President's Scheme

Bella Halty was going on a blind date today, her 12th time this month.

She was painting a landscape when her mother Bobby Hice called to remind her of the date. Only then did she remember that she had an appointment at 19:30.

The clock told her that it was almost time.

She grabbed a cloak and hurried downstairs.

According to Bobby's description on the phone, the man was a success in the finance industry and was just back from the UK to find a lifelong partner.

"You must behave well this time. He's the last good man I know. If you miss him, you can find no one better than him," the old woman said over the phone. Afraid that Bella would be offhand with the date, she threatened, "If you mess it up, wait and see how I'll punish you!"

"Please don't worry. I promise I'll bring a son-in-law to you this time," Bella smirked flatteringly.

She raced all the way to the rendezvous.

Clack! While she was running like a gust, her heel was caught in a crack. With a stumble, she almost kissed the ground.

She regained her footing and lifted her shoe, trying to get the heel out of the crack. But the heel didn't move a bit as if it was rooted to the ground.

This made her rather anxious. Why was she so unlucky today?

She exhaled deeply and peered around. Thankfully, the passers-by were all in a hurry and didn't bother to look at her.

Taking off her shoe, she stood on one foot and wobbled uncontrollably. Angry, she put her bare tiptoes on the ground, squatted down, and tried to pull the shoe out with one hand. But however she tried, the heel was still firmly stuck in the crack.

She huffed irritably, "Are you going against me on purpose?"

While she was anxious and helpless, she heard a magnetic, deep voice, "Watch out!"

A pretty hand reached over to protect her from teetering.

She was astonished by the moist warmth from that hand.

As the man squatted, Bellia could only see his short black hair and tan neck.

He did not use much strength, afraid to break the heel. With a few attempts, he finally got the heel out of the crack.

"Thank you." Bella took the shoe hurriedly and patted her toes. With her head lowered, she put on the shoe.

A white tissue appeared in front of her.

Bella hesitated for a moment and landed her gaze on his well-shaped hand. Who could own such a hand except for a pianist?

When she wanted to say "thank you" again, he had turned around.

She lifted her head and glanced at his side face that sent her heart pit-a-pat. Never had she felt fascinated like this before!

Stunned, she watched him leave until that cream-colored windbreaker became a spot in the distance.

The door of the club was pushed open.

The baroque style of decoration was rather dazzling. Bella drew her attention from the gorgeous colors and pulled out a note from her pocket. Then, she dialed the number.

Finally, she saw that "good" man. He had short hair, a medium figure, and an ordinary square face. Basically, he was the type that was inconspicuous among the crowd, which meant he would have a more brilliant career if he chose to be an agent.

"I'm sorry to be late. I was stuck in traffic." Bella said apologetically as she folded her cloak and placed it on the backrest. Then, she sat down opposite him.

"Miss Halty, you're 21 minutes late. If you were my business partner, I would doubt your sincerity. Within 21 minutes, the stock market can go up or down by a few percentage points, which is enough to bankrupt many people," the man said seriously.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to be late." Being severely preached, Bella could only apologize again.

Softly, she brushed her wet hair. She had been in such a hurry when going out that she hadn't taken an umbrella. Afraid to be late, she could only run ahead against the rain.

After running a long distance, she looked a little pale. Her rain-soaked hair stuck to her forehead, making her a bit awkward.

With a frown, the man handed a tissue over. "Wipe your hair."

Bella forced a smile and took the tissue. "Thank you."

"What would you like to drink?"

She looked up into his eyes which were ordinary but extremely shrewd.

"Coffee."

He beckoned to the waiter and helped her order a coffee.

"I heard that you're an artist, right?" he asked.

"Well, I'm an art teacher in a primary school, not exactly an artist," she corrected and explained immediately. As she said, she crumpled the wet tissue and threw it into the ashtray.

"I see," the man drawled, stirring his coffee with his head lowered. "Academic degree is not important for a woman. The educational background of an ordinary university is quite enough. Certainly, I'm pleased to know that you're good at arts. This way, you can teach children about the arts in the future."

"Children?" Bella asked in confusion.

"Yes. Don't you want children after marriage?"

