Fateful Encounter?

Lia took a steadying breath as she stepped onto the second floor. She hadn't exactly planned on venturing up here, and now, with the buzz of mingling guests and soft classical music filling the air, the weight of her decision hit her. She couldn't turn back now, though; going downstairs again would almost certainly mean running into Yaya or Zhang Chen, and that was a headache she wanted to avoid.

Professor Qin or Lin, she reminded herself. Find them and stay out of trouble.

But then she thought about Lin and the "blind date" the professor had mentioned. Lia winced. She wasn't in the mood to be thrust into another contrived romantic setup, especially not tonight. If she could find Qin instead, maybe she could steer clear of whatever matchmaking scheme Lin had cooked up.

The sounds of the party became more muffled as she wandered down a corridor that branched off the main hall. The opulent setting—gold-framed paintings, polished marble floors, delicate chandeliers casting warm light—felt stifling, a reminder of how out of place she often felt at events like this.

After a few minutes, she found a set of doors that looked promisingly private, tucked away at the end of the hall. Taking a cautious look around, she reached for the handle. No one seemed to be watching her, so she turned it gently and slipped inside.

The room was dimly lit, with heavy velvet curtains drawn halfway across the windows. The ambient glow from the hall cast a soft light across a scene that took her by surprise.

A man was stretched out on a plush leather sofa, fast asleep. He looked like he hadn't been enjoying the party himself—his tie was draped over the sofa's back, his suit jacket flung over the armrest, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up casually to his elbows. 

Lia felt a surge of amusement at the sight. Here was someone else who clearly wasn't thrilled to be mingling in the crowd downstairs.

Her first instinct was to back out and let him sleep in peace. But she lingered, her gaze drawn to him for reasons she couldn't quite place. He had sharp, well-defined features softened slightly in sleep, a bit of dark stubble along his jawline. His hair, dark and just slightly tousled, fell over his forehead, giving him an unguarded look she wasn't used to seeing in these high-society types.

Suddenly, the man stirred. His eyes blinked open, and he looked at her with an initial look of surprise that quickly turned into something unreadable. There was a tense pause as they stared at each other.

"Uh—sorry," Lia blurted, feeling the flush of embarrassment creep up her cheeks. She began to backpedal. "I didn't mean to… intrude. I was just looking for—"

"It's fine," he interrupted, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly. He stretched, glancing over at her with a hint of a smile. "You can stay. It's not like I own this place." 

Lia gave him an awkward nod, hovering by the doorway. "Thanks, but I didn't mean to interrupt your nap."

The man shrugged. "If you'd been in my shoes, you'd want to hide out in here, too."

Something about his relaxed attitude helped her ease up. She took a few steps further into the room and let the door click shut behind her. "I take it you're not a fan of these parties either?"

"Not my idea of a good time," he admitted, looking toward the closed door as though the noise from the main hall was a reminder of why he'd slipped away in the first place.

Lia nodded. "You're not alone in that." She crossed her arms, glancing around the dim room. "If I could've avoided this, I would have."

He tilted his head, studying her with a faint smile. "You don't look like the type to do anything you don't want to."

She raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Normally, no. But I have a mom with a strong will and a questionable sense of boundaries."

He chuckled softly, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "Sounds familiar."

There was a comfortable silence as they both took in the unexpected company. For a moment, Lia forgot the tension of the party and just enjoyed the quiet.

"So," he finally said, breaking the silence, "what brings you to this side of the party? Looking to avoid someone in particular?"

Lia laughed, the sound surprising her. "Where do I start? My main priority was hiding from my 'blind date' setup." She rolled her eyes. "The last thing I need is another matchmaking disaster."

"Matchmaking disasters?" He smirked. "That sounds like it has a story behind it."

"You'd be right," she replied, grinning. "Let's just say her 'eligible bachelors' haven't exactly been what I'd call ideal matches."

The man raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "I'm intrigued. Give me one example."

Lia stifled a laugh as she recalled the memory. "Alright, there was this one guy—he was actually a doctor, highly recommended by her. But then, halfway through our date, he started talking about his, uh… collection."

"Collection?"

"Yes. He collected insects. Giant insects." She shuddered. "I mean, I don't have anything against bugs, but hearing him describe how he pinned each one…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

The man burst into laughter, a deep, genuine laugh that caught Lia off-guard. She couldn't help but join in.

"Sounds like your mom has quite the imagination," he said, once he'd caught his breath.

"Oh, she does," Lia agreed. "And she's persistent."

They shared another laugh, and for the first time that evening, Lia felt completely at ease. There was something refreshing about talking to someone who wasn't part of her usual crowd, someone who didn't expect anything from her.

"I'm Lia, by the way," she said, realizing they hadn't even exchanged names yet.

"Nice to meet you, Lia," he said, offering her a warm smile.

He made no move to introduce himself, but Lia didn't take it badly. She likely wasn't going to remember this situation after a bit anyway.

This seemed to suit him anyway—a little mysterious, a little unconventional.

"So," she said, tilting her head thoughtfully, "if you're as out of place here as I am, why are you even at this party?"

The man leaned back, looking amused. "Family obligation. You?"

She shrugged. "I'm trying to impress the right people. Professors, colleagues… You know, the usual 'secure your future' stuff."

"You know," he said slowly, "we could both slip out. Find somewhere less… predictable."

Lia felt a thrill at the idea. She'd always been one to break the rules when she could.

"Tempting," she said, smirking. "But I doubt my mom would let me live it down."

"Oh, you'd have to tell her?" he teased.

She laughed. "Good point. Maybe she doesn't have to know."

"Well I certainly won't be the one to tell her."