After a Failed Blind Date, a Rich Woman Tries to Get Into My Heart - Chapter 2

The landlady paused for a moment, then looked the honest, tall young man up and down before snorting disdainfully.

“Ha, young man—I’m almost a 40‑year‑old lady! How can I possibly be called young? You really have the nerve to say that.”

No matter who you are, receiving a compliment always brings a little joy inside.
But Xia Shuyi was the very picture of an experienced mature woman. With several buildings in her name and over a decade of knowing every kind of man, even if someone praised her for being young and beautiful, she wouldn’t show it.
She wasn’t a naive girl from the deep mountains who could be completely swept away by such cheap flattery.

“What should I do…” she thought.

Sensing the obvious displeasure in the attractive woman’s tone, Shen Lang—whose skills in conversing with the opposite sex were already a mess—broke into a cold sweat.
Indeed, women really do care a great deal about age!

Just at that critical moment, three virtual text options suddenly appeared before Shen Lang’s eyes:

Not only that, but the blurry heart icon that had appeared above the cashier earlier reappeared!
This time, however, the heart wasn’t pink at all—it was transparent, with the number 1 beside it and a faint reddish glow within.

In disbelief, Shen Lang rubbed his eyes and then quickly looked back at the landlady’s graceful, alluring figure.
The text options and that transparent heart were still there—they hadn’t disappeared!

As an online novelist, Shen Lang knew exactly what this was:
a “golden cheat” that would help the protagonist reach the pinnacle of his life!

A metallic electronic voice then sounded in his ear:
“Please, host, choose the correct answer quickly to receive your reward.”

Only a normal person would never choose the wrong option here.
With newfound confidence from the all‑powerful system, Shen Lang declared clearly:

“Really, sis, time doesn’t beat a beauty—what you’re losing is just years, but your beauty remains!”

In saying this, he was noticeably less nervous and timid than before.
Still, speaking such ambiguous words to a woman he’d just met felt odd, so he anxiously watched for Xia Shuyi’s reaction.

Xia Shuyi shot him a sidelong, expressionless look before shaking her head slightly in clear disdain.
“Look at you—you wear glasses and seem so proper, but you sure know how to talk slick. Are all young people like you? Complimenting everyone you meet?”

Under her forceful, scrutinizing gaze, Shen Lang couldn’t help but feel flustered.
Had he really chosen the wrong answer? Why did she seem so displeased?

He quickly glanced at the first two options again and was reassured that he hadn’t made a mistake.
If he had chosen one of the first two options, he might not even have been able to leave this room—let alone rent an apartment.

[Ding! Xia Shuyi’s favorability towards the host has increased by 2 points, now at 3 points. Keep it up!]

Glancing at the system message, Shen Lang suddenly noticed that the heart number above Xia Shuyi’s head had changed from 1 to 3.
The transparent heart now shimmered with a subtle, rippling reddish glow—just like in those romance simulation games.

Since her favorability increased by 2 points, it was clear that his answer had been correct.
But why didn’t she seem happy? Could it be that she was playing hard to get?
More importantly, what should he say next?

At that moment, the system options appeared again!

Facing these three choices, Shen Lang—who wasn’t very skilled with smooth talk—felt uncertain.
On reflection, the first option sounded like a confession; she might misinterpret his intentions.
The second option was even worse—who would compare a woman to one’s own mother?
The third option, however, perfectly continued from his previous compliment.

Shen Lang did think the landlady was quite attractive—even if she was a bit older.
After all, some men prefer an older “sister” figure; saying so isn’t desperate at all.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Lang smiled sincerely and said:
“Sis, I truly think you look very young. Your age is the best age for a woman—full of charm and in full bloom. You look just as youthful as those young ladies; it’s the peak of your beauty.”

Xia Shuyi was clearly taken aback by Shen Lang’s ambiguous yet extremely polite compliment.
Looking at his sincere, simple smile, her pretty face flushed; she gave him a playful, dismissive look before teasing,
“Alright, alright—after all that sweet talk, you wouldn’t be expecting me to lower your rent, would you?”

The system then presented new options:
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“No, no—the rent is exactly as it should be,” Shen Lang replied sincerely.
Then he added, “I’m just speaking honestly, sis. You really do look young—if we went out together, people would surely think we were siblings.”

[Ding! Xia Shuyi’s favorability towards the host has increased by 3 points, now at 6 points. Keep it up!]

Xia Shuyi’s face flushed even more as she shook her hand. Her tone softened noticeably as she said,
“You kid, you really aren’t shy at all. Do you often use these lines to charm little girls?”

“No, sis—I’m still single. And I truly think you look very young. If—”

“Alright, alright.”
Xia Shuyi, a little overwhelmed by Shen Lang’s blunt and straightforward ambiguous remarks, teased shyly,
“Are you here for a blind date or to rent an apartment? So, are you signing the contract or not?”

“Sign, sign, sign,” Shen Lang agreed immediately, and followed Xia Shuyi into the room to sign the contract.

At the moment Xia Shuyi turned away, Shen Lang clearly noticed the slight upward curve of her lips.