with makeup could be seen as a mark of respect to others, in Lai Zhiyun's view, simply washing her hair before going out was already presentable enough.
Sincerity and honesty were her main points of emphasis.
She had no intention of glamorizing her image in front of her blind date.
So her clothing was casual: a light grey sweatshirt paired with jeans and white sneakers, neither flattering her figure nor adding any color to her complexion, not even concealing the dark circles on her face from staying up late writing songs.
Bare-faced, she slung a small bag over her shoulder, grabbed her phone and stepped out.