Yao Jingjing sat in the coffee shop, completely unaware of what was happening in the alleyway.
Before she knew it, a light rain began to fall outside the window. The raindrops pattered against the glass, making a disturbing sound that unsettled her.
More than half an hour had passed since the agreed-upon blind date time, and if she still hadn't arrived, then she probably wouldn't come at all. Yao Jingjing breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had escaped a disaster.
She reached the door and realized she hadn't brought an umbrella. The rain wasn't heavy, but she'd likely get soaked on the way home. As she took out her phone to call a taxi, she remembered what had happened the night before and, still shaken, put her phone down.
Several tables were set up outside the café, each with a large parasol above it. Yao Jingjing, no longer in a hurry, casually chose a spot and sat down to admire the rain-soaked old street. A few drops of rain drifted under the parasol and landed on her, bringing a refreshing coolness. The sound of raindrops falling on the blue bricks was like a beautiful piano piece, while the wet streets and walls of the old houses resembled an ancient painting.
She saw a person standing at the alley entrance in the painting, with messy hair, wearing an old-fashioned trench coat and trousers, one hand in his pocket and the other carrying a small leather suitcase. His appearance perfectly matched the mood of the painting.
Yao Jingjing's heart started pounding again, but this time she didn't rush to her feet. Instead, she calmly closed her eyes, rubbed her eyelids, and thought: Impossible, this must be a hallucination!
She told herself to face reality and stop indulging in those unrealistic and impossible dreams; everything was in the past. Now, she had to face her mother's illness and how to solve the problem of money for her treatment.
Thinking this, her previously pounding heart calmed down. She covered her eyes with her hands, telling herself that if she opened her eyes and saw that person again, she would run to him, regardless of whether he was the person she was thinking of; she had to run to see who he was. But she knew she probably wouldn't see him; it was probably just her imagination. How could there be two people in the world who looked so alike, and such extraordinary people at that?
She didn't know whether she let go of her hands with hope or self-mockery, and suddenly opened her eyes. Just then, a Cayenne drove into the old street, blocking her view.
The car stopped in front of the coffee shop. A young man and a middle-aged woman got out. They walked side by side toward the coffee shop's entrance, the woman holding an umbrella to shield the young man, who was half a head taller than her, from the rain.
When the man reached Yao Jingjing's side, he suddenly stopped and stared at her blankly. The woman holding the umbrella for him stopped and asked, " Feiyu, what's wrong?"
"She... she..." The man kept staring at Yao Jingjing, making her very uncomfortable.
The middle-aged woman also looked over, sizing Yao Jingjing up and down a few times, then said with an "Oh," "My son has good eyesight; I didn't even see her if you hadn't told me." She took a few steps closer and said to Yao Jingjing, "You're Jingjing, right?"
Yao Jingjing was stunned for a moment, then realized that it was her blind date. However, wasn't he a little too late?
Out of politeness, she stood up and answered, "I am Yao Jingjing. May I ask who you two are...?"
The young man said, "I am Xiang Feiyu. We..."
Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged woman pulled him into the coffee shop. "It's raining outside, let's go inside and talk." Then she turned to Yao Jingjing and said, "You come in too." Her tone was like that of a princess in an ancient costume drama ordering her maid around.
Yao Jingjing knew that her blind date today was named Xiang Feiyu. She thought they would make up some excuse for being late, but she didn't expect his mother's attitude to be so arrogant.
She thought it was getting late, and there probably wasn't much to talk about. But remembering her mother's repeated instructions, and the fact that Aunt Zhao had introduced them, she worried that things might get awkward later if things went wrong. Since she was already there, she figured she might as well get acquainted, go in, say a few words, and then find an excuse to leave.
She went into the coffee shop and sat down with the mother and son.
The middle-aged woman called over a waiter and, without asking Yao Jingjing's opinion, ordered three cups of coffee, as if she knew Yao Jingjing's tastes. However, the coffee she ordered was the kind Yao Jingjing hated the most.
Yao Jingjing said, "Oh, no need, Auntie, I already had some."
The woman ignored her and had the waiter place her order. Then she began to scrutinize Yao Jingjing closely.
Yao Jingjing felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but as a flight attendant, she was used to dealing with all sorts of people and stares. She gave a signature smile and waited for the other person to speak.
The middle-aged woman looked at her for a while, then nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad. Good looks and good temperament." She then glanced at her Patek Philippe watch. "She's also very patient, waiting for forty-five minutes. Overall, she's quite excellent; she could be a daughter-in-law of the Xiang family."
Yao Jingjing was completely bewildered. Was this a blind date or a concubine selection? Why were they starting to criticize and judge him without considering his feelings? Besides, this was the first time she had ever encountered a man on a blind date accompanied by his mother.
The middle-aged woman then said to her son, " Feiyu, do you like him?"
Xiang Feiyu stared intently at Yao Jingjing, nodded, and said, "I like it."
The middle-aged woman said to Yao Jingjing, "Okay, then it's like this. I have three conditions. First, you must have a prenuptial agreement; second, you must have at least two children within three years of marriage, and if you don't have a boy, you must prepare for a third child, otherwise we will divorce; third, I know you are an only child, but all your children must have the surname Xiang, not Yao, so if we divorce, you cannot fight for custody of the children."
Yao Jingjing was speechless, completely bewildered. Where did this woman get her confidence? Was she the world's richest woman?
Seeing that Yao Jingjing didn't speak, the woman assumed she agreed and said with a smile, "Then it's settled. We'll go to get it done in a bit."
Yao Jingjing said, "Auntie, you haven't asked for my opinion yet, have you?"
The woman said, "You can give me your opinions, but you need to hurry. I'm very busy, and you need to be punctual in business."
"It seems someone was 45 minutes late." Given the woman's attitude, Yao Jingjing's tone became equally rude.
The woman seemed surprised that Yao Jingjing would talk back to her. She paused for a moment, then said, "You're a flight attendant; your job depends on your youth. If you don't rely on your body, how much money can you earn? Your forty-five minutes are worthless compared to me."
Then she stood up and said to her son, "Son, let's go. Such an impolite woman can't come into our house."
Xiang Feiyu didn't leave, still staring intently at Yao Jingjing: "No, Mom, I want her."
Yao Jingjing then realized that Xiang Feiyu had brought his mother along to the blind date, seemed to have some mental issues.
Unable to persuade her son, Xiang Feiyu's mother sat down again and looked at Yao Jingjing, saying, "Besides the three things I just mentioned, all the clothes and jewelry Feiyu buys for you from now on, no matter how expensive, will be yours. And the car—after we get married, you can choose any car under one million. Our Xiang family's daughter-in-law will always be presentable when she goes out."
Yao Jingjing remained unmoved and said, "I'm sorry, I'm here for a blind date, not to sell myself." She finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up to leave.
The middle-aged woman sneered and suddenly said, "Is your mother sick? She needs the money, doesn't she?"
Yao Jingjing's body jolted, and she stood there frozen as if struck by lightning.