I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

Oh well, I'll just do it casually. It doesn't seem like a very troublesome job.

Lin got up and went to the restaurant, pondering what he should say at the matchmaking event on the way.

"Hey, did you hear? That person is going to a matchmaking event."

"Wow, I never expected that someone who's always so secretive would actually want to go to a matchmaking event."

"He shouldn't be unable to find a partner, so why would he participate in that kind of activity? Is he sexually repressed?"

Lin stopped and turned around abruptly, but the group of people walked away with normal expressions, as if Lin had just hallucinated.

Lin walked into the restaurant, and in an instant, all eyes were on him.

What happened?

However, when his gaze swept over them, everyone else lowered their heads and pretended that nothing had happened.

He went to get his food with some doubt, found a seat, but before he could even sit down, someone flew up and sat down in front of him.

"I heard you're going to a matchmaking event. Is matchmaking fun? Do you ever see anyone get married?"

"..."

Lin looked up and saw a cute girl with long, vibrant pink hair and fangs looking at him expectantly.

Although Lin already felt a deep aversion to mistaking one person for another, he still thought that this girl named Rozaliya looked a lot like Delta, except that their personalities were worlds apart. Delta was mature and calm, and although he had the figure and appearance of a child, he was very cold outside of battle. Rozaliya, on the other hand, was completely a child, lively, playful and loved playing games.

"... Who told you I was going to a matchmaking event?" Lin casually picked up his chopsticks with his left hand. To him, both hands were about the same, and losing his right hand wouldn't affect his daily life.

"Bella."

"..."

Bella and Arin sisters get along quite well, along with the Herrscher of Reason. The four of them are often seen playing together, and Lin also feels that their mental ages are indeed very similar, making them peers.

How did Bella know he was going to the matchmaking event?

In short, for some reason, in less than half a day, everyone in the Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base knew that he was going to the matchmaking event. Because of his strange and mysterious lifestyle, many people found it very novel and talked about him everywhere as gossip.

Lin Cong never paid attention to rumors... and these weren't even rumors, just some hearsay.

However, this indirectly warmed up the matchmaking event for tomorrow, and it's estimated that quite a few people from Anti-Entropy will go to watch... Could it be that Welt anticipated this situation and wanted Lin to go in his place?

Lin replied indifferently, "Blind dates are just a way for strangers to get to know each other; very few of them actually end up getting married."

Rozaliya tilted her head. "Oh... Lilia said that dating without marriage is just for fun, is that true for matchmaking events too?"

Lin thought for a moment, and it seemed that what he said made sense, so he nodded. "Yeah, it's just for fun."

At that moment, a person stood not far away, staring intently at Lin's back.

Elysian Realm of "Flying Flowers": Chapter Three - Blind Dates Are Just a Show

Lin arrived at the matchmaking event based on the address on the business card.

The scene had been set up, and onlookers began to arrive one after another, but there didn't seem to be many participants. Lin only saw three women and two men.

This was somewhat expected; not many people would be willing to do such a thing in front of everyone. In the end, just like what Lin told Rozaliya in the cafeteria, it was just for fun or a show.

But that's fine, it'll be over soon, and then we can go back.

Lin sat down on the judges' panel, the two seats next to him were still empty. He flipped through the handbook given to him by the staff of the matchmaking event, waiting for the event to begin.

"Someone's already here. Hello, I'm also one of the judges this time."

"One of the other two judges?" Lin looked up and met the other person's gaze.

"Huh? You... how did you get here?"

"..."

The girl standing before Lin was Theresa, a petite silver-haired girl who was not young.

She pointed at Lin with a surprised look, and Lin stared at her with a frozen expression.

Theresa muttered to herself in a bit of a panic, "Strange, Einstein clearly said he couldn't find anyone else to ask me for help, so why..."

Those two guys...

"Same as you." Lin put down the manual, sighed, and wondered whether running into someone he knew was a good thing or a bad thing. "Welt me to come."

"... So we were tricked by them?"

"The results show that yes."

Theresa sat down, gritting her teeth, and angrily grabbed the booklet, muttering, "How could I possibly participate in this kind of program? This is too childish. I'm over forty years old."

The man next to him, who was over 50,000 years old, silently picked up a glass of water and took a sip.

Half an hour before the show started, the crowd gradually grew. Lin was unfazed by the scene, but Theresa was somewhat uncomfortable. She probably felt embarrassed that she, as a person of considerable prestige, was participating in a matchmaking event, even though she was only a judge.

The last judge arrived three minutes before the show was scheduled to begin.

"Oh my, is this a matchmaking event? Hmm, it looks quite lively and interesting."

"..."

Lin and Theresa both fell silent, looking at the third judge who had arrived late and had no sense of time.

A gray-haired girl with a proud smile stood not far away, hands on her hips.

"Oh, Theresa is here too! Ah! Lin, what brings you here as well?"

The Herrscher of Reason greeted her quite naturally, casually pulled out a chair with her leg, and then sat down.

"I thought I was the only one who discovered something so fun, but I didn't expect you guys to know so much too, hahaha."

Lin and Theresa exchanged a strange look, and then Theresa asked, "You... are you a judge?"

"Of course, the great Herrscher of Reason must be the mastermind behind the scenes, how could she be a contestant on stage?" The Herrscher of Reason stroked her chin and chuckled. "I came to town yesterday and saw someone setting up a stage here. I asked and they said it was a matchmaking event. Then the person said I was very pretty and wanted to be a judge, so I came."

