Unable to withstand my mom's relentless pressure, I found myself embarking on my ninth blind date.

The man sitting across from me was wearing a translucent white T-shirt with some suspicious yellow stains on it. The moment I sat down, he started criticizing me.

The man sitting across from me was wearing a translucent white T-shirt with some suspicious yellow stains on it. The moment I sat down, he started criticizing me.

"What are you wearing? This is a mess!"

"Girls look good in pink or white!"

"I heard you work in new media. How much do you make a month?"

"I work for a state-owned enterprise!"

These comments alone weren't enough to break me.

The real kicker was that while he was devouring his meal, he had oil smeared all over his mouth, making smacking noises as he chewed.

I was terrified that the next second, the sauce from the corner of his mouth, mixed with saliva, would land on me.

Ugh!

I took a deep breath.

Who is this person?

Is my mom really that desperate for me to get married?

I looked down at the two glasses of water in front of me.

Lemonade or iced coffee?

Someone else made the decision for me.

Sitting behind me was a couple, both strikingly attractive.

I noticed them as soon as I walked in.

Now, this is what a high-quality blind date looks like!

A perfect match, with compatible backgrounds, ready to soar together, leading to a happy and prosperous future...

But the woman soon shattered my fantasy.

"William Smith, you've gone too far! Five million? What do you take me for?"

The woman, with her luscious wavy hair, looked defiant as she splashed her iced coffee on the man across from her.

Yikes!

I couldn't help but shudder.

That must be refreshing, right?

Wait, am I focusing on the wrong thing?

Five million!

And she's not willing.

"I would be!"

I screamed internally.

"Give it to me! If she doesn't want it, I do!"

Unfortunately, the people across didn't hear my thoughts.

I pretended to touch up my makeup while secretly watching the drama unfold.

Gulp, gulp...

That man has an incredible physique!

The wet white shirt clung to his body, revealing faint outlines of his muscles beneath.

Some words popped into my mind.

The epitome of tantalizing temptation!

Tsk tsk!

This man is dangerously attractive!

Not even the yellow coffee stains could diminish his handsome features. Instead, they added a hint of restraint and allure.

This scene, this demeanor—it's like watching a real-life version of a domineering CEO's rejected proposal.

How fascinating!

Perhaps my gaze was too blatant because the CEO glanced at me.

Cough, cough...

I quickly pretended to clear my throat and looked away, awkwardly pretending to adjust my makeup.

Meanwhile, my blind date was still wolfing down his food.

Comparing the CEO to the man in front of me, I completely lost interest.

"Actually, I already have a boyfriend. You see the guy sitting behind me. That's him, but my mom disapproves. She thinks I'm too good for him, and that he doesn't deserve me. Unfortunately, this tragic love story is being torn apart by fate."

I feigned a look of heartbreak.

My blind date glanced behind him at the CEO, rolled his eyes, and smirked, "You women all like pretty boys. Can good looks fill your stomach?"

A rich aroma of coffee mixed with a hint of cologne wafted past me.

My attention was drawn back to the person next to me.

The CEO, who had been doused with coffee, was leaving.

I felt a pang of disappointment.

No more drama to watch.

I decided to wrap things up quickly and turned to the blind date still eating.

"Good looks can absolutely fill your stomach. But someone like you will never understand that."

"Go home and find your mom," I said as I grabbed my bag and stood up. I picked up my bag and stood up.

"Wait..."

I heard the blind date call out behind me.

"Let's split the bill, 50-50."

Blind dating isn't my main focus—work is.

I'm a new media operator.

Yes! I'm that kind of new media operator who does the job of an entire team by myself.

The kind that, despite having only a few readers, insists on posting daily.

It is the all-around operator who takes photos, edits videos, writes scripts, and creates content.

My supervisor is a middle-aged, greasy, bald man.

Whenever he talks to you, he always tries to get closer.

He mixes up L and N sounds, and when he laughs, it's a grating cackle.

I've had many opportunities to use my swivel chair to crush his foot under the guise of standing up.

I must admit, it felt great at the time.

The result was quite tragic.

I had my performance docked for three months in a row.

But I had to endure it because, after all, I'm just a humble worker.

While thinking about my next piece of content, I couldn't help but recall the CEO.

That physique, that appearance—he's no less attractive than the idols I've been following lately.

And the most important thing!!

If I were the one the CEO offered five million to, who would still be here, struggling?

I'd have already used my swivel chair to crush the greasy man's foot and, when he threatened to dock my pay, I would have told him off with a flourish.

"I quit!"

Maka, Baka, Aka, Waka, Mika...

My fantasies were interrupted by a phone call from my mom.

