I knew you liked me.
Wen Dai's throat went dry as she talked on and on about her demands. Just then, the tea she had ordered was served. Wen Dai picked up the teacup and drank two cups without any intention of tasting the tea.
To summarize her statement concisely, most men would not only be deterred but would likely immediately draw a clear line between themselves and her.
But the only ones who are truly concerned are those few.
Just as Wen Dai realized she should explain that she was there to help him with the blind date, Gu Qi looked up from his contemplation, his eyes filled with a serious plea for an answer. "I don't know you yet, and I can't become the same type of person as you. It might take some time to get to know you. I wonder if you'd be willing to give me that opportunity; you could give me a brief description of your self-classification."
Her mouth was half open, frozen in disbelief. Wen Dai pursed her lips, let go of her strength, and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and giving Gu Qi a strange look. "You can't be serious, buddy. We've only just met. You can accept what I asked you earlier?"
However, Gu Qi nodded in response to her gaze.
In just a few seconds, Wen Dai considered countless possibilities. She pressed her tongue against her cheek, glanced at Gu Qi opposite her, and suddenly chuckled, giving him a thumbs up and saying, "You're the Ninja Turtle."
"I thought you were just going through the motions this time, but it seems... I'm the only one who was just going through the motions. The reason I readily agreed to have dinner with you is because Ms. Liu told me about this and asked me to agree, so I came out to go through the motions with you. Of course, my main purpose is to freeload a meal. I've said before that I'm materialistic, but I'm reluctant to spend money. If there's a meal to be had, I might as well freeload it."
With her arms slumped over her chest, Wen Dai sat up straight, her heart bleeding. She looked up at Gu Qi directly. "And also, don't take this seriously. There's no way we're going to be together. Just because of what your elders said, you're going to seriously date this blind date, regardless of whether his demands are reasonable. Can I understand that you lack your own opinions? Or maybe you're a variation of a mama's boy—sorry, I'm being harsh. I'll transfer my share of the bill to you, and we'll split the service fee."
The intention to draw a clear line was laid bare on the table. Gu Qi frowned, his gaze fixed intently on Wen Dai, who would rather hold her teacup and blow on it than even glance at him.
"...I'm willing to accept your request, or rather, to come on this blind date, because the 'you' I heard about from my elders piqued my interest, and your profession made me feel that you were very special; after meeting you, I don't know if this is lust at first sight or love at first glance, but I did have the idea of continuing to develop a relationship with you. Besides, you yourself seem to know that your request was unreasonable, but I can accept it, regardless of whether the request is true or false."
"Oh God, someone please take him away! If all else fails, take me away too! Send me reinforcements! I want to throw down my cup and leave!" Wen Dai cried out in her heart, clutching her teacup and staring blankly into space.
To describe my feelings as "regret" is too simplistic; no wonder people often say that greed for small gains leads to big losses.
But it seemed that God heard her cry.
However, the timing of the reinforcements was not ideal.
"I've already said I like my type. Aren't you curious about what type I am? Just look at my face. I like people who look like me, preferably like I was made from the same mold; I can't help it, I'm narcissistic. If you're okay with that, you'd better get plastic surgery first, but with your skin tone, you'd need so many whitening injections..."
Desperate to extinguish the small flame of anger that was growing between her and the person in front of her, Wen Dai was completely unaware that someone had quietly entered the aisle beside her.
Gu Qi, who was sitting opposite Wen Dai, curiously looked away from Wen Dai's face and raised his gaze to Wen Dai's side. Noticing this, Wen Dai subconsciously turned her head and tilted her chin up.
The man with his hair slicked back had a few stray hairs falling across his forehead. Besides his familiar nostrils, what met her eyes was his disdainful gaze.
His bespoke suit and slightly wide-shouldered trench coat exuded a sense of nobility and aloofness. His hands were casually half-stuffed into his pockets, and he stood there as if he were about to judge something.
Gu Qi, who had previously displayed a fighting spirit that refused to back down, now retreated. He slowly shifted his gaze from Chen Sizhe's face to Wen Dai's, his complex eyes filled with surprise as he looked at them. He hesitated before speaking, "Is this... the person you like?"
