Chapter 54 I heard you turned down a blind date? (Part 1...)
Chapter 54
"who?"
Meng Yingying thought she had misheard.
"Qi Donghan, Commander Qi."
Meng Yingying was stunned for a moment, somewhat bewildered, "How could it be him?"
Why would Qi Donghan ask her to go on a blind date?
Commander Fang, "It's him." Her tone became earnest. "Yingying, from a leadership perspective, I don't want you to get married. It would be best if you stayed in the cultural troupe for the rest of your life, without getting married or having children, and led the troupe to new heights."
"But from the perspective of an elder, I hope you can resolve your personal issues."
Her eyes held a hint of sincerity. "Because we all know that dancing is a profession that relies on youth. The best years for dancing are only a few, but what happens after that?"
"Do you know why none of the girls in our performing arts troupe are over twenty-five years old?"
Meng Yingying lowered her eyes and remained silent, her long, curled eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids.
"See, you know that after the age of 25, physical functions and flexibility decline. Even if you want to stay in this performing arts troupe, it will be very difficult then."
The camp remains, but the soldiers come and go.
This is the true picture.
“Yingying, I’m not forcing you to go on a blind date with Commander Qi, but I hope you can consider that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
"Go back and think it over carefully, then come back and give me your reply."
At this point, Commander Fang's expression softened a bit. "Of course, if you want to stay in the regiment, I support you. I will do my best to pave the way for you. As for how far you can go in the future, that depends on yourself."
She saw hope for a successor in Meng Yingying. She hoped that when Meng Yingying was in her thirties, her figure would not be as flexible and her body would not be as good as it was in her youth, so that she could switch to management.
However, Commander Fang also knew that this path was too difficult.
Every year, girls come and go from the performing arts troupe, like leeks, coming and going in wave after wave.
There's only one spot at the top, making it incredibly difficult to fight your way up.
Commander Fang witnessed the fall of many geniuses and the rise of many others. Despite possessing great talent, they were forced to leave the cultural troupe by unforeseen circumstances and return to their hometowns after being discharged from the army.
On the contrary, people like Ye Yingtao, who have average talent, matured early, and know how to scheme, actually lived a good life in the end.
"Whether you go on a blind date or not, the choice is yours."
At this point, Commander Fang couldn't bear to do what Division Commander Chen had done, and began to scheme against this girl who only had dance in her heart.
"Come and talk to me after you've made your choice."
"But Yingying."
Commander Fang walked from his desk to her, took her hand, and said earnestly, "Make a good choice, and you won't regret it later."
Meng Yingying pursed her lips and said, "Okay."
After she left Regiment Commander Fang's office, Regiment Commander Fang watched her retreating figure for a while before going to report to Division Commander Chen.
"Sir, I've spoken to Comrade Meng Yingying about the news, but whether she'll agree depends on her own circumstances."
Commander Chen frowned. "Didn't you tell her that the blind date was with Xiao Qi?"
"I said so."
After hearing this, Commander Chen sighed, "I don't understand what young people are thinking either."
Qi Donghan was the same way; no matter how many blind dates he was introduced to, he wouldn't agree to meet them.
Now it's Meng Yingying's turn too.
In Commander Chen's view, from the perspective of choosing a son-in-law, Qi Donghan was indeed a very good candidate.
But for young people, it becomes a consideration.
Commander Chen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Didn't you say I was there to introduce you as the matchmaker?"
Commander Fang shook his head. "Sir, even if you're the matchmaker, the children have to be willing. We can't force them to go on blind dates, can we?"
"Wouldn't that be using power to oppress people?"
Upon hearing this, Commander Chen slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Get out! Get out! Using your power to oppress others? Using your power to oppress others is only for young people who don't even like each other and whose conditions are not equal. Was I the one who introduced them?"
"Hey, you surnamed Fang, tell me yourself, whether it's Qi Donghan or Meng Yingying, aren't they the ones who are sought after by outsiders? Aren't their conditions similar?"
