Chapter 7

Yu Qing’er was a bit surprised. Since Mo Hongshen had already paid the bill, why hadn’t he said a word when her aunt dragged her over to pay?

With questions swirling in her mind, Yu Qing’er turned to look at Mo Hongshen.

Coincidentally, he was also looking at her. When their eyes met, he gave her a slight nod.

Yu Qing’er: “…”

That was kind of confusing. She didn’t quite get it, but she nodded back anyway.

The two families stood at the restaurant entrance, exchanged a few more polite words, then went their separate ways.

They hadn’t walked far when Bai Xiang started asking urgently.

“Qing’er, tell Auntie—what do you think of this Mo Hongshen?” she asked, not even giving Yu Qing’er a chance to reply before praising away.

“I think Comrade Mo is really great. Look, he even paid the bill without trying to show off—he’s an honest man! And his looks and height—aren’t they exactly your type? Qing’er, listen to Auntie, Comrade Mo is a catch…”

Bai Xiang’s passionate matchmaking almost made Yu Qing’er laugh, but she knew her aunt loved playing cupid.

“Auntie, I never said he was bad. You’re the one asking me, but then you don’t let me answer,” Yu Qing’er teased.

“Uh—” Bai Xiang froze. The last time Yu Qing’er blew up during a blind date had left a big impression on her. She’d been fully prepared to do some serious convincing again, only to hear her niece say he’s not bad?

“Oh my, Auntie’s just afraid you’re going to nitpick again! But alright, if you’re not saying anything bad, that means you think he’s good. So Qing’er, you need to take the initiative a little. Given your… situation, we can’t be too picky. When you meet a good one, you have to be proactive…”

That part didn’t sit well with Yu Qing’er. What do you mean “given my situation”?

Sure, she had a scar on her face, but Yu Qing’er was confident the water from her space’s dispenser could probably heal scars—and maybe even her fertility issues.

With her looks, wealth, and talent, she had every right to be selective!

Still… that man was pretty ideal…

“Got it, Auntie! But relationships aren’t just up to me. Who knows what he’s thinking,” Yu Qing’er replied.

It wasn’t that she lacked confidence—she just recognized that Mo Hongshen had outstanding qualities too. If not for the whole “he’s not functional” part, he could absolutely dominate the blind date scene.

So, it’s not guaranteed that he would be interested in her. They’d just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Yin Xiaolan was “interrogating” Mo Hongshen too.

“Son, what did you promise me at the start? Didn’t you say you’d take the initiative? But at the dinner, all you did was give one-word answers! That’s taking initiative?”

“I’m not nagging for nothing—look at your situation. It’s lucky Qing’er didn’t mind. You need to make the first move, got it? What, you expect the girl to chase after you? Keep dreaming!”

“And think about your younger brothers. If you don’t handle your own marriage first, how will they ever get their act together? Those two are already giving me gray hairs—don’t let them follow your example. Ugh, my blood pressure is rising again!”

Mo Hongshen: “…”

He hadn’t even said anything yet, and his mom’s blood pressure was already up?

“I did take the initiative—I paid for the meal,” he countered. As for Yu Qing’er, “And I didn’t say anything bad about her.”

“Oh?” Yin Xiaolan’s eyes lit up. “You said it yourself! That means you like her. Then you have to take initiative, son!”

Both Yin Xiaolan and Bai Xiang were beyond excited—they could tell there was definitely potential here.

With blind dates, if no one says they dislike the other after the first meeting, that usually means it can move forward.

Keep meeting a few more times, and things will fall into place.

They were already imagining Mo Hongshen and Yu Qing’er together. They really did look like a good match.

Yu Qing’er was nagged by her aunt the whole way home, and finally got a breather at her doorstep.

“Got it, Auntie. Aren’t you thirsty after talking so much? Grab a bottle of water on your way home. I’m heading in!” She quickly ran off.

When she got home, the place was empty.

Bai Yu was busy at the clothing shop, and Yu Yaotian was working at the supermarket. So Yu Qing’er changed into something comfortable and planned to rest.

Later that afternoon, when Bai Yu noticed the store wasn’t too busy, she couldn’t stop thinking about the blind date and rushed home to get the scoop.

