At his richest, he never had more than two hundred-yuan bills in his wallet. His phone was a cheap model—the kind you can’t even identify the brand of. He got around on a small electric scooter and occasionally rode a bicycle. He rotated through just four outfits all year round. So, I thought he was poor, and when we were dating, I never let him buy me gifts or anything. Later, we broke up. The reason was that he had no car or house, and my parents didn’t approve of him. It wasn’t until much later that I realized: while he did indeed have no car or house, he actually owned a villa, a yacht, and a private jet. [Smiling face waving goodbye] P.S. Written in third person, updated daily. If you don’t like it, please don’t hate—the male lead is incredibly handsome and filthy rich! Filthy rich!! He’s the kind of guy whose wealth rivals a nation’s!
At his richest, he never had more than two hundred-yuan bills in his wallet. His phone was a cheap model—the kind you can’t even identify the brand of. He got around on a small electric scooter and occasionally rode a bicycle. He rotated through just four outfits all year round. So, I thought he was poor, and when we were dating, I never let him buy me gifts or anything. Later, we broke up. The reason was that he had no car or house, and my parents didn’t approve of him. It wasn’t until much later that I realized: while he did indeed have no car or house, he actually owned a villa, a yacht, and a private jet. [Smiling face waving goodbye] P.S. Written in third person, updated daily. If you don’t like it, please don’t hate—the male lead is incredibly handsome and filthy rich! Filthy rich!! He’s the kind of guy whose wealth rivals a nation’s!
1. Reunion (Bug Fix) For the first time, Anqing Song truly understood what it meant to be a mama’s boy. The man sitting across from her—who was actually quite handsome—had been talking nonstop, sharing his “insights” ever since the food was served. “My mom said you have to quit that ‘Laozi’ training class job of yours after we get married—it’s not like you’re a real teacher.” “After we get married, both of our paychecks should be handed over to my mom to manage. It hasn’t been easy for her raising me all these years, so if you two ever have any disagreements, you must always give in to my mom.” “My mom’s in poor health, and I work hard to support the family. So from now on, you’ll be taking care of all the housework.” Seeing that he would go on and on if he continued, Anqing Song finally couldn’t help but softly interrupt him: “Your name is Ning Qi, right? Mr. Ning, hello. We’re here for a blind date, but we haven’t even formally introduced ourselves yet, and you’ve already said so much. Is this really appropriate?” Ning Qi’s temper seemed to flare up suddenly, and he raised his voice sharply. “What’s inappropriate about it? My mom said you’re almost twenty-six. You’re already that old. If you can’t get along with me on this blind date, who else do you think you’ll be compatible with? If you don’t marry me, you’ll be an old maid—nobody will want you!” Anqing Song could feel her temples throbbing. She hadn’t really wanted to go on this blind date; she’d heard that blind dates often led to dealing with real jerks. But she’d also seen examples of people finding good matches through these setups, so she’d come with a “let’s give it a try” attitude—otherwise, her parents would have nagged her for ages. At first glance, Anqing Song thought Ning Qi was actually quite handsome. Although he wasn’t as charming as the boy she remembered, overall, he was much better than the ones her best friend Mu Zhi’an had mentioned. She just hadn’t expected that the better a man looks, the more likely it is that he’s resorted to blind dates—which only highlights the serious flaws in his character. So, as soon as Ning Qi opened his mouth, one flaw after another started popping out. Being a "mama’s boy" was a fatal flaw that was enough for Anqing Song to immediately rule him out. She had no desire to get entangled with such a total loser. Hearing about him occasionally was fine as a topic for lighthearted banter, but if she actually encountered him, it was best to stay as far away as possible. Anqing Song wiped her mouth. By the time Ning Qi had rattled on nonstop, she was already full. Tossing the napkin into the trash can at the foot of the table, she cleared her throat and declared in her clearest, most resolute voice, “Even if no one else wants me, I’ll never marry you.” Watching Ning Qi’s face turn pale with anger in an instant, Anqing Song felt a sense of relief wash over her. She snapped her fingers and called out with great flair, “Waiter, the check, please!” Ning Qi was so furious he couldn’t speak. Then, noticing that he had barely touched the food on the table—most of it had been eaten by Anqing Song—he sprang to his feet and grabbed the jacket draped over the back of his chair. “Since we can’t come to an agreement, you’ll have to pay for this meal yourself! You ate most of it anyway!” As soon as Ning Qi finished speaking, as if afraid Anqing Song wouldn’t let him go, he turned and walked out. His footsteps were frantic, as if some ferocious beast were chasing him. Anqing Song stared speechlessly at the table laden with food. Two-thirds of it had been ordered by Ning Qi himself—all his favorite dishes, and of course, ridiculously expensive ones at that. Anqing Song didn’t care for the dishes Ning Qi had ordered; she’d eaten only what she’d ordered herself—dishes that weren’t particularly expensive—but she’d been worried he might try to get out of paying. These days, it’s not uncommon for a man to refuse to pay the bill on a blind date, leaving the woman to foot the bill instead. But looking at the lobster, abalone, and