1: The blind date started without cilantro.

"Mom, I just got off the train and haven't even caught my breath yet. There's no need to be in such a rush, is there?" Chen Qiu said helplessly into his phone as he was jostled by the crowded throngs at the station while dragging his suitcase.

"Not in a rush? Your cousin Chen Yujie has already found someone and is getting ready to get engaged. They're even going to look at wedding houses today! What about you? How long do you plan on waiting?"

"The girl only has time this afternoon. It's better to be lucky than to be early! I've had your father send you the address. Get over there quickly, and don't keep the girl waiting!"

"I know, I know."

Chen Qiu looked at his phone screen helplessly. From his mother's anxious tone that practically overflowed from the receiver, he could already imagine how miserable this year's Lunar New Year would be.

In small towns, especially in rural families like his, once a child graduates from university without a stable partner, parents become like ants on a hot pan. The horn of marriage-prodding would blow from the beginning of the year to the end.

It wasn't that Chen Qiu had never been in a relationship. He had a girlfriend of many years. They had gone from the innocence of university to the working world, and he thought they would eventually get married. However, half a year ago, his girlfriend passed the civil service exam. The first thing she did after 'reaching the shore' was to cut off her beloved—she dumped him.

The reason was that she "couldn't see a future."

Now, at twenty-seven, he was single again. Meanwhile, his uncle's family, who had always been secretly competing with his own, was about to see his cousin Chen Yujie get married. It was only natural for his parents to be pacing in circles with anxiety.

Following the crowded throngs of people returning home, Chen Qiu finally made his way out of the station exit.

He looked up at the iconic "Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow" sculpture in front of Gannan Railway Station. The bronze statue looked somewhat lonely under the gray winter sky. He let out a deep sigh.

"In the blink of an eye, I'm almost thirty?!"

Chen Qiu vaguely remembered that nine years ago, as an eighteen-year-old, he had set off from this very spot. Carrying his bags and filled with longing for the outside world, he had boarded a train to attend university in another province.

After graduation, he was even more full of ambition, ready to make his mark and shine in society.

In the end, before he could even take a few beatings from society, he first encountered the pandemic that swept the globe.

After finally enduring that, the entire employment landscape had turned upside down.

He had gone through immense hardship to finally find a decent job in Pengcheng, only to be 'optimized' by the company under a notice of 'reducing costs and increasing efficiency' before the year ended.

The most infuriating part was that they hadn't even paid his severance!

"Just you wait. See if I don't file for arbitration when I return to Shenzhen after the New Year!" Chen Qiu thought fiercely.

His phone vibrated slightly. His father had sent him a restaurant address and a WeChat contact card.

[Does Not Eat Cilantro]

Seeing this WeChat nickname, Chen Qiu's body jolted, and he became more alert as an ominous premonition surged in his heart.

"Hiss... This nickname... it should just be a coincidence, right?" he muttered to himself.

Nowadays, 'Does Not Eat Cilantro' had almost become a synonym for a certain group of women.

Chen Qiu didn't mind the bride price; after all, Jiangxi guys had always been carrying a heavy burden. He was just afraid of those 'fairies' who made empty promises and expected everything for nothing.

With a bit of worry and a hint of curiosity, Chen Qiu, on his first blind date, sent a friend request.

He found an internet cafe, spent ten yuan to store his suitcase at the front desk, and went to the restroom to wash his face with cold water to make himself look more refreshed before heading to the restaurant.

The restaurant was a private kitchen. The storefront wasn't large, but the decor was very stylish, exuding a strong bourgeois vibe. The sign at the door was a weathered wooden board with artistic calligraphy carved into it. Obviously, the prices here would also be very 'bourgeois.'

Just as he was hesitating, his phone lit up. [Does Not Eat Cilantro] had accepted his friend request.

Does Not Eat Cilantro: I am Lü Shuang.

Chen Qiu: Hello, I'm Chen Qiu. I'm at the restaurant entrance.

Does Not Eat Cilantro: We are at Table 6.

We?

Chen Qiu's eyelid twitched when he saw those two words. Frowning, he steeled himself and walked into the restaurant.

Led by the waiter, Chen Qiu quickly found Table 6. Two girls were sitting at the table, wearing makeup that wasn't particularly refined.

When Chen Qiu saw the two of them, Lü Shuang and her best friend Lin Shanshan also noticed him. Chen Qiu was 1.8 meters tall, which was above average for the Gannan area. He looked clean and relatively handsome, not much different from the photo the matchmaker had sent, so the two recognized him immediately.

