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Zhou Donghang fell silent for a moment before speaking. "You came to this blind date because your parents pressured you, right? You don't actually want to get married."
Hanno nodded. "That's right."
Zhou Donghang continued, "Actually, I don't want to get married either, but my parents are pushing me hard. I can't avoid it."
Hanno's eyes flickered as he understood Zhou Donghang's plan. "So you want to have a fake marriage?"
"Exactly. We can get married to appease our parents, but we won't fulfill any marital duties or interfere in each other's lives. We'll continue living as we always have."
Hanno felt tempted by this suggestion. With just the title of being married and no actual relationship, her mother wouldn't pressure her to go on blind dates anymore... Should she agree?
"Okay, I..." Hanno was about to agree when a blue-eyed foreign girl suddenly leaped onto Zhou Donghang, wrapping her arms around him. "Darling, I came to find you! Are you happy? Surprised?"
"Ann, what are you doing here in Huaxia? Didn't I tell you to wait for me in America?" Zhou Donghang exclaimed in shock as he pulled the girl off him, his expression not pleased.
Ann replied, "I missed you! I specifically came to see you and visit your parents. Don't you have a saying in Huaxia that goes 'a daughter-in-law must meet her in-laws'? Since I'm your future wife, of course I should meet your mom and dad."
Hanno chuckled upon hearing this. "I see."
Uncle Zhou was a traditional Huaxia man and surely wouldn't approve of a foreign daughter-in-law bringing home a mixed-blood grandchild. So—was Zhou Donghang using himself as a shield while secretly meeting his lover?
Hanno thought to herself: How bold of you.
Seeing that Hanno had understood the situation, Zhou Donghang decided not to waste more words and simply said, "You can seriously consider my suggestion."
Hanno pointed at Ann beside them. "What about your girlfriend?"
Zhou Donghang said, "Ann won't affect you."
Hanno chuckled lightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested in a threesome."
Ann stared blankly at Hanno. "What’s a threesome? Darling, is this lady your friend? What’s her name?"
Hanno extended her right hand to shake with the naive foreign girl. "Hello, my name is Nra. Nice to meet you. However, I'm not your darling's friend; we just know each other. I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. You two enjoy your conversation."
Just as she was about to leave, Zhou Donghang grabbed her arm firmly. "Don't go, I need your help."
Hanno struggled to shake off Zhou Donghang's grip. "I won't help with that."
However, Zhou Donghang held on tightly, and no matter how hard Hanno tried, she couldn't break free.
Another hand reached out and caught Zhou Donghang's wrist. "Sir, please let go of her."
Hanno looked up and her expression softened considerably. "It's you."
"Of course it's me." Liu Zhaoren smiled at Hanno, but when he turned to Zhou Donghang, his smile vanished, replaced by a serious and cold expression that was intimidating. "Sir, you can release your grip now."
Zhou Donghang was taken aback by the murderous intent in Liu Zhaoren's eyes and involuntarily loosened his hold. Hanno quickly turned and left, while Liu Zhaoren took long strides to catch up with her, leaving Zhou Donghang facing his oblivious girlfriend, troubled about how to deal with her parents.
Liu Zhaoren caught up with Hanno and hesitantly asked, "Was that man your boyfriend?"
Hanno scoffed, "The foreign girl next to him is actually his real girlfriend. But his parents oppose him marrying a foreigner, so he wanted me to be his shield, but I turned him down."
"Good call on that. If he can come up with such an idea, he's no different from a scumbag," Liu Zhaoren said, feeling relieved after Hanno's explanation.
"Why are you back home? Didn't you just take a leave a few months ago?" Hanno asked Liu Zhaoren, puzzled. Did the military really give that many leaves?
Liu Zhaoren smiled and replied, "My time in the stationed forces in Hong Kong was up, so I was reassigned to the mainland. Now I'm in the N Military District."
"So you're working with the troops in the suburbs of Provincial Capital now?" Hanno asked excitedly.
Liu Zhaoren nodded, "Yeah, I can go home every weekend now."
Hanno said, "Your parents must be very happy."
Liu Zhaoren replied, "They are indeed very happy, which is why they keep urging me to go on blind dates."
Hanno laughed, "Parents are all like that. It's as if they won't rest until we find someone."
Liu Zhaoren sighed, "That's true, especially after my divorce. My parents always think no one wants me anymore. Every time they call, they try to set me up with their friends' daughters or nieces. I was even hesitant about visiting home this time."
