They surrounded me right after the breakup.

After leaving the French restaurant, Jiang Han led Liu Meng by the hand through the mall corridor.

His hands were dry, his palm pressed against the inside of Liu Meng's wrist, holding her hand steadily with every step.

Liu Meng stared at the back of Jiang Han's head, her mind blank.

I had been holding in my anger for forty minutes in the restaurant and it hadn't even dissipated yet, and now he was dragging me away again.

Two emotions were intertwined, making it impossible to tell which way was which.

Jiang Han only let go of the elevator when they reached the elevator entrance.

"He cursed quite succinctly."

"This is the first time I've sworn at someone." Liu Meng pulled her hand back, clenched it into a fist, and placed it against her side.

I didn't think much of it when I blurted out "idiot" in the restaurant, but now that it's been brought up, I feel a little embarrassed.

"You'll get the hang of it with practice."

Liu Meng took the elevator, leaned against the wall, and let out a long sigh.

The two went to a nearby private restaurant.

Jiang Han ordered four dishes and a soup, all of which were light in flavor.

The dishes they ordered happened to be all of Liu Meng's favorite foods.

Once all the dishes were served, the two ate and chatted.

Liu Meng mentioned the Hanfu collaboration that Wangyue was recently negotiating. The other party's manager is a traditional Chinese style blogger with two million followers, but the contract terms have been negotiated for two months and have not yet been finalized.

"Let our company's experts take a look later."

"I didn't help you for nothing." Jiang Han picked up his teacup.

"When your influencers need a location for shooting short videos, prioritize using Xingyue's studio."

Liu Meng smiled. This wasn't a condition; it was clearly a way for her to back down.

Halfway through the meal, Liu Meng's phone rang.

My mom was on the screen.

"Liu Meng!" Her mother's voice boomed from the receiver, and Liu Meng moved the phone away half an inch.

"Aunt Zhang just called. You brought a man to a blind date? And you even yelled at him at the restaurant?"

Liu Meng opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know where to begin.

"When did you start dating? Why didn't you tell Mom?"

Her mother's tone quickly shifted from questioning to pressing.

"What's your name? How old are you? What do you do for a living? What's your family's financial situation like?"

"Mom, no!"

"What do you mean 'not'! Liu Meng, Liu Meng, you've been in a relationship, so why did you hide it from your mother?"

"Your mother keeps asking people to introduce you to potential partners, and you, on the other hand, secretly dated one without telling anyone!"

Liu Meng held her phone, her face flushed red.

She wanted to explain that he wasn't her boyfriend, but just her best friend's boyfriend.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

The fact that her best friend's boyfriend accompanied her to the blind date is something that can't be explained no matter how you look at it.

Jiang Han smiled. This scene seemed familiar, as if it had been written in a script.

He reached out and took the phone directly.

Liu Meng turned her head and saw Jiang Han holding his phone to his ear, speaking as naturally as if he were chatting with a relative.

"Hello, Auntie, my name is Jiang Han."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and then Liu Meng heard her mother's voice suddenly rise half a tone.

"Hey! Hello! Are you Mengmeng's boyfriend?"

"Not yet." Jiang Han's lips curved slightly.

"What do you mean it's not quite right yet?" Aunt Liu pressed.

She hasn't officially agreed to be with me yet.

Liu Meng listened from the side, her chopsticks frozen in mid-air.

Jiang Han's words were perfectly tactful, both saving her from an awkward situation and leaving no room for doubt.

Then, the voice on the other end of the phone became gentler than ever before.

"Xiao Jiang, what do you do for a living?"

"Starting a company."

"Okay, okay, it's good to be your own boss. How old are you this year?"

"27".

"Great, she's a year younger than Mengmeng, a girl who's a year older will marry a golden rooster! Who else is in her family?"

Liu Meng covered her face.

She knows her own mother too well; judging from her tone, she's already started planning the number of wedding tables.

Jiang Han remained calm and answered all questions with respect and propriety.

After chatting for a few minutes, Aunt Liu's face lit up with laughter on the other end of the phone, and she said "That's good, that's good" several times.

Then he insisted that Jiang Han come to his house when he had time, and said that Mengmeng was a clumsy talker since she was little, so he should be more tolerant of her.

In the end, it almost sounded like entrusting one's entire life to someone.

When Jiang Han returned the phone to Liu Meng, Liu Meng's face was already flushed.

"mom!"

"Mengmeng, Xiaojiang is very good!" Her mother's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Mom sounds very composed, more reliable than any of the others you've met before. Treat her well, don't be temperamental, understand?"

"Mom, we just..."

"Alright, alright, Mom won't disturb your date anymore. Bring her back home for Mom to see another day!"

The phone hangs up.

Liu Meng stared at the words "Call Ended" on the screen for a long time before putting her phone down.

"Um... every time my mom introduces someone, she says they're reliable..."

Liu Meng picked up her wine glass and took a sip, only to find it was empty.

Jiang Han smiled and picked up the wine bottle, pouring her half a glass.

Liu Meng downed the drink in one gulp, a surge of alcohol rising in her heart.

If Jiang Han were single…

Xingyue Media thrived under his leadership, and Wangyue had privately consulted him several times about his business strategies, which always came to the mark.

Jiang Han's qualities would be perfect for any single man.

Unfortunately, he not only had a girlfriend, but he was also the kind of guy who was simultaneously ruining the lives of several of his girlfriends.

Qiu Siyao, Lin Yaoyao, and recently Shen Qingning have also joined.

Three women lived under one roof and shared the same man.

As an observer, Liu Meng watched the whole thing from beginning to end, witnessing firsthand how Qiu Siyao went from secretly harboring a crush to actively confessing her feelings.

How did Lin Yaoyao go from pretending to be in a relationship to being locked out by her own mother and getting her help?

How did Shen Qingning go from being high and mighty to being willing?

While cursing Jiang Han as a scumbag, she also had to admit that her best friend was happier by his side than ever before.

Liu Meng told herself that today's meal was just a gesture of gratitude.

She thanked Jiang Han for accompanying her on this trip and for answering her mother's call.

That's it.

As the two were leaving the restaurant, Lin Yaoyao called.

Liu Meng's hand hovered above the answer button for several seconds.

She suddenly felt guilty, the kind of guilty feeling that comes from doing something wrong.

When she ate alone with Jiang Han, her mother questioned him as if he were her son-in-law.

All of this together makes it seem like she's secretly dating someone else's boyfriend behind her sisters' backs.

I was just here to be a shield, how did it turn out like this?

Liu Meng took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Feed?"

"Sister Meng, where are you?" Lin Yaoyao's voice came through the receiver, with the background sound of Qiu Siyao cooking in the kitchen.

"Long time no see! Are you free to come over for dinner tonight?"

"I...I have something to do outside..."

"Well, what a pity! Let's get together again next time!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Meng pressed her hand to her chest, her heart pounding wildly.

After the two parted ways, Liu Meng returned to her apartment.

I changed into my pajamas, removed my makeup, and sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a long time.

Xiao Xiao: "Sister Liu Meng, how was your blind date today?"

Liu Meng stared at the screen for a long time, typed a few words and then deleted them, finally only sending one sentence.

"good."

What does "it's alright" mean?

Liu wanted to find someone to talk to about what happened today.

The story revolves around her mother's pressure to get married, her bizarre blind date, and Jiang Han's reaction.

"Xiao Xiao, I have a question for you."