Chapter Thirty-Six: The Matchmaking Event

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"Lick Mimi, you smile and lick Mimi, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze, where is Mimi, where is she..." Wu Hua hummed the tune as he walked along the streets of Eight Mile Community in City C. It was already 12:40 noon, and the sunlight was so harsh it made it impossible to keep one's eyes open. The heat of July and August was truly unbearable.

"Brother Jie is so pretentious, making me wear his designer suit in this sweltering weather. Damn, I'm hot." Wu Hua yanked off his tie, shed the suit jacket, and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt for good measure.

"I'm just here to go through the motions anyway. Who cares about appearances? The quicker, the better," he thought.

Sweet Mimi Café was well-known in Eight Mile Community. The shop wasn't large, but the location was excellent, right next to People's Park, with green hills and clear water, the scenery delightful. The décor was stylish, and the moment he entered, the cool blast from the air conditioner washed over him, refreshing him entirely. An impeccably dressed server politely asked, "Sir, how many are in your party?"

"I'm here to meet someone," Wu Hua replied.

According to Jie’s prior description, Yu Jialing would be wearing a purple floral top, black denim capris, and white high heels. She was tall, and her looks were "not bad."

Wu Hua scanned the café in a single sweep and instantly locked onto his target, inwardly cursing, "Not bad? If this is 'not bad,' then other women might as well give up."

Of all the blind dates Jie had arranged for him, this was the only one who was truly beautiful—not just a beauty, but a beauty among beauties.

She sat in the northeast corner by the window, resting her chin on her hand, watching the young couples laughing as they passed outside, her oval face showing a hint of envy. Her demeanor and grace were beyond Wu Hua's ability to describe—she was the kind of girl one could never forget at first glance. The other customers had all stolen more than a few glances at her.

She was truly captivating. Wu Hua felt his heart pounding in his chest, but quickly calmed himself. "Beautiful women usually have high standards. Someone like me, she’d never look at. What's there to fear? I'm just here to go through the motions, get it over with."

With that thought, he stepped forward and tapped the table: "Yu Jialing?"

Yu Jialing turned, her large, bright eyes gazing at him. "Excuse me, sir. Who are you?"

Wu Hua was blunt, dropping himself into the seat across from her. "I'm Zheng Zhijie's friend. My name's Wu Hua—Wu from 'team,' Hua from 'China.'"

Yu Jialing looked him over, her gaze tinged with disappointment. She hadn't expected the candidate Zhijie had so insistently recommended to be this kind of guy:

Barely 1.72 meters tall—if she stood, they’d probably be the same height; disheveled, face shining with sweat, and where he’d wiped it, streaks of grime remained; his manner and expression were completely lacking in courtesy. Most importantly, his collar wasn’t clean, and his shoes hadn’t been polished, covered in dust...

Her gaze did not escape Wu Hua, who was delighted. He chuckled inwardly, calculating that he could wrap this up in five minutes.

"It’s hot out. Would you like something to drink, Mr. Wu?" Yu Jialing beckoned to the server, her voice gentle and pleasant.

Wu Hua waved grandly: "No thanks, I don’t want anything."

Of course not—here, even bottled water cost five yuan. Price aside, it just wasn't worth it. His days battling through Star Wars had taught him to pinch every penny.

"I’ll just say a few words and be on my way," Wu Hua said, unconcerned.

Yu Jialing was surprised. Based on her experience, any man sitting across from her would never want to leave; yet this unkempt fellow seemed in a hurry to get away.

"Is there something wrong with my face?" she wondered.

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Wu Hua said, "Let’s skip the small talk. We’re both here, so let’s just follow the procedure. You ask, I answer."

Yu Jialing hadn’t expected such an opening. She paused, then said, "Alright. Since you say so, I’ll ask."

Wu Hua replied, "Wait, no need for 'Mr.' or anything. Just call me Wu Hua."

Yu Jialing nodded. "Alright, Wu Hua. What’s your educational background?"

Wu Hua said, "Does an elementary school diploma count?"

Yu Jialing was dumbfounded. She now doubted all of Zhijie’s claims that "Hua is a talented guy, a good man." She didn’t realize Wu Hua was deliberately misleading her—he was actually a graduate student from City C University of Architecture, with a degree worth quite a lot.