shark fin on the table... Anqing Song silently felt her wallet; her thousand or so yuan probably wouldn’t be enough. She should have dragged that guy back here! Anqing Song took a deep breath and pulled out her phone, intending to call the guy. But damn it, his phone was turned off! She was becoming more and more convinced that this guy was just trying to rip her off. “Hello, that’ll be 2,800 yuan in total. Would you like to pay by card or cash?” A deep, resonant voice rang out, startling Anqing Song. It took her a moment to realize it must be the waiter. He had a really nice voice, and it sounded somewhat familiar. Anqing Song looked up at the waiter, just as she was about to take the bill from his hand, and their eyes met by chance. Why did it feel more and more like it wasn’t just the voice that was familiar? Even those eyes and the contours of his face seemed so familiar. He looked exactly like… “Wenzhe Zhao?” Anqing Song murmured the name instinctively. The waitress smiled, a faint dimple appearing on her cheek. “Miss Song, I never expected to see you here.” His smile was just right—neither distant nor overly familiar. The youthful innocence he’d had in his early twenties was gone; he now looked like a very mature man—mature enough to treat his ex-girlfriend, who’d once dumped him without a second thought, with such polite courtesy. Anqing Song hadn’t expected to run into him here either; she’d thought they’d never see each other again in this lifetime. His appearance was still as striking as ever. Even though he was merely working as a waiter here, he seemed to effortlessly capture the attention of most of the female customers. When she first discovered that the man she was meeting for a blind date had chosen this restaurant, she’d heard from a friend that there was a particularly handsome and elegant waiter here. She couldn’t fathom why such a handsome, sophisticated man would work as a waiter—he was certainly good-looking enough to be a model. Miss Song, hmm... For a split second, Anqing Song felt a stinging sensation in the corners of her eyes. It had been four years—four years since she’d broken up with him. After graduating from college, she’d broken up with him on the grounds that “I don’t love you anymore”—though in reality, how could she possibly not love him? But he was too poor. During their two-year relationship, he never had more than two hundred yuan in cash on him. He used a no-name cell phone and loved eating at street stalls. So, while all signs pointed to him being very poor, he was also a man of immense pride. He’d envisioned their future, promising they’d one day live in a big house, drive luxury cars, travel everywhere, and live a carefree life. She worked hard to preserve his pride, never asked for gifts or anything like that, and always encouraged him—even after graduation. She never explicitly said she was breaking up with him because he was too poor. What was she thinking at the time? It wasn’t until Wenzhe Zhao brought up meeting her parents that she suddenly remembered the conditions her parents had once set: they wouldn’t forbid her from dating in college, but they would only give their blessing if her boyfriend owned a car and a house. And Wenzhe Zhao? Although he hadn’t said it, she knew full well that he could never afford a car or a house. After all, on the rare occasions they went on outings, he always drove some tiny electric car he’d borrowed from who-knows-where. Her parents would definitely look down on him. How could she possibly give him the chance to meet them, only to let them humiliate this young man who was poor but ambitious? She simply couldn’t bring herself to play out that cliché where a poor guy gets humiliated and then fights his way back to become a tycoon. So, she broke up with him. To Wenzhe Zhao, she said: “I don’t love you anymore. You’re a good person, and you deserve a better girl.” To her parents, she said, “Breaking up after graduation is nothing out of the ordinary, right? It’s okay—I’ll find someone better later!” And so, Anqing Song has remained single ever since, only to run into such a total disaster on her very first blind date. It would have been bad enough just to run into a total jerk, but she also ran into her ex-boyfriend—the one who used to be poor but ambitious, and now seemed to have lost both his ambition and his means. He was even more handsome than a movie star—she couldn’t believe he’d never been approached by a talent scout. Hadn’t he ever thought about breaking into showbiz? Instead, he was working as a waiter in a small restaurant. Talk about a lack of ambition. Maybe she should’ve gone with the “humiliate the poor guy so he’d hold a grudge, then let him strike it rich and rub it in her face” plot? Life really makes you want to laugh. But damn it, she still likes him to this day. Whether before or after they broke up, whether he used to be poor but ambitious or is now poor and unambitious, she still adores him to no end. So much so that the moment they reunited, the joy in her heart exploded with a “boom.” Her dazed expression puzzled him, and Wenzhe Zhao called out again, “Miss Song? Anqing Song?” Anqing Song immediately snapped out of her reverie, giving an awkward smile, unsure how much of the blind date scene he had actually seen. Was he secretly looking down on her too, thinking she’d been blind to let him go back then, and now she was reduced to going on blind dates with such terrible matches? Or was he perhaps even smirking inwardly? He must actually hate her, right? Hated her for not having the courage to stick with him through thick and thin? Anqing Song thought she was a real jerk. In her imagination, she should have rushed forward excitedly to hug him, clinging