Chapter 42: Blind Date

Gu Lang, who had lightly tapped the headset and ended the call, quickly lost the smile on his face. Despite that, his business partner still felt that President Gu seemed to be in a good mood, with his whole demeanor softening considerably.

While taking a tea break, the partner casually brought it up, “President Gu, did you receive some good news? If you don’t mind sharing, I’d like to hear it too.”

Gu Lang, holding his scalding tea cup, answered calmly, “Nothing much. It’s just a call from a… wayward child of mine.”

“Young Master Gu is already a dragon among men. If he’s not doing well, then the other children must be considered useless. Your standards are just too high.”

“He’s not that great, it’s just that others are exaggerating him too much.”

Gu Lang casually mentioned Gu Chen, then changed the subject with a touch of pride, “I’m talking about my daughter, Shiyi, the founder of HMW and the investor of the variety show Return to Senior Year.”

Business partner: …

What is HMW? I’ve heard of Return to Senior Year—everyone who’s online knows it, its popularity is sky-high. But, when you break it down, it’s just a hot variety show, not really a big money-maker compared to the vast entertainment industry.

To be fair, these small skirmishes in the entertainment industry aren’t even on his radar. For someone of his level, especially President Gu’s, unless he’s looking to discover new talent, he wouldn’t pay attention to anything less than a hundred billion-dollar business.

Perhaps this is how fathers feel. He has a friend whose child won an award for being the best at hygiene, and they had to frame the certificate and post a nine-grid on WeChat. They act modestly, saying it’s no big deal, but secretly want people to come over and praise their kid. It’s very similar to President Gu’s attitude right now.

Since President Gu said so, of course, the business partner followed suit, “Your daughter is truly remarkable, making a name for herself so early on. It’s all thanks to your guidance.”

That was flattering, and Gu Lang felt smug inside, though he remained humble outwardly, “I didn’t teach her much, she came up with it herself. Don’t let her appearance fool you, though, she still has a child’s temperament. She just called earlier to act cute. Sigh, raising a daughter is heartwarming, but a bit clingy at times…”

Then came Gu Lang’s stream of complaints, which on the surface sounded like he was grumbling about his daughter being bothersome, but what he was really implying was this:

In my daughter’s eyes, I am the best dad in the world. Although the title might be a little over the top, she genuinely sees me that way. Sigh, even though her praises are a bit exaggerated, who cares? It’s my daughter saying them.

The business partner: …

He started out listening attentively, nodding and saying “wow” now and then, but by the end, he was a little numb.

We get it! You have a daughter! No need to go on!

—

As a good daughter, Su Shiyi was thinking about what gift to buy to express her gratitude towards her father. Even though Gu Lang didn’t lack anything, she still wanted to show her appreciation.

She opened Taobao and searched for “gifts for dad.” The results showed items like thermos cups, massagers, wallets, belts, and so on. These were all handled by his secretary and assistants, so buying them herself didn’t feel meaningful. The other options were just worse and worse.

Car keys were unnecessary—those brands didn’t even rank in her garage. Desk ornaments were also not suitable—things worth thousands or tens of thousands were expensive for ordinary people, but anything under nine figures wouldn’t make it onto Gu Lang’s desk. And models of planes or yachts? Don’t even get her started. Even if she gave him a physical model, Gu Lang might not even look at it.

Let’s be more confident and remove the “might.”

After browsing for a while, Su Shiyi decided none of these items would work. She concluded that anything a regular person would think of definitely wouldn’t work, and those based on price were out of the question. It had to be something from the heart.

She rummaged through her limited skillset and remembered that she could actually knit scarves. Even though it was summer—it didn’t matter, the southern hemisphere was in winter! Her dad could use it when he went to Australia for business!

Yes, that’s it. Scarves might be a seasonal item for most Chinese people, but for someone like Gu Lang, who travels the world, they’re a common item. Very practical, definitely not because she had no other skills.

Feeling confident, Su Shiyi changed her search to “yarn” and chose a thick yarn that resembled ice cream sticks in her memory. But when it came to choosing the color, Su Shiyi found herself in a dilemma.

Even after ruling out overly bright colors, Su Shiyi still found herself tangled between more than a dozen options. After all, she was buying raw materials for handmade items, not ready-made gifts that could be given to anyone, this wasn’t something she could go all in on.

Hmm, since that’s the case, should she ask someone? The first person she thought of was Gu Lang’s secretary, but his answer was vague, like any color would do. Fine, she wouldn’t make things difficult for the worker. If it were her, she wouldn’t dare to guarantee her boss’s preferences either—what if she got it wrong?

She then asked Li Shuman, and the answer was surprisingly the same: any color was fine. Yes, it was that simple—Gu Lang hadn’t shown any particular preference for any color, or at least no one had noticed. As long as it wasn’t obviously unsuitable like pink or yellow, almost any color would do.

