Chapter 7: The Seventh Dimension 1/2

The school had just started, and it was a busy time.

The students in the class were still in a relaxed state, not fully awake from the winter break. Sòng Fúzhī had to keep a close eye on them, urging them to focus, and for several days, he supervised the evening self-study.

His home was not close to the school, and by the time he got home at night, it was already late, so he couldn’t do much and had to go to bed.

Generally, his parents wouldn’t look for him at night, but today, as soon as Sòng Fúzhī got home, he received a call from Teacher Wáng.

Sòng Fúzhī was holding a soft brush, giving the Gundam models in the display cabinet a “bath.” It had been a while since he cleaned them, and a thin layer of dust had accumulated on the models.

With one hand, he picked up the phone, still holding the brush in the other, not stopping the movement. ‘Mom.’

Mrs. Wáng went straight to the point: ‘Do you have time recently? Let’s meet someone!

Sòng Fúzhī’s hand paused, taking a deep breath.

The blind date mission came again, and he was starting to get annoyed.

During the weekend, he chatted with Luò Lúlí. Unable to hold back, he complained a bit, with a slight irritation in his tone.

Luò Lúlí laughed heartily without reservation, ‘You’re finally driven crazy by blind dates! I think you’ve been patient for a long time.’

‘Mainly because I don’t know what kind of person I’ll meet.’ Sng Fzh rubbed his temples. ‘Like drawing a random fortune bag. No certainty.’

Luò Lúlí scolded him for not appreciating his luck: ‘I think Uncle and Auntie have chosen good people for you each time, at least handsome enough. The sunny little guy last time was okay.’

‘Don’t be so undemanding.’

Sòng Fúzhī’s tone was calm, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a hint of annoyance.

Luò Lúlí chuckled, ‘What’s going on? Is he still contacting you? After being publicly rejected by Teacher Sòng on Valentine’s Day last time, hasn’t his self-esteem suffered enough?’

‘He hasn’t appeared recently, but he sends me messages every day, bothering me.’

Since last Valentine’s Day, after the public rejection by Teacher Sòng, Qiáo Xùyáng hasn’t confronted Sòng Fúzhī again. However, every day, without fail, he greeted him, shared interesting things in life, and even if there was nothing interesting, he would casually send a few words.

It couldn’t be said to be annoying, but it made people uncomfortable.

Sòng Fúzh ignored him, but he persisted, as if he only

treated Sòng Fúzhī as a confidant and had no hope of him replying.

In the past, after a blind date, if the two didn’t hit it off, they would part ways. Occasionally, if someone liked Sòng Fúzhī but was rejected, there would be no more communication.

It’s the first time I’ve seen someone as clingy as Qiao Xuyang.

Perhaps Qiao Xuyang thought that persistence and sincerity could melt the icy heart of Song Fuzhi. However, the reality was quite the opposite; the more he persisted, the more it proved that he wasn’t to Song Fuzhi’s liking.

“I really don’t want to encounter another Qiao Xuyang,” said Song Fuzhi.

Fortunately, though they hadn’t met yet, this new blind date gave a different impression than Qiao Xuyang.

The time and place were chosen by Song Fuzhi.

For convenience, without much thought, Song Fuzhi suggested the same café as last time, Saturday noon.

The advantage of meeting at a café is that having coffee takes less time than having a meal. If the two don’t like each other, they can part ways in just a few minutes, avoiding the awkward torture of enduring a meal for one or two hours.

They hadn’t added each other on WeChat; it was still Ms. Wang who conveyed the message.

When Wang Huiling mentioned the time and place, the others quickly agreed.

In the past, before every blind date, the other party would add Song Fuzhi on WeChat.

Some people wanted to chat with him in advance; some immediately asked for his photos; and others questioned why his moments were empty.

Well, he set privacy settings. They hadn’t become close enough for that.

The new blind date was an exception.

He didn’t ask anything and didn’t add on WeChat, which was fine.

On the day of the blind date, Song Fuzhi tidied up a bit and wore a navy blue shirt, his bangs falling casually, formal but not too strict, appearing youthful.

He checked himself in the mirror, shaved off his stubble, and then headed out.

Wang Huiling had only mentioned that the other person was her former student and now a professor.

Besides these two pieces of information, Song Fuzhi knew nothing about him, not even his name. So, inevitably, he couldn’t help but imagine what he looked like.

The first impression of a professor’s profession is usually polite, but real-life professors are rarely as handsome as in cartoons.

A professor approaching middle age, likely wearing glasses, is serious and stern, perhaps a bit overweight.

But that didn’t matter. For Song Fuzhi, appearance was far from the most important thing in marriage.

Song Fuzhi arrived five minutes earlier than the agreed-upon time. The server asked for his name and led him inside, saying, “The other gentleman is already here.”

The gentleman had his back to the door, wearing a camel-colored turtleneck sweater, sitting upright with a neat hairstyle, and the loose sleeves added a touch of softness.

Just from his back, Song Fuzhi was slightly amazed; the man gave off a very comfortable feeling.

The server led him to the table and left. The man raised his head upon hearing the sound, and their eyes met directly.

Song Fuzhi suddenly stopped in his tracks; he had seen the other person not long ago.

Right in this café, even at this table.

They stared at each other, both seeming a bit surprised.

Song Fuzhi raised an eyebrow and broke the silence. “What a coincidence.”

The man made a gesture to sit down, his voice carrying a hint of a smile. “I remember last time; it was at this table.”

After Song Fuzhi sat down, the man extended his hand and said, “Shi Zhang.”

Looking at Shi Zhang’s hand in the air, Song Fuzhi couldn’t help but smile.

Meeting on a blind date and shaking hands first, it felt like a business meeting—very formal.

Song Fuzhi lightly shook hands with him and said, “Song Fuzhi.”

Compared to the last encounter, Shi Zhang should have dressed up this time. The scholarly aura on him wasn’t as strong, and there was a faint woody floral fragrance, maybe from perfume.

As it turns out, handsome professors do exist in real life.