Hanno gleefully remarked, "I feel like my situation is much better compared to yours. At least my parents aren't pushing me as hard as yours are."
Liu Zhaoren snorted, "Don't be too sure of yourself. Didn't you just break up with that guy? Your parents will definitely start pushing you for blind dates again."
Hanno's eyes twinkled mischievously. "How about we help each other out then?"
Liu Zhaoren's heart skipped a beat as he struggled to suppress the surge of joy rising within him. He feigned indifference and said, "Sure, I think that's a good suggestion. If we pretend to be a couple, our parents won't pressure us to go on blind dates anymore."
Hanno waved his hand dismissively, chuckling, "I was just joking. Did you really take that seriously? After all the teasing we've put each other through, do you think anyone would believe we're actually dating?"
Liu Zhaoren wanted to argue but remembered the principle of "taking it slow and not scaring him away," so he chose to remain silent.
Hanno then asked, "Do you have anything going on right now?"
"No." Even if he did, he would say no.
"Then come eat with me," Hanno invited. "The person who was supposed to treat us just canceled. I'll treat you instead. What do you want to eat?"
"Let's go get some skewers. It's been ages since I've had them," Liu Zhaoren suggested with quiet delight.
"Sounds great!" Hanno accepted happily. This was what it meant to have a partner with shared interests; unlike Zhou Donghai, who insisted on dining at Western restaurants every time they went out—she was almost sick of it.
The two of them excitedly headed out for skewers. Both were meat lovers and ordered mostly meat dishes, only getting potatoes, eggplants, and bean rolls as vegetables. Liu Zhaoren downed half a dozen beers by himself while Hanno, who didn't like alcohol, sipped on Sprite. They ended up spending over a hundred yuan on grilled skewers, and with the drinks included, their stomachs were pleasantly full.
"That was amazing! I haven't enjoyed skewers like that in a long time," Hanno said contentedly.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Zhaoren asked, "So should we do this more often?"
Hanno replied enthusiastically, "Definitely! Whenever you're free from school, we can come for skewers and invite Yang Yun along."
"Yang Yun? Are you sure she'll join us? She breaks out in pimples if she eats too much spicy food," Liu Zhaoren laughed. He was determined not to let a third wheel intrude on their outings.
Hanno thought about how Yang Yun always ordered the clear broth hotpot when they ate at her shop, nodding in agreement with Liu Zhaoren's words, "This girl definitely won't come out for skewers."
Liu Zhaoren replied, "Isn't it nice for the two of us to go together?"
Hanno nodded, giving up on the idea of inviting Yang Yun to join them for skewers.
After settling the bill, it was already past ten in the evening. Liu Zhaoren insisted on seeing Hanno back to her house. As Hanno waved goodbye and took the elevator upstairs, she saw Mom Han peering out into the hallway.
"Mom, what are you looking at?"
Mom Han looked up and turned to her daughter with a puzzled expression. "Nono, the person who brought you back doesn't seem like Zhou Donghang. Who is he? Weren't you on a date with Zhou Donghang?"
Hanno snorted, "Mom, please don't mention Zhou Donghang anymore."
Mom Han was confused. "Why? Did he upset you?"
Hanno linked her arm with Mom Han's as they walked inside. "Do you know why he was dating me and even wanted to marry me? It's because he already has a foreign girlfriend and is worried Uncle Zhou won't accept it. So he used me as a shield, pretending to marry me while he goes back to America to live a normal married life with his girlfriend. Do you think I can accept a man like that?"
Mom Han found it hard to believe. She thought her daughter simply didn't like Zhou Donghang and was making up excuses. "You’re not trying to fool me again, are you? That sounds like something out of a TV drama."
"It's true," Hanno insisted. "Zhou Donghang's girlfriend is named Ann, and she has already come to D City to find him. I even met her just now."
Upon hearing this, Mom Han gritted her teeth in anger. "Well, how dare he have a girlfriend and still come after my daughter! Making my daughter his shield! What kind of scum is Zhou Donghang? No way, I'm going to call his parents and give him a piece of my mind."
Hanno grabbed Mom Han's arm to stop her from making the call. "Mom, you shouldn't get involved in their family matters. Now that Zhou Donghang's girlfriend is here, who knows how chaotic things will get!"
"Mom, you're right," Han said, still feeling a bit upset. "But how did Lao Zhou and his wife raise such a cunning and wicked son?"
