章 3: Chapter 2: I Should Be The Person You're Going To Have A Blind Date With Today

Shen Qingzhi walked alone on the pedestrian street with a large package in her arms, causing heads to turn by a staggering 200%.

Fortunately, she tightly wrapped her face, so for the time being, no one recognized her.

She had just answered Song Ling truthfully. At this moment, she is indeed going on a blind date.

This matter has to be traced back to last night.

To properly understand this situation, we need to go back to last night.

Upon seeing the news, Shen Qiong ordered Shen Qingzhi to quit the entertainment industry, but it was met with strong opposition from Shen Qingzhi herself.

The conversation took a sudden turn, with Shen Qiong starting to criticize her for being unreliable and immature over the years, expressing deep concerns about her future.

Finally, the conversation somehow turned into, "Well, I don't expect you to achieve great success anymore. At least, settle down and start a family. That way, I can have peace of mind in the future."

Shen Qingzhi at that moment: ?!

Settle down and start a family? I'm only 23 years old this year and I don't even have a romantic partner. Who am I supposed to start a family with?

One moment they were talking about work, and the next moment they're talking about marriage. Is this how the mindset of older people jumps around?

However, looking at the serious expression on Madam Shen's face, it seemed like she was serious. She pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Tomorrow, I'll go and find some outstanding young people for you to meet and choose from."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingzhi was about to refute immediately, but her elder sister spoke up first.

"Mom, there's no need to go through all this trouble. I have a friend who is a few years older than Qingzhi and is excellent in various aspects. Coincidentally, she is also looking for a partner. How about letting Qingzhi meet her first?"

Satisfied, Madam Shen nodded. "You handle it, and I trust you the most. Send the date and location to your sister. Hurry up, it would be best to meet tomorrow."

Seeing the mother and daughter so in sync, Shen Qingzhi almost burst out laughing.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7497990

This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.

She had been rebellious since childhood, but there was one thing she obediently followed: no early romantic relationships.

She remembers when she was still in middle school, the family repeatedly emphasized that she should focus on her studies and not think about dating at such a young age.

They even shared numerous examples of people who dropped out of school or got hurt because of romantic relationships to scare her.

Shen Qingzhi was not easily frightened, but she genuinely had no interest in puppy loves.

In her eyes, her peers were both immature and boring, so there was no point in pursuing romantic relationships.

Therefore, it was a rare consensus between her and her family on this matter.

Not only did she avoid puppy love in middle school, but she also didn't have any romantic relationships throughout her four years in college.

Now, the situation has taken a turn. Just one year after her graduation, her family no longer cares about her dating but directly urges her to get married.

No romantic partner for marriage? No problem, just go on a blind date.

Isn't it ridiculous to suggest "meeting the friend of her sister"? It's basically a blind date, even in this day and age!

As a progressive young person of the new era, Shen Qingzhi naturally abhors and resists arranged marriages filled with feudal remnants.

Unfortunately, this outrageous proposal of "meeting someone" has resulted in a highly unified front from the rest of the family, including her mommy, who has always been the most affectionate towards her, switching sides at the critical moment.

Who exactly is this person that insists on her to "meet and see"?

Shen Qingzhi, as someone who understands the current situation and knows how to adapt, decides to strategically compromise in the face of this overwhelming 3-to-1 pressure.

If it's just going on a blind date, she thinks to herself, if she obediently goes but the other person doesn't find her appealing, then it won't be her fault.

Shen Qingzhi tightens her grip on the package in her hand and smirks.

Unconsciously, she finds herself standing in front of a poster. The poster is several people tall, making Shen Qingzhi appear particularly small beside it. She tilts her head back to see the whole picture clearly.

The woman in the poster has lush black hair like seaweed, crescent-shaped metallic earrings adorning her ears, and delicate jade-like fingers holding a brightly colored lipstick, exuding charm and beauty.

The desire for beauty is inherent in everyone, and Shen Qingzhi couldn't help but stop and gaze at the poster for a few more moments.

The woman depicted on it appeared even more mature and exquisite than she had imagined, captivating the attention even more.

Two female students approached, and their pace noticeably slowed as they passed by the poster. From such a close distance, Shen Qingzhi could clearly hear their conversation.

Student A: "Look at that poster, Gu Jinrong, my new wife. Isn't she stunning?"

Student B: "Yes, she's very beautiful. Her name has been mentioned so often lately. Four out of six girls in our dormitory can't stop talking about her. By the way, aren't you usually uninterested in domestic entertainment?"

Student A: "I usually follow the international entertainment industry, but she used to be active in Country M. She recently returned to our country after receiving the Golden Bear Award. She's probably the youngest Golden Bear Award winner in China. My wife is indeed beautiful and outstanding!"

….

The two students gradually walked away, their voices fading into the distance.

Shen Qingzhi's attention returned to the poster, noticing a small stain on the woman's arm, adding a touch of imperfection to her beauty.

She took out a wet tissue from her pocket and diligently wiped it, making sure to completely remove the stain, revealing the woman's originally fair skin.

Shen Qingzhi gazed at the woman, now restored to perfection, and was momentarily stunned. A self-deprecating smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

Why bother? The other person doesn't care about you at all.

She discarded the soiled wet tissue into the nearby trash bin and was about to leave when a reckless teenager on a skateboard suddenly zoomed past.

She hurriedly moved aside, fortunately unharmed, but a little girl nearby wasn't as lucky.

The sound of her tender cries reached Shen Qingzhi's ears, prompting her to rush forward and help the little girl up, checking for any injuries.

