“Then let’s keep watching.” The voice, which had lightened moments before, grew heavy once more.
Liang Sheng found the whole affair intriguing and continued to watch.
Mature Liang Sheng had returned from the restroom. She propped her chin on her hand, clearly scheming how to escape this trap of a blind date.
Jin Fugui had ordered steak—medium rare, no less. Liang Sheng had never tried anything like it. She stared at the meat threaded with veins of blood and simply couldn’t bring herself to eat. All she could do was watch the man across from her slice it up with elegant precision, piece by piece, and swallow it down.
Red wine? She didn’t touch the stuff. Instead, she unzipped her small purse and pulled out a bottle of lemon water to sip.
Jin Fugui chewed and asked at the same time, “Miss Liang, why aren’t you eating?”
Liang Sheng managed an awkward smile and fibbed, “I-I’m dieting.”
Jin Fugui flashed another of his sleazy grins. This one stretched too wide, baring his back molars. “Heh heh, you’re already so slim, Miss Liang. Dieting? That’s adorable.”
Mature Liang Sheng was at a loss for words, while the other Liang Sheng rolled her eyes hard. Greasy—too damn greasy!
The man remained oblivious, clinging to his notion of gentlemanly poise. He had no idea his image had shattered the instant his bald pate came to light.
“Miss, I think the eighth of next month is an auspicious day. Why don’t we head to the registry office?”
Liang Sheng’s jaw dropped. No way—they’d barely met, exchanged a handful of words, and he was already proposing marriage? This lightning wedding was absurdly rushed.
Zhao Xin, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly spoke up from the side. “Mr. Jin, if I may ask, what’s your monthly salary?”
“Fifty thousand.”
Zhao Xin’s eyes went wide. “And how much have you saved?”
“A few million, give or take.”
“Do you own property?”
“Yes—one apartment in the city and a little villa out in the countryside.”
Zhao Xin’s face lit up with a beaming smile. She nodded vigorously. “Oh, oh, of course you have a car!”
“Naturally. I’ve got two luxury rides. Once I marry Miss Liang, one’s all hers.” Liang Sheng felt a tiny thrill at the words, but one glance at his shiny scalp deflated it. Pass.
Zhao Xin burst into delighted laughter. “Ha ha! Well then… what about the bride price?”
“You name it, mother-in-law!” The man had jumped straight to calling her that—jaw-dropping stuff.
Zhao Xin went big. “Five hundred thousand. What do you say…”
“Deal!” Jin Fugui sealed it without batting an eye.
Mature Liang Sheng watched the exchange in stunned silence, unable to get a word in edgewise. Deal? Mom, are you straight-up selling your daughter?
“Mom, hold on a second.” Mature Liang Sheng suddenly sensed something was off. Baldness aside, this guy checked every box—why was he still single? Women would be throwing themselves at him for the money alone, and plenty of beauties at that. She wasn’t exactly a knockout herself, and at barely five-foot-three, she hardly turned heads.
Liang Sheng cleared her throat. “Mr. Jin Fugui, forgive the intrusion, but I have a question.”
Jin Fugui unleashed another oily smile. “Oh, beautiful Miss Liang—ask away.” Still greasy as ever, bald head or not.
“You’re so accomplished. You must have been married before.” Mature Liang Sheng desperately hoped this would send him packing. Fat chance, given his thick skin.
“Heh~” Jin Fugui huffed like some overbearing CEO from a TV drama. “Miss Liang, jealous already?”
Jealous my ass—who the hell do you think you are?!
Both Liang Shengs felt their stomachs lurch.
“Let’s set that aside. I have a question for you too, Miss Liang.”
“Hm?” A wave of unease rippled through Mature Liang Sheng.
“I heard you were a lesbian back in high school?”
Liang Sheng’s hands clenched her skirt in a death grip. She drew in a shaky breath, then slowly pried her fingers loose. The fabric was a wrinkled mess.
Liang Sheng forced a natural smile. “How could I be, sir? I’m straight as an arrow!”
Jin Fugui nodded in approval. “Exactly. Just a nasty rumor. A clever, adorable girl like you could never be part of that disgusting crowd.”
Disgusting? Mature Liang Sheng had grown numb to remarks like that. More than one person had thrown them at her, and she’d fed them the same line time and again: “No way, I’m totally straight!”
“Sir, I just remembered—a task from my boss at work. It’s unfinished. I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
Mature Liang Sheng rose to her feet and hurried away.
“Follow her,” the mysterious voice commanded abruptly.
Liang Sheng floated in midair at that moment. Unable to resist the speaker, she trailed after obediently.
Mature Liang Sheng strode along in a rush, her head bowed slightly. Her face was hidden from view.
At the corner, she collided with someone—quite by chance, or so it seemed.
It was Lin Yiyi. No real surprise; they crossed paths nearly every day at the office.
Lin Yiyi brushed at the spot Liang Sheng had bumped with obvious disgust, her face twisted in revulsion. She’d been married three years now, but Liang Sheng’s long-ago confession lingered like a splinter in her mind.
“Sorry, sorry.” Liang Sheng kept her expression blank as she moved to sidestep her.
Lin Yiyi sneered to a nearby new colleague. “That lesbian I was telling you about? Right in front of you.” She tittered a few times for good measure.
“Lin Yiyi!” Liang Sheng had long grown sick of the girl who’d once been her pure, shining crush. She whipped around and jabbed a finger at her. “Say that one more time, and I’ll rip your mouth off!” For years, this girl—who used to have such a lovely smile—had spread tales of her being gay everywhere.
Lin Yiyi jumped, startled. She’d never seen Liang Sheng lose her temper like this. But she wasn’t one to back down. She stalked right up to her. “Heh—you’ve been creeping me out for years. What’s a few words gonna do?!”
“Tch…” Liang Sheng itched to smack her senseless.
“And get this—word is, after your high school suicide attempt, they slapped you with a depression diagnosis?”
Depression? Why… why didn’t I know about that? Up in the air, Liang Sheng’s head exploded in agony. She clutched it as fragments of memory poured in.
“Heh, depression? That’s just for fragile crybabies. Bet you faked the whole thing for pity. Or maybe it was your dyke urges kicking in—trying to seduce some nurses at the hospital?”
“Slap!” The sharp crack echoed as a resounding smack landed square on Lin Yiyi’s cheek, leaving the sharp-tongued woman dazed.
Mature Liang Sheng had changed in an instant. She seized Lin Yiyi’s face with both hands, tilting her own chin up, her eyes dull and empty. “I warned you—if you said it again, I’d tear your mouth apart. Ha ha, you don’t believe me, do you?”
“You… you wouldn’t dare!”
“Aaah! Let go! Get your hands off me!”
