Chapter 157: Su Jin × Gu Chen. Is the secret crush the blind date?

In the time Su Jin was stunned, Gu Chen had already stood up, walked around the desk, and arrived in front of her.

"Jingda High School, cornered behind the teaching building." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, "Crying your eyes out."

Su Jin's face turned red in a flash.

She argued in a low voice: "I wasn't crying."

Gu Chen: "Hmm?"

"I was just... my eyes got a little red." Su Jin was clearly lacking confidence.

She had indeed cried; at that time, she had just started her first year of high school and was cornered by a school bully from a higher grade. In her helplessness, it was Gu Chen who appeared, sent that group of people away, and handed her a tissue.

She still remembered him standing there against the light, as if plated with a layer of golden radiance.

Something seemed to have started taking root and sprouting in her heart; what exactly it was—like wind, like fog—she couldn't clearly say.

The next time they met was in the school auditorium; he was an outstanding senior who had already graduated, invited back to the school to give a lecture.

Su Jin sat in the audience, looking up at him.

He was tall, wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, looking very composed as he stood on the stage. The light fell from above, outlining his silhouette with exceptional clarity.

From the principal's passionate introduction, she learned his name.

Gu Chen.

The provincial top scorer in the college entrance exam, admitted to Jingda, and also a gold medalist in the National Physics Competition.

So excellent that he was someone to look up to.

She lowered her head, silently reciting his name.

In the three years that followed, she always heard about him from various people. Through these fragments of conversation, she pieced together a brilliant and stunning version of him.

Su Jin pulled back her thoughts and lowered her eyes: "President Gu has a really good memory."

Gu Chen chuckled, didn't answer, but asked a question that came out of nowhere: "What happened after that?"

Su Jin was startled: "What 'after that'?"

Gu Chen said: "Did anyone bully you again later?"

Su Jin realized, shook her head: "No, later I learned to hide."

He didn't speak.

She took a step back, preparing to take her leave: "If there's nothing else, I'll first..."

Before she could finish her sentence, her foot tripped on something, and her whole body tilted backward.

Su Jin's exclamation didn't have time to escape before a pair of hands steadily caught her.

Because of the momentum, she slammed into the man's chest.

Her back was pressed against his chest, his chin resting right by her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.

Her heartbeat was so fast it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

"Careful."

Su Jin suddenly raised her head, bumping into a pair of gentle eyes. It was too close, so close that she could see her own reflection in the depths of his eyes.

"Thank you." She hurriedly backed out of his embrace.

"I'll see you out." Gu Chen withdrew his hands, his tone natural.

Su Jin's heart was still pounding like a drum; how could she dare let him see her out? She hurriedly said: "No need to trouble President Gu, I can manage myself."

After saying that, she didn't even dare to look at him, and fled the office as if escaping.

Not until she entered the elevator did her heartbeat calm down slightly. She took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall; the cold touch dispelled the warmth he had left on her.

Su Jin, you really are useless.

So many years have passed, and you still like him, and you still can't put it into words.

——

Su Jin was busy all afternoon, writing drafts, attending meetings, and revising drafts, not stopping for a moment.

By the time she looked up from the computer, it had already turned dark outside the window. She rubbed her sore neck, and just as she was about to go get a glass of water, her phone rang.

"A-Jin, have you left yet?" Mother Su's voice came through the receiver, carrying undisguised anticipation, "Seven o'clock, don't be late."

Su Jin was stunned for a moment; she had almost forgotten in her busyness.

"Mm, I know, I'm heading over now." As she spoke, she began to tidy up the things on her desk.

"Remember to change into a nicer outfit, don't wear that drab suit of yours." Mother Su nagged, "The young man has good conditions and a good personality, talk to him properly, don't always be thinking about work—"

"Mom, what's the room number?" Su Jin interrupted her.

"308, just go straight in when you arrive, make a good impression!"

Su Jin responded and hung up the phone.

She looked at the slightly exhausted face in the mirror, hesitated for two seconds, then fished a lipstick out of her bag and applied a layer while looking in the mirror.

It wasn't for any other reason, just... didn't want to look too disheveled.

When the car stopped at the restaurant entrance, it was already five minutes past seven.

Su Jin quickened her pace as she walked inside, and a waiter led her to the second floor. She pushed open the door to the private room; only one wall lamp was on inside, and the light was dim.

A man was sitting by the window; hearing the movement, he looked up.

Su Jin froze at the door.

Gu Chen.

He was still wearing the dark gray shirt from the interview that morning, with his suit jacket draped over the back of the chair. His sleeves were rolled up casually, and a cup of tea sat on the table, clearly having waited for a while.

Seeing Su Jin suddenly burst in, his gaze paused for a moment, then he put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and raised an eyebrow.

Su Jin's mind went blank.

How could it be Gu Chen?

She subconsciously checked the door number again: 308. There was no mistake.

Could it be... that this is the person she is here to go on a blind date with?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say. Leaving wasn't right, and going in wasn't right either.

Gu Chen watched her dilemma, a trace of extremely faint amusement flashing in the depths of his eyes. He lifted his chin and finally spoke: "Sit."

Su Jin walked over in a daze and sat down opposite him.