The girl had taken a fall when the skateboard passed by, but being small in stature, she only suffered a minor scrape. However, due to the fright, she cried loudly, piercing the air.

The skateboard-wielding culprit had long vanished, leaving only a shrinking figure in the distance.

Shen Qingzhi took out a clean wet tissue and gently wiped the girl's wound. Lacking experience in comforting children, her repetitive words of "don't cry, don't cry" seemed to have little effect.

As she fumbled in her pocket, she found a lollipop.

"Little friend, here's a lollipop for you. It's very sweet. If you eat it, you won't cry anymore, alright?"

The little girl hiccuped as she accepted the lollipop from Shen Qingzhi's hand, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. Surprisingly, she stopped crying.

Indeed, she was just a child. Candy could easily soothe them.

Shen Qingzhi smiled in relief, and suddenly, a long-forgotten voice echoed in her mind.

[Qingqing, do you like strawberry-flavored lollipops?]

Therefore, in her eyes back then, I was nothing more than a little kid.

Shen Qingzhi shook her head, unwilling to dwell on those thoughts.

The parent of the little girl hurried over, a young mother who witnessed the scene, expressing her gratitude to Shen Qingzhi.

Not wanting to linger in the crowd, Shen Qingzhi simply said, "Adults should not wander too far from such a young child," and waved her hand before leaving.

She soon arrived at the designated meeting place with her prospective partner for the blind date. It was a private restaurant located in the southeast corner of the pedestrian street.

The restaurant wasn't large in size but focused on providing high-quality service, placing a strong emphasis on customer privacy.

After confirming the room number with the receptionist, Shen Qingzhi didn't immediately head to her destination. Instead, she made a quick stop at the restroom.

When she emerged, she exuded a new, cool and stylish aura.

Standing in front of the restroom's mirror, Shen Qingzhi carefully examined her new look.

Her light golden long ponytail was untied, intentionally creating an explosive hairstyle. To enhance the effect, she even used some hairspray to set the style.

She had shed her youthful and beautiful attire and replaced it with an unconventional and edgy style.

Ripped jeans, a distressed sleeve t-shirt with a huge skull print right in the center.

She wore multiple skull-patterned bracelets on both wrists. Due to the limited time, she had to settle for this wholesale option.

Her lips and eyeshadow were applied in an extremely dark shade that she usually wouldn't touch. With panda-like eyes and fiery red lips, the overall effect was somewhat eerie.

A nearby young lady who was originally washing her hands caught a glimpse of her transformed appearance and was momentarily stunned. She didn't even have time to dry her hands and hastily ran away with her bag.

Shen Qingzhi mischievously curved her lips, highly satisfied with the result.

Regardless of the person she would be meeting for the blind date later, they would be dumbfounded upon seeing her like this.

After securely wrapping up her changed clothes, Sheng Qingzhi took them to the front desk for temporary storage. She almost got kicked out and had to rely on her quick response to provide the previously reserved information.

With all the preparations done, she walked alone to the second floor and found the designated private room. Pushing open the door, she was ready to give her blind date partner a "big surprise."

The entrance of the private room faced the window, allowing the remaining sunlight to cast a golden hue on the person's seaweed-like long hair.

The room was spacious, with only one person sitting at the booth.

That person had a faint smile at the corner of their mouth, exuding an enchanting charm. Her glossy eyes blinked without looking away, fixed on the direction of the door.

The person she had just seen on the poster not long ago was now standing right in front of her, alive and real.

It felt like seeing a ghost!

Sheng Qingzhi's pupils dilated instantly. She recalled her current appearance and quickly pulled out a duckbill cap, covering her wild and explosive hairstyle along with half of her face.

"Sorry, it seems like I walked into the wrong room."

In a panic, she turned around hastily, intending to go back. However, for some reason, her body stiffened, and she ended up walking straight towards the door.

The more anxious one becomes, the more prone to making mistakes. Unbeknownst to her, her palms had already become moist with sweat.

Sheng Qingzhi adjusted her direction while praying in her heart that she wouldn't be recognized.

However, in the next second, any trace of her hopeful mindset was shattered.

"Qingqing."

The familiar address, like a freezing spell, froze the person who had intended to escape in place.

Since she had already been recognized, if she were to hurriedly leave at this moment, she would appear too guilty.

Why should she feel guilty?

Sheng Qingzhi took a shallow breath, composed herself for a couple of seconds, and then turned around with a smile on her face, thinking it looked perfectly natural.

"Hi, what a coincidence. But I might not have the time to catch up with you now, as I have a blind date to attend."

Even though she could have easily made up an excuse, Sheng Qingzhi unexpectedly spoke the truth.

After saying it, she inexplicably felt a sense of relief and satisfaction in her heart.

Gu Jinrong was momentarily stunned by her words, but quickly regained her composure.

Her smile remained gentle, yet it seemed to exude a constant allure, as if it were always sending out seductive signals.

"Is it Hanzhi who gave you the address?"

Why do you ask so many questions?

Sheng Qingzhi's mind was set on quickly escaping the scene, and she couldn't be bothered to play Tai Chi*. She straightened her neck.

*waste time

"That's right, but that's our business."

She took out her phone pretending to check the time, with a look of urgency on her face. "It's almost time, and I really can't talk to you anymore. Goodbye."

"Wait." As she spoke, Gu Jinrong had already taken a few steps forward, her slender and fair fingers playfully tucking the mischievous ends of Sheng Qingzhi's hair outside the brim of her hat, tidying it up effortlessly.

"I should be the person you're going to have a blind date with today. Let's chat, shall we?"

Author's Note:

Opening a new red envelope, dropping the second bomb.