Chapter 1648: An Awkward Date

Fast Chinese.

Bai Manman was heavily made up and decked out in jewelry, which happened to be exactly the style Zirui disliked.

He was already extremely annoyed inside, but he didn't show the slightest bit of it on his face.

It didn't matter; whether he liked it or not didn't matter.

Since she was someone his parents had arranged, as long as his parents were satisfied, he had no objections.

Bai Manman shyly extended her hand; was this an attempt to shake his?

They were old classmates, so wasn't it pretentious to put on an act as if they were meeting for the first time?

He also politely extended his hand, and Bai Manman rested her fingertips in his palm for a shake.

Very ladylike, completely meeting the standards for a wealthy family choosing a daughter-in-law, but it did not fit Zirui's personal aesthetic!

The two had just met, and he was already lifting his wrist to check the time.

If he hadn't already promised his mother that he would finish the meal with Bai Manman before leaving, he would have really wanted to walk away immediately; facing this woman was just a waste of time.

The two sat down on opposite sides of the luxurious dining table.

Exquisite, extravagant food was spread across the table; they were all top-tier ingredients, and although the portions of each were small, there was a wide variety, so there was no way two people could finish it all.

At this moment, the image of Qi Shishi appeared in Sheng Zirui's mind.

If she were here, she could finish it.

That girl always looked like she hadn't eaten for days; she clearly wasn't fat, yet she had an astonishing appetite, as if she could never be filled.

Thinking of Qi Shishi, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Zirui, you also think my outfit today is very pretty, right?"

Seeing him smile, Bai Manman thought he was admiring her beauty.

"Ah, what did you say?" He snapped back to reality.

"You're so annoying! You're complimenting me, what's there to be shy about admitting? It's natural for a girl to be thin-skinned, but you're a boy, you should be more proactive..."

Zirui frowned.

They were both from Jiangzhou, yet she insisted on putting on a different accent, her affected, cutesy voice making him want to retch.

Goosebumps rose all over his arms.

But Bai Manman was completely oblivious, immersed in her own world and unable to pull herself out.

A Servant picked out the roe and crab meat from the crab and placed it on the plate in front of her.

She, however, put on an act, deliberately feigning an arrogant and insufferable air: "Take it away, take it away. I only eat king crab; low-class things like hairy crabs will stain my Christian Louboutin lipstick..."

"The Australian lobster is served just like this? Why didn't you let me see it before it was cooked? The caviar isn't plump; your restaurant is too unprofessional..."

Bai Manman was being picky and critical.

Zirui's mind conjured up the scene of eating noodles with Qi Shishi.

A ten-yuan bowl of seafood noodles, which Qi Shishi ate with great relish, finishing three bowls in one go.

She hadn't been the least bit picky, calling it the best food in the world!

The lobster and crab in front of him were all meticulously prepared by top chefs, and every dish was expensive.

She used a silver spoon to take tiny bites, probably not even tasting the flavor, yet she was nitpicking and finding all sorts of faults.

Zirui really couldn't bring himself to like such a young lady.

The meal was tasteless, but it was finally finished.

His head ached.

Bai Manman chattered away, talking non-stop from beginning to end.

He didn't respond to a single thing she said, remaining silent throughout.

Clothes, bags, jewelry... and gossip about boys and girls from middle school—he wasn't interested in any of it and didn't want to hear it.

The meal was finally over.

He wanted to leave immediately, but Bai Manman wouldn't have it: "Zirui, what plans do you have after eating? Auntie said you were to accompany me for the whole day."

"Let's go watch a movie," he blurted out.

A movie theater required silence; at the very least, he could have some peace and quiet.

"Watch a movie, hehehe..."

Bai Manman covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

"You're so annoying, are you joking? How could people of our status go to a movie theater to watch a film with everyone else? Even if we want to watch one, we should do it in our home theater, drinking Lafite, and having the theater chain bring the film to our house to play."

Zirui really couldn't stand her affected and pretentious attitude.

He bluntly dropped a sentence: "You go back and watch your home theater. I have activities to attend at school. Goodbye."

After saying this, he walked away without looking back, and even though Bai Manman was screaming until her voice cracked behind him, he didn't turn around.

Zirui knew that Bai Manman had been pretentious back in middle school, but he hadn't expected that after a few years, not only had she not changed, but she had become even more pretentious.

The two's first date ended on a sour note, and Shi Youxuan found out very quickly.

She asked her son: "How did you provoke Manman? She came home and cried for an entire afternoon, crying until my head ached."

Zirui said: "You know how she is now, right? I didn't provoke her, she just had that bitter and resentful look on her own. If I had actually provoked her, she would have annoyed you to death!"

"That woman is just a piece of dog-skin plaster; once she sticks to you, you can't peel her off, and if you force it, she'll take a layer of your skin with her. I couldn't dodge her fast enough when I was in school, and now, great, she's stuck to me again."

Zirui usually didn't talk much and was extremely well-mannered, rarely speaking ill of others.

But now, his evaluation of Bai Manman was filled with disgust.

Shi Youxuan hesitated.

She said: "You two were classmates, and she is so infatuated with you. I thought since you knew each other well, I'd try to set you two up. Since you dislike her so much, then forget it."

"Really?" Zirui was pleasantly surprised.

Shi Youxuan said, "It's true, but even if it isn't Bai Manman, there will be someone else. You understand what I mean, right?"

Her meaning was very clear.

It meant that she could choose not to force her son to be with Bai Manman, but that did not mean she agreed to him having any further contact with Qi Shishi.

There are so many girls in the world; he can choose one who is suitable for him to be his lifelong partner!

"I understand."

He indicated that he understood.

Shi Youxuan was not a stubborn or unreasonable parent; since Zirui did not like her, she clearly expressed to the Bai family that it was over.

If two children have no chemistry, there is no need to force them together, or the world would just end up with another pair of lovelorn souls.

Why bother?

But the next day, Bai Manman went to the Sheng Family again.

The heavy makeup from yesterday was all removed, not a single piece of jewelry was to be seen, and she had swapped her designer clothes for ordinary ones, looking fresh and pleasing to the eye.

Upon arriving at the Sheng Family, she didn't say a word, grabbed a broom, and started sweeping the courtyard!

Shi Youxuan hurriedly stopped her: "Manman, come inside and sit. You are a guest; there is no reason to let a guest do chores." The courtyard wasn't even dirty; there was no need to sweep it at all.

Bai Manman had completely changed her style from yesterday, and even her tone of voice had changed.

Returning to a normal demeanor, she said to Shi Youxuan, "Auntie, I acted that way yesterday because I thought your family was a wealthy household, and wealthy households have high requirements for daughters-in-law, so I thought I would cater to your preferences by dressing like that."

"Actually, I am not a pampered young lady, nor am I difficult to serve... no, that's not right, I don't need others to serve me; I can serve others, I can do any kind of work, I am not delicate..."