Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

Endure it.

…Endure it.

…Endure- I couldn’t endure it anymore!

Some people sing so badly they’re politely known as human crow spirits, but at least crows can make a proper noise. Qian Yu?

I don’t know whether an angel had ever kissed his throat, but King Yama had definitely grabbed him by the neck and squeezed hard!

Leaving behind Qian Yu, who was singing his heart out, and Yingying, whose face looked like she was attending a funeral, I drove home.

Once I drove out of the bustling new district, the tall buildings around me gradually thinned out, revealing the Jiangnan homes of white walls, dark tiled roofs, countless bridges, and waterways.

The rain was still falling in a fine drizzle. There were hardly any people on the old town’s stone-paved streets.

I parked at the entrance of the alley and walked home through the light rain.

The aging two-story building in the alley, its walls covered in green vines, was my house.

When I reached my front door and was fishing out my keys, my phone rang.

“Auntie.” I answered the call while opening the door.

“Xiao Li,” my aunt’s voice came through the phone, “how did the blind date go? Xiao Lu is handsome, isn’t he? I didn’t lie to you, did I? Wasn’t he exactly like I said?”

“Mm-hmm.” I pushed open the big iron gate and walked in. “Handsome. Too handsome. I’ve never seen anyone that handsome.”

My aunt chuckled happily. “Xiao Lu is famous at school for those looks of his. He has such a good temper too, and he’s so highly educated… He’s completely your type!”

I smiled bitterly as I listened. “The type matches, but the species doesn’t. I’m human, and you introduced me to a god. He’s way out of my league.”

“How is he out of your league? You have a car, a house, and money…”

“But I have no education,” I said, breaking through my aunt’s blindly praising filter. “Professor Lu has such a high social status and such excellent qualifications. If he’s going on blind dates, he should be matched with someone from a similar background. Someone like me… I’m not worthy of him.

“Also, Auntie, I know you’re doing this for my own good, but being a contractor isn’t illegal. There’s nothing about it I can’t say. Please don’t make up identities for me again in the future.”

“I wasn’t making it up. I was introducing you with high emotional intelligence.”

“Your emotional intelligence has always been high. It’s my level that’s too low. Please don’t polish things up for me anymore.”

My aunt sighed and lamented, sounding a little aggrieved too. I could only remind her once, twice, three times before finally hanging up.

I took a shower, changed clothes, and, feeling fresh all over, pushed open the door to my study.

Though it was hard to believe, my only hobby was actually reading.

Sitting in my wide, soft leather chair, I planned to follow my schedule and finish the book I’d been reading for three days and was almost done with.

Usually when I read, whether I understood it or not was another matter, but at least I could focus. Tonight, though, my mind kept wandering.

I flipped the same page back and forth, then back and forth again. After a few rounds, I picked up the phone beside me.

On WeChat, I scrolled through my friends list until I reached the three characters for “Lu Boya.”

His profile picture was unusual. The background was white, with thick black lines winding and twisting across it.

At first glance, it actually looked like a snake-but that had to be an illusion. How could someone like Lu Boya use a snake as his profile picture?

Snakes were always cold and vicious. Lu Boya was like a spring breeze.

I guessed it was probably some master’s stream-of-consciousness calligraphy.

I opened the chat box. There were only a few simple messages.

Nothing more than confirming identities, plus the location and time of the blind date. Lu Boya spoke politely, perfectly consistent with the man himself.

My aunt had said he was completely my type, and she was absolutely right. He really did hit every single one of my aesthetic preferences.

Otherwise… I wouldn’t be so reluctant to let go. Even knowing there was no chance, I still kept scrolling up and down through those few sparse messages.

Just as I was about to wear a patina into my screen, the words beneath his profile picture suddenly changed to “typing…”

“Huh?” I leaned closer to look.

I hadn’t seen wrong. It really did say he was typing.

He was going to talk to me?!

My heart started pounding.

What would he say to me?… Most likely, he’d thank me for treating him to dinner today and driving him home… Mm, very possible.

Cultured, well-mannered people were always eager to express gratitude after accepting someone else’s kindness.

So if he thanked me, what should I reply?

No problem, don’t mention it, let’s keep in touch if anything comes up hahaha-

[Lu Boya]: Miss Xu, are you free to have dinner together tomorrow?

Whoa!

I brought the screen closer, then farther away; farther away, then closer again.

That line of text was clear as day.

Was he planning to thank me in person? And treat me to a meal in return?

Oh.

I suddenly understood, pursed my lips, and typed seriously.

[Lili Yuanshang]: You don’t have to spend money like that. It was just one meal. Consider it making a friend. (A toast to our friendship.jpg)

For someone like Lu Boya to have a meal with me, I was absolutely the one who had benefited. There was no need and no reason to make him treat me back.

After typing that sentence, I hesitated for a long time without pressing send.

Lu Boya might only be doing this out of courtesy, but if I acted “understanding,” then I would completely lose any chance to see him again.

It was a little selfish, but I really did want to see him one more time.

Hesitant, yet decisive, I deleted it one character at a time and replied again.

[Lili Yuanshang]: I’m free tomorrow!

[Lu Boya]: Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?

You.

[Lili Yuanshang]: Anything is fine. I’m not picky. (grinning.jpg)

[Lu Boya]: Is hot pot okay?

[Lili Yuanshang]: Sure! (Red chili oil broth runs through my veins.jpg)

Lu Boya picked a hot pot restaurant near the university town and sent me the location.

I couldn’t quite say whether I was happy or not.

Although I could spend time with Lu Boya one more time, that was all it would be. Just once more. The last time.

Dating and marriage were the kind of dream I didn’t even dare dream. But what if we were just ordinary friends?… I didn’t know whether an immortal would be willing to be friends with a mortal.