Chapter 1 Blind Dates Perhaps, when you were young, you loved someone...

On a May morning, the air in Nanhai City is gentle, and a narrow beam of sunlight shines through the curtains into the room.

"Yu Zi, you're not getting any younger. This boy is really outstanding; he's tall and handsome, and he's taken over the family business at such a young age. I've inquired carefully, and he's actually in the same high school class as you!"

"Oh, Mom, I'm really not interested." Yu Wu covered her eyes with her slender arms, slightly annoyed that her peaceful dream had been disturbed.

A thunderous roar came from the other end of the phone: "You brat, this boy is so outstanding and you rejected him without even meeting him! I don't care, you're going today whether you like it or not! Otherwise, see what I'll do to you when I get back!"

Ye Hongmian remained as assertive as ever, while Yu Wu sighed, "Then I'll just go see her once. If it doesn't work out, that's fine, okay? My dear mother?"

Ye Hongmian was satisfied: "Alright, you can get up and tidy up now. Remember to dress up nicely."

Yu Wu hung up the phone, her hair a mess, sat up, and made a sharp screech while holding her hair.

I hate blind dates the most.

She glanced at the text message on her phone. It was from Ms. Ye Hongmian, who said she would check whether she had gone on the blind date today and told her not to back out at the last minute.

Yu Wu gritted her teeth, indicating that Ms. Ye Hongmian took this blind date very seriously.

Since there was no escaping it, Yuwu had no choice but to resign herself to getting up.

Yu Wu is twenty-six years old this year. After graduating, she worked in Dongning City. This year, she returned to Nanhai City to take over the family business. Like all parents in the world, Yu Wu's mother, Ye Hongmian, is very keen on arranging blind dates for her daughter, fearing that her daughter will not be able to get married.

Yu Wu got up and took a shower. Her hair and body were wrapped in a white bath towel, and her exposed skin was as white as milk. Because she was still sleepy, she sat listlessly at the dressing table for a long while.

After thinking for a moment, she went to the dressing room to change her clothes. Her gaze swept over the latest seasonal items from various brands, and finally she chose a two-piece suit with a cropped waist from an Italian brand.

After putting on the skirt, revealing a slender waist, Yu Wu smiled contentedly and went to the dressing table to begin applying makeup.

After she finished dressing, put on her high heels, grabbed her car keys, and went out with a flourish.

*

Arriving at the designated coffee shop, parking the car, Yuwu stepped into the elegantly decorated, bright and clean interior.

A quick glance revealed a tall man sitting by the clear window, sunlight illuminating half of his sculpted profile. The man had broad shoulders, and his well-defined fingers gripped the handle of a glass. His gaze was fixed on the scenery outside the window, as if he were deep in thought.

In that instant, it felt like a thousand pounds were pressing down on my shoulders, making it hard to breathe.

Perhaps, have you ever loved someone when you were young? In that innocent and naive age, in that impetuous and reckless youth, there was such profound love... and hate.

Yu Wu, separated by the intricately carved screen of the coffee shop, felt as if her body were filled with lead, silently gazing at the tall, imposing man opposite her.

I like him, I really like him.

Even after many years, seeing him again still brings a surge of bittersweet emotion to my chest, crashing against my heart and making my eyes and nose tingle.

All of this is absurd and bizarre, like a dream of fireworks, dazzling and colorful, yet you fear it will vanish in an instant.

Yu Wu's blood seemed to freeze, and he couldn't move an inch for a long time.

She didn't know how much time had passed. She took a deep breath, repeatedly telling herself it couldn't be him, it couldn't be such a coincidence. But her gaze remained fixed on him, as if drawn by a magnet, unable to look away for even a moment.

This is a fatal attraction of the magnetic field, and even Yuwu herself cannot control herself.

The mist drifted by like a shadow. I sat down, and the man across the table turned his head.

The instant their eyes met—

The world stood still.

The air was stagnant, and the thick fog seemed to have slowed its heartbeat.

My heart felt like it had fallen from a great height and shattered into a pile of minced meat with a thud.

