Chapter 2: A glimpse (P1)

After the meal, Old Lin shamelessly slips in advance in order to avoid paying.

Lin Zhao Xi pays the meal, opens the umbrella, and goes into the rain curtain.

At this time, the rain is much lighter than when they come out from the hospital, rain drops are like silk fluff sprinkling on the umbrella, all green in front of her eyes.

She walks on the road, vehicles and pedestrians pass by, bringing the bubbles alongside the road. The atmosphere is in the perfect balance between the hustle and the quiet, making people feel greatly peaceful.

She just asked Old Lin because she was so frightened. But now, after calming down, it seems like there is nothing terrifying.

She is 22 years old, studying philosophy, and determined to become a glorious people’s teacher.

Being a teacher with many holidays, she can take good care of Old Lin. Besides, since her family is not short of money, Old Lin can stay in the best nursing home. So even if Old Lin is sick, then honestly there will not have any big impacts.

The greatest influence is probably the time when others introduce her background to her blind date.

Uh…

At the thought of it, Lin Zhao Xi’s cell phone rings.

She hurriedly picks it up.

“Zhao Xi, yesterday that Little Liu was very satisfied with you.”

The one who is calling her is the director of the school’s academic affairs, and she is a leader who is very enthusiastic about to introducing the interns to blind dates. (I’m not quite sure whether “director” is a satisfying translation, but I haven’t found any other options, so I’ll go with it.)

Just last night, she attended a blind date organized by the director and got to know a bank employee. She made acquaintance with that guy at the coffee shop, and then she was taken home.

In the morning, the guy sent WeChat and greeted her, but she was busy taking Old Lin to the hospital, therefore she had no time to reply. As a result, she believes that she was going to be criticized before answering the director’s call. But the director did not educate her, in fact, she is really glad.

But “satisfied with you” sounds a lot like being chosen as a concubine, Lin Zhao Xi feels a bit 囧 (this is kinda the speechless face in China): “Ah… Is that so?”

“Little Liu’s mother was very happy to call me, said that their family’s Zhi Yuan have a feeling for you, so you have to hurry……”

She holds the armrest and recalls the way her blind date looks.

In her memory, he was very normal boy and was a little arrogant. He talked about his parents’ work, said that his parents like children so they want him to have two children. He also hinted that his mother knew the headmaster of best secondary school in the city, thus if she wanted to work there then it would be a piece of cake.

Outside the window is the city baptized by the rain, the wide empty streets, and she hears the director continue saying.

“Girls can take initiative, no problems, you have to hurry! The family has such good conditions, both parents are directors of……”

Lin Zhao Xi cannot reply to these words, so she remains silent.

Just right then, the sound of the bus station goes “beep”.

The director asked, “Where are you? How is there so noisy?”

“I’m on the bus, I have to go back to school today.”

The chief gets the key words again.

“College students! You’re young now, but women get old really fast, turning 27, 28 is hard to find.……”

Lin Zhao Xi listens, and and suddenly catch a glimpse of the whole picture of her future life. She will have a stable teaching post, marry a man with a better family conditions than hers, her partner will take care of her father with her, she will bear children for him…

But at that moment, she gets terrified by this kind of reality.

“After you have a child, if you do not want to work, I guess they will take care of you, your daily life would be really comfortable…”

She was absent-minded for a moment, and the topic has already moved to raising children, Lin Zhao Xi is a bit surprised, so she hastens to interrupt.

“I’m sorry, director, but in fact there is one thing… My father has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer, so you see, why don’t you inform them for me and let this whole blind date thing off?”

The other side of the phone is silent.

Lin Zhao Xi doesn’t speak either.

After a while, the director starts to speak.

“Your circumstances, I’ll help you to tell them, but you have to see whether the boy’s family still wants you.”

“…”

“After you finish the school’s business, send a text to apologize to the boy!”

After the advice, the director hangs up.

Despite that, Lin Zhao Xi does not feel a sense of indignation. She just suddenly realizes that having her future decided also means that her life no longer has infinite possibilities.

……