I was approached by a cat-eared girl.

"What could possibly be? The law isn't a joke. This situation falls under feudal superstition, and feudal superstition is unacceptable..."

Chen Shuo couldn't continue speaking. Strictly speaking, his little cat was a product of feudal superstition.

This year, the couple did not choose to stay up all night on New Year's Eve. They dried their hair and went to bed in the bedroom.

He pounced on the bed, and Chen Shuo naturally hugged Xiao A Miao, then his hand slipped inside her clothes.

With all the kissing and touching, Bai Xiaoqi's face turned red. She reached out and turned off the nightlight by the bedside, plunging the bedroom into darkness, as if that would make her feel less shy.

"You know what? When I was a kid, I had an endless supply of candy during Chinese New Year."

Every time Chen Shuo held her, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and happiness, and he couldn't help but hug her tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to merge her into his own body.

"We have lots of candy at home too."

"I'm not talking about that kind of candy; eating too much of that kind of candy will cause cavities."

Chen Shuo kissed her on the cheek, his hands becoming increasingly unrestrained. "But I discovered there's a type of candy that doesn't. Can you guess what it is?"

"I won't guess." Bai Xiaoqi instantly understood what he meant and pressed down on his paws. "And don't unbutton my clothes either."

Chen Shuo took her hand and put it aside, saying, "How can you eat White Rabbit candy if you don't unbutton your clothes?"

Chapter 216 Considered a Client

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Sheep Day, is a time for people to welcome the gods and receive good fortune, symbolizing the arrival of spring. It is also a good day for couples to get married.

In a corner of an elegantly decorated coffee shop, Nie Xi sat carefully wiping her gold-rimmed glasses, occasionally glancing at her watch. Her blind date was a full twenty-five minutes late.

Frankly speaking, people who don't pay attention to time are unlikely to leave a good impression.

He planned to wait another five minutes and then leave.

"Nie...Xi, right?"

Nie Xi wiped her glasses clean and was about to put them on when a woman's voice suddenly rang in her ears, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

He looked up and saw a rather young girl standing next to him, but her attire was somewhat indescribable.

It's not so much that it's hard to describe, but rather that she wasn't dressed up at all.

She was wearing a thick pink pajama set, her hands in her pockets, slippers on her feet, and no makeup on her face; she just stood there next to me with a bare face.

If this were her blind date, her outfit would clearly show that she was very resistant to the blind date.

"Anya?"

"Yes, it's me." Anya tossed her hair, offering an awkward yet polite smile. The blind date hadn't even included a photo; she'd assumed it was a middle-aged, balding man, which was why she'd deliberately been late and worn these pajamas. But she hadn't expected it to be...

Hmm...it's hard to describe. Overcoat, suit, gold-rimmed glasses. My first impression was that he was a bit of a brooding scoundrel, but he looked refined and cultured, like a gentle scoundrel.

I've been on three or four blind dates in the last two days, and each time it was just a formality. But this one, to be honest, isn't unacceptable.

I should have dressed up nicely.

"I'm sorry, I've had a bad cold these past couple of days. I was feeling dizzy and woke up a little late. I didn't have time to get ready before rushing over. I hope you can forgive me." Anya pulled out a chair and sat down, sniffing her nose as she spoke to make it seem like she really did have a cold.

"It's okay, I understand."

Nie Xi nodded noncommittally. "What would you like to drink?"

"Warm water, please."

"If you're going to put on an act, you might as well go all the way. If you have a cold, it's better to just drink warm water," Anya thought to herself, sniffing again.

"Another latte and a glass of warm water, please."

Warm water was quickly brought over. Anya picked it up, took a small sip, and asked, "Do you smoke or drink?"

"I don't smoke and I drink very little."

"I heard you're a civil servant? And a mid-level manager at that?"

"Ah."

"That's pretty stable, huh?"

"good."

"You only drink when you go out for business dinners, right?"

"Ah."

Do you have many social engagements?

"Occasionally."

"Oh..." Anya picked up her water and took another sip. She felt that her blind date was just like this glass of water, bland and tasteless. She had thought he was a bit of a closet flirt, but actually he was... aloof?

She wasn't sure either.

Nie Xi tapped her finger lightly on the table, waited quietly for a moment, and then asked, "Are you done asking?"

"Not yet, but I feel like you're very aloof."

Anya rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and suggested, "How about this, let's not waste any more time. Let's just introduce ourselves. If it goes well, we can continue chatting; if not, we can stop here. Ladies first, I'll go first."

“I have a house, but I didn’t buy it outright. If we get married, I can add your name to the deed, but you’ll have to help pay the mortgage. My parents will definitely give me a car as part of my dowry, unless you have a car and a house, then that’s another story.”

As for myself... I don't have a proper job. I make a living by making short videos. I don't earn much, only five or six thousand yuan a month. I had a boyfriend once, a relationship during college, which ended without a trace.

