Side CP Extra
I am on a blind date with you.
After saying this, Bai Mao looked at Hua Luo. Hua Luo’s expression clearly showed she was stunned, and she tilted her head. “Accompany me?”
It wasn’t actually strange for someone to accompany her on a blind date. In the past, she often had Xiao Yu or Lu Zhenqiu accompany her, and would stick a pin in wherever there’s a crack1 by introducing them and saying, “This is my girlfriend.” The ridiculous part was that some of the blind date partners actually didn’t mind, but those were all men. Ever since her mother started introducing her to people of the same sex, she had never asked a friend to come along again.
Now, suddenly hearing Bai Mao say this, Hua Luo couldn’t process it for a moment. “Why?”
Bai Mao opened her mouth.
Then she said, “I have nothing to do at home anyway, so I might as well go out.”
There was nothing wrong with that statement. Hua Luo thought about how her previous blind date partners had also brought friends, so she couldn’t help but nod. “Alright.” After speaking, she looked at Bai Mao. “But don’t you laugh at me.”
Bai Mao was puzzled. “Laugh at you for what?”
Hua Luo thought of her last blind date partner, who she had met in front of Bai Mao, and shivered. “Forget it, forget it. It probably won’t be that bad this time.”
However, her thoughts were too perfect, and reality slapped her in the face2. A few minutes after the two of them sat down in the coffee shop, she received a call from her blind date. The person on the other end of the line said in a stiff voice, “Sorry, I’m stuck in a bit of traffic. I might be a few minutes late.”
The voice was as stern as Hua Luo’s homeroom teacher. Hua Luo almost shot to her feet and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
She hung up the phone and smiled apologetically at Bai Mao. “Teacher Bai, would you like some coffee?”
Bai Mao was wearing a dark blue turtleneck sweatshirt and a face mask, with her long hair loose behind her, revealing only her eyes. She turned her head, shook it at Hua Luo, and asked, “Not here yet?”
Hua Luo said, “A bit of traffic.”
Bai Mao didn’t say anything else.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward. Hua Luo’s phone screen lit up, and she saw a message from Xiao Yu in the group chat: 【Going on a blind date again?】
Half an hour ago, she had mentioned the blind date in the group, but no one had replied. She figured Xiao Yu had just seen it.
Hua Luo: 【Yeah.】
Zhenqiu: 【Didn’t you say you weren’t going on blind dates anymore?】
Hua Luo: 【I don’t want to either, but if I didn’t come today, my mom would annoy me to death. I’m about to wrap up my book, and I really don’t want to be annoyed to death every day.】
Xiao Yu: 【What kind of person is the date?】
Hua Luo: 【A company leader.】
Thinking of her last blind date, Hua Luo’s heart trembled. After sending the message, she took a deep breath. Lu Zhenqiu replied with a sticker and then tilted her head. Jin Shuilan hadn’t woken up yet. Ji Zibo was filming her scenes as a supporting character these two days, so she didn’t need to go over. This left her morning free. Though it was said to be free, in reality, she was still being pestered by Jin Shuilan to sleep in.
This person was becoming more and more unrestrained. Sometimes, when the mood struck, she would pull her directly to the place opposite…
Lu Zhenqiu’s face was a little red. She patted her cheeks and heard Jin Shuilan ask, “You’re awake?”
“Mhm.” Lu Zhenqiu’s hand paused. She turned to look at Jin Shuilan and saw her looking back. Lu Zhenqiu blinked and sold out Hua Luo. “Hua Luo said she’s gone on a blind date.”
Jin Shuilan reached out, pulled her into her arms, and held her. Hearing Lu Zhenqiu’s words, she whispered, “Hua Luo? A blind date?”
Lu Zhenqiu nestled in her embrace and nodded. A strand of her hair tickled Jin Shuilan’s neck. Jin Shuilan gently moved Lu Zhenqiu’s hair aside and watched her speak. “She just sent a message saying she went on a blind date. Didn’t you say Teacher Bai is interested in her? Why hasn’t she pursued her yet?”
Jin Shuilan smiled. “How do you know she hasn’t?”
