Chapter 48: The Couple Who Came Forced In

At 8:00 PM, the meeting was set at Yayunju — a famous high-end restaurant in Hang City.

Notably, Yayunju was a property under Fang Chenxi’s father’s name.

Arranging the meeting there was likely just to make it easier to monitor her situation.

Fang Chenxi gave a bitter smile, unsure of how to describe her parents’ “well-meaning” intentions.

It seemed that everything had been prearranged.

This dinner was merely an excuse; in reality, they wanted to use her to establish a relationship with the other party’s son to help her father’s business reach new heights.

Fang Chenxi had no real affection for her parents, but thinking about their behavior still made her heart turn cold.

However, the compromise she had in mind was not simply to give up and be captured.

In her previous life, after she had decisively refused, the boy’s father had seemingly become very angry.

Following that, he never collaborated with her father again, which had a significant impact on her as well.

Cutting off her funds was a small matter, but her father had nearly forced her to leave Lotus City.

It was only because her mother said some kind words in his ear that she was able to stay at Tianhua Middle School.

Therefore, she had to restrain her sharpness now and slowly accumulate capital until she had the confidence to challenge him.

What she had to do tonight was try to negotiate with the other party.

A flash of determination crossed Fang Chenxi’s eyes.

This was her first challenge after her Rebirth.

***

As night fell, Fang Chenxi stepped out of the car her father had arranged outside Yayunju and looked at the high-end restaurant before her.

Neon lights flickered, and the scale of the building was grand and magnificent.

The guests entering and leaving were all dressed impeccably in neat suits.

Fang Chenxi nodded slightly.

Her graceful figure was wrapped in a black evening gown, making her look even more beautiful and moving under the reflection of the lights.

She knitted her dark brows slightly.

Her family had insisted she wear this gown, saying it was more appropriate for such a venue.

Fang Chenxi didn’t bother to argue with them.

She had simply brought a white jacket and put it on as soon as she saw the driver leave.

Stepping up the stairs in her high heels, she thought about how she would get the other party to change their mind while also helping her keep it a secret.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation, Miss?”

A waiter opened the door for Fang Chenxi.

After she entered, another waitress came forward to greet her.

At first glance, she found Fang Chenxi’s outfit very strange.

A gown paired with a jacket — why would anyone dress like that?

Fang Chenxi stated the name of the pre-booked private room.

“Room 301, Yunshuijian.”

“All right, I will lead you there.”

After confirming the information, the waitress led Fang Chenxi upstairs.

Once they reached the door of the private room, the waitress left first.

Fang Chenxi pushed aside the jade bead curtain at the entrance.

While the exterior of Yayunju featured luxurious Western-style decor, the private rooms inside were all decorated in different Chinese styles.

It was quite eye-catching, but Fang Chenxi was in no mood to admire the restaurant’s clever design at the moment.

The other party had not arrived yet, so she was the only one in the room.

A short while later, the same waitress returned with a pot of tea and a plate of snacks.

After placing the snacks on the table, she poured tea for Fang Chenxi and asked, “Should your dishes be served now?”

Fang Chenxi thanked her and shook her head.

“Wait a while. The person isn’t here yet.”

“All right. If you need anything, just press the bell.”

The waitress pointed to the electronic bell next to the door and then withdrew, closing the door behind her.

Fang Chenxi was finally able to relax.

Her stiff shoulders slumped as she leaned back against the chair.

Her previous dignified and elegant posture vanished instantly.

Playing the part of a refined young lady was exhausting, and it was something Fang Chenxi was not good at.

And another thing.

Fang Chenxi stomped her feet, making the high heels click against the floor.

She frowned slightly; she wasn’t used to wearing high heels and felt they were constantly pinching her feet.

‘How should I negotiate with him?’

Fang Chenxi had done some research beforehand.

The other party wasn’t very old either.

He was a Grade 12 student, only one year older than her.

If they were both students, perhaps it would be easier to talk.

If the other party was also being forced by his parents, then she would just have to confess everything.

Then, the two of them could pretend to be satisfied to appease their respective parents.

That would be a perfect resolution.

Of course, that was just the best-case scenario Fang Chenxi had envisioned.

If the other party turned out to be a shameless person lusting after her beauty, and they couldn’t reach an agreement, she would have no choice but to make the same decision she did in her previous life.

Thinking this, Fang Chenxi suddenly felt she should have brought something for self-defense.

