Chapter 1, Marriage, is that simple

How can one avoid some troubles? Of course, by marrying someone who is a complete stranger, so that certain matters won't be exposed to their social circle and relatives, right? I thought to myself in my own clever way. Moreover, it seems that the enthusiasm of fujoshi for gay individuals is quite fervent, and they... should not wish to be disturbed by women, right?

Name: Jiang Li. Age: 30. Occupation: Engineer. Contact information is an email address, which is the same as the one used for submitting answers.

He said: "I am gay"

What a ridiculous psychological test

In any case, marrying is something that is optional for me

... ...

Then there is an even more absurd outcome

Later, I occasionally went on blind dates with unfamiliar men, while also testing their tolerance for surprises, and life became quite enjoyable.

At that moment, the guy was looking at me in confusion and cautiously asked, "Are you sure?"

At this moment, Jiang Li pinched his chin with two fingers of his right hand and pondered for a while, then said: "Let us get married today." His tone was as casual as saying, "Let us have a meal together today."

But there are still some things I don't understand: "Then you can find a lesbian, that would be the safest and most environmentally friendly option"

However, to put it another way, since I turned twenty-three, I have never considered men to be reliable. Rather than that, it would be better to find a man who shares the same sexual orientation as myself, as this would also eliminate my hopes for men. I believe this idea of mine is truly brilliant

I am twenty-seven years old this year, belonging to the age where the flowers have withered but the fruits have not yet borne. I am still an old spinster, cough cough, although I really want to shake off this label, unfortunately, I have not found a favorable opportunity. ... At eighteen, I took pride in being a virgin and felt shame in not being one, but now ... . ... Although I do not feel ashamed of being a virgin, it is indeed no longer a matter of honor.

Very well, we have all been forced into marriage

I : `` ... ... ''

What should I say now? "Are you kidding me?" "Isn't this a bit too fast?" Or "Get lost, you jerk"? Regardless of which response I choose, it seems that none of them carry enough impact against this man whom I have known for less than half an hour

He shot me a more displeased glance and replied with a frown, "I just want to avoid some trouble"

Perhaps it was an illusion caused by drowsiness, but for a brief moment, I actually saw the man's face turn "green" for an instant, only to return to normal immediately after. He gently tapped the wall of the cup with his fingertips, fell silent for a moment, and then suddenly looked up, staring intently at me, and uttered a statement that instantly jolted me awake.

He finally turned his gaze away, just when I thought he was about to concede and acknowledge my strength, he lightly parted his thin lips and once again sent me flying.

He did not accept my overtures, merely stating, "In any case, neither of us wants to get married. After marriage, we can each live our own lives, without interfering with each other, and without any attachments." After a pause, he added, "This includes matters of a sexual nature."

At that moment, he was drinking coffee when he heard my words and, unfortunately, choked a little, which caused him to cough violently. He took a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth and cast a resentful glance at me, wanting to speak but unable to do so because he was still coughing

I don't care about the way: "I never intended to gain anything from you. It doesn't matter who I marry anyway. You are absolutely right; after we get married, we can just avoid interfering with each other, and I will also be spared from the trouble of having children." I have always harbored a thought in my heart: children are the creditors of their parents. Those who have children can never expect to live a peaceful life in this lifetime.

Thinking of this, I felt a sense of calm in my heart. It is as if, when I see myself suffering, I feel distressed and wronged, but when I see others suffering just like me, my heart feels much more at ease. Especially when that person is on a much higher level than I am, like the one in front of me. Although I am just a pseudo-white-collar worker and an unemployed layabout in the city, I still possess some basic skills in discerning people. From this person's attire, speech, and demeanor, I can somewhat tell that he has a good upbringing and social status. Even if he is a fraud, he is still a promising fraud, not someone like me who worries all day about trivial matters like food and expenses.

I nodded in agreement: "Then you can find someone else, I am only responsible for being a stepmother." A stepmother can mistreat children when she is in a bad mood, I thought wickedly

Even if one does not get married, one must pretend to go on blind dates to alleviate the symptoms of that old lady; at least the money for eye drops can be saved

He kindly offered me a tissue, but I swatted it away with a paw, while pulling out a tissue myself to cover my mouth, glaring at him in anger. How can someone who is gay still seek to date women?

"Stop." I called out to him from behind

This man truly did not disappoint me, as he brought up such a boring topic. I rested my chin on one hand and expressed my only understanding of this industry: "The real estate market carries risks; investment must be approached with caution." At that moment, I did not realize that the "real estate matters" he was referring to was not the "real estate market" I understood.

I admit that I am quite bored, and blind dates are just a good way to pass the time. Therefore, as long as I can maintain a generational gap of no more than two generations, I don't care what you do.

His mood also seems to be quite poor, as he looks at me with cold eyes and remains silent

At this moment, I even forgot the other person's name and had to dig out past posts to take another look.

I truly do not know what kind of expression to face him with, so I can only offer a blank expression and lament: "If there are issues with your mind, you shouldn't come out for blind dates..."

