Chapter 109 Extra: Blind Date

Extra 01: Blind Date

“What? What did you just say? You’re going on a blind date today? Are you serious? You’re kidding, right? How old are you anyway—only twenty-five? You’ve only graduated a few years ago, and your family is already pushing you to get married?”

The person on the other end of the phone exclaimed, their pitch rising higher and higher, their voice full of disbelief.

Su Jingyan awkwardly held the phone a little farther away, trying to shield his ears from the piercing screams on the other end. Even over the phone line, the other person’s explosive yelling was incredibly loud.

While rubbing his nose, Su Jingyan patiently explained, “I’m doing it voluntarily.”

“Huh?” The unexpected response startled the person on the other end, who quickly asked, “No, wait—why? I don’t get it. Why would you want to go on a blind date?”

Su Jingyan pressed his lips together, lowering his head slightly, looking as though he wanted to say something but hesitated. Listening to the endless stream of questions from the other end of the line, he sighed, as if finally making up his mind, and said, “Because I like men.”

“…” It was as if someone had hit the pause button on the other end of the phone. The rapid-fire chatter came to an abrupt halt, leaving a dead silence on the line.

Even the air seemed to freeze.

Su Jingyan wasn’t surprised by the other person’s reaction. After all, even in such an accepting era, homosexuality was still something many people avoided discussing, looked down upon, or even found incomprehensible.

But from the moment he became aware of gender, he had realized that he might naturally be attracted to men.

The issue of his sexual orientation had once plagued his entire youth. It wasn’t until he graduated, found a stable job, saved up money, and even bought a house that he slowly began coming out and expressing his true preferences.

That said, even though he had been aware since childhood that he was attracted to men and had even been confessed to by someone of the same sex, strangely enough, he had never felt his heart race. He had also never been in a relationship.

Hearing the prolonged silence on the other end of the phone, Su Jingyan calmly added, “It’s the weekend, and I’m going on a blind date, so I won’t be working overtime today. I just wanted to let you know in advance.”

On the other end of the line was Su Jingyan’s colleague. After struggling to piece together their shattered worldview, the colleague swallowed hard, their emotions a tangled mess and difficult to describe. Finally, they gave a low, noncommittal “Mm” and said no more.

Su Jingyan wasn’t surprised by the reaction. He simply replied, “Alright,” and then hung up the phone.

Su Jingyan was actually a little nervous. While it was true that he liked men, he hadn’t expected his family, upon learning about his sexual orientation, to immediately start arranging blind dates with male candidates.

Today was his first blind date.

Saying he wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

Su Jingyan stood in front of his wardrobe, looking at the rows of plain white shirts, solid-colored T-shirts, suits, and jeans. After a moment of silence, he opted for a simple and common outfit: a white shirt paired with jeans.

When it came to blind dates, Su Jingyan had some reservations. He felt that relationships should happen naturally, and there was no need to insist on finding someone just to partner up for life.

Perhaps this was the ultimate truth of life he had come to understand after being single for twenty-five years and adopting a laid-back, “let-it-be” mindset.

However, since the arrangement had already been made, not showing up would be rude and would reflect poorly on the matchmaker. It wouldn’t make sense to decline. A quick visit for a meal wouldn’t take up much time, after all.

Su Jingyan pulled out his phone and searched for the location of the restaurant specified by the matchmaker. He paused in surprise.

Hm? It was actually near his elementary school.

The restaurant was located in a very large department store.

However, he didn’t dwell on it much. After tidying up, he prepared to head out.

…

“Hey, big brother,” Su Jingyan was stopped in his tracks by a little girl who looked about six years old.

Su Jingyan blinked in surprise, then lowered his head and bent down slightly, asking, “What’s wrong?”

The little girl was holding a doll in her arms, her big, dark eyes wide open. She pouted a little, putting on a cute expression. “Big brother, I’m lost. Can you help me find my family?”

Su Jingyan’s brow twitched. He hesitated for a moment before finally smiling and nodding lightly. He crouched down to meet the little girl at eye level and asked, “Where are your family members?”

The little girl glanced upward, as if she was thinking and trying to recall something. Finally, she spoke softly, “I don’t remember. I just remember that I wanted to go to the bathroom and wandered off a bit. I was following them just now, but then they disappeared.”

