Chapter 11: The Blind Date Is the Scumbag’s Sickly Uncle
After getting ready, Lu Zhoushan arrived at the restaurant that had been agreed upon in advance.

There weren’t many people inside, and even fewer young, pretty girls.

Lu Zhoushan glanced around and spotted the back of a girl in a light blue cotton coat, sitting alone in a corner by the window. Despite the thick winter wear, she still carried a certain refined air that caught his attention. He couldn’t help but pause and take a closer look.

He didn’t know her, but the red rose on the table in front of her made it clear—this was his blind date.

Lu Zhoushan walked over, sat down directly across from her, and greeted her straightforwardly, “Hello, I’m here for the blind date arranged by Matchmaker Wang.”

Jiang Xiaoci had been lost in thought, but upon hearing the sound, she looked up. The moment their eyes met, both were stunned.

Jiang Xiaoci stared at him, momentarily speechless. After a while, she murmured, “…Hello.”

Lu Zhoushan gazed at her, his pupils slightly trembling. This was his first time seeing this girl—he hadn’t known her before.

He never expected his blind date would be this beautiful.

Just yesterday, he’d thought Matchmaker Wang was exaggerating. After all, matchmakers could take a five-out-of-ten and hype them up to an eight.

But now, seeing her in person, he realized: sometimes, the matchmaker actually wasn’t exaggerating.

The girl across from him looked surprised too, but she quickly regained her composure.

She wore a light blue cotton coat and had two neat black braids. Her willow brows framed a pair of almond-shaped eyes, clear as spring water. Her lashes fluttered slightly when she looked at him, revealing a mix of liveliness and complexity.

Lu Zhoushan observed her quietly, while Jiang Xiaoci silently studied him in return.

She hadn’t expected her blind date to be Lu Zhoushan—Lu Yaozu’s uncle.

Her feelings were complicated as she examined the man in front of her. His navy wool coat made his already fair skin appear even paler. He was very handsome, but that pallor lent him a sickly air.

Yet his gaze was deep and sharp, which seemed at odds with his fragile appearance.

They were sitting close, so close that she could clearly see the small brown tear-shaped mole near the corner of his eye.

Jiang Xiaoci found herself spacing out.

Her thoughts drifted to her previous life. Back then, she had married the scumbag Lu Yaozu, and because of that, she’d learned a bit about the Lu family.

She remembered that this second young master, Lu Zhoushan, had poor health and was always in this sickly state, often staying in the countryside to recuperate.

But she also vaguely knew that Lu Zhoushan’s identity wasn’t simple. In her past life, she had once unintentionally seen a uniformed soldier treating him with utmost respect.

At that time, Lu Zhoushan radiated a calm coldness that didn’t match his feeble exterior at all.

Of course, she never found out the reason and didn’t really care to now either.

After all, her priority in this life was simple—find someone to marry as soon as possible to deal with her current crisis.

Lu Zhoushan spoke, “Hello, my name is Lu Zhoushan.”

But Jiang Xiaoci was still lost in her memories and didn’t immediately snap out of it.

Seeing her spacing out while staring straight at him, Lu Zhoushan couldn’t help but chuckle.

He tapped the table lightly, and the sound brought her back to reality. Realizing she’d been staring blankly at him, she quickly lowered her gaze and gave an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I spaced out for a moment.”

Her cheeks flushed pink like high-quality warm jade tinged with the perfect rouge—quietly alluring. Lu Zhoushan averted his gaze.

He raised his hand to call the waiter and, looking down at the menu, asked in a voice even he didn’t realize had softened, “No worries. What would you like to eat?”

Jiang Xiaoci thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Anything is fine. I ate a lot this morning, so I’m not very hungry.”

She said it honestly, and Lu Zhoushan found himself smiling again.

It was the first time he’d heard a girl so bluntly admit to eating a lot in front of a man.

He wasn’t hungry either, so he ordered a pot of hot tea and a few delicate pastries, intending to chat over tea.

“By the way, I don’t think I’ve caught your name yet?” he asked casually.

Though she felt a little conflicted because of Lu Yaozu, Jiang Xiaoci didn’t act shy. “Jiang Xiaoci. Jiang as in river, Xiao as in small, Ci as in farewell to the old and welcome the new.”

It was a very clear and complete introduction. The man took a sip of hot tea, his pale skin flushed slightly with warmth, making him seem a little less cold and more relaxed.

“Jiang Xiao Ci,” he repeated.

She nodded with a gentle smile. “Yes. It means ‘farewell to the past year and welcome the new one.’ That’s the meaning behind my name.”

Lu Zhoushan was surprised. “You sound quite educated.”

Jiang Xiaoci blushed a little. “Not really. I finished high school. Oh, right, how should I address you?”

Even though she already knew, she asked politely to avoid raising suspicion.

You?

Lu Zhoushan almost choked. Did he really seem that old?

Well, if she was just out of high school at eighteen, he was at least seven years older. It made sense she’d think he was much older.

Still, it was a funny coincidence—her surname was Jiang. He recalled that his frustrating nephew, Lu Yaozu, had recently gone to propose to a girl also surnamed Jiang.

Could it be… Jiang Xiaoci was from that very same Jiang family?

Maybe, a hundred years ago, they were even from the same ancestral clan.

His lips curled slightly, finding this coincidence oddly amusing.

“Lu Zhoushan,” he said casually. “Lu as in land, Zhou as in boat sailing on the river, Shan as in mountain.”

He had already introduced himself earlier, but since she had been so sincere in explaining her name, it would have been rude not to do the same.

But as soon as he said “boat on the river,” he realized—wasn’t that too much of a coincidence?

It sounded like fate, even a bit romantic.

His clear, cold eyes paused, now tinged with amusement.

Jiang Xiaoci also froze, her rosy face tinged with slight embarrassment.

She seemed to realize it too. Though still young, her calm demeanor didn’t reveal much surprise or shyness.

Lu Zhoushan thought she possessed a maturity and composure beyond her eighteen years.

What he didn’t know was that Jiang Xiaoci had already lived through two lifetimes.

In her past life, she had already been married. Compared to that, this little flirtatious coincidence was nothing.

This quiet girl, as beautiful and fresh as a lily in bloom, smiled gently and said in a soft voice:

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lu Zhoushan. Please take care of me.”