Chapter 2: Everyone Can Act
Cheng Xiao Xiao and Lu Xiao Shan sat opposite each other.
He was tall, and ever since everyone had cleared the room for them, he’d remained silent, his expression impassive as he watched Cheng Xiao Xiao, letting her take the lead.
Cheng Xiao Xiao showed no sign of awkwardness, maintaining a cheerful smile and a gentle, polite tone, incredibly amiable. Like most blind dates, she proceeded methodically, introducing herself briefly before quickly getting to the point, readily fulfilling his requirements.
Outside, a few sparse leaves clung to bare branches, swaying forlornly in the wind. A gust of wind swept through the street, the cold wind rustling the branches, sending a chill through the gaps between them, directly onto Cheng Xiao Xiao’s face.
Cheng Xiao Xiao took a deep breath, ensuring he had seen the images on her phone, ignoring the approaching chill, calmly retracting her phone.
His gaze was deep and unwavering, cold and sharp.
Since their meeting, Mr. Lu had maintained a distant, unapproachable demeanor, only momentarily lifting his eyelids when Aunt Ma introduced them. Cheng Xiao Xiao had deftly caught that fleeting moment of expression.
Otherwise, this Mr. Lu exuded an intimidating aloofness. He was handsome, tall, with sharp features, not the clean-cut handsomeness of a young man, but the cold aura of a mature man, with an extra layer of intimidating coldness.
No wonder Aunt Ma was so cautious!
Judging by his current demeanor, he wasn’t easy to please! Unlike her, who understood the elder’s good intentions, cooperating without any hesitation!
As if oblivious to the coldness in his eyes, Cheng Xiao Xiao maintained her radiant smile, meeting his icy gaze, gently continuing, “This is my first degree, a Bachelor of Finance from Peking University. Of course, if you’re still unsure, I can bring the original certificate later. But I wonder if you would accept…”
Seeing his displeasure, the coldness in his eyes seemed about to spill over. Cheng Xiao Xiao calmly poured him a cup of tea, handing it over, slightly tilting her head, her voice soft and curious, “Mr. Lu, is this how you usually look at your subordinates? A bit intimidating… I’m timid and easily scared. If you have any complaints, please let me know. It’s just a blind date, no need for such animosity.”
Lu Xiao Shan scrutinized Cheng Xiao Xiao, the coldness in his eyes palpable, making others involuntarily tremble. Yet, Cheng Xiao Xiao seemed unfazed, holding her teacup, smiling at him – not a hint of fear! Clearly, she was deliberately provoking him!
Their eyes met. Lu Xiao Shan’s sharp gaze contained a hint of barely concealed anger. Cheng Xiao Xiao, smiling brightly, didn’t yield an inch, calmly pushing the freshly poured tea towards him, insincerely “soothing” him, “If you think my education doesn’t meet your requirements, let’s just go through the motions and call it a day. Why are you trying to scare me? But, honestly—”
Cheng Xiao Xiao paused, her smile deepening. She pushed the teacup forward again, seeming hesitant, looking at Lu Xiao Shan, her expression clearly conveying the words – Should I say this or not?
Lu Xiao Shan, his face dark, the coldness in his eyes gathering and dissipating, under Cheng Xiao Xiao’s unwavering gaze, remained silent for a long time. Then, as if suddenly losing his composure, his sharpness faded, and a hint of anger silently welled up. He stared at Cheng Xiao Xiao for a long time before looking away, letting out a barely audible cold humph. He took the teacup, his voice cold, “What do you want to say?”
Cheng Xiao Xiao seemed encouraged, replying cheerfully, “I want to say, I’m quite satisfied with you. It’s just—”
Here, Cheng Xiao Xiao’s smile faded slightly. She leaned her head, looking at Lu Xiao Shan, feigning a sigh, her tone regretful and melancholic, perfectly fitting the character she had created for herself, “I didn’t expect you to be so cold. It seems…this blind date isn’t to your liking!”
“It’s not to my liking,” Lu Xiao Shan replied calmly, his tone harsh, his words blunt.
Cheng Xiao Xiao, as if expecting this, nodded understandingly, smiling apologetically, “My apologies, you didn’t speak earlier, I thought you had no objections. I was presumptuous.”
She sighed again, displaying a look of disappointment, as if her enthusiasm had been unceremoniously dashed, perfectly conveying it to him.
Lu Xiao Shan watched her act, his fingers tightening on the teacup, then releasing it. A surge of anger rose from his feet, rushing to his chest, pounding in his chest, making his heart, liver, and lungs ache, even his head throbbed. It took him a long time to suppress the sudden anger, asking word by word, “Do you enjoy acting?”
