Chapter 3: A Failed Blind Date

If the first sight of him had been a chance meeting, then every one of the countless encounters that followed must have been Heaven’s deliberate design. At times, knowing full well that a thing should not be done, one still hurls oneself at it like a moth into flame. Such is life: unreasonable, yet so intoxicating that it makes one throw caution to the wind.

Xinyao’s Diary

Duguyi stood where he was, watching the straight line of the vegetable seller’s back, a complicated look flashing through his eyes.

“Young Master, you really ought to listen to Madam Dowager. Don’t get mixed up with the people of the Turen family. Look at you, even to the point of having to apologize to some vegetable peddler. I, Old Li, truly cannot bear to watch.”

The old man standing behind Duguyi had a complexion still a little sallow and pale, but in the end he still had to voice the purpose of his visit today.

Duguyi did not move, and he did not turn around. Only his slender fingers tightened, his neatly trimmed nails pressing into his palm.

After a moment, he said, “Uncle Li, tell Mother that I will not delay matters at the company. As for resigning from my government post, do not bring it up again. If she still wants the company to keep making a profit, then tell Nan and Ning not to make trouble. Otherwise, I will no longer concern myself with the company’s affairs. As for me, please tell Mother not to worry. I know my own limits.”

Li Kanglei’s face went red, then white. He could not see Duguyi’s expression, but he could imagine that the young master, who hardly ever showed any expression at all, must be cold as ice at this moment. He had not wanted to run into this sort of embarrassment, but the people at home had all pushed him forward. On the one hand, he was an old retainer by the master’s side; on the other, he could be considered a favored man before Madam Dowager.

What those people had not expected was probably that this young master would not even give his own mother face, let alone an old man like him.

“I, this... Young Master, before I came, Madam Dowager said she wants you to go home this week. There will be a family banquet...”

Duguyi whirled around. Though his expression remained ordinary, his gaze sharpened. When he spoke again, his words had already turned blunt.

“I do not need Mother to worry about my marriage, nor do I want to be set up on blind dates with a pack of women watching me like wolves. I have matters to attend to this weekend. I am not going back.”

With that, he strode past Li Kanglei toward the office he had just left.

It looked as though he was truly angry. Seeing Duguyi so clearly offended, Li Kanglei did not know what to do. After thinking it over, he could only follow him into the office first and find another way later.

*

Qin Rou was the sort who acted as soon as she said something. Within two months, she had introduced a blind date for Gu Xinyao.

On a bright, sunny weekend afternoon, under Qin Rou’s insistence, Gu Xinyao changed into a very proper outfit and went to the previously arranged Yushan Cafe.

The moment she pushed open the cafe door, she was met by the rich, sweet aroma unique to Jinglan coffee. Soft, soothing music floated through the room. It was indeed the perfect place for a date.

Before she had even taken a few steps inside, she saw the familiar figure sitting in a corner by the window. Though he had his back to her, she recognized at a glance that it was Duguyi. Do not ask her how she was so sure; she simply knew. Opposite him, in a two-seat booth, sat a woman with smoky eye makeup. From her revealing outfit alone, it was hard to tell her age, because that heavy makeup was far too exaggerated; the two dark circles around her eyes could have competed with a giant panda.

From where she stood, the smoky-eyed woman seemed very agitated. Seated in the booth, she leaned forward, her black eyes narrowed, fury apparently raging inside them. Her two hands on the table were clenched into fists, as if she could leap up and brawl with the man across from her at any moment.

Because of the distance, she could not hear what they were saying. After a while, the woman slowly straightened, her face showing a little triumph and a little something else, suggestive and ambiguous. She did not know what he had said to make such a swift change in her, but when she saw that look of flirtation on the woman’s face, a sour ache rose in her chest. In all her life she had only ever had one hopeless crush, and it had never felt this bitter.

Forcing herself not to look that way again, she turned her attention to the cafe.

After scanning the not-so-large room, she finally spotted the man Qin Rou had described sitting in a two-seat booth not far from Duguyi’s table. He looked very much like the person Qin Rou had mentioned, and there were no other men in the cafe who fit the description.

Deciding not to pay any more attention to Duguyi, she walked slowly over to the table.

“Hello! I’m Gu Xinyao. Are you Han Ke?” she asked politely, standing beside the man’s seat.