to him like a koala, crying and pleading, “I still love you. Can we get back together?” But in reality, she looked down at her wallet, kept her head down so she wouldn’t dare meet his gaze again, and asked in a very soft voice, “Sorry, how much did you say it was?” Wenzhe Zhao remained extremely polite; his service attitude was, to put it mildly, impeccable. “Two thousand eight hundred yuan.” But at that moment, Anqing Song didn’t want to be treated the way he treated regular customers. Even if he had intentionally overcharged her, she would have accepted it. But his service was so flawless she couldn’t find a single fault, and even the amount on the bill was correct. Feeling defeated, Anqing Song counted the money in her wallet and realized she’d only brought 1,500 yuan. Since she’d thought 1,500 would be enough, she hadn’t brought any bank cards or credit cards—only cash. So she took out her phone, intending to contact a friend to borrow some money. But just then, she received a text message saying her phone service was suspended. Great—with no data, she couldn’t make calls or send texts. Wenzhe Zhao continued to wait patiently. Anqing Song felt completely drained. Having already been made such a fool of, what was one more embarrassment? “Sorry, I didn’t bring enough cash…” “What about the gentleman you were on a blind date with?” Anqing Song was a bit puzzled as to how he knew that man was her blind date. She gave a wry smile and said, “He ran off.” “I’ll pay for you.” Wenzhe Zhao’s tone seemed to carry a hint of a sigh. 2. Just a “Little Favor” (Proofreading) The moment she heard those words, a thousand thoughts raced through Anqing Song’s mind. Thoughts like, “How much does he even make here? Yet he didn’t even bat an eye when he offered to pay for me—does he still have feelings for me?” or “Should I accept this? If I don’t, who else can I turn to for help?” and even, “No, that’s impossible. He must just be trying to make fun of me, but I really want things to go further with him!” After all these jumbled thoughts, Anqing Song thanked him with a touch of gratitude: “Thank you so much. I’ll do my best to pay you back!” Wenzhe Zhao smiled and nodded. “You’re welcome. It’s just a small favor—nothing to mention.” Anqing Song’s eye twitched. She really hadn’t expected him to have become so brazen that he could make such bold claims without even blushing. She had friends who’d dropped out of school years ago and worked as waitresses, so she knew exactly what the pay was like for waitresses in their small city—no matter how experienced they were, it wouldn’t exceed five thousand. And if they spent even a little more freely, they’d basically be living paycheck to paycheck, with almost no savings. In any case, for a man working as a waiter, 2,800 is still quite a burden. And he actually called it just a “small favor” and “nothing to worry about”? Anqing Song suddenly changed her mind; if she was determined enough, there wasn’t entirely no way out of this situation. She certainly didn’t want Wenzhe Zhao to help her out once, only for her to fail to pay him back in time, leaving him to eat plain rice porridge with pickled mustard greens for dinner. She held out her hand in front of Wenzhe Zhao and cleared her throat. “Could I borrow your phone for a moment? I’ll call my parents to transfer the money to me online. I don’t want to trouble you—you’ve got your own struggles.” Wenzhe Zhao was actually a bit puzzled. Instead of insisting on paying for her, he very obligingly took out his phone and handed it to her. This only made Anqing Song even more certain that his earlier mention of a “small favor” was just him joking around. Thank goodness she’d changed her mind! Looking at the phone in her hand, Anqing Song couldn’t help but think, He really is pretty broke, isn’t he? The phone looked like the same model he’d used back in his student days—a bit of a knockoff on the outside, but the knockoff features actually worked quite well. As she looked at the phone, it was as if she were seeing an old comrade from long ago; it seemed that only by facing this unchanging device could she regain a little sense of familiarity. Then she swiped to unlock the screen and encountered a numeric passcode. Without thinking, she entered the numbers she remembered. Only when the phone unlocked did Anqing Song belatedly realize she’d stumbled upon something. She immediately looked up at Wenzhe Zhao, but his expression was perfectly normal—he showed no sign of having been caught. In fact, he even asked thoughtfully, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Is there a problem? Nothing at all! The fact that her ex-boyfriend—whom she’d broken up with years ago—still had the lock screen password she’d personally set back then… what on earth did that mean? In the past, Anqing Song had looked down on girls who asked things like, “Did he glance at me? Does that mean he likes me?” or “He liked my post—does that mean he’s interested in me?” But now, she found herself asking the exact same question. The fact that he hadn’t changed the password he’d used years ago—did that mean he didn’t hate her as much as she’d imagined? Or maybe he still liked her? Does that mean she could try to make things work with him again? Anqing Song shook her head, operating his phone with practiced ease—though she certainly wasn’t snooping through his photo album out of personal curiosity to see if he had a new girlfriend. Opening the dialer, Anqing Song first dialed her father’s number. Her mother was probably busy making dinner and wouldn’t be available, while her father was likely watching TV. But when she dialed, the message she heard was: “The number you have dialed is busy. Please try again later…” Generally speaking, it