Did I introduce Meng Yingying to any men who were dark-skinned, short, disabled, or incapacitated?
At this point, Commander Chen himself seemed aggrieved, "I do wish someone would pressure me and try to match my daughter with Xiao Qi, but Xiao Qi just won't agree."
Now that Xiao Qi has agreed, it's the woman's turn to consider.
After being scolded, Commander Fang whispered, "I know you mean well, but at least both parties need to agree to a blind date. You can't force someone to agree if one party doesn't."
Commander Chen didn't want to talk to her.
After Commander Fang left, he angrily lit a cigarette and smoked it.
After finishing his cigarette and feeling better, he thought about it and wasn't angry anymore.
Instead, with a hint of schadenfreude, they held back from telling anyone about it.
We'll talk about it when Qi Donghan comes to find him.
Let's put this kid's arrogance to a minimum. He used to look down on this and that every day, but now he's the one being looked down on, isn't he?
However, before he could even begin to press the pressure, Qi Donghan came to find him in the afternoon, carrying a bag of fine tea.
"Sir, I heard from Political Commissar Xiao that you like to drink green tea, so I got a packet of top-quality West Lake Longjing tea and brought it over for you to try."
Upon hearing this, Commander Chen adjusted his glasses and looked over, inwardly delighted, but outwardly remaining solemn. "Tea is unnecessary."
Qi Donghan paused, then calmly placed the tea bag on Commander Chen's desk. "What's going on?"
Even if there was no such thing, it would be only right for me to invite you for tea.
This attitude is the best he's ever shown in all his years of military service.
Commander Chen stood up, strolled over to Qi Donghan, and asked, "If I don't act as matchmaker for you, will you still offer me tea?"
Qi Donghan paused, a hint of confusion on his handsome face. "What do you mean by that?"
Commander Chen, "It means exactly what it says."
"Comrade Meng didn't like you, so he doesn't really want to go on a blind date with you?"
"Qi Donghan." For the first time, Division Commander Chen called him by his full name, "You got rejected."
But the sound of that voice was unmistakably gloating.
Qi Donghan stood frozen in place, motionless for a long time, as if he had been shot in the chest, but the blood was flowing back into his heart.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that Commander Chen thought he wouldn't speak.
Qi Donghan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, "I understand."
He finished speaking without waiting for Commander Chen to reply.
He then said, "Keep the tea leaves and drink them."
Then he turned and left briskly.
Commander Chen also said that this kid was quite strong-willed; he acted like nothing had happened after being rejected, but upon closer inspection...
Goodness.
Qi Donghan surprisingly went out the door with his hands and feet moving in the same direction, and he was even carrying tea leaves in his hand.
You should have kept the tea leaves for yourself, but instead you took them away.
Division Commander Chen, "..."
It seems he was hit hard.
*
On the other side, Meng Yingying came out of Commander Fang's office and then followed him back to the practice room.
The thought of Qi Donghan wanting to go on a blind date with her made her feel a bit flustered.
Even during afternoon practice, I kept getting distracted, which caused me to make several mistakes.
This worried Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu. After the meeting ended, the two of them followed after her. "Yingying, what's wrong?"
Meng Yingying was about to answer when she noticed Li Shaoqing was also looking this way. She casually took a towel to wipe her sweat and said, "It's nothing."
Ye Yingtao followed her gaze and indeed found Li Shaoqing staring at them.
Ye Yingtao spat out, "What are you looking at?"
She pulled Ye Yingtao along, saying, "Let's go back to the dormitory."
Seeing Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu acting like guardians, protecting Meng Yingying in the middle.
Li Shaoqing's expression was somewhat cryptic.
"Shaoqing, what's wrong?" Jiang Li asked her.
Li Shaoqing shook his head, "I'm just curious, Ye Yingtao and Meng Yingying seem to have a pretty good relationship."
Jiang Li rolled her eyes. "As soon as Meng Yingying arrived, Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu became her lackeys."
"Don't worry about them, we'll just have fun."
