This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

In March, the chill of spring still lingered.

On Saturday morning, a little past 11:00 a.m., Xia Zhen dressed in a knee-length knitted dress with a wool coat over it, preparing to go out.

She had long been used to wearing jeans and disliked skirts, especially in such cold weather. But a mother’s will was hard to defy. Her mother specially bought this dress for her blind date. To be fair, it did look quite nice. With her delicate features, she looked good in it. She usually dressed for comfort, and skirts or high heels brought her nothing but inconvenience. Still, when necessary, she would wear them to play the part of a lady.

But was it really necessary to pretend for a blind date?

“Mom, my legs are cold.” Xia Zhen tried to stir up a little pity from her mother.

But she failed.

“The sun is shining bright outside. You’ll warm up once you walk in it.” Mother Xia cast a satisfied glance at her daughter’s bare legs. “Mm, fair skin and slender figure. You’ve inherited my fine genes. Not bad.”

With a clang, the laundry pole on the balcony fell in the wind.

Xia Zhen said, “Umm, the wind is pretty strong too.”

“There’s heating in the restaurant, central air conditioning in the mall, and it’s warm in the cinema.” Mother Xia remained unmoved.

“And what about strolling down the street? Or walking by the river?” There would be plenty of chances to feel cold!

Mother Xia gave Xia Zhen a sidelong look, then smiled faintly. “Then just hug each other to keep warm. Don’t worry, your mom is very open-minded.”

The first meeting, and she was supposed to let a man take advantage? Was this really her biological mother?

Xia Zhen was speechless. She knew if she kept arguing, it would only get worse, so she dropped the subject. “You say that as if success is guaranteed.”

“It doesn’t matter if this one doesn’t work out.” Mother Xia said with an unchanged smile. “There’s always next time.”

As expected, once the road of blind dates began, it would not end until one entered the grave of marriage.

Still, even if it could not end, it could at least be slowed down.

Xia Zhen’s plan was simple— one blind date, one year of peace.

Reaffirming her resolve, Xia Zhen forced a broad grin. “Mom, don’t worry. I want to find someone to love me and someone to cherish as well, so I’ll behave myself. I’m off. Bye-bye.”

Finding love and affection was just all talk.

She strode out the door full of fighting spirit, as though walking toward the light. Her heeled boots struck the ground like a stirring background score urging her forward.

Xia Zhen had already come up with counter-strategies for blind dates back before she even graduated. She needed to plan ahead, after all.

The moment her twenty-fifth birthday passed last week, Mother Xia officially demanded that she go on a blind date. Xia Zhen immediately agreed. Not only did she not object, she even showed a hint of anticipation, which greatly surprised her mother.

She had watched classmates and friends go on blind dates one after another since her student days. For her to only face her first one at twenty-five was already a luxury.

She was confident in her strategy. Now she was eager to put it into action.

With her chest out and head high, full of determination, Xia Zhen walked out of the building. A gust of wind blew straight at her. It was so cold! Her momentum vanished instantly. She pulled her coat tighter, hunched her shoulders, and hurried to hail a taxi. The car had heating!

The restaurant was not far, and she arrived in less than ten minutes.

She was fifteen minutes early and wondered whether her blind date had arrived yet. It didn’t matter either way. Even if he was late, she would not be upset.

At the entrance, she suddenly stopped, frowning as she tried to recall her date’s name.

His surname was Pei.

Pei Cheng’an!

It only took her two seconds to remember. Xia Zhen was quite pleased with her memory. After all, up until yesterday, she still couldn’t recall his surname.

Smug, she pushed open the restaurant door.

It was a private kitchen restaurant, chosen by Pei Cheng’an. This was her first visit.

The warm air inside greeted her, and her smile relaxed.

The restaurant was elegantly decorated, with good taste. She was satisfied.

A server in a plain qipao approached, graceful in posture and gentle in voice, asking for her surname. Upon hearing the answer, she led Xia Zhen to a private room.

After knocking, the door was opened.

Finally, about to meet her blind date, Xia Zhen felt a flicker of nerves.

“Hello.” Pei Cheng’an stood, gave a polite nod, and greeted her.

He was tall and upright, his hair neither too long nor too short, and his features distinct without being too harsh. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his straight nose. Though he wasn’t smiling, his gaze was gentle enough. His looks far exceeded her expectations, and she was more than satisfied.

He was a handsome researcher with a master’s degree and was about to turn thirty— the prime of his years. Reportedly, he had almost no romantic history. ‘Almost’ could be debated, but she would not pry. What he studied at the institute did not concern her either. As long as he was a high-quality man with excellent conditions, that was enough.

That way, her claim of love at first sight would sound convincing.

Saying she couldn’t forget him and found others beneath her would also be reasonable.

