45. Blind Date

The next day, Xu Mingjie went to the clinic to help collect payments, leaving Zuo Chengjiang to focus solely on pricing and preparing medicine. Tang Yiyi was much more proficient than she had been the day before, no longer flustered by the rush. After lunch, Xu Mingjie returned to her small supermarket, and Tang Yiyi, remembering she needed to buy some sanitary pads, followed her over.

Xu Mingjie was sitting at the checkout counter by the door, shelling fresh walnuts. When she saw Tang Yiyi, she beckoned her inside to share the treat. Tang Yiyi’s eyes curved into slits with delight at the sight of the walnuts. “I love fresh walnuts best,” she said.

Xu Mingjie handed her a freshly shelled piece. Tang Yiyi sat down, slowly peeling off the skin from the walnut kernel, and popped the pale, tender nut into her mouth. One bite released a juicy sweetness, crisp and subtly fragrant.

As she shelled another, Xu Mingjie asked, “Yiyi, I heard you broke up with your boyfriend?”

“Mm.”

“It's fine, dear. There are plenty of good lads around here. Honestly, I think Xiao Bin is perfect for you. I know our family well—good temperament is the rarest trait.”

“Yeah, Bin is always cheerful.”

“Exactly. When two people live together, you must find someone with a good temper. The Xu family may not be rich, but our family values are strong. We all have skills, so we’ll never be out of work. Buying a house or a car is never a problem.”

“Auntie, I still want to find someone I love.”

“Love is the most unreliable thing. Falling in love at first sight is just being attracted to someone’s looks.”

“...”

“Forget it, talking to someone your age is pointless.” Xu Mingjie waved her hand, shaking her head. “I have a friend whose niece runs a beauty salon, and she’s stunning. She’s thirty-one now. She used to want to marry for love, always aiming too high or too low, missing out on so many suitors. Now she’s a bit anxious. I mentioned Qin Baike to her, and she immediately said she’d like to meet him.”

“Thirty-one? She’s a year older than Brother Bai.”

“It’s impossible to tell. That girl’s got so much collagen in her face, she could stand next to a high schooler and not lose out.”

“Would Brother Bai be willing?”

“I’ve asked him before. He doesn’t mind a year or two’s difference. The girl is free today, so I’ll take her to Qin’s Noodle House to let her have a look first. If she’s interested, I’ll ask Baike. If either of them isn’t willing, I won’t push it, to avoid any awkwardness.”

“That’s good. Quietly, just as well. But go later. I’m going with Brother Bai to give his mother some acupuncture, won’t be back until around eight.”

“Is that so? Fine, I’ll take her over after eight.”

Tang Yiyi stood up. “Auntie, I’ll go pick out the pads.”

“Go ahead, fourth aisle, all the way to the end.”

Tang Yiyi made her way over and found a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl standing there, looking up and down the shelves, probably unsure what to choose. Tang Yiyi picked up her usual brand. The girl glanced at it and asked, “Sister, is this comfortable?”

She was a very pretty girl, and Tang Yiyi felt she’d seen her somewhere before. “What kind do you usually use?”

“I just got my period last month, and the ones my mom gave me were uncomfortable. I want to choose my own this time.”

“I see. This one’s good,” Tang Yiyi showed her the package. “Buy a mix: a few packs of the 245cm daytime pads, two packs of 360cm night pads, and two packs of 190cm ultra-thin. The daytime ones are thinner than most brands, with a soft cotton surface, and you barely feel them. Don’t worry, sister tried lots of brands before settling on this one.”

The girl smiled sweetly. “Thank you, sister.”

Tang Yiyi returned to the checkout and shelled a few more walnuts. The girl came up to pay, and Xu Mingjie said, “Qiaoting, take a shopping bag to carry them—no one will see.”

The girl politely replied, “Thank you, ma’am.”

Once she left, Xu Mingjie said to Tang Yiyi, “Did you see? Both siblings are so good-looking.”

“Her brother’s good-looking too?”

“Baike, of course! Didn’t you know? That’s Baike’s half-sister. They both take after their father.”

Tang Yiyi suddenly understood. “No wonder I thought I’d seen her somewhere before.”

“She’s sixteen years younger than Baike. Don’t they look alike?”

“They do! Now you mention it, they’re nearly identical.”

“Xiao Bin isn’t bad-looking either. If you two have kids, they’ll surely be good-looking.”

“...”

The matchmaking gene of middle-aged women could really drive a person mad. Tang Yiyi said it was time to return to the clinic.

At five, after work, Tang Yiyi and Qin Baike set out for Green Plant Manor. They ate dinner there, finished the acupuncture, and Qin Baike chatted with Boss Fan for a while. Tang Yiyi, mindful of Xu Mingjie’s matchmaking plans for the evening, urged him to leave.