Before Li Shaoqing could ask anything else, Jiang Li had already reached out and touched her wrist. "Shaoqing, is this your new watch? Is it a Plum Blossom brand?"
Li Shaoqing subtly withdrew her wrist and hummed in agreement, "It's the latest model that just came into Shanghai last month, the Plum Blossom brand."
Jiang Li looked on with envy, "Shaoqing, your family is really well-off. This watch must cost several hundred yuan, right?"
"More than three hundred."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. "It's so expensive! To buy this watch, we'd have to go almost a year without eating or drinking."
Li Shaoqing replied indifferently, "It's alright."
"I have an old, discarded watch at home. If you don't mind, I can bring it over another day and see who gets it?"
This one sentence instantly stirred up the emotions of many of the women present.
"An old watch?"
"Can't we still use the old watch?"
Li Shaoqing said calmly, "I only like new things."
"So the Seagull watch at home was put aside."
They exchanged glances, and instantly, they all saw hostility in each other's eyes. "Shaoqing, do you want to eat lunch? I'll go to the cafeteria to get you some food."
"Yes, or maybe the hot water in the dorm has been hard to get these past few days. When I go to the hot water room, I'll bring you a bottle too."
"And me, didn't you leave for a year? Our cultural troupe has learned a lot of new dances that I bet you haven't tried before. Let me teach you."
The moment those words were spoken, the practice room fell silent.
Everyone looked at Yang Xiuxiu with some reproach. They were obsequious, but they were reluctant to pass on the secret knowledge that Meng Yingying had taught them to Li Shaoqing.
Jiang Li tried to smooth things over, saying, "Shaoqing, don't listen to Xiuxiu's foul mouth. She doesn't know how to talk. You're talented and learn quickly, so why do you need us to teach you? Besides, if anyone should be teaching, it should be the coach, not us students."
Li Shaoqing hummed in agreement, adjusted his watch, and said calmly, "I will naturally go to the coach. Also, I don't need you to fetch water or food for me, because I don't live in the dormitory; I live at home."
After saying this, Li Shaoqing left without looking at everyone's reaction.
The scene quieted down for a moment.
Doesn't she live in the dorms?
However, all the female members of the performing arts troupe lived in dormitories.
Jiang Li said, "You know that Li Shaoqing's grandfather is the director of our hospital. Her family has a big house in the family compound, so it's different from ours. She doesn't need to live in the dormitory."
"But I don't understand, what was the meaning behind Li Shaoqing's sudden departure?"
No one spoke. Yang Xiuxiu whispered, "Could it be that she got angry because I suggested she learn the dance Meng Yingying taught us?"
"No way, if she wants to reintegrate, isn't it inevitable that our team needs to learn the dance taught by Meng Yingying?"
Why is she angry?
Jiang Li said quietly, "She thinks she's superior to Meng Yingying, so—"
The rest was self-evident, without them having to say it.
On the other side.
After leaving the practice room, Meng Yingying didn't go to the cafeteria but went back to her dormitory first.
Along the way, Ye Yingtao kept chattering, "Yingying, don't take Li Shaoqing seriously. She's just arrogant and looks down on us ordinary people."
"Alright, let's not talk about her anymore. What did Commander Fang want to talk to you about earlier?"
Meng Yingying pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. Ye Yingtao, standing beside her, was nearly frantic, having followed her all the way from the practice room to the dormitory with questions.
Once in the dormitory, Meng Yingying sat on the edge of her bed, and her chaotic thoughts slowly began to settle down.
She then spoke, "Commander Fang called me to discuss personal matters."
"ah?"
Ye Yingtao's eyes lit up instantly, "Really?"
"Yingying, let me tell you, you've hit the jackpot, you know? All the girls in our performing arts troupe are hoping that Director Fang will act as our matchmaker."
Do you know why?
Seeing Meng Yingying's confusion, Ye Yingtao rattled off, "Because people who can get high-ranking leaders to help them find a match must have good family backgrounds. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to get high-ranking leaders to help them. There's an old saying in our cultural troupe."
