Chapter 19

Xiao Sun’s wife was efficient. The very next day, she told Wen Xin that everything was set—the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow morning. She advised Wen Xin to dress up, though, in her opinion, this girl would look stunning in anything. She had no doubt that the man would be smitten the moment he laid eyes on her.

Wen Xin had never been on a blind date before and wasn’t sure how the process worked. She was a little curious about it.

…

Early the next morning, she quickly had breakfast and drank a glass of plant essence juice extracted by the system. After tidying up the kitchen, she went back to her room to change clothes and get ready to leave.

Yan Zeyang was coming down the stairs, hat in hand, when he saw her in a white dress he had never seen her wear before. A slim black leather belt cinched her waist, highlighting her delicate figure. Her long black hair was half-pinned back, and against the white fabric, her complexion didn’t appear dark at all—on the contrary, it made her red lips and white teeth stand out even more. Her skin looked as smooth as porcelain, her beauty almost ethereal.

His brow furrowed slightly, but he kept his expression neutral as he descended the stairs. “Are you going out?”

Wen Xin turned her head and, seeing him, was startled. She had thought no one was home. In her rush to clean the kitchen, she hadn’t noticed him going upstairs earlier.

“Um… Commander Yan, why are you back?” she asked in surprise, her lips slightly parted, revealing a glimpse of her pearly white teeth.

“I came back to grab a document.” His gaze swept over her—first to her dress, then down to her impossibly slender waist, finally stopping at her exposed legs and the open-toe sandals she was wearing. Her five small toes were like delicate white pearls, smooth and flawless.

Then, his gaze returned to her face. Up close, he finally noticed—she had put on lipstick? It wasn’t too bold, just enough to make her look even more radiant.

Yan Zeyang put on his hat, his tone indifferent as he asked, “Where are you going?”

“Oh, I—”

Before she could finish, a voice called from outside, “Wen Xin! Wen Xin! Let’s go!”

“Coming!” Wen Xin quickly responded. She grabbed a small blue handbag from the cabinet and slipped it onto her wrist. The bag was entirely handmade, custom-designed to her liking. The bags available in this era were either military-style or crossbody bags that looked like something a schoolchild would carry—none of them suited her taste. But she still needed something to carry money, ration tickets, and keys, so she had no choice but to design one herself. She had a skilled tailor craft it, making sure it was small, discreet, and practical.

“I have some errands today. I already got permission from Aunt He. Someone’s waiting for me outside, so I’m heading out now. Lock the door, okay? I’ll be back this afternoon,” she said casually, not bothering to be overly polite. This was his house, after all—who else would lock the door if not him? With that, she hurried out.

Outside, Sun Xuecheng’s wife was waiting for her. When she saw Wen Xin step out, her eyes lit up. “That dress is gorgeous! You really have an eye for fashion. Is it new? The fabric looks nice, though white gets dirty easily…”

Wen Xin had searched everywhere for the thinnest material available. If she had used thicker fabric, the dress would have ended up looking like a doctor’s white coat—definitely not what she wanted.

After earning some money recently, she had bought fabric and carefully chosen the best combinations. Then, she found a patient and skilled tailor to handcraft her designs. It cost more, but the result was worth it.

In this novel’s setting, it was already 1979, and with the reform and opening-up policies, both people’s mindsets and fashion trends were gradually changing. Compared to previous years, clothing styles had started diversifying. More people dared to experiment with fashion. While bright red was still uncommon, Wen Xin had noticed that fabric counters in department stores now stocked more colors and patterns, giving people more choices.

Some fashionable clothing from the south had also made its way into the market. Lighter shades—like white, soft pink, and pale yellow—were starting to gain popularity. This era was like a garden of budding flowers, ready to bloom in full once the time was right.

Wen Xin didn’t dress too radically, but she made subtle modifications to classic styles.

Her self-designed outfits maintained traditional elements—a blouse was still a blouse, and a skirt was still a skirt—but there was something refined about them, something that set them apart. People in the compound often asked her about her clothes, and one of her dresses had even been copied multiple times. Now, several women in the compound owned similar versions.

“Alright, let’s get going,” Sun Xuecheng’s wife said happily. She was pleased with herself—if she could successfully match these two, she would get red envelopes from both families. The man worked in a department store, so he’d likely be generous, and Wen Xin had her secret beauty formula—being a matchmaker could mean extra perks for her down the line.

“Where’s Weihong? Didn’t she say yesterday that she was coming with us?” Wen Xin asked casually, adjusting her hair. She felt like someone was missing.

“She’s got a big mouth and no filter. This is your first meeting—what if she ruins it for you? Let’s just go without her.”

…

Meanwhile, Li Weihong rushed to the entrance of the Yan family’s courtyard, only to find that Wen Xin and Sun Xuecheng’s wife had already left. The only person still there was the “Devil” himself—Yan Zeyang. He was holding a document in one hand while locking the door with the other.

She hesitated, then shyly said, “Commander Yan, heading out?” Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. After speaking, she quickly lowered her head, nervously twirling the end of her braided hair.

Normally, Yan Zeyang would only give a curt nod in response, barely acknowledging her presence. But today, for some reason, he actually turned to look at her.

“Looking for Wen Xin?” He had noticed that Wen Xin had been socializing more with the women in the compound lately. The girl in front of him—what was her name again? Something Hong? She was a relative or housekeeper for Wang Xuebing’s family, he vaguely recalled.

“N-no, I’m not looking for her anymore. She already left,” Li Weihong stammered, blushing like an apple. Captain Yan had never spoken to her before!

“Oh? Where did she go?” Yan Zeyang casually finished locking the door and asked offhandedly.

“She went on a blind date. Sister Sun arranged a match for her, and today she’s meeting the guy at his house. I heard he has great qualifications—he’s the youngest department store manager, only twenty-seven, and looks very refined. If he likes Wen Xin, they might get married as soon as next month. Sister Sun said the groom’s family is willing to arrange a job for her, buy a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch—basically, whatever she wants. Who knows? We might be drinking at Wen Xin’s wedding banquet next month…”

Li Weihong was overjoyed that Yan Zeyang was talking to her, so when he casually asked, she spilled everything she knew.

For a brief moment, Commander Yan’s expression stiffened. He immediately turned around, his sharp gaze like that of an eagle locking onto its prey. “What did you just say? A blind date?”