The day that Shen Yanshan had arranged for Shen Meiyan to meet the youngest son of the Lin family arrived quickly.
Shen Yanshan paid two million to have Shen Meiyan appear at the scene with a cold face.
Originally, the elders of the Shen and Lin families wanted to meet together, but considering that the younger generation would feel more comfortable meeting on their own, they decided not to insist.
The location chosen was a newly opened rooftop garden cafe in the southern part of the city.
A breeze carrying a hint of heat swept through the early autumn air. In a corner of the rooftop garden, Lin Shih-hao slumped on a sofa, one hand resting on the back of the chair, the other holding a cocktail. He casually toyed with the cocktail glass in his hand, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the entrance, as if anticipating something.
The moment Shen Meiyan appeared, Lin Shihao's eyes lit up. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, his gaze fixed on Shen Meiyan. He took a sip of his drink and smiled.
Shen Meiyan wore a beige Chanel-style dress, simple yet elegant. She carried a classic black lambskin handbag, perfectly complementing the dress. A gentle breeze ruffled her long hair, which shimmered with golden light in the sunlight, creating a unique and beautiful effect.
Shen Meiyan looked around but didn't see the fat square-shaped guy she had imagined. So she assumed that Lin Shihao didn't want to come for the blind date either, and was overjoyed. She turned around and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, a frivolous laugh came from behind, breaking the surrounding tranquility. "Meiyan, don't you recognize me?" The voice revealed a hint of mockery and arrogance.
Shen Meiyan was stunned for a moment, her body stiffening slightly. She slowly turned her head and looked in the direction of the sound.
The man's lips curled into a smile as he said, "Long time no see, Meiyan."
"Who are you?" Shen Meiyan still couldn't reconcile the tall, handsome man in front of her with Lin Shihao, so she searched her memory.
"I am Lin Shih-hao!" The man put down his wine glass and looked at her with a leisurely air. His tone revealed an arrogance.
Shen Meiyan walked over and carefully examined him.
"I've lost weight recently," Lin Shih-hao said with a grin. "Look at my face, it hasn't changed, has it?" As he spoke, he brought his face closer, behaving in a very frivolous manner.
"Oh." Shen Meiyan felt a little uncomfortable, looked away, resignedly put her bag on the sofa, and sat down opposite Lin Shihao.
"Your iced Americano, please enjoy." The waiter placed the coffee on the table.
"Thanks."
Shen Meiyan gently stirred the iced Americano in front of her, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"My family arranged for the two of us to go on blind dates. I thought you were still as fat as ever."
"So, when you saw I wasn't there, you were happy to go back, right?" Lin Shih-hao's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.
“If you don’t want to go on a blind date either, we can finish our coffee and go home separately. You can tell your parents we don’t like each other, and that’s the end of the marriage,” Shen Meiyan said with a smile. She instinctively felt that Lin Shihao didn’t like this kind of blind date either. Thinking that she had earned two million just by going out for coffee, Shen Meiyan was overjoyed.
"No way," Lin Shih-hao's gaze slid down her fair face, past her delicate collarbone, and down to her slender calves. The corners of his mouth kept turning up, and his tone was casual. "Mei-yan, we're childhood sweethearts, we know each other inside and out. Wouldn't our marriage be better than just grabbing someone from outside?"
She looked up at Lin Shih-hao, a half-smile playing on her lips. "What do you mean? Childhood sweethearts? Know each other inside and out?" The man in front of her was good-looking, but he was clearly a playboy. Shen Mei-yan didn't want to waste her life on such a man.
Lin Shih-hao's gaze lingered on Shen Mei-yan's face for a moment before slowly shifting to the bustling street outside the window. His voice carried an undeniable confidence, as if stating an obvious fact.
"It's meaningless. For people like us, isn't marriage just for the sake of making the house look nice?" His tone revealed a sense of superiority, and his fingers tapped the table lightly, making a rhythmic sound.
"It's just a powerful alliance within the family, taking the business to new heights," he continued, a hint of disdain in his voice. He seemed to think this marriage was a matter of course for him, and that the Shen family should feel honored.
Finally, he looked directly into Shen Meiyan's eyes and said without any pretense, "Besides, if I may be frank, your Shen family is already on the decline. Getting on good terms with our Lin family would be entirely beneficial to you!" His tone revealed a kind of condescending generosity, as if he were bestowing a tremendous favor upon the Shen family.
Hearing these words, Shen Meiyan felt a surge of anger. She hadn't expected Lin Shihao to look down on the Shen family so much. She bit her lip tightly, a cold smile creeping across her face. Looking at Lin Shihao's confident face, Shen Meiyan felt a strong sense of disgust.
Lin Shih-hao picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and maintained his usual nonchalant smile. He continued casually, "So, if I were you, I would definitely agree without hesitation. After all, marrying me is a dream come true for many people in Nancheng."
Upon hearing this, Shen Meiyan's brows immediately furrowed. She was clearly displeased with Lin Shihao's self-righteousness and arrogant attitude. She put down her wine glass and looked at him coldly, "Lin Shihao, don't you think too highly of yourself? Why should I have to marry you?"
Lin Shih-hao didn't seem to care about Shen Mei-yan's reaction. He maintained his relaxed demeanor and looked at her with interest. "Oh? Then tell me, what kind of person do you want to marry? Do you want to find a man who is richer and more powerful than me? Or is it that Miss Shen wants to climb the social ladder, like your sister?"
Hearing him compare her to Shen Zhi Qiu, Shen Mei Yan's expression changed. "Why did you bring her up out of the blue? It's bad luck!"
"Heh," Lin Shihao chuckled softly, not holding back his words despite Shen Meiyan's anger. "Shen Meiyan, don't forget, you two sisters are never cut from the same cloth. Your sister's fate after marrying into a wealthy family was being kicked out, let alone you? Have you thought about it? In terms of looks, you're far inferior to your sister!"
Lin Shih-hao chuckled mockingly and lazily adjusted to a more comfortable position.
"Shut up!"
Lin Shih-hao's words pierced Shen Mei-yan's heart like a sharp knife. She felt a sharp pain and anger. She knew Lin Shih-hao was deliberately provoking and insulting her, but she couldn't control her emotions. She suddenly stood up, grabbed her bag, and prepared to leave.
"It's alright. If you don't want to marry me, there are plenty of wealthy ladies for me to choose from." Lin Shih-hao looked at Shen Mei-yan and said with a low laugh, "But you, if you miss out on such a good husband as me, you might not have another chance!" Lin Shih-hao chuckled and teased Shen Mei-yan in a nonchalant manner.
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