Dear, Nothing Compares To You

Two people sat at a table in the Sunshine Cafe in A City.

Kira Lin looked at the bald, ungraceful, paunchy man before her, a stiff smile playing at the corner of her mouth. She managed, with much difficulty, to not roll her eyes.

Her mother was an obstinate woman and Kira could never be able to change her mother's mind. Her mother lived in C City now, but that didn't stop her from setting Kira up on blind dates over and over again. She even threatened to disown Kira if she didn't go on these blind dates.

These thoughts brought a throbbing headache to Kira. She was only twenty-seven years old. Many of her peers were now married, but she wasn't yet at the point where she felt the exaggerated fear of dying alone.

She had been on eight blind dates this week alone. A fact that was as crazy as it was true!

And today was just Wednesday. She couldn't even begin to imagine how many more blind dates were waiting for her this week. She had kind of maxed out on them and was just going through the motions.

Kira had asked her friend to help her out of the situation. But her friend hadn't come to her rescue yet. She looked down at her phone over and over again, hoping she would show up soon.

"Miss Lin? Miss Lin? Are you listening to me?" the man before her said, wondering what Kira was thinking about. Kira's current blind date sipped on a cup of juice, cake crumbs dotting the corners of his mouth. He had gone on for a while before realizing that Kira wasn't even listening to him.

It was at these questions that Kira came to her senses. She looked up at him, a perfunctory smile on her face and said, "Mr. Yang, I'm sorry. I didn't catch you. Could you repeat yourself, please? Sorry, I was absent-minded and didn't hear what you were saying."

The man smiled a smile that caused Kira to inwardly cringe. He continued, "Oh, it's not a big deal. I was just saying that I like you, Miss Lin. Do you like me? Are you satisfied? I think you would definitely say yes. Am I right?"

The smile on Kira's face became fixed at his words. She clenched her hand around her cup of coffee to avoid chucking it at his head and took a deep breath.

She told herself to calm down and that she must stay cool and keep her emotions in check.

What she wanted to tell the man was that he really needed to look in the mirror and then look at the world. His overconfidence made people laugh and he was blind to seeing it.

The urge to empty her coffee on his face heightened, but she controlled herself as she had been doing since the moment she sat down across from him.

"Really?" she asked, a wry but polite smile on her lips.

The man looked Kira up and down, undisguised lust in his eyes.

He pondered for a while before saying, "Miss Lin, you know, I'm a local resident of A City. If we get married, I want you to make the down payment on our new house. We can then repay the loan together after we get married."

The corners of Kira's mouth twitched again. She couldn't bear this man anymore! She hadn't even said yes, let alone raise the first syllable about marriage! So presumptuous and such wishful thinking! He harped on the fact that he was a local of A City, but what did it truly mean? And why did it matter so much?

"As you know, I work in a government office and I'm very busy. My salary varies between six and seven thousand and is probably much higher than yours. I know you work in an advertising company. If we get married, I hope you can do all the housework. After all, my parents are getting old and I want them to live a relatively carefree life," he finished and took one long breath.

His tone was contemptuous and degrading to Kira, not letting her get a word in sideways.

His pretentiousness was getting on Kira's nerves.

This Mr. Yang was arrogant and acted like he was the center of the world. Kira really wanted to unleash her feelings and yell at him.

But she was wondering why her friend, Connie Shangguan, hadn't shown up yet. Once she had dealt with this man, she must teach her a lesson for not coming to her rescue in time.

"And about the wedding gift, for dignity's sake, I may bring a lot of money to your home, but it's just a formality. Do you know what I mean, Miss Lin?" the man said.

Kira really didn't know what to say. Instead, she smiled a fake smile while telling herself that she shouldn't be this surprised, given that the world was huge and mysterious. It was just her bad luck that she had to meet a man like this.

She obviously knew what he was talking about. He meant to say that the wedding gift was just a token gesture and that she was to return it to him after the wedding party.

Her feelings about this arrogant man finally reached the limit and Kira couldn't suppress her anger anymore. She glared coldly at this arrogant man as she said, "Mr. Yang, you must have misunderstood me. I don't..." She had wanted to say that she didn't want to marry him, but her words were cut off.

A man slid an arm around her shoulders and sat down beside her. She looked up, surprised.

In his early twenties, he was handsome with dark hair, smooth skin, and fine brown eyes. A faint smile played on his lips as he lowered himself into the seat beside Kira. He was getting a lot of attention and rightly so. A handsome man like him was bound to make heads turn.

He looked at Mr. Yang calmly, and then at Kira as he said with a bright smile, "Honey, who is this? Is he your father? Why didn't you call me? You know I've always wanted to meet your family!"

'Oh, my God! Did he just call me honey?!' Kira stared at the handsome young man in disbelief.

