Putting his sketches into the roadside mailbox, Qin Guanglin raised his arm to check his watch—it was already two in the afternoon. He took a few steps toward home but then stopped, thought for a moment, and turned to head toward the bus stop.
He had arranged to meet an online friend at Shengtian Square at 3 p.m. Though meeting a female netizen seemed a bit risky, he figured it was better to arrive early than to be right on time.
There were only a few people on the bus, mostly elderly passengers. After paying the fare, Qin Guanglin glanced around the nearly empty bus and chose a window seat near the back door, the most convenient place for a quick exit. As the bus began to move, he gazed out the window, feeling a mix of curiosity and skepticism.Â
He'd only known this online friend for about two weeks, yet they'd quickly gotten comfortable enough to meet offline. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person she would be in real life. He was well aware that people often seemed different in person than online. Besides, she had initiated both the chat and the idea of meeting, so he prepared himself for possible disappointment—and stayed alert for any surprises.
Los Angeles was a big city that could feel close-knit or expansive depending on the moment. Thankfully, there was no traffic at this hour, and it took Qin Guanglin less than half an hour to reach Shengtian Plaza. He stepped off the bus just a few minutes shy of 2:30, brushing away the catkins drifting in the April air like floating snowflakes—an annoyance this time of year.
Since they hadn't agreed on an exact meeting point, he decided against standing awkwardly at the bus stop and made his way to a nearby milk tea shop to wait. Just then, his phone chimed with a message.
*Getting Lost*: I'm here.
*Lin Mu Sensen*: What a coincidence, I'm here too.
*Getting Lost*: What color are you wearing?
They only knew each other's age and gender, so identifying each other by clothing seemed the easiest way. Qin Guanglin looked around and quickly typed back:
*Light gray shirt, black pants—pretty unremarkable. What about you?*
After sending the message, he noticed three or four other men around the plaza in gray shirts and black pants. It seemed his look was a little too common.
"Hi, Lin Mu Sensen?"
A clear, soft voice came from behind him. Qin Guanglin turned to see a girl with long hair smiling at him, her eyes bright with recognition.
"Getting Lost?" he asked, trying to gauge her appearance. She wore light makeup, a white long-sleeved shirt with the top button open to reveal her collarbone, cropped pants, and beige casual shoes.Â
"Yes, that's me. Shall we shake hands?" She smiled and looked directly at him, unbothered by the people around them.
Catkins floated by between them. Qin Guanglin glanced at the bus stop sign behind her and shook his head. "No need for formalities. So, where did you come from?"
"Xicheng District, from my university," she replied, pointing toward the square. "Let's go explore a bit."
He nodded, remembering from their previous chats that she was studying at the University of Los Angeles and was about to graduate.
"My name is Qin Guanglin. And yours?"
She turned back to him with a playful grin, hands behind her back, her eyes sparkling. "is there's something wrong with my name? It's nice to meet you, Qin Guanglin."
"I'm glad to meet you, too." He stared for a moment, feeling slightly taken aback by how smoothly everything was going. It was almost too easy. Sensing his gaze, she flashed him a bright smile before turning back to lead the way. "Thank you for accepting my invitation. Let me treat you to milk tea."
Following her to the west gate of Shengtian Plaza, Qin Guanglin couldn't help but ask, "The milk tea shop's at the east gate... you don't come here often?"
"Oh… I usually hang around Xicheng District, not here," she admitted with an embarrassed smile. "Let's go over there."
The milk tea shop, Qingjushishi, was simply decorated, with a modest storefront that opened into a surprisingly spacious interior. Cool air greeted them as they stepped inside.
"A kumquat lemon, light ice, low sugar," she ordered confidently, not even looking at the menu. Then she turned to him, pausing. "What would you like?"
"Carrot juice."
After they placed their order and found a seat, Qin Guanglin felt slightly awkward. Online, their conversation had flowed naturally—she usually initiated the topics. Now, in person, he found himself at a loss for words.
"What's with the staring?" she asked after a moment.
Caught off guard, he looked away briefly. She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table, watching him with an amused smile.
"I just wanted to get a good look at you," she said with a grin, her eyes still fixed on him.
"Do you usually do this?" Qin Guanglin asked, laughing as he finally took a closer look at her. Her features weren't striking, but she had a pleasant, gentle face that was easy to look at. Light blush made her complexion glow, though faint dark circles hinted at recent sleepless nights. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"I've been having a little insomnia lately," she admitted, just as the counter called out their order. Qin Guanglin got up to retrieve the drinks, noticing her gaze following him all the way.
He handed her the kumquat lemon. "No classes today?"
"Not many, now that I'm almost finished. I'm mainly working on my thesis now." She took a sip of her drink and looked back up at him. "What about you? Working?"
"Sort of," he replied. "I do freelance sketching for clients, so it's irregular—sometimes I work, sometimes I don't. It's not exactly a stable job."
She smiled faintly. "This feels like a blind date."
"Hm?" He blinked, unsure if he'd heard her right.
"I said you seem so serious," she repeated, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well… it's probably because you keep staring at me. Makes me a bit nervous," he admitted, laughing as he tried to loosen up with a sip of carrot juice. "So, how am I doing under the scrutiny?"
"Perfect," she replied with a smile, raising her glass in mock toast.
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This is just a fan translation i hope you like it.🥰Â
"Comment down below if either i should choose the manhua nickname they put or the raw since there are differences tho.Â
1. Lin mu sensen & Getting lost
2.Dense forest & Lost and waiting to return
3 Dense forest &Gon astray awaiting return- this one was used in manhua so take a choice for me to edit it later
There's a manhua for this one title: Please Behave, My Wife