Well, they had just met. Wasn't it too fast to talk about children? Bella felt a twitch on the corner of her lips.

"How long have you been back?" She didn't want to continue the topic that seemed too far from her.

As she asked, the waiter served the coffee. She held the cup with both hands and felt its warmth.

"About half a month." The man raised his cup gracefully and had a sip of coffee.

"Do you get used to the life here?" She also sipped the coffee that was as bitter-sweet as life.

"Well, not quite. Although I'm a very adaptable person, I haven't got used to the life here after being in England for a long time." He spread his arms on the backrest leisurely.

"What are your hobbies, Miss Halty?" he kept asking.

"I like painting, reading, and..."

"Can you cook?" he interrupted.

"Yes, but not that much." She usually went to the company's canteen on weekdays and her mother's house at the weekend. So basically, she didn't need to cook by herself.

"A woman is very important for a family. She's the one who sustains the stability of a family. Only when families are stable can our society be harmonious." the man went on seriously.

Bella was rendered speechless. She had never known that she, as a woman, was playing such a significant role in society.

"It's a virtue for a woman to look after her family in China. A modern woman must be good at cooking. If we get married, you should quit your job and be responsible for housekeeping. After we have children, you just need to stay at home and take care of them. It's a man's thing to earn money. Anyway, teaching is lowly-paid and hard. Do you think so?" the man said without a pause.

Bella nodded hastily. She had never thought about these moral responsibilities which sounded pretty surprising and fresh to her.

The man was very pleased with her meekness.

Then, he began planning for their future. As he babbled, Bella couldn't help frowning, but she told herself that she must tolerate it.

As the rain kept pattering, the glass window was gradually covered with a layer of haze. The restaurant became moist and sultry with a little mist.

While the man was talking animatedly, his phone on the table rang. He looked somewhat stunned with a look at the screen and hung up the phone instantly.

But the caller was not discouraged and called again.

"You may answer the phone. I'm okay with this," Bella said as he was about to hang up the phone again.

He frowned. "I'm sorry. I need a few minutes."

The man's gentlemanly British style made her feel like an egg was stuck in her throat.

While he talked on the phone, Bella went to the restroom to catch a breath.

When she went out of the restroom, a tall figure, wearing a cream-colored windbreaker, whooshed past in front of her.

Surprised, she followed him immediately until he walked into a room. For a long while, she stood there in a daze.

When Bella was back, Bobby was watching TV in the living room. Obviously, this old woman was waiting for her daughter.

"Hasn't Chuck been back?" There was only Bobby there.

Chuck Halty was Bella's father.

When Bella took off her shoes, she found two blisters on her feet. She took out her cotton slippers from the cabinet and put them on.

She wanted to escape Mrs. Halty's interrogation at first, but this old lady gave her a call after another. She supposed she couldn't sleep tonight if she didn't go home.

Since Bella went in, Bobby had kept her stare steadily on her.

"I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?" Bella still felt ached in her feet.

"There are leftovers in the refrigerator. Heat them in the microwave. Don't eat them cold." Bobby pointed at the kitchen.

Bella felt rather uneasy under her mother's gaze. But anyway, she had to fill her stomach right away.

"Well, didn't you have dinner together?" Bobby realized something wrong and asked. Wasn't dinner a routine in a blind date?

"We drank coffee for a night, but perhaps he'd had dinner before our date. The time you arranged was really not the time for a meal. I starved for a whole night."

Bella complained as she opened the refrigerator and took out a plate of leftovers. Well, better than nothing.

In fact, the "returnee" offered to invite her to midnight snacks, but she declined with the excuse that she was on diet. After hearing him talk about women's moral duties for a night, how did she have the appetite for food by then?

Hearing her excuse, he smiled and said, "Women have taken weight-losing as a fashion. But you don't need to follow the trend because you're thin enough. It's not good to be too thin; that may be harmful to fertility..."

Before they parted, he added that they should spend more time together during these days so they could know more about each other.

When he offered to drive her back, she declined again, explaining that her home was not far away.

When she boarded the bus, she sighed with relief.

Since she had to work on Monday, she went back to her rented apartment the next day.