Lin Shanshan nudged Lü Shuang with her elbow and lowered her voice. "He looks alright, quite energetic. I wonder what his family's financial situation is like..."

Lü Shuang's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes. Chen Qiu's first impression on her was quite fresh and clean, at least not greasy.

Chen Qiu walked to the table and spoke politely, "I'm Chen Qiu. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Lü Shuang responded calmly, "We also just arrived not long ago."

Lin Shanshan immediately spoke up, her voice tinged with a forced charm. "Hello, handsome. I'm Shuangshuang's best friend, Lin Shanshan." She paused and added, "Shuangshuang is on her first blind date and was a bit scared to come alone, so she asked me to accompany her. You won't mind, will you, handsome?"

Lin Shanshan was slightly more attractive than Lü Shuang, barely qualifying as a minor beauty.

But her manner of speaking made Chen Qiu feel a bit uncomfortable.

If I did mind, would you just get lost? The thought flashed through Chen Qiu's mind, but he only smiled and said nothing.

"Let's order first. What would you like to eat?" Chen Qiu picked up the menu. After sitting in a hard seat for six hours and barely eating, he was genuinely hungry.

"We already ordered just now. You can just order for yourself..." Lü Shuang's words drifted over casually.

Chen Qiu's fingers flipping the menu suddenly stiffened.

I haven't even arrived yet, and you've already ordered?! With such a practiced move, you're telling me this is your first blind date?

Chen Qiu discreetly glanced at the menu. The price of a single vegetable dish was pushing triple digits. He fully understood what it meant by 'a reputation well-deserved'!

The might of 'Does Not Eat Cilantro' was truly terrifying!

He simply closed the menu and leaned back against his chair.

At this moment, Lü Shuang spoke up, sounding like she was conducting an interrogation.

"Chen Qiu, I heard from Auntie Wang, the matchmaker, that you're a university graduate working in Pengcheng?"

"Yes."

"Then... is your annual salary three hundred thousand yuan?"

"Pffft..." Chen Qiu nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped, looking at Lü Shuang in shock.

Seeing his lack of composure, Lü Shuang immediately frowned, her tone carrying a hint of impatience.

"You don't make three hundred thousand? My university classmate works in Pengcheng and makes five hundred thousand a year! And he only has a vocational degree. You're a university graduate and don't even make three hundred thousand?"

Chen Qiu opened his mouth, but seeing Lü Shuang's disdainful frown, he lost all desire to explain. He simply asked back quietly, "Miss Lü, then let me ask you, what is your current annual salary?"

"What do you mean? I'm a girl; can that be the same?" Lü Shuang's voice suddenly rose in volume.

"Can you men stop being so shallow, only looking at a girl's money?" she said righteously. "Although I'm not working right now, I'm preparing for the civil service exam and I'm almost there! Once I pass, I'll be set for life! Do I not deserve a partner with an annual salary of three hundred thousand?!"

That's it, this is the classic vibe!

Does Not Eat Cilantro (Civil Service Exam Edition).

This instantly reminded Chen Qiu of his ex-girlfriend. She spent his salary and lived in his rented apartment, but after passing the civil service exam, she turned around and looked down on him for his low salary, lack of savings, and lack of prospects.

And the one in front of him was even more of a heavyweight; she hadn't even passed yet and was already fantasizing about life after 'reaching the shore'!

If she actually passed, what then?

Chen Qiu fell silent.

He realized that on his very first blind date, he had been matched with a high-difficulty Final Boss.

Although he hadn't learned her specific marriage requirements yet, he could guess even with his toes that they would definitely be beyond what he could afford.

"This... is better left for other capable Jiangxi guys to handle."

Just as Chen Qiu was thinking of an excuse to make a run for it, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind.

"Ding! Blind Date System bound successfully!"

"No matter what requirements the blind date partner proposes, this system will help the host fulfill them, reducing the difficulty of the blind date!"

This is... a system?

The voice in his head and the virtual panel that suddenly appeared in his field of vision made Chen Qiu instantly ecstatic.

"What, do you have a problem with what I just said?" Lü Shuang noticed Chen Qiu's strange expression and asked coldly.

"Cough." Chen Qiu coughed lightly, forcing himself to calm his excitement, and a sincere smile appeared on his face.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to get an idea in advance—Miss Lü, do you have any specific requirements regarding the bride price and such?"