Chapter 1 Standing Someone Up

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Chapter 1: Standing Someone Up

"Fan Xiaoyao, you heartless little thing! I told you to go on a blind date, and you stood him up?" The phone was filled with complaints.

The person complaining was Fan Xiaoyao’s best friend, Yang Yeyeh, who was also her cousin-in-law.

"Fan Xiaoyao, are you even listening to me? Hello..." Yang Yeyeh worriedly pressed her as Fan Xiaoyao briskly ended the call.

Fan Xiaoyao glanced at the café on the street corner and, as if guided by fate, stepped inside. She ordered a cappuccino, trying to calm her racing heart.

She removed her black-rimmed glasses and furrowed her brows. When the waiter approached, she flashed a coquettish smile and asked, "Handsome, do you think I need to go on a blind date?"

The young man was flustered by her question, unsure how to respond. "Please don’t joke around. I’m working!"

Just then, Yang Yeyeh swept in like a whirlwind, sitting across from Fan Xiaoyao and immediately launching into her scolding.

"Well, aren’t you something, Fan Xiaoyao! I went through so much trouble to find you a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, and you stood him up at the last moment.

You’ve made things difficult for me—what will he think of me now? My reputation is at stake; he’ll think I’m a fraud."

Fan Xiaoyao swung her crossed leg, looking at Yang Yeyeh with a hint of helplessness. "Hey, Yang Yeyeh, my dear cousin, why are you so intent on making me go on blind dates?

We’re about the same age—just a few months apart. Why do you act like an old mother, worrying about whether I’m single all the time?"

Yang Yeyeh looked at her with disdain. "You ungrateful creature, do you think I’d introduce you to just anyone?

I only did it because that lawyer has genuine feelings for you. If you refuse, I’ll pretend it never happened and let him know."

Fan Xiaoyao eyed Yang Yeyeh, who was dressed in a professional suit with a touch of makeup, and teased her.

"Hey, Yang Yeyeh, we’re the same age, but you always act so mature—makes me feel like a little girl in comparison."

Just then, Yang Yeyeh’s phone rang. She quickly answered, "Hello, Mr. Li. Yes, I’ll be there in half an hour. See you soon!"

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Yang Yeyeh pinched Fan Xiaoyao’s cheek, sighing, "Little girl? You think you’re eternally youthful. Please wake up! You graduated years ago, yet you’re still pretending to be a naïve newbie—how embarrassing.

I won’t argue anymore. Mr. Li wants me to sign a contract. You stay here and reflect on your behavior!"

Fan Xiaoyao studied Yang Yeyeh for nearly a minute, puzzled. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about my personal life? Why have you been arranging blind dates for me so frequently?"

Yang Yeyeh wanted to answer, but remembering her promise to their aunt, she swallowed her words.

She looked at Fan Xiaoyao with heartfelt seriousness. "Xiaoyao, the world isn’t as pure as you imagine. You’ve been sheltered all your life by your grandfather and aunties, so you never knew real sorrow.

Listen to me, dear: at every age, you should do what’s appropriate. You’re not getting any younger—it’s time to consider your future, your marriage!

No matter how capable or accomplished a woman is, she still needs companionship."

Fan Xiaoyao saw the sudden gravity in Yang Yeyeh’s expression and pondered her words, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.

She couldn’t name the feeling—like something slipping away, something she couldn’t grasp.

Suddenly she grabbed Yang Yeyeh’s arm, anxiously asking, "Yeyeh, tell me the truth—did you hear something, or do you know something about our family?"

Yang Yeyeh looked troubled. She couldn’t say, she didn’t dare say; all she could do was flee.

Watching Yang Yeyeh leave in a rush, Fan Xiaoyao’s unease deepened. She pressed her twitching eyelid.

She dialed a familiar number and spoke in a low voice, "Hello, Kai, is that you? Why was Yang Yeyeh acting so strange today? Did something happen at home?"

Rong Kai was Yang Yeyeh’s husband, and Fan Xiaoyao’s cousin. Among their siblings, Fan Xiaoyao and Rong Kai were the closest.

Now, with Yang Yeyeh, their bond was even stronger.

Rong Kai paused on the phone, his magnetic voice tinged with hoarseness. "Xiaoyao, if you have time this weekend, go visit Auntie."

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"See my mom? Kai, what’s wrong with my mom?"

A series of ominous images flashed through Fan Xiaoyao’s mind, her voice rising in alarm.

"Kai, answer me! What’s wrong with my mom? Why are you and Yang Yeyeh acting so strange?" She listened to the silence on the line, her fear growing.

Finally, after nearly ten minutes of silence, Rong Kai, torn by indecision, chose to tell her the truth.

"Xiaoyao, where are you right now? You... you need to be brave. Auntie—she’s just been diagnosed. The doctors found a tumor, and they’re not sure yet if it’s cancerous."

Hearing this, Fan Xiaoyao’s tears flowed uncontrollably. All the memories of her mother’s love came flooding back.

She murmured into the phone, "No, you’re lying. My mother is such a wonderful person—it can’t be... This is a dream. I’m dreaming!"

Rong Kai, hearing her anguished cries, felt an unbearable pain. He understood her feelings.

When he first learned his beloved aunt was seriously ill, he too couldn’t believe it.

Rong Kai sniffed, gently comforting her, "Xiaoyao, don’t be too upset. The doctors said it’s not certain if the tumor is malignant; there’s still hope for Auntie."

In Fan Xiaoyao’s mind, Rong Kai’s words echoed: "Auntie has a tumor, and the doctors aren’t sure if it’s cancerous..."

She could no longer process anything else. In a daze, she hung up and wandered back to her company dormitory like a marionette with cut strings.

That day, she forgot to update her novel.

That day was bleak and colorless for Fan Xiaoyao. She couldn’t bring herself to call her mother.