C3 Yang Rong

Yang Wei had unknowingly drifted off to sleep while lying on the couch. The next morning, he groggily checked his phone upon waking and was shocked to find it was already ten o'clock. Realizing he'd missed class, he had no choice but to request a day off from his supervisor in the work chat.

In his line of work, they did have vacation days, and the flexibility was a plus. Yet, it was a performance-based system; the more effort you put in, the more you earned. Since he had to invest considerable time and energy daily, taking a day off was a rare luxury. And today, with a blind date scheduled, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.

Upon rising, Yang Wei felt an odd sensation within him, as if something had been activated. After some contemplation, he realized it was akin to turning the handle to a door leading to another world. He had one chance each day to visit this other realm, a privilege that would last until his death, as the system had informed him.

With the blind date set for noon, Yang Wei wasn't in the mood to explore this other world just yet. He figured it was better to sort out his current affairs before attempting to level up elsewhere.

After breakfast, he searched his room and finally located the suit he had purchased long ago while in university. It was an affordable buy for a school event and had seen little use since, making it appear practically new. His height hadn't changed much since college, and he still fit into the suit perfectly.

Admiring his reflection, Yang Wei couldn't help feeling a bit vain; he had to look presentable, after all. How else would he have managed to find a girlfriend back in his university days?

Once he was ready and had double-checked he wasn't forgetting anything, Yang Wei headed downstairs. He was familiar with the Mocha coffee shop, not because he was a regular, but because it was situated near the Quick Arriving company headquarters. Rumor had it that Ye Hua, the attractive CEO of their company, was the major shareholder of the coffee shop.

Ye Hua's status as the major shareholder of the Mocha Coffee Shop was unknown to him, but he was well aware of Ye Hua's fondness for their coffee – she was a daily patron. Such frequent visits were likely the source of the persistent rumors.

Yang Wei hailed a random taxi downstairs and reached his destination around 11:50 AM, a good ten minutes before the scheduled noon meeting.

To dodge any potential embarrassment, Yang Wei paused at the entrance and scrutinized the photo his mother had sent him on his phone. Following their conversation the previous day, his mother had bombarded him with details about the blind date, including the time, location, and a picture of the girl.

The girl in the photo was quite attractive, with bright eyes and a radiant smile. While he was aware that online photos often flattered beyond reality, he believed that unless the difference was drastic, one could still discern a fair impression of a person's looks from their picture.

Confident he wouldn't mistake her for someone else, Yang Wei stepped into the coffee shop. He located the table number provided in the message and found two girls seated there. One was Yang Rong, the girl his mother had set him up with, and the other, a stranger to him, appeared to be Yang Rong's friend.

She was surprisingly beautiful in person.

Observing her in the flesh, Yang Wei silently approved; Yang Rong looked as lovely as her photo, if not more spirited. She was, without a doubt, very attractive.

As Yang Wei approached, both girls took notice of him.

"Is this your blind date for today? He doesn't look like much," remarked the friend before Yang Rong could speak.

"Hello, Yang Rong," greeted Yang Wei.

Yang Rong, perhaps sensing her friend's overstep, rose with a smile tinged with apology and reached out for a handshake. Yang Wei, unfazed, politely declined and took a seat.

Lacking any experience with blind dates, Yang Wei was at a loss for words. Yang Rong simply smiled back, seemingly as inexperienced as he was.

Her friend, however, couldn't resist commenting further. "This guy's suit screams street vendor. He's probably got no more than a hundred yuan to his name, and he's utterly scentless. He's a man with no taste."

Yang Rong's best friend wasn't exactly whispering when she spoke to Yang Rong; despite the pretense, every word she said went straight to Yang Wei's ears.

Even though the friend was speaking the truth, it was hard for Yang Wei not to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Sorry about that. My best friend is just like that—quick to speak her mind and a bit too blunt."

"It's okay, no worries."

Yang Wei said this, but internally he thought his friend's best friend was more lacking in social grace than being straightforward.

"So, what do you do for work?"

Yang Rong finally broached a meaningful topic.

"I'm a delivery guy," Yang Wei responded candidly, without evasion.

It was a bit humbling to admit, but it was the truth. Besides, he wasn't holding out much hope for this blind date, so he spoke frankly.

"Delivery guy... that's good..."

Unlike her best friend, Yang Rong managed to save Yang Wei some face. However, Yang Wei could tell that once he mentioned he was just a delivery guy, Yang Rong seemed to become somewhat distracted.

"So, do you own a house? A car? Or have any savings?"

Yang Rong's direct questions suggested she was eager to wrap up the blind date.

"I have a house."

Yang Rong and her best friend gave him a look of surprise, which quickly turned to disappointment.

"It's rented."

"I have a car."

"It's the company's electric scooter."

"I have savings."

"About 34,000." Upon hearing this, Yang Rong's best friend lost her composure and banged on the table.

"Are you serious? Are you just messing with us?"

The disturbance drew the attention of the other patrons in the café, who gave them curious looks.

Just as Yang Wei was about to retort and put this odd situation behind him, an unexpected figure approached.

"President! What are you doing here? With all the work at the company, how do you have time for a blind date?"

Yang Wei turned to see Ye Hua, the CEO of their company!

Noticing Yang Wei's puzzled gaze, Ye Hua flashed a sly grin and positioned himself next to Yang Wei.

"Hi there, I'm his secretary. Apologies for the interruption!"

Although Yang Rong could be considered a beauty among the average crowd, next to Ye Hua, she seemed no more than a blade of grass.

She was like the soil, merely serving to highlight the radiant beauty of Ye Hua's flower, paling in comparison.

Both were so stunned that they found themselves at a loss for words. Yang Wei was no exception; he was equally baffled, completely unsure as to why Ye Hua would be present in this place.