Shao Jingfei wanted to curse at his brother so bad. Who would agree to an appointment without approval from the related party?
He was chilling on a fine Sunday morning when Shao Junfei suddenly sent him a message, saying that the girl would wait at the coffee shop in a few hours.
That was why he had been in a terrible mood since morning. He didn't have any hard feelings against the girl, but he honestly thought that everything was just troublesome at this point.
Eventually, he gave in to his brother's demand and told him this would be the last time he did this.
A few hours later, he finally arrived at the said coffee shop.
The place gave out a pleasant mood, and the smell of coffee could faintly be discerned in the air. Shao Jingfei thought if he wasn't here for a troublesome appointment, he probably would take his time to observe the place.
He hadn't gotten many customers as of late and wanted to do something about it.
When he entered the place, he placed an order and immediately sat on the seat by the window where he could watch the view outside. His order arrived not long after, then he spotted a girl in a blue dress walking into the shop.
For some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes off that girl. He silently watched as she entered the place and looked around. A moment later, their gazes met, and she walked over to him nervously.
"Excuse me. Sorry if I'm bothering you, but by chance, are you Shao Jingfei?"
She had long hair which cascaded over her back. A pair of big and pure-looking eyes and milky white skin. Her voice was soft and feminine. It brought a soothing feeling to those who listened to it.
"Yes, I am. Are you Xia Rouyue?"
The girl smiled. "Yes, that's right. I recognize you from the picture I received, but I just want to make sure."
His first impression of her was that she was polite and even prettier than the one in the picture. However, thinking about the circumstance behind their arrangement, he couldn't help but feel wary towards her.
"Take a seat first."
Xia Rouyue sat down on the chair across from him. The way she moved was elegant, like an embodiment of a true wealthy young lady.
Shao Jingfei's suspicion grew. There was no way his stepmother would choose a fine girl like her to be engaged to him, even for the sake of saving face. She hated him too much to do that.
There must be a catch somewhere, and he intended to find out today.
At first, they talked about casual topics like each other's hobbies and school-related stuff. However, the more he spoke to her, the more confused he became.
From what he observed, Xia Rouyue seemed a bit sheltered, but otherwise, she was an ordinary girl who didn't bear any malice toward him. There was absolutely nothing he could pick on about her.
It was to the point he began to doubt himself. Was he being too paranoid all this time?
No, he couldn't trust her that easily.
Shao Jingfei secretly mulled over it before he decided to just go with it. After all, if she really was the one destined with him, then she was bound to find out about this sooner or later.
"By the way, do you know I'm an illegitimate child?" He asked with a smile.
Xia Rouyue was just about to take a sip of her coffee and was stunned when she heard it. Her movement went to a complete halt, and she looked at him in bewilderment. From her expression, it looked like she really knew nothing before he mentioned it.
She was composed throughout their conversation, but she looked distraught when Shao Jingfei didn't laugh or tell her it was just one of his jokes. She put down her cup before answering nervously.
"It's the first time I heard about it. I'm sorry, but why are you asking me about that?"
"Nothing. Since we are here purely by the arrangements of our parents, I was wondering just how much you know about me, that's all." Shao Jingfei smiled, but Xia Rouyue felt unsettled instead.
She bit her lips in flusters. "Did I do something wrong? It was as if you were suspecting me of something."
Shao Jingfei realized that this girl wasn't as naive as she looked. Since she had found out his intention, there was no need to beat around the bush anymore.
"Don't get me wrong. I genuinely enjoy our conversation. However, I'm afraid this 'relationship' won't go anywhere. You are a precious daughter from a wealthy Xia family. I thought I should make it clear first that it's useless to waste your time with an illegitimate child like me."
Xia Rouyue's face fell upon hearing that. A trace of hurt flashed across her eyes, making Shao Jingfei feel bad. He didn't mean to sound so hostile, but there was really no other way to say it. Everything he said was the plain truth.
However, Xia Rouyue's following words completely took him off guard.
"Why would that be a problem?"
"Huh?"
"Like it or not, we can't disobey our parents, right? Since you seemed like a good person, I was initially relieved to think you would think so negatively about me." Xia Rouyue laughed dryly. "Do I look that shallow in your eyes? I know we barely know anything about each other. Still, I'm offended that you regarded me as such from our first meeting."
Shao Jingfei expected her to get angry, but for a whole different reason. He wasn't prepared and could only stare back at her dumbly.
However, Xia Rouyue didn't feel like continuing the conversation anymore and stood up. "I admired you for living so independently despite your young age, but it seems I have to correct my impression about you from now on. If you'll excuse me, I need to go now."
Even after Xia Rouyue left, Shao Jingfei still couldn't overcome his shock. He gulped down his remaining coffee before he could finally clear his mind.
A pang of guilt hit him when he recalled Xia Rouyue's hurt and offended expression, but he really couldn't trust whoever his stepmother chose for him. Thanks to his cautious nature, he could survive all this time, and Xia Rouyue wouldn't be an exception.
He just regretted it a bit. They could probably be good friends if he had met her under different circumstances. She was a nice girl, and he genuinely enjoyed talking to her.
There was no chance of that after what he did, though.
"Sigh. I should report to my brother and just go home."
Walking out of the coffee shop, Shao Jingfei was about to leave when he spotted someone in the crowd.
"Isn't that Xia Rouyue?"
Didn't she already leave a while ago? Why did she still loiter around the place?
Curiosity got the best of him, so he followed after her. The crowd helped him to camouflage himself, and it didn't seem like she noticed him.
Xia Rouyue entered a cafe not far from their appointment place.
Shao Jingfei followed her discreetly into the cafe and found her immediately. However, his eyes bulged in surprise when he found out who she was meeting with.
"Isn't that Dai Zhiqiang?"
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