Volume 1, Chapter 11: Were you two just on a blind date?

As they were speaking, Xia Xiyin noticed her aunt waving in the direction behind her. Her aunt’s smile was stretching almost to her ears, and she was winking enthusiastically.

"Manager Liu, over here!"

Xia Xiyin looked back to see a Land Rover parked by the roadside. A short, chubby man stepped out of the vehicle and waddled toward them. The sight of his protruding belly and the heavy, labored breathing coming from his nose made Xia Xiyin instinctively turn her head away.

"Manager Liu, you arrived quite quickly." Yang Su’e hurried forward a few steps, smiling obsequiously. "Come, let me introduce you."

Xia Xiyin made to leave—if it was rude, so be it; she had never agreed to this blind date in the first place.

But Yang Su’e was quick. She grabbed Xia Xiyin’s wrist tightly and whispered through gritted teeth, "Xiyin, let me introduce you. This is the Manager Liu I told you about. He’s a good man, capable, family-oriented, and treats his wife well."

Xia Xiyin had no choice but to look at the chubby man. As their eyes met, the glint in his gaze made her heart shudder—she prayed he wasn't interested in her.

"Hello, beautiful," Manager Liu said, acting the gentleman as he reached out to shake her hand.

Xia Xiyin gave a stiff, awkward smile and reached out, barely touching his fingertips.

Seeing them shake hands, Yang Su’e was delighted. "Manager Liu, I know you’re busy. Why don't you two add each other on WeChat so you can chat slowly later? Let’s just keep it simple for today."

Manager Liu took out his phone, but Xia Xiyin didn't move.

"Beautiful, let’s add each other," Manager Liu said with a chuckle, his facial fat bunching together. "Send me a selfie first. The photos I saw of you before don't do you justice."

"Yes, yes, send him one," Yang Su’e urged, nudging Xia Xiyin. "The photos I had were from two years ago; they’re too plain compared to how stylish you look now."

Xia Xiyin didn't reach for her phone. Feeling disgusted, she said sternly to the man, "Manager Liu, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of dating right now. I think it’s better not to waste each other’s time. My apologies."

"What are you saying?" Yang Su’e’s face flushed with anger. She scolded her and gave her arm a rough shove.

Xia Xiyin looked at her aunt, unhappy. "Aunt, haven't I made myself clear? You brought someone to my office for a blind date without my consent. The fact that I’m still standing here is me being polite to you. I’m stating this clearly now for everyone’s sake!"

She turned back to Manager Liu. "I trust you understand now?"

Manager Liu wasn't angry; he just smiled and nodded. "I understand, but I can't leave empty-handed, can I? Let’s just be friends. Adding each other on WeChat isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"I have social anxiety, and I don't add strangers on WeChat. No," Xia Xiyin said, wanting to end the farce, and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Yang Su’e blocked her path. "Xiyin, don't be rude. Manager Liu came all this way. Why are you making such a fuss over adding a WeChat contact?"

"Aunt, if you don't think it's a fuss, why don't you add him yourself!" Xia Xiyin felt miserable, and her tone became sharp.

Stung, Yang Su’e’s face turned bright red. "How are you talking? Is that how you speak to your elders?"

Manager Liu stepped closer, refusing to let it go. "Beautiful, it’s just a WeChat add. Why are you so resistant? Won't you even give me this much face?"

"Yes, I am quite resistant," Xia Xiyin replied coldly.

Seeing that she really wouldn't play along, Manager Liu’s expression darkened. He asked unpleasantly, "What is it? You don't think I’m good enough for you? You think I’m not a match for you?"

Xia Xiyin saw his aggressive posture and, wanting to avoid a scene, was just about to offer a perfunctory excuse when she heard someone call her name.

"Yinyin."

Zhou Yu’an walked over, dressed in a sharp suit and exuding an imposing aura.

"Why didn't you come upstairs to have lunch with me? What are you doing here?" Zhou Yu’an asked, looking only at her, ignoring the others. With that, he took her hand and prepared to lead her away.

"I was just about to go find you," Xia Xiyin said.

Seeing Zhou Yu’an arrive didn't bring her peace of mind; instead, she felt a sense of guilt, knowing this secret would likely be impossible to keep now.

The sudden appearance of this man left Yang Su’e and Manager Liu staring at each other in confusion. Seeing that Xia Xiyin was about to be taken away, they moved to block their path.

"Who are you? Do you know what we’re doing here? You just walk up and try to take her?" Yang Su’e shrieked, reaching out to rudely pull their hands apart.

Manager Liu also chimed in, "Brother, everything follows a pecking order. Let’s follow the rules. Wait until I’m done with my date, then you can come over."

Zhou Yu’an looked down at Xia Xiyin, a faint, unreadable smile on his face. "Yinyin, if I’m not mistaken, he’s implying that you two were just on a blind date?"

As he asked, he tightened his grip on her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Xia Xiyin looked up at him, observing his expression. His eyes held a trace of a smile, and she couldn't detect any genuine anger. "I’ll explain when we go back," she whispered cautiously.

Noticing the strange dynamic between them, Yang Su’e asked skeptically, "Xiyin, who is this man? What is your relationship?"

"I am Xia Xiyin’s boyfriend," Zhou Yu’an replied.

Yang Su’e let out a surprised "Oh," raised an eyebrow, and looked Zhou Yu’an up and down. She then crossed her arms and asked, "Are you also an employee at Tianyu? Which department are you in?"

Xia Xiyin pulled at Yang Su’e, unhappy. "Aunt, just go back. I’ll talk to you tonight."

Yang Su’e shook off her hand and continued to press Zhou Yu’an. "How much do you earn a month at the company? What do your parents do for a living? If you marry her, how much of a dowry can you give our Xiyin?"

Zhou Yu’an just smiled and said nothing.

The wind of humiliation finally blew directly into Xia Xiyin’s face. At that moment, she was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.

"Good afternoon, President Zhou," an employee said while passing by.

Zhou Yu’an gave a slight nod. He then took Xia Xiyin’s hand and said, "Let’s go back for lunch; I’m hungry."

As Xia Xiyin was led away, she looked back at Yang Su’e, signaling for her to leave quickly.

Watching them leave, Manager Liu snapped at Yang Su’e, "What kind of mess did you arrange? She already has a boyfriend, and you still set her up with me? Are you playing me for a fool?"

"I’m so sorry, Manager Liu," Yang Su’e apologized profusely. "The child didn't tell me. Please don't be angry; I’ll introduce you to someone else later."

"I’m not done with you for this!" Manager Liu, having other things to attend to, didn't waste any more breath and drove off.

Yang Su’e didn't pay attention to his outburst; she was still staring at the two figures approaching the office building.

Just then, another employee passed by. She grabbed the woman and pointed at Zhou Yu’an in the distance. "Young lady, let me ask you, which department is that President Zhou in?"

The woman didn't think twice. She looked in the direction Yang Su’e was pointing and replied, "Auntie, that’s our company’s big boss, President Zhou."

"Big boss? The one in charge? Tianyu is his?" Yang Su’e nearly lost her footing, asking in disbelief.

"Yes, he is the head of Tianyu," the woman said, then walked away.

Yang Su’e stood stunned for a moment. Then, as if she had lost her mind, she slapped her thighs and burst into loud laughter toward the sky.