After a Failed Blind Date, a Rich Woman Tries to Get Into My Heart - Chapter 6

Su Lexuan and Shen Lang kept chatting and laughing as they reached a fork at a red light. Su Lexuan’s smile never faded. She couldn’t believe this guy was so funny—way more interesting than those goofy, flashy dudes from school who just ask for WeChat.

Noticing the split ahead, Su Lexuan suddenly felt a little down. She needed to catch a bus on the other side of the street to get back to school. Zhuhai University isn’t far from this food street; it’s just two stops by bus. Lots of students ditch the cafeteria food and head over here to grab a bite.

“I wonder if he’s headed the same way…” she thought, secretly enjoying their half-hour chat even though they’d just met. She was surprised at how drawn she was to him.

“I gotta catch my bus,” she said as they reached the light. Standing at the fork, she pointed toward the bus stop across the street and tentatively asked, “Which way are you going?”

Shen Lang was momentarily tongue-tied. He lived in a different neighborhood, and after chatting so long, he hadn’t even gotten her WeChat yet. If they split up now, would they ever meet again? Would she even come back to this food street for chestnuts?

Just then, the system popped up some options in his mind:

1. (With a raised eyebrow) “I live in Fulong Community. My bed’s huge and super comfy—want to come check it out?”
2. (Mysteriously) “My cat can breathe fire, do backflips, and even talk. I’ll let you in on this secret if you come over. Wanna see?”
3. (Friendly smile) “We might be headed different ways, but I know this area like the back of my hand. How about we exchange WeChat so I can show you around next time?”

Shen Lang dismissed option 1 and hesitated between 2 and 3. He leaned toward option 3 because he really wanted her contact info. But when it came time to speak, he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. This was his first time asking a girl for her WeChat—and she was so gorgeous.

People at the red light started milling around. A bunch of onlookers were sneaking glances at the pretty girl in front of him. With all eyes on them, shy Shen Lang just couldn’t bring himself to speak up. He mumbled awkwardly, “Uh, I—I live over in my complex,” pointing vaguely in the direction of his neighborhood.

“Is that so…” Su Lexuan’s smile faded a bit. At that moment, the light turned green and people began crossing. She gave a half-smile and looked up at him, her tone tentative: “So… I’m catching my bus?”

“Ah, yeah…” Shen Lang replied, his face forced into a stiff smile as he watched her join the crowd heading across the street.

“Damn, why am I so scared?” he muttered to himself. After Su Lexuan disappeared into the throng, he groaned, “Is it really that hard to just ask for a WeChat? She’s not gonna bite, who cares what others think!”

After chatting for over ten minutes, Shen Lang was so wrapped up in their conversation he hadn’t even noticed how much her favorability had grown. Su Lexuan had been smiling non-stop during their talk. Shen Lang was convinced that if he had just asked for her WeChat, she’d have gladly given it to him. But his social anxiety made it impossible to ask her in front of all those people.

Sigh…

With a heavy heart, Shen Lang clutched his now-cold bag of chestnuts and trudged toward his complex like a zombie in the fading sunlight.

A few minutes later, a familiar female voice called out from behind, “Wait up!”

Shen Lang’s eyes went wide. Clutching his chestnut bag, he turned around quickly. In the brilliant glow of the sunset, Su Lexuan—still in her school uniform—was hurrying over to him, also holding a bag of chestnuts. As she ran, her long black hair, kissed by the sun, shone gold and danced around her shoulders like a lively golden sprite.

Before he knew it, Su Lexuan reached him. Panting and bending over with both knees, she clearly wasn’t built for running. “W-what’s up?” she asked, catching her breath.

Stunned and flattered, Shen Lang stuttered, “I… I didn’t expect you to come back.”

After taking a few deep breaths, Su Lexuan looked a bit shy and asked, “You said you live nearby, right?”

“Yeah, just a little ways ahead in the complex,” Shen Lang answered nervously, his heart pounding as he wondered why she had come back to find him.

“Um, I just started school and the cafeteria food is terrible. This street is the only place with decent eats around here,” she explained, pulling out her phone with a Pikachu case. She looked a little embarrassed as she met his gaze. “So, could we exchange WeChat? Next time, maybe you can show me some good places to eat?”

Shen Lang couldn’t believe his ears—this cute girl, so out of breath, actually wanted him to add her on WeChat! “Of course, absolutely! I know this area really well—I’ve lived here for two or three years!” he exclaimed.

He fumbled with his phone, adding her as a friend as quickly as he could. Her WeChat ID was “NoEarlyClass,” of all things.

After adding him, Su Lexuan grinned and said, “I’m heading back now—I’ve got plans to eat chestnuts and watch a horror movie with my roommate tonight.”

Shen Lang nodded excitedly, “Alright, take care. Just text me next time before you come over.”

“Okay, see you later, Senior Shen! Talk soon!” she replied.

Under the glowing sunset, Su Lexuan flashed a sweet smile and waved goodbye. Her radiant smile made Shen Lang think of all those cheesy, infatuated comments he’d seen online.

“Mom, I think I’m in love!”

“Okay, bye-bye…” he mumbled as he awkwardly waved back.

It wasn’t until Su Lexuan boarded the bus across the street that Shen Lang snapped back to reality and quickly opened WeChat. Seeing her new contact, a smile slowly spread across his face.

As the sun set and dusk settled in, Shen Lang couldn’t help but shout to himself, “Damn, I’m done being a coward!”