Yan Tuo hadn’t expected to encounter someone who might know him inside and out this time around. His usual tactics probably wouldn’t cut it.
He figured it might be best to wrap up the meal quickly and straightforwardly admit they weren’t a good match. He needed to keep his words polite and courteous, giving the woman plenty of face.
As for her earlier claim that Yan Tao often mentioned him, he wasn’t buying it.
This cousin of his, who was four months his senior, had never gotten along with him—not just in their worldviews, but in every little thing since childhood. They barely crossed paths even a few times a year and could hardly exchange two sentences. On top of that, issues with company shares and matters of pride made Yan Tao especially averse to anyone bringing him up. There was no way he’d go around actively promoting him.
Lu Na had no idea what her blind date across the table was mulling over. At that moment, she was secretly thrilled.
While studying in Country M, she’d heard of Zhizhen Group’s Yan Bancheng and his big reputation. She’d set her sights on Yan Tao for a while and hung out with his crowd. But at the end of one party, the guy had gotten drunk and spilled the real tea, cursing his cousin Yan Tuo up one side and down the other.
The gist of it? The Yan family looked flashy as hell—big shots in super real estate, with his dad Yan Zexing even nicknamed Yan Bancheng. But who knew the real misery behind it?
It was all just making wedding clothes for someone else. Most of the shares were in that pretentious cousin’s hands. The family slaved away their whole lives, only to end up working for outsiders.
She’d filed that away in her mind at the time, even though things hadn’t worked out between them.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that, fresh off the plane and dragged into a blind date by her family, she’d hit the jackpot: the actual controlling shareholder of Zhizhen Group, the hidden tycoon Deputy Detachment Captain Yan. And he was tall, handsome—double perfection, utterly flawless.
This guy was weird, though. No clue what was going through his head. Holding wealth that could last several lifetimes, he chose to become a grueling, dangerous criminal investigator. What was he even after?
She hadn’t planned to call him out right away. If the shadow emperor wanted to play poor schlub, she’d play along. But the classmate connection with Yan Tao was unavoidable. Pretending ignorance could come off as deceitful later if things progressed.
Better to be direct—it showed class.
With her mind made up, Lu Na paid even more attention to her presentation. She ate with captivating grace, now twirling a lock of hair, now offering a coy smile, occasionally picking up a bite of food for him with her chopsticks. Thoughtful and attentive without overdoing it, she was the picture of gentle allure.
From his spot in the corner flowerpot, Bai Yiyi couldn’t see his crush’s expression. But he’d analyzed the beauty’s every move. She was clearly all in, her eyes practically sprouting hooks that were seconds from bursting out.
His heart soured with jealousy. He shouldn’t have been in the flowerpot—he should’ve been under the table. Then he could’ve ignored her triumphant glow and just pretended it was a silent dinner mime.
The meal passed in what could pass for mutual enjoyment between host and guest. Yan Tuo decided to end it swiftly.
“Miss Lu, sorry about this, but I have some business to handle. How about we call it here for today? I’ve really neglected you.”
In blind dates, when one side cuts things short midway with a work excuse—and doesn’t set a follow-up—it was usually a polite way of saying, “I’m not interested.”
Yan Tuo thought he’d been direct enough. He hadn’t counted on her being even blunter.
Lu Na blinked in momentary surprise, then flashed a confident smile. “Captain Yan, does this mean you’re not satisfied with me? I think my looks, vibe, family background, education—nothing falls short. So, what’s the issue?”
How was he supposed to answer that?
It was rare for him to be at a loss for words. Had this girl spent so much time abroad that she thought every problem could be dissected out loud?
He had no idea the real bluntness was still coming.
Unable to read the man across from her, Lu Na decided to go off-script and throw Yan Tao under the bus with the truth.
“When I said Yan Tao often talked about you, that was a bit of an exaggeration. Truth is, he just ranted about you a few times when he was drunk. Captain Yan, I won’t speculate on your relationship with your cousin, but no matter what, doesn’t it feel safer to keep the family business in family hands?
A wife with an Ivy League business doctorate—doesn’t that sound worth a shot? Get the home front secure, and you can pursue whatever career or passions you want, all on your terms.”
Yan Tuo was speechless. He lowered his eyes and lifted his teacup for a sip, masking the astonishment in his gaze.
Yes, he was genuinely curious. With that kind of blunt, low-EQ approach, how had she snagged an Ivy League business PhD?
She wasn’t just after him—she wanted the whole family fortune in one go?
To bring it up on a first meeting—could someone really be that clueless? Or just that arrogant?
Lu Na didn’t push too hard. Seeing he wasn’t responding, she gave a playful smile and arched a brow. “Not convenient to talk now? No problem—we barely know each other yet. But I’m quite pleased with you. Count me as the one chasing from here on out. Consider this my heads-up to Captain Yan: you’d better… get ready.”
