Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 16:

Chapter 16: The Blind Date

Jiang Yan knocked on the door of Lu Jie’s private laboratory. The glass door required a key card, and only Jiang Yan and Lu Jie, the highest-ranking people in the whole company, had access.

Lu Jie looked up from the mountains of literature and experimental reports and nodded to Jiang Yan, signaling he could enter.

There was a beep as the card was swiped at the door. Seeing Jiang Yan poke his head in, Lu Jie asked, “What is it?”

“Are you busy?”

“Not really.”

“I have an idea,” Jiang Yan approached and dragged a stool over. “I want to invite Fu Jia’an to our lab to share his clinical experience.”

Two months had passed since Lu Jie was discharged. His cast was off, and his leg had almost fully recovered. The memory of running into Fu Jia’an at the hospital had been diluted by the busy routine, becoming somewhat irrelevant. The repetitive and orderly life buried everything like grains of sand; without wind or waves, everything was traceless.

“Why are you asking me? I’m not Fu Jia’an’s dad.”

“I just wanted to ask for President Lu’s opinion. Of course, I don’t know as much about the professional side as you do,” Jiang Yan said. “I sent you all his papers in a bundle. Did you read them?”

“The ones you sent to my email? I looked at them this morning. His research direction is drug resistance in glioblastoma treatment. It has high reference value.” Lu Jie had actually read many of Fu Jia’an’s papers before. Several of them had even been repeatedly cited in researchers’ reports. If he could be invited for a discussion, the researchers would likely be quite excited.

“Got it, I’ll ask him now,” Jiang Yan pulled out his phone, searched for Fu Jia’an’s name in his WeChat contact list, and then casually said, “Hey, do you have Fu Jia’an’s WeChat? His WeChat ID is so weird. What is it? ‘Expired Canned Food’? What do you think that means?”

Fu Jia’an had actually mentioned why he chose that name, but it had been too long ago, and Lu Jie genuinely couldn’t recall. Lu Jie was getting annoyed. “I’m not the Fu Jia’an Encyclopedia. Why do you ask me everything?”

“Know your enemy and you’ll fight a hundred battles without danger. You’ve clashed with him the most, so you naturally know him best.” Jiang Yan tapped his screen a few times, apparently having sent the message. He turned around and raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Actually, I had a feeling in high school: you only allowed yourself to bully Fu Jia’an, and no one else was allowed. Hiss, quite the CEO vibe, huh?”

“….You’re seriously disgusting.”

“Just tell me if it’s true. You were the one who signed him up for the long-distance run, and you were the one who ended up carrying him to the infirmary.”

“How many years are you going to keep bringing that up?”

“Fine, fine, I won’t mention it,” Jiang Yan stood up, tossed his phone, and casually shoved it into his suit pocket. “I’ll wait for dear Jia’an’s reply.”

Lu Jie’s phone vibrated. He swiped to look. It was a message from Dai Mengshu, a public account link share.

《35-year-old Man Regrets Cancer Diagnosis Due to Years Spent in Biological Lab》

……

Lu Jie intended to read the message and not reply, but another message came soon after.

Dai Mengshu: [Xiao Jie, don’t forget about noon today. The girl is waiting for you to suggest a place.]

Jiang Yan was at the door in a flash. He turned back and asked Lu Jie, “Want to go to the company cafeteria for lunch together?”

“No, I have something to do.” Lu Jie sighed, grabbed his jacket from the chair, and walked to the door. He replied to the message with one hand and nudged Jiang Yan with his elbow with the other, without looking up. “Open the door.”

President Jiang silently pulled out his highest-authority access card and swiped open the lab door for the esteemed President Lu.

The restaurant was called ‘Lu’ and served private-style dishes. Because of the good taste and its proximity to the company, it was often chosen for team dinners. Sometimes, when Jiang Yan and Lu Jie didn’t feel like eating at the cafeteria, they would simply walk fifteen minutes down to ‘Lu’.

Hearing that Lu Jie chose this restaurant for his first date with the girl, Jiang Yan expressed his contempt, saying he had no sincerity.

In fact, Lu Jie felt he was being sincere enough. At least, since he agreed to the blind date, he would treat it seriously and was prepared to enter into a relationship and marriage without necessarily feeling a strong emotional connection. The first ten thousand days of his life were over, and his ambitious twenties were past. At this age, Lu Jie felt there was little difference between moving forward or stepping back.

