Chapter 9: Around

Mo Sheng pretended not to hear his sarcasm and cautiously asked, “Are you treating me to a meal?”

“You found my wallet, so I should thank you,” Yi Chen replied.

“You don’t have to be so polite,” Mo Sheng said hesitantly, feeling a sense of frustration.

When did they become so formal with each other?They had dinner at the well-known Qin Ji. Despite the elegant ambiance, delicious dishes, and attentive service, Mo Sheng found it hard to enjoy the meal.

Sitting across from Yi Chen’s expressionless face, she knew she was bound to suffer from indigestion.

The dull atmosphere was broken by the pleasant ringtone of a cellphone. Yi Chen answered, “Hello… yes… I’m at Qin Ji… no, I’m here with Zhao Mo Sheng… we just happened to run into each other… okay.”He suddenly handed her the phone.

“Yimei wants to talk to you.”Startled, Mo Sheng hesitated before taking it.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mo Sheng,” came a soft voice from the other end.

“Yimei, long time no see.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.”

An awkward silence followed. Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Finally, Yimei spoke.

“Mo Sheng, how have you been all these years?”

“Not bad. I’ve been enjoying life so much that I don’t even want to leave,” Mo Sheng said casually, failing to notice the way Yi Chen suddenly froze across the table.

“Yeah…” Another brief silence. Then Yimei asked, “Can you give me your contact information? Let’s find a time to meet up.”

“Sure,” Mo Sheng agreed and shared her number.

“Alright, talk soon. Bye.”

“Goodbye.”

After hanging up, Mo Sheng closed the phone and handed it back to Yi Chen, but he didn’t take it.

“Save your number in my phone,” he instructed.

Mo Sheng was caught off guard. She lowered her head and started entering the number but struggled with the name input.

“What Chinese input method do you use?”

“Strokes.”

“Oh.”Still, she couldn’t type it in properly.

“How do you type the character ‘Mo’?”

Without a word, Yi Chen reached over and took the phone from her hands.

“I’ll do it.”

Mo Sheng watched, slightly embarrassed, as his slender fingers moved quickly and effortlessly over the silver-gray keypad. Within seconds, he finished typing, closed the phone, and slipped it into his pocket.

“You forgot how to write your own name?” he asked, a trace of amusement in his tone.

“No, I just don’t know how to use your phone,” Mo Sheng explained hesitantly.

Yi Chen glanced at her but said nothing more. The rest of the dinner was spent in silence, even as he drove her home.When they arrived, Mo Sheng got out of the car.

“Thank you for the ride.”

He gave a slight nod before driving away.Mo Sheng stood there in a daze, unsure how long she had been standing still. It wasn’t until she noticed the curious stares of passersby that she snapped out of her thoughts and hurried upstairs.

——-

“A blind date?” Mo Sheng exclaimed in surprise.

“Keep your voice down!”

The Flower Fairy quickly covered her mouth. Mo Sheng mumbled something, and she shot her a warning look.

“Don’t make a fuss, okay?”

Mo Sheng quickly nodded. As soon as she was released, she asked, “Wait, you’re going on a blind date?”

“Not just me—we are.”

“Me? Why? What for?” Mo Sheng looked completely bewildered.

“You and I are the oldest among the singles in our company. If we don’t act fast, we might never get married! Do you realize that?”

The Flower Fairy flipped through a calendar. “Today’s candidates are system engineers from XX Company. It’s the perfect opportunity for both of us!”

“If you want to go, go by yourself. I’m not interested,” Mo Sheng refused flatly.

“But there are two of them! I can’t handle both alone…” The Flower Fairy clung to her arm, looking desperate.

“Mo Sheng, haven’t I always treated you well? My chances of getting married this year depend entirely on you!”

She gazed at Mo Sheng pitifully, like an abandoned puppy.