Chapter 50: "We have plenty of time tonight to build some chemistry."

Jing Zhuo's expression was calm and easygoing.

"Alright, I'll find some time to try it."

Song Xi had already begun to picture meeting Zhang Haonian in her mind.

"You know, I'm actually a bit nervous..."

"What are you nervous about?"

"Because his older brother is strict and rather fierce, plus there's a big age gap. I'm afraid we won't have anything in common. Should I prepare some topics suitable for elders in advance?"

Jing Zhuo said, "He isn't that old."

Song Xi said, "Isn't he over thirty?"

"He's twenty-nine, and he'll turn thirty after his birthday on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month."

Song Xi said in shock, "How do you remember so clearly? You remember it better than Hening does."

Jing Zhuo added tea to her cup. "We're quite close, so I remember a bit better."

Song Xi sighed emotionally for a moment.

"So Hening's oldest brother hasn't even turned thirty yet? That's amazing."

Having stayed at the He residence for a while recently, she often heard the Zhang family members urging Zhang Haonian to get married. What they constantly muttered about was how he was already past thirty and would grow too old to be wanted if he didn't marry soon.

Turns out that was just an exaggeration.

"Prejudices in people's hearts are like towering mountains," Jing Zhuo murmured. "The real him that you experience might not be old, nor is he fierce."

"Oh..." Song Xi pondered. "He definitely is fierce though, I know that best."

After all, Hening was frequently punished, had her cards frozen, and even had her living expenses cut off for a full two months during high school.

If Song Xi hadn't supported her, she might have starved to death.

Her older brother was fierce!

There was no doubt about that.

Jing Zhuo quietly steered the topic back. "Drink your tea."

The side dishes were served one after another. While waiting for the main course, Song Xi heard her phone chime with a "ding."

Someone had sent a friend request.

She glanced down and saw three words in the remark field: Xu Jincheng?

She didn't know him.

Song Xi clicked reject.

A moment later, a call came in from an unfamiliar number.

She answered with suspicion, and a young man's unfamiliar voice came through on the other end: "Don't reject me. I'm the blind-date match Grandma Song introduced to you. Are you free? Let's grab a meal together?"

How was it another blind-date match?

Song Xi felt a bit awkward and secretly glanced at Jing Zhuo across the table, wondering if he had heard.

"Sorry, I don't do blind dates. Goodbye."

She finished quickly and hung up the phone.

Then she shook her phone at Jing Zhuo. "It was just a blind-date match. I rejected him, see? I didn't violate the marriage law."

The corners of Jing Zhuo's lips seemed to curve into a slight arc.

"Mhm, I trust you." He picked up some food for her. "Eat."

Song Xi put her phone down and quietly ate the food he had picked out for her. In the quiet restaurant, a melodious piano tune played softly—the classic "A Wedding Dream."

Her heart drifted slowly along with the music.

"Buzz, buzz—"

Before long, another call came in.

Song Xi glanced at the screen and didn't dare to hang up this time. It was her grandmother.

She quickly took a sip of water, swallowed the food in her mouth, and answered the call cautiously.

"Hello, Grandma..."

"Xiao Xi, what is going on with you? Why have you rejected all the blind-date matches I introduced to you these past few days?"

Grandma Song's reproachful tone came through the phone.

Song Xi whispered in explanation, "Grandma, I'm busy with work. I really don't have time for blind dates."

"You're busy, but good young men won't wait for you! If you wait until you're not busy to go on blind dates, all the good men will have been snatched away by other people's granddaughters!"

Grandma Song issued a command: "You are not allowed to delete people anymore, and you cannot refuse their invitations. If I hear anyone complaining to me again that you aren't cooperating with the blind dates, Grandma will fly straight to the capital and drag you back."

Song Xi lowered her voice to coax her. "I'll try my best."

Seeing that her attitude of admitting fault was quite good, Grandma Song asked, "That Jing Zhuo from the capital last time—is he still harassing you?"

Song Xi: "Huh?"

"I could tell last time. He stayed at our house for two days and most likely has designs on you. Stay away from a man like that; you shouldn't mess with that kind of person."

Song Xi covered her phone, secretly glanced at Jing Zhuo across the table, and lowered her voice even further.

"Why is that?"

"First of all, he has a family, and his behavior is quite improper. Secondly, Grandma doesn't want you marrying into the capital. We don't have anyone there and aren't familiar with the place. If you marry far away, you'll suffer endless hardships."

"Besides, how cold is the capital? By winter, all the tree leaves drop off, and the food is so spicy—you'd never get used to it. It's fine if you go play over there for a couple of years, but you must marry back in Suzhou."

Song Xi didn't dare to make a sound.

Sorry, Grandma, she was already married.

Now she was also half a person from the capital.

"The capital is pretty nice, Grandma... the food is delicious too, not spicy at all."

"I'm not arguing with you about this. In short, hurry up and carve out time to go on that blind date. Also, add Xu Jincheng on WeChat and go have a meal with him. Don't you dare refuse again."

Song Xi felt miserable inside.

O(╥﹏╥)O

After the old lady hung up the phone, she directly put her phone on silent, turned it face down on the table, and secretly looked at the man across from her.

She saw Jing Zhuo picking up his chopsticks and carefully picking the chili peppers out of a certain dish piece by piece, placing them onto a bone plate.

"..."

So he had heard it all just now, right?

For a full five minutes, her grandmother had spent four and a half minutes speaking ill of him and another half a minute undermining his marriage.

Song Xi awkwardly tried to smooth things over. "Don't mind what my grandmother just said. She doesn't know we're married yet, which is why she has prejudices against you..."

After finishing picking out the chilis, Jing Zhuo picked up her bowl, served her some rice, and then ladled some soup.

"So," he raised his eyes to look at her, "when does my wife plan to introduce me to your family?"

Song Xi's face flushed red. "Didn't we agree, after we've cultivated our feelings?"

"Alright, eat your meal."

Throughout the rest of the dinner, Jing Zhuo didn't bring the matter up again.

He still helped her serve food, ladled soup for her, and even peeled half a bowl of shrimp, placing them neatly right in front of her.

"..." Song Xi felt even more guilty.

But her guilt didn't last very long.

Because tonight, Jing Zhuo pinned her against the back of the door and kissed her heavily for twenty minutes. After taking a brief pause in the middle, he kissed her for another twenty minutes!

Under the dim, warm light of the entryway, the man's tie was pulled loose, his shirt was rumpled, and his tall, heavy frame pressed tightly against her. Deep, pitch-black desire churned within his eyes.

Song Xi's lips were swollen, and her eyes were wet with moisture.

Seeing him lean in to press down on her again, she raised both hands to push against Jing Zhuo's chest.

"E-enough."

"Not enough."

The man gripped her waist and pulled her against him, her slender, soft waist pressing flush against his body, sending a firm, hard pressure rippling through her.

"We have plenty of time tonight. Let's cultivate our feelings."