They surrounded me right after the breakup.

These past few days have been peaceful.

The public outcry has completely subsided, and Shen Qingning has been staying at Yunqi Villa for a week now.

Every morning she gets up to make breakfast, and Qiu Siyao comes home from work to make dinner.

The three of them divided the housework clearly, and Jiang Han was happy to have some free time. After dinner, he would go to his study and occasionally go to the company.

Life is like a pool of water that has been stirred up; it slowly settles down and becomes clear again.

The group gradually adapted to living together and lived a shameless life.

……

On the other hand, Liu Meng originally said she wanted to visit Yunqi Mountain Villa, but she was delayed by work.

Liu Meng's company is called Wangyue Culture, which operates an MCN (Multi-Channel Network).

We have signed more than 60 influencers, spanning the beauty, fashion, and home categories.

The company is located on the 16th floor of an office building in Binjiang District, and the workstations are packed full.

The walls are covered with posters of the influencers under the company and a monthly ranking of follower growth.

Liu Meng's desk was at the very back, and it was always piled with various samples.

Lipstick, foundation, scented candles, and face masks that haven't even hit the market yet...

She is 28 years old this year, one year older than Jiang Han.

In her group of six best friends, she was the oldest and had the most stable personality.

Over the years, she has been the one to mediate when Xiao Xiao stirs things up, and she has been the one to pull Shen Qingning and Lin Yaoyao apart when they fight.

Qiu Siyao and Xia Yutong are used to talking to each other when they have troubles.

Liu Meng was used to being the one who had everything under control, and she was also used to putting everyone's emotions before her own.

As for herself, she no longer had anyone to confide in.

Expecting those little girls to comfort him? Don't be ridiculous!

Liu Meng's company just weathered a wave of layoffs, and the contracts of two influencers with millions of followers are about to expire.

Competitors wanted to poach him, offering signing fees 3 percentage points higher than Mochizuki's.

She spent a week negotiating contract terms with her agent, sleeping less than 6 hours a day.

My schedule is packed full, but my love life is perpetually empty.

On Friday afternoon, Liu Meng was sitting at her desk flipping through a talent contract renewal plan.

My phone rang, and the screen showed my mom.

Liu Meng put down the plan, took two deep breaths, and then answered the call.

"Mengmeng, are you off work yet?" Her mother's voice came through the receiver, full of energy.

"Mom recently asked your Aunt Zhang to introduce you to a young man; he's exceptionally eligible!"

"Um…"

Liu Meng gave a casual reply, holding her phone between her ear and shoulder while still flipping through the proposal in her hands.

"32 years old, returned from overseas, works in investment banking, and his family owns two villas in the west of the city."

"I sent you the photos on WeChat, take a look!" Her mother paused, then spoke faster.

"He's good-looking, 1.78 meters tall, and he's just the right height to stand next to you."

"Your Aunt Zhang said the young man is very reliable; he doesn't smoke or drink, and he even goes to the gym on weekends..."

"Mom!" Liu Meng stopped flipping through the plan.

"Let me finish speaking first." Her own mother didn't give her a chance to interrupt.

"Mengmeng, you're already 28 this year. You'll be 30 in the blink of an eye. I'm not urging you, I'm just worried about you!"

"Look at your friends! Yao Yao has a boyfriend, Si Yao has one too, and Qing Ning has someone to take care of her even after retiring from the entertainment industry!"

"And you? All you think about is your company. Can your company stay with you forever?"

Liu Meng didn't say anything. She couldn't very well say, "Mom, those sisters you mentioned are all serving the same man..."

She closed the plan and leaned back in her chair.

The voice on the microphone suddenly lowered and changed to a softer tone.

"Your father passed away early. What did he say to you in his last few months? He told you to live a good life, and you agreed. What about now?"

Liu Meng gripped her phone tightly.

"Just one meeting, is that alright?"

"Just to put Mom's mind at ease, I've made a reservation for you at that French restaurant in Guomao at 3 pm on Saturday."

Outside the window, cruise ships slowly passed by on the riverbank, and Liu Meng stared at them for a long time.

Send me the address.

After hanging up the phone, a WeChat message came in immediately.

The address of the French restaurant, and a photo of the boy's face.

The accompanying voice message read: "Mengmeng, that young man is really great! Aunt Zhang went to great lengths to get him here, don't be late!"

Liu Meng clicked on the photo. She was wearing a dark blue suit, with an office building background, her hands folded in front of her, and her smile was as standard as an ID photo.

The proposal was still laid out on the table.

Article 3 of the expert's contract renewal clause should be revised to change the scope of the non-compete restriction.

Liu Meng always considers other people's feelings, and she understands her own mother's feelings very well.

As parents, all they want is for their daughter to find someone to rely on, and for them to have a healthy, chubby grandson.

But fate doesn't come so easily!

Liu Meng had tried to expand her social network and had chatted with several boys.

She could see right through a man's thoughts.

Either you're after her good financial situation, or you're lusting after her body.

All the concern and greetings were just empty formalities.

"Let's deal with Mom first..." Liu Meng murmured to herself.

She scrolled through the chat history aimlessly, her finger lingering on Jiang Han's profile picture.

The last time the two spoke was three days ago, when she asked him some questions about the company's operations.

MCNs and media companies are essentially the same type and share many commonalities.

Under Jiang Han's management, Xingyue Media's influence and revenue in the industry have been booming, which she greatly admires.

Liu Meng pursed her lips and stared at the screen for a long time.

After a long while, a strange idea popped into her head.

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon?" Liu Meng typed a few words.

Then I deleted it.

Is it appropriate to ask Jiang Han out alone?

She always thinks too much before acting and considers too many factors.

Liu Meng frowned, shook her head, and finally sent the message.

"Are you free Saturday afternoon? There's something I'd like to ask you!"

No instant reply.

That's normal; Jianghan is probably in a meeting at this time.

Liu Meng placed her phone screen-down on the table and continued flipping through the proposal. After flipping through two pages, she realized she hadn't read a single word.

About ten minutes later, the screen lit up.

Jiang Han: "What is it?"

Liu Meng: "Come with me to a blind date. My mom arranged it, and I can't refuse."

Jiang Han: "So even President Liu can't escape the pressure from her parents to get married! How about I introduce you to a few high-quality guys?"

Liu Meng pursed her lips, and just reading the words made her imagine Jiang Han's smirking expression behind the screen.

She was about to say that it was inconvenient and then forget it, but Jiang Han's message came first.

"Send me your location, be there on time, and you'll need extra money to play the domineering CEO!"

Liu Meng chuckled, finding Jiang Han's words amusing; no wonder he could win the hearts of several of her best friends.

"Thank you! Saturday afternoon at 3 pm, Guomao French Restaurant."

"OK, I'll be waiting for you at the door."

Looking at the few lines of brief reply, Liu Meng suddenly felt her shoulders, which had been tense all day, relax a little.

She put her phone aside, picked up her pen, and reopened the plan.

……

The next day, at the appointed time.

Liu Meng arrived early and chose a seat by the window.

She wore a dark green, modernized cheongsam, made by a custom-made studio that Shen Qingning had recommended before.

The waist was perfectly fitted, and the neckline was embroidered with a subtle pattern.

Her hair was tied up, revealing her smooth neck.

I chose a deep mauve lipstick and changed my earrings to pearls.

She exudes the charm of a mature woman.

Liu Meng was surprised to find herself wearing a full face of makeup; normally, she shouldn't have cared so much about a perfunctory blind date.