The first time Chu Yi met Qiao Anchen was at a café near her home.

She was woken up from sleep by her mother, then reluctantly got out of bed to go on a blind date.

…

“Yizai, this one is really good, I swear I wouldn’t lie to you. He’s the distant nephew of your second aunt’s friend’s husband’s cousin, and he works at the Procuratorate. I’ve heard he’s the most handsome guy there!”

The last part about him being the most handsome guy at the Procuratorate was said with such excitement that it forced the sleep-heavy Chu Yi to barely open one eye. She blinked groggily, stretched out a hand from under the blanket to grab her phone, and rested her head on the pillow while trying to recall.

“Mom… You said the same thing about the last bald uncle… What was his title again? Oh, yes, the most handsome guy at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Another ‘most handsome.'”

“Oh, that was a mistake! Who knew your eldest aunt could be so unreliable!” Mrs. Wenfang seemed to slap her thigh in frustration before continuing to fret over Chu Yi’s dating prospects.

“Yizai, I’ve already arranged everything for you. It’s at the café in front of your residential area at 10:30 AM. If you hit it off, you can have lunch together; if not, you can head straight back home for a nap. How does that sound?”

… Quite considerate.

Mrs. Wenfang’s voice carried a hint of pride, as if she was pleased with her own cleverness, showing no shame for pushing her daughter into a blind date.

Over the past couple of years, Chu Yi had been through a lot. From the initial resistance and frustration, she had moved on to accepting her fate, and now she could even spare some mental energy to think about what to have for breakfast.

She muttered a few noncommittal replies, hung up the phone, and ended the annoying chatter in her ear.

The soft, comfortable sunlight of June in Lan City streamed through the clean windows, filling the room with brightness. A gentle breeze blew in from the balcony, making the white curtains billow. On the bed in the middle of the room, a lump that looked like a cocoon moved slightly under the covers.

The room was still for a while, as if frozen in time. Then, after a short pause, a head emerged from under the blanket.

Messy black hair covered the top of her head and fell to the sides of her face, leaving only a pair of large eyes visible on her pale, full face.

Her pupils seemed larger than most, round and clear, with a natural innocence and purity. Even though she was still sleepy, it only added to her cuteness.

Reluctantly, Chu Yi climbed out of bed, rolling over twice as she clung to her blanket and briefly napped for a few more seconds before finally dragging herself to the bathroom.

A splash of cold water on her face, a bit of freshening up, and her sleepiness had mostly faded. Standing in front of her wardrobe, Chu Yi hesitated for a few seconds before finally picking out a simple pink sweatshirt and beige pants, then slinging a small crossbody bag over her shoulder and slipping on some sneakers.

Bare-faced, with her hair casually tied into a small ponytail at the back of her head, the young woman had a full forehead and soft, dewy cheeks, bursting with collagen. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, dark and well-defined, each hair distinctly visible.

Walking down the street, she wasn’t stunning enough to make passersby stare and walk into lampposts, but she was certainly fresh and eye-catching, with a look that grew more appealing the longer you looked.

Chu Yi had been pursued before, though not by anyone remarkable. But whether it was due to the influence of shoujo manga or simply not having met the right person, Chu Yi had never actually been in a relationship.

A few years ago, this wasn’t a big deal. Mrs. Wenfang thought her daughter was obedient and cheerful, and she was content with that. But ever since Chu Yi turned twenty-five without showing any signs of a romantic relationship, her mother had started to worry.

Over the past year, under her mother’s pressure, Chu Yi had gone on countless blind dates, encountering all sorts of oddballs, but she still hadn’t found her Mr. Right.

Thinking about this made Chu Yi sigh with a bit of melancholy as she walked with her head down.

When she reached the entrance of her residential area, it was 10:20 AM. The café her mother mentioned was only a five-minute walk away. Chu Yi thought she could stop by the breakfast shop next to her complex to buy some soy milk and their signature meat buns. That way, she could enjoy her breakfast while walking to the café, which would be just perfect.

The meat buns from that shop were incredibly delicious—thin-skinned and packed with filling. One bite and the juices would burst in your mouth, filling it with flavor.

… Her mouth started watering uncontrollably as she swallowed and quickened her pace.

It was the weekend, and most people were still sleeping in, so the shop that usually had long lines only had a few customers today. Chu Yi quickly placed her order.

After pulling out her phone to scan the QR code and pay, a new message popped up on WeChat. She tapped on it casually, and the good mood brought on by the two buns instantly disappeared.

The sender was her last blind date.

[Mountain and Stream]: Have you eaten yet? [Sun emoji]

Chu Yi: “…”