Hanno chuckled lightly. "Mom, don't be angry. I was the one who got tricked, after all."
Mom Han snorted. "If you really got hurt by Zhou Donghang, I wouldn't just settle for giving them a piece of my mind."
"Yes, yes, you're the best, Mom." Hanno began to massage her mother's shoulders to help ease her anger.
With her daughter's soothing touch, Mom Han's anger finally subsided. Then she recalled the man who had dropped Hanno off earlier and her curiosity piqued again. "Nono, who was that man who just dropped you off? What's your relationship with him?"
Hanno felt a wave of embarrassment; how eager was her mother to pack her off with someone?
"That's Liu Zhaoren, my high school classmate. You should know him; his dad used to work with you. He helped me out when Zhou Donghang was pulling me away. After that, we went out for some skewers together."
"Oh, so it's Liu Zhaoren," Mom Han said, her interest waning. She remembered that she had been colleagues with Liu Zhaoren's father and they often discussed parenting issues while their children were in school. She had even been surprised when Liu Zhaoren suddenly married Ma Yanli. Consequently, she was also aware of their divorce. For a man with such a background, Mom Han wasn't considering him at all.
Hanno chuckled softly, thinking she could finally relax when Mom Han spoke up again. "Nono, Zhou Donghang is not the right guy for you, but don’t be discouraged. Mom will help you find someone better."
Hanno nearly shouted in response: I’m not discouraged and I don’t want another boyfriend! But she only thought it and didn’t dare to voice it. She understood that both Han Dad and Mom Han had been worried since her return and were cautiously avoiding the topic of boyfriends to spare her feelings. This made Hanno feel both touched and a bit sad; she wished her parents wouldn’t treat her like fragile porcelain. Yet every time they looked at her with expressions that said "Child, don’t worry about us; we understand you," it felt futile. Now that they believed she had moved on from her previous relationship and was finally uplifting herself, how could she dampen their spirits?
"Well then, Mom, please take your time finding someone suitable for me—at least someone better than Zhou Donghang with good character too. Don’t introduce just anyone random to me; what if I end up getting hurt?" Hanno set high standards for her mother’s matchmaking efforts. Finding someone better than Zhou Donghang wasn’t easy, especially someone with good character; it would be nearly impossible for Mom Han to find such a person in D City. Hanno's request indirectly discouraged Mom Han from trying to set her up with anyone at all, yet Mom Han was determined to overcome all obstacles and find an outstanding man worthy of her daughter.
Hanno wiped the sweat from her brow; having parents pressuring her about marriage was one of the scariest things in the world.
……
The two families once again ventured into the city, this time to deliver lighters to Wei An Pawnshop, while also picking up some daily necessities. Upon seeing them, Sun Shopkeeper welcomed them as if they were long-lost relatives, greeting them warmly as they entered the pawnshop.
“Sun Shopkeeper, what’s going on?” Wen Zixia asked, unable to handle Sun Shopkeeper's enthusiasm, her curiosity piqued.
Sun Shopkeeper chuckled; such warmth surely came with a purpose.
“Master Wen, Miss Li, I wanted to ask if you have any other unique and valuable items besides the Glass Bottle, lighters, and Soap?” Sun Shopkeeper inquired.
Wen Zixia exchanged glances with Li Zhoule and replied, “We don’t have any other unique and valuable items.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Shopkeeper looked disappointed but pressed on, “Are you really sure? What about that master who makes lighters?”
Seeing Sun Shopkeeper's eagerness, Wen Zixia curiously asked, “Why are you so desperate for unique items?”
“It’s not for me; it’s for my Young Master. The Emperor’s birthday is coming up soon, and my Young Master wants to prepare a gift for him. Ordinary treasures and paintings won’t do; the Emperor already has those. If my Young Master wants to make an impression, he needs something unique that the Emperor will like…”
Wen Zixia and Li Zhoule understood now and exchanged thoughts once more. Their current good fortune was largely thanks to Hanno, but Wei An Pawnshop and the Jiang Family had also been their benefactors. If they had gone to a disreputable pawnshop that might extort them, these five ordinary people without any background could have easily lost everything—even their lives. With this in mind, Li Zhoule spoke up, “We could ask that master who makes lighters; perhaps he has some unique items. However…”
“What is it?” Sun Shopkeeper pressed.
“However…”
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