I had a physical exam last year, and everything was perfectly fine. I'd prefer to wait a few years before having children; I don't want to have kids so early. That's basically it. Do you have any questions?

After a pause, Anya added, "If not, just tell me about your situation."

Nie Xi habitually pushed up her glasses, and was about to speak when her expression suddenly changed. What was she doing here?

The glass door of the coffee shop was suddenly pushed open, and Su Yu walked in from outside with a blank expression, heading straight for a corner seat.

As she approached, her gaze lingered on Anya for a moment before settling on Nie Xi.

She stared at him for a moment, then reached out and grabbed his trench coat collar, yanked him off his seat, and dragged him toward the door, her voice as cold as an icy pool, "Come out here and explain yourself."

"..."

Looking at the two figures from behind, Anya was completely bewildered. She then put her hands into the pockets of her pajamas and unconsciously sniffed.

She was completely confused. What the hell was going on?

Why would someone with a girlfriend go on a blind date?

But this girl was incredibly strong; she just lifted her up...

Why did I say "also"?

.........

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, people welcome the Kitchen God home. To put it bluntly, this means buying a new picture of the Kitchen God and pasting it in the kitchen.

In the afternoon, Chen Shuo went out specifically to buy a portrait of the Kitchen God, a portrait that depicts thousands of years of change, from slave society to feudal society.

From the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, through the Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, to the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and finally to modern times, the rules of Heaven have probably changed a bit. The Kitchen God now has a wife, and judging from the portrait, she is a kind-faced old lady.

Chen Shuo was still thinking about all sorts of random things while he was looking at the portrait. Finally, he took two steps back to take a look, and only came out of the kitchen after he felt there was nothing wrong.

In the living room, Bai Xiaoqi was on a WeChat call with someone; you could recognize the voice as that lewd Wang Anya.

"Let me tell you, I had a really weird experience on my blind date today. The guy was some kind of leader, quite young, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking like a refined scoundrel. He seemed incredibly aloof during our conversation."

But who knew he was such a jerk? We were on a blind date when his girlfriend suddenly burst in, grabbed him, and dragged him out. I was completely stunned. You didn't see that scene; you'd be stunned too, tsk tsk..."

Anya on the other side of the screen clicked her tongue twice, then suddenly sighed, "No wonder someone with such good qualities would still go on a blind date. I was even somewhat satisfied with him. Blind dates are really unreliable."

It's normal for women to complain to their girlfriends about some strange things that happen when they go out on blind dates, but Chen Shuo listened to it silently for a while. What "refined scoundrel" and "young leader" made Nie Xi's face inexplicably pop into his mind.

And the more I think about it, the more I believe it to be true.

He leaned over and interrupted their conversation, asking the screen, "Excuse me, is your blind date's surname Nie?"

"Hey, how did you know?" Anya exclaimed on the other side of the screen.

"Your surname is Nie, and your given name is Xi?"

"...Could it be that you know him? That can't be such a coincidence, can it?"

"What a coincidence! He and I are childhood friends, but as far as I know, he doesn't have a girlfriend, and the woman you met isn't his girlfriend either. Strictly speaking, she should be his... uh, client."

"client?"

"Yes, you guys keep talking, I'll make a call and ask him what's going on."

Chapter 217 It Was Love After All

Chen Shuo felt the world was so small at that moment. He got up and went to the balcony, took out his phone and called Nie Xi. He originally meant to tease her, but after hanging up, his expression was hard to describe.

He glanced at the sky outside the window; it was completely dark. As he came out of the balcony and changed his clothes, he said, "I have to go to the hospital. Nie Xi is hospitalized."

"Hospitalization?"

Bai Xiaoqi had just hung up the phone when she heard this, her eyes widening in shock. In her understanding, hospitalization meant a very serious illness. "Is it serious? What kind of illness?"

"He's not sick, he just got beaten up. Alright, don't come with me so late at night. Just stay home and I'll go check on him."

"Then come back soon."

"Okay, don't run around."

After exchanging greetings, Chen Shuo changed his shoes, grabbed his coat, and went downstairs.

The night breeze was a bit chilly. He took a taxi to the hospital, bought a fruit basket at a fruit shop near the entrance, and carried it all the way to the third-floor ward. Nie Xi was lying on the hospital bed in a hospital gown, with her left arm and right leg in casts and wrapped in layers of gauze. Her right leg was raised high.

Seeing Chen Shuo enter the room, he struggled to sit up, but gave up after a couple of tries, his face still expressionless as usual. "Didn't I tell you not to come?"

Chen Shuo didn't respond to that question. He put the fruit basket aside, pulled up a chair, sat down, and looked around. "Why hasn't my aunt come yet?"

"I haven't had a chance to tell her yet."

"You're always putting on airs like that." Chen Shuo reached out and tapped his leg twice, making two crisp thuds. "Is it serious?"

"It's not serious, just fractures in my left arm and right leg, the rest are just superficial injuries."

"This isn't serious?"

"It's okay, this is a work injury."