For a moment, Lu Zhenqiu didn’t understand what she meant.
In the small group chat, Xiao Yu @’d Hua Luo: 【Let me ask you a question.】
Hua Luo: 【What?】
Xiao Yu: 【If, and I mean if, the person you were on a blind date with was Teacher Bai, what would you do?】
Hua Luo: 【What kind of daydream is that? Does my goddess need to go on blind dates?】
Xiao Yu: 【Dumbass3, I said if!】
Hua Luo: 【Then I’d definitely go for it without my horse stopping its hooves4!】
Did that even need an “if”?
After sending the message, Hua Luo turned her head to glance at Bai Mao.
Bai Mao was covered up tightly, revealing only her eyes. Her eyes were similar to peach blossom eyes5, but the outer corners of peach blossom eyes are long and narrow, which Bai Mao’s were not. She had drawn a light eyeliner, outlining a bit of their shape, making them not too different from peach blossom eyes. Her gaze was focused, but Hua Luo rarely made eye contact with her because she was afraid Bai Mao wouldn’t like it.
Bai Mao looked left and right but still didn’t see the person for the blind date. She fiddled with her phone, changing her posture from time to time and occasionally glancing at the door. Suddenly, she saw a woman wearing a light gray blazer.
The woman was carrying a black bag, and her beautiful hair was tied up, with not even one thread neglected6. From head to toe, she exuded two words—capable and experienced!
After entering, the woman first scanned the room, then lowered her head and picked up her phone. Bai Mao turned her head. “She’s here.”
Hua Luo’s phone rang, and within seconds, the woman walked up to them.
“Hua Luo?” the woman asked tentatively as she reached their table. Hua Luo quickly stood up. “Hello, hello, that’s me.”
The woman sat down, casually beckoned a waiter, and ordered a coffee. She had a very strong presence. The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing a beautiful neck and the faint outline of her collarbones, giving off a full sense of an ascetic·vibe7.
The atmosphere became somewhat oppressive with her arrival. Hua Luo took a sip of her coffee and suddenly found it very bitter.
She gave a dry laugh. “Did you just get off work?”
“No,” the woman said. “I just got back from a business trip.” After speaking, she looked at the person beside Hua Luo, who was wrapped up tightly even in the coffee shop. Hua Luo followed her gaze and explained, “This is my friend.”
The woman gave a slight nod. “Hello.”
Bai Mao: “Hello.”
Hua Luo tried to find a topic. “So, Miss Luo, is your work quite busy?”
“It is quite busy. I work six days a week, getting off around nine-thirty every night. I get to the office at eight in the morning. Forgive me for being blunt, but are you currently unemployed?”
Hua Luo shook her head. “I write novels.”
Miss Luo said, “Oh,” as if she understood, and didn’t press further. Hua Luo moistened her lips, feeling the atmosphere grow even more awkward. She said, “Miss Luo, your qualifications are excellent. Why are you going on blind dates too?”
“My parents are anxious,” Miss Luo said. “I’m usually busy and rarely have the chance to meet new people, so I’ve remained single. What about you?”
“I’m more or less the same.” Hua Luo’s smile had a bit of a simple and honest air to it. Just then, Miss Luo’s phone rang. She gave Hua Luo an apologetic smile and answered the call. “Hello. Yes, I just got back. Hmm? What time is the meeting? Let me see.” Miss Luo glanced at her wristwatch. “That should be enough time. I can make it back.”
Hua Luo sat opposite her, striving to be a transparent person8.
Unfortunately, she failed.
After hanging up, Miss Luo asked Hua Luo, “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
Hua Luo quickly shook her head. “Nope.”
For once, Miss Luo actually smiled. She said, “Is it that you’re not interested in me?”
She had been stern and assertive from the moment she arrived, so her sudden smile was actually quite endearing. Hua Luo steadied herself and said, “That’s not it…”
Miss Luo was very direct. She said, “I think you’re quite cute.” Hearing herself being praised so suddenly, Hua Luo’s round eyes blinked, as if in disbelief.