What happened next was even more shocking. This handsome young man leaned over and kissed her on the cheek! He raised his eyebrows in amusement and said softly, "You look so cute when you are stunned."

Kira looked at the young man, wide-eyed. The intimacy in his eyes and voice was off the charts and she was desperate to find answers in his eyes.

Mr. Yang was seething in anger, his face turning red at the sight of Kira in the arms of a strange young man. He pointed at her and stuttered when he spoke.

"You... What...what are you doing?!"

The handsome young man finally looked at Mr. Yang, and reined in the faint smile on his face. He then said respectfully, "Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive my impertinence. You must be Kira's father, right? Kira and I have been together for two years. We love each other very much and would be honored if you would approve our marriage. I promise I'm worthy of being your daughter's husband. Please trust me!"

Mr. Yang flew into a purple-faced fury and began shouting, "You two! You think you can humiliate me?! You piece of filth! Shame on you!" He then got up and stormed out of the cafe, not bothering to look back.

It looked like Kira had managed to shake him off after all. It didn't matter that he was pissed off.

Two people sitting a few tables away noticed this scene.

Olivia Ai looked at Kira, a disdainful smile on her beautiful face. She then turned around and looked at man across from her, the calm and handsome Reid Shen. She said softly, "Such women from common families are so shameless. What do you think?"

When no answer was yet forthcoming from him, she added, "Just like that woman over there. The young man looks like he is only twenty years old. But he said he and that woman have been together for two years. She must have seduced him the moment he reached adulthood. So shameless! She should look at herself in the mirror and realize that she looks ten years older than her boyfriend!"

Reid's calm expression didn't change. A gentle smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip of the coffee. His dark eyes, on the other hand, were flashing a glint of steel.

He put down his coffee cup on the table with a loud thump.

His smile was now sarcastic as he said, "Miss Ai, have you forgotten? Last month, you were photographed in a car with a male model who was only seventeen years old. Not everyone gets amnesia. What do you think?"

Olivia was stunned. She paled and became flustered as she tried to explain herself. "Mr. Shen, please! That was just gossip made up by the entertainment reporters. I would never do such a thing!"

With a sarcastic smirk on his face, Reid pretended like he hadn't heard Olivia's explanation. Perhaps he didn't care about listening to it at all.

With his gaze locked on Kira, it only implied how much great interest he had in her.

Noticing the sarcasm on Reid's face, Olivia felt quite upset. Today's blind date thrilled her because she knew that the guy sitting opposite her held a prominent position in A City.

Reid came from a respected and well-known family. Overall, he was a handsome man with an academic degree and a high-income earner coming from the upper social class.

Olivia got the impression that Reid turned a deaf ear to her statement. After a while, she bit her bottom lip and said in a less-than-trusting voice, "Mr. Shen, to remind you, the wise will not listen to rumors. I don't see you as someone who will believe those hearsays."

At last, Reid averted his gaze and stared at Olivia. With a casual smile, he said, "Miss Ai, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I can't bear having a girlfriend with a personality and style like yours. My apologies if I have to cut this blind date short. I must go ahead now."

Olivia was still trying to explain, but what he said next rendered her speechless.

With eyebrows raised, he then added, "As for whether it's a rumor or a fact, Miss Ai, I have only one thing to say. You are quite famous in the male model population."

Olivia's face tensed up and grew pale upon hearing Reid's words. But because of his identity, she didn't dare show her resentment at him.

In the end, she snorted, stood up, and strode out of the cafe without looking back.

Reid's drop-dead gorgeous face remained unaffected even after she stormed out. With his pair of evenly slender legs crossed, his whole body loosened up as he pressed his back against the chair, exuding an impassive and noble aura.

He moved into a more relaxed position, and then his gaze landed on Kira's table again.

After Kira's blind date, Mr. Yang, had left for some time, she finally regained her senses, and only then was she able to piece together what had happened.

The moment she acted in response to what had transpired, she pulled the young man's ear in anger and tugged it hard while yelling, "Jasper! You just crossed the line! How come you kissed me? Who put you up to this?!"

Jasper Shangguan's gorgeous and chiseled face grimaced in agony. He took hold of Kira's arm, and in a muffled tone, he yelped, "Kira, that stings! Stop! It's hurting me! Can you take your hand off me first? Let me try to explain. Please!"

When Kira heard him moaning in agony, she let go of her hold on his ear. She then glared at Jasper, awaiting an answer.

"Kira, you didn't change a single bit. You've always been a violent person, and you're still acting tough. No wonder you haven't snagged a boyfriend all these years," Jasper mumbled as he rubbed his ear.

"What was that? Jasper, what did you say to me? Repeat that," Kira threatened.

