Chapter 30: A Blind Date Encounter with Officer Du!

The next day was Saturday. Tang Ye had stayed up late the night before preparing some documents and did not wake up until after nine.

Qin Lan had breakfast ready. Tang Ye heated some cold porridge in the microwave and read the newspaper while he ate. There was no report in the paper about Aio Electrical's investment and factory construction in Pinghu; news was not expected until Monday.

His phone chimed. Tang Ye opened it to find a message from Du Xi: "Do you have time this weekend? I'd love to hear you sing your signature song, 'Embroidering the Red Flag'."

Tang Ye hadn't expected Du Xi to remember that. "I'll book a private room and send you the location and room number later."

"Just the two of us?"

Tang Ye replied, "If it's just us, we'll sing until our throats are sore. I'll call Sun Hai; he's a karaoke addict and won't let the mood drop. You can bring a female friend."

"I have a colleague who loves to sing. You've met her."

Tang Ye remembered the girl with the round face and fiery personality; Sun Hai might like her. "See you tonight, then."

Seeing Tang Ye's agreement, a smile tugged at the corners of Du Xi's mouth.

Not long after he hung up, Qin Lan returned home with a grocery basket. Seeing Tang Ye lounging lazily on the sofa scratching his feet, she was both amused and annoyed. "You're a deputy town mayor, at least try to look the part."

Tang Ye said nonchalantly, "It's a rare weekend; one should relax when they can."

Qin Lan walked over, grabbed his ear, and marched him toward his room. "Go change your clothes immediately. After lunch, you're going to the Blue Island Cafe to meet a girl." Qin Lan knew her son well: when it was time to act, she had to act; she shouldn't waste time arguing with him.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Tang Ye pretended to be in pain and ducked into his room. Once Qin Lan went to the kitchen, he smiled, hummed a tune, and changed into a T-shirt and jeans.

After lunch, Tang Ye arrived at the Blue Island Cafe. He waited for half an hour before his blind date finally showed up.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?" The girl was two years younger than Tang Ye, worked at a bank, and her parents were both government employees. She offered no explanation for her delay. In her view, it was only natural for a girl to keep a boy waiting.

"It's fine. What would you like to drink? Let me order you a coffee." Tang Ye didn't ask why she was late and signaled to the waiter.

The girl shook her head. "No need. We'll just sit for a bit and chat. If we're a match, we'll date for a while. If not, let's not stay in contact."

Tang Ye hadn't expected her to be so blunt, and he chuckled. "You have quite a personality."

She smiled faintly. "According to the matchmaker, you're a civil servant. May I ask what your salary is?"

Tang Ye answered honestly, "I take home about two or three thousand a month."

A look of disappointment crossed her face, and she continued to probe, "You must have some hidden income, right?"

Tang Ye shook his head with a bitter smile. "No. You have a misunderstanding of civil servants."

She looked skeptical. "I have a colleague whose husband works at the Tax Bureau. His salary doesn't even get touched; he hands her three hundred yuan every single day."

Tang Ye said earnestly, "I suggest you stay away from that colleague. Being that vocal about family secrets is reckless—doesn't she worry about something going wrong?"

"You aren't wearing a toupee, are you?"

Tang Ye was speechless. "Do you want to pull it and see?"

"No, no! Can you stand up? The matchmaker said you were one meter eighty-five, but I don't think you're that tall."

Tang Ye immediately stood up, took a few steps, and sat back down. "The matchmaker exaggerated. I'm one meter eighty-one. How about that? My walking posture is fine, right? I'm not a cripple!"

She looked him up and down. "You're easy on the eyes, and your personality isn't bad. How about we exchange contact information?"

Tang Ye shook his head, feeling disinterested. "Forget it. I don't have the ability to hand over three hundred a day."

The girl froze, huffed, and grabbed her purse to leave decisively. Before she even reached the door, she pulled out her phone and started complaining. "Auntie, what kind of person did you set me up with? He was incredibly rude, acting like he was something special. Don't introduce me to anyone like that again."

Tang Ye's gaze shifted to the southwest corner. There was a blind date happening there, too. A man in a suit stood up abruptly and walked away, looking dejected. The girl sitting opposite him then walked toward Tang Ye.

She wore a white dress with a pink belt at the waist that accentuated her slender figure, and the fabric featured tiny silver flowers, giving her a pure and elegant air. She wore white leather shoes that revealed her insteps, and her long, straight calves were exposed, as smooth and round as fresh lotus roots.

"What a coincidence." Du Xi looked at Tang Ye with a smile.

"Old classmate, I've suffered a defeat in the field of love. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a coffee?"

Du Xi covered her mouth and laughed. "Is it that bad? Did she not even have a coffee?"

Tang Ye sighed helplessly. "She asked about my salary right away. When I said two or three thousand, she started asking about my 'under-the-table' income."

Du Xi frowned in surprise. "How could she do that!"

Tang Ye asked with a smile, "And yours? It looked like you angered him into leaving..."

Du Xi glared at him and explained patiently, "I told him the truth—that I didn't feel a spark."

Tang Ye laughed. "You're even more hurtful!"

Du Xi had her own philosophy. "If I'm not interested, I shouldn't give the wrong signals to avoid getting tangled up later."

Tang Ye grinned. "Bold and straightforward! But it's very difficult to find a suitable partner with that mindset."

Du Xi said seriously, "I need to find someone I actually like. If I just settle, it would be too miserable."

One was too realistic. The other was too idealistic.

The coffee arrived; Du Xi had ordered a latte. Tang Ye took a sip of his Americano, its bitterness filling his mouth. "You've changed a lot. You used to be so quiet."

Du Xi remembered their high school days. "People always change. You've changed quite a bit, too!"

Tang Ye joked, "True. We were both late bloomers, but we've certainly grown up now!"

It took a moment for Du Xi to catch his meaning. She glared at him. "You're as foul-mouthed and cheeky as ever."

Just as Tang Ye was about to steer the conversation back, Du Xi's expression turned serious. She stood up abruptly and ran toward the door.

"They're stealing a child!"

"Someone, help me!"

A woman in the middle of the road had collapsed to the ground, crying out in panic. A man wearing a baseball cap was covering a little girl's mouth with a white towel while sprinting toward a four-way intersection. A pickup truck was idling there with its side door open, waiting for him.

Driven by professional instinct, Du Xi was the first to react. "That's a child trafficker!"

As Tang Ye stepped outside, he saw a middle-aged man standing stunned by his bicycle. He snatched the handlebars from the man's hands. "Sorry, I'm borrowing this!"

Du Xi, feeling her high heels were a hindrance, was about to kick them off to give chase barefoot. Suddenly, she heard the ringing of a bicycle bell behind her. She turned to see Tang Ye pedaling past her.

The man sensed someone behind him and his pupils constricted. A young man was charging straight at him on a heavy-duty bicycle. The young man's eyes were wide as saucers, his hair blown upright by the wind, his face filled with rage, and he was letting out a bestial roar.

"Stop right there!"

*Screech!* The tires left a semicircular mark on the pavement. Tang Ye kept one foot on the ground and one on the pedal, blocking the street and cutting off the man's escape.

The man wasn't one to be trifled with; he pulled a six-inch switchblade from his pocket. "Get lost, or I'll stab you, you little brat."

"Watch out!"

Du Xi, watching from a distance, broke into a cold sweat, terrified that Tang Ye would get hurt. Tang Ye didn't retreat an inch; he swung the bicycle frame at the man. The man was struck in the left leg, completely stunned by Tang Ye's actions. This young man wasn't just fearless—he was absolutely savage!