Genius Club-Chapter 199 - 39: No Leave Allowed

Ten minutes ago—

Click, click, click, click...

The familiar sound of high heels echoed through the empty and quiet second floor of the restaurant.

Lin Xian looked up toward the staircase.

How come she’s back again?

Did she forget something?

He looked down at the spot where Su Su had just sat; there was nothing there.

She probably didn’t forget anything. After all, this woman never intended to have a proper blind date. She just came to take a few photos and left, without even putting down her handbag or taking off her coat; she clearly didn’t plan to waste time here.

But Lin Xian didn’t mind either. Now he didn’t need to think about how to explain it to Chu Shanhe, as there was nothing better than the other person not being interested in him.

The sound of the heels got louder and closer, and Lin Xian looked up again toward the staircase—

"Huh?"

He blinked in disbelief:

"President Zhao?"

It was certainly unexpected... Lin Xian thought it was Su Su returning, but to his surprise, it was his immediate superior who came around the corner of the staircase.

Today, Zhao Yingjun was still wearing her delicate makeup, a black ensemble, and draped in a white coat.

Then without a doubt, her earrings must be silver-white today...

Lin Xian’s gaze moved slightly upward to look at the earrings.

As expected.

The anti-counterfeit trademark was still going strong.

Zhao Yingjun getting dressed up so formally to eat...

She must have come straight here after work from the office; this place was already close to where Zhao Yingjun lived, so coming here for a meal was quite normal.

As for why she came directly to the second floor...

Lin Xian looked at the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows next to him, which offered a very clear view inside and out, and guessed that she saw him from below.

While he was pondering, Zhao Yingjun had already arrived in front of Lin Xian:

"Waiting for someone, Lin Xian?"

"No, no, just myself," Lin Xian said with a smile as he stood up.

Zhao Yingjun raised an eyebrow:

"Just you alone? Booked such a big place?"

"It’s like this..." Lin Xian briefly explained the situation to Zhao Yingjun:

"Chu Shanhe booked this place, he has a friend’s daughter he wanted to set me up with on a blind date. But... the girl probably didn’t fancy me, she left just after sitting down."

"Heh heh." Zhao Yingjun laughed softly, looking down:

"This girl seems a bit shortsighted, to not fancy someone like you."

"Not at all," Lin Xian waved his hand:

"Given that she’s a friend of Chu Shanhe, her family’s status is probably not far from his. It’s normal for their daughter to not fancy me. I was aware of this before coming here, and I’d roughly expected this outcome."

"So that means... the blind date is over now," Zhao Yingjun pointed to the chair Su Su had just sat in:

"Do you mind if I join your table? The ground floor is full."

"Of course, that’s fine." Lin Xian gestured with his hand, inviting Zhao Yingjun to sit down:

"Order whatever you’d like, tonight Chu Shanhe is picking up the tab."

Zhao Yingjun took off her coat, and the restaurant manager immediately took it, hanging the coat on a nearby rack, then pulled out a chair for Zhao Yingjun to sit down.

Afterward, he took out a menu and handed it to Zhao Yingjun:

"Ma’am, take a look at what you’d like to order. I’ll have the kitchen start on it for you."

Zhao Yingjun didn’t take the menu and directly named a few dishes, then smiled at Lin Xian:

"After you took me here last time, I’ve been coming often and even got a membership card. It’s also near my home and there are dishes that really suit my taste, so sometimes when I get off work late, I just come here to fill my stomach."

"No wonder," Lin Xian understood:

"I was wondering why it was such a coincidence to run into you today, the food here is indeed great."

The two chatted for a few minutes, and the appetizers were served directly.

It seemed like what the manager said was true, they had reserved ingredients and chefs for the second floor, after all, it was booked by Chu Shanhe... how could they not offer special treatment?

In the area of Donghai, the name Chu Shanhe was indeed the best golden card.

Lin Xian and Zhao Yingjun enjoyed the delicacies, chatting and laughing together, when suddenly—

Thump thump thump thump thump thump!!!

A blonde woman arrived with a stormy presence! She slammed her hands straight down on the table!

Bang!

Lin Xian looked up at the uninvited guest...

It was Su Su.