Sigh, relying on shortcuts for information didn’t work, it seemed she would have to make the decision herself.

However, the opinions of other men were still worth considering. Gu Chen, the male lead, never wore anything other than black, white, or gray, so no need to ask him. Kevin recommended black—never goes wrong.

Su Shiyi thought for a moment and then messaged Qi Yude and Jiang Xingyao separately, “Help me solve a problem for a friend. If you were to receive a handmade scarf, what color would you prefer?”

She didn’t say it was for her father, as others would keep the secret, but these two weren’t as close, and Su Shiyi feared they might accidentally let it slip to someone.

Jiang Xingyao didn’t think much of it and sent her a long message, suggesting that she analyze the recipient’s gender, age, skin tone, clothing style, and so on, just like in a survey, to control the variables. A broad, unfocused approach wasn’t meaningful.

After reading his long theory and not finding a single color suggestion, Su Shiyi: …

You were supposed to give me a choice, not go on about the validity of the question design!

In contrast to the professional rigor of Professor Jiang, Qi Yude’s mindset was completely different.

This must be “making friends out of nothing,” and she even asked him—this scarf must be for him, right?

Although it was summer, did that mean she was going to invite him on a trip to the southern hemisphere? Or maybe skiing in the snow mountains?

Qi Yude originally wanted to suggest black, white, gray, or blue—common colors that matched most men’s clothing—but then he reconsidered. After all, this was Su Shiyi’s first gift to him. If it was too conventional, the commemorative value would drop, right?

And this was handmade! Handmade!

After careful thought, he replied: “I think bright red would be great.”

Su Shiyi: ?

Are you serious? This bright color was one of the first she ruled out!

She emphasized: “The person receiving the scarf is older than me.”

Ah, Qi Yude thought, this is definitely for him!

She’s 21, he’s nearly 30. Not the same age, a little older—that’s perfectly fine!

He happily replied: “Older people would also like red, it makes them look younger. If it helps narrow the age gap, they’ll be pleased.”

She must want to surprise him, and didn’t want him to know, but no worries, he understood. He could totally cooperate with her!

Qi Yude’s response did persuade Su Shiyi. Another advantage of choosing the bright red scarf was that it was probably rare in Gu Lang’s wardrobe, or at least much rarer than black, white, or gray. It would definitely make an impression.

Alright, it’s decided!

Su Shiyi quickly placed the order for the bright red yarn. Seeing that the store offered knitting needles as a gift, she didn’t bother buying them separately. She wasn’t short on money, but she was realistic about her knitting skills and wasn’t at the point of being picky about tools… so there was no need to waste money.

She could at least guarantee it wouldn’t fall apart. It would be useful, and as for the rest… it was the thought that counted!

—

At five o’clock in the afternoon, Su Shiyi came out of her room and happened to bump into Qi Yude, who was entering with a bag full of live fish, shrimp, and vegetables.

She was a bit surprised: “Xiao Yu, did you go to the market to buy groceries?”

Qi Yude, who had originally planned to surprise her, felt a bit awkward. But since he had been found out early, he admitted it: “Yeah, I’m making a few of my signature dishes as a way to thank you for your hospitality.” And there’s the scarf, hehe…

He had already placed an order for a bunch of winter clothes, all to match the bright red scarf—he was ready!

Su Shiyi looked a bit embarrassed: “Ah, I didn’t expect you to know how to cook. But… I, uh, I’m actually going out to eat. Sorry, I didn’t tell you in advance.”

“Is that so?” Qi Yude’s gaze flashed with a hint of disappointment, but he quickly said, “No worries, I should have asked you first. So, where are you going? Are you meeting friends for dinner?”

“I’m going on a blind date.”

Qi Yude: ?

Qi Yude: ???

Wait, what did she say? She’s going where? This can’t be right!!!

Su Shiyi had no intention of hiding it and explained straightforwardly, but seeing his shocked reaction, she still clarified: “It’s something my mom arranged. The guy is also in the city, not too far from here. So, to respect both of our elders, I have to go. I think it’s just a formality, he’s not really interested.”

Heh, why was she so certain about that?

Because the guy, Luo Yunqian, chose a self-service braised pork rib place for their first meeting!

If he had even the slightest interest in dating her, would he really choose a place like that for a first date? A man and a woman on a blind date, with braised ribs as the backdrop, eating and possibly making embarrassing faces—seriously?

Honestly, if this blind date wasn’t arranged by her mother, Su Shiyi really wouldn’t want to go. But the other party had clearly shown his attitude, and her reluctance was fully expressed in her appearance—

Qi Yude looked at her face with no makeup, no lipstick, and her casual bun. Despite the high price tag, her simple T-shirt and jeans still gave off a carefree vibe. He felt a bit relieved.