The man seated in the booth was bent over a laptop, writing something. Beside the table sat a glass of juice, half-finished. He looked busy, and only after Gu Xinyao had introduced herself and spoken to him did he lift his head. His eyes, half-hidden behind his glasses, were a little dazed, but that did not diminish the clean, proper impression he gave.

The man’s first impression was that he was a little dull. A pair of black-framed glasses made his delicate face look almost too foolish. The instant he looked up, Gu Xinyao had to suppress a laugh. It was probably because his head had been lowered for too long that his glasses had slipped down to the bridge of his nose.

“Ah? Ah! Yes, yes, I’m Han Ke.” Seeing her, he hurriedly pushed his glasses back up and stood in a fluster.

“Careful!” Almost at the same time, Gu Xinyao saw that in his haste to stand, his leg slammed hard into the table leg. The crisp thud made even the listener feel the pain.

Seeing him frown from the impact, she could not help worrying a little. How had someone so absentminded survived until now?

It was two in the afternoon. Most of the diners had already left. Besides Duguyi’s table, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. Han Ke’s sudden, loud collision drew the attention of others.

“Heh, what a fool.”

Just after Han Ke had bumped his leg and was flushing with embarrassment, a low sneer came from the neighboring table.

Gu Xinyao followed the sound and saw it was the woman from Duguyi’s table. Her lips curved slightly, and her eyes carried a hint of disdain.

“Are you all right?” Gu Xinyao lowered her head and asked Han Ke, who had sat back down after knocking his leg against the table.

Han Ke’s face was already so red it could have fried an egg. Hearing her ask, he hurriedly shook his head. “I’m fine! I’m fine!”

Normally, she never cared about people who mocked others. After all, if others lacked manners, must she dance to their tune as well? But today was different. The man beside her was her blind date, and the man opposite that woman was the first person who had ever made her heart skip.

No matter what, she did not want him entangled in anything unclear with a woman like that. Seeing that Han Ke was all right, she was ready to go over and reason with them.

“Dugunan, have you returned all your education to the teacher? Go apologize!”

Just as Gu Xinyao was about to act, a clear male voice had already spoken first. It was Duguyi. He had stood up, and from her angle she could see the furrow in his brow.

“Why should I apologize to him? He’s not worthy!”

Apparently angered by Duguyi’s words, the woman ground her teeth and stood up indignantly. She yanked the bag off the back of her chair, squeezed out of the booth, shot Han Ke and Gu Xinyao a vicious glare, and without apologizing, strode straight toward the restaurant exit.

“You—”

Duguyi turned and took two steps after her, but she was already gone. He shook his head, as though he had no way to deal with the woman. Then he turned back and walked over to Gu Xinyao and Han Ke.

As Gu Xinyao watched him approach, her heartbeat quickened even more. Up close, he seemed even more striking, his features deeply defined, and his skin was flawless, not a single blemish in sight. Truly a masterpiece of heaven, she sighed inwardly, her eyes unwilling to leave him for even a moment.

“I’m sorry. My younger sister is immature. I apologize to you on her behalf. As compensation, I’ll cover your meal today.”

Duguyi spoke very politely to Han Ke. He did not seem to be putting on an act, but rather was genuinely sincere.

Han Ke had already stood up. Because he had been too nervous just now and banged his leg, he too felt rather embarrassed. So after hearing the girl mock him, he became even more awkward.

“N-no, sir, we can pay for ourselves. There’s no need.”

Han Ke still wanted to refuse, but Gu Xinyao raised a hand to stop him.

“We accept your apology. Thank you.”

Duguyi had not paid attention to Gu Xinyao earlier. It was only after she stopped Han Ke and said thanks that he turned his gaze toward her. Seeing her again, he could not help feeling surprised. This time, her clothes were very formal, and her hair had been restyled. It suited her very well.

She was young, with a delicate, refined look, though her gaze was far too intense. He had seen such eyes many times before. What made her different was that her eyes did not hold nearly as much greed. That surprised him a little, though not enough for him to regard her differently.

He nodded at her, his expression unchanged, and said only, “No need to be polite. I still have something to do, so I’ll be going.”

After Gu Xinyao and Han Ke had responded, he turned and walked toward the cashier.

“He’s much better than I am,” Han Ke said as he sat back down.

Gu Xinyao also took her seat, but her mind was still replaying Duguyi’s image from moments ago. Such a steady, restrained man; unhurried, unarrogant. Though a little distant, it did not stop others from liking him in the least. What delighted her most was that the woman just now was not someone with an intimate relationship to him, only his younger sister.

