"Is this Miss Xu Jinnian?"

A sleazy voice rang overhead, tinged with a hint of excitement.

"You must be Mr. Zhang Jianguo. Please, sit."

Xu Jinnian subtly furrowed her brows, handing the menu to Zhang Jianguo.

"Why is it so expensive?" Zhang Jianguo frowned and sighed lightly, intentionally loud enough for Xu Jinnian to hear.

"Ordering the shredded potato stir fry with extra meat, thank you!"

After flipping through the menu for quite some time, Zhang Jianguo finally decided on his order.

"Sir, you two are only ordering one dish!?"

The waitress stared at Zhang Jianguo in surprise, probably this was the first time she had encountered such a stingy customer in her serving career!

"That's enough, I eat very little." Zhang Jianguo glared at the waitress.

"But sir, each booth here has a minimum charge of 68 yuan. Even if you only order one dish, you'll still be charged the minimum cost!" The waitress explained patiently.

"What kind of rip-off place is this!? I am going to report you!" On hearing the price of 68 yuan, Zhang Jianguo exploded instantly, waving his arms and roaring at the waitress, even drawing the attention of the neighbouring tables.

"Never mind, let's order one more dish. Let's split the bill for this meal."

Placing down her glass of water, Xu Jinnian looked worried, fiddling with her mobile phone in her hands.

Su Yan Ran, you silly girl, we agreed that you'd call before arriving. If the other party seems suitable, Xu Jin Nian would just say she's busy; if not, Xu Jin Nian would quickly find an excuse to leave!

"Please add a dish of garlic shrimp tail, thank you."

Xu Jin Nian casually ordered a signature dish. Zhang Jian Guo stared at the price tag of 88 yuan on the menu, mumbling under his breath, "So expensive."

Xu Jin Nian pretended not to hear.

"Miss Xu, you're much more beautiful than in the photos. Rarely do we find real-life beauties such as you, who look even better than the images!"

Zhang Jian Guo stared at Xu Jin Nian with a certain fascination. From what he had observed over the years, Xu Jin Nian was undeniably a natural beauty, without any trace of artificial enhancement.

"Thank you," Xu Jin Nian said with a slight smile, falling silent afterwards.

"Let me be upfront. My work keeps me busy most of the time," Zhang Jian Guo said, greedily gobbling down shrimp tails.

"I'm a civil servant, making more than three thousand a month. Though it's not a high salary in Lianzhou, I am a civil servant!"

A sense of satisfaction and inexplicable superiority filled Zhang Jian Guo's plump face.

"My woman must obey the principles of 'Three Obediences and Four Virtues.' If we end up together, you can't talk to other men, or even work. You must come straight home after work. You can't splurge, your makeup can't exceed fifty yuan, and your clothes mustn't exceed a hundred yuan."

Like a gushing waterfall, Zhang Jian Guo spouted off his ridiculous demands while vigorously fishing for shrimp tails.

"You look great in the outfit you're wearing today, but it must've been quite expensive, right? Which man bought it for you?"

Feigning nonchalance, Zhang Jian Guo mentioned this as he transferred another shrimp tail to his bowl. He ignored the cucumbers and potato shreds he had ordered, not even picking them up with his chopsticks.

"Also, after we're married, you'll have to cover the down payment for our home. However, only my name can be listed on the deed," stated he.

Xu Jinnian bit savagely into her shredded potato, wishing she could stuff the dish into Zhang Jianguo's mouth!

"And additionally,…"

Zhang Jianguo continued to list his demands. Irritated, Xu Jinnian interrupted him, "So, are you saying that you're not investing anything into this marriage?!"

Xu Jinnian coldly glared at Zhang Jianguo, leaving him taken aback. He didn't expect that this seemingly gentle and refined woman could be so sharp with her words.

"Besides, a woman should be tasteful. All the men in my office had their homes purchased by their wives' money!"

Zhang Jianguo defended his stance strongly, as if relying on a woman's money was the most justified thing in the world.

"If we don't see eye to eye, there's no point in further conversation. Let's settle the bill!"

No longer interested in prolonging the talk with Zhang Jianguo, Xu Jinnian's decision not to storm out halfway already demonstrated her great restraint.

"Sir, your total is one hundred and eight yuan," said the cashier at the front desk, politely handing the bill to Zhang Jianguo.

"We agreed on going Dutch, each paying for what they ordered. I ordered the shredded potato, so I'll pay for that. You cover the prawn dish," Zhang Jianguo stated, then reached into his dirty wallet and threw a crumpled twenty yuan bill on the counter.

"So that's what you meant by going Dutch?!"

Xu Jinnian drew a deep breath, opened her wallet, and pulled out thirty yuan.

"This garlic prawn dish has ten pieces, and I only ate one. The rest was consumed by you. It costs eighty-eight yuan for the dish, which is eight yuan and eighty cents per piece. Including the shredded potato, my share comes to twenty-eight yuan and eighty cents. Here's thirty yuan - don't bother giving me change. I wish you better luck with your next date!"

Having said this, Xu Jinnian threw the money in front of Zhang Jianguo, then turned to leave.

"A caustic woman like you, you'll never get married!"

Zhang Jianguo cursed in rage from behind her. Xu Jinnian only turned around elegantly, her eyes smoldering, her lips curled into a cold, captivating smile.