Chapter 10 – Blind Date
Novel Title: 我们已经分手了 (We Have Broken Up)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 刘帆 (Liu Fan -MC), 陈谦 (Chen Qian -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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On Sunday afternoon, Liu Fan left home on time, making sure he had his wallet, phone, and keys before heading to Liu Guomu. This time, he arrived early. After being shown to his seat, he sent a message to his date, informing them of the table number.
The other person arrived shortly after, right on time. Wearing rimless glasses, he looked refined. And objectively speaking, he was quite attractive.
He sat across from Liu Fan. “Hello, you must be Liu Fan. Nice to meet you, I’m Zhang Zhou.”
“Hello, what do you like to eat?” Liu Fan asked out of politeness. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t muster any real enthusiasm. They each ordered their dishes and soon fell into a silence.
It wasn’t that Liu Fan couldn’t find something to talk about. He simply didn’t feel like talking.
Zhang Zhou smiled and asked, “I heard you’re a copywriter, right?”
“Yeah, I work as a copywriter in a small company. You’re a programmer in the high-tech zone, right?” Out of courtesy, Liu Fan maintained eye contact with Zhang Zhou, who looked back at him confidently.
“Yes, I’m a coder.” Zhang Zhou was quite different from the stereotypical introverted IT worker. He was very talkative, clear in his logic, and knowledgeable. Surprisingly, as they chatted, Liu Fan found himself enjoying the conversation. And they had a pleasant meal together.
As they finished eating, Zhang Zhou still looked as immaculate as when he arrived. He spoke calmly, “I feel a strong connection with you. Honestly, I’m looking for a lifelong partner, not just a fling. I believe you are too, right?”
For some reason, Liu Fan felt like sighing. He nodded, “Of course.”
“I have an older brother. So it was relatively easy for me to get my family to accept my orientation. I know your family has accepted you as well, so we don’t face any obstacles in that regard.” Zhang Zhou continued methodically, “I currently earn an annual salary of 200,000 yuan and my career is steadily progressing. I just bought a car. I own a property, with a mortgage to be paid off in ten years. You can move in with me, or I can move in with you. The other property can be rented out. I’ve also planned our future finances. As long as there are no major accidents, we won’t have any financial difficulties in our old age.”
Liu Fan was speechless.
Zhang Zhou seemed to take his silence as an agreement. “I’ve also looked into the matter of adopting a child. The requirements in our country are very strict. But if it’s a collateral relative within three generations, the conditions are more lenient. I’m considering asking my older brother to have another child and pass it on to us. If you have any relatives, that could work too.”
Liu Fan was speechless.
Zhang Zhou smiled, “According to the law, we can’t adopt until we’re thirty, so there’s plenty of time to prepare mentally. Do you like dogs?”
Liu Fan struggled to respond, “They’re good.”
“I like dogs too. But I’ve been too busy with work to take care of one. If we live together, we can take turns. What kind of dog do you like?”
Liu Fan felt overwhelmed. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Golden retriever?”
“A golden retriever is a good choice. They’re very intelligent, gentle, and active, making them great companions. Although I prefer small dogs, I’ll go with your preference.” Zhang Zhou nodded. “It’s better to raise them from a young age to train them well. If you’re free next Saturday, we can go to the dog shelter and pick one out.”
Liu Fan was left speechless again, feeling bewildered. He had been on many blind dates. But it was the first time someone had jumped straight into discussing married life on the first meeting. Resisting the urge to ask, ‘What’s the nature of our relationship?’ he instead politely said, “I think we need to get to know each other better. It’s too early to discuss these things.”
“What do you mean by ‘getting to know each other better’?” Zhang Zhou’s question sounded ambiguous. But his sincere smile dispelled any inappropriate connotations.
“I mean, we don’t know each other well enough yet.”
“I understand. But I thought our actions were aimed at spending our lives together. So, it’s important to share my future plans with you,” Zhang Zhou said, sipping his lemon water before continuing. “So, can you tell me what you envision for the future?”
This was a crucial question. Liu Fan had vaguely thought about it, but he had never outlined his future as clearly as Zhang Zhou had, like a well-prepared life plan.
Interestingly, he remembered asking a similar question to someone else in the past. He asked it almost accusingly, when he hadn’t even had a vague idea of his own future.
Liu Fan recalled that they ended up having a huge argument and breaking up.
He then said, “I just want to find someone I get along with and spend my life with.”
Zhang Zhou smiled, “It’s not easy for same-sex couples to stay together in this society. Even the divorce rate for heterosexual couples is rising. I think many people don’t know how to maintain a marriage. Marriage, in fact, has nothing to do with love.”
Although these words were disheartening, Liu Fan had to admit Zhang Zhou was right. Being in love didn’t necessarily mean staying together. There were too many external factors to consider.
There are two things in this world that can’t withstand erosion: youth and love.
Liu Fan said, “You see things very clearly.”
“Finding someone to spend a lifetime with isn’t as difficult as it seems,” Zhang Zhou looked at Liu Fan as if he were an inexperienced child. “It’s just about knowing what you want.”
Liu Fan’s gaze shifted as he thought for a moment, “Clearly, I’m someone who doesn’t know what I want but knows what I don’t want.”
Zhang Zhou tilted his head slightly, appearing to ponder seriously, “So, you’re saying you’ve categorised me as something you don’t want?”