I answered cautiously, turning the volume down to its lowest setting, but it still couldn't block out her thunderous roar.

"Winnie Yukio! Get your butt home now!"

My home is on the second floor of an old apartment complex.

As I stood at the door, nervously rummaging through my bag, the sound of someone being scolded drifted over from across the hall.

That voice, that intensity—no less fierce than my mom's.

Sigh! What a coincidence!

"If you come home alone again, don't even think about entering!"

Looks like my mom's not that bad after all. At least I can still come in. Hehe!

hey-hey!

I spared two seconds of sympathy for the poor soul across the hall.

Just as I was about to open the door, I saw the door across from me open and then slam shut.

The CEO got a face full of dust and was almost pushed to the ground.

Quickly, I reached out to steady him.

After regaining his balance, the CEO gave me a dignified nod, showing no embarrassment at being kicked out.

Perhaps because of my good looks, he gave me another glance.

Our eyes met.

Coincidentally, at that moment, I saw a bright, shining five million floating above his head.

Driven by impulse, I blurted out, "Why don't you consider me instead?"

The CEO froze for a second.

Then, he nodded quickly.

I was elated. As expected of a CEO—decisive!

So fast!

Wait!

Did I just sell myself?

"Um, I..."

I hesitated, trying to explain.

But my mom, being the person she is, was a step ahead of me.

She opened the door with the same angry voice that rivaled the one across the hall.

"Why did you come back?"

The CEO gave me a sympathetic look.

Sympathetic?

If I hadn't saved you, you'd be the one needing sympathy right now!

I completely forgot I had intended to explain myself before my mom opened the door.

"Didn't you tell me to come back?" I muttered under my breath in response to her roar.

"Are you talking back to me?"

"Huh? You're already 27! You're not getting any younger! If you keep messing around, who's going to want you?"

"How much longer do you think you can keep this up?"

It was the same old lines—I'd heard them so many times my ears were about to sprout calluses.

The CEO awkwardly coughed twice, clearly intending to escape the scene.

But given how big he is, there's no way I could miss him.

Wait a minute!

Isn't this a ready-made boyfriend?

Following the principle of self-preservation—not at the expense of others but in the spirit of mutual assistance—I grabbed the CEO, who had already reached the stairwell.

I clamped his hand tightly under my bare armpit, smiling sweetly as I spoke.

"Mom, what are you saying? Your boyfriend's right here!"

"Boyfriend? Pah! My boyfriend!"

In the CEO's astonished gaze, I shoved him into my apartment and quickly shut the door.

On the couch, the CEO sat between my mom and me. My dad was still out playing chess and hadn't returned yet.

"So, Winnie, is this your boyfriend? What's his name?"

I could actually hear a hint of nervousness in my mom's voice.

As expected of a CEO.

My mom used to be a fashion designer when she was younger, and she had seen plenty of handsome young men. Her standards for a son-in-law are quite high.

Yet, even with all that, the CEO still managed to captivate both of us.

Yes, that's right. I was captivated too.

I felt a twinge of regret before coming in, but now that regret had flown out the window.

The CEO must have dressed up for today. He wore a plain black T-shirt with a small white logo on the chest, matching black trousers, and polished leather shoes.

His hair was styled with gel. He truly was meticulous down to every strand.

I wondered if it was hot wearing leather shoes in the summer?

Yikes~

My daydream was interrupted again.

The CEO had actually pinched my thigh!

Don't judge a book by its cover!

I glared at the CEO sitting beside me.

The CEO glanced sideways, raising an eyebrow.

Wow!

If I had come to my senses a second later, my mom would have exploded!

The phrase "furious" was not an exaggeration at all.

My mind raced. What was the CEO's name?

This is beyond my knowledge!

No, I know!

That sentence popped up in my mind again.

"William Smith, you're going too far! Five million? What do you think of me?"

"William Smith! Yes, William!"

I looked at the CEO excitedly and signaled with my eyes.

"Right! Brother!"

My mom gave us a suspicious look. "Winnie, you didn't just pull this guy off the street, did you?"

My mom was gearing up for another lion's roar.

We're doomed! He might as well have been picked up off the street!

"Auntie, my name is William Smith. Winnie and I have been together for a while now."

Thud!

It seemed that background music played in my ears, and the CEO seemed to glow with a soft halo.

Ah! A savior of the helpless!

For the rest of the time, my mom and the CEO carried the conversation while I played the role of a flower vase—nodding, smiling, and agreeing with everything.

The CEO managed to charm my mom so much that she immediately called my dad, urging him to buy groceries and come home to cook.

She then left us in the living room to chat while she happily headed to the kitchen.