Jasper held his tongue and dropped his hand that had been massaging his ear. "My sister cannot get out of the show to meet you. It just happened that my friend and I were hanging out nearby, so she called and asked for my help."

Afterward, he stared at Kira with his cute, sad eyes and added, "I thought you would extend your gratitude to me. Instead, you got upset and even pinched my ear hard."

Kira squinted at him and asked, "Are you saying that it was my fault?"

Jasper realized he just stated something foolish, so he quickly recanted his words. "No, no, no. That's not what I was trying to say, Kira. I mean, after I've helped you out, you still don't appreciate my efforts."

Faced with Jasper's accusation, Kira didn't consider his grievance to be serious. She lifted her hand and struck him forcefully on the back of his head. Then she said piercingly, "Yes, you helped me. But why did you kiss me?"

"What's the big fuss? I just kissed your cheek. I used to kiss girls when I was in the US! It's a normal thing for me," Jasper replied disdainfully.

Just after he spoke, Kira hoisted her hand and whacked him on the head once more. "Oww!" Jasper howled in pain as he held the sore spot on his head while giving her an innocent look.

Kira pulled her hand back and sipped her black coffee before saying, "Jasper, I'm not pointing any fingers at you. But you must understand that you're no longer living abroad now. If you don't change your ways here, you'll find yourself in trouble one day."

"No way! I'm so handsome," Jasper replied with conviction.

Kira rubbed her temples as she felt a dull headache coming. She really didn't understand him.

Before long, she helplessly waved her hand and told Jasper, "Forget it. I am fully aware of a real generation gap between us. By the way, where can I find your sister? When is she going to show up?"

"She said she was coming in about half an hour, so she wants you to wait here for a while," Jasper replied.

Connie was Kira's good friend, and Connie's younger brother Jasper flew in from abroad several days ago.

"All right, I get it. I appreciate your help today. You mentioned earlier you were hanging out with your friend. So go back there. Hurry and get going," Kira urged.

Jasper chuckled and gave Kira a look, which she immediately understood. She then reached for a few hundred dollars from her purse and handed it over to him.

Jasper openly took the cash, and with a charming smile, he exclaimed, "Thanks a lot for this, Kira. I love you. You'll always be my beautiful, sweet, and generous Kira!"

Kira smiled. "Well, remember to avoid consuming alcohol!"

"No need to worry, Kira. I won't be drinking. I'm leaving now."

After Jasper was gone, Kira patiently waited for Connie to come. She rested her delicate chin on top of her soft hands and looked out the window with a bored expression.

Meanwhile, when Lyle Fang returned from a bathroom break, it stunned him when he saw Reid sitting by himself at the table.

When he returned to his senses, he walked up and seated himself in front of Reid. With a sullen look, he called out, "Reid! Did you do something? How come she's gone? Do you even realize she's the fifth woman you've gone out with? You've had five blind dates this week! And all five women fled in anger! How hard is it to get along with those women?"

Reid looked forward, and he said indifferently, "I've done nothing. They just left."

"Are you saying it has nothing to do with you?" Lyle asked incredulously. "So what did you say to Miss Ai earlier?

If you didn't say anything damaging, why did she walk right out?"

Reid took a sip of his coffee before responding casually, "I only said that I can't bear having a girlfriend with a personality and style like hers."

Lyle looked at the calm and composed Reid. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was too riled to speak.

After a few minutes, he frantically roared, "Reid! What the hell, man! Are you kidding me? It's all just an act! You don't have to marry one of those women for real. Why are you so concerned about their characters? Just take one random girl back, and then you can finish your task, okay?"

The reason Reid agreed to go on blind dates was that his grandfather was gravely ill. The doctor said he had a brief life span left, and the longest time he could live was about six months. His grandfather's dying wish was to see his almost-thirty-year-old grandson get married.

Reid's parents, hoping to fulfill his grandfather's wish, forced him to go on blind dates. They wanted their son to marry as fast as he could.

Reid was, in fact, excellent in every aspect. He was a wealthy, handsome and cultured man. The only problem was he had no interest in the opposite sex.

Since the public had always seen him and Lyle hanging around together, a nasty rumor was spreading fast in A City-Reid didn't like women!

"Reid, can you at least try to be a bit friendly to your blind dates?"

'If he had been a little friendly and a little kinder, perhaps his previous dates wouldn't have left so furiously, ' Lyle thought.

On second thought, he felt that the probability of Reid doing this naturally was a perfect zero. Therefore, he sincerely suggested, "Reid, why don't you get an actress to accompany you and act for half a year?"

After constantly speaking for quite a while, Lyle felt a bit thirsty. Reid, on the other hand, was gazing into the distance and said nothing.

Lyle shouted at him, "Reid! What the hell are you doing? I've been speaking for so long and you haven't heard a word, have you?"

His eyes followed Reid's gaze subconsciously and fell on Kira.