Her eyes flickered toward the wine opener sitting on the cabinet by the door.

That thing looked like it could be useful.

There were two knocks at the door.

Fang Chenxi looked toward the entrance and prepared to stand up to greet the guest.

The curtain was pulled back, and a black suit was the first thing to enter Fang Chenxi’s vision.

Then, the person himself walked in.

He had rugged features and a tall, slender build, though he looked a bit youthful.

It was Liu Mo.

However, at this moment, Liu Mo was frowning and did not look very happy.

“You must be Mr. Liu,” Fang Chenxi greeted him first.

But before she could finish, another person walked in.

It was another girl wearing an exquisite dress.

She was very beautiful and looked quite young.

‘?’

This development completely threw Fang Chenxi off.

“Is she the blind date your dad found for you? I don’t think she’s as pretty as me,” the girl whispered into Liu Mo’s ear.

Her gaze toward Fang Chenxi held a hint of jealousy, and her tone was laced with bitterness.

Liu Mo’s frown deepened as he scolded in a low voice, “An Ya, don’t talk nonsense.”

“It’s true though. Even if she is pretty, she’s only a little bit prettier than me.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you come. I could have explained it clearly myself.”

“And you still didn’t want me to follow you!”

The room wasn’t large, so Fang Chenxi heard the girl’s words clearly.

However, she wasn’t angry; she just found it amusing.

She roughly understood what was happening.

Seeing the girl called An Ya acting so intimately with Liu Mo, looking very much like a couple, Fang Chenxi felt that her previous idea might actually work.

“So, could Mr. Liu please explain what is going on?”

Fang Chenxi interrupted the pair’s flirting and spoke calmly.

***

After the waitress finished serving all the dishes, Liu Mo took a deep breath and began to explain the reason.

The girl sitting next to him was called An Ya, his childhood friend who grew up with him.

Liu Mo’s acceptance of his parents’ arrangement was truly a helpless move.

His family had always doted on him and let him have his way in everything, except when it came to his love life, which they were very worried about.

Even though he was still just a Grade 12 student, they were already busy finding blind dates for him.

That was why today’s dinner was happening.

“It’s only because Brother hasn’t had a girlfriend since he was little, so Uncle and Aunt were worried,” An Ya muttered softly on the side, her tone carrying a hint of resentment.

Liu Mo’s face turned slightly red as he protested indignantly, “What do you mean I’ve never had one? Aren’t we together now!”

“Then you should have just confessed sooner. You just had to keep dragging it out, Brother. Look, now Uncle and Aunt are so anxious that they’re setting you up on blind dates.”

Hearing Liu Mo’s admission, An Ya’s small face reddened, and her tone became shy, though the complaint in her voice was still evident.

Watching the two of them go back and forth with their flirting, Fang Chenxi understood.

They really were a couple.

Fang Chenxi raised an eyebrow.

This played right into her hands.

She wouldn’t even need to explain anything; they were already dissatisfied with this “blind date” themselves.

“So, your parents don’t know you already have a girlfriend, yet they still set up this dinner for you.”

Liu Mo nodded with an embarrassed expression and suddenly stood up.

“I’m really sorry for dragging you into this.”

After Liu Mo finished, he even gave her a bow.

He was quite polite.

“It’s fine. It just so happens that I was forced to come here as well. In that case, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together,” Fang Chenxi said in a calm tone, appearing as though she didn’t care at all.

Perhaps because Fang Chenxi was their peer, the two people sitting opposite her slowly stopped being so restrained.

Seeing that Fang Chenxi truly didn’t seem to mind, An Ya believed her words a bit more.

However, she felt very guilty in her heart.

She had said those things right to the woman’s face, yet Fang Chenxi was actually wishing them well now.

“I’m sorry… Sister?”

An Ya said weakly.

“We should be the same age. You don’t need to call me Sister.”

Of course, if she insisted on it, Fang Chenxi wouldn’t mind.

“I’ll call my parents right now and explain the situation to them.”

Perhaps because he was embarrassed to the extreme, Liu Mo felt that if he didn’t confess now, he wouldn’t be giving An Ya a proper explanation.

What kind of situation was this, having his girlfriend follow him to a blind date!

Although Fang Chenxi didn’t know why he hadn’t done this sooner, it was a good thing for her regardless.

She settled in and relaxed, eating her food while listening to Liu Mo explain things to his family over the phone.

It felt like she was watching a live-action romantic comedy today.