This statement surprised me. First, he knows that I "do not want to get married"; how does he know? ... Let's assume he is just guessing ...? ... Second, he knows that I "also" do not want to get married, so there must be someone else besides me who does not want to get married. This person should be him, otherwise he would have no reason to connect others' words with me. Hmm, he must be like me, also pressured by his family to marry, right? This person should be him, otherwise he would have no reason to connect others' words with me. Hmm, he must be like me, also pressured by his family to marry, right?

He said: "Very well, let us discuss the matter of our marriage."

I have never considered coffee to be something that humans should drink, yet I enjoy experiencing the thrill of wasting coffee. ... Something that tastes bad is meant to be squandered and wasted. ... Even though this small cup of coffee before me could suffice for several cartons of yogurt.

I cleared my throat, striving to project a strong presence: "When are we going to get the certificate?"

He slowly turned around, and that movement was reminiscent of a robot. When I saw the complex and ever-changing expression on his face, I felt particularly happy, so I flashed him a smile.

... ...

He was momentarily at a loss for words, but I could see the dissatisfaction on his face. So I inappropriately asked, "With your conditions, it shouldn't be difficult to marry a puppet wife, especially since many so-called fujoshi are quite willing to marry a gay man these days." I am not a fujoshi; this is merely something I have heard.

Such a person is indeed rare; it seems he already has someone special in mind, yet his family strongly opposes him being with that person. In my mind, I quickly crafted a tragic and melodramatic love story, feeling a slight twinge of emotion, and then unabashedly stared at his handsome face, lightly laughing as I said: "Aren't you afraid that I might be tempted by your looks and try to seduce you?" Upon saying this, I felt an inexplicable pain deep within.

After he finished coughing, he suddenly said with a serious expression: "I know you don't want to get married either"

My surname is Guan, and my name is Guan Xiaoyan. Although I was born into an ordinary working-class family, after being influenced by several years of materialism and bureaucratism, I particularly enjoy being addressed as Miss Guan. How impressive that sounds!

The man across from me has been staring at me, his expression inscrutable. Perhaps he has noticed my impatience, and he finally spoke up: "So, let's talk about your views on sexual matters."

"However, I cannot give you anything." It is evident that he is somewhat reasonable, although I could also sense his dislike for me from his gaze

So I could only respond casually, "Sure." The tone was even more relaxed than having a meal

I : `` ... ... ''

He halted his movement and did not turn back

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Child, we can make it by finding someone to be a surrogate."

Until yesterday, I received a call informing me that I could go for an interview, oh no, a meeting.

This time it is my turn to cough

He looked at me with great significance and replied, "The psychological test you took indicates that you have a strong tendency towards homosexuality"

Not long ago, I came across a unique matchmaking post by a man online. The main content of this post consisted of a series of test questions. Applicants, or rather, those seeking a match, were required to complete the test and send their answers to a designated email address, then wait for the other party to contact them. Although I found this man to be rather pretentious, I was quite interested in the questions, so I decided to join in and completed the test, then sent it off, after which I forgot all about it.

He scrutinized me with a skeptical gaze, a kind of doubt that was utterly blatant, questioning the physical attributes of a woman. I was furious and glared back with my head held high, I am a beauty!

Apart from the name, I have not received any information I desire. To be precise, there is nothing I wish to know. In any case, false information on the internet has already become rampant. Everything will be clear once we meet.

Of course, I do not attend every appointment. The guy who called me yesterday had a very pleasant voice, so I decided to come.

I stirred the wicked coffee in my hand, selected a comfortable position to lean back in the chair amidst the elegantly drowsy music, and then took another look at the man sitting opposite me, sending him a mournful glance. Constrained by the lady-like image established by my attire, I rationally suppressed a yawn.

Thus, today we have this rather amusing blind date

I felt a sense of glee and wanted to say, "If you can't act like a gentleman, then don't pretend to be one." However, upon seeing his slightly raised eyebrows and the now sharp gaze in his eyes, I instantly swallowed the words that were on the tip of my tongue. You can understand this: I have always been kind-hearted and do not like to take advantage of others' misfortunes.

Originally, my life was calm and uneventful, and men were something that I could take or leave. However, as I grew older, my enthusiastic and passionate mother could no longer sit still. Every day, she would appear before me with tearful eyes, claiming that as long as I remained unmarried, she would not be able to eat well or sleep soundly. Although I was quite skeptical about how her tears were flowing, I realized that being pursued by an elderly lady lamenting her woes was not a viable solution. Thus, I steeled myself and decided to get married.

I shrugged and retorted, "Isn't this exactly the result you wanted?"

He called the waiter to settle the bill, and then, still淡淡的, with a hint of coldness in his tone, said: "Since Miss Guan has no intention of marrying, then there is no need for us to waste time here. Goodbye"

I think he probably misunderstood, so I kindly explained: "I did not mean to discriminate against gay people, it’s just that, um, I was quite shocked, after all, you are a minority, cough, a small group of people, so it is understandable to be surprised when seeing you." He is the first gay person I have encountered in real life, ... at least the first gay person I know is gay, why does this sound so convoluted ...

My heart suddenly felt enlightened, so I smiled at him boldly and said, "We are both lost souls in this vast world."