The café played soft music, and the central air conditioning hummed slightly overhead. Cold air rushed in, and Yuwu felt a fine layer of cold sweat break out on her back.

The man extended his well-proportioned hand, a slight smile appearing on his handsome, roguish features: "Hello, Ke Yanchen."

The man's voice was deep and mellow, with more texture than when he was young.

Yu Wu felt as if she had been scalded. She abruptly turned her head, tightly pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and looked out the window.

It was May, and the midday sun shone warmly and brightly on the earth, casting dappled shadows of trees outside the window.

Yu Wu felt a chill run through her body.

Ke Yanchen didn't seem to care about Yu Wu's rudeness. He slightly raised his brow, his thin eyelids drooping as if nothing had happened, and withdrew his hand. Leaning back in his chair, he continued, "You must be Yu Wu. Aunt Wang has told me all about you. I'm quite satisfied with you, Miss Yu. Is there anything you'd like to know?"

The woman opposite was still looking out the window, with a delicate face, a long neck, and an excellent temperament. She remained stunned for a long time without reacting.

"Miss Yu?" Ke Yanchen called softly.

Yu Wu turned her head abruptly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. A lump of something was stuck in her throat; words of questioning and confrontation flew incoherently, all choked and swirling. Her eyes reddened, and she asked blankly, "You...you really don't remember me?"

Ke Yanchen was a little confused and frowned slightly. "Miss Yu, have we met before?"

Yu Wu's eyes stung, a mocking smile appeared on her lips, she shook her head slightly and murmured, "I mistook you for someone else."

There was a strange, indescribable feeling of sourness and tightness in my heart.

She looked up again, scrutinizing him closely. Ke Yanchen was even taller and more upright, with broad shoulders and a sturdy build. His features were handsome and sharp, exuding a noble air. A languid charm and heroic spirit blended perfectly within him. It was clear that he was deliberately toning down his nonchalant indifference and sharpness today.

They were each other's first love.

In the prime of his youth, he made such a solemn and devout promise to her, and showed the courage to defy the whole world to protect her.

How could he completely forget her?

How ironic.

It is said that those who betray sincerity should swallow ten thousand needles, but Yu Wu believes that it is often the one who is betrayed who truly experiences the pain of swallowing ten thousand needles.

Selfish people always extricate themselves cleanly and easily start a new life.

Only those trapped in memories struggle, examine themselves, and repeatedly savor the meager "sweetness." For a long time, Yu Wu couldn't understand why he could let go so easily, while she, despite being covered in wounds and blood, still couldn't let go.

Her attraction to Ke Yanchen was purely physical, driven by hormones.

Before meeting Ke Yanchen, Yu Wu thought that people could only fall in love with someone of noble character. Later, she realized that love is knowing that he is cold-hearted and selfish, hating him a thousand times in your heart, but still being unable to stop wanting to see him when you meet him again.

She knew, she knew he was a scoundrel and a bad boy. But he had that kind of charm that made you knowingly fall for him, even as if you were a moth drawn to a flame.

......

Ke Yanchen wasn't annoyed by Yu Wu's outburst; a hint of inquiry crossed his deep-set face. In the end, he didn't ask any further questions, and his deep, pleasant voice rang out again.

"I didn't know what you liked to drink, but I thought girls usually like sweet things, so I ordered you an orange juice. If you don't like it, you can choose another one."

Yu Wu gave a soft "hmm," still as good at taking care of girls as ever.

"Miss Yu, are you not interested in me?"

Yu Wu looked up, smiled slightly, and said with a hint of aggression, "What do you think?"

The woman opposite him was indeed quite attractive; even from afar, her aura was striking, though her personality seemed somewhat arrogant. Ke Yanchen leaned back, lightly tapping the table, a playful smile on his face: "Why do I feel like you're being a bit aggressive towards me? Did I do something wrong?"

Yu Wu lowered her eyelashes and remained silent.

"Alright, Miss Yu. I think I must have done something wrong to offend you. Was it this orange juice?" As he spoke, he waved to the waiter. "Miss Yu, please order your favorite drink."