was either the line was busy or the other person had seen the unfamiliar number and hung up. Anqing Song thought the latter was more likely. So she asked Wenzhe Zhao, “Can I use your phone to send a text message? My dad probably didn’t answer because he saw an unfamiliar number and thought it was a scam call.” Wenzhe Zhao still looked very calm, without a trace of impatience. “Sure, go ahead.” Anqing Song’s fingers flew over the keyboard as she sent her father a text: [Dad, it’s me, your daughter Anqing Song. I was having dinner at a restaurant with Ning Qi, the guy I went on a blind date with, but we had a falling out. Ning Qi ran off without paying the bill. Could you send me some money? Oh, and my phone is out of credit, so I’m borrowing someone else’s number to text you. ] The text was sent, but more than a minute passed without any reply. Anqing Song had already returned her phone to Wenzhe Zhao, so she felt awkward asking anyone else for a phone. She could only ask Wenzhe Zhao from time to time, “Has my dad texted me back yet?” Every time she asked him this, Wenzhe Zhao would politely and courteously shake his head. Another five minutes passed, during which feelings of awkwardness, guilt, and embarrassment filled Anqing Song’s heart. Finally, with a touch of resignation, she mustered the courage to ask Wenzhe Zhao, “Have you ever changed your phone number?” Wenzhe Zhao seemed baffled by her question: “Why would I change my number?” Anqing Song was left speechless. After their breakup, she had worried about being hounded by him and had changed her phone number and everything else! Now she felt that back then, she might have overestimated herself. Maybe he never had any intention of bothering her at all. But the problem now was that she’d had her parents—and even her younger brother—block Wenzhe Zhao’s number! Contacting her parents wasn’t going to work. Anqing Song instantly felt discouraged. Summoning up her nerve, she resorted to her original plan: “Um… it looks like my parents haven’t checked their phones yet. I feel really bad for keeping you waiting this long. Could you please pay for my meal? I’ll definitely pay you back as soon as I get home!” Wenzhe Zhao smiled again, this time with a genuinely bright smile. Anqing Song wasn’t sure if he was in a good mood because of his professional courtesy, or because he was feeling vindictive after running into her again. “Sure, follow me.” With that, Wenzhe Zhao took a stride forward with his long legs and headed toward the cash register. Anqing Song patted her chest. In the past, talking to him never made her blush or her heart race, so why was a single smile now making her heart pound so wildly? Now, as Anqing Song followed behind him, she was more worried about whether he could actually come up with the money to cover her bill. What if it wasn’t enough… Anqing Song hurried forward again. “I have 1,500 in cash here. You just need to lend me another 1,300.” Wenzhe Zhao paused in his steps, glanced down at her, and, with a hint of exasperation, pulled a card from his breast pocket. “I’m not in the habit of carrying cash. I only have two hundred on me. Besides, this is such a small amount—you don’t need to worry about paying me back.” Anqing Song was convinced he was just putting on a show of generosity, so her tone grew much firmer: “No way. I’m not the type to take advantage of others. I’ll definitely pay you back.” Wenzhe Zhao’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing more. Instead, he turned and handed the card to the cashier. The cashier took it. “Table 15, total bill is 2,800 yuan. If everything is correct, please sign here.” Wenzhe Zhao signed silently, then took the card back from the cashier. “It’s all paid. You can go now.” Anqing Song nodded silently. Damn, he really could afford it after all. But she did the math—it was right in the middle of the month, so maybe he’d just gotten paid? She tapped her fingers and asked softly, “Have you changed your QQ number?” “No,” Wenzhe Zhao replied just as bluntly. “Then I’ll add you when I get home. I’ll definitely pay you back. If you’re worried about sending money online, you can also give me your current address, and I’ll bring it over to you.” Anqing Song rambled on, not quite sure what her main point was. It just felt like she didn’t want to part ways just yet. But Wenzhe Zhao still had to go to work; she couldn’t hold him up any longer. “Mm. I live a bit far out. Are you still at your old place? I can come find you.” Wenzhe Zhao gave Anqing Song the impression that no matter what she said, he would take it seriously. What if she said she wanted to get back together? Anqing Song knew full well that she simply couldn’t bring herself to say it right now. She nodded absently, grabbed her bag, and rushed out. It wasn’t until she was outside, taking a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air, that the heat on her face finally began to subside. Winter was just around the corner, and the weather was getting colder by the day. She touched her neck and realized she’d forgotten to bring a scarf. Just as she was about to turn around, a hand grabbed a red scarf and draped it over her shoulders. Wenzhe Zhao’s deep voice reached her ears: “Your scarf—you forgot it. Why are you always so rushed that you keep leaving things behind?” It was just a simple sentence, but the warmth radiating from him made Anqing Song’s nose sting. Why was he speaking to her in such a gentle tone? Hearing those words, so full of nostalgia, almost made her feel as if they were still together. She didn’t say anything, and to her surprise, Wenzhe Zhao didn’t walk away immediately. Instead, he asked tentatively, “Shall I walk you home?” “Huh?” Anqing Song thought she