"Heh heh!" Su Su sneered disdainfully, looking at Lin Xian:

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Big brother, what is this, a blind date or choosing a concubine? The moment I leave, you bring in the next blind date, isn’t that disrespectful?"

After saying that, she turned her head to Zhao Yingjun, pointing at Lin Xian across from her:

"Beauty, open your eyes wide! This man is a jerk! Can you believe it? This guy organizes blind dates like it’s a numbered ticket system! There might be several more blind dates in line after this! This guy is a king of multi-tasking in dating!"

Lin Xian stood up:

"It’s not what you think, she is—" "You don’t need to explain!" Su Su interrupted Lin Xian impatiently:

"No wonder you can’t find a partner with such a chaotic approach! At least change to a different restaurant for your next blind date! Isn’t what you are doing just purely disgusting?"

"I don’t find it disgusting at all," Zhao Yingjun suddenly said.

Lin Xian and Su Su both looked at her puzzled.

Zhao Yingjun, unruffled, picked up a cup of black tea from the table like a spectator, took a sip, and looked at Su Su:

"Nowadays blind dates are about fast pacing, what’s the problem with switching to the next one if one doesn’t work out? If I’m not mistaken... your part of the blind date is over, right? If there’s nothing else, please don’t stand here and disturb my blind date."

???

Lin Xian’s eyes widened in surprise at Zhao Yingjun.

No!

Sister!

How did you get involved in this?

You clearly came for a free meal, how did you suddenly turn it into a blind date?

Lin Xian was in an internal mix of laughter and tears.

He wondered if Zhao Yingjun was trying to vent for him or if she truly didn’t want to indulge this unruly blonde girl but in any case... she had entirely stepped into the role and started acting.

At this point.

With Zhao Yingjun "admitting" it, he really had no need to explain anymore, and even if he wanted to, the explanation wouldn’t be clear...

Zhao Yingjun sized up Su Su, looking at her bare white thighs shown by her hot shorts and her belly button peeking out from under her short white T-shirt, then picked up her tea cup to continue drinking:

"On the other hand... your attire seems a bit out of season."

"You!"

Su Su glared, really bit her tongue!

She came with good intentions to warn you about the jerk and you don’t appreciate it!

She turned her head fuming and looked at Lin Xian...

Indeed, it’s like a match made in heaven. Not of the same kind will not want the same home, these two actually took a liking to each other!

That really puts her in an awkward position!

"You’d think this guy would have no problem with a blind date in a different place, but to pick the exact same spot without changing locations, isn’t he just slapping himself in the face?!"

"Who, who said my blind date was over?"

Su Su promptly pulled out the chair next to her, crossed her arms, and sat down with one leg over the other:

"I just went downstairs to grab something, we haven’t even started our blind date!"

Zhao Yingjun turned her head to gaze at the neon lights in the distance, letting out a chuckle as she leaned back in her chair and propped up one leg:

"You walked out already, and you still have the nerve to come back?"

"Mind your own business! I was here first!"

"Fine then."

Zhao Yingjun crossed her arms, watching the two women as if enjoying a spectacle:

"Then go ahead and continue your blind date, I’m just in line here, you don’t mind, do you?"

"Don’t you think you’re in the way by staying here?"

"Pretend I don’t exist then."

...

Lin Xian looked at the two women in front of him with helplessness. What exactly was going on?

He hadn’t done anything, hadn’t said a word, and it seemed like he had been thrust into the eye of the storm.

Absolutely baffling.

One of them clearly didn’t want to be on a blind date. It was obvious she was just going through the motions; the other seemed to be here just for a free meal.

How did it suddenly become so competitive between them?

It’s not like they really wanted to turn this into some sort of "Standby Contestants in a Blind Date Battle Royale," right? What kind of melodramatic plot was this!

But truly, Lin Xian didn’t know what to say at this point.

One of the women was introduced by Chu Shanhe; he had to show some respect and couldn’t just burn bridges.

The other, Zhao Yingjun, was his direct boss. It was clear she had just stepped in to defend him, to throw some sarcastic remarks at Su Su on his behalf. Now he couldn’t just expose Zhao Yingjun’s lie—that would really embarrass her.

