According to the usual blind date routine, whatever the woman says, the man will deny it. Once the man sends out this signal, he is basically rejecting the woman.
She managed to turn the tide.
If word gets out that she was rejected on a blind date, how embarrassing would that be?
Mo Yushen Investment Club genuinely has no intention of going public. The initial motivation of its shareholders wasn't to raise money; they simply wanted to avoid losses.
After several years of operation, profits have steadily increased, exceeding expectations.
Just as the atmosphere reached an impasse, Mo Yushen's phone rang. It was Ji Qingshi calling. He needed Ji Qingshi's help to ask about Xi Jia's preferences back then.
I was so focused on the blind date today that I forgot to do these details.
Ji Qingshi temporarily silenced his phone. "Excuse me, I need to take this call."
Xi Jia: "It's okay."
Once the others had walked away, Xi Jia's expression calmed down.
Sure enough, the tactics for rejecting someone on a blind date are all pretty much the same.
This phone call was probably pre-arranged with a friend. The friend called at the right time, and then Mo Yushen made an excuse that there was an urgent matter at the company and he had to rush back.
Then the dinner party fell through.
Then, feigning concern, I'd leave my contact information and say we'd meet up sometime.
The so-called next time is just a farewell for good.
She often uses this formula for supporting characters in her stories, making them seem too familiar.
My blind date tonight fell through.
In the corridor outside the restaurant, Mo Yushen answered Ji Qingshi's call.
Ji Qingshi: "Are you busy now?"
Mo Yushen: "Not in a hurry."
Ji Qingshi said urgently, "The driver called me. Jiajia has already gone to the restaurant. I was in a meeting and didn't answer. She should be here by now. Go there early and don't keep her waiting too long. She never arrives at most ten minutes early, no matter who she's meeting for dinner."
Mo Yushen told Ji Qingshi that he was already at the restaurant.
Ji Qingshi assumed the driver had told him this before and didn't think much of it.
Just as he was about to hang up, Mo Yushen stopped him, "Wait. What did Xi Jia like before?"
Ji Qingshi: "You have money and beauty."
Mo Yushen: "..."
Ji Qingshi: "She likes to conquer challenging things. Like writing scripts, she wrote more than forty, but no director took a liking to them, but she never gave up. Her goal was to get Zhou Mingqian to take the initiative to ask her to film her drama."
Mo Yushen understood that he couldn't be too proactive, or she would lose interest.
The call ended. Mo Yushen returned to the restaurant.
Xi Jia seized every second before he suggested ending the blind date, throwing out her usual tactic. With a smile, she cut to the chase, "Coming to a blind date, isn't it frustrating?"
Mo Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the answer to that question. She had asked him before.
He nodded, without saying much more.
Xi Jia rested her chin on her hand, trying to appear relaxed. "My parents are afraid I won't get married. Actually, I really don't plan to get married. But in their eyes, that's unfilial. I guess Grandpa Mo feels the same way. I totally understand how you feel."
"Do you go on blind dates often?" Xi Jia asked.
Mo Yushen: "The first time, I was forced into it." Seven words, exactly the same as last time.
Xi Jia: "I'm in a worse situation than you. This is my twenty-second time."
Mo Yushen remained silent. Last year, she said it was her twenty-third time.
Xi Jia: "I didn't want to come, but you're my boss. It wouldn't be good if we met at some event later. I still need to work for you."
Mo Yushen remembered that she hadn't said that last sentence last time. She seemed quite proud throughout.
He thought it was hopeless, but in the end, she said, "Why don't we just get married?"
There was a major reversal.
Xi Jia continued, "Did my second brother ever tell you that I also work part-time as a screenwriter?"
Mo Yushen nodded. Last time, she was referring to his eldest brother.
It doesn't matter. The Mo family has always cooperated with Jiashi Group. He has dealt with both Ji Qingshi and Ji Qingyuan.
Xi Jia: "What I'm best at writing is domineering CEO novels. I started out writing about contract marriages, and ever since then I've been hooked."
She asked, "Contract marriage, you know that meme, right?"
Mo Yushen: "Contract?"
Xi Jia nodded, "Pretty much. This kind of marriage is a cooperative arrangement, a win-win situation for both parties. When the contract ends, everyone partes amicably. This also reduces a lot of trouble, avoids being pressured to get married by elders, avoids nagging, and saves time on dating. It saves costs."
She didn't tell him that in these domineering CEO romance novels, characters usually develop feelings for each other in the end. Otherwise, she would scare him away.
Mo Yushen: "Not bad either."
Xi Jia looked at him and said, "You're a businessman and my boss, so I won't beat around the bush. Why don't you try this kind of marriage model? It can solve each other's problems."
She said, "My mind is mainly focused on training. I don't have time for dating, and I don't want to get married. It's so much more comfortable being single. We both agree on this, and we are financially independent."