must have heard wrong. Was he playing out a revenge plot right now—one where he makes her fall in love with him again, only to dump her and trample on her heart? It must be, right? It has to be! Anqing Song met Wenzhe Zhao’s earnest gaze and felt an inexplicable sense of fear. “No, no, it’s okay.” Besides, his car was just a little electric scooter—what was the point of him driving her home? She’d just end up getting blown by the cold wind. “Alright, then drive safely.” Wenzhe Zhao still didn’t press the issue. Of course, Anqing Song had no idea that after she got into the taxi, a Lamborghini was following behind at a distance—neither too close nor too far. 3. Could it be... (Proofreading) The Lamborghini followed her all the way to a spot not far from the residential complex, where it pulled over in a secluded spot. The driver rolled down the window, took a pack of cigarettes from the center console, and was just about to light one when he suddenly thought of something and put the lighter and pack back. In the end, he simply folded his hands in his lap, his gaze drifting toward the small figure in the distance, and he seemed to let out a soft sigh. When Anqing Song opened the front door, she happened to run into her younger brother, Song Youming, who was just about to head out to take out the trash. Her younger brother, Song Youming, was still in middle school. Because of their significant age gap, there had always been a generation gap between them, but Anqing Song had always felt that her brother was just going through a temporary phase of teenage rebellion and was actually a good kid at heart. “You’re the only one back?” Song Youming glanced behind her a few times, saw no one else, and muttered, “Pfft, you really do deserve that blind date!” Hearing this, Anqing Song’s temper flared. Was he saying she deserved to go on a blind date?! Before she could explode, Song Youming muttered another comment: “He didn’t even walk the girl home after dinner. A guy like that deserves to be single! Sis, you didn’t agree to date him, did you?” Anqing Song had been itching to vent her frustrations about that blind date guy anyway. Now that her brother had brought it up—and was even badmouthing him—she felt like she’d suddenly found common ground with him. She rolled up her sleeves, just about to launch into a tirade, when her mother emerged from the kitchen and coughed forcefully a few times. “Xiaoming, hurry up and take out the trash. How long are you going to wait?” Song Youming immediately blushed and shouted, “Don’t call me Xiao Ming!” Anqing Song patted her brother’s shoulder sympathetically. “Okay, Xiao Ming. No problem, Xiao Ming. Go on, Xiao Ming!” Song Youming grimaced and let out a few howls, then snorted, “A real man doesn’t pick fights with a woman!” He changed out of his slippers, opened the door, and walked out carrying the trash. Perhaps to show his displeasure, he slammed the door shut with a loud “bang.” Song’s mother was also displeased with her son’s rebellious behavior, but there was a more pressing issue to deal with right now, so she chose to let it slide for the time being. Facing her mother, who stood with her arms crossed, eyeing her appraisingly, Anqing Song shrank back submissively and shuffled slowly over to the sofa, plopping down onto it. Her mother followed suit, sitting down right next to her. “How did it go with that boy named Ning Qi today?” “It’s over. I didn’t feel anything.” Anqing Song took a deep breath. “Mom, you must have known all along that blind dates are bound to turn up total jerks…” “And when you say ‘total loser,’ are you using that as a compliment or an insult?” Song’s mother shot back, launching into another lecture. “I’m not pressuring you to get married, but look at yourself—ever since you broke up with your first love, you haven’t been able to see anyone else.” “I know you can’t forget that boy, but you said it yourself: after graduation, everyone went their separate ways, and since you weren’t working in the same city, it just fizzled out. Weren’t you in a terrible state of mind back then?” Song’s mother pleaded earnestly. “Ah, that’s just the way things are in our country. If a daughter gets older without getting married, people will start gossiping. What good would it do if your dad and I tried to fight back?” Anqing Song felt a heavy weight in her heart after hearing those words. Her parents were truly very open-minded. Although they had always nagged her to find a partner, whenever she actually encountered relatives who gossiped about her, they always stood up for her. She had also seen many cases where parents’ pressure to marry had driven their children to depression, running away from home, or even suicide. Of course, her parents were people who kept up with the times and were well aware of such cases. In fact, one could say her parents were more afraid of not striking the right balance themselves and causing her to become depressed—though in reality, she wasn’t the type to get depressed so easily. This time, when they asked her to go on a blind date, they sweet-talked her with promises like, “Just give it one try—if it doesn’t work out, you’ll never have to do it again.” And she didn’t want her parents to put on a happy face while persuading her, only to be worried and upset about it behind her back, so she agreed to go. Song’s mother had been talking at length, but when she noticed her daughter’s expression had soured slightly, she lowered her voice, as if afraid of scaring her, speaking in a soft tone as though addressing a little kitten: “So… what do you think now? How did it go?” “We were just having dinner—the food hadn’t even been served yet, and we hadn’t even introduced ourselves—when he blurted out, ‘If my mom hadn’t made me come, I wouldn’t have bothered!’ ” Anqing Song mimicked Ning Qi’s smug expression and shot her mom a sidelong glance. Song’s mother was immediately at her wits’ end. She sighed heavily and said, “Looks like he’s a mama’s boy. Even if we have to marry a poor man, we can’t marry someone with such questionable character. I thought your first boyfriend treated you pretty well back then. Too bad you broke up—we never even got to meet him.” It would have been fine if her mom hadn’t brought up Wenzhe Zhao, but the moment she did, Anqing Song remembered how he’d paid for her meal at the restaurant earlier today. She’d almost forgotten to pay him back. What if that money was his lunch money for today? As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Anqing Song immediately connected to her home Wi-Fi. Once her phone was online, she opened Alipay, entered Wenzhe Zhao’s phone number, and initiated a transfer. Her mother was standing right next to her and, with her sharp eyes, spotted the payment screen. “Who are you sending money to?” Anqing Song looked utterly dejected. “That jerk I went on a blind date with ordered a bunch of ridiculously expensive dishes—shark fin, abalone, and all that. Then I told him I wouldn’t marry a mama’s boy, and he just walked out.” “You didn’t pay?” Mrs. Song immediately zeroed in on the key point. Anqing Song nodded emphatically: “But I didn’t have enough cash, and my phone was out of credit so I couldn’t reach you guys. So a kind stranger paid for me.” Song’s mother zeroed in on the key point again: “A kind stranger? How much did they pay for you?” “Two thousand eight hundred,” Anqing Song answered honestly. “Male or female?” Anqing Song almost told the truth, but the answer took a detour in her mind, and by the time it reached her lips, it had become: “A woman. She said she felt a connection with me, so she gave me a hand.” Seeing the look of disappointment wash over her mother’s face, Anqing Song felt an inexplicable sense of relief. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. I have to go to work tomorrow.” Anqing Song paused for a moment, then suddenly added, “Oh, by the way, I’m thinking of changing jobs. Mom, what do you think?” Song’s mother was still wallowing in the heartbreak of her daughter having met a kindred spirit—who happened to be a girl—so her reply was: “Of course I’ll stand by and watch.” Anqing Song：…… “Oh, and I’ll have to get your dad to go find that Ning Qi guy and make him cough up the money. We’ve got to split it evenly—no way we’re getting short-changed on this.” Muttering to herself, Mrs. Song headed toward the bedroom. Anqing Song also dragged her weary body toward the bedroom, just as Song Youming returned from taking out the trash. “Sis, I just saw a super fancy car in the neighborhood—it was so cool! Was that the guy?” Song Youming asked, sounding a bit nosy. Anqing Song thought to herself: In their ordinary neighborhood, full of average working-class families, where would a luxury car come from? It’s probably just a knockoff. “Stop talking nonsense. That must be a knockoff. I’m tired. You should go to bed early too.” Anqing Song yawned convincingly. “But the logo looked just like a Lamborghini to me.” “Then it’s definitely a knockoff!” Anqing Song said as she closed the door, leaning against it and tapping away on her phone. Of course, she had never actually deleted Wenzhe Zhao. She had only blocked him—and all his other accounts as well. Whenever an app had a block function, she would simply block him instead of deleting him. She couldn’t quite remember what state of mind she’d been in when she cut off all contact with him. The only thing she was certain of was that she didn’t want to hurt his pride. She’d heard that kids from poor families tended to be insecure and highly sensitive—just mentioning it would make them feel terrible. The moment she removed Wenzhe Zhao from her block list, Anqing Song felt as though withered grass was sprouting anew. She wanted to message him—even if it was just to send meaningless emojis—she simply wanted to message him, and she longed to do so with such intensity… But the more urgent her feelings became, the more composed Anqing Song appeared. She typed just one sentence: [I’m home. I just checked—your phone number is your ZhiFu Bao account. Can I transfer the money directly? ] After sending the message, she felt just like she did before they were together: the moment she put her phone down, it felt like an hour had passed. She’d barely set it down before picking it up again, eager to see if he’d replied. Even though she knew this behavior was utterly ridiculous, she couldn’t help herself. It was only with Wenzhe Zhao that she felt this way. Fortunately, Wenzhe Zhao must have been checking his phone at that very moment, because he replied instantly: [No need to pay me back—it’s just a small amount. ] Anqing Song thought to herself, Is he still trying to show off? To her, this wasn’t “a little money” at all. He was just a waiter working at a restaurant—what gave him the nerve to say that? Could it be... Thinking of Wenzhe Zhao’s striking face, Anqing Song’s heart sank, and she immediately sent a message to her friend Mu Zhi’an. [You said a guy is even more handsome than a celebrity—more handsome than some of the hottest stars—yet he works as a waiter in a restaurant, making around five thousand a month. How can he possibly think nearly three thousand is “small change”? ] Mu Zhi’an was her college classmate—a true “rich, beautiful, and privileged” type. Her family was quite well-off. She usually carried herself with a mature, slightly aloof air, but Anqing Song felt Mu Zhi’an didn’t have the typical airs of the wealthy. Mu Zhi’an: [Handsome? Well… could