Chen Hong had been too busy to eat, but now he returned, famished, to find the last bit of his spiritual comfort gone. “Where’s my lunch?!” he howled.
“Jinxing took it,” Zhang Yuwen told him. “There’s leftover rice from my lunch. You can eat it with some sauce.”
Chen Hong was too hungry to even care about carbs. He gobbled up a few mouthfuls and then went to make coffee.
Zhang Yuwen paled. “I really can’t take any more,” he said. “I already had three mugs of coffee.”
But Chen Hong insisted on handing him a mug. “It’s decaffeinated. I bought the beans separately.” Zhang Yuwen was forced to accept it. Chen Hong continued, “I found you a suitable match. You wanna meet him?”
Zhang Yuwen whipped his head up. He hadn’t expected Chen Hong to find someone so quickly, and he suddenly felt nervous. “What does he look like?”
“Uh, he’s one of my clients,” Chen Hong said vaguely. “He’s a little shy and would rather not share his photo. I didn’t give him your photo either. I just said that you…have lots in common.”
“Huh? Not even a photo? Are you telling me to go in blind?” Zhang Yuwen asked. “Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Well, it’s important to have some excitement in your life.”
A day ago, Zhang Yuwen might have disagreed, but now he was wondering if his life was too predictable. Maybe he did need a little thrill. “Then I’ll add his contact for a chat.”
“He’s…also too shy to add you as a contact,” Chen Hong said, shutting Zhang Yuwen up instantly. “Look on the bright side. If you meet and he’s no good, you can just pick up and leave with no concerns whatsoever, right?”
“What the hell?!” Zhang Yuwen was torn between laughter and tears.
“He’s willing to have a meal with you so you can have a conversation and get to know each other. If you guys think it’s a good match, you can exchange contact info.”
“How old is he?”
“In his twenties, the same as you,” Chen Hong said. “Whether he’s a top or bottom, I have no idea. I didn’t ask.”
“What type of guy is he? And how tall?”
Chen Hong shrugged. “All I can say is that he basically meets your requirements. No, actually, he’s your ideal type, aside from not being a Cancer. You’ll be satisfied with him. Whether or not he’ll be satisfied, I can’t say. After all, I know you better.”
“Is he a lively and bubbly younger guy?” Zhang Yuwen asked. He could go with it. He didn’t mind if they didn’t get together in the end; a fling would be fun too.
Chen Hong changed the topic. “So, will you go? I promise I didn’t tell him much about you, but he told me once that he likes your type.” Zhang Yuwen gave him a skeptical look. “He’s already made a reservation at this restaurant. You decide if you want to go or not. If not, I’ll tell him to cancel it.”
Chen Hong showed Zhang Yuwen a website on his phone. Zhang Yuwen had been to the restaurant before. It was pretty expensive. “At such an expensive place?” Zhang Yuwen asked, a little surprised.
“He said he’d treat you. You can drive the landlord’s car.”
Zhang Yuwen’s car was a Bentley coupe. It was even more expensive than Huo Sichen’s car, but he had told everyone that it was the landlord’s property and that he only took it out for an occasional spin.
“Are you going to go?” Chen Hong asked again.
“You haven’t told me anything about him!” Zhang Yuwen said. “I’m totally going in blind?”
“He’s also going in blind. It’s fair.”
“Well, I guess I’ll go, since he already made the reservation. Is he still in school?”
“I think he’s working already. Seems like a young talent?” Chen Hong said. “I’ll reply to him, then. It’ll be on Wednesday—tomorrow night.”
Filled with uncertainty, Zhang Yuwen agreed. This blind date was as nerve-wracking as the first time he joined a film crew and participated in a shoot. He hadn’t felt this kind of thrill in years.
He couldn’t help but imagine what his blind date might look like. He couldn’t sleep after the four mugs of coffee he’d drunk in the afternoon, so he was tossing and turning in bed when it dawned on him: Maybe this was the “uncertainty” he had been seeking. But man, this was a bit too much excitement…
Oh! It was already five in the morning! Zhang Yuwen felt like going out for a run, but, like, seriously, did he really have to jump from extreme boredom to extreme excitement so abruptly?
Zhang Yuwen finally got up in the afternoon. His stomach was churning over his impending blind date, but he didn’t plan to turn to his roommates for comfort. Wasn’t this anxiety what he’d been looking for? Having finally captured that fleeting feeling, he sat down to put it to page, but when he opened his laptop and saw the mountain of trash that had accumulated over his days of work, he didn’t know where to start.