He didn't seem to be waiting for Wen Dai's reply, and continued, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you already had someone you liked. I was being presumptuous this time. Just pretend I didn't say anything before."
Wen Dai didn't get a chance to participate in the subsequent plot. Gu Qi surprised Wen Dai for the umpteenth time by finding a waiter to add a chair next to her. The person sitting on the chair was, of course, Chen Sizhe, who had intruded into the blind date.
The explanation stuck on her tongue couldn't come out of her mouth. Denying she liked Chen Sizhe? She didn't want to face Gu Qi's relentless pursuit; she had already personally experienced his perseverance.
Not denying it? Wen Dai glanced furtively at the man sitting to her left, her gaze tinged with a sense of unfortunate timing, just as her furtive glance met Chen Sizhe's forthright sidelong look.
“I never expected you to have such wicked thoughts about me—” Chen Sizhe’s signature rosy lips were parted, and he spoke clearly, his light, cold laugh equally clear: “Heh, I knew it.”
Her hands, which were resting on her thighs, were clenched into fists. The muscles on Wen Dai's cheeks and jaw trembled very slightly. She gritted her teeth and suppressed the urge to punch Chen Sizhe a few times.
As if struck by a sudden inspiration, she looked up at the fox-like eyes of the person beside her, her gaze filled with tender affection. She softened her voice, which was already sweet and sweet, like honey: "Yes, it's just that I've been too embarrassed to say it before... Actually, I didn't expect you to hear it this time. I thought this secret would be kept for a very long time."
Wen Dai, whose face wouldn't blush, lowered her head and acted shyly, fiddling with her fingers like a lovestruck young girl whose secret had been revealed.
The two straight men on the scene were fooled by her acting skills. Chen Sizhe did not expect her to admit it so readily, nor did he expect to witness Wen Dai's shy and timid demeanor. He frowned and looked down at the fluffy top of the person next to him.
Gu Qi, who thought he was about to witness the two lovers confirm their relationship, was still trying to comfort his heart, which had barely begun to flutter with emotion. He never expected Chen Sizhe's response to be—
"Didn't you comb your hair, you golden lion king?"
Her fists were clenched tightly, and Wen Dai clenched her molars even more.
She still didn't lift her face, afraid that her ferocious expression would ruin the plot she had painstakingly built up.
Gu Qixian spoke up for her, not touching any of the dishes on the table. His gaze swept past the dishes and went straight to Chen Sizhe's eyes. "Sir, your words and attitude are far too rude. It takes a lot of courage for a girl to express her crush. If you don't like her, you can just reject her directly instead of making personal attacks on her."
Unfortunately, his voice of grievance ran into Attorney Chen, who was most skilled at debating.
"Did I make a personal attack on her? Sir, do you know the definition of a personal attack? A personal attack includes acts that degrade another person's social standing through insults, defamation, or other means; publicly insulting another person through violence or other means; or fabricating facts to defame another person; such as writing threatening letters, spreading false information, and so on. It requires that the perpetrator have the intent to insult, defame, or harm another person, and that such acts cause damage to the other person's reputation, mental well-being, or physical health."
Chen Sizhe leaned lazily against the back of his chair, his legs crossed, his hand tapping leisurely on his thigh, while his other hand, resting on the table, played with a teacup. He brushed away the contempt in Gu Qi's eyes, and his unhurried speech carried a hint of sarcasm, emphasizing the word "sir" that appeared in Gu Qi's words.
It must be said that Chen Sizhe is a qualified lawyer. He seized on the word "personal attack" mentioned by Gu Qi to refute it, and said in a casual tone: "I was just telling the truth, expressing my questions normally, and making a metaphorical evaluation of her current state. But you started to define me as making a personal attack. Isn't that going too far?"
Stunned by his series of rebuttals and attacks, Gu Qi paused for a moment, then stubbornly resisted, seemingly wanting to learn from the barbarians to subdue them. "Sir, I don't think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. On the contrary, I think you're the one making a mountain out of a molehill. The personal attack I mentioned is not the personal attack you're referring to. You're the one exaggerating..." Exaggerating what? Gu Qi choked on his words at the crucial moment.