Mrs. Halty had once been a leader in a unit; after her early retirement, she had been bored with her leisurely life. Now, she finally found a glorious mission, which was to help her daughter look for a boyfriend.

That troubled Bella deeply. Energetic as she usually was, the blind date every week almost exhausted her.

Cindy Gill joked about that, "What about selecting a man casually? It's so tiring to keep on like this."

Bella also wanted to do so, but she'd rather swallow a live frog than face a man who she didn't like.

In her Hyundai, Bella played a light rock of Elvis Presley's.

After several days' raining, it was finally sunny today. During the early summer, this northern city appeared hot and moist.

She parked her car in the lot and carried lots of things upstairs. She was always forced to "loot" her home as if she would starve to death without the extra food.

"If you starve to death, I don't need to take care of you then. But if you starve to half death, I have to send you to the hospital, which is a great cost. It doesn't pay at all."

Which mother would say so except for Mrs. Halty? Bella sometimes doubted that she was not Mrs. Halty's biological daughter. Perhaps, she had once been an orphan under a bridge...

After a long while of struggle, she finally got everything into her apartment. Tired, she threw herself onto the bed and spread her limbs with a sigh. It was really not easy to get rid of Mrs. Halty's control.

Just then, her phone rang. It was from Cindy.

"Where are you now?"

"Bed," Bella panted and replied in a muffled voice.

"Why are you panting? Are you doing that kind of thing?" Cindy asked with a naughty smile.

"I'd like to, but I can't do it alone. It can only be done through cooperation." Eyes closed, Bella could see Cindy's meaningful grin in her mind.

"Didn't you meet a man yesterday? How is he?"

"Alas, he's looking for a nanny rather than a wife. I'm afraid I can't meet his requirement." Bella heaved a deep sigh. It was really not a job she could do.

"Hehe, it's very easy to be a nanny. You only need to cook and do the cleaning. If I were you, I would take this job."

"I can leave him to you," Bella said feebly.

"Hehe, didn't your mother say he was a rare good man? If you spend a sweet night with him, perhaps he won't make you a nanny."

"Come on, I don't want to get AIDS. He's just back from overseas. Who knows whether he's carrying any disease or not?"

Bella rolled over on the bed and changed a hand to hold the phone. Her arms were sore after carrying the heavy things.

"Do you have any plan tonight? Come and meet me, okay?" Cindy's tone suddenly became playful.

"Please don't introduce any handsome man to me. I've been immune to that." Bella put a pillow under her head and felt much better.

"Oh my god, has Mrs. Halty made you sick? How could you be uninterested in handsome men? Has your sexual orientation changed?" Cindy laughed so wildly that Bella felt an urge to beat her.

"Just cut the crap. I'll meet you in the usual place." Suddenly, Cindy sounded serious. "Don't drive your car."

"For what?" Bella asked casually.

"Sophia got a promotion. We must make her pay the bill tonight." Cindy explained joyfully.

"Tut-tut. I'll get changed first. See you later." Bella suddenly regained her vigor, jumping off the bed like a spring. There was finally a good thing after a few dispiriting days.

Sophia Smith was one of their trio, a typical white-collar elite in the city. She had just entered a new big company with a considerable salary.

They used to get together every week. But since she worked in that company, they hadn't met for some time.

The "usual place" was the bar that they often visited.

Bella, just like a gorgeous black rose, was wearing a strapless fishtail dress with lace. Since it might be chilly in the evening, she also put on a thin windbreaker.

When she arrived at the bar, Cindy had been there drinking a glass of Scotch.

The dim light made the atmosphere weirdly mysterious, stirring the restless cells inside them. In the wild music, they slowly relaxed their muscles.

Sophia hadn't come yet, though on the phone, she said she would be right there. Was this workaholic taking work as her husband? Why was it so hard to meet her?

"Whatever! Bella and I have been drinking. Just come and pay the bill after a while." Cindy put down her phone. "Why is she so diligent? Does she want to marry her company?"

"You have a husband and don't need to worry about livelihood. But we have to trade time and effort for a meager salary." Bella smiled wrily as she saw the confusion on Cindy's face.

"You can also get married. Why bother struggle for a hard life?" Cindy had a sip of wine and said casually.