"What?"
"The higher the rank of the matchmaker, the better the groom's family's financial situation; it's absolutely proportional."
"Otherwise, it would be impossible for an ordinary family to get a high-ranking official to act as matchmaker."
Ye Yingtao stamped her foot anxiously, "Yingying, after all this talk, you still haven't told me who Commander Fang introduced you to?"
Lin Qiu was also curious. This foodie stopped eating the sunflower seeds and directly pulled up a small stool, sat down next to Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying leaned against the bedside, pursed her lips, and after a while said, "The person being introduced is Commander Qi."
There was a moment of silence in the air.
"Good heavens, this is a windfall! It fell right onto Yingying's head!"
"Did you know? Among all the unmarried men in our entire garrison, Commander Qi is the most popular."
"You have no idea how popular Commander Qi is in the station. As far as I know, the leaders of Guangda have tried to introduce him to potential partners at least three times."
"Such a huge pie has been thrown at your head, and you're not catching it? What are you doing?"
Meng Yingying didn't speak; she leaned her head against the bed frame and said, "I don't know."
The voice sounded somewhat lost.
“If it were anyone else, I would have refused outright today, but because this person is Commander Qi, I told Commander Fang that I need to think about it.”
"Cherry, I'll be honest with you, I'm feeling really confused right now."
Ye Yingtao squatted down, carefully observing Meng Yingying's face, not missing a single expression. "To put it another way, you don't dislike Commander Qi, right?"
"You would have refused if it were someone else, but it's Commander Qi, so you said you'd consider it."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement and nodded, "Yes."
“I don’t reject him.”
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu exchanged a glance. "So you have a slight liking for him?"
She held up her fingers to indicate, "Not much, just this much is enough, one finger is enough."
"Is there?"
Meng Yingying glared at her, "Of course I do! I'm a person, not a block of wood. Commander Qi has helped me time and time again, how could I not even have a little bit of goodwill towards him?"
"Since you don't reject him and even have feelings for him, Yingying, why don't you agree to give it a try?"
Meng Yingying froze, clutching her pillow without saying a word.
"Yingying, I don't know what your concerns are, but listen to me, do you know why I went to such lengths to get close to Qi Changming?"
“Because I have no powerful backing, Yingying, after I was discharged from the cultural troupe and returned home, all that awaited me was to be sold by my family to raise money for a bride price so that my younger brother could get married.”
"I want to take advantage of my youth, my job, and my resources to find a man with above-average qualities and marry him. That way, I'll have both a job and a good marriage, which is a situation where I can advance or retreat as needed."
"Although you haven't told me about your family, Yingying, I can guess that you, like me, have no one behind you."
“I know you’re talented, but who can guarantee that their life will always be smooth sailing and that they can stay in a performing arts troupe for their entire life?”
"Coach Zhao is talented, right? It's useless. He was still kicked out. The same goes for the previous seniors. At this time, the seniors who were more shrewd and realistic and made plans early are doing well."
"Yingying, if I were you, I would agree to this blind date. Even if we don't necessarily end up getting married, you have to take this step, Yingying."
"Those of us who have no powerful backers must learn to find our own."
Meng Yingying rested her chin on the pillow, deforming it. "If I succeed in this blind date, I will marry him."
"Cherry, I'm scared."
This was the first time the usually composed Meng Yingying had shown such emotion. "Marriage means having children, so what about my career?"
She still wants to dance.
Ye Yingtao raised her hand and tapped her, "Are you stupid? Who said you have to have children right after you get married?"
"You can get married first, and then have children after your career peak."
"Yingying, grab the good stuff for yourself first, then talk about the future. Don't be silly, don't try to make things complicated and get yourself into trouble."
Lin Qiu whispered, "Yingying, although I don't completely agree with Cherry, she's right about one thing: opportunity knocks but once."
"You have no idea how much effort Cherry put in to marry someone with good prospects." She glanced at Ye Cherry as she said this, "Don't be angry when I tell you."
