Soon, Zhu Yuan's parents finished preparing dinner.
The table was filled with dishes, but no one really had the appetite to eat.
Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Sol had just eaten hot pot together before coming, and with serious matters still weighing on their minds, food was the last thing they cared about.
On the other side, Zhu Yuan's parents—locked in a battle of wits and willpower with their daughter—were equally uninterested in the meal.
And so, the thing Zhu Yuan dreaded most happened.
No matter how hard she, Sol, and Qingyi performed, her parents remained unmoved.
Even when she exaggerated and claimed Sol had a harem of dozens of young girls, one from every Thiren race, her parents merely twitched with anger—then gritted their teeth and declared they would still send her off to Sol.
An hour later, after a torturous dinner—
"Yuan Yuan, just be at ease and stay with Sol," said her mother, raising an eyebrow, proud of having withstood her daughter's emotional assault. "We only want you to experience love. As for the person, as long as you like him, no matter how outrageous it is, we'll accept it."
Zhu Yuan grew anxious. "What if I don't like him?"
"Then we'll keep introducing people until you do."
Her father snorted coldly, his voice heavy with irritation.
He was still fuming at his daughter and had no intention of being pleasant.
"The guest is still here—what kind of attitude is that?"
Her mother nudged him sharply, scolding him under her breath.
"It's fine, Auntie. It's getting late anyway—we should be heading off."
Sol stood, tugging at the still-amused Qingyi, and smiled politely as he said his goodbyes.
"Oh, don't rush off! Young man, Officer Qingyi, stay and chat a bit longer. It's not that late, and it's perfectly safe outside."
Mrs. Zhu called after them warmly.
Now that she knew it had all been an act, she saw no reason to embarrass her daughter's friends or colleagues—hospitality was only proper.
"Wait—Sol!"
Zhu Yuan blurted, a bit panicked.
The matter was far from resolved, and she could tell her parents had only gotten more stubborn.
Sol patted her shoulder, smiling. "Alright, alright, I know you can't bear to see me go. Why don't you walk us out?"
Zhu Yuan froze for a second, then realized Sol had something to tell her. Forcing a smile, she said, "Okay, I'll walk you and Senior Qingyi out."
Sol and Qingyi stepped outside. Zhu Yuan's parents followed to the door but stopped there, while she continued farther with the two.
"Thank you both so much for helping me tonight," she sighed sincerely.
Sol smiled. "Don't mention it."
Qingyi waved a hand casually. "We're all friends, after all."
Zhu Yuan felt genuinely touched—but the next second, her shoulders slumped. "Too bad we totally messed up. I just wanted my parents to drop this matchmaking thing, but now they're even more eager to marry me off!"
"Zhu Yuan, you can't really blame them," Qingyi said, crossing her arms with a helpless expression. "Your acting was terrible—you gave yourselves away."
"Eh?" Zhu Yuan blinked in surprise. "They knew it was fake?"
"Of course." Sol nodded firmly. "They've raised you for over twenty years—how could they not know? I'd bet when your mom pulled your dad into the kitchen earlier, that's when they figured it out."
"Ah? Then what should I do now?"
Zhu Yuan's mind went blank; she was completely lost.
If it were a criminal case, she'd handle it with perfect confidence and deliver an airtight report.
But talking about matchmaking with her parents? That was like having a fishbone stuck in her throat—she could barely speak.
"Don't worry," Sol said confidently, patting his chest. "Since I agreed to help, I'll see it through. Honestly, I think after tonight, your parents probably understand your feelings. They don't seem unreasonable—most likely, they'll stop pressuring you."
Zhu Yuan thought of how understanding her parents had always been before, and that did make sense.
But somehow, she felt they were especially stubborn on this particular topic—unlike their usual selves.
"What if they still keep pushing me?"
She couldn't help asking again.
Sol smirked, patting Qingyi's shoulder. "I'll let you take this one. Let's see if we're on the same wavelength."
"No problem. I already have a plan," Qingyi said breezily, turning to Zhu Yuan. "If your parents keep trying to set you up, just tell them this—if they want to arrange another date, they'll have to find someone at least as good as Sol. After all, you already introduced Sol to them as your boyfriend, right? The next one can't be worse, can he?"
"This..."
Zhu Yuan hesitated, glancing at Sol.
"Exactly," Sol said approvingly, nodding. "I might not be much, but finding another me in all of New Eridu? That's not an easy task."
Not easy? It was impossible.
Zhu Yuan knew that although Sol spoke with humor and ease, he was one of New Eridu's rising stars.
Vision Corporation, the recent acquisition of eight mid-tier arms companies—those were clear achievements to his name.
And from what Ya and others had told her, his capabilities went even deeper than that.
If her parents used Sol as the "template" for her matchmaking, the only one who'd qualify would still be Sol.
Maybe some retired Void Hunters could compare—but what sane person would set their daughter up with one of them?
Realizing this, Zhu Yuan finally relaxed, a smile breaking through. "Then I'll go back and tell them clearly—I'm focusing on my duty as an officer!"
Sol patted her shoulder again. "Good. Keep it up. And if you need more help, give me a call—but at least buy me dinner next time."
"No problem! Even if I don't need help, I still want to hang out once in a while!"
Zhu Yuan grinned, her confidence restored.
"I'm not as greedy as Sol," Qingyi added with a playful wink. "A cup of good tea will do."
"Oh, so it's a competition now?" Sol teased. "Just don't let your coworkers see you say that—or they'll shoot you ten times for hypocrisy."
The tension melted away amid their laughter.
After waving goodbye to Sol and Qingyi, Zhu Yuan returned home, ready to come clean to her parents.
Meanwhile, Sol revved up his motorcycle, Qingyi hopping on behind him as they rode off into the night.
Back at Zhu Yuan's home—
"Dad, Mom, I don't want to go on blind dates anymore. That whole thing earlier was something my friends and I planned."
Zhu Yuan declared the truth with resolve.
"Mm, we figured as much," her mother said with a weary smile.
"Then... are you still going to make me go on blind dates?"
"Of course. You'll have to get married someday."
Her mother's tone was firm and matter-of-fact.
"That day's still far off, though, right?"
Zhu Yuan asked hesitantly.
"Yes," her mother said, smiling again. "So, for now, just focus on your career."
"Great!"
Zhu Yuan couldn't help shouting in joy.
"This child..."
Her father shook his head, half exasperated and half relieved.
Having such a good daughter was wonderful—except for her stubbornness on this one issue.
Still, maybe it was for the best. At least there wouldn't be some shady punk chasing after her. If his precious daughter stayed cute and single forever, he wouldn't complain.
After all, when Sol had first appeared, his fatherly heart had nearly broken.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he overheard his wife's gentle voice beside him.
"Yuan Yuan, when you're older, you might want to consider that Sol again. He's really quite a good young man."
"I know..."
Zhu Yuan blushed, her voice barely above a whisper.
She had never thought about things that way before—
But if it ever came to that... maybe he wouldn't be such a bad choice.
"..."
Her father silently looked up at the ceiling, utterly speechless.
Looks like I can't escape this fate after all.