he be a kept man, being supported by a rich woman? ] Those words hit right at the core of Anqing Song’s thoughts. Could it be that after she broke up with him, he’d gone down a path of no return? Staring at Wenzhe Zhao’s reply, she felt a mix of emotions. After gathering her composure, she immediately transferred the money to his ZhiFu Bao account. Then she quickly sent Wenzhe Zhao a message: [Everyone works hard to earn an honest living! This isn’t chump change—take it! Don’t you dare transfer it back to me! Or I’ll turn on you! ] Ding! Anqing Song immediately tapped on the new message, her ears slowly turning red. Wenzhe Zhao: [……Okay, you’re the boss. Whatever you say. ] 4. OP, you... (correction) Anqing Song sat on the edge of the bed, her hair half-undone. The hair tie she’d been about to remove was caught in a clump of hair. She held her phone with her head bowed, staring at that reply for quite a while, gradually getting a little frantic. What on earth did he mean? Why would he say something like that? What does “whatever you say” even mean? Saying something like that—it’s going to make her overthink everything, okay? What if she accidentally reads too much into it? She couldn’t even control her racing heart now, and memories from the past were flooding back into her mind because of that single sentence. Was he smiling at her just like before—that helpless yet utterly indulgent smile? Were those faint dimples on his cheeks like two little whirlpools, both mischievous and adorable? Overthinking is really a disease! Anqing Song sighed, glancing around, and realized she hadn’t replied to his message for over ten minutes. She decided to send him a “Good night” just out of politeness. But what if he has a new girlfriend now? Wait a minute! If he already has a new girlfriend and is still sending her such flirty messages, doesn’t that make him a total jerk? These speculations were just too much for Anqing Song to process. She decided she’d find out if Wenzhe Zhao had a new girlfriend first before deciding whether to try getting back together with him… Anqing Song couldn’t stop thinking about it. After her shower, she picked up her phone to check—she hadn’t replied to Wenzhe Zhao’s message, and he hadn’t sent her any new ones either. See? Not responding was definitely the right call. If she’d started chatting with him without knowing the situation, and if he really did have a new girlfriend, she’d be the one at fault. Before going to sleep, Anqing Song felt she’d done exactly the right thing. Today, she remained a single, middle-aged woman with unwavering moral principles! The Lamborghini in the open lot outside the apartment complex hadn’t been driven away yet. The interior lights were off, with only the faint glow of the owner’s phone screen visible. The screen displayed a forum page with the following post: “I ran into my ex-girlfriend from a few years ago. She didn’t have enough money to pay the restaurant bill, so I covered it as a treat. Afterward, she insisted on paying me back. I offered to drive her home, but she refused. What does this mean? Is there any chance we could get back together?” Wenzhe Zhao stared intently at the replies with the most likes on the screen. 11l: [There are generally a few possible reasons why a girl might refuse to let a guy pay. First, it could be due to her personality and habits; this suggests she’s a very independent woman who isn’t interested in taking advantage of men financially. Second, based on your description, you’ve been broken up for several years. She might be rejecting your advances and doesn’t want to have anything to do with you anymore. This raises a question: did you and your ex-girlfriend part ways amicably years ago, or were there other issues between you? ] 13l: [Actually, there are other possibilities. Don’t all assume the OP has no chance. Maybe she just means she’ll treat you this time, and you can treat her next time? It’s a matter of reciprocity, right? But judging by the OP’s description, it seems there might be other factors at play? ] 15l: [I think she might be saying she’ll treat you this time, but then make you treat her every time after that, hahaha (lol/lol/lol)] Posts starting from #20 are all replies from the OP: [My girlfriend and I broke up amicably before. She said she didn’t have feelings for me anymore and told me not to bother her. I ran into her today at the restaurant where I work. She was on a blind date with a total jerk. Since it didn’t work out, the guy left without paying, so it wasn’t a mutual dinner date—I just paid for her. ] 21. OP’s reply: [I told her she didn’t have to pay me back, but she insisted on it. We just added each other back on social media, but she’s being pretty cold toward me. Whenever I send her a message, it takes a while for her to reply. Just now I tried sending a slightly flirty message, but she didn’t respond. I’m currently outside her apartment complex and saw that the lights in her room are off—she must be asleep already. ] 22l OP replies: [But she has a habit of checking her phone before bed, so she must have seen my message. I don’t know why she didn’t reply—did I come on too strong, so she’s turned off? Plus, she hasn’t dated anyone else in the past few years. Could it be that she had some unspoken reason for breaking up with me? Does she actually still have feelings for me? ] 23l: [This is a bit much to process. The OP’s ex-girlfriend turned down his offer to walk her home, and now he’s standing outside her apartment complex? He can see from outside that the lights in her apartment are off? He even knows she hasn’t dated anyone else in years! So the OP is a stalker!? Sorry, this is off-topic—next poster, please! ] 24l: [I can’t post below this, so