Chi Shuo’s lips curled into a faint smile as she watched the man sitting across from her, his nerves visibly taut. Her index finger tapped rhythmically on the table, each tap drowned out by the cicadas chirping outside the shop.
Mid-June, and summer had arrived as expected.
Chi Shuo had never imagined that her mother could pull off such a high-difficulty magic trick—literally swapping out a person. One moment, her mother was sitting across from her; the next, after a trip to the restroom, her seat was occupied by her second blind date of the year.
“Mr. Li, I don’t know if my mother mentioned this to you, but while my salary isn’t high, my spending habits certainly are.”
“How much do you earn a month? Can you buy me a five-figure handbag every month?”
“Also, I got my driver’s license in college, but I’ve never owned a car. If we end up together, could you consider buying me one?”
Mr. Li’s eyes darted nervously. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief and took a sip of water from the glass on the table.
He looked directly into Chi Shuo’s bright eyes and asked earnestly, “Your mother didn’t mention any of this to me. And I don’t believe you’re that kind of person, Miss Chi.”
At his words, Chi Shuo’s finger stopped tapping. She raised an eyebrow and asked coolly, “What kind?”
Mr. Li chose not to answer and instead changed the subject. “I can buy you gifts every month, but girls shouldn’t be so focused on luxury brands.” He shook his head, his expression grave. “It’s not good.”
Chi Shuo crossed her arms, her elbows resting on the table, and looked at him with a probing gaze. “Can I take that to mean you can’t afford it?”
Mr. Li frowned. “What are you implying?”
Chi Shuo waved her hand dismissively and stood up. “Nothing. I’ll go settle the bill.”
She picked up her bag from the side, ready to leave, but then remembered there was still some acting left to do.
As if possessed by a dramatic spirit, Chi Shuo’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the bag in her hand, lost in thought. “This bag was bought for me by my ex-boyfriend. He had just graduated at the time and spent three months’ salary on it.” Her fingers brushed over the bag as she added softly, “Three months just to buy one bag… too slow.”
Mr. Li stared at the logo on the bag, momentarily stunned. Chi Shuo then smiled again and glanced one last time at his hands, suppressing the urge to gag as she delivered the final blow. “Mr. Li, could you please tell my mother that I don’t go on blind dates with men who have dirt under their nails?”
“You…!”
Whatever Mr. Li said next, Chi Shuo didn’t hear. She had already walked away from the table, leaving behind the man who had tested her patience to its limits.
Another weirdo. Her mother had found her another weirdo for a blind date.
The last one, three months ago, had wanted to showcase his talents as soon as they met. Before Chi Shuo could even refuse, he had recited The Song of the Pipa Player and offered to follow up with The Song of Everlasting Sorrow and The Hard Road to Shu—lengthy poems that gave most people headaches.
Chi Shuo: “……”
This Mr. Li’s white shirt collar was yellowed and faded, not from wear but, as Chi Shuo could tell, from lack of washing. His handkerchief was covered in lint balls, which made her scalp crawl.
But what really got to her was his nails—not particularly long, but filled with grime.
Chi Shuo didn’t have a cleanliness obsession, but the sight made her want to vomit on the spot.
She wondered if the early summer heat was getting to her, because she felt unusually irritable.
Chi Shuo knew she had taken her frustration out on Mr. Li, but she also understood herself well enough to know it wasn’t entirely her fault.
If Mr. Li and her mother hadn’t teamed up for this little performance, would she have been so worked up?
No one could make her do something she didn’t want to do—not even her mother.
She hadn’t been given any warning about this blind date. The fact that she managed to keep a smile on her face when she returned to the table was already a monumental effort.
It wasn’t until she left the shop that Chi Shuo realized she hadn’t eaten a single bite of lunch.
It was Friday, and it was lunch break. She had thought her mother came to have lunch with her because she was bored and wanted company. The outcome, however, was anything but expected.
The thought of it made Chi Shuo lose her appetite entirely. She hailed a taxi and headed back to the office building.
The weather outside wasn’t scorching yet, but the sun was already becoming unbearable.
Chi Shuo hated the heat. She had forgotten her umbrella, and the drop-off point was still a distance from the building entrance. She had to jog the rest of the way to minimize her time in the sun.
The less time spent under the sun, the better.
The lobby’s air conditioning was a welcome relief. Chi Shuo finally slowed her pace, catching her breath.
The office building was busiest during work hours, with clients visiting various companies. Now, at midday, there were only about a dozen people in sight.
“Shuo Shuo!”
Before Chi Shuo could reach the elevators, she heard Xia Zhou’s voice calling from behind.
Xia Zhou worked in the same company but in a different department. They had been colleagues for over a year, and due to frequent work interactions, their relationship had evolved from mere coworkers to friends.
Xia Zhou liked to wear her hair in a ponytail, and today was no exception. She had a clip in her hair and was bouncing toward Chi Shuo with enthusiasm.
Chi Shuo smiled slightly and asked as Xia Zhou caught up, “You’re here early today?”
It was almost 1:30 PM. Their lunch break was two hours, and Xia Zhou was usually the type to arrive right on time, whether in the morning or at noon. Chi Shuo rarely saw her early.
“Not really. I haven’t had much appetite lately.” Xia Zhou pointed to her left cheek and sighed. “I got my wisdom tooth pulled a couple of days ago. You know that.”
Chi Shuo walked with her toward the elevators and asked, “How much weight have you lost?”
“Two pounds.”
