Are you seeking immortality?

Du Ruo listened quietly, and whenever Li Yu glanced his way, he responded with a smile and a nod.

From her self-introduction, he could sense a certain pride, though he wasn’t sure if it stemmed from her roots in the big city or the confidence gained from her career in finance.

Du Ruo didn’t understand finance, nor what the world of finance entailed, but with the Internet so developed nowadays, he’d heard a few things. He believed she had every reason to be proud—after all, not everyone could amass such a substantial fortune before turning thirty.

It was Du Ruo's first blind date, and he wasn’t quite sure how others usually went about it, but he found the process neither unpleasant nor off-putting.

“How long have you been home? Are you adjusting well to life here?” she asked.

After their introductions, the two began to chat, tacitly avoiding discussion of their pasts. Some things were best weighed privately; exposing them would only make things awkward.

“I’ve been home for over a month. As for life here, I grew up in this town—what is there to get used to?” Li Yu replied, her posture still upright and dignified.

“Have you gone out exploring? Since I returned, I’ve stayed in the village—I haven’t even climbed Mount Huang yet.”

“I’m not interested in hiking or traveling. Most days, I’m either at the gym or reading up on financial news.”

“I quite enjoy getting close to nature. Climbing and hiking calm my mind.”

“Really? If you like it, perhaps we could go together sometime.”

As their conversation continued, Du Ruo’s initial sense of anticipation gradually faded.

Li Yu’s figure, looks, family background, and personal refinement left nothing to be desired. Surely, many saw her as a goddess, lofty and unattainable.

Nearly every word from Du Ruo was a gentle probe, his purpose simple: he wanted to know if she truly wished to stay in her hometown, or if she was simply unable to let go of the big city.

Li Yu seemed to grasp his intent, and made little effort to conceal her feelings. She didn’t much enjoy life in the small town and yearned to return to the city.

With that, there was no reason for the blind date to continue.

“Shall we grab a meal later? I know a great little place,” Du Ruo suggested.

Seeing Du Ruo becoming more formal and no longer initiating conversation, Li Yu immediately understood his thoughts. Rather than maintain her reserved demeanor, she took the initiative.

“No, I still need to head back to the village later. It’ll be too late otherwise. Let’s exchange contacts—I'll treat you to dinner next time,” she said.

Du Ruo played along politely. As the saying goes, “people of different paths cannot work together.” Her heart was not here, and he had no desire to live a rootless life anymore—the life he had now was exactly what he sought.

“Actually, I think highly of you. You’re a promising candidate. If we dated, you wouldn’t need to worry about housing or a car—I can afford them. I’d cover all your expenses, and if you wanted to start a business, I could provide some capital.”

Seeing Du Ruo preparing to leave, Li Yu frowned, not looking at him but instead staring at her glass of lemon water as she continued.

Du Ruo was surprised by her urgency—it was almost as if she were directly inviting him to live off her.

“You’re joking. I’m quite satisfied with my current life...”

At that moment, a sudden flash of insight struck him. Her eagerness, her proactive approach, and the faint milky scent he’d noticed earlier all came together in his mind.

“She’s just had a child? Looking for someone to shoulder the responsibility—and I happened to walk right into it?”

Du Ruo’s lips twitched, and his eyes darted as he thought up a reason to refuse:

“Besides, my expenses aren’t small. As I mentioned, my only hobby is martial arts, which requires medicinal wine for support—not something most people could afford.”

“Medicinal wine? How expensive could that be? Would ten thousand be enough?” Li Yu asked, smiling at him. Though her face remained composed, the slight tilt of her chin made it clear she felt she had already won.

“One bottle costs two hundred thousand. If I ration it, a single bottle lasts a month,” Du Ruo replied, raising his hand to signal the waiter for the bill. He was ready to leave.

Truthfully, if it were an ordinary blind date, even if he wasn’t entirely satisfied, Du Ruo wouldn’t mind sharing a meal—courtesy is courtesy. But being a scapegoat was out of the question.

Based on Li Yu's attitude, this “scapegoat” role might entail much more than a simple responsibility.

Who was the child’s father? What was the child’s surname? Would they sleep in separate rooms after marriage? Would Li Yu frequently travel for work? Might she occasionally book a tour package for Du Ruo to travel alone for a few days? All these were big question marks. Living off someone’s wealth might be tempting, but since taking up martial arts, Du Ruo’s teeth had become especially strong—he preferred meat.

“What nonsense is this? You use a two-hundred-thousand-a-bottle medicinal wine for martial arts? What kind of martial arts requires that—are you aiming to become immortal?”

Li Yu, hearing this, scrutinized Du Ruo once more. From his words, it was clear she had some means herself, unperturbed by the price, but surprised that he would use such expensive wine for martial arts.

“Miss Li, today’s coffee is on me. Sorry, I have something to attend to, so I’ll be heading out,” Du Ruo said apologetically, then drained his coffee in one gulp.

He set the cup down, but kept his hand on it, pinching it with three fingers. A faint aura gathered on his fingertips, and with force—

Crack, crack, crack—

He pinched off a chunk of the coffee cup with his bare fingers. Not only that, but the fragment he’d pinched off crumbled further, and with a slight crunching sound, the porcelain became tiny granules falling onto the table.

“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?” a waiter hurried over, asking beside Du Ruo. From his angle, he hadn’t seen the display of strength.

“Just the bill, please. And I accidentally broke the cup—I’ll pay for it as well,” Du Ruo said, smiling at Li Yu before he spoke to the waiter.

“It’s no problem, sir. As long as you’re not hurt, I’ll take care of it. You can pay at the front desk,” the waiter replied, with no mention of compensation, simply pointing Du Ruo to the counter and covering the cup with a towel, clearly ready to tidy up.

“Well, goodbye then,” Du Ruo nodded to Li Yu and went to pay.

When he finished and stepped outside, he found Li Yu waiting at the door, a LV handbag hanging from her wrist and the towel the waiter had used to cover the cup in her hand.

“Mr. Du, let’s exchange contacts. Thank you for the coffee today—next time, I’ll treat you,” Li Yu said, stepping forward and extending her hand for a handshake.

Her demeanor had changed completely from before.