Chapter 38 – Lin Xiaowen's Blind Date

Lin Xiaowen rubbed her ears, still aching from the jolt, and her furrowed brow, pained by worry. The words from Xu Ningning before hanging up still rang in her mind: “If things get tough, just play along, otherwise the old lady will feel you’re not treating her like family, right?”

Lin Xiaowen scoffed in reply, “You’re just afraid your mother will turn her matchmaking obsession back on you. You think I don’t know…”

“Lin Xiaowen, you heartless thing! If I didn’t warn you first, and my mom caught you off guard, what would you do? I bet you wouldn’t dare refuse her…” Xu Ningning shrieked.

Truth be told, Lin Xiaowen really didn’t have the courage—not for any particular reason, but after all these years of being treated like a daughter, she’d come to see Xu’s parents as her own. Gratitude, though, unconsciously outweighed affection.

So when Xu’s mother called to explain her intentions, and after Lin Xiaowen tried in vain to find a way out, she finally steeled herself, stomped her foot, clenched her teeth, and… agreed.

A meeting is just a meeting, only a meal—nothing to fear… It’s just making a friend… Or perhaps, she could leave right after dinner…

Lost in her tangled thoughts, Lin Xiaowen hadn’t even listened to the conditions Xu Auntie described for the man, catching only the last part:

“Then it’s settled, tomorrow it is. I’ll pick up Ranran early from your place, so you just go—have a good chat, he’s a decent young man, and I’ve given him your phone number…”

Lin Xiaowen nodded and agreed, half-heartedly, her face as bitter as a gourd. Yet hearing Xu Auntie’s joyful and gratified voice on the other end, Lin Xiaowen felt a rare sense of being cared for…

Let’s just make the old lady happy. If Xu Ningning—such an “unfilial daughter”—won’t do it, then I will!

The next day, Xu Auntie indeed arrived early to pick up Ranran. Before leaving, she made sure to send Ranran away and whispered reminders:

“Dress nicely, the young man is quite handsome and about your age… He’s recently divorced and single, apparently because his ex-wife was infertile…”

A whole list of things, but Lin Xiaowen simply smiled and nodded obediently, then watched Xu Auntie leave.

Closing the door with a long sigh, Lin Xiaowen wandered to the sofa and began to space out.

A blind date? My heavens, I must have been out of my mind to agree!

And with someone who’s been married before?

Well, considering her own situation—an unmarried mother, no degree, no financial standing—being chosen by a divorced “economically suitable” man was already more than she could hope for.

That’s probably why Xu Auntie kept encouraging her to dress up.

She rifled through her closet—her clothes were all about comfort: jeans, white T-shirts, denim skirts, white T-shirts… The only remotely formal piece was a sleeveless long chiffon dress in watery blue, a gift from Xu Ningning.

After some thought, she decided on a denim mini skirt and a white T-shirt, looking clean and simple. Paired with white sneakers, she was so plain and clear there was not a trace of allure.

She slung her backpack over her shoulders and was about to go out when her phone buzzed.

Opening WeChat, she was surprised to see Cheng Yishu’s name.

Lin Xiaowen’s heart skipped a beat—it felt like being caught red-handed doing something wrong, or as if sneaking out behind a boyfriend’s back…

“Nonsense, Cheng Yishu isn’t even my… whatever, why am I nervous? Besides, I’m just doing this to appease Xu Auntie, not actually planning to get serious about the blind date…”

Blushing and heart pounding, Lin Xiaowen muttered to herself as she opened Cheng Yishu’s message.

It was a selfie—he looked to be in the middle of getting his makeup done, holding his phone with one hand for a shot of his profile.

His makeup was elegant, features refined, nose prominent, lips alluring… His eyes were cast down, making his expression unreadable—a look both aloof and vain.

“Show-off!”

Lin Xiaowen bit her lip and laughed, still blushing and heart racing. She closed her phone and stepped out the door, but just as she was about to go downstairs, her phone buzzed again.

It was Cheng Yishu again.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you replying?”

Lin Xiaowen paused, retraced her steps from the stairs, considered a moment, and replied,

“Nothing, I’m taking Ranran to Xu Auntie’s house today. Do your best at work!”

After waiting a bit and seeing no further reply from Cheng Yishu, Lin Xiaowen tucked her phone away and headed downstairs.

To be honest, this place was so hard to find—some café on the first floor of a certain building…

The “certain” was in English, which Lin Xiaowen didn’t recognize. After getting out of the taxi, she clutched the change the driver gave her, debating whether to ask Xu Ningning for reimbursement.

“Hello, welcome! How many in your party, miss?” The waiter politely opened the café’s glass door, ushering Lin Xiaowen inside.

A bit nervous, Lin Xiaowen gripped her backpack straps and nodded, “I’m here to meet someone. Is Mr. Lin here yet?”

Ah, forgot to mention—Xu Auntie had matched Lin Xiaowen with someone who also had the surname Lin. What a coincidence!

“Oh, Mr. Lin just arrived. Please follow me!” The waiter gestured ahead with practiced courtesy, and Lin Xiaowen followed, soon spotting the man sitting by the window, bathed in afternoon sunlight.

Lin Xiaowen thanked the waiter but hesitated to approach, simply gazing at the man sitting beneath the glass, his expression solemn.

Her intuition kicked in, and within two minutes, the man glanced in her direction. Lin Xiaowen had no choice but to muster a smile and walk over.

“Hello, I’m Lin Zhi… You must be Lin Xiaowen?”

Lin Zhi was the mature, steady type, dressed in a dark gray suit, broad-shouldered, with healthy bronze skin. He rose with a gentle smile and pulled out a chair for Lin Xiaowen, very gentlemanly.

“Thank you… I’m Lin Xiaowen.”

“Please, Miss Lin, have a seat.”

“Thank you…”

They each took their seats, and the waiter soon brought over the coffee that had been ordered earlier.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I took the liberty of ordering a cappuccino. It seems most women prefer that…”

Lin Zhi spoke softly, trying to ease the awkwardness.

“I’m fine with anything…” Lin Xiaowen curved her lips in response.

“You look… Are you sure you’re twenty-five and have a daughter?” Lin Zhi, having taken measure of Lin Xiaowen, realized his words were too forward and quickly explained,

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that you look like a college student, and it’s a bit different from what I imagined when Xu Auntie introduced you. Please don’t take offense.”

“No, not at all!” Lin Xiaowen waved her hand and smiled. “The way you said it, it’s almost like a compliment for being young—why would I mind? But I do have a daughter who’s almost six…”