novelraw Chapter 81: A Mother's Thread, a Matchmaker's Mess
Chapter 81: A Mother's Thread, a Matchmaker's Mess
He walked into the familiar, somewhat cramped bathroom and turned on the faucet.
Warm water washed over his fingers, seemingly washing away all the accumulated exhaustion of the past few days.
When he walked out again, the dining table was already laden with four dishes and one soup.
Braised pork, cola chicken wings, scrambled eggs with tomatoes,
along with a plate of stir-fried pea shoots and a steaming pot of pork rib and corn soup.
"Sit, eat."
Ms. Chu Hong took off her apron and handed him a pair of chopsticks.
Jiang Ci sat down, picked up a piece of braised pork stewed to tender perfection, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The familiar flavor exploded on his taste buds.
He almost burst into tears on the spot.It was so delicious!
This was what a proper human life tasted like!
Chu Hong didn't eat much herself. She just watched her son devouring his food, continuously adding more dishes to his bowl.
"Eat slowly, no one's fighting you for it."
"I bought these chicken wings specially from the market today, the freshest ones."
"And this soup, I stewed it for over two hours."
Jiang Ci's mouth was stuffed full, only able to respond with muffled "Mmm mmm" sounds.
Halfway through the meal, which proceeded in a warm and quiet atmosphere,
just as Jiang Ci finished off his third chicken wing and was about to go for some scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Ms. Chu Hong across from him spoke up, seemingly casually.
"Xiao Ci, I learned how to use that Weibo of yours... I even followed you."
After saying this, Chu Hong still took out her phone. Her movements were a bit clumsy, but her purpose was extremely clear.
Jiang Ci's heart skipped a beat.
His rice-shoveling pace slowed by half.
He had wanted to ask how Ms. Chu had learned to use Weibo, how she had managed to produce that domineering, protective statement she made earlier.
He didn't expect her to bring it up herself.
Speaking of Weibo...
It seemed like he hadn't logged in for a long time either.
Ever since he plunged headfirst into the graduation play "Rhinoceros in Love" and the "Three Lifetimes Tribulation" drama crew, his mind had been completely occupied with how to play Chu Wuchen well and how to earn KPI. He had long since tossed social media to the back of his mind.
He didn't know if his follower count had gone up or down.
Thinking of those crazy fans in the comments howling things like "Brother is so tragic, I love it so much," a sense of foreboding instantly surged in his heart.
Sure enough.
Ms. Chu Hong changed the subject. She turned her phone screen towards Jiang Ci, pointing at the dense array of profile pictures and comments, her gaze extremely serious.
"Look, so many girls like you. Is there anyone among them you get along with?"
Jiang Ci: "?"
The mouthful of rice in his mouth instantly lost its flavor.
Get... get along with?
"You're not young anymore, you should start considering your personal life." Ms. Chu Hong's tone was earnest and concerned.
Jiang Ci froze completely.
He subconsciously calculated in his mind.
He was... 22 years old this year.
Actual age, not the traditional one-year-older count.
A man who just graduated from university, whose career was just starting, whose life was literally on a countdown.
And he was... already being pressured to find a partner?
Was that reasonable?
He looked up, meeting his mother's eyes filled with expectation. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Find a partner?
His system relied on harvesting women's Heartbreak Value to stay alive!
Find a girlfriend, and then what?
Have a sweet romance, then wait for the life countdown to hit zero and drop dead on the spot?
Or, use the girlfriend as a source of KPI, make her heartbroken and devastated to extend his own life?
Wouldn't that make him the scumbag of the century?
His father Jiang Yanjun's police badge could probably fly out of the photo and give him a knock on the head.
Moreover, he clearly remembered a line of small print under the system skill "Complete Guide to Scumbag Quotes and Techniques."
[This skill is extremely powerful. Please use it for righteous purposes, otherwise, bear the consequences yourself.]
He didn't dare to gamble on this system's nature.
A feeling of absurdity and heartache completely overwhelmed him.
Guilt.
Guilt towards his mother.
She was full of joy, hoping her son could start a family, establish a career, and have a happy life.
How could she know that her son was currently living a life where he traded others' heartbreak for his own survival?
He couldn't explain.
Not a single word.
"Mom..."
Jiang Ci opened his mouth, only to find his throat terribly dry.
He could only resort to that universal excuse used by all children pressured about marriage.
"I'm... too busy with work right now, I don't have time to consider these things."
As he said this, his face unconsciously revealed the exhaustion caused by KPI anxiety and the life countdown.
And also... that "Broken Feeling" belonging to "Chu Wuchen," honed repeatedly in front of the camera.
This appearance, in Ms. Chu Hong's eyes, was practically ten thousand signals of "I understand."
Her son looking so melancholic like this...
Wasn't this exactly the same as what those fans online analyzed?
"A genius choked by fate."
"A man with a story."
Chu Hong let out a long sigh.
She was completely convinced.
Her son must have suffered a serious emotional injury!
That's why he was so resistant to finding a partner, using frantic work to numb himself.
That's why, despite his young age, he exuded a sense of weariness and exhaustion not belonging to his years.
It was so heartbreaking!
She, as his mother, had to help him!
Chu Hong didn't press further, afraid of touching her son's painful memories.
She just silently served Jiang Ci another bowl of soup, her tone so gentle it could drip water.
"No rush, no rush, drink some soup first."
"No matter how busy work is, you must take care of your health."
After the meal, Chu Hong used the excuse "you've been driving all day, you're tired, go take a shower and rest" to shoo Jiang Ci into his room.
Then, she herself took her phone, quietly returned to her own bedroom, and closed the door.
She skillfully opened WeChat, found a contact saved as "Auntie Li (Gold Medal Matchmaker)."
This Auntie Li was famously warm-hearted in their county town, having successfully matched dozens of couples, practically a walking civil affairs bureau.
Chu Hong took a deep breath, her fingers flying across the screen.
[Sister Li, are you asleep?]
The other party replied instantly.
[Not yet, Sister Chu, what's up?]
Chu Hong didn't hesitate.
[My son is back.]
[Arrange a meeting for tomorrow.]
[Yes, the girl I mentioned to you last time, the one who teaches at our county's No. 1 Middle School.]
On the other end of the phone, Auntie Li's message popped up almost immediately, filled with a string of exclamation marks.
[Oh my! Your actor celebrity son is back?! Okay okay okay! I'll contact the girl right away! I'll make sure the arrangement is perfect!]
Done!
Chu Hong put down her phone and let out a long sigh of relief.
She could already picture the beautiful scene: with her strong assistance, her son walking out of his emotional wounds and embracing a new life.
And at this very moment.
Completely unaware, Jiang Ci was lying on his small bed, staring at the ceiling, silently calculating his life countdown.
He had to quickly find the next tragic script and get his KPI up!
...
Early the next morning.
Jiang Ci was awakened by a persistent, continuous doorbell.
"Ding dong— Ding dong— Ding dong—"
Who is it?
So early in the morning.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, wearing wrinkled pajamas, shuffling in slippers, he wobbled to the door.
He thought it was someone to collect the water bill, or maybe a community welfare visit.
He pulled open the door.
Outside.
Stood an unfamiliar young woman.
The woman looked to be in her early twenties, wearing an elegant dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her face adorned with delicate light makeup, nervously clutching the strap of a handbag.
Their eyes met.
When the woman saw Jiang Ci's sleepy yet still somewhat handsome face, her breath hitched sharply.
Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
She lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, carrying a barely perceptible tremor.
"H-hello..."
"Auntie Chu... sent me."
The woman's voice paused, as if gathering immense courage before she could utter the second half.
"She said... you were free today."