Although Lin Xian maintained a smile on the surface, inside he was sighing and groaning... this Battle Royale was too hard to play, and Catch Me If You Can with Ji Lin and Zhou Duanyun would be much more enjoyable.

The part-time waiter, who was also the restaurant manager, had been frozen in place for a long time...

He could see the current state was very bad!

Chu Shanhe had specifically instructed him that the person coming for a blind date today was a junior he valued highly, and that he should provide excellent service—so the manager had personally stepped in to wait tables.

But the situation before him... had turned into a tense standoff out of nowhere!

No, this wouldn’t do.

He had to do something and not let the guests feel so uncomfortable.

He walked up with a menu and a smile, handing it to Su Su:

"Miss, would you like to order something to eat?"

"I don’t need a menu!" Su Su pushed the menu away, glaring at the waiter in front of her:

"Serve me everything on the menu!"

She snorted.

If this guy was going to play her like this, she would at least make him feel the pinch.

"But, but..."

The manager was sweating profusely:

"Miss, you three definitely can’t finish all that food. Our country is advocating for clearing plates and against waste... Besides, with that many dishes, our table can’t even hold them all!"

"Then just serve the most expensive ones until the table is full!" Su Su turned around and glared at the waiter:

"Get going!"

"Alright, alright, this..." the manager looked up at Lin Xian, with a look of difficulty, not sure what to do.

"Just serve what she asked for," Lin Xian said with a smile.

It wasn’t much money anyway... Moreover, Chu Shanhe was footing the bill today.

"Okay, I’ll go tell the kitchen to get ready!"

The manager quickly scurried downstairs to leave.

He realized now that he was better off not getting involved in the battle raging on the second floor. Standing there, he would only become a tool for the blonde vixen to vent her frustration and would only make things more difficult for the gentleman.

...

After a while, the dishes were served.

Zhao Yingjun quietly ate the dish she had ordered, hoping to enjoy the spectacle but the other two didn’t speak a word.

How dull.

Su Su was fuming too, sitting silently and eating, with her knife and fork clanking as if they were fighting.

Lin Xian had resigned himself...

If you don’t speak, I won’t speak; I’ll just focus on eating.

In the entire second floor of the restaurant... the only sound you could hear was the harsh clinking of cutlery against the plates, which gave off the illusion of swords clashing in battle.

The manager hid at the dead angle by the stair corner, too scared to go up...

The fierce sound of cutlery crossing paths made it seem like a fight might break out at any moment!

Please, don’t let there be a real fight...

Those knives and forks are sharp!

...

Soon, Zhao Yingjun finished her meal.

She picked up the napkin from the table, wiped the corner of her mouth, and with eyes closed said:

"Considering the pace of this blind date... it doesn’t look like it’d be my turn today, huh?"

Su Su didn’t respond, her cutlery rattling louder.

Tss—

Zhao Yingjun could no longer hold back and burst into laughter:

"I’m full. You two carry on, I won’t disturb you further."

"Huh?"

Su Su looked up in confusion at Zhao Yingjun.

She saw her get up and say softly:

"I was just here to share a table for a meal today, I’m not here for a blind date, and Lin Xian isn’t the type of person you think he is."

"So, there’s no need for you to be here sulking. It’s just a blind date, if it works out, then great, if not, don’t ruin the good atmosphere, let’s part on good terms."

"You’re not here for a blind date!?" Su Su was astonished:

"Then why are you sitting here! What exactly is your relationship with him!"

Zhao Yingjun picked up her coat and draped it over herself, looking down at Su Su from above:

"I’m his boss."

"You two were playing me!" Su Su shot up from her seat!

"Lin Xian." Zhao Yingjun didn’t pay Su Su any more attention, put on her coat, picked up her handbag and turned to Lin Xian:

"You haven’t been to work for many days now, and there’s a lot of work waiting for you."

She lifted her index finger slightly, pointing at Lin Xian:

"Come to my office tomorrow morning, no taking leave of absence."

"Okay," Lin Xian responded.

Zhao Yingjun, hearing Lin Xian’s response, let out a satisfied hum and chuckled.

She walked away with confident steps in her high heels.