“You... do you like someone like him?” Han Ke suddenly asked.

She came back to herself and looked at him, noticing a trace of disappointment and a hint of self-conscious inferiority on his face.

“I didn’t expect you to see through me. Actually, you’re very good too—gentle, quiet, just a little too timid. We may not be suitable, but you’ll meet the right person for you someday.”

Gu Xinyao smiled at him. She was surprised by his sharp insight. After the surprise, she did not want to beat around the bush. Since he had already seen through her thoughts, there was no need to hide them. Besides, she had never expected a blind date to work on the first try.

She suddenly remembered Qin Rou saying that Han Ke was a university math teacher, and had stayed on at the university to teach after earning his master’s degree. It seemed he had not yet been too badly tainted by the great dye vat of society. He really did seem innocent, she thought with a faint smile. Not spoiled at all. Then she thought of Duguyi. Though he had already been tempered by the world, he did not seem to have turned bad either.

When Han Ke saw Gu Xinyao smiling at him, he also understood a little. Today’s blind date was probably going to end without result again. He did not want to blame anyone, much less resent anyone. After all, he knew himself that he was not the sort of smooth, adaptable person who could easily win a girl’s favor.

He pushed up the glasses that had slipped down from perspiration and forced a smile. “It’s all right. I know I’m a bit dull. If you don’t like me, that’s fine. I...”

He kept repeating that it did not matter, but his expression was already beginning to dim.

“You’re very good, truly. If I had not met him first, perhaps we really could have tried.”

Seeing his lack of confidence, she came to feel more deeply that whether in her own age or in this present time, without a strong capacity to bear what life brings, the only one who would suffer was oneself. She comforted him softly, though her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Duguyi again. Perhaps that man possessed such extraordinary inner strength that he could carve out a place for himself in a society where women were the stronger force.

But was he happy?

December was the year’s end, and many aristocrats held banquets, whether to reward a year of hard work or simply to use the occasion to exchange experiences. In the end, it all came down to gathering together to eat, drink, and make merry.

At such times, the grocery store did especially good business, and they even hired outside delivery men. In the past, besides Ge Yue keeping watch over the shop, even the owner had to go out making deliveries, and only around midnight could they finally relax a little, allowing Qin Rou and her husband some time for their little world of two. This year, with Gu Xinyao added to the mix, Qin Rou simply stayed at the shop with her husband to keep watch, and instructed Gu Xinyao that after delivering the Turen family’s seasonal fruit and the vegetables needed by the kitchen, she was free to do as she pleased.

After midnight, the grocery store would no longer be open. The married couple would go to a hotel they often visited for a small honeymoon of their own, and return to the shop the next day.

After Gu Xinyao delivered the dishes and fruit required by the Turen family’s back kitchen with a cart, she intended to circle around the main hall and head back. But when she reached the entrance to the hall, she spotted Duguyi, that dazzling man no matter where he stood. The banquet’s dancing portion would not begin until eleven at night, and it was only ten o’clock now. With an hour to go, many noble ladies and young noblemen were gathered together in murmured conversation, some even hiding on the balconies to do things unsuitable for children. She could not help shaking her head inwardly. No matter the time or place, the nobility was always the same.

As Gu Xinyao thought this, she still could not bear to look away from Duguyi. He sat in a corner of the hall, holding a tall glass goblet in his hand. A brown liquid swirled at the bottom of the glass, and the stemmed cup rocked lightly between his long fingers. His eyes were fixed on the goblet, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Because the hall doors were fully open, Gu Xinyao could take him in completely at a glance. The cart had been left by the outer steps of the hall, but the moment she saw Duguyi, she had stopped here without realizing it.

“Third Miss, we’re betting you that little beauty Duguyi definitely won’t leave with you. We all know he’s Turen Feng’s little lover.”

A louche woman’s voice drifted into Gu Xinyao’s ears from an angle behind her. Had it not been for the mention of Duguyi, she might not have paid attention to the conversation at all.

“Pah! Who do you take me for? Getting a man is easy. What is Turen Feng compared to me? Duguyi—hmph! Don’t let his usual aloof, superior act fool you. Once he’s had my Carmen, he’ll still end up begging beneath me.”

The other voice first spoke in utter disdain, then let out a very wanton laugh.

The others, hearing her, also gave low chuckles.

Gu Xinyao turned her head slightly and discovered that behind her at an angle stood a money tree over a man’s height tall. Behind it, several vague figures could be seen, though she could not tell who they were.