He didn’t know if the guy really wasn’t interested, but judging by Su Shiyi’s appearance, she clearly wasn’t interested.

Phew, it was just an arranged blind date by the elders, so it was probably just a formality…

Wait, didn’t he and Su Shiyi also have an arranged setup by the elders?

Qi Yude suddenly clenched the plastic bag in his hand, feeling a thousand grievances, but unable to express them. The words stuck in his throat, and he could only dryly say, “Be careful on your way.”

Why does she have to go on a blind date? Can’t she not go? Where is she going, how long will she be gone, and will she still like me when she comes back? QAQ

Wait, she might not even like me right now, sob sob sob…

Too bad Su Shiyi couldn’t hear his inner thoughts. She waved at him and said goodbye, then turned and really left.

Qi Yude: TAT

He walked into the kitchen with a melancholy expression, dumping the fish and shrimp into a bowl. He had lost his enthusiasm for making anything too elaborate, so he planned to just steam them and be done with it. But then, he unexpectedly noticed that two shrimp had stuck together.

Qi Yude: …

This is too much, what’s the meaning of this?!

With an expressionless face, he put on gloves and forcibly separated them. He was preparing to cook half of them with oil and half by boiling. Even if they became food, they wouldn’t be in the same pot, and they definitely wouldn’t be in the same stomach!

—

The braised pork rib place Luo Yunqian sent her the location for wasn’t too far off. Su Shiyi arrived ahead of the agreed time. The restaurant wasn’t very big, but the atmosphere was a little better than an average food stall—at least it didn’t make one feel repelled.

Her face was quite famous on the internet, so Su Shiyi had gotten used to wearing a mask when going out. She told the owner she was waiting for someone, then sat down and began idly scrolling through her phone, checking on Luo Yunqian’s details from the file.

Well, well, she didn’t expect this guy to look so righteous, with a red background in his family. Several generations had served in the military, but he himself was the exception. Although, he did have an older brother who was an active-duty officer, which probably had something to do with it.

Su Shiyi couldn’t help but think that her mother really had a broad network to introduce someone like this to her. But she estimated that her interaction with Luo Yunqian would probably just be a one-time meal, after which they’d be added to each other’s list of acquaintances, nothing more.

While thinking this, she was suddenly interrupted by someone tapping on the table. A man approached with a drink in hand. “Hey, beautiful, I see you’re alone. Let me toast to you.”

Having been pressured like this many times at drinking tables before, Su Shiyi was very familiar with the situation. In the past, she had to endure it, but now, she didn’t need to.

Without even looking at him, she rejected him directly: “No.”

“You really don’t know how to be polite…” the man said.

Without hesitation, Su Shiyi grabbed the tea cup on the table and poured it toward his face. The warm tea splashed onto the man’s face, leaving him stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to get angry and take action, Su Shiyi took off her mask.

“It’s me,” she said, glaring at him with an aura that didn’t lose to his, “Do you dare try something?”

The man froze. He hadn’t recognized her at first, but the aura around her made him hesitate. “Who do you think you are?”

She smiled: “I don’t have much to brag about, but I’m rich, very rich. I can use legal means to make your life a series of troubles, where you’ll face problems at any time. My name is Su Shiyi. If you dare touch me, I’ll remember it for life. Even if I forget, there are plenty of people who want to please me, and they’ll remember. So, what do you think? Still want to try?”

Her face might not be well known to everyone, but her name, having been online, was familiar to a lot of people.

The man broke out in a cold sweat and immediately changed his tone, laughing awkwardly. “Oh, I was just joking earlier… I really… had too much to drink, please don’t take offense.”

Su Shiyi was a very forgiving person, so she stood up and slapped the man across the face, the loud sound echoing through the whole place.

“Sorry,” she shrugged, “I slipped, don’t mind it.”

The man’s face burned with pain, but he didn’t dare resist. He knew she wasn’t just making threats—if she said it, she would definitely act on it. The fact that she dared slap him only confirmed he was dealing with a real rich heiress. Rich people were never easy to provoke, and if she was letting things go like this, he might have doubted her, but now he was sure.

He felt humiliated but could only lower his head and apologize, trying to make amends. Even though Su Shiyi had returned to her seat and calmly lowered her head to check her phone, without her approval, he couldn’t stay or leave.

After finishing the message on her phone, Su Shiyi sent it and then said to him, “Get lost, you’re in the way.”

The man was full of humiliation but didn’t dare show his anger. His smile was even more ingratiating than before, almost like he wanted to kneel and call her his ancestor. The more he acted like this, the more Su Shiyi felt her decision was justified.

