Chapter 2 Unfortunate Blind Date

Three months later

On a sunny weekend morning, reluctant to leave her warm bed, Qiao Xinwei was awakened by a persistent knocking on the door. Her mother, Xiang Ling, urged from outside, "Xinwei, wake up! Your aunt called and we need to hurry. We can't be late for our first meeting. Get up, do you hear me?"

Frowning, Qiao Xinwei opened her eyes and saw the glaring sunlight outside the window. Annoyed, she replied, "Okay."

While brushing her teeth, her phone suddenly rang. "Hello, I just woke up. What's up?"

"Xinwei, another blind date today?" Yun Qing asked cheerfully from the other end of the line.

"Cut to the chase, I'm brushing my teeth."

"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to let you know that if this blind date doesn't work out, I have someone for you. He's my husband's childhood friend, a genuine military man, and definitely a handsome and successful guy. He's a perfect match for you."

Qiao Xinwei spat out the mouthwash and teased, "Does a handsome and successful guy need blind dates? He would have been enjoying himself with younger girls. Besides, a military man sounds so distant. This might be someone else's perfect match, not mine."

"He just returned from an assignment three months ago and has been going on blind dates. His family is pressuring him, and he's too busy with work. He hasn't found the right match yet. I only found out by chance from my husband's phone call, and I immediately thought of you. See how good I am to you?"

"Great, I even have a backup plan for blind dates now." Just then, her mother's urging voice came from outside the door, so she had to end the call early. "Yun Qing, I have to go. My mom is calling me."

"Okay, I hope this blind date doesn't work out. Haha."

After hanging up, Qiao Xinwei felt no excitement about the upcoming blind date. The term "handsome and successful" had become a joke to her over the past three months. She dared not have any expectations for the man she was about to meet, as experience had taught her that the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Before leaving, Xiang Ling hurriedly picked up a small red pouch with golden embroidery from the dining table. "Xinwei, how could you forget this? I told you to bring it. I got this specially from a master to enhance your marriage luck. It will definitely work for this meeting."

"Mom, this is superstitious. Do you really believe in this?"

"I know it's superstitious, but you haven't found a satisfactory match yet. I'm getting anxious, so I had to try everything I could."

"I'm only twenty-three. I have plenty of opportunities. Why are you so anxious?" She said this, but she still carefully put the red pouch in her bag. "Is this enough? We'll be late if we don't leave now."

"Yes, yes, we can't be late for the first meeting. Let's go."

The mother and daughter hurried out of the house.

In the restaurant, sitting across from Qiao Xinwei was the man she was going to meet on this blind date, introduced by her aunt.

Qiao Xinwei stared at the man's hair, which was clearly a comb-over. Did he think that by growing the hair on both sides long and covering the middle, no one would notice his bald spot? However, out of politeness, she only glanced at his head for about ten seconds.

"Wang Jie, this is my sister-in-law, and this is her daughter, Qiao Xinwei. She's only twenty-three, just graduated from college, and working at Yuanda. She's quiet and obedient, and look at her skin, so smooth and tender," her aunt, who never admitted that Xinwei was her niece, introduced her enthusiastically, as if promoting a newly launched product.

"Sister-in-law, this is Wang Jie and her son, Guo Hao," her aunt said with a smile, trying to please them. She emphasized, "Guo Hao is the deputy director of our city's transportation bureau, successful and mature."

Wang Jie politely asked, "Um, Guo, may I ask how old you are?"

"Thirty-nine."

"Thirty-nine?..." Wang Jie said tactfully, "That's, um, quite a bit older than Xinwei."

"Hey, sister-in-law, you're short-sighted. A man at forty is like a blooming flower. He's more mature and can take care of others. Besides, Guo Hao has been busy with his career and that's why he hasn't found a partner yet. I heard about it from my husband and immediately thought of Xinwei. I'm good to you, right?"

"Okay, okay, you can't be late for the first meeting. Let's go."

The mother and daughter hurriedly left the restaurant.

After only twenty minutes of sitting down, Aunt Wang took Guo Hao and left. This 39-year-old deputy director of the transportation bureau didn't say a word from beginning to end. He just responded with "yes," "okay," and "uh-huh," without uttering a single extra word.

Auntie began to complain, "Xinwei, don't be so picky. Guo Hao has a house, a car, and a good position. If you marry him, you won't have to worry about anything. With your qualifications, what else are you looking for? Don't think you're still young. A woman's youth only lasts for a few years. Once you're past twenty-five, others will be the ones picking you."

Qiao Xinwei became furious, "Auntie, didn't you notice that Guo Hao just agrees with whatever Aunt Wang says? A 39-year-old man without any opinions. Even if I'm in a hurry to get married, I can't marry a man who's so indecisive. He has issues with his mindset, and besides, I'm not in a rush."

Auntie also became agitated and raised her voice, "You're the one with the problem. Guo Hao is sensible. I know you just think he doesn't look good. What's the use of marrying a man based solely on looks? Your previous partner was handsome, but what was the result?"

"You..." Qiao Xinwei was so angry that she trembled. Under the table, her mother kept pressing her hand, "Auntie, please stop."

"If you continue to be so picky, the quality of your blind date prospects will only get worse. You're lucky to find someone like Guo Hao, and you don't appreciate it. I can't be bothered to help you find someone anymore."

"Thank you, you don't need to bother."

"Qiao Xinwei, you're not thinking of making a move on the Jing family, are you? Your mother married my eldest brother, but don't even think about marrying Jing Shang."