"..."

Lin now really wants to drag out the person in charge of organizing the matchmaking event and ask them how they selected the judges, why the first two were people from Anti-Entropy, and why the third one was just some random guy.

The Herrscher of Reason, standing on a chair, waved to the onlookers. "Oh! Hello everyone! I'm a judge!"

"Oh! Little Shi!"

"Hahaha, they actually invited Xiaoshi to be a judge."

"Hey! Xiao Shi, aren't you going on a blind date?"

... This guy is surprisingly popular in Salt Lake Town.

"I wouldn't even look at an ordinary guy," the Herrscher of Reason said with her arms crossed. "The only one I find slightly pleasing to the eye is Lin."

...Um?

Lin looked up at her with a puzzled expression, while Theresa looked at the two of them with a curious gaze.

"Lin? Who's that?"

Is there anyone in our town named this?

The onlookers whispered amongst themselves, while the Herrscher of Reason waved his hand and exclaimed, "That's him!"

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Lin.

"Hey, you know what, she's really good-looking."

"Wow... he has the face of a scumbag."

"Xiao Shi, don't let yourself be fooled by that scumbag."

"..."

Lin Youyou glanced at the Herrscher of Reason, completely unaware of the implications of her words. She probably meant that among the opposite sex, Lin was the only one she didn't think had ever harmed her.

However... Lin still didn't care much.

He remained indifferent to the gazes of others, and the matchmaking event began at that moment.

The host walked onto the stage, holding a cue card and microphone, and said with a smile, "Welcome everyone to the 49th Blind Date Event in Salt Lake Town."

... This thing has actually been held forty-nine times?

"First of all, welcome our special guest judges: Xiao Shi, who is quite popular in Salt Lake Town; Ms. Theresa, representing Anti-Entropy; and our mystery guest, Lin."

The three of them stood up and greeted the audience. Xiao Shi looked confused, but she smiled back when many people smiled at her. Theresa's smile was a little stiff, and Lin Ze had no expression at all.

"Well then, without further ado, let's welcome our first female guest."

The first girl to go on stage looked to be around twenty years old. She wore round-framed glasses, had her hair in a braid, and looked rather plain. She seemed quite nervous.

The host is only responsible for the opening remarks and the transitions, leaving everything else to the judges and guests. These organizers really have a good plan.

"Hello, this is a sound check." The Herrscher of Reason blew two breaths into the microphone, then leaned back in his chair casually and said, "Name, home address, age, hobbies, special skills, height and weight, bust, waist, and hip measurements..."

"Eh? Do I... do I have to talk about these things?" The girl with glasses timidly shrank back, looking pitifully at the mischievous Herrscher of Reason.

Theresa quickly interrupted, "Ahem, no need. Just introduce yourself normally, then show off your talents and say what kind of partner you hope to find."

"Ugh, that's so boring," the Herrscher of Reason complained.

The girl gave Theresa a grateful look, then mustered up the courage to introduce herself. She was probably sent by her family, and she didn't seem very happy about it.

"My... my program is singing..."

... That's too conventional.

After the song, which was neither particularly good nor bad, was finished, the audience remained largely unmoved, while the girl in the audience, caught in a moment of silence, looked like she was about to cry.

"... Would you like to find a man who is a little older than you?"

At this moment, a cold voice came from the speakers. The girl was stunned for a moment and looked at the male judge who had been sitting silently in the third seat.

He was holding the registration information of the guests, which included various things and intentions filled out by the girls in advance.

Yes, yes.

"You don't really know what kind of partner you're looking for. There are older men everywhere. You should be a little more specific about your life and not underestimate yourself. While improving yourself, you should also raise your standards for choosing a partner, otherwise you will only regret it."

After speaking calmly to the girl, Lin picked up the microphone and asked the audience, "Does anyone want to try it out with her?"

Silence reigned.

The girl almost burst into tears again, just as Lin continued, "Sure enough, a meeting with strangers and without sincerity is not something anyone would want to get to know. Relationships are built on an equal footing. The guests introduce themselves, but everyone else is just an observer, a stranger to the guests. You probably don't want to associate with someone you don't know anything about, right?"

The girl nodded blankly.

Indeed, although it is possible to get acquainted before engaging in a relationship, the participating guests may not necessarily agree, and in such a scenario, few people have the courage to refuse.

This is an unequal relationship.

"Then go find someone yourself. Rather than associating with someone you don't like, try finding someone you do like."

After Lin finished speaking, he put down the microphone.

Theresa looked at Lin in surprise, never expecting him to say such a thing.

The girl tugged at the hem of her clothes. "I... I understand... Um... Mr. Lin... right?"

"..."

"Excuse me... can I try it with you?"

Suddenly, the scene fell silent.

Elysian Realm of "Flying Flowers": Chapter Four - The Farce

"Something has changed on site... Ah!"

The host was suddenly kicked away from behind, and Herrscher of Reason grabbed the microphone and excitedly announced, "Something has changed on set! The unexpected person to confess to is Lin! Indeed, in terms of age, Lin meets her criteria for a partner, but will Lin say yes?"

"No."

A single, understated word ended the girl's first love.

After the girl left the stage, the Herrscher of Reason sat back down and waved to Lin: "Hey Lin, what's wrong with giving her a chance?"

"People will die."

"Haha, you can even joke now."

Theresa coughed lightly. "Ahem... Anyway, let's hurry up and invite the next person."

However, what happened next exceeded everyone's expectations.