Chapter Seventy-Nine: Yang Guang

The internet was down again, so today’s update is late. I’m posting this from an internet cafe—utterly frustrated.

When Zhang Wei saw the person before him, the smile on his face froze instantly, and his lips twitched involuntarily. After waiting for a full hour, he finally came over to open the door himself, only to be greeted by a scene he hadn’t expected.

The person standing outside was not his blind date, but his childhood friend, Yang Guang, the son of Aunt Han. Zhang Wei felt a sudden urge to punch him, but after all, this was Yang Guang’s home, and he had no reason to deny him entry.

“Dawei, you’re being so enthusiastic—coming all the way to open the door for me,” the man standing outside said with a cheeky grin.

Yang Guang was about Zhang Wei’s age, chubby and of average height, cheerful and outgoing, and blessed with a baby face that made it easy for him to get along with anyone.

“It’s only been a few months, but you seem to have put on weight again, haven’t you?” Zhang Wei joked, half teasing, half poking fun.

“I don’t have your perseverance to slim down, and besides, I think this is just fine. I have a sense of security, and there are girls who like my build,” Yang Guang said, making a V shape with his thumb and forefinger on his double chin, thinking it looked cool.

“Let’s hope so,” Zhang Wei shrugged, genuinely a little envious of Yang Guang’s optimism.

“So, how’s your blind date going?” Yang Guang walked inside, craning his neck as he looked around, and asked.

“Aunt Han said you were supposed to be at work today. What are you doing here now?” Zhang Wei replied, dodging the question.

“Oh? Not answering my question, trying to change the topic—could it be she wasn’t interested in you?” Yang Guang squinted, a gossiping glint in his eyes.

“You’re not doing your job, and as soon as you come in, you’re talking nonsense. The girl hasn’t arrived yet, so don’t say such things,” Aunt Han scolded, standing up from the sofa and tugging at Yang Guang’s arm.

“I was only joking! With someone like Mom playing matchmaker, and Zhang Wei being such a handsome guy, how could they not make a pair?” Yang Guang laughed, throwing an arm around Zhang Wei’s shoulder.

Yang Guang’s arrival lightened the atmosphere. Zhang Wei hadn’t seen him in months, so naturally he asked about his situation. He learned that Yang Guang was working at an auto dealership, and since Zhang Wei was considering buying a car, they had plenty to talk about.

Meanwhile, Li Huilan and Aunt Han were busy discussing the girl’s side of things. From their conversation, Zhang Wei learned some recent news about Tan Jingya: she was a graduate student at Capital University, vice president of the student council, and had even been honored as the university’s campus beauty—a true celebrity at Capital University.

Tan Jingya’s family situation was also impressive. Her mother was deputy director of the city’s education bureau, with prospects for further advancement, and her father was a successful businessman who owned a company worth tens of millions.

Objectively, compared to Zhang Wei, Tan Jingya surpassed him in looks, background, education, and future prospects. In this match, Zhang Wei was clearly reaching above his station.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang again, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Hey, looks like your date has arrived. Why aren’t you going to open the door?” Yang Guang nudged Zhang Wei, encouraging him.

“You go. Maybe your boss has caught you skipping work and come to find you,” Zhang Wei joked. After the earlier mishap, he didn’t want to embarrass himself again.

“I’ll go,” Aunt Han said, tossing her melon seed husks into the bin, straightening her clothes, and heading to the door.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, Aunt Han opened the iron gate. Seeing the woman standing outside, she smiled and said, “Tan Xiaomei, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come soon, I’d have gone to your house to find you!”

As she spoke, a woman in her early forties entered, wearing light makeup and a floral cheongsam, tall and graceful, carrying herself with elegance and charm.

Hearing the girl’s mother had arrived, Zhang Wei and Yang Guang stood up, while Li Huilan went over to greet her, smiling. “Principal Tan, ever since you started working at the education bureau, we haven’t seen each other in ages.”

“Indeed! We should visit more often,” Tan Xiaomei replied warmly, grasping Li Huilan’s hands.

As the two mothers exchanged greetings, Aunt Han glanced outside and asked in surprise, “Xiaomei, are you alone? Where’s your daughter?”

“Oh, I feel so embarrassed you brought it up. That girl promised to come home today, but something came up at school this morning, and her holiday was postponed. I waited for her at the station for half an hour, then she called and got a scolding from me,” Tan Xiaomei sighed, looking apologetic.

Hearing this, Zhang Wei nearly choked. So after all this waiting, this was the outcome. Though his face betrayed no emotion, he was seething inside.

“Ah, it’s alright. The timing wasn’t right this time; there’ll be another chance,” Li Huilan said, masking her embarrassment with a forced smile.

“If Jingya’s busy, we’ll have to wait until next time for the kids to meet,” Aunt Han’s face stiffened. As the matchmaker, she felt even more awkward than the parents.

“So, you’re Zhang Wei?” Tan Xiaomei glanced at Yang Guang’s build, ignored him, and turned to Zhang Wei with a kind smile.

“Hello, Auntie, I’m Zhang Wei,” Zhang Wei replied with a nod and a smile.

“I’m really sorry. My daughter had something come up last minute and made you wait for nothing. I apologize on her behalf and hope you can forgive her,” Tan Xiaomei said sincerely.

As Tan Xiaomei spoke, Zhang Wei looked into her eyes. His pupils contracted, a flash of insight passing through them as he saw golden letters in her gaze: “The real reason my daughter didn’t come isn’t a sudden obligation, but because she feels your circumstances don’t match the requirements she’s seeking in a boyfriend, so she refused to come.”

Having seen through Tan Xiaomei’s thoughts, Zhang Wei’s anger grew. Yet as an elder, she had personally apologized and offered such a dignified excuse, so he couldn’t lash out.

Only Zhang Wei knew the true reason Jingya hadn’t come. If he lost his temper, even with reason, it would seem unreasonable and he’d be accused of lacking grace and composure.

“Auntie, it’s no problem. We’ll have another opportunity,” Zhang Wei said with a faint smile, showing no trace of resentment—his true feelings, however, were not for others to know.