If it could resolve conflicts and reduce the number of arguments with his mother, he might as well just go with it.

As for the boring choice of dating spot, Lu Jie admitted it. He could easily ask Jiang Yan for a list of high-end, sophisticated restaurants, which Jiang Yan would send in under half a minute. But if he couldn’t commit a hundred percent of his heart to the other person for a lifetime, he would rather not deceive them from the start.

Lu Jie had his criteria for a partner: someone whose expectations for marriage aligned with his own. That was enough.

“Boss, I’d like a takeaway order of shrimp balls, spring onion spare ribs, and a plate of stir-fried water spinach. Two servings of rice.”

Lu Jie looked up following the voice. It was Fu Jia’an, and the other man had also spotted him. He was wearing a grey hooded sweater today. The garment was loose and simple. It would normally make someone with narrow shoulders look slouched, but Fu Jia’an’s shoulders were surprisingly broad, making the basic-looking outfit stand out. The girl at the front desk was clearly momentarily stunned.

Since their eyes had met, Lu Jie raised a hand in greeting. They weren’t close enough for a happy reunion, so Lu Jie didn’t stand up, turning his attention back to his phone.

Just as he scrolled twice, someone sat down right next to him.

Fu Jia’an: “Is it okay if I sit here for a bit?”

Lu Jie looked up. It was only a little past 11 am. Most companies weren’t off work yet, and the restaurant was almost empty. There were seats everywhere, so why choose to sit right next to him?

He lowered his eyes and continued looking at his phone. “You’re already sitting.”

The restaurant was also quite close to the Municipal Second Hospital. Fu Jia’an wasn’t wearing a white coat, nor did he seem to have come from the hospital. He was probably picking up food before heading to work at the hospital.

“Jiang Yan invited me to give a talk at your company, hey?”

“You came to talk about that,” Lu Jie said. “I have no objections. Just reply to him.”

“I didn’t say I’d agree.”

“…” Lu Jie choked slightly. “Fine, take your time considering.” Although the conversation was pointless, it reminded Lu Jie that they might still have interactions in the future, so his attitude had to soften a bit; he couldn’t be too stiff.

Fu Jia’an seemed more talkative than before. Soon, he proactively asked, “Are you waiting for someone?”

Lu Jie: “A date.”

Fu Jia’an glanced at the second set of cutlery on the opposite side of the table. “With your girlfriend?”

Lu Jie nodded. “Yep.” He didn’t know the point of lying, his brain hadn’t even processed it before his mouth just spoke the words. He casually picked up his chopsticks and poked the bottom of his bowl, making small talk. “No doubt those two servings of rice are for your brother again, right?”

Just as Fu Jia’an was about to answer, Lu Jie’s phone rang. It was an unknown number.

“—Hello, may I speak to Mr. Lu Jie? I’m Yuan Xinyue, who is meeting you for the blind date today. Your restaurant seems a bit hard to find. Could you add me on WeChat and send me your location?”

Lu Jie felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. “…Okay.”

After hanging up, the awkward atmosphere lingered. Lu Jie hadn’t used the speakerphone, so there was still a one-in-ten-thousand chance that Fu Jia’an hadn’t heard what the call was about, right?

“So it was a blind date,” Fu Jia’an instantly shattered Lu Jie’s fantasy. He leaned closer. “You could have just told me. Do you need my help? You helped me deal with my brother before. I can return the favor, can’t I? It’s easy enough.”

Return the favor? How? When the girl arrives, should he hug and ‘peck’ him in front of her? That would leave her severely traumatized.

Lu Jie said, “You think everyone’s a pervert like you. Don’t mess around. This girl was introduced by my family. Any little thing can get back to my mom.”

Fu Jia’an smiled. The mole on his nose seemed darker than before, small but dazzling, with a malevolent glint that was even more intense than when he was 16.

“Then I wish you success,” Fu Jia’an stood up leisurely. “My food is ready. I’ll take off.”

Before leaving, he patted Lu Jie’s shoulder twice, as if genuinely hoping for Lu Jie’s success.

Every Friday evening, Lu Jie would leave the company early to have dinner with Dai Mengshu. This was his routine display of filial piety. Other than this, Lu Jie had his own place and rarely contacted his mother on his own initiative.