The man before her had a normal expression; compared to her surprise, he looked very composed—so composed that he even poured her a cup of tea.

Su Jin was feeling anxious; she had come for a blind date, and the person sitting opposite her was Gu Chen. This fact itself was magical enough, yet he didn't seem surprised at all?

She couldn't help but speak: "President Gu... is also here for a blind date?"

Gu Chen's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and he looked up at her: "Hm?"

It was just one word, the tail of the sound slightly raised, as if he hadn't heard clearly.

Su Jin felt a bit flustered by his gaze and explained in a low voice: "It's just... I thought someone with your status wouldn't go out on blind dates."

Gu Chen chuckled, set down his teacup, and leaned back into the chair: "Why wouldn't I?"

Su Jin was stunned for a moment.

These words... was that an admission?

Her heart was out of control again, beating faster. She clenched her fingers, her mind in a mess.

The entire day today felt like a dream to her. The interview subject was the man she had secretly admired for years, and the man actually remembered their first meeting from years ago.

Not to mention those things, now, even her blind date was him.

Gu Chen was quite indifferent; he pushed the menu toward her: "See what you want to eat."

Su Jin took it and looked down at the menu, but couldn't take in a single word. She secretly looked up at him; he was lowering his head to drink tea, his profile gilded with a warm light from the wall lamp, just like back then.

She couldn't help but ask again: "President Gu... are you really here for a blind date?"

Gu Chen: "Do you think I look like I'm lying?"

Su Jin shook her head: "No, I just think... with your conditions, many people should be chasing you."

He didn't answer, just pushed the menu a bit further toward her: "Order food first."

Su Jin had no choice but to look down at the menu and order a few dishes at random. The waiter left, and the private room became quiet again.

She didn't know what to say, so she made small talk: "President Gu... must be very busy with work usually?"

"It's alright."

"By the way, I went back and organized the interview draft from this morning; there are a few places I'd like to confirm with you—"

"Miss Su." He interrupted her.

"Hm?"

"It's off-duty hours now; do you really want to talk to me about work?"

Su Jin opened her mouth, then closed it. That's right, she was here for a blind date; who talks about interview drafts on a blind date?

"Then what should we talk about?" she asked dryly.

Gu Chen tapped his fingertips on the table: "What should one talk about on a blind date?"

Su Jin's face turned red again.

How would she know what to talk about on a blind date? She had thrown herself into work right after graduation, had met countless interview subjects, and had held hundreds of editorial meetings, but this was her first serious blind date.

She thought for a moment and tentatively said: "Hobbies?"

Gu Chen nodded and followed her lead: "Then what hobbies does Miss Su have?"

Su Jin thought seriously: "Does writing drafts count?"

He looked at her, amusement appearing in his eyes: "It doesn't."

Su Jin felt a bit discouraged; she was a very boring person, and besides writing drafts, there really didn't seem to be anything that particularly attracted her.

"Then reading books?"

"What kind of books?"

"News-related ones..." Su Jin couldn't even continue, her voice getting smaller and smaller, "Alright, that doesn't count either."

Gu Chen laughed lowly; the laughter was very light, but it still made her ears heat up.

Su Jin calmly picked up her cup to take a sip of tea, secretly annoyed at herself for being so useless.

How could her composure and self-restraint fail when she was in front of him?

Fortunately, the waiter began to serve the dishes, and Su Jin lowered her head to eat seriously. Gu Chen wasn't a talkative person either, and the private room fell quiet again.

She secretly looked up at him; his movements while picking up food were very graceful, unhurried, revealing a sense of nobility from his very bones.

It was true; he and she had never been people from the same world.

"What are you daydreaming about?" the man opposite suddenly spoke.

Su Jin was caught in the act and felt a bit uncomfortable, so she said casually: "I was wondering, what are your hobbies?"

Gu Chen put down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his lips with a handkerchief.

"Work."

Su Jin: "..."

"If work can count as a hobby, then why can't writing drafts?" she couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

"Then that can count too." Gu Chen curved his lips.

Su Jin always felt that these words sounded a bit off, but before she could think about it, the other party had already turned to another topic.

"Is your family pushing you very hard, Miss Su?"

Su Jin sighed upon hearing this: "My mom is quite anxious, saying I'm not young anymore and my work is busy, so it won't be easy to find someone if I keep dragging it out."

She smiled, her tone as relaxed as possible: "Actually, I'm fine. Let's just treat today as a formality and go through the motions."

Gu Chen: "Go through the motions?"

Su Jin: "Mm... if you find it difficult to explain to your elders when you go back, just push all the blame onto me..."

She was just about to say more when her phone suddenly rang.

It was Mother Su.

"Sorry, let me take this call."

Gu Chen nodded slightly: "Please, go ahead."

Su Jin picked up, and as soon as the call connected, Mother Su spoke excitedly: "A-Jin, there's been a mistake, a mistake! It's not 308, it's 318! Hurry over there, the young man has been waiting for you for a long time!"

A mistake?

Su Jin held the phone, her entire body frozen in her seat.

Mother Su's voice was very loud; she was certain that Gu Chen across from her must have heard it too.

So, she had mistaken her crush for her blind date?

She probably didn't have the face to go on living in this world.