Volume One, Chapter One: A Blind Date with an Older Lady

Lin Chen was rather helpless. At twenty-three years old, standing at six feet tall with eight-pack abs, he had actually been driven out by his mother to attend blind dates...

And, astonishingly, he was the one being rejected.

“Handsome, you’re quite impressive in every aspect, but you’re just too poor. We’re not a good match.”

“Handsome, you’re so good-looking. Both I and the baby in my belly like you a lot.”

“Betrothal gifts? I don’t need any here. I think betrothal gifts are outdated customs. Marriage isn’t about selling a daughter, so what’s the point of demanding so much? Just marry me, and I won’t ask you for anything—just buy my brother a three-million yuan apartment.”

Watching the girl chatter away, Lin Chen was torn between laughter and tears. Did this girl mistake the blind date venue for a wishing pond? But he wasn’t the turtle in the wishing pond either...

He knew there were oddballs at these events, but he hadn’t expected so many. After meeting several girls in a row, he completely lost interest in dating, sitting in the corner in a daze, watching the crowd.

Just then, his mother called.

“Xiao Chen, did you meet any suitable girls? I heard there are more than forty today.”

Lin Chen, already frustrated, found a perfect outlet as soon as he heard his mother’s inquiry.

“Mom, I beg you, please let me be! Do you know what kind of people showed up today?”

“There are those demanding a million as a bride price, others asking me to be a father to their kids, some wanting me to buy houses for their brothers, and even a female Buddha…”

“Female Buddha? What’s a female Buddha?”

“Mom, don’t worry about it. It’s just very strange. Please, don’t force me to go on these dates anymore. I just started working. I can barely support myself. How can I afford to get married?”

“That’s not the way to think about it. Must you have money before you marry? When your father and I got married, we had nothing… You have to start a family to build a career. Without a family, how can you have a career?”

Lin Chen was left speechless.

“Mom, that was your era. Now is different!”

“I won’t argue with you. Anyway, this year you must bring a girlfriend home. Look at your classmate Li Chao next door—he’s already expecting a second child. The eldest is in kindergarten…”

Seeing his mother’s lecturing posture, Lin Chen’s headache grew. He hurriedly found an excuse: “Mom, I haven’t finished the blind date yet. I’ll hang up now.”

After the call, Lin Chen felt even more depressed.

Thinking about his generation, he found it quite tragic. He’d finally gotten into university, only to spend years attending online classes. He barely made it to graduation, only to face an economic downturn and immediate unemployment. After begging relatives and pulling strings, this proud graduate from a top university was offered a salary of just six thousand—and no social insurance.

Lin Chen reflected seriously, thinking maybe his qualifications weren’t enough, so he pushed himself to pursue graduate studies.

Now, with graduation approaching, he discovered that the same position now offered only four thousand—and even more competition!

Insane!

The more he thought, the gloomier he became. He lost all interest in dating. Instead of wasting time here, he’d be better off submitting a few more job applications.

Just as he was about to get up, an elderly lady with silver hair sat down before him.

“Young man, I think you’re quite good. Shall we talk?”

Lin Chen thought she was speaking to someone else, looking around to see no one. Shocked, he pointed at himself.

“Me?”

“Yes,” the old lady nodded.

Lin Chen was torn between laughter and tears.

“Auntie, perhaps you’re in the wrong place. The senior singles mixer is next door.”

Calling her “auntie” was generous. The woman before him, with wrinkled skin and age spots, looked at least sixty. “Grandma” wouldn’t be out of place.

He often joked with friends about marrying a wealthy older woman—but this was way too old. Suddenly, he felt he wasn’t so fond of money after all.

“You’ve misunderstood,” the old lady shook her head. “I’m not here for myself.”

“Oh, is it your granddaughter?”

Lin Chen relaxed.

Though her clothing was simple, her temperament was exceptional—gentle and elegant, like someone from a scholarly family.

Girls raised in such a household couldn’t be too bad. Perhaps his fate had finally arrived?

Lin Chen pulled his chair back to sit down.

But the old lady’s next words nearly made him lose his balance.

“It’s my daughter who needs a match.”

“D-daughter?” Lin Chen’s eyes widened. “Your daughter… why didn’t she come herself?”

A hint of sadness flashed in the old lady’s eyes. “She… can’t come herself.”

“Is she very busy at work?” Lin Chen asked.

The old lady was silent for a few seconds before replying, “My daughter is a vegetative patient, lying in the hospital… The doctor says she might not last through the month.”

“Ah… I see…”

Lin Chen was stunned.

He’d never encountered such a situation on a blind date before.

“Auntie… my condolences.”

The old lady took a tissue from her pocket, wiped her tears, and steadied herself before speaking again.

