Volume One, Chapter Three: The Blind Date

The hospital outpatient department was packed with people. Jiang Ning received her rabies vaccine and was hooked up to an IV. Because her fever was so high, she was even granted a bed normally reserved for severe cases. After one bottle of medicine had dripped through, the burning sensation in her face faded noticeably and she felt much better, drifting off to sleep. She only woke when a nurse came to swap out the IV bag.

The nurse asked her, as per routine, how she was feeling, then stood fiddling with the IV tube, hesitant to speak.

Jiang Ning, puzzled, asked, "Is something the matter?"

Her throat was so dry and hoarse from lack of water that her voice sounded as though it had been scraped with sandpaper.

The nurse glanced around, then bent down and whispered, "Sister, you can’t just look at a man’s face. Your boyfriend, apart from being tall and handsome, what else does he have? You’d better cut your losses while you can!"

Jiang Ning instinctively thought of Han Fang, but only belatedly remembered that he was already in her past—she didn’t even have a boyfriend now.

Her mind scolded her for being spineless, but her heart ached with a dense, uncontrollable pain.

The nurse, still indignant, continued, "His girlfriend is burning up with fever, and he ignores her to take the dog to the pet hospital first. A man like that—"

Seeing Jiang Ning's face turn pale, the nurse stopped herself. "You should rest well."

Jiang Ning massaged her temples and closed her eyes.

Clearly, there had been a misunderstanding. She guessed the dog's owner, having learned she was bitten, had come by to check on her.

At least they hadn’t shirked responsibility.

After all, the two had never met face to face. The bite had happened, and if the dog's owner pretended to know nothing, there’d be nothing she could do.

Once the IV was finished, Jiang Ning felt much better. The doctor prescribed three days of oral medication for her to take home.

The nurse reminded her to return for the remaining doses of the rabies vaccine on the third, seventh, fourteenth, and twenty-eighth days after the bite.

The dog's owner had already paid the medical fees; Jiang Ning only had to cover the cost of the oral medication.

Her mind was foggy with fever, her phone had died, and she’d forgotten to charge it.

Luckily, she found some loose change in her coat pocket—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to pay for the medicine and would have had to walk home.

It was hard to say whether this was pathetic or just a failure; at a time like this, she couldn’t think of a single person she could call for help.

When her phone was off, she couldn’t reach the numbers she remembered, and those she could reach, she didn’t remember their numbers.

Thinking it over, besides her own, the only number she knew by heart was Han Fang’s.

Jian Shuyan had complained about this, accusing her of putting romance above friendship.

So she’d made a point of memorizing Jian Shuyan’s number, only for Jian’s phone to be stolen and the number changed just as she’d learned it.

When Jiang Ning got home, she plugged in her phone, ordered takeout, and then went into the bathroom for a long shower.

As soon as her energy returned, her mind began to wander.

She thought of the time in college when she and Han Fang wandered through the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fair until their legs were sore but never felt tired. Then she remembered how they clung to their phones across continents, talking until the phones grew hot, reluctant to hang up.

But her thoughts soon circled back to that day at the school gate.

She’d naively thought he would propose, only to learn he was already married, his child due in two months.

Just half a month before, he’d still been sending her good morning and good night messages, caring for her over the phone.

Sometimes, in her lowest moments, she’d wonder if Han Fang chose another woman because she’d stuck too rigidly to her principles. Luckily, those moments were rare.

Thank goodness she’d held on to her values—men who can’t control themselves deserve to be discovered before marriage and treated as a blessing in disguise.

Standing under the shower, Jiang Ning tried to rinse away those unnecessary memories, clearing her mind of clutter.

After drying her hair, the takeout arrived just in time. She ate her fill, then went to Auntie Tian’s Matchmaking Agency.

Auntie Tian was an old friend of her grandparents. Her little shop, barely ten square meters, was lined on three walls with banners of gratitude from happy couples.

Auntie Tian knew Jiang Ning had a boyfriend. Learning she was now seeking a blind date, she was surprised but didn’t probe further.

With her plump, hearty hand on Jiang Ning’s shoulder, she chuckled, "Don’t worry, leave it to me. Coincidentally, I’ve just had a super handsome guy added to my list. I’ll get in touch with him and see when you two can meet."

Jiang Ning set a fruit basket on the table. "The sooner, the better."

Auntie Tian was a woman of action and had everything arranged by the next day—a lunch at a Sichuan restaurant.

Jiang Ning took the matter seriously and dressed carefully.

She arrived ten minutes early. Auntie Tian was already at the door, waving cheerfully.

Jiang Ning held a warm cup of milk tea, sipping for a bit of comfort, and had brought another unopened cup for Auntie Tian.

Auntie Tian accepted it and patted Jiang Ning’s hand. "Let me tell you, this one is the rarest catch I’ve ever had. If you’d come a day later, you’d have missed him. You’re in luck—seize the opportunity!"

Jiang Ning nodded obediently. "Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you."

Auntie Tian grew serious. "I mean it—this one’s truly exceptional. If it weren’t for your grandparents, I’d be reluctant to introduce him to you. For anyone else, I’d charge double the matchmaking fee and it still wouldn’t be enough."

Jiang Ning humored her and guided her to their reserved table.

She’d once stumbled upon one of Auntie Tian’s blind date setups—the man was a balding uncle and the praise was much the same, just with different highlights.

That uncle had immediately demanded that his future wife bear him two sons, scaring the woman off before the meal even started.

The two least trustworthy mouths in the world, Jiang Ning thought, belonged to men and matchmakers.

She was only here out of desperation. Agreeing to Han Fang’s event out of spite, she couldn’t go alone. Her circle was too small, so she had no choice but to try her luck with a blind date.

And, after all, she was no longer young. Expanding her social circle and meeting more people was no bad thing—who knew, perhaps her true match was waiting in Auntie Tian’s database.

Auntie Tian chattered on with instructions until noon, when the man arrived right on time.

Jiang Ning looked at the man across from her, and her smile deepened.

This time, Auntie Tian hadn’t exaggerated; the man was genuinely handsome!

Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, tall and upright, he wore a simple black shirt and trousers, but carried them with the poise of a bespoke suit.

His short hair was clean and crisp, and his facial features were precisely her type—striking on their own, even more impressive together. He was rugged and masculine, but in just the right measure, never overbearing.

Her next boyfriend simply had to be more handsome than Han Fang.

People say your identity is what you make of it—if you can spin a good story, you might get away with a little, but there’s no faking the hardware.

Short is short, ugly is ugly—there’s no pretending.

But that short hair and his stature… why did he seem so familiar?