During his recent leg injury recovery, Lu Jie had explained it as a business trip, which gave him three months of peace and quiet. He anticipated that his mother’s three months’ worth of stored lectures would be overwhelming, but he was mentally prepared.

Sure enough, as soon as Lu Jie sat down, Dai Mengshu started, her brow furrowed: “Xiao Jie, Xinyue came back after having lunch with you today and said she didn’t want to continue. What happened?”

“She wasn’t interested in me,” Lu Jie didn’t let it interfere with his meal. He picked up a piece of beef brisket, chewed a few times, and complimented, “Mom, the new nanny’s cooking is really good. Remember to give her a raise.”

Dai Mengshu was too worried to eat a bite. “What’s good or not good? It’s just average. Don’t change the subject. She wasn’t interested in you? What part of you is inferior to anyone else? From your looks and height to your alma mater…”

“What reason does she need to not be interested?” Lu Jie said. “I swear I didn’t deliberately sabotage it. I ordered expensive dishes, I paid the bill right away, and after we finished, I even asked if she wanted a ride home. She said she was going to look around nearby, so I didn’t insist.”

“She said you were distracted!”

Lu Jie couldn’t deny it. He paused for a few seconds, then continued to bury his head in his food. “Then I really can’t help it.”

“Oh, Xiao Jie…”

“Mom,” Lu Jie smiled. “Can’t you just introduce me to another one? It’s not a big deal. I promise I’ll try my best for the next one.”

It had been this way for years. No matter what Dai Mengshu said, Lu Jie always managed to deflect her with a blend of patience and a joking demeanor. The angry rebellion of his youth had become a thing of the past. Lu Jie had long mastered the way to defuse his mother’s fire, and they rarely argued anymore. However, Dai Mengshu also struggled to understand Lu Jie’s true thoughts.

After dinner, Lu Jie sat in the living room watching TV. Dai Mengshu brought over some cut fruit, clearly having more to say. Lu Jie paused the movie that was playing, and Dai Mengshu assumed her earnest, long-suffering posture again.

“Xiao Jie, when are you going to leave the lab and find a proper job?”

Just as Lu Jie expected, the conversation always circled back to his job.

Lu Jie was still smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes, looking a little cold in the glow of the TV screen. “Mom, I’m not planning to resign yet.”

“Why won’t you listen? Mom thinks Xinyue probably didn’t want to continue because she minded your job. You’re exposed to that environment all day long; it’s so dangerous. I know you only switched from studying finance to pharmacology back then just to spite me, and you never really liked it that much. Why don’t you switch careers sooner? It’s still not too late.”

Lu Jie answered in a gentle tone, “Oh, Mom, your son here is a leader, big or small. Think of how respectable that is to talk about. Besides, I started this company with Jiang Yan. The freedom is high, and I don’t have to put up with any nonsense. Isn’t that great?”

“Speaking of that Jiang Yan,” Dai Mengshu said. “He’s a rich second generation. It doesn’t matter what happens to the company. He’s fooled you into slaving away for him, not giving you a single share, and letting you do all the dirty, exhausting work. You’re busy and overwhelmed in the lab every day, while he’s the big boss and still has time for dating. He’s really calculated. You, my dear, are still too young!”

“Mom.”

Lu Jie took a deep breath, eventually managing a smile. “I’m a little tired. I’m going back to my room to sleep, okay?”

Lu Jie hadn’t lived in his old room for long periods since going to college. Every time he came home now, he would stay only one or two nights, like a guest, before leaving. So the room’s decor was mostly the same as when he was in his final year of high school. The photo frame on the desk had been there for years; inside was a picture of him laughing happily when Tangcuyu (Sweet and Sour Fish, his dog’s name) was first brought home, jumping up at him. There were also Rubik’s cubes, models, and all kinds of books.

Did the 18-year-old Lu Jie imagine what his 30-year-old self would be like?

While he hadn’t envisioned a specific job or how much money he’d make, he had at least hoped that leaving this house would bring more freedom. That after growing up, he could make his own decisions, travel anywhere without constraint, and certainly have a partner, living a life that made his heart pound and his face beam with laughter every day.

Every time he lay on that bed, Lu Jie felt the need to apologize to his once energetic, hopeful younger self.

—I’m just living this way, day after day, too.

His phone vibrated, emitting a faint light in the unlit room.

Jiang Yan: [Fu Jia’an agreed!]

Jiang Yan: [He said he’ll prepare, and he’ll come to our company next week!!]