“My daughter is forty. She’s never been married. Now, as her mother, I’m facing the pain of losing her, and I wondered if, before she goes, I could find her a companion.”

“Uh…”

Lin Chen opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

She was about to leave this world—did it really make sense to pair her up like this? Couldn’t they let her pass quietly? It seemed that matchmaking was an instinct etched into the DNA of his people.

But then, he realized something.

“Auntie, do you want to perform a ceremonial marriage to bring her luck?”

“Yes,” the old lady nodded. “I don’t know if it will help, but I can’t just stand by and watch my daughter leave. Even if it doesn’t work, having someone by her side at the end would make her journey in this world less lonely.”

“….”

Understanding her thoughts, Lin Chen felt conflicted.

He could sense the deep love the old lady had for her daughter.

But why choose him?

He was just here for a blind date!

Unable to refuse directly, he shifted the topic.

“Auntie, with so many people here today, why did you pick me?”

The old lady looked up at Lin Chen and explained, “I’ve actually been observing you for a while. Among all these people, you’re the most handsome, you have a good temperament, and you’re a well-mannered young man.”

Hearing her praise, Lin Chen felt a bit flattered, but he still wouldn’t agree.

“Auntie, I’m glad you think highly of me, but I’m really hoping to find someone to live life with.”

His underlying message was clear: Someone unable to move wasn’t suitable.

The old lady understood but didn’t leave.

“Young man, don’t rush to refuse. If you’re willing to marry my daughter, I can offer you some compensation.”

“Auntie, it’s not about compensation. It’s just that…”

“I’ll give you one million!”

What!?

Lin Chen’s refusal froze. He stared at her in shock.

One million!?

Seeing Lin Chen silent, the old lady pressed her advantage.

“Young man, I only need you for a month. After a month, regardless of my daughter’s fate, you can take the million and leave.”

Lin Chen was torn.

The truth was, he really needed money.

Two years ago, he’d refused a job arranged by his family and chose to continue his studies. He had hoped that graduate school would improve his prospects.

But when he graduated earlier this year, he couldn’t find a job… Not wanting his family to worry, he lied, saying he’d found a job with a ten-thousand monthly salary.

The result? His mother stopped his allowance. Not only that, he had to regularly buy things to send home.

Now, his credit lines, pay-later apps, and even internet loans were all maxed out.

If he didn’t get some income soon, he’d be in financial ruin within a month.

The old lady, seeing Lin Chen hesitate, thought he was unwilling and pleaded further, “Young man, I’m not lying. If you agree, I’ll transfer a hundred thousand deposit right now. I really have no other options. Please help my daughter.”

Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she began to cry again, her chest heaving violently.

At that moment, a woman in her thirties hurried over from the doorway, anxiously feeding the old lady a pill.

“Auntie, you’re getting upset again. The doctor said you can’t be agitated. If you keep this up… If Tang Tang doesn’t recover, don’t let yourself fall ill.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” the old lady waved her hand. “If there’s even a sliver of hope, I can’t give up.”

After speaking, she fixed her pleading gaze on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen’s mind was in turmoil.

He was very hesitant…

On one hand, he didn’t want to marry. After all, this woman was about his mother’s age.

He was only twenty-three—how could he be willing?

But on the other hand, thinking about his looming debts, he realized he had no other choice.

Living off loans was a dead end.

With that thought, he closed his eyes and took the plunge.

“Alright, I agree.”

…

An hour later, Lin Chen found himself holding a marriage certificate.

The old lady had clearly made all the arrangements, so the certificate was issued swiftly.

Meanwhile, his account now had an extra hundred thousand.

“So… I’m married?”

Looking at the certificate in his hand, Lin Chen felt a dreamlike sense of unreality.

He’d only intended to placate his mother, but in less than half a day, he was actually married—to a woman twenty years his senior.

And he had no idea what she looked like.

Curious, he opened the certificate.

The woman in the photo was stunningly beautiful.

Delicate brows, almond eyes, cherry lips, an oval face, long hair cascading over her shoulders, smiling gracefully—a goddess-level beauty.

If not for the age field indicating forty, he would have thought she was under thirty.

The photo had been expedited and retouched, but it looked harmonious.

In the picture, their shoulders touched, both wearing faint smiles. Wife older, husband younger, yet there was no sense of discord—

In fact, it seemed sweet.

Looking at it, Lin Chen couldn’t help but feel pleased.

This “old baby” was quite cute.

And there was something familiar in her features…

Could this be fate?

Lin Chen flipped through the certificate.

But when he saw the woman’s name, he was stunned.

“Xu Mi?”

Wasn’t that his mother’s old friend’s name?

No way—could it really be?

Had he just married his mother’s best friend?