She wasn't sitting too far away, and he recognized her easily. It stunned him to see her there. "Isn't she Kira? Has she been staying in A City after graduation?"

Reid had been silent all the time but finally reacted after hearing these words.

He turned around, but his eyes were still fixed on Kira's fingers tapping the table rhythmically. He asked plainly, "You still remember her?"

Lyle raised his amorous eyes since he understood the implications.

He was known to only remember women with a good figure. For someone as ordinary as Kira to make an impression on him was unusual to say the least.

He smiled and explained, "I know she is not my type, but I remember her because she and you..."

He paused and totally changed his sentence.

"I remember her because of her relationship with Vernon. Everyone knows about that."

The name Vernon brought a wave of gloom into Reid's dark eyes, but he regained his composure quickly.

Lyle cast a playful glance at Kira once more. She hadn't noticed them yet. He continued, "She performed a flying mare and kicked Vernon near the library. It was hilarious. I remember it clearly."

"A flying mare?" Reid frowned. He didn't know what Lyle meant.

"Yes! A flying mare! Don't you remember? You were there too!"

Lyle suddenly recalled the scene and the smile on the corners of his mouth became more obvious. After a moment he slapped his forehead. "Oh, that's right. You had left a bit before that happened. Let me tell you. Man, it was incredible!"

He excitedly narrated the events.

"Vernon had gone abroad with Nicole, the campus belle. But the guy was a total jerk! He came back to find Kira, hugged her at the entrance of the library and tried to kiss her forcibly. Can you guess what she did?"

Reid seemed indifferent and casually asked, "What did she do?"

"She threw him to the ground with a flying mare, and then stepped on his leg. Vernon could hardly breathe from intense pain and went pale. I am telling you his funny expression still makes me laugh even to this day!"

Lyle inwardly praised Kira every time he recalled Vernon's pain.

Reid was about to take a sip of his coffee but froze mid-way. His handsome face showed shock for the first time. He looked at Kira once more and this time, there was a trace of emotion for some reason in his eyes.

So, she hadn't rekindled her romance with Vernon.

While the two men were chatting, a tall and beautiful woman walked into the cafe.

She paused at the door to look around. Her eyes landed on Kira and she gently called out with a smile, "Kira."

Kira came back to her senses. She had been staring out the window, but upon seeing this newcomer, she smiled and waved. "Connie, come on over!"

The newcomer was Kira's college classmate and best friend, Connie. She was also the most popular model in A City.

As soon as Connie sat down, she asked, "Where is Jasper? I asked him to help you. Where is he?"

Kira sighed and asked gently, "Connie, did you really want Jasper to help me? Are you sure you didn't ask him to cause trouble instead?"

"One Cappuccino please, thank you," Connie requested the waiter and then turned around.

"Why? What's wrong? I asked him to help you since he's a smart guy. Did he do something wrong?"

Kira seemed even more dejected. "Well, he did help me with the current issue. But just wait and see. My mom is sure to give me a tough time tonight."

Her mom was Myla Luo.

It had to be said that the woman was infinitely capable. She lived in C City, but was still able to arrange such a plethora of blind dates for her who was in A City.

Seeing her helpless look, Connie laughed gloatingly.

"Kira, I think you're a leftover woman in your mother's eyes. Otherwise, she wouldn't arrange so many blind dates for you."

Kira rolled her eyes but sighed afterwards. "Connie, there are so many people who don't want to get married right now. Why haven't I ever met one?"

Connie glanced at her in confusion. "What would you do even if you did meet one? What's it got to do with your blind dates?"

Kira's eyes shone in excitement as she explained, "Oh, it's got something to do, all right. It's got a lot to do with them."

Connie was even more confused.

"Think about it. A man who doesn't want to get married would face immense pressure from his family, which means he would be looking for a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend so that he can quieten his family. If I meet such a man, we could help each other out!"

The more Kira said, the more excited she became as she found the plan increasingly feasible with every word.

At the very least, the plan would allow her to deal with Myla for the time being and afford her a few months of peace.

"You want to find a man to fake a marriage with?" Connie asked.

"That's right! Don't you think it's a good idea?" Kira replied quickly.

Connie lowered her head and pondered for a while. Then she replied helplessly, "It's a clever idea, I'll give you that. But you can only fool your mother for a while."

"A few days of peace and quiet is all I need." Kira threw up her hands in a helpless gesture.

Connie smiled at Kira's expression. Then she began to understand why Kira was so dejected.

"And your problem is that you can't find someone who wants a fake marriage. Correct?"

Kira felt like a deflated balloon and became depressed once more. She knew that Connie was right. Who would ever want to fake a marriage?

A few tables down, Reid was listening in to their conversation and he lowered his cold eyes thoughtfully.