Yu Jialing asked, "Where do you work?"

"No job," Wu Hua replied flatly.

Yu Jialing was at a loss for words.

"Surely you have some annual income?"

Wu Hua answered firmly, "Yes."

"How much?"

Wu Hua said, "Equal to nothing."

That was the truth, but Yu Jialing nearly fainted. She felt her questions were too direct, so changed tack: "Wu Hua, what about your housing and vehicle situation?"

Wu Hua said, "This time, I really do have something."

"Oh?" Yu Jialing was curious.

Wu Hua said, "A 1998 fourth-hand Giant bicycle, worth exactly thirty yuan. Unfortunately, it exploded last month."

By "exploded," he meant it was stolen. He’d been amazed anyone would steal such a junker; it proved the old saying: In the world, being born is easy, living is easy, but making a living is hard.

"As for a house, I haven’t bought one yet. I sleep in the park every day," Wu Hua declared. He wasn't lying—he really did sleep in the park every day in Dream Star City.

But to Yu Jialing, this sounded like the ultimate master. She still had doubts, so probed: "Wu Hua, are you an artist? Sleeping in the park for inspiration?"

Wu Hua exclaimed, "Wow, you saw right through me. High, truly high! Marksmanship isn’t just an art—it’s a profound science. Either you get shot, or you shoot someone."

Yu Jialing was nearly speechless. She was following the blind date script, but felt she’d go mad if she kept questioning him, so changed the subject: "Wu Hua, how did you meet Zheng Zhijie? Are you good friends?"

Wu Hua finally grew serious. "We’re close buddies. He’s my tenant."

"But don’t you sleep in the park every day? Where do you have a house to rent out?"

"There are houses in parks too—a pavilion is a kind of house. Besides, tenants don’t always rent rooms. Guests in a house are called tenants, right?"

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Yu Jialing stared at him, as if looking at a monster.

Suddenly, she began to understand. This was probably an old classmate’s prank. Yet, seeing Wu Hua sitting upright and proper, she doubted it. The key was that Wu Hua was very honest—not like other men who greedily scanned her from head to toe. She was pleased with that.

Wu Hua sat across from her, absent-minded, actually pondering: Where should I go when I log in later?

If Yu Jialing knew what he was thinking, she’d probably spit blood.

Seeing Yu Jialing’s uncertain expression, Wu Hua asked, "Any more questions?"

Yu Jialing was at a loss, unsure how to respond. She’d always handled other men with ease, but Wu Hua’s simple question left her stunned. This was the first time she'd encountered such a situation.

For a moment, she felt very awkward.

Wu Hua couldn't care less. "No more? If not, I’ll be off. Bye." He grabbed his clothes and prepared to leave.

Yu Jialing quickly stopped him. "Wait, you're just going to leave like this?"

She had no other motive—she was simply bothered that Wu Hua hadn't even asked for her phone number. No matter how impressive other men were, they always tried to get her number, but Wu Hua’s move left her frustrated.

Wu Hua didn’t bother with that, puzzled. "You still need something?"

"No, nothing. Go ahead," Yu Jialing said, her expression unnatural.

"You really are something." Wu Hua turned and called to the server, "How many credit points?"

The server’s mouth fell open.

Wu Hua smiled apologetically. "The bill."

The server’s mouth snapped shut.

Yu Jialing, curious, asked, "So you’re a Star Wars player?"

Wu Hua said, "Yeah, do you play too?"

Yu Jialing asked, "What’s your name? I’ll look for you in the game, alright?" She had developed some liking for Wu Hua—at least he wasn’t pretentious, nor did he linger like other lecherous men, nor did he pry into her details. At minimum, he wasn't a hypocrite.

"Sure," Wu Hua replied casually.

"So what’s your in-game name?" Yu Jialing asked.

"Mad Bomber—'Bomber' as in explosion, 'Mad' as in crazy. Impressed?" Wu Hua tossed out the reply as he headed for the door.

Yu Jialing stood in place, stunned. She was indeed impressed—the name was so apt, only a lunatic would choose it.