"Do you know what the entire team thinks of Cherry right now?"
"Climbing the social ladder".
"They all say that Cherry is ambitious and wants to climb higher, but no one knows the difficulties Cherry faces."
“Yingying, we are not like Li Shaoqing, who has more choices. Therefore, marriage is our second chance to be reborn.”
"Although Commander Qi is a bit fierce, he has the advantage of a high position. In a place like a garrison, a high position is a natural advantage, not to mention that Commander Qi is young and has a bright future. Of course, these are all pragmatic factors."
"I'm just asking you, isn't Commander Qi good-looking?"
Meng Yingying didn't speak, but her cheeks slowly turned red.
It looks great.
Qi Donghan's face is truly stunning, but what's even more remarkable is his physique—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.
In any case, one's physical appearance and physique are definitely innate assets.
"See, I knew you'd be attracted to his looks."
Lin Qiu smiled and said, "Yingying, since you don't dislike or resent Qi Donghan, and even have a good impression of him, and Qi Donghan is good in every way, why not give him a try?"
“If it doesn’t work out, we can come back. There’s a saying that Cherry has: if you have the cards in your hand, right now you have an excellent career card. If you play it well, it will be a royal flush.”
After listening to their analysis, Meng Yingying understood the situation herself.
"Let me think about it some more."
She lay in bed, rolling around with her pillow, but all she could think about was Qi Donghan.
The first meeting was in the team's reception room—no, it should be called the state-run hotel, even though the two sides had never met before.
However, Qi Donghan was able to consider that she had traveled a long way from out of town by train, and that she might not have had a good meal for several days on the train.
So I went and bought her a roast chicken.
Later, they arranged for her to stay in a guesthouse. When the Qi family's affair was exposed and they wanted to take action against her, it was Qi Donghan who intervened and stood up for her.
When they encountered difficulties in participating in competitions organized by the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, it was Qi Donghan who mediated between them.
From the competition itself to the unfairness of the judges and the inside story of the scoring, all of this was done by Qi Donghan.
Looking back, Meng Yingying was shocked to realize that Qi Donghan had unknowingly done many things.
He is a very good person, and such a person seems good whether you marry him or keep him as a friend.
As she pondered this, Meng Yingying sat up, her porcelain-white face as resolute as if she were about to join the Party.
"How about I go see him?"
Ye Yingtao, "..."
“You’re not going to see him, I think you’re going to join the Party. Even people who join the Party aren’t as determined as you.”
Meng Yingying immediately deflated, "Cherry."
"Don't call me. We can't help with this kind of thing. At most, we can only help you analyze the pros and cons. You have to do the rest yourself."
Meng Yingying knew this too, so she decided not to sleep anymore. She got up, washed her face, and said, "I'll go and reply to Commander Fang, and tell him that I agree to the blind date."
Whether you stick your neck out or not, the sooner you resolve the issue, the better.
However, before Meng Yingying could find Commander Fang, Qi Donghan was already waiting for her downstairs.
He must have just come back from a run; he was sweaty, his clothes clung to his body, and his limbs were long, slender, and powerful—truly bursting with hormones.
Their eyes met.
Qi Donghan looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice hoarse, "I heard...you turned down a blind date?"
Meng Yingying blinked, but didn't answer. She first noticed his hand behind his back—revealing a corner of the tea bag.
Suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration, she said softly, "I was just looking for Commander Fang."
Qi Dong stood under the big tree, his eyes were frighteningly dark, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. "Well, I won't hold you up."
He stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.
Meng Yingying had taken two steps when she suddenly stopped, standing right in front of Qi Donghan. "Commander Qi, what do you think I went to see Commander Fang for?"
Qi Donghan's eyes darkened, and he said self-deprecatingly, "Didn't you go and tell Commander Fang that you refused?"
“It’s not a rejection.” Meng Yingying paused, her voice softening, “It’s to tell her—I agree.”
-----------------------
Author's Note: Commander Qi: Honey, you scared me to death!
There will be another update around 6 PM.
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