Xia Zhou had once said she wanted to lose weight by getting her wisdom teeth removed. Remembering this, Chi Shuo teased her, “One wisdom tooth weighs two pounds. Pull out two more, and you’ll be six pounds lighter. You’ll hit your weight loss goal.”
Xia Zhou raised her hand as if to hit her. “Oh, shut up, skinny girl!”
At 5’5″ and 93 pounds, Chi Shuo was already on the thin side.
Chi Shuo quickly shook her head. “No, no.” She added leisurely, “I’m just a little more impressive than you, that’s all.”
Xia Zhou: “My hand might slip in a second.”
Despite her words, Xia Zhou lowered her hand and switched to gossip mode. “You texted me on the way here saying your mom tricked you. What happened?”
Her earlier lethargy was gone, replaced by the sparkle of curiosity in her eyes.
Chi Shuo felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. She was about to explain when the elevator arrived on the ground floor and opened.
She composed herself and gestured toward the elevator with her chin. “Let’s talk upstairs.”
“Okay.” Xia Zhou nodded, her expression turning serious.
They entered the elevator and pressed the button for their floor.
Chi Shuo stood straight, her face calm as she waited for others to exit.
Their company, Xinyue, was on the 25th floor—the highest in the building.
Xia Zhou stood quietly beside her, but as soon as the last person exited on the 19th floor, she immediately reverted to her curious self. “So, you were supposed to meet your mom for lunch, but you got dragged into a blind date instead?”
The topic continued, but Chi Shuo felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.
She nodded slightly, her voice soft but audible in the small elevator. “Yeah… basically got ambushed by my mom into a blind date.”
Just as she finished speaking, the elevator stopped on the 23rd floor, and someone entered.
Xia Zhou paid no attention and leaned closer to ask, “So, how was the guy? Better than the last one who recited The Song of the Pipa Player?”
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together and didn’t respond. She tilted her head slightly, giving Xia Zhou a meaningful look, and then said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ah? Don’t tell me you got another weirdo this time.”
“……” Chi Shuo’s expression suggested she had seen it all.
Xia Zhou finally turned her head and realized the new arrival was… He Lindi.
Xia Zhou reacted quickly. She raised her hand, pretending to adjust her ponytail, then pulled out her phone and acted as if she were on a call. “Your mom is really… Oh! You’re heading to work? Okay, bye.”
Chi Shuo cringed at Xia Zhou’s terrible acting, her eyelid twitching slightly. On the surface, she remained calm, but internally, she resigned herself to the situation.
What luck.
She tried to keep her gaze forward, but her peripheral vision stayed fixed on He Lindi.
He Lindi stood slightly ahead of them, her back turned. She wore a beige dress, her smooth hair cascading down her back. From this close, Chi Shuo could see the few strands of blue hair mixed in—a recent addition from last weekend.
Chi Shuo knew about the blue highlights because a colleague had mentioned it, but this was the first time she had seen them in person.
“Shuo Shuo, my friend’s mom is really…”
The elevator soon reached the 25th floor. Xia Zhou, committed to her role, continued her fake conversation as they stepped out.
Chi Shuo felt her head throbbing. By the time they exited the elevator, her back was damp with sweat.
As they walked, Chi Shuo held onto a sliver of hope and asked Xia Zhou, who was still patting herself on the back for her performance, “Do you think He Lindi heard what you asked me?”
“I think…”
Xia Zhou smiled without finishing her sentence, but Chi Shuo already understood.
The anger from the blind date ambush had now transformed into sheer embarrassment over He Lindi potentially overhearing their conversation. Chi Shuo frowned slightly, her expression dark as she entered the office.
It was only 1:30 PM, and most of the colleagues weren’t working yet.
The curtains were drawn, and the air conditioning was set to a comfortable temperature.
Some were napping at their desks, others were playing mobile games, and a few were scrolling through social media. Thankfully, everyone was wearing headphones, so there was no noise pollution.
Chi Shuo and Xia Zhou tiptoed in, switching to silent mode.
Back at her desk, Chi Shuo set down her bag, closed her eyes, and leaned back in her chair.
Such a short lunch break, yet it had left her utterly drained.
A few seconds later, a soft voice came from beside her. “Shuo Shuo.”
Chi Shuo’s eyelashes fluttered. She tilted her head slightly and hummed in response.
Zeng Guai asked curiously, “Did your mom really trick you into a blind date today?”
Chi Shuo’s eyes snapped open, and she glanced toward Xia Zhou’s desk. As if sensing her gaze, Xia Zhou smiled and waved her phone at her.
Chi Shuo: “……”
Chi Shuo sighed and answered, “Yeah.”
She shouldn’t have told Xia Zhou. Now, the entire company probably knew.
Zeng Guai reached over and patted Chi Shuo’s hair comfortingly. “Don’t worry, we’re not that fast with the gossip.”
Chi Shuo sighed again, and at that moment, her phone on the desk buzzed with a WeChat notification.
It was from a college classmate who worked in the same building, in He Lindi’s company. The message was asking if the blind date story was true.
Chi Shuo’s brow twitched, her attention fully captured. She swatted away Zeng Guai’s hand and was about to reply when another message popped up: 【He Lindi knows too. She just smiled and asked me to pass on her sympathies.】
The word “smiled” was the highlight of the message.
Chi Shuo: 【……】
She thought back to the scene in the elevator just minutes ago.
Chi Shuo: 【Remember to burn paper money for me next year. Bye.】
