CH 1

On a dark and windy night, the world was in turmoil.

Inside a third-floor corridor of a vacation resort in the outskirts of Beijing, the surroundings were pitch-black. Only the emergency exit sign above the baseboard emitted a faint green light.

In the dim night, a figure leaned against the door at the end of the corridor and let out a long sigh.

Inside the room, Zhou Qingbai tightly held the doorknob, confronting the person outside through the door chain for ten minutes.

“Tell me the truth,” Zhou Qingbai peered through the crack of the door, locking his eyes on the person outside, and cautiously said, “What exactly are you here for?”

“I came to take you out to have some fun,” the man outside smiled and leaned against the door, using a tone that could easily deceive any young girl, “Why are you hiding upstairs when it’s so lively downstairs? You’re not Cinderella; there’s no need to worry about exposing your true form after midnight.”

“Just think of me as good.” “Cinderella” clearly refused to be fooled, pursing his lips while gripping the doorknob and said with a hint of resentment, “If I had known it was your arranged matchmaking event, I would have preferred to stay home and play video games.”

Among Zhou Qingbai’s circle of friends, there were those who loved food, those who loved fun, and those who were into artsy stuff. Unfortunately, this Mr. Ge outside the door was neither into gambling nor whoring. His only hobby was playing matchmaker, actively pushing single young men together.

When he invited Zhou Qingbai out that day, he said it was just old friends getting together. However, upon arriving at the venue, Zhou Qingbai realized something was off. It was practically a large-scale “Universal Matchmaking Agency,” with various young eligible bachelors in all shapes and forms.

With a surplus of eligible bachelors and a scarcity of eligible bachelorettes in their circle, Zhou Qingbai felt like Tang Seng entering the spider cave, almost losing a layer of skin to the crowd of suitors. It was a relief when he finally managed to escape.

“Be reasonable, Mr. Ge,” Zhou Qingbai attempted to reason with him, “I haven’t offended you, so why are you doing this to me?”

“What do you mean by ‘doing this to you’? Don’t make it sound like I’m forcibly snatching someone else’s fiancé,” Ge Xing disapproved with a tsk, earnestly explaining, “This is a necessary stage in life, and I’m not forcing you. I’m just offering you a brand new life choice.”

“Indeed,” Zhou Qingbai replied calmly, “You’re not snatching; you’re deceiving.”

“It’s a well-intentioned lie. I’m making efforts for your personal safety,” Ge Xing said nonchalantly, “Fortune tellers all say that your problem won’t be solved until you find someone to love.”

“In that case,” Zhou Qingbai began to subconsciously reject the idea, but mid-sentence, he suddenly realized something and asked in puzzlement, “Hold on, how did you know about this?”

His fortune had been terrible since the first day of the Lunar New Year that year. Not only were his stocks and funds declining, but he also encountered one disaster after another, whether it was getting burnt by firecrackers or having his car crashed while driving.

At first, he didn’t think much of it, until he sprained his foot on his doorstep half a month ago, lying helplessly on the ground. That’s when he considered finding a fortune teller for advice.

After asking around, he found a highly recommended “expert” within the circle. However, when he gave his birth date and time for a reading, the person immediately told him that he had encountered a Red Luan Flying to the Tai Sui, and the Six Clashes had turned into Calamities. Therefore, he was experiencing both physical and financial problems, and he needed a romantic relationship to resolve it.

As someone who always listened to good advice, Zhou Qingbai didn’t take such feudal superstitions to heart. He was just curious about how that information reached Ge Xing’s ears.

“It was from your circle of friends,” Ge Xing said, taking out his phone from his pocket and casually tapping a few times before showing the screen to Zhou Qingbai, “You posted it yourself.”

Zhou Qingbai took a closer look and then recalled, somewhat belatedly, that when he walked out of the “expert’s” door, he posted a complaint on his friends’ circle, mourning the loss of his 1888 (a play on words for ‘ba ba ba ba’ which sounds like bye bye bye bye) bachelor life.

“That ‘expert’ is the godfather of one of my friends,” Ge Xing explained, “Once I heard about it, I figured out the situation.”

Zhou Qingbai: …

After understanding the reason behind this, Zhou Qingbai felt somewhat relieved and no longer looked at Ge Xing with suspicious eyes. He just shook his head with a headache.

“It’s all just a misunderstanding,” Zhou Qingbai said, “You should know that I’m a believer in being single.”

“That’s not certain. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll suddenly awaken and fall head over heels in love, crying and shouting to elope with someone,” Ge Xing smiled enigmatically, then waved his hand to interrupt whatever Zhou Qingbai was about to say, thoughtfully adding, “But rest assured, I know you’re not interested in those downstairs, so I’ve prepared Plan B for you.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card, holding it between his fingers before handing it to Zhou Qingbai.

The card had a white background with a golden border, but before Zhou Qingbai could read the words on it, he saw a clear QR code that startled him. Reacting like a chaste maiden, he jumped back a step.