“Who are ‘they’?”

“My mom and dad,” the little girl explained.

Su Jingyan glanced around and gently reassured her, “Alright, let me take you to find a staff member. I’m sure your mom and dad are looking for you too. We’ll make an announcement over the broadcast system, and we’ll definitely find them.”

The little girl nodded earnestly at his words, her cheeks rosy, looking very obedient and well-behaved.

Su Jingyan was a little surprised by how unguarded the girl seemed and asked, “Why did you ask me for help? Aren’t you afraid I might be a bad person?”

To his surprise, the little girl blinked seriously and replied with utmost sincerity, “No way! Big brother looks so handsome; you can’t possibly be a bad person.”

Su Jingyan smiled but said nothing, not taking the child’s innocent remark to heart.

After everything was settled, he checked his phone again, only to realize he was now a full hour late for his scheduled meeting.

Startled, he hadn’t expected to have delayed for so long, making the other person wait for such a long time. It was only their first meeting, and he couldn’t help but wonder how much this tardiness would damage his first impression.

With that thought, Su Jingyan hurriedly rushed to the designated location. Just as he took the elevator to the top floor and was about to reach his destination, he turned a corner—and, perhaps because he wasn’t watching where he was going, he immediately collided with someone head-on.

Su Jingyan’s nose hit the man’s shoulder directly. The impact sent him stumbling backward from the recoil, completely caught off guard, and he almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the man he had bumped into reacted quickly. As Su Jingyan tilted backward, the man swiftly grabbed his waist and pulled him into his arms in one quick motion.

Su Jingyan was startled, his body trembling slightly. It took him a moment to steady himself, and as he regained his composure, he looked up, only to meet the man’s deep, dark eyes, like a bottomless pool.

When Su Jingyan got a clear look at the man’s face, for some reason, his heart involuntarily skipped a beat, as if it had fallen out of rhythm.

The man’s brows were furrowed tightly, giving him a composed and steady demeanor. He was tall and slender, with a striking figure. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he exuded an even stronger allure.

The man released Su Jingyan’s waist and stared at his dazed face for three seconds. Then, without warning, he let out a soft chuckle. The corners of his lips lifted briefly before quickly retracting, as fleeting as a momentary glimpse.

Su Jingyan stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds. Seeing the man’s faint smile, it felt as though a jolt of electricity coursed through him, sending a tingling sensation throughout his body. His chest felt both numb and soft, an unfamiliar kind of sweetness.

“You…” Su Jingyan opened his mouth, trying to say something to ease the atmosphere, but he couldn’t quite figure out what to say.

“Um, I bumped into you… are you okay?” Su Jingyan’s ears were slightly red, and he was still holding the doll that the little girl had just given him as a token of thanks. The overall image he presented gave off an unmistakably gay vibe.

The man chuckled softly again. Hearing the laugh, Su Jingyan instinctively lowered his head further, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” the man murmured softly for no apparent reason.

His voice was so quiet that Su Jingyan didn’t catch it clearly. He lifted his head slightly and asked, “What?”

The man sighed and said, “You’re an hour late.”

Su Jingyan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he abruptly jerked his head up, like someone who had just been startled. Even his voice became slightly stammered. “You, you, you… you are…”

“I’m your blind date for today,” the man replied, his eyes flashing with a subtle and enigmatic emotion. “My name is Lu Yichen.”

“You, you…” Su Jingyan’s face flushed a deep red. The awkwardness rendered him speechless, as if no matter what he said in this moment, it would inevitably be the wrong thing.

“Let’s go in,” the man said, turning around with an invitation that was more than obvious.

Su Jingyan’s face grew even redder, an almost unbearable level of embarrassment washing over him. He felt like he wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide. His whole body felt warm with shame, and an indescribable emotion trembled within his chest.

…

Lu Yichen took the menu from the waiter and gently handed it to Su Jingyan.

The waiter, however, was a bit surprised to see the man return so suddenly. His gaze darted back and forth between Lu Yichen and Su Jingyan several times.

