The Blind Dates  

The first blind date, with Xiang Ning, proved unexpectedly engaging. Fan Li learned that she was the only heir to the Xiang Corporation, a powerful conglomerate. Most importantly, Xiang Ning seemed quite taken with him, eager to begin a relationship.

"If we get married, I'll appoint you as the CEO of the company once I inherit it," she declared. "We'll have more money than we can spend, and you'll never have to worry about finances again.

I want to have two children, one with your surname and one with mine. I often wear men's clothing, you don't mind, do you?"

Fan Li was nearly lulled to sleep by her monologue. He forced himself to stay awake and replied, "No... I don't mind. You have the freedom to wear whatever you want."

"Hee hee, you're such a good person, Fan Li," Xiang Ning blushed, her androgynous attire failing to conceal her delicate features.

Me? A good person?

Coming from Xiang Ning, the compliment felt strangely awkward. It didn't seem like something she would say.

And was it normal for a blind date to go this smoothly? With his modest middle-class background and ordinary job, he was on a blind date with the heiress of a major corporation?

Everything progressed seamlessly, and time flew by.

At 3:55 PM, with five minutes left before his second date, Xiang Ning suddenly announced, "I have to go." She stood up and, like a robot completing its task, quickly left the café.

Fan Li was bewildered, sensing something amiss. As he sat there pondering, the sound of high heels clicking towards him caught his attention.

"You're Fan Li?"

A cold, haughty female voice inquired.

Fan Li looked up, and the moment he saw the woman's face, he instinctively stood up, his muscles tensing as he entered a defensive state.

"Sage Ruler!?" He blurted out.

The woman frowned. "What Sage Ruler? My name is Han Yue. I've seen your photos. You're Fan Li, right?"

Fan Li then remembered that his second blind date was indeed surnamed Han.

"Uh... please, have a seat." He felt increasingly uneasy.

He instinctively glanced at Han Yue's right hand, which gripped a long-handled parasol. Although it was clearly an umbrella, Fan Li couldn't shake the feeling that it resembled a frosty, snow-white sword.

After taking her seat, Han Yue maintained her aloof demeanor.

"I was forced to come here by my family. I've always refused blind dates. But you arrived at the café early, which shows some gentlemanly manners. I suppose I can listen to your situation."

With that, Han Yue lifted her chin slightly, her gaze directed elsewhere, only occasionally glancing at Fan Li from the corner of her eye.

Fan Li was dumbfounded. This woman was quite arrogant!

Did she truly consider herself a snow lotus on an icy mountain, standing alone in the cold?

And why did her words and actions seem so contradictory? She claimed to be unwilling, yet here she was on a blind date?

"Ahem!"

"I'm a local from N City. I own an apartment but not a car. My current job..."

With a third blind date scheduled for 5 PM, Fan Li treated this as a mere formality. He briefly introduced himself, not expecting Han Yue to be interested.

"Hmph!"

As expected, Han Yue let out a snort of disdain.

"How ordinary." She didn't even bother to hide her disapproval, voicing it directly to his face.

Fan Li rolled his eyes. If she wasn't interested, why didn't she just leave? Yet, Han Yue remained seated, maintaining her composure. Her gaze still wandered, but she occasionally stole glances at Fan Li, as if she still held some interest in him?

Strange. Fan Li felt a sense of familiarity with Han Yue. Could it be that he had met her before? He even felt that her arrogance, or perhaps her tsundere personality, was simply a trait she had developed since childhood.

No ill intentions?

"You're done talking? Then let me introduce myself."

Fan Li was surprised. He had guessed correctly! Han Yue wasn't rushing to end the date despite his unremarkable background.

The stereotypical scene of a gold digger from a novel didn't materialize. She was actually continuing the blind date process?

"I studied abroad and am currently a young lecturer at the N City University's Music Academy. I specialize in piano, vocals, and ballet. I've won awards in two international competitions.

My father is a retired university professor, and my mother is a bank manager. I have six-figure savings. I haven't bought a house yet, but I do have a car..."

After finishing her introduction, Han Yue finally fixed her gaze on Fan Li for a few seconds, a proud smile gracing her lips.

Her smile seemed to say: So, what do you think? I'm quite impressive, right?

Fan Li had to admit, with her family background and accomplishments, while not on the same level as a corporate heiress like Xiang Ning, Han Yue was indeed exceptional.

"That's the basic information. Now, tell me about your hobbies," Han Yue continued.

Fan Li nodded and answered her questions cooperatively. The second blind date, surprisingly, went smoothly as well.

As the clock approached 4:55 PM, Han Yue suddenly stood up and, like Xiang Ning, hurriedly left.

Fan Li frowned. He felt like a puppet as if his actions were predetermined. So, was it time for the third blind date to appear?

Indeed, as soon as five minutes passed, a short-haired girl with a scholarly aura and round-framed glasses entered the café.

"You must be Miss Lu? The blind date Mrs. Chen introduced?" Fan Li stood up, attempting to appear gentlemanly.

The short-haired girl exclaimed, "Ah! I finally found you!" She rushed towards Fan Li and grabbed him.

"Fan Li! Wake up! I'm Lu Fubao, daughter of Lu Chunqiu! Everything you see is an illusion! We're still in Mount Yunmeng!

I was worried you were being deceived by the illusion formation, so I forced my way into your illusion... Ah... No, I'm being repelled!"

In the blink of an eye, Lu Fubao vanished!

Fan Li was stunned. He looked around but couldn't find any trace of her.

What illusion?

What Mount Yunmeng?

He vaguely tried to recall something, but his thoughts were interrupted by his ringing phone.

The caller ID displayed "Mom".

"Hello, Mom?" Fan Li pondered for a moment before saying, "It's almost 5 PM. Why hasn't the third blind date arrived yet?"

His mother's scolding voice came through the phone. "You silly boy, what are you talking about? Mrs. Chen only introduced you to two blind dates. Did you dream up a third one?"

Only two?

Fan Li frowned, sensing something was off.

His mother continued, "Mrs. Chen said that both Xiang Ning and Han Yue are excellent matches. You'd be lucky to marry either of them..." His mother's voice droned on and on, and even Fan Li began to feel that she was right.

One was a wealthy heiress from a prestigious family, the other a refined young lady from an educated background.

According to conventional marriage standards, marrying either of them would bring him both face and fortune.

But something still felt strange.

As he was lost in thought, his phone buzzed again. It was a WeChat message.

Xiang Ning: "Are you free tomorrow? Could you accompany me to the newly opened amusement park?"

Along with the text was a cute "Please?" emoji.

Han Yue's message was much simpler, consisting of only few words, conveying her usual aloofness and arrogance, leaving no room for refusal.

"I'm off tomorrow. Come out."