Cheng Xiao Xiao put away her mournful demeanor, raising her eyebrows, looking at Lu Xiao Shan, smiling, “I do enjoy it! I’d love to act, but I lack the talent and looks to make it in the entertainment industry, so I’ve given up on that dream.”
Mentioning this, Cheng Xiao Xiao sighed genuinely, expressing regret, “With my qualifications, I can only be a screenwriter, writing scripts and novels, acting is out of the question.”
Lu Xiao Shan sneered, “I think you did a good job.”
“You’re overestimating me!” Cheng Xiao Xiao modestly shook her head, seemingly not hearing the sarcasm in his words, unaffected by his rising anger, looking at Lu Xiao Shan with clear eyes, naturally asking, “So, Mr. Lu, are you now interested in learning about my profession?”
Lu Xiao Shan snorted, releasing his grip on the cup, ignoring her question. He poured himself more tea, under Cheng Xiao Xiao’s alluring gaze, slowly suppressing his anger, only a hint of an unreadable aura remaining in his eyes. His gaze returned to Cheng Xiao Xiao’s face, calmly asking, “Who told you I wanted to check your education?”
“Didn’t you mention it yourself?” Cheng Xiao Xiao looked surprised, seeing the anger in Lu Xiao Shan’s eyes, innocently spreading her hands, “Didn’t you tell Aunt Ma that you needed to check credentials before a blind date?”
Then, realizing her mistake in tone, she added with a smile, “Please rest assured, I understand perfectly!”
Lu Xiao Shan held the cup, his gaze lingering on her, his tone casual yet impolite, “Whether I check credentials depends on the person!”
Cheng Xiao Xiao remained calm, letting him observe her, instantly regaining her composure, seemingly realizing something, apologetically replying, “Oh, I must have misunderstood. I had a few small requests, but after what you said, I won’t mention them.”
Then, as if understanding something, she frowned, self-aware, “So, I’m the one whose credentials need to be checked? And—I’m not to your liking?”
Lu Xiao Shan lightly scoffed, calmly taking a sip of tea, ignoring her question, seemingly confirming it.
“So, should we end this blind date?” Cheng Xiao Xiao sighed, relaxing, leaning back lazily, openly observing Lu Xiao Shan.
Now that the blind date was over, was her performance finished? It wasn’t very fulfilling; she hadn’t even fully showcased her skills! Mr. Lu was quite unexpected; he was completely different from her impression!
Lu Xiao Shan looked at Cheng Xiao Xiao, who seemed like a different person, her relaxed demeanor and undisguised curiosity, as if proclaiming her victory.
She didn’t want to continue the blind date, so she didn’t even bother hiding it?
To that extent?
For some reason, Lu Xiao Shan’s suppressed anger slowly rose again. Meeting Cheng Xiao Xiao’s gaze, he coldly interrupted her ease, “When did I say we’re not continuing?”
Cheng Xiao Xiao’s sigh was interrupted. She stared at Lu Xiao Shan, stunned for a moment, patted her chest, then sat up straight, picking up her teacup, abandoning her casual and sarcastic attitude, looking at him seriously.
Could it be that he actually liked her? This wasn’t according to the script!
Her doubt was clear, Lu Xiao Shan paused, looking away, his voice cold, “You said you wanted to make a request?”
Request? What was this strange plot twist?
Cheng Xiao Xiao was momentarily stunned, and a cold breeze from outside instantly snapped her back to reality, followed by an urge to laugh – it wasn’t her fault, she had planned to end this inappropriate blind date and shift to casual conversation, but Lu Xiao Shan unexpectedly asked about her request!
This was even more suspicious! Was he genuinely angry or secretly smitten?
“I thought it wasn’t appropriate to ask at this time, but since you asked, I won’t be coy.” In a flash, countless thoughts ran through Cheng Xiao Xiao’s mind. Her face was once again filled with a smile that reached her eyes, a casual glance that made her look captivating.
She prefaced her remarks. Cheng Xiao Xiao leaned back, following Lu Xiao Shan’s words, leisurely saying, “I’m not particularly skilled, but my intelligence is decent. Considering the intelligence of our future offspring, I don’t ask for much, just someone with slightly higher intelligence, so the child’s intelligence might also be higher… At least, not worse than mine!”
Cheng Xiao Xiao paused, sipping her tea, the warmth spreading through her, finally suppressing the earlier chill. She sat up straight, her eyes bright, smiling cheerfully, with a hint of genuine expectation, “So, Mr. Lu, would you be willing to take an IQ test?”
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