Chapter 17
HUO SICHEN LEANED IN slightly. “So is this exciting enough for you?”
“Way too exciting,” Zhang Yuwen replied. “I’m going to kick Chen Hong’s ass when I get home.” In just a few seconds, he’d gone from confusion, to shock, to a mix of anger and amusement as he pieced together what was happening.
Obviously, these two were in cahoots! And Huo Sichen wasn’t a straight guy at all! There were no other explanations!
“It wasn’t his idea,” Huo Sichen said. “I told him not to tell you because I was nervous too, and I didn’t know how to explain it to you…about this. Will you sit down? You aren’t going to punch me in front of all these people, are you? I’ll be blacklisted from the restaurant.”
Zhang Yuwen sat down, and Huo Sichen breathed a sigh of relief. With the sly grin of a man whose evil plot had succeeded, he motioned for the waiter to come over and pour them some water.
“So,” Zhang Yuwen said, “we’re on a blind date?”
The waiter glanced at them. Huo Sichen’s response came very naturally. “Yes. And an honor it is.”
A tsunami of complaints swelled forth in Zhang Yuwen’s heart, enough to sweep away Huo Sichen and the entire restaurant. “Give me a moment to calm down first.” He drank some water and looked away to take in the restaurant’s decor: the crystal chandeliers, the diners, and the pianist tinkling away on the piano, producing quiet music that added to the romantic ambiance.
Huo Sichen looked intently at the menu, then called the waiter to order. “We’ll get the couple’s set.”
“Certainly, sir. Would you like some wine?”
“Go ahead,” said Zhang Yuwen.
But Huo Sichen declined. “Not today. I need to stay sober to drive you home after dinner.”
The waiter put in their order, then came back to light a candle that sat in a small glass on their table.
“A candle for you,” Zhang Yuwen joked. “Rest in peace.”
Huo Sichen smiled. He didn’t retort.
Through the huge floor-to-ceiling window beside them, they could see a panoramic view of the city’s dazzling nightscape, with its twinkling lights, ribbons of traffic, and luminous winter moonlight.
Finally calm, Zhang Yuwen sized his date up, his gaze aggressive and his thoughts written on his face as he rated Huo Sichen. First up, his appearance. They were both dressed fairly formally, especially Huo Sichen, who looked dashing and elite. In Zhang Yuwen’s books, it was a pass.
Next up, his physique—i.e., his sex appeal. Zhang Yuwen had seen Huo Sichen’s long legs when they stayed overnight on the mountain. He gave him a high score. Then there was his personality and character…
Zhang Yuwen curbed the fervor in his gaze and replaced it with his usual harmless smile. Huo Sichen felt certain that, in that half minute, he had been thoroughly catalogued and appraised.
“Should we go through the usual process?” Huo Sichen asked.
“Sure. On account of our intermediary.”