She paused deliberately, "Now that my problem is solved, I have more energy to train. Winning medals also creates value for the club and brings more returns to your investment."
When Mo Yushen heard these words last year, he naively thought that it was just about living together without any feelings involved.
He thought about it for a few minutes and then agreed.
To my surprise, she said she wanted to sign a divorce agreement. They divorced six months later.
I wonder if she'll be the same this year.
Xi Jia picked up her water glass and took a few more sips. "Mr. Mo, please think it over carefully. It doesn't matter whether it works out or not. It's like doing business; not every deal can be successful. Even if a deal falls through, the friendship remains."
Mo Yushen remained silent for a long while. He wasn't thinking about anything; he was just pretending to be seriously considering it.
After a long pause, Mo Yushen and Xi Jia looked at each other and asked, "In this type of marriage, is it necessary to live together?"
Xi Jia thought to herself, "Of course. That's exactly the purpose."
It's not living together, it's cohabitation.
Xi Jia downplayed the issue, saying, "It depends. If you can manage to keep your housekeeper and all the housekeepers from telling anyone, then it's fine. Generally, this kind of marriage arrangement is only performed for the elders of the family when they visit, and the couple stays together for a few days temporarily."
Mo Yushen nodded, "That's good." He didn't ask this question during their blind date last year. Afterwards, she lived in her own apartment and only occasionally stayed at his place.
"Mr. Mo, what do you think of this model?" Xi Jia asked.
Mo Yushen finally nodded.
Xi Jia breathed a sigh of relief. To prove that she had no ulterior motives towards him, and to prevent him from changing his mind halfway through, she added another bargaining chip to this blind date: "If you also think it's a good match, then let's go sign a divorce agreement this weekend. After we've dealt with each other's elders, we'll get a divorce."
Mo Yushen: "Whatever you say."
Xi Jia smiled.
He really is a heartless man.
Let's sign the divorce papers a year from now. A year should be enough time for her to win him over. By then, those few pieces of paper will be meaningless.
Xi Jia: "I have a friend who is a lawyer. I asked him to draft a divorce agreement so that we can sign it at his law firm and have someone witness it."
When she went on a blind date last year, her memory was already starting to fail her; she didn't know that she knew a lawyer and that the divorce agreement was drafted by Mo Yushen.
This year, she remembered that one of her friends was a lawyer, so she offered to help.
Xi Jia opened her WeChat. "Let's exchange contact information. We'll discuss the specific time for signing the agreement by phone."
Mo Yushen remained indifferent throughout, but he did add something.
With her goal achieved, Xi Jia began planning how to get closer to the other person next.
The food arrived. The two ate and chatted, mostly Xi Jia initiating conversations. She secretly vowed that the day she won him over, she would remain silent for a month until he begged her to speak.
Their eyes occasionally met; Xi Jia smiled faintly and nodded slightly. Her expression was just right—neither proactive nor pretentious.
There was a dish that Xi Jia liked, and Mo Yushen unconsciously put the food he had picked out onto her plate. Suddenly, he realized that they weren't 'familiar' yet. He couldn't take the initiative, lest she break her promise and not register their marriage.
His chopsticks, which were holding food, froze in mid-air.
Xi Jia looked at him. "What's wrong?"
Mo Yushen: "...It's a bit hot. Let it cool down at high altitudes before eating."
Xi Jia: "..."
Chapter Seventy-Eight
The two of them ate the blind date meal without any enjoyment, each with their own thoughts.
Xi Jia was afraid that Mo Yushen would change his mind at the last minute, and she wouldn't be able to have him. Mo Yushen was afraid that if he wasn't careful, Xi Jia would lose interest in him.
The atmosphere was awkward and somber.
Mo Yushen initiated a conversation: "You have time to write scripts during your training?"
Xi Jia regretted telling him that she wrote domineering CEO drama scripts. She was currently receiving his salary, yet she was also doing part-time work; no boss would be happy about that.
She smiled, "Use your playtime."
Mo Yushen: "You've been writing for many years?"
Xi Jia: "Yes. I started writing short stories when I was eleven." Over the past ten years, she has written more than forty novels, as well as many short stories.
"In total, it's over 20 million words." That doesn't even include those that were written but not to my satisfaction and were subsequently cut.
Mo Yu nodded. He knew all of this. Her little suitcase was filled with her scripts.
Xi Jia didn't understand what Mo Yushen meant, and he remained silent. She stated, "Writing doesn't interfere with my training. I only have two or three friends, and I basically don't socialize."
Mo Yushen maintained a lukewarm attitude. He listened to her, nodding occasionally.
Xi Jia: "Have you heard of Mr. Yue? He is the author of 'The Rest of My Life,' which was recently adapted into a TV series."