Each holding her own ground, the mother and daughter were at a deadlock, and the atmosphere suddenly grew somewhat heavy.
Looking at the determination in Bai Ci's eyes, Mother Bai knew she couldn't convince her. She could only let out a heavy sigh, saying nothing more.
She silently turned back to hanging the laundry. Picking up the clothes rod herself, she refused to let Bai Ci help any further.
Just then, Mother Bai's phone on the living room coffee table rang.
Mother Bai quickly walked over and picked it up. When she saw Cheng Yin's name on the caller ID, her expression instantly eased, and she immediately answered the call.
“Hello, Teacher Cheng,” Mother Bai said, trying her best to maintain a calm tone, though a hint of urgency still slipped through.
On the other end of the line, Cheng Yin's voice was as enthusiastic as ever. Her smile was palpable even over the phone. “Hello, Auntie Bai! I have some great news for you.”
“I've matched Sister Bai Ci with another highly suitable candidate. He's a wonderful young man—very quiet, has a stable job, and is a perfect match for her.”
The heaviness in Mother Bai's heart instantly vanished. “Really? That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Teacher Cheng. I'm sorry to trouble you.”
“No trouble at all, it's what I do,” Cheng Yin said with a laugh. “Auntie, I wanted to ask if you two are free this afternoon?”
“If you have time, come by the agency for a meeting so the two of them can get to know each other. This young man is really a great catch; it would be a shame to miss out on him.”
Mother Bai instinctively glanced at Bai Ci. But at the thought of the curse and the dread of losing her daughter, she didn't ask for Bai Ci's opinion like she had last time. Instead, she agreed directly.
“We're free, we're definitely free, Teacher Cheng! We can go this afternoon. What time works best?”
“How about three in the afternoon, Auntie? We'll meet in the coffee shop next door again. The environment is nice, and the two kids can have a proper chat,” Cheng Yin said.
“Alright, perfect. Thank you, Teacher Cheng. We'll be there on time. Thanks for your hard work.” Mother Bai thanked her repeatedly. After hanging up, a relieved smile spread across her face.
She turned to Bai Ci and said, “A'ci, this is wonderful! Teacher Cheng found another suitable match for you. We're going to meet him this afternoon. This one is bound to be better than the last.”
“I understand, Mom,” Bai Ci nodded, responding in a flat tone.
Aside from the curse itself, there was clearly something off about this matchmaking agency. She figured she should investigate both leads; perhaps the clues would validate each other.
Even if they didn't, looking into both wouldn't hurt. It was better than blindly walking down the wrong path until it was too late.
At 2:50 PM, Mother Bai arrived at the Yuanxin Matchmaking Agency with Bai Ci.
Cheng Yin was still waiting at the door. Seeing them, she immediately welcomed them warmly. “Auntie, Sister, you're here! Please, come inside. The young man and his mother are already waiting in the coffee shop next door.”
Just like last time, Cheng Yin led the two of them to the adjacent coffee shop.
The coffee shop was very quiet. A man and a woman were sitting at a table by the window.
The man looked very young, wearing a clean white T-shirt and jeans. His skin was fair and pale, as if he had never been exposed to the sun. He had delicate features, but his expression was rather listless.
Beside him sat a middle-aged woman wearing a dress patterned with large flowers. She looked like a very overbearing type, and was currently leaning in to whisper something to the young man.
Upon seeing Bai Ci and Mother Bai enter, the middle-aged woman immediately stood up with a warm smile on her face, pulling the young man up along with her.
The young man seemed rather uneasy, not daring to look up at Bai Ci, his eyes darting away.
“Auntie, Sister, this is the young man I wanted to introduce to you, Jie Zhuoshi,” Cheng Yin introduced with a smile, then turned to Jie Zhuoshi and his mother. “Zhuoshi, Auntie Zhang, this is Auntie Bai and Sister Bai Ci.”
“Hello,” Auntie Zhang greeted them with a smile. Her tone was warm, but her eyes carried a hint of scrutiny as they landed on Bai Ci, scanning her from head to toe. A flash of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Jie Zhuoshi kept his head slightly lowered, offering a small greeting in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Mother Bai responded with a smile as well, pulling Bai Ci down to sit opposite them.
Looking at Jie Zhuoshi, she felt this young man was fair-skinned, refined, and seemed very honest. With an introverted personality similar to Bai Ci's, they weren't likely to run into conflicts. She was already quite pleased with him.
Once they were seated, Auntie Zhang was the first to open the conversation, chatting warmly with Mother Bai. Most of it revolved around the two children's situations and their family backgrounds.
“Auntie Bai, my Zhuoshi has a rather introverted personality and doesn't like to talk much, but he's very honest and down-to-earth. He also has a stable job as a clerk at a design institute. Although the salary isn't particularly high, it's steady.”
“That's very good, very good,” Mother Bai quickly agreed. “My A'ci is also introverted and quiet. She usually likes to stay home and write. Since they have similar temperaments, they should get along well.”
Auntie Zhang smiled, then shifted the conversation slightly, probing as if casually, “Auntie Bai, I notice your A'ci looks a bit pale. Is she not feeling well?”
Mother Bai froze for a moment, then looked at Bai Ci to confirm she was fine before explaining, “A'ci is fine. She just doesn't like to go out much, so she looks a bit weak physically, but there's nothing wrong with her.”
Hearing this, the warm smile on Auntie Zhang's face instantly faded significantly, and most of the satisfaction in her eyes vanished. She merely gave a perfunctory smile.
“Oh, is that so? Then she really needs to take good care of herself. For a girl, health is very important.”
Mother Bai didn't notice the change in Auntie Zhang's attitude, continuing to warmly praise Bai Ci's virtues, while Auntie Zhang only responded half-heartedly.
On the other side, Bai Ci and Jie Zhuoshi were exceptionally silent by comparison.
Jie Zhuoshi kept his head down the entire time, not daring to look at Bai Ci, appearing extremely tense.
Bai Ci didn't take the initiative to speak either. She just sat there quietly, seemingly lost in thought, but in reality, she had opened her Rain's Message panel.
【Temporary Rain's Message NPC: Jie Zhuoshi
Appearance: Fair and delicate
Identity: Clerk at a design institute, introverted and cowardly. Terminally ill, not long to live, tortured by disease and wishes for release. Forced to go on blind dates by his mother to pass on the family line, did not object.
Relationship with Player: Blind date partner
Skill Level: Stamina 1, Mind 2, Agility 2
Special Skills: None
Life Status: Curse [What is Love] active】
Looking at the information on the panel, Bai Ci wasn't very surprised.
The way Auntie Zhang's expression had soured the moment she heard Bai Ci's health wasn't great was enough to reveal the truth.
The reason she hadn't completely dropped her facade was only because she still had a shred of self-awareness, knowing that this was not something she could bring up openly.
Jie Zhuoshi seemed to sense Bai Ci's gaze. He raised his head slightly, met her eyes, and immediately lowered his head in a panic, whispering, “S-sorry, I'm not very good at talking.”
Bai Ci shook her head, her tone flat. “It's fine.”
She could tell that Jie Zhuoshi wasn't a bad person by nature; he was just cowardly and lacked the courage to resist, dragged here by his mother.
Compared to Si Diyi, this man was indeed a bit more pathetic.
Yet, he wasn't entirely innocent either. In his situation, silence was also a form of evil.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Si Diyi's accidental death was also unfolding.
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