On the drive back, he asked, “Do you have plans tonight?”

“No, I just want to get home early and rest. I’m exhausted from these past two days.”

Qin Baike glanced at her twice, saying nothing. Tang Yiyi, uneasy under his gaze, searched for something to say. “Brother Bai, what kind of girl do you like?”

He pressed his lips together, clearly unwilling to say a word.

“Alright then, what kind of girl do you dislike?”

“...”

“Girls who talk too much?” Tang Yiyi pressed on.

Qin Baike shook his head, finally reacting.

“Girls who don’t care about their appearance?”

He shook his head.

“Overweight girls?”

He shook his head.

“Brother Bai, at least give me a couple hints. It’s hard to guess.”

“What I dislike most?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Those who talk about nothing but money. Either boasting about how much they can earn, or saying their family has several houses and cars and lacks nothing, or asking how much you make a year. It’s always about money.”

“Mm, so you dislike those who are too shrewd, who measure life by money. But those people aren’t necessarily wrong—material things are the foundation.”

“That’s true, but I don’t like it.”

“I understand. Anything else?”

“You want more?”

“How can there only be one? Tell me another.”

“Women who wear overly elaborate makeup, like a fake person.”

“You dislike makeup? Every woman going on a blind date wears makeup.”

“I can’t be sure if the eyes I see are really hers.”

“I get it. Modern makeup is almost like plastic surgery.”

“There was one time, years ago, when I was dispatched to a fire in a rental apartment. A woman was trapped on the balcony. She had some self-rescue knowledge, poured water from the flowerpot over herself, soaking her hair and clothes, and crouched in the corner, crying. We went up the ladder to get her, and when she looked up, her face nearly scared me off the ladder. Her eye circles were smudged in all colors, streams of black tears running down her face, and half her false eyelashes were stuck to her eyelids.”

Tang Yiyi laughed so hard she couldn’t straighten up.

“Afterwards, she wasn’t hurt, washed her hands and face, and her eyes were small, single-lidded, very plain. Later, she brought fruit to thank us, and none of us could believe the big-eyed, double-lidded girl was the same as the ‘ghost’ from before.”

Tang Yiyi felt she might die from laughter. “Alright, I agree—too much makeup is a no-go. Otherwise, once it’s wiped off, she’s a different person. Anything else? Give me one more.”

“The last one.”

“Alright, the last one.”

“A woman who, after marrying, loses herself entirely.”

“You want your wife to have her own career?”

“Yes. Women who strive are the most attractive. They always know what they want.”

“So... I didn’t expect that. I thought you liked the delicate type, who relied on you for everything.”

“It’s hard to say. Sometimes, when you fall for someone, all those standards disappear. You just like them.”

“...Brother Bai, you really are mysterious.”

They reached Magnolia Lane just at eight. At the intersection, Tang Yiyi glanced towards Xu Mingjie’s supermarket and saw a long-haired woman sitting inside. She asked Qin Baike, “Did Xiao Xie make any ice jelly today?”

“No, I didn’t see her make any.”

“Then I’ll go to your place for a glass of water.”

Qin Baike gave her a strange look.

“Hehe, I’m really thirsty.”

Once they parked, Tang Yiyi hurried ahead to Qin’s Noodle House and picked a seat. She said to Xiao Xie, “Quick, give me a glass of water, I’m parched.”

Xiao Xie poured her a glass. “Sister Yiyi, what’s up?”

Tang Yiyi beckoned her closer, whispering, “Auntie’s bringing a beauty here for a blind date. Shh! Not a word! Pretend you know nothing. Stay calm!”

Xiao Xie made an ‘ok’ sign with her hand and nodded.

Qin Baike came out of the kitchen in his work clothes. Tang Yiyi sipped her water slowly, watching as Xu Mingjie and a slender woman approached from the lane. She stood to wave them over. “Auntie, sit here.”

Xu Mingjie led the woman over. Even before she arrived, the strong scent of Chanel No. 5 wafted ahead. Li Huan’s father had given her that as a birthday gift at age twenty, and Tang Yiyi was familiar with the fragrance, though the woman seemed to have used a bit too much.

Tang Yiyi looked closely and felt a chill—her makeup was heavy, and she wore false eyelashes. She didn’t look thirty; her skin was moist and fine, but unnaturally pale. Her smile was beautiful. She sat and nodded softly to Tang Yiyi, her voice gentle and sweet.

If ten was the full score, Tang Yiyi would give her an eight for her looks. Xiao Xie, sitting across, winked and gave a thumbs up, and Tang Yiyi nodded back in agreement.

Xu Mingjie introduced, “Wendy, this is Tang Yiyi.”