“Come here, baby—tell me how the blind date went. Your aunt didn’t set you up with another dud, did she?” Bai Yu asked, mostly worried the guy might’ve upset her daughter again, like last time.

“It was alright. This time…” Yu Qing’er thought for a moment and nodded. “This one’s decent.”

“Really?” Bai Yu was surprised. Based on what she’d heard about the guy—tall, handsome, a deputy regiment commander—it sounded almost too good to be true. “So the 6’3″ height, good looks, and military rank—none of that’s exaggerated?”

Tall? Confirmed.

Handsome? Very.

Deputy commander? Probably true too.

“Mm, I don’t think there’s any fluff,” Yu Qing’er replied, grabbing a peach from the table. She didn’t bother washing it since it was a cling peach—just rubbed it clean with her hand and took a bite. “He seems legit.”

“Well, sounds promising!” Bai Yu lit up and began persuading her daughter. “Qing’er, you should really get to know this guy better. He checks all your boxes—don’t let this opportunity slip.”

“Okay,” Yu Qing’er agreed.

A perfect roommate and dining buddy—she definitely didn’t want to miss that. Plus, he didn’t seem anything like Zhou Zheng, who was all scheming and no substance.

If things worked out, she wouldn’t have to go on any more blind dates. She wouldn’t need to invest too much time or energy in him either. And when he was away on missions, she’d basically have the freedom of a widow. Perfect.

After chatting about the date, Bai Yu rushed back to the store.

Home alone again, Yu Qing’er entered the villa in her space.

She collapsed into a sofa as soft as a cloud, tossed away the peach pit, and started reminiscing about her past life.

The memories that surfaced most clearly were of the man who died saving her.

If it hadn’t been for that accident, he would’ve been her husband by now.

Naturally, thoughts of Mo Hongshen and today’s date followed.

Maybe… her transmigration into this novel wasn’t a coincidence at all. Maybe it was destiny?

Could he really be him?

For the next several days, Yu Qing’er waited for Mo Hongshen to contact her—but nothing came.

“Qing’er, did you two really exchange phone numbers that day?” Bai Yu asked—again.

“Mm.”

“Then why hasn’t he called?” Bai Yu wondered.

Yu Qing’er didn’t know either. But the answer was probably simple: he’s just not that into me.

To be fair, Mo Hongshen’s overall qualities were exceptional. If it weren’t for the “not functional” part, he was practically perfect. And honestly, even with that issue, there were probably girls who’d overlook it just for his looks.

“But baby, you two exchanged numbers, right? If he won’t call, why don’t you call him?” Bai Yu urged.

It’s a new era—girls can totally take initiative.

But Yu Qing’er didn’t want to.

“If he wants to call, he will. I’m not making the first move,” she said firmly.

Bai Yu, knowing her daughter’s personality, realized she wouldn’t be able to change her mind. She started to consider asking Bai Xiang to reach out as the go-between. But as soon as she mentioned it, Yu Qing’er shut it down.

“Mama, please don’t!” She wasn’t sure why she reacted so strongly—it was like her mouth moved before her brain.

“Boohoo… is it because you’re sick of me? You just want to marry me off to get me out of the house. You saw one decent guy and now you can’t wait for me to move out. That way, you and Dad can enjoy your two-person world again. I’m just a burden here. Maybe I should go rent a place and live on my own, boohoo…”

Yu Qing’er fake-cried while sneaking a glance at Bai Yu’s expression.

As expected, Bai Yu looked heartbroken.

“Oh baby, don’t cry! How could I ever be tired of you? Don’t talk nonsense about moving out. Okay, okay, Mama won’t rush you anymore. We’ll just wait and see if Comrade Mo contacts you, alright?”

She patted her daughter’s back, just like when she was a little girl.

“Boohoo… okay.” Yu Qing’er had won.

For business owners, weekends didn’t mean rest. Closing even one day meant losing income.

That Sunday, Bai Yu and Yu Yaotian both went out for work, leaving Yu Qing’er home alone.

After breakfast, she planned to draw some design sketches. Bai Yu had mentioned picking some to send to the factory, so she figured she’d draw a few more to give her mom more choices.

“Ding—” The phone rang.

Yu Qing’er put down her pen and strolled over to answer.