His mistake gave Chen Sizhe an opportunity. A smirk played on the man's lips, his demeanor remaining as composed as ever. He even gave him some time to think before tilting his head slightly and asking, "Oh? The 'personal attack' you're talking about isn't the same as the 'personal attack' I'm referring to? Then I'd like to ask, which words do you mean by 'personal attack'? Could it be..."
His gaze fell on the chicken soup with ginseng in the center of the table, then he raised his eyes to look directly at Gu Qi, his tone playful: "You mean the ginseng in this soup? But how can you be sure the chicken in it is a rooster? If you said 'ginseng rooster,' it seems to create a semantic contradiction in what you just said. Also, what you're trying to say is 'exaggeration' or 'overstatement,' right? But it seems you're the one who's really exaggerating and overstating—" He paused, his hand that was playing with the teacup, and pointed a finger at Gu Qi.
“Not me.” Chen Sizhe slowly lowered his finger back, placing Gu Qi in a precarious position. The smile on Gu Qi’s face was filled with arrogance and malice.
He said slowly, "The definition of personal attack is right there. If there are many people exaggerating, does that make the wrong right? Do you even allow me to distort the truth? Is it so hard to admit your mistakes? Or do you want to explain the term 'ren shen gong ji' you used? If I misunderstood your wording, I will apologize to you."
Speechless, Gu Qi swallowed hard. He glanced at Wen Dai, who had raised her head at some point, and reluctantly parted his lips after pursing them: "Sorry, I'm the one who's really exaggerating."
Wen Dai raised her face only out of a desire to watch the show, and as it turned out, Chen Sizhe's silver tongue was indeed effective.
After a quick meal, Wen Dai paid the bill first. She then opened her payment QR code, turned her phone around, and showed the screen to the calculator. She was even faster at calculating the amount than a calculator. "I set the amount for you. Just scan it and pay. I won't try to take advantage of you. Don't worry, I definitely won't overcharge you. If you don't believe me, you can open the calculator and calculate it again."
Having encountered two truly awful people in one day, Gu Qi was in a daze. Holding his phone, he scanned the QR code and transferred the money, his voice weak and feeble: "I believe you. And..."
He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two men with similar bearing and chins held high, and said sincerely, "You two are really a perfect match."
Wen Dai subconsciously turned her head and exchanged a glance with Chen Sizhe beside her, her head turning away accompanied by a synchronized soft hum.
After saying goodbye downstairs at the hotel, the driver changed from Gu Qi to Chen Sizhe. Wen Dai followed him to the parking lot, her useless brain once again putting the matter she needed to explain behind her back. She exclaimed, "Are all lawyers this eloquent? That was practically a live debate. Your ability to use sophistry is truly not to be underestimated."
"Hey, what brings you here today?"
Walking ahead with his back to her, Chen Sizhe said indifferently, "I'm just here to confirm case information with the client. Being eloquent is the foundation of being a lawyer. If someone doesn't even have the ability to debate, they can't survive in this industry and should change careers as soon as possible. What we just had wasn't really a debate. I won't debate with a weak opponent; it's a waste of time. I knew you liked me." His last words took an abrupt turn, his indifference turning into a strangely arrogant certainty.
"Huh... Ah?!" The consequence of not being able to keep up with Chen Sizhe's turning speed was that she almost recognized him. Wen Dai slammed on the brakes, took a few quick steps to his side, and tilted her head to look at him incredulously.
She thought he was just trying to get a verbal advantage at the restaurant, but it turns out he actually believed her—is her acting really that good?
Stopping in front of the Bentley, Chen Sizhe glanced sideways at the bewildered man, pursed his lips, and said, "I said, I know you like me. But that's normal."
He raised his chin again, his eyes seemingly avoiding Wen Daiming's gaze. "Although our partnership doesn't allow you to have such thoughts to influence it, it is precisely because of our partnership—if you really can't control your feelings for me, I can reluctantly give it a try."
"Ha." Wen Dai laughed in exasperation. She crossed her arms, tilted her head back, and looked at him with her head tilted to the side. After rubbing her cheeks, she said, "Should I say that you are very generous? Selfless, Lawyer Chen?"
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