Chapter 72: Madam, This Feels Very Much Like an Affair

Hearing clearly what her mom was saying, An Ling's eyelids twitched, and she quickly pressed the hang-up button.

Noticing her action, Mother An subconsciously looked over. Were you just on a call?

...No, I was listening to an audio recording. Mom, go sit on the bed first.

Feeling guilty, An Ling placed her phone face down on the desk.

She wasn't sure if Shen Linyan had heard, but she would deal with that later.

Putting away her earphones, she sat down opposite her mother.

Mom, you aren't really listening to my brother and making me go on a blind date too, are you?

Mother An smiled and said, Mom knows you don't want to go on a blind date, but can you do me a favor?

A favor??

An Ling didn't react for a moment. What do you mean? How can I help?

Mother An sighed. Mom just wants your brother to go on a blind date, but he insists on dragging you into it, so... could you pretend to agree to a blind date to trick your brother into going on his?

...Pretend to agree?

An Ling paused, then immediately shook her head. Impossible, Mom. He will definitely be suspicious and make me go on mine first.

Knowing how sneaky that guy was, he might even spy on her during the date.

Mother An, however, kept looking at her with a smile.

Then just go.

?

Mother An looked down and held her hand. Mom will find someone suitable for you. Trust my judgment. Just treat it as making a new friend, not a blind date.

The light spilled down, blending into the fine lines at the corners of Mother An's eyes. Her face showed both heartache and affection as she spoke softly:

Ling Ling, you don't like making friends. Mom knows you're afraid people will discover your face blindness and mock the An family, which is why you've only had Jiang Mai as a good friend all these years. But Mom hopes you can make more friends. It doesn't matter if there's no romance; finding happiness in friendship is still happiness.

Looking at her mother in front of her, faced with such warm, maternal affection, An Ling couldn't bring herself to say the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue.

Over the past two years, her parents had worried about her a lot, gaining many new wrinkles. Her brother had also been busy at the company all day because of her, and it was true he hadn't had time to meet other women.

After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and sighed, her tone helpless:

I just need to fake it and go through the motions, right?

Mother An's eyes lit up slightly. She looked up and nodded. Yes, just treat it as having a meal and making a friend.

An Ling made an OK gesture and nodded with a bit of compromise. Alright, alright. But you have to make it clear to the other party so there are no misunderstandings.

Mom will explain it clearly. Besides, you know the person, and you two even used to play together, so you don't need to worry about any surprises.

She already found someone??

And I know him? And we played together?

An Ling was confused. Who is it?

How could she have no idea who this person was?

Wen Yuche, your Auntie Wen's youngest son. He's about your age and recently returned from abroad. Didn't you two play together a lot when you were little?

Mother An seemed fully prepared. She immediately took out her phone, pulled up a photo, and showed it to An Ling.

Hearing this name, An Ling had a faint impression.

Auntie Wen was her mom's mahjong buddy, and the two families used to visit each other often. She had indeed met Wen Yuche when she was little, but that was a very long time ago, and she had long since forgotten.

The man in the photo had handsome, refined features, single eyelids, and gentle eyes. He wore glasses and had a bit of a scholarly aura. Mild and gentle, he indeed looked easy to talk to.

Although this guy also belonged to the gentle category, he was different from Shen Linyan.

Shen Linyan had an exceptionally striking face—a high nose bridge and deep, expressive eyes. When he wasn't speaking and merely cast a faint glance, he even carried a striking, aggressive edge. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, just standing there gave him a noble air of a pampered, high-born gentleman.

Elegant in speech, his gentle and refined nature was another feeling he gave off when his eyes curved into a smile as he spoke.

An Ling's mind once again pictured that man's face.

She glanced at the time on Mother An's phone.

Almost twenty minutes had passed.

She wondered what message Shen Linyan had sent her.

