“I’m guessing your mother tricked you into coming here for a blind date, didn’t she?” Wang Cheng was a little surprised that she had managed to see through appearances to the truth so quickly. Still, she was obviously smart, so perhaps it was not that surprising after all. She did not seem unreasonable either. This blind date probably would not be too difficult to handle.
“Miss Su has sharp eyes. My mom really didn’t tell me she was bringing me on a blind date. She didn’t even tell me who I was coming to meet. I only realized after seeing you. To be honest, I was pretty surprised.”
Su Yunyun pursed her lips in a smile. “I can’t see what part of you looks surprised. At least you’re doing much better than I did on my first blind date. I definitely wasn’t this calm.”
Wang Cheng smiled and stopped talking. He was not actually here to find a match, so there was no point laughing and chatting too happily with his blind date. If Chu Yifeng found out, the man would definitely use it as an excuse to have his way with him. Wang Cheng had no intention of handing him ammunition for free.
Mama Wang and Su Miaofeng had not left yet. Watching through the glass, they saw the two youngsters talking and smiling and were both pleased. Mama Wang thought her plan was working, so she finally left with Su Miaofeng.
“Do you dislike me?” When Su Yunyun saw him stop talking and focus on his noodles, she asked directly. Her first impression of Wang Cheng was quite good, and his reputation was good as well. Before coming, she had not cared much one way or another, but now her attitude had changed slightly. If he was interested, she would not mind trying to date him for a while.
Wang Cheng explained, “How could I? This is only the first time we’ve met. I have no reason to dislike you, do I?”
“But you don’t seem very interested in talking to me.” Su Yunyun gently stirred the glutinous rice balls in her bowl and glanced up at him.
Wang Cheng raised his brows. He did not particularly mind her directness. He had no idea whether all blind dates were like this, but he still answered patiently, “Sorry. I just don’t really like talking while I eat.”
This from the same fellow who had once complained that Chu Yifeng never said a word while eating and had taken it upon himself to start conversations. Clearly, Wang Cheng had already mastered the art of telling different stories to different people.
“I don’t really like beating around the bush, especially with someone I’m meeting on a blind date. I might say some things too directly. I hope you won’t mind.”
“I won’t.” Wang Cheng shook his head.
“I have a suggestion. I don’t know whether you’d be interested in hearing it,” Su Yunyun said.
“Go ahead.”
“I know you dislike blind dates just as much as I do. Since Auntie Wang was willing to trick you into coming this time, I’m sure the same thing will happen again. You probably don’t want to be dragged from one blind date to another every day, so I have a way to solve the problem once and for all.”
Wang Cheng finished the soup in his bowl and looked at her. “What way?”
Su Yunyun continued, “You could try dating me for a while. If it still doesn’t work out, we can break up peacefully. I promise I won’t pester you. That way, both of us can also avoid the blind dates our elders keep arranging. What do you think?”
She had a favorable impression of Wang Cheng. Otherwise, she would not have swallowed her embarrassment and proposed something like this.
Wang Cheng did not answer immediately. He pulled a tissue from the box on the table and wiped his mouth, then placed the crumpled tissue he had mangled beside the edge of the table before saying, “Miss Su’s idea really isn’t bad, but I can’t agree to it.”
“Why?” The answer was completely unexpected, and Su Yunyun finally showed undisguised surprise. Wang Cheng was actually the one who stood to gain more from this arrangement. She had thought she had an eighty-percent chance of success, yet he rejected her so cleanly that she felt a little embarrassed.
“I already have someone I like. My mom doesn’t like him, so that’s why she dragged me here for a blind date. She probably thinks this will break us up. My mom can be a little stubborn. Once she decides something, she doesn’t change her mind easily. But I believe I’ll be able to persuade her someday. So I’m sorry you both came all this way for nothing.”
Hearing how sincerely he spoke, Su Yunyun was surprised and a little envious. Her judgment had not been wrong. Wang Cheng would make a good partner. Unfortunately, that kind of man did not belong to her. Along with her regret came a measure of relief. At least it was not because there was something wrong with her.
“Then there’s nothing to be done. Looks like we have the fate to meet but not the fate to be together. I hope you get your mother’s approval soon.”
“Thank you. I’m sure you’ll find your Mr. Right sooner or later.” Seeing how straightforwardly she accepted it, Wang Cheng’s opinion of her improved too. She knew when to let go.
After paying the bill, the two walked out of the restaurant.
Wang Cheng did not know where she lived, so they said goodbye at the entrance. They probably would not see each other again. After parting, he walked home. Thinking about the hard battle still waiting for him there gave him a headache. After a moment, he took out his phone and called Chu Yifeng.
“Boss Chu, want to know what I just went through?” Chu Yifeng’s laughter came through the phone. “Tell me.”
Still laughing?
Wang Cheng decided to make him uncomfortable. “I just went on a blind date with a woman two or three years younger than me. Her name is Su Yunyun. She’s pretty. She’s from the countryside too, but she’s capable. She went out to make her own way when she was still a teenager and has already achieved quite a bit. She’s polite and filial too, basically exactly the kind of wife I used to imagine for myself. So tell me, should I accept her?”
