Outside the café, a sleek motorcade glided to the curb. The tinted window of the middle vehicle lowered, revealing the strikingly handsome profile of a young man.
"That's Xia Xingchen?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the woman inside.
"Yes, Second Young Master," his attendant answered promptly. "Her original date has been... diverted. You're clear to proceed."
Yu Zenan gave a curt nod, removing his sunglasses to reveal sharp, discerning eyes. He pushed open the car door, unfolding long legs onto the pavement. "Keep the car here. Tell my brother," a confident grin touched his lips, "his little mission is in capable hands."
"Sir, perhaps a security detail—"
Yu Zenan waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not my brother or my father. Who'd waste bullets on me? Go."
Reluctantly, the entourage departed.
...
Yu Zenan paused before entering, studying Xia Xingchen through the glass.
Bathed in afternoon light, her profile was etched with quiet focus. Even from this angle, her features were finely wrought – delicate and elegant. She didn't scan the room like someone awaiting a date; she was utterly absorbed in her book, radiating a studious, almost earnest intensity. Intriguing.
A sharp tap on her table snapped her attention upwards. Before she could speak, he had smoothly slid into the seat opposite. His gaze—bright, assessing, edged with amusement—swept over her face as he beckoned a waitress without breaking eye contact.
"What can I get you, sir?"
"Water. One and a half ice cubes." His smile was dazzling, deliberately turned up to full wattage. The waitress flushed crimson and scurried away.
Xingchen's breath hitched. He was devastatingly attractive. Tall – easily over six feet – with an aura of effortless confidence. Bai Yeqing was the most imposing presence she'd ever encountered, but this man… possessed a different kind of magnetism. Where Bai Yeqing was glacial intensity, Yu Zenan radiated rakish charm with a rebellious edge.
Wait. Why am I comparing him to Bai Yeqing? Annoyance prickled. Focus.
She studied him again, skepticism warring with reluctant appreciation. Was this vibrant, impossibly young man truly the divorced, supposedly dull gentleman her grandmother had described?
"Enjoying the view?" His voice, laced with playful challenge, snapped her back.
Up close, his beauty was almost disorienting. She snapped her book shut, adopting a stiffly polite tone. "Excuse me, sir. I believe you may have the wrong table?"
"Xia Xingchen. Blind date. Correct?"
"...Yes."
"Yu Zenan. Your date." He extended his hand across the table, his smile disarmingly direct.
Xingchen hesitated, momentarily stunned, before placing her hand in his. His grip was firm, warm.
...
Contrary to her grim expectations of a tedious, middle-aged divorcee, Yu Zenan proved effortlessly witty, engaging, and surprisingly insightful. He navigated conversations about her demanding Ministry of Foreign Affairs work and her life outside it with genuine curiosity, his responses sharp and often unexpectedly perceptive. The afternoon dissolved into easy banter and shared laughter, stretching seamlessly through dinner. Hours melted away unnoticed.
...
Meanwhile, the official residence buzzed with renewed energy as the President returned unexpectedly.
Bai Yeqing spent time secluded in his study before emerging as dusk fully claimed the sky. The formal dining room gleamed under soft lighting, an elegant spread meticulously laid out. The chief steward stood ready, while a maid guided Xia Dabai to his place.
"Dad." Dabai offered a sleepy greeting.
Seated at the head of the imposing table, Bai Yeqing picked up his chopsticks. His gaze methodically swept the room. "Where is Miss Xia?"
The chief steward stepped forward smoothly. "Miss Xia departed this morning, sir. She called to inform she would be dining with a friend and returning later this evening."
A neutral hum acknowledged the information.
Dabai swallowed a spoonful of soup and chirped, "Mom's on a blind date!"
Bai Yeqing's head turned slowly, his eyes sharpening as they fixed on his son. "A blind date?"
"Yep! I told her she should go! The guy she liked is marrying Auntie, so she needs to find someone nice!" Dabai's voice carried innocent conviction. He turned imploringly to the steward. "Steward, Mom will find a good man to marry her, right?"
The steward offered a practiced, diplomatic smile. "Miss Xia is intelligent, graceful, and compassionate. Undoubtedly, a gentleman worthy of her will recognize that. The fact she's spent both luncheon and supper with this gentleman today… suggests a most agreeable rapport. Perhaps fate is taking a hand."
"See?" Dabai beamed triumphantly. "She'll give you wedding candy!"
Bai Yeqing's gaze lingered on his son's cheerful face before shifting towards the darkened windows, his expression cooling almost imperceptibly. The mental image of Xingchen laughing over menus with some stranger was intrusive, unwelcome. His lips thinned. "Enough. Eat."
Dabai obediently picked up his spoon. The steward fell silent, noting the subtle tightening around the President's eyes.
Bai Yeqing picked at his food. The dishes, usually appealing, suddenly held no interest. After precisely three bites, he set his chopsticks aside.
...
Back on the bustling cafe street, Yu Zenan patted his jacket pockets as the bill arrived, his easy confidence flickering into disbelief. Empty.
Damn A Xian! Left the bloody car, forgot the bloody cards!
Xingchen spotted the momentary panic and smoothly handed her card to the waiter. "It's covered."
Yu Zenan followed her out onto the sidewalk, chagrin warring with amusement. "I owe you a meal. Properly. Next time, my treat."
"Don't be ridiculous. We both ate."
"Absolutely not." He shook his head emphatically. "Gentlemen don't let ladies pay." He strode towards a gleaming Aston Martin parked brazenly at the curb. Yanking open the passenger door, he gestured grandly. "Get in. I'll drive you."
Xingchen felt the weight of stares from passersby—curious, appraising, envious. Tall, staggeringly handsome, leaning against that car? She practically radiated 'gold-digger.'
More importantly…
"Where I live…" She pushed him firmly towards the driver's seat, opened the door, and practically shoved him in. "...Is absolutely not somewhere you drop me off. Now go! That car attracts enough attention without me in it."
Yu Zenan laughed, a rich, infectious sound. "Alright, alright. But your phone. Hand it over."
"Why?" Xingchen eyed him suspiciously, holding it back.
"Give."
His long arm snaked out the open window like lightning, plucking the phone from her grasp before she could react. A few swift taps later, his own phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Done. Number saved." He tossed her phone back. The screen displayed a new contact: Zenan. "I know a fantastic place. I'll call you in a day or two."
The Aston Martin roared to life, leaping forward… then slammed into reverse, tires screeching in protest. The window slid down again. Yu Zenan leaned out, his dazzling smile firmly back in place, but his eyes locked onto hers with sudden, unexpected intensity.
"And Xingchen?" His voice dropped, carrying a playful yet undeniable command. "When I call?" He held her gaze, making sure she caught it. "You will answer."
A heartbeat of charged silence. "You hear me?"