You couldn’t blame him for being so curious. After all, this man in a suit had been waiting outside the restaurant even before it opened in the morning, sitting there for nearly six hours straight.

During those six hours, because of his striking presence, good looks, and tall stature, countless women had approached him to strike up a conversation. However, without exception, they were all met with cold rejection.

Although the man remained expressionless from beginning to end, the waiter could clearly sense that as the time approached noon, the man’s mood became increasingly joyful.

But then, an endless descent came, lower and lower…

And, in the end, the man left the restaurant with a blank expression.

Just as the waiter sighed in sympathy, to his surprise, the man returned only a few minutes later, this time with a faint smile and accompanied by someone.

“Ah,” Su Jingyan muttered awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. It’s not just because he was late, but also because he had bumped into the other person earlier.

Moreover, judging from the situation, it was obvious that the man had been deeply offended by his tardiness and was about to leave. If not for his timely return…

The more Su Jingyan thought about it, the redder his ears became.

Seeing the slightly troubled expression on Su Jingyan’s face, Lu Yichen calmly said to the waiter, “Bring one of each dessert, a blueberry juice, and a chocolate-flavored ice cream.”

Su Jingyan looked up at him in surprise.

“Start with these. If we need more, I’ll let you know,” Lu Yichen said calmly.

The waiter was also taken aback. “All the desserts?” That was quite a lot—and definitely not cheap.

The man nodded.

The waiter swallowed nervously, nodded, and immediately went to inform the kitchen to follow through.

Su Jingyan exclaimed in surprise, “Why did you order so many desserts?”

Lu Yichen smiled faintly and said, “I thought you might like them.”

Su Jingyan immediately fell silent.

The fact that he liked desserts wasn’t exactly a secret among his friends, but this man was a stranger he had just met.

This left Su Jingyan feeling a bit flattered and surprised.

“Then the blueberry juice and ice cream…”

“Those are for you too.”

Su Jingyan was stunned. His cheeks flushed red, and his wide, doe-like eyes blinked rapidly, as if he were entranced. He had no idea how to respond.

Lu Yichen straightened his posture and sat upright. “Let’s begin with the usual steps for a blind date, then.”

Su Jingyan swallowed nervously. “What steps?”

A glimmer flashed in the man’s eyes. “Self-introductions.”

“Ah!” Su Jingyan exclaimed, suddenly realizing. He looked flustered, unable to meet the man’s gaze. “My name is Su Jingyan, 25 years old, and I’m a manhua (Chinese comics) editor.”

Lu Yichen’s lips curved in a faint smile, his eyes bold and intense, carrying a predatory air of intent. His gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Su Jingyan, as if with a clear purpose.

The two of them sat facing each other, and Su Jingyan found it impossible to avoid Lu Yichen’s gaze. At the same time, the emotions in the man’s eyes were laid bare, completely unfiltered, for Su Jingyan to see.

Su Jingyan lightly bit his lower lip, and the atmosphere between them seemed to be wrapped in a layer of pink bubbles. It made him feel as though his entire body was enveloped in a burning heat.

Seeing that the man remained silent after he finished speaking, Su Jingyan mustered up his courage, lifted his head slightly, and asked softly, “What about you?”

Lu Yichen’s eyes sharpened, and he leaned forward slightly, the intensity in his gaze growing even stronger, like a wolf locking onto its prey, dark and penetrating.

“I’ll be direct,” he said. “I like you, and I want to marry you.”

---

Translator’s Note:

To Heli, my special reader,

This translation is dedicated to you. Thank you sincerely for your unwavering support and encouragement. Your trust and appreciation mean the world to me and inspire me to keep striving for excellence. I’m truly and deeply grateful to you!

To all my cherished readers, thank you for your kindness and support. Your encouragement motivates me to continue this journey, and I’m honored to have you all by my side.

Love you all ❤️

---

Thank you all for reading this beautiful story!(≧▽≦)❤️

Would you like to try my other translation?

Please check this one, maybe you will like it.

• After Agreeing to Marry My Arch-enemy (BL)

• Hide Away (BL)

• Who Says Online Dating Never Ends Well? (BL)

Just click the blue words 😘

---

Visit Avrora Translator Page for more novel! (≧▽≦)

---