Chapter 1: Twenty-Eight, the Blind Date War God

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Chapter 1: Twenty-Eight, the Blind Date War God

"Sorry, I got stuck in traffic."

In the café, Lu Li sat down with an apologetic smile.

This was his twentieth blind date.

After so many dates, he’d pretty much figured out the routine.

Blind dates weren’t about love. Everyone was there to see if their conditions matched—no need for useless things.

Hard-earned weekends shouldn’t be wasted.

But some women were strange.

If you laid your cards on the table, she’d say you were too direct. If you didn’t, she’d think you lacked sincerity.

So Lu Li had come up with his own method.

He wouldn’t say it outright, but would subtly reveal he had a car and a house.

"No worries, I just got here," replied the girl across from him, a pretty woman with wavy hair who hadn’t taken her gaze off the window, speaking as if to the air.

Lu Li had a sense of how things would go.

"Honestly, I don’t get it," he said, placing his BMW car keys on the table.

He propped his chin on his hand, fingers forming a figure eight, elbow resting on the chair.

"What don’t you get?"

The girl turned her gaze, suddenly interested in his words.

"People say there are two kinds of women who go on blind dates: those nobody wants, and those who have high standards."

Lu Li’s handsome face wore a polite smile. "But I think you’re the third kind."

"Which kind?" The girl feigned curiosity.

She hadn’t wanted to come, since she had a boyfriend. But her family insisted this guy had good conditions—a car, a house, no loans. Hesitant, she agreed to meet.

A backup option, just in case.

At the very least, she could compare him to her boyfriend.

Lu Li didn’t mind her reaction. "The type whose life and work circles are so small that you haven’t found anyone yet."

The girl didn’t respond and turned back to the window, her chin in her hand.

A sign of resistance.

Lu Li suppressed a laugh, lips pressed tight, and reached into his pocket for a soft rectangular pack.

He pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and took out a classic chrome Zippo lighter.

"I hate smokers," she said, her displeasure clear in her sidelong glance.

"There are only three reasons a person can quit smoking in an instant."

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"The doctor tells you after a check-up that if you don’t quit now, you’ll be picking out a cemetery soon. Urn prices have gone up lately, so buy early and enjoy early.

"You’re drowning in debt, forced to scrimp and save. Every penny counts; you can’t afford cigarettes anymore, not even the cheapest ones.

"Or you meet a girl you want to quit for—for her health, and to make a good impression."

Click—

A spark flashed over the chrome lighter, orange flame flickering.

Lu Li cupped the flame, lighting his cigarette until the tip glowed red.

Click—

He snapped the lighter shut, shrugged, and laughed at himself, "But the doctor says I’m healthy, and I’m not that broke."

The girl’s expression changed; for the first time she looked him straight in the eye. "We’re here for a blind date, let’s not talk nonsense."

Lu Li nodded, "I agree. That’s why I mention my flaws up front. Otherwise, I’d have showered beforehand, scrubbed the smell off my fingers, and gone the whole morning without smoking."

"By the way, what do you do? Hope you don’t mind me asking?"

"Nurse." She sat up straight, proud as a queen. "At the Third Hospital."

"Ah, a top-tier hospital. I had my appendix out there. I heard all nurses there need a bachelor’s degree and must be taller than 1.65 meters. Is that true?" Lu Li asked, curiously, extinguishing the barely-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.

The girl didn’t answer, but was bothered by Lu Li’s lack of surprise.

"And you? What do you do?"

"Me? Unemployed. Otherwise, how could I come out for a blind date on a Friday? Everyone else is busy working."

Lu Li’s warm smile was utterly non-threatening.

"Oh." The girl replied coolly.

She’d already decided to give up on him.

Sure, he was outstanding, and his conditions were tempting. Even if it was true—an unemployed man driving a BMW, living in a 150-square-meter house with no mortgage.

What did that mean?

It meant his family was truly well-off.

But he was too assertive, completely different from her boyfriend.

She didn’t feel she could control him.

Better go home and discuss it with her parents.

Lu Li smiled, unconcerned, and asked, "What do you think of me?"

The girl looked up, forcing a smile, "You’re nice. Maybe we can exchange WeChat and chat later?"

"Sure, but…"

Lu Li didn’t reach for his phone; instead he looked at her, "If you add me, won’t your boyfriend be upset?"

Her face changed instantly. She stammered, "I don’t, I don’t—"

"Xiaoxuan? Didn’t you say you were too tired to go out today? What are you doing at a café?"

A young man rushed over.

He pointed at Lu Li and demanded, "Who is he?"

The girl turned pale.

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Lu Li smiled calmly, even taking a sip of coffee.

Fang Yuebai: Son, what’s with the match I set up for you? Her mom says you never intended to go on a blind date. If you didn’t want to, you could’ve just said so! Now I can barely face her at work—we’re in the same office! How awkward!

Reading the message, Lu Li smiled and replied.

Strange Lu Li: Turning the tables, huh? Why’d you set me up with someone who already has a boyfriend? If I hadn’t been cautious, I might’ve fallen for it!

Fang Yuebai: Huh? She has a boyfriend? Li-ge, wait for me! I’ll go talk to her mom! As an apology, let me send you a date app. Annual membership is 698, and each match is 9.9. Big data matching, should be useful.

[Matchmaker of Luocheng.apk]

Strange Lu Li: No way, you want 698 for that? And matching still costs extra? A high-quality single guy like me is a rare resource! It’s a favor not to charge you, and you want me to pay?

He deleted the file she sent.

Fang Yuebai: Fine, so what do you like? I’ve introduced so many, and because of you, I have no friends left at work!

Strange Lu Li: My requirements aren’t high—pretty, good figure, gentle, considerate, not troublesome. Clothes to my taste, like those just-right thighs where the stockings press into the flesh.

Fang Yuebai: Isn’t that just me? Should I wear it for you?

Strange Lu Li: I won’t let you praise yourself like that.

Fang Yuebai: Blocking you, bye!

Closing the chat app, Lu Li sighed.

"Why is finding someone so hard?"

Twenty blind dates.

Seventeen times he wasn’t interested; there were all kinds of strange candidates, like the one just now.

One was a divorced woman.

The last one was even better, she stood him up and never showed.

He was twenty-eight this year, and of course wanted a relationship.

"Tsk, why is it so hard? My standards aren’t high…"

He just wanted someone fair-skinned, beautiful, gentle, and understanding. Was that too much?

He scrolled through the app store, looking at the endless array of dating apps—it almost made him laugh.

All charged fees, and the apps had become broker platforms for hookups. Ridiculous.

Scrolling, he found a dating app.

The only one that was free.

"Free."

Lu Li instinctively clicked download.

It was free, so he’d give it a try.

If it was a scam, he could always uninstall it.

First-time author here—please add to your collection, vote, and support in every way!

(End of chapter)