She glanced at her phone on the nearby desk and nodded absentmindedly. Okay... I see the photo. I'll contact him later and arrange a place to eat. It's getting late, Mom, you should hurry back and rest.

Alright. You have work tomorrow, so rest early too. Mother An stood up.

As soon as the door closed, An Ling hurriedly picked up the phone from the desk.

Lighting up the screen, she saw that twenty minutes ago, right after the call was disconnected, Shen Linyan had sent her a message.

[When Madam finishes chatting with Mom, could you call me back?]

She didn't put on her earphones this time, but dialed directly.

Beep... beep...

The phone rang only a few times before it was answered.

She placed the phone to her ear and lay back on the bed. My mom suddenly came in just now, so I didn't have time to tell you.

It's alright, I heard.

...

He heard?

Did he hear about the blind date too?

An Ling blinked. She wanted to explain, but then felt it was unnecessary.

Leaving aside the fact that it was a fake blind date, Shen Linyan hadn't even asked.

Just as she was thinking this, a voice suddenly sounded in her ear again.

Madam, we seem a lot like we're having an illicit affair.

The man's voice was magnetic and deep. The words illicit affair rolled slowly and softly from his lips, the trailing notes carrying a lingering ambiguity.

An Ling inexplicably felt like she was hiding a secret husband on the outside who she couldn't bring home.

Her face flushed slightly. No we don't... Stop talking nonsense, what illicit affair? And why do you keep calling me Madam? We haven't even remarried.

So, is Madam going on a blind date?

...

He really had heard it.

An Ling pondered for a moment, then deliberately teased him. What if I really go on a blind date? I'm single right now anyway.

As her words fell, silence descended on the other end of the line.

An Ling glanced at the screen, which showed the call hadn't been disconnected.

Before she could open her mouth to explain, a man's low chuckle came through.

Then I'll just have to bankrupt the other guy.

An Ling didn't react right away.

Remembering what was said in the hospital before, she couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.

To think Shen Linyan would actually play along with these overbearing CEO tropes with her.

She smiled and played along. Then, for the sake of the other party's company, shouldn't I refuse the blind date?

Of course, An Ling didn't take Shen Linyan's words seriously, purely treating it as him joking around with her.

In his room, the man sat on his bed in his pajamas, his long, slender fingers playing with a ring. His voice remained gentle. Madam doesn't need to consider anyone else.

An Ling's laughter came through the phone.

Alright, alright. I'm not the one going on a blind date, it's my brother. He doesn't want to go, and insisted he'd only go if I went too. So my mom asked me to pretend to go on one.

Shen Linyan's movements paused. He enclosed the ring in his palm and slowly raised his eyes.

Pretend?

Yeah.

The girl seemed a bit tired, her voice soft and carrying a sticky, lingering weariness. Mom said she found someone we know, and told me to just go through the motions and treat it as making a friend.

Shen Linyan didn't ask any further questions, merely softening his voice. Are you sleepy? Rest early.

An Ling gave a soft Mm, keeping the phone by her ear.

She closed her eyes and suddenly asked:

Shen Linyan, would you mind if I went on a blind date?

She had now practically agreed to let Shen Linyan pursue her. To put it nicely, the two of them were in an ambiguous phase, so going on a blind date really wasn't very appropriate.

But An Ling could already guess the answer.

After all, Shen Linyan had said before that even if she got married, he wouldn't mind continuing to be her friend.

An Ling couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly magnanimous this gentle second male lead was.

Sure enough, after a brief moment of silence, the man's gentle voice came through the phone.

"I don't mind. It is completely understandable why you did this, Madam, and besides, it is only a fake blind date."

Shen Linyan slowly tightened his grip around the ring in his hand. His eyelashes lowered gently, casting faint shadows beneath his eyes. The corners of his mouth curved up into their habitual smile, yet there was not a single trace of warmth in the depths of his pitch-black eyes.

"It is just a pity... that I could not be your blind date, Madam."