Before he even finished speaking, Wang Cheng could practically feel the low pressure coming through the phone. Satisfaction bloomed in his chest. That’s what you get for laughing. Keep laughing!
Perhaps sensing his smugness, Chu Yifeng said unhurriedly, “That was my oversight. I’ll come find you right now. I’ll go with you to talk to your mother. Don’t worry. Until she agrees, I won’t give up easily.”
“Fuck, do you think I’m not dying fast enough?” Wang Cheng instantly exploded. If Chu Yifeng actually came over, forget getting Mama Wang’s approval. She could sweep both of them straight out the door.
“Weren’t you complaining that I was standing by and enjoying your suffering?”
“Boss Chu, you’re very self-aware.”
“If there really isn’t another way, come stay with me for a while and let things cool down. Your mother can’t possibly stop recognizing you as her son.” Chu Yifeng suggested it because he had already thought through all kinds of possible ways to get Wang Cheng’s parents to accept their relationship. Unfortunately, they had been discovered earlier than he expected, so none of those plans could be put into action yet.
“I’d like to, but I can’t keep running away forever. Forget it. I’ll go home first and test my mom’s attitude again. She still hasn’t confronted me directly. Once she finds out nothing came of my blind date with Miss Su, she’ll probably arrange another one for tomorrow. If she doesn’t succeed, she won’t stop. I’ll call you again when something happens.”
Chu Yifeng still wanted to say something, but Wang Cheng had already hurriedly hung up.
When Wang Cheng returned home, Mama Wang was already there. She had probably spoken to Papa Wang, because the couple were waiting in the living room. The moment he came in, Mama Wang, who clearly wanted nothing more than for him and Su Yunyun to hit it off immediately, was naturally the first to ask.
“Well? The Su family’s girl is pretty good, isn’t she? How did the two of you get along?”
“Mom.” Wang Cheng looked helplessly at Mama Wang and finally decided to smash the jar since it was already cracked. “I already have someone I like. I made everything clear to Su Yunyun.”
“No. I don’t agree. I absolutely will not let the two of you be together.” Mama Wang’s face changed dramatically and her reaction became agitated. She clearly had not expected her son to confront the issue so directly.
Papa Wang, however, was completely confused by Mama Wang’s reaction. Wasn’t it a good thing that their son had someone he liked? Why was she objecting?
“Mom, I know this may be hard for you to accept right away, but since I chose to be with him, I never planned to back down. Mom, I hope I can have your blessing.”
Wang Cheng had already expected Mama Wang to react like this. Call him unfilial if they wanted. Yuan Xia had once said that it was difficult for a person to meet someone in this life who genuinely loved them and whom they genuinely loved in return. Having spent more than ten years as a monk, Wang Cheng understood that idea especially deeply. Otherwise, he would never have agreed to be with Chu Yifeng so readily in the first place.
“I will not bless you two.” Mama Wang turned her head away and refused to look at him. Her voice was so firm that her stubbornness could be felt in every word.
“What exactly is going on with you two?” Papa Wang was nearly beside himself. “I can’t understand a word either of you is saying.” They had suddenly started arguing for no apparent reason, as though there were some enormous grudge between them. What was wrong with the person Chengcheng liked? Why was his wife reacting so strongly?
Wang Cheng did not expect Mama Wang to accept things immediately. He turned to Papa Wang instead. “Dad, I’ll stay at the jam shop for a while. Take good care of Mom.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the house. Mama Wang chased him to the doorway, but all she saw was his retreating back. In a burst of anger, she shouted, “If you’ve got the guts, then don’t come back! I will never allow you to be with him!”
“Lanfang, keep your voice down. The neighbors will hear you. What will they think?” Papa Wang hurriedly pulled her back. His head was pounding from all this. Neither of them would give him a moment’s peace. What shocked him most was his wife’s agitation. She had never behaved like this before, yet neither mother nor son would explain the reason. All he could do was worry helplessly.
Mama Wang only managed to shout that one line before Papa Wang stopped her, but some sharp-eared neighbors still heard it. They were all surprised and began wondering whether something serious had happened. Why had Mama Wang quarreled with her son? Papa Wang had interrupted the rest, so no one heard the final part clearly.
The news soon reached Madam Zhang. These days, apart from gossiping about relatives, she did not have much else to occupy herself with. She immediately hurried over to Eldest Uncle’s house. Yesterday, she too had received Wang Ningkai’s invitation. She had never thought much of Wang Ningkai before, yet somehow he had managed to find another wealthy girlfriend. Naturally, she felt envy, jealousy, and resentment, but she was even more annoyed at her own useless son. Fine, maybe he could not find a rich young lady like Lisa, but couldn’t he at least find someone like Wang Xiaoyan? Her son was simply a block of wood that refused to wake up no matter how hard she knocked on his head.