Chapter 19: The First Blind Date Candidate

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To make a stunning impression at tomorrow’s industry symposium, Chen Bo spent the entire afternoon in the study, poring over documents and practicing his speech. Speaking at his own company was effortless—any time he took the floor, the employees would applaud. But at a gathering of industry titans, it wasn’t enough for his company to have a respectable reputation; he, as its leader, needed exemplary eloquence and a deep reservoir of industry knowledge.

Such an important meeting, and he’d only been notified two days before the opening—it was clear that his company’s low profile had left a vacancy when someone else declined, and he was added at the last minute.

As Chen Bo went downstairs for dinner, he recited the speech his secretary had delivered, modulating his tone.

“Two days of meetings, three days of sightseeing. Pack several sets of clothes; if you don’t have enough, we can go to the mall now. Don’t forget sunscreen and insect repellent—actually, I’ll bring the repellent myself. And you’d best take a pair of sunglasses. The ultraviolet rays in Luocheng are particularly strong this time of year…”

Chen Bo advised Li Tian’er with practiced care.

Li Tian’er nodded with a gentle smile.

When Chen Bo glanced back as he ascended the stairs, she was already at the door, preparing to change shoes and head out.

“You’re going out?”

He’d assumed that after hearing him speak, Li Tian’er would excitedly go upstairs to pack. Who in Dongling wouldn’t want to see the splendor of a big city like Luocheng?

“Yes, my mother wants me to go on a blind date. I should be back soon. Goodbye, Kaikai.”

Li Tian’er waved to Kaikai, who waved his chubby little hand from the nanny’s arms.

“A blind date? Seriously?”

Chen Bo strode down the stairs and caught Li Tian’er by the arm. “You’re not allowed to go!”

“Why not?”

“You’re Kaikai’s mother. How can you leave him behind?”

Chen Bo’s face darkened, and his grip on Li Tian’er’s wrist tightened.

“You’re hurting me,” Li Tian’er protested, struggling, her voice aggrieved.

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Chen Bo immediately let go of her hand.

“It’s late, don’t go out. The security out there is poor. Especially in this area—if anything happens to you, I’ll be held responsible.”

“What could possibly happen? This is a villa district, everyone here is prominent. How could there be bad security?”

Li Tian’er looked down at her wrist, where the pale mark from Chen Bo’s grasp had turned a vivid red. Her heart raced, worried that Chen Bo might pull her into his arms for a passionate kiss.

Her understanding of romance came entirely from foreign films. Chen Hao’an had been her first love; only after their relationship was official did she let him kiss her forehead, and only after their engagement did she allow him to kiss her lips. No matter how poetic and romantic the setting, she always restrained her passion, determined to uphold the vow of premarital chastity she had made in school.

When she was Li Jixiang, she’d been caught off guard and had her first kiss stolen by Chen Yu, a memory that lingered with her. But Li Jixiang was young, and her sense of self was less acute, so she could accept it.

But as Li Tiantian, her consciousness was fully restored, and everything that happened to her felt deeply personal.

She could not accept that Li Tiantian had been defiled by Chen Bo. Since she could not find the memory in Li Tiantian’s mind nor bring Chen Bo to justice, she could only do her utmost to retaliate against him.

“There’s a back gate to the sports park across the street; anyone could come and go. Fine, I don’t want to scare you. If you insist on going out, I’ll drive you.”

Rather than force Li Tiantian to stay, it was better to let her go on the blind date. Chen Bo didn’t believe she would fall in love with the man she was meeting. He was confident that in Dongling, no unmarried man was more charming or more capable of winning a woman’s heart than he.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Bo grabbed the keys to the BMW. The company employed three full-time drivers, but outside of business matters, he preferred to drive himself. He relished the sense of control—over the car, over life.

Chen Bo’s sudden change of heart surprised Li Tian’er, but after a few seconds’ hesitation, she decided his presence might actually serve her purpose. If she met another man for a blind date in front of Chen Bo, it would surely provoke him, and perhaps tomorrow she would succeed.

Chen Bo parked at the Music Tea Bar on Biquan Road and watched Li Tian’er go inside and take a seat by the window. From outside, her profile was calm and serene, like a painting.

“Li Tiantian, it really is you—I thought I’d mistaken you for someone else.”

Knowing Chen Bo had parked by the roadside and was watching her every move through the open window, Li Tian’er maintained her elegant composure. Suddenly, someone rushed over and sat beside her, startling her.

She turned and saw a vaguely familiar face but couldn’t recall the name.

“Where are you working now? Working for a private employer can’t be as comfortable as a state-run job. You’re alone, earning money, raising a child—it must be tough. I heard your husband’s workplace took back your house. That’s outrageous!”

“You should file a petition against them. Even if your husband passed away, you should have the priority to buy your husband’s reformed housing. I’m telling you, the houses over there are about to be demolished, and you’ll be compensated with a larger one. They say you won’t even need thirty thousand…”

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Looking at the animated face, Li Tian’er finally remembered—this was her former colleague, Sister Liao.

“Tiantian, you really ought to find another man to marry. It’s so hard for a woman to carry a household alone. Really, I’ve been through it myself—I know the hardship.”

“That would be good.”

She’d been worried there were too few blind date candidates through her mother’s connections; Sister Liao’s enthusiasm came just at the right time.

“Alright, I’ll find a few for you. I have plenty of sisters, and anyone can find a few suitable matches for you. By the way, you haven’t told me what you’re doing now. That way I can tell the men—detailed conditions increase the chances of success.”

When Li Tian’er told her she was assistant to the general manager at Dongling Mining, Sister Liao’s eyes widened in surprise, her mouth agape, speechless.

Li Tian’er looked down with a gentle smile, her fingers playing with a single red rose in the glass vase on the table.

Without blinking, Chen Bo watched Li Tian’er and the middle-aged woman talk at length. He spat out the window.

A blind date with a woman? Are you kidding me! I know all the stratagems by heart—if you want to play mind games with me, you’re far too green.

As Chen Bo grumbled to himself, he saw Li Tian’er stand up and wave toward the entrance at a tall man. The middle-aged woman beside her also stood, seemed to say something, then hurried to the restroom.

“Hello, my name is Xu Ping.”

The man placed his hand on the table, sitting down with visible nervousness.

“I’m Li Tiantian.”

“Oh, I know, that’s a lovely name.”

The man quickly glanced at Li Tian’er, then shifted his gaze aside.

“You brought family members with you?”

He’d seen Li Tian’er chatting with Sister Liao when he entered; her striking beauty and prominent spot made it impossible not to notice her.