Chapter 135: No Need to Be So Deliberate

Cai Yirou’s first blind date happened to be scheduled for a Saturday afternoon. In truth, Xiaoxiao had long since grown accustomed to working weekends; it seemed as though weekends were the only time suitable for such encounters. More than once, while guiding clients at her usual cafe, she would look around and notice that eight out of ten tables were occupied by people on blind dates. The cafe owner would even tease them, suggesting he should hang a sign outside designating the shop as an officially licensed venue for blind dating.

The appointment was set for three o’clock. Just past two, Cai Yirou appeared at the cafe. Xiaoxiao was still occupied with a client she had met at one-thirty. As soon as Cai Yirou walked in, she caught Xiaoxiao’s eye. Xiaoxiao gestured toward a table in the back, and Cai Yirou immediately understood, taking a seat at a nearby table.

"How many sessions do you have today?"

Receiving the text from Cai Yirou, Xiaoxiao replied casually, "Including yours, four in total."

"You’re really killing yourself! Don't work too hard."

Cai Yirou raised her coffee cup in a salute to Xiaoxiao, who smiled faintly. Lately, her mood had been unexpectedly buoyant. During recent staff meetings, when the "Weasel"—their manager—would fly into a rage over slumping performance, everyone else would hang their heads in silence. Xiaoxiao, however, would drift off, struggling to suppress a smile as she thought of Lin Shuo’s sweet nothings—a phenomenon that had never occurred before.

Lost in these thoughts, Xiaoxiao held her cup, her eyes softening with affection. She began to ponder whether she should make "Great Rescue" noodles or fried milk fans for Lin Shuo that evening, as long as it wasn't West Lake fish in vinegar sauce. She had even forgotten to ask him if he had suffered any stomach pain after eating it last time.

"Thinking about your boyfriend? Look at that smile on your face!"

Xiaoxiao winked at Cai Yirou and replied, "You’ll know once you find someone you like." In reality, judging by Cai Yirou’s demeanor, she didn't seem like someone who had never been in love. Fearing that her excessive experience might scare off her date, Xiaoxiao added, "The guy coming later is a university lecturer. I’ve looked over his file; he might be a bit dull, so just try your best."

Xiaoxiao hadn't held much hope for the one-thirty session, but to her surprise, the two hit it off. The woman invited Xiaoxiao to join them for dinner, but Xiaoxiao politely declined. As soon as she saw them off, she headed straight for Cai Yirou’s table. With fifteen minutes left, there was enough time to go over the necessary precautions.

"I could tell the moment you walked in that you didn't put much effort into your appearance."

"Hm?"

Xiaoxiao scanned her outfit. "Everyone else is dressed to the nines, but you? You're just phoning it in. What, no confidence?"

Cai Yirou suddenly realized. "No, I just don't think it's necessary to be so deliberate. When fate is meant to arrive, you couldn't stop it even if you were a mess."

"That's true." Many people were nervous before a blind date, but it was rare to see Cai Yirou so composed. Amidst the relaxed atmosphere of their idle chatter, Xiaoxiao advised, "I’ll be sitting at the table to your right. If you’re not feeling it or you’re in a rush, just give me a signal and I’ll help you get out of it."

In the past, Xiaoxiao used to say the same thing to Bai Yunchuan, but she always lost to his immense patience. He would insist on dragging things out until the other person lost their patience entirely. Xiaoxiao could do nothing about it and had to wait with him time after time. Fortunately, Cai Yirou didn't have the leisure that Bai Yunchuan did; not even half an hour into the date, she couldn't help but send a signal to Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao calmly dialed Cai Yirou’s phone. Cai Yirou was a talented actress; the moment she answered, she switched to a look of alarm, claiming an emergency at home and that she had to leave. The lecturer, who was also a sharp man, let her go without a fuss.

Cai Yirou’s verdict was: "If I stayed with him, wouldn't I be bored for the rest of my life?"

Xiaoxiao made a groundless joke: "There seems to be a client at the firm who’s into extreme sports. Shall I introduce you?"

"Sure!" To her surprise, Cai Yirou agreed readily. This put Xiaoxiao in a bind—where on earth was she supposed to find someone who loved adventure?