"Blind date, then work." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Du Heng, you’re inhuman."

Du Heng frowned immediately. "What’s wrong with you?"

Today’s situation had completely ruined his mood for talking to Wu Shengnan. He wondered how this would end if things continued to develop this way. It was originally a situation where she didn’t like him, and he didn’t like her either. For her to pull off such a stunt was a bit much.

With that, he picked up his bag and prepared to leave.

Wu Shengnan felt deeply wronged; she had never expected Du Heng to react like this. Her voice somewhat stiff, she asked, "What are you doing this afternoon? Are you still going to administer the afternoon treatment?"

Du Heng paused. Hearing Wu Shengnan’s curt question, he said directly, "You don’t have to worry. I’m very busy today; I have two more blind dates waiting this afternoon. You don’t want me to do the treatment? I don’t even have time for it."

Wu Shengnan, lying on the bed, almost sat up in anger. "Go to hell!"

"Crazy."

Du Heng grabbed his things and walked away.

As he had said, he really was busy that day. His schedule was quite full. First, he had to rush back to Cheping for lunch, then return to the city in the afternoon for coffee.

At noon, he found a restaurant in Cheping and treated the girl introduced by Zhu Fanzhong to a meal. Their conversation went well. Although the girl’s manner of speaking was a bit presumptuous and naive, this wasn’t an issue for Du Heng. Afterward, he found a teahouse, and they sat down to discuss more practical matters.

However, from the moment they sat down, the girl’s phone kept ringing. The incessant ringing irritated Du Heng so much that she eventually turned it off.

Du Heng’s eyelids twitched violently. He was very displeased. When does this kind of situation happen—the other party keeps calling, and you don’t answer? It’s definitely not a friend, a colleague, or a superior calling. Only one type of person would call so incessantly, so tirelessly. At this thought, any good impression Du Heng initially had of the girl completely vanished. She hadn’t even cleanly broken things off with her ex and was already looking for her next prospect!

Instantly, his desire to continue the conversation evaporated. He said bluntly, "Let’s get down to specifics. I’m getting on in years, and my work is demanding, so I don’t have much time for drawn-out dating. Let’s both state our terms. If we find them agreeable, we can try dating. If our terms aren’t compatible, let’s not waste each other’s time. How does that sound?"

The girl’s expression changed abruptly. She understood that the recent phone calls had given Du Heng a bad impression of her. In this day and age, no one’s a fool. Anyone would know who’d make calls like that. She quickly explained, "Please don’t misunderstand. The person who just called was my ex-boyfriend. We’ve already broken up, but he’s still pestering me relentlessly. There’s nothing I can do."

Du Heng sneered.

Pestering relentlessly? Nothing she can do? Just block his number. If he dared to show up at her workplace or home, she could just call the police. Problem solved. How could there be so much ’relentless pestering’? To put it bluntly, she either hadn’t intended to make a clean break, or she still harbored other intentions.

"Let’s not discuss that. Just tell me your conditions." Du Heng’s attitude was very clear-cut: if they could negotiate, they would; if not, they’d drop it. This was business, and it should be approached like business.

The girl pursed her lips. "My family doesn’t have any special requirements. As for betrothal gifts and such, a symbolic gesture will suffice." She paused for a moment before continuing, "However, I do have one requirement. After we get married, I don’t want to be a housewife. I want to have a job and my own circle of friends."

Her own circle of friends? Du Heng’s mouth twitched slightly. "Go on."

"Before we marry, you need to help me secure a job. Not a temporary position like the one I have now, but a permanent one with benefits, like yours—a formal authorized job. Once that’s arranged, we can get married immediately."

Du Heng chuckled softly. What wishful thinking! Getting the job settled before marriage... isn’t that a bit too calculating of her?

"Sorry, I can’t meet the condition you mentioned. I think we’re not suitable for each other. Goodbye."

Du Heng picked up his bag, turned, and walked out without a backward glance.

His sister-in-law’s maternal family, and now this girl today... do they seriously think that by just putting on a superficial show, they’re suddenly more cunning than a monkey? Or do they truly believe that men will be so captivated at first sight they can’t walk away, that they’ll just fall at their feet and worship their ’pomegranate skirts’?

Today’s blind date was much more infuriating than yesterday’s. What was even more infuriating was the money wasted on the meal and tea; he felt it was a complete rip-off.

Once in the car, Du Heng felt incredibly frustrated. Am I just not cut out for blind dates? So far, I’ve been on three blind dates in total, and not a single damn one of them was normal!

Du Heng sighed. Hopefully, the next one will be better. At least a normal person. Just don’t let her be a con artist.

Little did he know, however, that the next one would make him abandon the idea of blind dates altogether.