“Don’t say it like that,” Liu Fan said with a smile. “To be honest, out of all the blind dates I’ve been on, you’re the one I feel the best about.”
“I hope you don’t dismiss me so quickly,” Zhang Zhou said, ignoring Liu Fan’s playful tone. “I might be just right for you.”
Indeed, Zhang Zhou could very well be suitable. His meticulousness and future plans were things Liu Fan lacked. Besides, setting aside Liu Fan’s personal feelings, Zhang Zhou was impeccable both economically and externally.
But still, it boiled down to the simple fact: “it’s impossible to move forward when you don’t have feelings for someone.”
Zhang Zhou, seemingly amused, asked, “So what kind of person do you like?”
Hearing his question, Liu Fan realised he had already blurted out his thoughts. Embarrassed, he rubbed his nose, acknowledging how girlish his words sounded without needing anyone else to point it out.
Zhang Zhou looked at him, “Have you ever had a relationship before?”
Liu Fan paused, then smiled honestly, “Yes.”
Zhang Zhou asked，“So, do you like someone like him?”
Chen Qian? What was he like?
As soon as this question popped up, Liu Fan’s mind was filled with so many thoughts. It felt like there was a lot to say. But when it came down to clearly describing it, everything became a blur.
He truly couldn’t find the right words to accurately describe the Chen Qian he had in mind.
“Probably not,” Liu Fan smiled and shook his head, “He has pretty low emotional intelligence.”
Zhang Zhou looked at him for a moment, “Your current state of mind isn’t suitable for blind dates. It’s a waste of your time and the other person’s time.”
Those words were quite blunt. Liu Fan stayed silent for a while and then sincerely said, “I’m sorry.”
“Apart from this thought of yours, I think you should still consider me,” Zhang Zhou said. “I’m quite satisfied with you. And we are well-matched in terms of our basic conditions.”
Curious, Liu Fan asked, “My financial capability and planning are not as good as yours. And I’m probably not mature enough in my thinking. What exactly are you satisfied with?”
Zhang Zhou responded calmly, “Your looks.”
“…Thank you.” His serious attitude made Liu Fan unsure if he was joking, making him feel both amused and helpless. Seeing that they were almost done with their meal, he said, “Let me get the bill today. I feel bad for wasting your time.”
Zhang Zhou didn’t argue over the bill. After Liu Fan settled it, they left together. At the door, Liu Fan politely declined Zhang Zhou’s offer to drive him home, “I live very close by. It’s just a short walk. Driving would be too much trouble.”
“Alright.” Despite this, Zhang Zhou didn’t leave immediately. He courteously walked down the restaurant steps alongside Liu Fan. Just then, two new patrons arrived.
Liu Fan was about to tell Zhang Zhou, ‘Take care’, when he suddenly felt a jolt. Turning his head back, he saw the two newcomers who had just stepped onto the stairs. He was taken aback, “What are you doing here?”
Chen Qian had already stopped in his tracks. The man beside him, who looked puzzled, followed suit. The man glanced at Liu Fan and carefully scrutinised him.
Chen Qian replied in a composed tone, “I came here to eat. What else?” He glanced at Zhang Zhou, “Boyfriend?”
Liu Fan walked down a few more steps until he was just two steps away from him. “No. Just friends.”
With any possibility of a relationship with Zhang Zhou now out of the question after the failed blind date, Liu Fan could only resort to a common description of their relationship. He glanced at the sky and furrowed his brow slightly. “Why are you eating so late?”
“I went to City M and just got back,” Chen Qian’s tone softened as he responded. “I stopped by to grab a meal on the way back.”
Seeing that they weren’t going to engage in small talk, Zhang Zhou took the initiative, “Well then, I’ll leave you two to talk. Take your time to think over what I said.”
He was not only well-planned but also seemed either persistent or confident in himself. Liu Fan smiled helplessly. “Sure. Take care.”
Once Zhang Zhou had left, the atmosphere between the two felt a bit awkward. They didn’t speak, nor did either think to part ways. The man next to Chen Qian seemed to break the silence with a playful tone, “Mr. Chen, I’m absolutely starving. Should I go in first?”
As soon as he spoke, although his tone had changed, Liu Fan felt a sense of familiarity. “Are you Li Yu?”
“Yes. He’s my assistant, the one who contacted you,” Chen Qian confirmed. “Are you full now?”
Liu Fan felt there was more behind Chen Qian’s question. But his focus was diverted due to digestion. Slowly, he nodded, “Yeah. I’m stuffed.”
Chen Qian remained silent. Liu Fan found himself at a loss for words as well.
The two of them suddenly looked at each other strangely, speechless. Finally, Chen Qian couldn’t stand it and waved his hand, “If you’re full, hurry back! Are the documents ready?”
“Yeah, almost done. I’ll show you on Monday. I’m off now. Bye.” Liu Fan passed by them, took a few steps, then turned back as if sensing something.
Li Yu had turned his head to look at him. He smiled and nodded when their eyes met, then turned back and walked into the restaurant with Chen Qian.
Liu Fan raised his eyebrows and shrugged. He then turned around and walked away.
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*Translator’s Note: Ah… A love rival, eh? -K
Next update: 2024.09.15 [Switching to daily updates]
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