Yuwu didn't really care what she drank; since the waiter had come over, she just ordered a coffee.

Ke Yanchen glanced at Yu Wu and saw the coldness on her face dissipate. He paused and then said, "I'll get straight to the point. Aunt Wang has told me about your situation. My family's situation is a bit special right now."

Yu Wu remained silent, gently rubbing the cup with her fingertips, intently listening to his next words.

"You should have heard of our Ke Group. We're currently facing a cash flow shortage. I don't want to lie to you, but if we get together, we'll benefit from your family's influence. A marriage between the Ke and Yu families would bring many advantages."

Yu Wu's lips curled into a mocking smile as she stared at him.

Ke Yanchen wasn't annoyed when he saw it. He had developed a calm and composed nature since childhood and knew that this request was indeed a bit unreasonable.

"It's okay, we can get to know each other slowly, you can take your time to think it over."

Yu Wu stared at his strikingly handsome face, somewhat dazed.

Having shed his youthful naiveté, he has become more composed and mature, with a sharper and more commanding presence.

The opportunity to be with him was now right in front of her, and she could easily have everything she had ever dreamed of.

But she had long since shed her mystique.

That experience was incredibly painful.

Yu Wu lowered her eyelashes, stood up, and without saying a word, turned and left swiftly in her red-soled high heels.

Ke Yanchen watched her slender figure disappear into the distance, his eyes narrowing, a complex and unreadable emotion swirling within them. He had a feeling something was off about her; she seemed vaguely familiar.

But no matter how carefully he tried to recall, he couldn't remember this person.

Did they really know each other before?

...

Yu Wu returned to the car but didn't rush to start it. Her soul seemed to have left her, and like a clay puppet, she stared blankly out the window, lost in thought.

A gentle breeze blows, and in the distance, green leaves shimmer and dance with golden light, rustling softly from time to time.

That torrential downpour of her entire youth instantly filled her heart.

She suddenly shed a tear, without any warning.

*

That evening, Yu Wu received a friend request from Ke Yanchen.

She closed her phone, unwilling to face these things. After thinking for a moment, she sent another message to her friend Zan Ya.

I saw him today.

Zan Ya replied instantly: "Who?"

"Ke Yanchen".

The next moment, Zan Ya called. Yu Wu answered, turned on the speakerphone, and moved a little further away from the phone.

A loud female voice rang out: "Holy shit! Holy shit! Your blind date is Ke Yanchen?"

Yu Wu gave a wry smile and softly hummed in agreement.

"No way, is the world really that small? You haven't seen each other for so many years, and now you've run into each other on a blind date?"

Yu Wu walked to the balcony, looked down at the vast night sky, crossed her arms, and said softly, "I can't remember. I haven't seen her since graduating from high school."

Zan Ya exclaimed, "What a small world..."

Ironically, his family was short of funds, and he said he really wanted to be with me.

Zan Ya paused for a moment, then said, "So, what are you thinking now? Yu Zi, you mustn't be confused!"

Yu Wu shook her head gently: "I don't know either. My mind is like it's stopped, a complete mess."

"I have wanted to run up to him countless times and stubbornly ask for an answer that is not dignified."

"But when he was actually in front of me, I couldn't say a word."

"Why do you think that is?"

Zan Ya remained silent for a long time: "Because you haven't gotten over that experience yet, what you haven't forgiven is your naive self."

silence.

Zan Ya sighed softly, "Yu Zi, go to sleep first."

Yu Wu hung up the phone and collapsed onto the bed.

Thoughts raced through my mind, then swirled and tightened like rapidly expanding vines, making it hard to breathe.

All thoughts receded like the tide, leaving only an endless abyss in the gloom.

She suddenly felt very tired, buried her head in the pillow, and slowly closed her eyes.

A note from the author:

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New story started! Please bookmark it if you like it!

If you have ever been betrayed, I hope this book can give you some courage.

If hardship is unavoidable, please be sure to fight back against all odds.