Miss Luo continued, “As for me, I’m usually busy with work. I’m generally not free from Monday to Saturday. My rest time is from eleven at night to six in the morning. Unless it’s something special, I don’t like to be disturbed. If we were to get together, we could go out on dates and have meals on the weekends.”
How… how did the conversation jump to getting together?
Isn’t this leap a bit big?
Hua Luo was a bit dazed. She nodded and heard Miss Luo say, “My detailed information should have already been sent to you. If you’re interested in me and are satisfied with what you know, you can contact me after you’ve gone home and thought about it.”
After speaking, she stood up. “I have another meeting. Apologies.”
But someone stopped her.
Bai Mao suddenly spoke up, looking up to ask, “Does Miss Luo like fishing very much?”
Her voice was muffled from behind the mask. Bai Mao took off her mask, her usually gentle gaze now surprisingly sharp.
Hua Luo was astonished that she would speak up, just as she heard Miss Luo ask, “Fishing?”
“Is Miss Luo going back to the company for a meeting now?” Bai Mao asked her. Miss Luo nodded affirmatively. “Yes.”
Bai Mao’s expression darkened slightly. “In other words, Miss Luo didn’t actually set aside time for this blind date?”
Miss Luo froze at her question. After a few seconds, she said, “I had a last-minute meeting.”
“What meeting you have isn’t important. What’s important is your attitude,” Bai Mao said. “From the very beginning, you didn’t come to this blind date with a serious attitude. Why give someone false hope? If this isn’t fishing9, what is?”
Hua Luo had rarely seen Bai Mao say so much to someone else. In truth, she had seen many blind date scenarios, and there were plenty of people like Miss Luo who were just going through the motions10. However, those final words she spoke had indeed given unnecessary hope. What if—what if she had actually taken a liking to Miss Luo? That relationship probably wouldn’t have lasted long.
Miss Luo was rarely spoken to until she was rendered speechless. She looked at Bai Mao, and the two made eye contact for a few seconds. Miss Luo’s phone rang again. Bai Mao just glanced at her, then took Hua Luo’s hand and walked out.
At the door, Bai Mao didn’t forget to pay.
Outside the coffee shop, Hua Luo turned her head and asked Bai Mao, “Teacher Bai, are you angry?”
Bai Mao turned her head, pulled down the hem of her sweatshirt a little, and said, “No.” After speaking, she looked at Hua Luo. “Why does your mother want you to go on blind dates?”
Hua Luo smiled sheepishly. “My mom’s way of thinking is a bit extreme. She’s always believed that two people being together is what makes life complete11.”
Even though she had said more than once that she could support herself, would earn money to buy a house and a car in the future, and would live a good life, her mother just didn’t believe her. She even used it as a selling point for the blind dates, saying that she was very good at making money.
Bai Mao nodded.
The two of them crossed an intersection. The parking garage was right across the street. Bai Mao suddenly asked again, “So what do you usually talk about on your blind dates?”
Hua Luo said, “Nothing much, just salary, work, hobbies, and plans for the future.”
Blind dates, well, they are largely the same with minor differences12, all more or less alike.
Bai Mao didn’t say a word. After they got in the car, Hua Luo sat in the passenger seat and heard Bai Mao say, “My mother passed away two years ago. My relationship with my father isn’t very good, so the probability of visiting with him in the future isn’t high. My job is pretty good. Besides writing novels, I also take on screenwriting work, and the pay is quite high. I currently have some of my mortgage left to pay, but no car loan. My hobby is reading. I don’t go out if I don’t have to. My future plan is to develop my career in the direction of film and television screenwriting.”
Hua Luo turned her head and stared at Bai Mao, her overly shocked expression making her look a bit dazed and cute. After Bai Mao finished speaking, she made eye contact with her. Hua Luo held her breath. “Teacher Bai, what are you doing?”
Bai Mao gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her back straight. The words rolled around on the tip of her tongue several times before she finally spoke. “I am on a blind date with you.”
The author has something to say:
The side couple’s extra is also coming to an end.
Xiao Yu: If your blind date was Teacher Bai, what would you do?
Hua Luo: I’d probably do it13 without my horse stopping its hooves.
Bai Mao: …
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