Tang Yiyi praised her, “Your skin is beautiful. Do you use masks every day?”

Wendy laughed happily. “No one does it every day. Two or three times a week is a must, though.”

“I can never remember to do it.”

“A woman shouldn’t be lazy with her skincare. If you maintain it, you stay the same; if you don’t, you age.”

“You’re right. I’ll buy some masks tomorrow.”

Xu Mingjie asked, “Noodle with beef or pork trotter?”

“Word is the pork trotter noodles here are delicious. I’ll have that.”

Xu Mingjie went to tell Qin Baike, “You heard? I want beef noodles. Baike, come sit with us.”

“No, Aunt Jie. With people coming and going, I have to work.” He touched his nose.

“Alright, suit yourself.”

Soon the noodles arrived. Wendy took a bite. “This is really good.” She ate elegantly, slowly twirling the noodles with her chopsticks and chewing quietly, only finishing half a bowl and just one piece of pork trotter before setting her utensils down.

“You didn’t have dinner? You’re barely eating,” Xu Mingjie asked.

“I usually don’t eat at night, just some fruit at most. Things like pork trotter, I usually avoid completely.”

“No wonder you’re so slim.”

“Got to keep my figure. I gain weight easily.” She waited as Xu Mingjie ate her beef noodles, then looked around, saying, “This noodle shop is more stylishly decorated than others. Must have cost a lot, right?”

Tang Yiyi choked on her water, coughing several times before recovering.

Xu Mingjie lowered her voice to Wendy, “Did you see Boss Qin? What do you think?”

Wendy smiled shyly. “He’s nice.”

Xu Mingjie nodded thoughtfully. Tang Yiyi, facing the door, caught sight of Xiang Qiaoting, whom she’d met just that afternoon, entering.

The young girl scanned the room and ran over to sit beside Tang Yiyi, smiling, “Sister, why aren’t you eating noodles here?” Then she looked up and smiled at Xu Mingjie. “Hello, ma’am.”

Xu Mingjie was stunned, unsure why the girl had suddenly appeared.

Finally, the girl turned to Wendy with a naive expression. “Sister, you’re so pretty. You don’t like Boss Qin just because he’s handsome, do you? His mother’s paralyzed, in a wheelchair. If you end up with him, it’ll be tough.”

Wendy’s face suddenly changed. She turned to Xu Mingjie. “Is that true?”

Before Xu Mingjie could reply, Xiang Qiaoting stood up. “Of course it’s true. I never lie.” With that, she dashed away.

Wendy’s face grew darker. She frowned, looking past Tang Yiyi, who quickly turned to see Qin Baike leaning calmly against the kitchen door, arms crossed, coolly meeting Wendy’s gaze.

Under his steady stare, Wendy grew irritated but maintained her composure, rising to address Xu Mingjie with regal hauteur. “Aunt Jie, you should have told me about these things beforehand.” With that, she strutted out like a proud peacock.

Qin Baike carried her unfinished noodles into the kitchen, picked out the pork trotter, put it on a small ceramic plate, and set it at the shop entrance. Soon, a calico cat led three kittens from the shadows to eat the meat.

Xu Mingjie was dazed for a while before she recovered. “Baike, why does your sister dislike you so much? Her parents aren’t like that, and her mother is such a kind woman, hardly the scheming type.”

“I don’t have a sister,” Qin Baike said. “But she did well. I’m satisfied.”

“Alright, you weren’t interested anyway.” Xu Mingjie smiled bitterly and stood to pay him, but he stopped her. “Aunt Jie, you were helping me. I’ll treat you.”

Xu Mingjie nodded. “You’re more generous than that girl.” She left.

“Xiao Xie,” Qin Baike said, rubbing his nose, “turn on the fan. Did she bathe in perfume?”

Finally, he sat down across from Tang Yiyi, giving her a half-smile, half-smirk, and stared at her. Tang Yiyi immediately stood to leave. “I’m tired. I’ll go rest now.”

Qin Baike grabbed her wrist. “You haven’t paid for that water yet.”

“You’re charging me for a glass of water?”

“You watched a whole show tonight. I worked so hard—shouldn’t you tip me?”

“Brother Bai...” Tang Yiyi pouted, playful and coy.

“No good. Give me your purse.” Qin Baike took her bag, opened the side zipper where she kept her change, pulled out a five-yuan bill and a one-yuan coin. “Six. An auspicious number.” He slipped the money into his pocket and handed the bag back. “Go rest. Don’t wear yourself out.”

Tang Yiyi pursed her lips and muttered, “Auntie said you’re generous. Where?”

“What was that?”

“I’m tired. Going to rest.” She clutched her bag and hurried away. Tonight, Qin Baike was acting strangely—it was best not to provoke him.