someone else post below me! ] 25l: [I’m serious. OP, have you been stalking her for years? And in all that time, you never once made a move to get back together? Do you have some kind of weird obsession? Why are you asking all this now? Are you planning to pursue her? ] 26l (OP replies again): [Back then, she told me not to pester her, not to show up in front of her again, and that if I did, she’d commit suicide right in front of me. Knowing her personality, she might actually have done it. She hasn’t dated anyone these past few years, so I’m willing to wait quietly until she gets older, can’t find a husband, and is pressured by her parents to marry—then I’ll reappear, and she’ll have no choice but to marry me. ] 27l (OP’s reply): [But emotions are hard to control, after all. I’m jealous of that guy she went on a blind date with. I’m glad he was a total jerk, and thankfully it didn’t work out between them. But to make sure she never successfully goes on a blind date, I might end up secretly manipulating who she’s set up with. ] 28th Post: [Seriously? Why does this thread feel so fake to me? The more I read, the more fake it gets. You keep saying she’d kill herself if you showed up, so why didn’t she kill herself this time when you did? ] 29l (OP) replies to 28l: [I’ve been following her because I was afraid she might do something reckless and kill herself, but now it seems like she’s already forgotten what she said before. ] 30l: [But... I think the OP's comment about secretly manipulating the matchmakers is so immature. Have you outgrown that phase yet, OP? And what's with all this talk about her getting too old to get married? Maybe you should see a psychiatrist? ] Wenzhe Zhao read this, silently closed the page, and after a moment, reopened it to delete his post history in the "Profile" section. After doing all that, the screen switched to his chat window with Anqing Song. Wenzhe Zhao’s thumb lightly brushed across the screen, gliding over the chat window’s background image—a photo of Anqing Song. In the photo, Anqing Song looked a bit young and inexperienced. With her hair tied in a high ponytail, she sat at a study table in the library, one hand propping up her chin and the other resting on the open book on the table. She tilted her head slightly toward the camera, a hint of stunning beauty in her eyes. This was a semi-secret photo Wenzhe Zhao had taken the first time he struck up a conversation with Anqing Song in the library. It was only a semi-sneak shot because he hadn’t been quick enough—she had caught him in the act. The Lamborghini finally started up, flashed its headlights, turned around, and gradually drove away. Anqing Song usually woke up at 6:30 every morning for work. Last night, she hadn’t slept well; she’d dreamed of Wenzhe Zhao, and some things from the past had come back to her. In truth, she had all but forgotten them, but after running into Wenzhe Zhao yesterday, those memories surged back like a rising tide—"whoosh!" —as if seeking attention. It wasn’t just a single wave; they kept coming back, relentlessly and without end. When she came out of her room, her mom was making breakfast. Sometimes she wanted to help, but her mom would just get annoyed and tell her she was in the way. I guess moms are all the same. When a kid offers to help, they’re told they’re in the way. So she thought, “Fine, I won’t help,” only to get nagged, “What else can you do besides play on your phone?!” Anqing Song yawned. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, it was just about time for breakfast. Everyone was busy with their own things, so her blind date from yesterday didn’t get much attention. However, when her mother looked at her, she seemed to have something on her mind but held back. Anqing Song walked to the entryway with her things, ready to open the door, when she suddenly heard her mom call out, “Xiaoqing…” “Don’t call me Xiaoqing!” Anqing Song retorted reflexively. Her younger brother, Song Youming—a true epitome of a little rascal—was holding his backpack and changing his shoes when he burst out laughing, “Okay, Xiaoqing! No problem, Xiaoqing! I’ll definitely never call you Xiaoqing!” Anqing Song shot Song Youming a glare. “Mom, what’s wrong?” Could it be that her mom had a different take on her decision to quit her job yesterday? But she didn’t seem to react at all when she mentioned quitting yesterday. Her mother looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to do so. Seeing that Song Youming had already run off to school, she finally stammered, half-heartedly, “Did you get that girl’s contact information from yesterday?” The moment Anqing Song heard this, alarm bells went off in her head. Why was her mom still thinking about that? And why ask if she’d saved the girl’s contact info? She’d already paid her back, after all! “Does it really matter if I kept her contact info or not?” Anqing Song asked with a wry smile. Song’s mother whispered, “I just can’t help but think… that girl was willing to cover so much of your expenses. Don’t you think she might have… you know…” Before she could finish, she gave Anqing Song a meaningful look. But Anqing Song had no idea why her mom was winking at her! What did she do to her? She couldn’t make heads or tails of her mom’s hidden meaning! “You know how you young people always talk about love at first sight!” Song’s mother blurted out. “If you don’t have feelings for boys anymore, then… then… if you want to try being with a girl, your dad and I talked about it last night. As long as you’re happy, we won’t object.” Wait, what?? What did she just hear? “Try being with a girl”? And they’d already discussed it? What kind of mental journey had her parents gone through?! Anqing Song froze on the spot.
