Volume 1, Chapter 64: It Seems We Have Met Somewhere Before

"Hey, Yu Bin, you're pretty skilled! I slept exceptionally well last night, all the way until dawn."

Her orchid-like voice swept away the gloom in my heart like a gentle breeze.

I smiled, "Of course. That's the result of countless practical experiences."

"Cut it out! I give you a little praise and you let it go to your head. Let me ask you something, are you free for dinner tonight?"

The word "Sure" was just on the tip of my tongue when I suddenly remembered I had promised my dad I would go on a blind date tonight, leaving me feeling rather conflicted.

"I..."

Sensing my hesitation, Lin Feifei spoke up, "Oh, right, you have your livestream tonight, don't you? I almost forgot."

I hesitated, wondering whether I should tell her about the blind date, but then thought better of it. Since it was just going through the motions of meeting someone, there was nothing really worth mentioning.

"Not quite that. I have some things to take care of tonight and need to head out."

I mumbled and stumbled through an excuse. Lin Feifei, being clever and quick-witted, realized I didn't want to talk about it and didn't press further.

"Then how about a late-night snack together later?"

My heart stirred, but remembering that her sleep quality wasn't great and fearing that staying up too late would affect her rest, I declined, saying, "How about I treat you to dinner tomorrow instead? It's too late for a midnight snack, and since your sleep hasn't been great lately, you should cut back on staying up late!"

There was silence on the phone for a few seconds before Lin Feifei slowly replied, "Oh, alright then."

Hearing the hint of melancholy in her tone, I asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Something the matter?"

"No, no, go ahead and do your thing! I'm going to lie down for a bit longer, I'm hanging up now."

After hanging up, I felt a bit puzzled. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was acting a bit strange today, though I couldn't quite put my finger on what was odd about it.

My dad had repeatedly urged me to dress presentably, but I ignored his instructions and went on the blind date dressed very casually.

The date was set for five in the afternoon. To make a good impression, I deliberately arrived more than ten minutes late. Stepping into the cafe, I looked around for a long time until I finally spotted a girl with flowing long hair in a red dress sitting in a corner, head bowed as she played with her mobile phone. Even just a silhouette possessed a unique charm and grace.

She was the only person in the entire cafe wearing a long red dress; there was no one else.

Truth be told, she had a great figure—level shoulders, a slender waist, long legs, and a perky chest—an absolute S-curve.

I adjusted my mood, walked over quickly, and greeted her with a smile.

"Excuse me, are you Bai Yongqi? I'm your blind date for tonight..."

She raised her head, her delicate eyebrows and eyes looking somewhat familiar.

Seeing me, she froze for a moment, the outer corners of her slender eyes lifting slightly as surprise colored her voice, "Brother Yu Bin? Why is it you?"

I was stunned. Looking at her distinct facial features, she did look familiar, though I couldn't remember where we had met at the moment.

"You..."

She broke into a radiant smile, "It's me, Qiqi! Did you forget me so fast? Paradise Human KTV!"

I slapped my forehead!

I remembered.

No wonder she looked familiar; she was the girl Wu Shuang had found for me at the KTV last time. She had even added me on WeChat back then, but we had never chatted at all, and I had almost completely forgotten about her.

I chuckled bitterly, "I really didn't expect my blind date today to be you."

With that, a sudden thought struck me, and I smiled as I asked, "Did you tell your family you were an office worker?"

Bai Yongqi's eye corners lifted slightly, radiating a hint of allure as she giggled, "Well, I couldn't very well tell them I work as a hostess at a KTV, could I?"

She curved her lips in a carefree smile, "Don't you go blowing my cover! If my dad finds out, he'll probably be furious enough to drop dead."

Sometimes, one cannot help but marvel at the wondrous workings of fate. I never expected I would run into Qiqi here.

I scratched my head and chuckled foolishly, "If I'd known it was you, I wouldn't have put on an act. I purposely came late just to leave a bad impression!"

Bai Yongqi glanced down at the flip-flops on my feet, amusement dancing in her eyes, the light brown tear mole beneath her right eye accentuating a trace of charm.

"Actually, I was just doing it to brush off the blind date. I was just complaining to the matchmaker about you being so late; if I'd known it was you, I wouldn't have said anything to her."

She paused, the corners of her mouth turning up in a slightly expectant expression, "Since you're already here, why don't we just go ahead with this blind date?"

I hesitated, looking at her stunning face, feeling somewhat unsure.

Seeing that I didn't speak, Bai Yongqi's bright eyes instantly dimmed. She let out a self-deprecating chuckle and said with a trace of disappointment, "Never mind, you must look down on my profession anyway."

I felt a bit unsettled inside. Putting it that way made it very hard for me to refuse, so I smiled and said, "That's not what I mean. Since we're already here, let's just go through the motions."

Bai Yongqi beamed brightly, the tear mole at the corner of her eye resembling a drop of cinnabar, radiating a hint of allure.

"Alright! Let's think about what to eat, and then we can catch a movie. There's this really good romance film that I've been wanting to see for a long time."

Now I finally understood; she had chosen the cafe on purpose. If she disliked me, having a cup of coffee would wrap it up; if the vibe was good, we'd stay for dinner.

I wouldn't have thought of it had she not mentioned it, realizing there was such a deep consideration behind it. But the moment she finished speaking, my heart skipped a beat.

Since she was going to have dinner with me, did that mean she had a favorable impression of me?

The thought had barely crossed my mind when my phone rang.

It was my dad calling again. I bit the bullet and answered, only to be met with a torrent of abuse right off the bat.

"Are you trying to drive me to an early grave, you little brat? You're even late for a blind date! How many times do I have to tell you! Wait... hold on, your aunt says you and the girl went off to get dinner?"

By the end, my dad's voice shifted abruptly from anger to utter disbelief and wild joy.

I sighed, cast a glance at the dazzling, beautiful face before me, mumbled a few perfunctory words to my dad, and hung up the phone in dismay.

Looking at her crafty smile, I shook my phone with a wry smile, "My dad..."

"It's fine, my parents are the same way. They're practically driven crazy by the fact that I'm not married yet."

Her words struck a chord with me, stirring my own emotions.

"My parents are just like that too. My dad has always looked down on me. He thinks that since I'm already thirty without a wife or kids, just drifting around out there, I'm no different from good-for-nothing trash."

A flash of complicated emotion crossed Bai Yongqi's eyes, and she couldn't help but comfort me, "Don't overthink it. Actually, he..."

I nodded and finished the rest of the sentence for her.

"Actually, his judgment of people is pretty accurate."

"Pfft—"

Bai Yongqi burst into laughter, "I never knew you were so funny. Are you trying to kill me with laughter?"

I spread my hands, chuckled bitterly, and said, "What can I do? They say all roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome, and that's not something I could choose. So on this road of life, being a bit later than others really isn't a big deal."