Inside the luxurious interior of Imperial Lotus, Wang Zi Rui sipped the coffee on his table—his gesture calm and composed—while a woman in a pink mini dress, sitting across from him, stole glances from time to time.
At first, she hadn't expected much from this blind date. But as she observed his every movement—his mannerisms calm, confident, and reserved—he had already exceeded all expectations.
Her gaze then lingered on his face, quite handsome, his glasses giving him an air of focus and intelligence. He was the most attractive man she had ever met on a blind date, and what made it even more remarkable was that he was the heir of the prestigious GL Holdings.
Yet for Zi Rui, today's blind date felt no different; she was just like any other woman he had met, and he had long since stopped believing that anyone could be interested in him for anything beyond his name.
If it weren't for his grandmother's insistence, he would not have come or attended any more blind dates.
While Zi Rui pondered how to bring this blind date to an end, a high-pitched voice suddenly rang out from across the room.
"Baby, where have you been running off to?"
Zi Rui looked up, curiosity piqued, and saw a man striding toward him, dressed flamboyantly in a floral button-down shirt paired with crisp white trousers, his hips swaying slightly with each step.
His eyes went wide, a mix of shock and disgust flooding his expression, as he realized the man before him was his only friend—Jin Muchen, the notorious playboy.
As Muchen stood beside him, his hand slid casually around Zi Rui's shoulder, acting coquettishly, while the woman across from them stood frozen, her eyes flickering with disbelief.
And like a bolt of lightning, it finally hit her—Zi Rui's calm demeanor wasn't from being naturally composed; it was because he had no interest in her… he was more interested in men.
"Y-you… no wonder you're not interested in me—so the person next to you is actually your boyfriend!" she exclaimed, feeling betrayed, humiliated, and angry, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Muchen looked at her and said, "Oh, so that's why you've been ignoring me… keeping company with that plastic beauty, huh?" His words, laced with teasing implication, targeted the woman across them, stirring even more chaos.
Meanwhile, Song Meiqi froze, mouth agape, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and curiosity as she took in the scene unfolding before her.
"Oh, gossip!" she whispered, unable to hold back.
Just then, her phone rang, drawing her attention. She answered, and the voice of the A&R Director from their label came through.
"Hello, darling! I just listened to the demo you sent me a few days ago—I honestly didn't expect it to be this good. I'd love to meet and discuss its potential. Are you available today?" Her voice was light and pleasant, carrying a subtle warmth.
Meiqi slowly curved her lips, a mix of shock and happiness spreading across her face. She loved writing songs but had never been confident, so she hadn't expected much from sending the demo.
"Of course! Where shall we meet?" she replied, excitement clear in her voice.
At the table just ahead, Wang Zi Rui had already returned to his calm demeanor—brows faintly furrowed, expression unreadable as he adjusted his glasses.
"Apologies. This was the elders' decision; I couldn't go against it." He said, his voice low and raspy.
Muchen glanced at him in slight surprise before a faint smile curved his lips. 'He gets it—and he's willing to play,' he thought, realizing that Zi Rui had understood his intentions.
The woman's mouth fell open, but no words came out. A sharp ache bloomed in her head. 'Such a fine man… and he's gay—no, impossible!' she thought.
"Y–You… why?" she finally managed, shaking her head in disbelief.
Wang Zi Rui rose from his seat, his gaze fixed on her—eyes calm, stripped of any trace of emotion.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience... I'll make it up—"
He was mid-sentence when a sudden splash of cold water struck his face.
Muchen froze, eyes wide with shock—then slowly, delight crept in as he turned to Zi Rui, water dripping down the man's sharp features.
"We're even!" the woman snapped, her voice laced with fury as she turned on her heel and stormed away.
As her figure disappeared into the distance, Muchen couldn't hold back his laughter. Shaking his head in amusement, he pulled out a paper towel and offered it to Zi Rui.
Zi Rui took the paper towel without a word, calmly wiping his glasses before slipping them back on, pointedly ignoring Muchen's teasing. Just then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a familiar silhouette hurrying past. His brows knit ever so slightly.
"Song Meiqi?" Zi Rui's gaze lingered, his voice low as if speaking to himself. A faint crease formed between his brows—'why was he running into her again and again?,' he thought.
"Woah… I really didn't think you'd actually go along with it," Muchen's voice cut through his thoughts.
Zi Rui's gaze shifted from the exit to the damp fabric of his suit.
"I had a meeting at one-thirty," he said flatly, brushing the moisture from his sleeve. "The fastest way to end the date was to let you ruin it."
Unbeknownst to him, this moment marked the beginning of a turn he would never see coming.