Huo Yuchen's eyebrows wrinkled slightly as he looked at her in disgust. This woman was really shameful.
"What's with that look? Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you. I'll pay for my own food, let's go Dutch."
Who could blame her for being broke right now? She had to carefully budget just to be able to eat.
Huo Yuchen ignored her and walked away with a dark look on his face.
Su Ningxi...
Humph! This man really had a terrible temper.
She took out her phone, opened WeChat, and decisively blocked him. She didn't even look at the several messages he had sent, deciding then and there not to contact this loser ever again.
Just as she was about to put her phone away and leave, her date called. "What are you..."
Before he could finish, Su Ningxi said, "Don't contact me again."
After hanging up decisively, he called her again. He hadn't been able to get a word out earlier, and now he was calling her again. Something must be wrong with him.
"Waiter, the check please."
The waiter walked over politely. "Miss, the gentleman who was just here with you has already paid."
"He paid for everything?" Su Ningxi asked uncertainly, still not quite believing that Huo Yuchen could be so gentlemanly.
The waiter replied, "Yes, miss."
Well, that was a bit gentlemanly of him after all.
Just after leaving the cafe, her grandpa called.
"Su Ningxi, you've gotten shameless! You agreed to go on that date, but stood him up in the end and even blocked his number. How do you expect me to explain this to him?"
Before she could even get a word in, Old Master Sheng started yelling at her.
Su Ningxi cursed Huo Yuchen in her heart.
He had run to tattle so quickly. Not only tattling, but even falsely accusing her of standing him up. That was going too far. He really was a petty man, just as she thought. She had just been praising his gentlemanly conduct, but clearly she was wrong...
"Grandpa, what are you talking about? We just left the cafe. He obviously didn't like me and is making things up."
Su Ningxi made her voice sound very aggrieved.
"Nonsense, he was praising how pretty you are just yesterday. He clearly showed a lot of interest in you." Old Master Sheng didn't believe what Su Ningxi said. His old friend had vouched for the young man's good character.
"Oh Grandpa! How can you be so naive at your age? He's your elder, so of course he had to praise your granddaughter as pretty to your face. Would he dare call me ugly?"
Old Master Sheng was left speechless by Su Ningxi's rebuttal. What she said did make sense.
"You'd better not be lying to me. If I find out you lied, you'll face the consequences."
"I'm telling the truth, he said I was ugly earlier. If it wasn't for your introduction, I would have hit him." Su Ningxi made her voice sound even more aggrieved.
"Nonsense, what's ugly about you?" As soon as he heard someone call his granddaughter ugly, Old Master Sheng immediately became unhappy. His granddaughter was a great beauty, incomparable to most.
Sensing that she had successfully distracted her grandpa, Su Ningxi acted even more wronged. "But that's what he said."
Left uncertain by Su Ningxi's words, Old Master Sheng fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Since that's the case, don't take it to heart. I'll find someone else for you."
Su Ningxi wanted to refuse, but unwillingly said, "Okay, call me again when you find someone suitable, Grandpa."
She had a feeling her life would be filled with endless blind dates from now on. Just thinking about it made her head hurt.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuchen had left the cafe and driven straight back to the family estate.
The estate consisted of the main house and four villas, one villa in each cardinal direction belonging to Huo Zhidong, Huo Zhinan, Huo Zhixi, and Huo Xiaobei, the four Huo siblings. Old Master Huo lived in the main house.
As soon as Huo Yuchen entered, he saw Huo Zhidong drinking tea in the living room.
"Grandfather."
Seeing Huo Yuchen come in, Old Master Huo eagerly asked, "Yuchen, you're back! Did you meet Ms. Liu? How was the meeting?"
"Not good," Huo Yuchen replied bluntly. He didn't mention that she hadn't shown up at all. If he had, they would certainly insist on arranging another meeting.
This wasn't the first time Old Master Huo had heard this response. Each time Huo Yuchen returned from an arranged date, he would say the girl wasn't good enough. Anger welled up in Old Master Huo. "Shameless, coming back after it didn't work out."
That girl came from a good family, with excellent character and looks. She was a good match for Huo Yuchen. This boy was too picky without reason. He would be thirty soon, the girl didn't disdain his age and that was already fortunate. How dare he be so choosy?
Seeing Old Master Huo's anger, Huo Yuchen was unaffected. In a bland tone he said, "Didn't you call me to come back?"
His tone implied that if Old Master Huo hadn't called him back, he wouldn't have wanted to return.
"What's your attitude?" Old Master Huo slammed down the teacup in his hand heavily.
Huo Yuchen ignored him. "I still have work to do at the company. I'm leaving first."
He had barely taken a few steps when the butler came in from outside. "Young Master, you're leaving already? Stay for dinner first!"
Huo Yuchen declined. "No need."
"Let him go. What dinner? He can't even find a girlfriend, yet still has the nerve to eat. Let him starve to death."
Huo Yuchen didn't even pause in his steps as he disappeared through the doorway.
Seeing Old Master Huo's angry state, the butler walked over with a smile. "Old Master, you're fighting with Young Master again?"
Old Master Huo said in irritation, "Don't mention him. The thought of him just makes me angry."
The butler smiled helplessly.
Then he heard Old Master Huo continue, "Old Yu, do you think he's deliberately trying to anger me to death? He's almost thirty and still not anxious. The girls I pick, he looks down on them. He doesn't care himself either. I wonder if he doesn't like women at all."
Butler Yu replied, "The Young Master understands your caring intentions. If he meant to anger you, he probably wouldn't have agreed to go at all. With the Young Master's handsome looks and outstanding abilities, his tastes are naturally a bit higher. Perhaps he just hasn't met a girl who moves his heart yet."
Old Master Huo sighed. In that case, just how high were his standards? He had already introduced him to all the best young ladies of prominence in the capital, yet Huo Yuchen hadn't liked any of them. This would worry him to death.
*****
That night, Su Ningxi had just gotten off work and entered the changing room when someone suddenly jumped out from somewhere behind and grabbed her.
It happened so suddenly that Su Ningxi screamed in fright.
"Baby, you're mine tonight," said a lecherous voice from behind.
Hearing this, a vicious light flashed through Su Ningxi's eyes. She stomped down hard on the back of his foot with her high-heeled work shoes, immediately eliciting a pig-slaughtering shriek of pain in the changing room.
Just off work, she hadn't had time to change out of her heels yet. This stomp was bound to cripple his foot, if not make it hurt for a good long while.
She turned and kicked again, this time aiming for the man's crotch, but unfortunately he dodged quickly.
Only now did Su Ningxi get a clear look at the attacker, a bald man in his forties or fifties, fat-faced and pot-bellied. Remembering she had been grabbed by him just now made her feel sick, like she had swallowed a fly.