“You, you, what are you doing!” Zhou Qingbai covered his collar and warily said, “I warn you, I’m a decent person and not interested in any on-demand city romance services.”

Mr. Ge stared at him in silence for a while, then extended his arm and slipped his business card into Zhou Qingbai’s pocket.

“Thanks,” Ge Xing said sincerely, “This is legitimate business, not illegal.”

Zhou Qingbai, taken aback, reached into his pocket to touch the card. As he pulled it out, he noticed a very unfamiliar name on it.

——Pei You.

“I’ve checked him out, and I think he’s perfect for you. A match made in heaven, destined to be soulmates,” Ge Xing said, “He also looks mature, stable, and gentle—”

“I prefer someone more adventurous,” Zhou Qingbai calmly interrupted him.

“—and with a hint of charm,” Ge Xing completed the second part of his sentence, unfazed.

Zhou Qingbai couldn’t help but laugh at his abrupt shift in tone. He stretched out his arm, ready to return the card. “I appreciate your good intentions, but I’m not ready to be in a relationship right now.”

“It’s too late.” Ge Xing pushed his hand back firmly, giving him a wink. “I’ve already arranged a meeting for you tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM, at the restaurant annex to the resort, in Room A3.”

Zhou Qingbai: …

“Oh, dear.” Ge Xing pretended to look at his watch and said, “It’s too late to change the appointment now. You might as well go and meet him. It could lead to something great, or you can just become friends.”

Zhou Qingbai understood the situation. It seemed like Ge Xing was using the tactic of “catch the praying mantis while the cicada is unaware” and “lure the enemy out of the city.” The group of women downstairs were probably arranged by Ge Xing as decoys, while the real candidate was sealed within the business card.

“Tell me honestly, did you set up the fortune teller?” Zhou Qingbai asked sincerely.

“The wind is too strong; I can’t hear you,” Ge Xing looked at the sky, the ground, the doorplate—anything but Zhou Qingbai. He cleared his throat and turned the conversation around, “By the way, the other person is a talented young man. Dress up younger tomorrow; don’t look so old-fashioned.”

Ge Xing spoke quickly, finished his explanation, and then slipped away without giving Zhou Qingbai a chance to respond. Zhou Qingbai wanted to chase after him, but all he could do was give him the middle finger as he disappeared.

Ge Xing was not concerned with the aftermath as long as the meeting place was settled. He didn’t tell Zhou Qingbai anything else, not even contact information. Zhou Qingbai considered canceling that absurd “matchmaking gathering,” but he had no way to contact the candidate, so he reluctantly gave up.

Whatever, Zhou Qingbai thought, meeting someone wouldn’t hurt. It was better than being stood up.

He wondered who Ge Xing had arranged for him to meet.

The card was simple and almost blank. It looked like a business card, but there was barely any information other than the name and company phone number. Zhou Qingbai touched the square characters on the paper and absentmindedly patted the card in his palm.

That name was not within Zhou Qingbai’s circle of acquaintances, which meant the person wasn’t someone familiar to their group. However, Ge Xing’s social circle was mysterious and extensive, making it hard for Zhou Qingbai to imagine what kind of person the other party might be based on just a business card.

After pondering for a while, Zhou Qingbai decided to go against Ge Xing’s instructions. He hadn’t been looking for a partner anyway, so as long as he could get through tomorrow’s blind date, he would politely end the meal if the other person wasn’t interested.

With his decision made, Zhou Qingbai limped into the room and picked up his phone, ready to head downstairs to the lobby.

When Ge Xing tricked him to come out that day, Zhou Qingbai thought it was just a friendly gathering, so he casually put on sportswear and left. Now that he suddenly found out about the blind date, he needed something more presentable.

Luckily, that resort was a frequent gathering place for them, and Zhou Qingbai had some spare clothes there, including a couple of suits that would do in a pinch.

The corridor was pitch-black, whether due to a temporary power outage or a circuit failure, he didn’t know. Only two lights near the stairwell were still on, making it visible from a distance.

Zhou Qingbai had mild night blindness, and his eyes took longer to adapt to the darkness than normal people. Coupled with his sprained foot, he had to feel his way along the wall, hobbling towards the exit.

As he approached the stairwell, he heard faint footsteps coming from downstairs. The sound grew nearer, and soon he came face to face with someone.

Instinctively, Zhou Qingbai wanted to step aside to give way, but he didn’t see the nearby trash bin and stumbled, although he managed not to fall. However, his phone slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.

When he tried to pick it up, before he could locate it, someone patted his arm and handed him the phone.

“Thank y—”

The man lifted the phone, making it inconvenient for him to speak, but he nodded to indicate he heard Zhou Qingbai’s thanks and there was no need to be polite.

Zhou Qingbai didn’t get a clear look at the person but only noticed that the man had already walked a couple of steps away, leaving only a vague and upright figure.

The phone screen lit up and then turned off. Finally, Zhou Qingbai’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he squinted at the man’s retreating figure. He couldn’t help but mutter in his heart.

“Quite aloof,” he thought.