Gold Medal Sweetheart

With a sense of unreality, Tang Xin welcomed a weekend filled with anxiety. However, she had been drafted into a temporary laborer position at school that morning. In her haste to leave, she had forgotten her phone and hadn't made any special preparations for her afternoon date. She simply wore a black suspender skirt, a long-sleeved white shirt, casual shoes, and a light pink backpack—her outfit was no different from her usual self.

A busy morning left her with no time to think about her afternoon date. She finished her work almost midday. Tang Xin checked her watch and saw it was almost 1:00 PM. Because the other person had to work on the weekend, the meeting had been scheduled at the coffee shop in the Shi Tian Shopping Center. However, the school wasn't very close, so to honor Yu Shan's instructions, she had to forgo lunch and go to this unexpected date.

The closer they got to the coffee shop, the more Tang Xin, who wasn't a good liar to begin with, regretted agreeing to Yushan's ridiculous request. But it was too late to say anything. She'd neglected her phone today, and even if she'd wanted Guan Yushan to assist her on the sidelines, she didn't have the equipment. Evading the enemy at the last minute was out of the question. She felt like she was in a situation where nothing would work, and she silently muttered, "God bless you! God bless you!"

Just as Tang Xin's heart was already swirling with emotion, she heard a ding and the elevator doors swung open. She was greeted by a dazzling display of lavishly decorated coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and restaurants—some exotic, some bourgeois, some romantic and casual. She stepped out of the elevator and checked her watch. It was already 1:06. She remembered Guan Yushan's instructions to her not to be late, not to be even slightly slack, so she wouldn't have any excuses to criticize her. That way, she could appear innocent and pitiful if she was dumped. Her already nervous mood suddenly grew even more frantic.

Tang Xin rarely shopped at Shi Tian, and had never been to the restaurant floor above, so she had to move quickly, searching through the shops for the coffee shop they had agreed on. After searching for a while, the words on an exquisitely decorated plaque jumped out at her. This was it. She stopped at the door and let out a long sigh, as if to cheer herself up. She told herself, "Whatever happens, I'll just give it a try!" and ran to the last window seat in the store that Yu Shan had told her about.

As soon as she entered the coffee shop, she saw a waiter following a tall, steady-footed man in a black suit with a dark purple shirt underneath. The attire perfectly accentuated his demeanor and figure. The waiter said respectfully, "Mr. Jin, thank you for coming. The entrance is slippery, so please take your time!" Tang Xin observed and paused to reflect: the waiters here are quite polite. But then, a thought struck her. Mr. Jin—his last name was Jin—her mind raced at lightning speed. The man she remembered Yu Shan was supposed to go on a blind date also happened to have the last name Jin. Could this person walking towards her? No, this person walking towards the entrance was today's male guest.

Damn! He was leaving. Although she had every intention of Yushan's forced sale today falling through, she couldn't possibly face her if it ended without even meeting him. A voice in her heart told her not to let him go. As she pondered, Tang Xin blurted out, "Wait, don't leave yet!" As she finished speaking, she noticed the "Slippery Floor" sign at the entrance of the cafe, due to cleaning. But her mind was far behind her body's reaction. Her feet felt as if greased, and her center of gravity suddenly lost its balance. She swayed from side to side, struggling to maintain her balance, but gravity proved its truth, and she fell hard to the ground. She landed squarely in front of the man the waiter had mentioned, Mr. Jin, blocking his path. Because her center of gravity was tilted forward, Tang Xin instinctively used her hands to support herself, so her fall was like a half-kneeling kowtow.

The entire café watched as this scene unfolded: a handsome young man, distinguished by his elegant demeanor, dressed in clothes that must have been expensive, knelt before a disheveled, terrified girl. The already quiet café, drawn to Tang Xin's presence, had drawn the attention of all the customers, captivated by this dramatic moment. The waiter beside the man was also bewildered by the suddenness of the situation.

The moment Tang Xin fell to the ground, she felt a burning sensation in her knees and hands from the friction with the ground, sending signals through her brain. After a few seconds of stunned astonishment, she realized how humiliating her appearance had been. Looking around the coffee shop, she was greeted by looks as if she had witnessed a miracle, and even some who lacked sympathy. Seeing such a rare sight in this romantic cafe, she tried hard to suppress her laughter. She looked up and saw that the waiter was also shocked, but the young man before her was calm and composed.

As Tang Xin was blaming herself, she heard the waiter ask in a panic, "Miss, are you okay?"

Before Tang Xin could reply, she heard a voice that was full of charm and a bit of aloofness. "Miss, did you just tell me not to leave yet?"

Tang Xin looked up. It was the young man who had spoken. She nodded and said shyly, "You are Mr. Jin, right?" The man raised his lips slightly in confirmation. Tang Xin forced a half-hearted smile and said sheepishly, "My last name is Guan, uh, Guan Yushan." Seeing that the other man didn't seem surprised, she continued, "I'm here... I'm here... for a... blind date." After saying this already unconvincing sentence, she realized that the scene of her, the waiter, and the young man looked even more unconvincing. This was not a blind date at all, it was like a commoner, a servant, and an emperor in a costume drama. And she, the commoner, was the kind who had violated the law, begged the emperor for mercy, and was now kneeling and kowtowing.

There seemed to be a glint in the young man's eyes that Tang Xin couldn't understand. He said rather teasingly, "So it's Miss Guan." He raised his right hand to his mouth, clenching his fist slightly, cleverly concealing the smile that was rising on his face. "I'm so sorry for not welcoming you."

She instinctively glanced at herself. No blood was visible, and she breathed a sigh of relief. But there was still a little redness, so the pain didn't subside immediately. Then she realized the speaker's words were malicious and devoid of sympathy. After all, they had chatted on WeChat before, so why was he being so sarcastic and veiled? But because of Yushan, she couldn't say anything.

Tang Xin was about to stand when she saw a hand, not quite white but slender and bony, appear before her eyes, forcing her to look up at its owner. The young man bent slightly, his tall and imposing figure forming a beautiful bow. But what struck Tang Xin most was the perfect facial features so close to her.

He had a honey-colored complexion, handsome yet resolute features. His doublet concealed a deep sensuality, his dark, deep pupils like a lake after the mist had dispersed. The interplay of light and shadow in his eyes was like the shimmering ripples of water gently brushing against pebbles. The faint smile at the corner of his mouth made him appear free and uninhibited, with a wicked allure. This close encounter, where pupils met pupils, eyes staring directly into eyes, made Tang Xin gasp, sighing, "This man is a thing of heaven, rarely seen on earth. He truly is a man of such perfection that both humans and gods find him infuriatingly handsome."