When Jiang Qi uttered the word "auntie," it was clear that a slight ripple passed through the woman's expression, though she quickly masked it and took a seat in front of him, scrutinizing him closely.
Feeling uneasy under her gaze, Jiang Qi coughed awkwardly and cautiously asked, "Auntie, may I ask your surname?"
"Song."
The woman replied indifferently, simply uttering a word.
"Oh… Auntie Song." Jiang Qi pursed his lips, at a loss for words for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Auntie Song, is there anything you would like to know?"
"Let's order food," the woman said blandly. "We can talk later."
"Sounds good."
"Do you have any dietary restrictions, Auntie Song?" Jiang Qi asked.
"Anything is fine."
As she spoke, she hesitated for a moment and then said plainly, "My name is Song Meiyue."
"Got it, Auntie Song." Jiang Qi nodded, picking up his phone to order, oblivious to the slight annoyance on Song Meiyue's face.
While Jiang Qi ordered food, he tried to make conversation, saying, "Auntie Song... you must have just finished work, right? Where do you work? I'm guessing you're a senior executive, or at least a department manager."
"Feihong."
Song Meiyue replied coldly.
Hearing the word 'Feihong,' Jiang Qi looked up in surprise, slightly taken aback. "I also work at Feihong."
Song Meiyue paused, a hint of surprise in her eyes, then nodded and asked, "The parent company or a subsidiary?"
"The parent company's tech department." Jiang Qi's gaze returned to his phone as he continued, "Auntie Song, do you eat fish head with chopped chili peppers?"
"Sure."
Song Meiyue agreed.
After finishing the order, Jiang Qi put down his phone, sitting idly. If the person across was just a blind date, fiddling with his phone wouldn't matter much. But given that she was likely a friend of his mother, and possibly her close friend, making a good impression was crucial, otherwise he'd face a scolding back home.
The atmosphere grew somewhat eerie as they sat in silence, hardly exchanging words.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Jiang Qi ventured carefully, "Auntie Song… are you friends with my mom?"
"Yes."
Song Meiyue continued her habit of sparing words, answering Jiang Qi’s questions in a straightforward manner.
"Oh..."
"So, you must also enjoy playing mahjong." Jiang Qi smiled politely. "My mom loves playing mahjong and dancing in the square, but judging by your demeanor, dancing wouldn't suit you. You must be one of her regular mahjong partners. I guess your skills might not be great because my mom is a passionate but sore loser."
Song Meiyue pursed her lips and calmly said, "I don't play mahjong."
Ah?
That was...
Jiang Qi was momentarily lost for words. After all that talk, it turned out she didn’t play mahjong.
But then again, if she didn't play mahjong, and her aura didn't fit the square-dancing auntie profile, how did she connect with my mom?
"Well… then." Jiang Qi, momentarily at a loss, wanted to engage in some chat with the relative of his blind date to break the dull atmosphere, but she seemed somewhat distant and indifferent, making it hard to start a meaningful conversation.
"Are you twenty-seven this year?" Song Meiyue suddenly asked. "Which university did you graduate from?"
"I am indeed twenty-seven this year, a Master of Science from Fudan University," Jiang Qi answered. "My annual income is pretty good, around 1.4 million, though I bought a house two years ago and took on a mortgage of about three million. Oh, and... I come from a single-parent family; my father passed away quite early."
Jiang Qi was frank; he did not hide the fact that he was in debt or conceal his family background. He believed it was unnecessary to beat around the bush—better to be open and honest.
"What do you think of Feihong?" Song Meiyue continued.
"Feihong..." Jiang Qi pondered for a moment, then said earnestly, "I think Feihong Group is excellent, and it's an honor to work there."
Song Meiyue frowned slightly and said flatly, "Be honest."
She added after a pause.
"I won’t tell anyone," Song Meiyue assured.
Jiang Qi hesitated briefly, then spoke seriously, "Actually, I think there are many problems with Feihong Group. Although it's a large company that combines real estate and internet platforms, its strength in internet technology is relatively weak. It relies mainly on real estate and finance, and I believe... this approach to development is flawed."
Hearing Jiang Qi's
sincere critique, Song Meiyue nodded, her expression softening a bit.
It seemed that Jiang Qi’s candid response had somewhat broken the ice between them, making the previous heavy atmosphere a little lighter.
The food arrived, and as they began to eat, Jiang Qi tried to maintain the conversation flow. But as the meal progressed, he found himself increasingly curious about his mysterious blind date and her connection to his mother.
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