Hehehe. She saw the dawn of hope.

“Hello.” Xia Zhen greeted with a sincere smile.

Pei Cheng’an tugged at the corner of his mouth in return. It counted as a smile.

She could tell he wasn’t the type who liked to smile. Spending his days in a research institute, serious and disciplined, it was normal. This kind of man was actually quite attractive. Even if her favorite celebrity was the cheerful, lively, and not-so-tall Wang Zulan, Pei Cheng’an’s quiet charm still held its pull.

Yes, that was how she would think of it.

Xia Zhen watched him with a bright smile. His eyes swept over her as well, though only briefly, polite and measured— save for one extra glance at her bare calves.

“Ms. Xia, please sit.” Pei Cheng’an walked over like a gentleman, pulling out a chair with a gesture of invitation.

Xia Zhen glided forward gracefully, sat down elegantly, and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He returned to his seat across from her, picked up the menu, and said, “Ms. Xia, please order.”

There was a menu before her as well. She flipped through it casually, then set it down with a gentle expression. “I’m a little dazzled. Since you’re familiar with this place, why don’t you order?”

In truth, with just a few glances, she had already picked out three dishes she wanted.

She studied his expression but saw no real change. He nodded, accepting her suggestion, and asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

She gave a sweet smile. “None.”

“What do you like to eat?”

“Anything.”

The moment the word left her mouth, she despised herself.

As someone who often lurked online, Xia Zhen always mocked posts and videos themed around ‘anything’ with disdain. Yet there she was saying it herself. All so she could be looked down upon. Good. Let him ridicule her, lose interest, and let the blind date fail miserably. That way, she could take a long break before the next. Of course, this alone wasn’t enough. A meal was long. There was time to work with.

Pei Cheng’an nodded again, his expression still unchanged. “So Ms. Xia isn’t picky about food. I appreciate that.”

“Appreciate……” Xia Zhen wasn’t sure if he meant it sincerely or sarcastically. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to get a clearer read on him, but all she saw was calm eyes and a serious expression.

Perhaps he was simply too good at pretending. That was what she thought.

“Yes. Many young women today diet for slimness, or eat only junk food, and don’t eat properly. That’s not good.”

Her grandfather had said something similar before. During puberty, she had once been overweight. With her parents busy working, it was her grandfather who looked after her. Wanting to be pretty, she had cried about dieting, even tried skipping meals. She had gone a meal or two without eating, but her grandfather’s nagging wore her down. Her willpower was weak to begin with. If she had succeeded in dieting back then and become a slender beauty, she might have been swept away by a handsome boy already.

Instead, she only slimmed down by her sophomore year in college, by which time most handsome boys were already taken.

“Figure is very important.” That was indisputable.

Pei Cheng’an agreed. “As long as the diet is balanced, regular exercise is the best way to stay in shape.”

“Mr. Pei, you make so much sense!” Xia Zhen said with a face full of admiration. She had promised her mother she would behave well, after all.

Pei Cheng’an didn’t look proud, just a little embarrassed.

Was he acting? Xia Zhen’s expression grew conflicted.

He ordered three dishes and a soup. Afterward, he asked if she had any objections. Though she had originally planned to fuss here, two of the dishes were ones she wanted, and she feared she might overdo her act if she kept at it. So she said she had no objections.

After the order was placed and the server left, Xia Zhen found her gaze lingering on the server’s curvy back, admiration plain in her eyes. She sighed. “The servers here have angelic faces and devilish figures. So beautiful!”

Xia Zhen had always liked looking at pretty women, believing women were far lovelier than men. If not for society’s scrutiny, she would have wanted to live with a beautiful woman. Since that dream could not come true, she thought marrying in her thirties or forties and admiring beauties together with her husband would also be nice. That was her view on love.

By normal standards, it was unconventional. She had once worried about it. Growing up, she had never really liked a man that much. Sure, she had swooned when a tall boy shot a basketball handsomely, admired another during a heated academic debate, and even confessed to a top student her height. But in a few days, the feelings faded.

She had her own admirers, of course. Even in her heavier years, some ‘chubby-loving’ boys had told her things like ‘I think you’re cute’, or ‘I think you’re warmhearted, please be my girlfriend’. She had agreed two or three times halfheartedly, but none of those relationships lasted even a month. She faced those ‘former boyfriends’ calmly, but they no longer had feelings for her. They said they felt frustrated because they couldn’t see affection in her eyes.

Eventually, she came to understand that men and women were better suited as friends.

For example, her male and female friends were about equal in number, and she got along well with both.

But among her male friends, none were quite like Pei Cheng’an.

And what was Pei Cheng’an like? For instance, when she praised the server’s beauty, his response was, “Most angelic faces are not truly beautiful……”