Yan Tuo had no reply for that. Pretending he hadn’t heard, he stood and bid her a polite farewell. “The bill’s taken care of. Take care—you’re free to go. I’ll head out first…”
Someone dead set on latching on wasn’t about to let him slip away that easily. Lu Na was on her feet even faster. She grabbed her bag strap, looped her slender arm through his, and flashed a coquettish smile. “Captain Yan, I’m not familiar with the area. Since we’re heading out anyway, walk me to the roadside? I’ll grab a cab from there.”
Bai Yiyi, who’d eavesdropped on the whole exchange from the flowerpot, was about to explode. Sure, the request might fly elsewhere, but how old are you, lady? Going blind already?
Wasn’t the restaurant entrance right on the roadside? Less than three meters away? And she needed to hook his arm for an escort?
Hadn’t she heard how clearly he’d rejected her? She was banking on his good temper and reluctance to embarrass a lady, determined to force her way in.
Fuming, Bai Yiyi let out a couple of indignant “cheep cheeps” and burst out, ready to play hero and save his crush’s virtue.
He landed steadily on the table, then realized his mistake—he’d just outed himself as a stalker.
“…Tangyuan?” His owner’s puzzled voice rang out.
Ah, mortifying. Bai Yiyi flushed with shame, wishing he could faint on the spot and blot it all out.
“How’d you get here? Feeling unwell?”
Yan Tuo smoothly shook off the slender hand on his arm and hurried back to the table. He bent down to inspect the little white dumpling on its surface.
Unwell? That was a solid excuse.
Bai Yiyi quickly ran through dramatic illness scenes from movies and TV in his mind. He draped one wing weakly over his chest, squeezed his eyes shut, and slowly toppled over. For authenticity, he even straightened his little claws.
His pet’s sudden collapse had Yan Tuo fighting back laughter.
He couldn’t explain why, but he just knew the little guy was faking it. That over-the-top acting—like some diva clutching her heart—was downright cringe-worthy.
He schooled his expression into one of grave concern, skipping further words. Yan Tuo scooped up the dumpling with both hands, gave a curt nod to cut off any more entanglement, and strode out the door.
Back home, Bai Yiyi remained curled up on the glass coffee table, cracking one eye for a peek. He came face-to-face with his owner’s handsome, half-smirking visage.
“Still playing dead?”
Bai Yiyi puffed up a bit. He’d helped out, hadn’t he? And now this teasing reveal?
He rolled over and kept pretending to sleep.
Yan Tuo scratched lightly at the little bird’s back and chuckled. “Thanks for today, by the way. Even if your acting was pretty rotten.”
Having neutralized a secret rival, Bai Yiyi was in high spirits. Hearing the thanks sealed it. He let out a haughty “hmph,” flapped his wings, and hopped up, everything back to normal.
That dubious, not particularly enjoyable encounter between two adults of marriageable age finally wrapped up.
But neither man nor pet could have anticipated that, after shaking off that prime specimen of an overseas returnee, they wouldn’t even get two days’ respite before the blind date mission reared its head again.
This time, it was Cousin Yu Lian.
The match wasn’t one she’d picked from her list, though. It was her high school classmate’s daughter—a fresh college grad who’d just opened a little pet shop near the city bureau, only a couple streets away.
Sympathizing with how demanding police work was, with no time to spare, she suggested dropping by at noon for a quick nearby bite. If it clicked, they’d take it from there.
Yan Tuo still had lingering trauma, but he had no way to refuse. After a hectic morning, still in uniform, he headed straight out the gate to meet her.
Left behind without a way to tag along, Bai Yiyi perched dazedly on the office windowsill, awaiting the verdict of fate.
He was dying to know what kind of person she was. Without his cameo to bail things out, what if his owner ran into another weirdo he couldn’t shake? Or worse—what if she was perfect, and they hit it off?
Bai Yiyi huddled in self-pity, on the verge of drowning in sorrow. It wasn’t just the gender gap anymore; now there was a species barrier too. Why was his secret crush so damn hard…
Sun Lei and Little Liu from the Technical Group, on their noon break with the boss out, slipped into the office to tease the bird—and dish the gossip.
The team’s flower more than lived up to her reputation as the criminal investigation brigade’s data clerk. When it came to dishing out gossip, she was methodical and evidence-based, her intel accurate and comprehensive. She’d just finished rattling off details about several of their boss’s previous forty-two blind dates to Little Liu when she spotted a flicker of gloom on the small round face framed by the glasses across from her.
Sun Lei’s mind raced, and she let out a soft exclamation. “No way… you’ve fallen for Captain Yan’s police pants too?”
~~~