For safety reasons, she was carrying a tiny audio device that could connect to the internet at all times. It was convenient for her to have Kevin listen to the sounds around her in case of an emergency. She had just sent this exchange to Kevin and asked him to report it to the local police in advance, arranging for a few people to follow him around. If he acted this way again, they’d call the police immediately and have him dealt with.

Su Shiyi was very clear about what this type of person was thinking. The setback he faced today wouldn’t truly change him, he would just think he had picked the wrong person to mess with. If she had been an ordinary girl without her background, the outcome could have been very different.

As soon as he stepped out of this braised pork rib place, he could start looking for new targets. The excuse of being drunk was nonsense—how many criminals in the news, drunk, would beat their superiors or grab someone stronger than them and attack them?

Knowing he might commit a crime and yet allowing him to behave this way wasn’t Su Shiyi’s style. She’d rather spend money on hiring people than let things go unchecked.

As she was still looking at her phone, Luo Yunqian, who had seen the entire scene, walked over. Honestly, when he saw the man approach with a drink, he thought about stepping in, but he didn’t expect Su Shiyi to be so bold. When the man was about to get angry, Luo Yunqian was ready to step in, but it seemed like there was no need.

This girl was interesting—she wasn’t the delicate, willful type he had imagined.

When Luo Yunqian sat down, Su Shiyi looked up at him, her eyelids twitching. If the choice of a braised pork rib place could be excused by his love for the dish, his extremely uncool outfit left no room for argument.

Bro, she understands if you don’t want to go on a blind date, just say it outright. Young people can cover for each other, but you didn’t have to wear a leopard print polo shirt and tight pants, right? You’ve got such a handsome face, but you’re really ruining it like this.

Uh, could it be that this guy just has such taste? No way, right?

Su Shiyi would rather believe he did it on purpose, otherwise, seeing such a handsome guy fall so low would truly break her heart!

Fortunately, he did realize the awkwardness. Luo Yunqian cleared his throat a few times. Originally, he wanted to scare the girl away, but now he wanted to have a proper conversation with Su Shiyi. His outfit… well…

He could only say something: “Weren’t you scared just now? What if that guy wasn’t intimidated by you? Even though you could have messed with him afterward, you would have still been at a disadvantage in the moment.”

“You saw that?” Su Shiyi said calmly, not feeling the need to maintain a gentle image in front of her blind date, “My four bodyguards are at the next table. If he dared to make a move, he’d regret it.”

Luo Yunqian: …

You can only say, the daughter of a wealthy family is indeed different when she goes out, she’s really well-prepared.

Anyway, not thinking of another topic for now, Su Shiyi told Luo Yunqian about having someone keep an eye on that man, while also testing whether their values aligned. If he thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill or couldn’t let it go, then there would be no future between them.

But Luo Yunqian, who came from a red family, obviously had a strong sense of justice. He only reminded Su Shiyi to pay attention to the law.

Su Shiyi nodded: “I already had my assistant report to the police. His behavior earlier definitely constitutes harassment, and following him afterward is to gather more evidence and maintain social order.”

She respected the law, so how could she engage in illegal activities?

Seeing that she had a clear plan in mind, Luo Yunqian didn’t say anything else. Noticing that Su Shiyi kept looking at his clothes, he felt a bit embarrassed and then openly admitted: “Sorry, at first, I really had a resistance to the blind date, so I…”

“It’s okay.” Su Shiyi only regretted that such a handsome guy dressed so randomly, but she wasn’t too bothered, “At first? So, is there something about me that changed your opinion?”

Luo Yunqian propped his chin: “I feel like you’re not at all delicate, and you don’t cry or whine when something happens. You’re pretty cool, different from other girls.”

Su Shiyi: …

She tugged at the corner of her mouth: “Actually, I’m the same as most girls. The kind of girl you mentioned is the minority. You have a prejudice against girls, Mr. Luo.”

“Ordinary girls wouldn’t throw tea in a man’s face so easily.”

“They don’t not do it, they don’t dare.” Su Shiyi told him, “I didn’t dare before because I was afraid of retaliation. Not every girl has the conditions I have to scare off those who bully the weak. This is a realistic reason, not a character issue. If every girl had the strength to protect herself, no one would choose to be weak.”

“That gives me some inspiration. I think the HMW Fund might have a new direction for operation.”

Luo Yunqian: “Would you like to elaborate?”

“Free self-defense training, widespread promotion of emergency alarms—any measures that can help girls protect themselves, even just a little bit, I think they’re worth doing.”

“That’s expensive.” Luo Yunqian could tell without even calculating, “And you might not even get very good results.”

Are these problems? Not at all, not for Su Shiyi.

“I’m never short of money, so feel free to burn it. It may be a thankless task, and I’ve expected that, but if it helps even one person, that’s enough.”

In the grand narrative of societal development, what she can do is minuscule, but she still wants to try.

“I call this self-actualization after standing at the top of the wealth pyramid.”