Left with no choice, he opened another document to start a new story, writing in fits and starts. He couldn’t focus, though, and his thoughts drifted to how he should present himself that coming night. A little more mature? Or younger? Some bottoms liked the gentle, cheery big brother type, but others preferred mature and steady tops…
Huh? Was it already four in the afternoon? Zhang Yuwen hadn’t taken his lunch except for a mug of coffee, but he wasn’t hungry. He got up and went to change his clothes, wondering if he should drive to the blind date. He wouldn’t want to walk to the subway on such a cold day, and he didn’t want to wear too many layers of clothes and end up looking bloated, either.
Chen Hong was back, taking off his shoes in the foyer. “Going out already?”
“Yeah,” said Zhang Yuwen, unsurprised to find Chen Hong there. He’d heard the motorcycle earlier.
“Good luck.” Chen Hong was very calm, as if he had no doubt that Zhang Yuwen would succeed, and his matchmaker fee was already in the bag.
“I didn’t sleep last night,” Zhang Yuwen said tiredly.
“Go now. Don’t be late.”
Zhang Yuwen lingered. He made one last attempt. “At least give me his number, in case something unexpected crops up.”
“That won’t happen,” Chen Hong said. “Go, go. You can call me anytime.”
Zhang Yuwen wore a casual linen suit. When he’d seen Huo Sichen dressed like this, he thought it looked cool, so he emulated the look and topped it off with a scarf. But all the crowding and jostling on the packed subway during peak hour messed up his carefully curated outfit and his hair, making him look like a tired office worker.
The closer he got to his destination, the more nervous he became. He remembered how amused he’d been to see his ex get flustered in front of him. He was used to being the dominant party in the relationship, even if one relationship was all the experience he had. How had he become the weaker one?
Maybe the other guy is nervous too? Zhang Yuwen thought, calming himself down a little.
He needed to talk to someone, or he couldn’t relax. He thought it over, then sent a message to Huo Sichen. I’m going on a blind date tdy.
Huo Sichen: ?
Zhang Yuwen took a selfie in the subway car and sent it to him.
So handsome, Huo Sichen said. When Zhang Yuwen started ranting about the literally blind date, he noted, It’s normal for Chen Hong not to tell u too much abt his clients.
Zhang Yuwen: He said they’re my ideal type.
Huo Sichen: wats ur ideal type?
Zhang Yuwen: thats not impt. I was 2 nervous last night 2 sleep much.
Huo Sichen: u can do it.
Zhang Yuwen: wat if it doesnt work out?
Huo Sichen: Then u better sit down and finish the meal. Its such an expensive restaurant.
Zhang Yuwen: The other person’s paying.
Huo Sichen: Rly? get me takeout while ur thr.
Zhang Yuwen laughed despite himself.
Huo Sichen: If u do end up tgt, I mean IF, will u introduce ur partner to me?
Hesitating, Zhang Yuwen didn’t reply immediately. He didn’t quite understand what Huo Sichen meant by that and carefully thought it over. This “partner” would be a guy, and in introducing him, he would be essentially coming out to Huo Sichen. Could he do that? Maybe. A moment later, though, it dawned on him that this was Huo Sichen asking about their friendship.
Huo Sichen assumed Zhang Yuwen was straight. When a straight guy introduced his girlfriend to another straight male friend, it came at a risk. The grass was always greener on the other side, and introducing them might increase the odds of being cheated on.
Effectively, Huo Sichen was saying: Zhang Yuwen, we’re buddies, right?
It was a little late by the time Zhang Yuwen worked this out, but he still replied candidly. Ofc, we can hang out together. I swear I wont ditch u even if I’m dating.
Huo Sichen didn’t reply.
Zhang Yuwen exited the subway station and entered the bustling commercial district by the river. The area was full of upscale shopping malls and office buildings. The tallest building, Hengxin Tower, was a Jiangdong landmark. Impeccably dressed pedestrians thronged the streets, their spending limits off the charts. Lights illuminated the huge store facades of Hermès, LV, and Tiffany spanning three or four floors, making them look like crystals on a crown. Coming here felt like stepping into a futuristic movie, where skyscrapers intersected, and neon lights flashed through the night.
The restaurant his blind date had booked was on the 105th floor of Hengxin Tower. He had to go through a security check when he entered the building. Neon colors glittered on all sides of the lift as it carried him toward the faraway unknown, causing his nervousness to hit through the roof on his way up.
Zhang Yuwen stood before the restaurant reception counter. The waiting area was already packed with people. “Table forty-seven.”
“Please follow me,” said the handsome waiter, politely leading Zhang Yuwen inside. Zhang Yuwen’s nerves reached a crescendo.
Across a quiet table for two in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, he finally saw his blind date:
Huo Sichen.