"All right, I'll find a man and give myself to him tonight." Thanks to the alcohol, Bella's tone became euphoric and her smile turned wild.

"Very well, I don't have such a chance like you. Just let me find one man for you and one for Sophia tonight." Cindy looked around, her eyes lit up with excitement. Even a male mosquito couldn't escape her research.

"I'd rather be a single woman than be a married grumbler," Bella said jokingly. For a business purpose, Cindy got married right after her graduation. But running a marriage was different from operating a company, and she often complained about some daily trifles in front of Bella and Cindy.

"I'm indeed a married grumbler, but I'm also an exceptionally beautiful grumbler," Cindy looked rather confident.

Bella pretended to retch. "How thick-skinned you are!"

"Where are handsome men?" After searching the entire bar, Cindy looked somewhat disappointed. No one reached her expectation.

But the next second, her eyes lit up again. She raised her chin and pointed at a corner. "Hey, what about that man?"

Bella looked over, but the light was too dim. Vaguely, she saw two men, one in white with back to her, and the other in gray facing her. At this moment, they were chatting with their head slightly lowered.

"Just so-so. At least I'm not fascinated." How did she have the mood to appreciate a handsome face? After so many blind dates, she felt disgusted at the sight of any man.

"I mean the man in white. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen! What a miserable taste you have!"

"I'm not interested in males." Bella was spiritless talking about men.

"Come on, if you're so lethargic, how can you hook up with a man?"

Cindy heaved an exaggeratedly deep sigh.

"I'm looking for a husband, a life partner, not a one-night stand."

Seeing Cindy's meaningful smile, Bella couldn't help poking her forehead.

"Come on, life partner? You're still a virgin, aren't you? It's not something worth celebrating to be virginal at your age." Cindy laughed impishly and crazily.

Bella ignored her laughter and had a sip of her wine. "My body is left for someone I will love..."

"Madams, is the seat occupied?" A voice sounded.

Neither of them bothered to look up. Obviously, a man was trying to chat them up.

"May I sit down here?" He seemed not irritated by their indifference.

The seat was the bar's, not theirs. Anyone could sit there as long as it was empty.

"Just ask the barkeeper." Cindy had a glance at him and rolled her eyes. Who gave this mediocre man the courage to accost her?

Getting no response, the man sat down directly.

"May I treat you to a glass of wine?" he asked again.

Bella turned her head.

Then, she was stunned. This man looked so familiar.

Well, wasn't he the "returnee" yesterday? Just then, the man also recognized Bella and looked somewhat embarrassed.

"It's you, Miss Halty!"

"Hi." What was his name? Bella didn't remember his surname.

"What a coincidence to see you here!" He smirked awkwardly.

Who wanted such a coincidence with you disgusting man? Bella cursed him in her heart, but still, she forced a smile. "Yes, what a coincidence!"

"Fate brought us together. Please let me treat you to the wine." The man sat closer and tilted his head to look at the two ladies.

Cindy noticed the embarrassment on their faces and took out her phone. Then, she texted Bella.

"Who's he? Do you know him?"

"The 'returnee' I met yesterday." Bella heard a "Ding!" from her phone and replied to the message.

Cindy tittered. Things became interesting!

"He dated you yesterday and accosted women today. But he met you again! Interesting!"

Bella looked at the screen and didn't know what to say. With a wry smile, she looked at Cindy.

Cindy understood her meaning at once.

"Sir, do you know me?" She blinked her eyes that were as pure as the lake.

The man shook his head with a smile.

"It's okay. I'm married, so you don't have a chance," Cindy said calmly.

Stunned, the man looked a little disappointed.

"Then do you know her?" she pointed her chin at Bella.

The man looked at Bella hesitantly and said after a while, "Yesterday, we..."

"Ah! What a pity! She's been reconciled with her boyfriend. Isn't it usual for a couple to quarrel? But Bella was too impulsive and wanted to provoke her boyfriend by dating another man, which is just boring!"

Cindy threw a stare at Bella who looked somewhat confused. But the next second, she realized what Cindy was doing.

"Bella, ask your man over and introduce him to our new friend. Without this friend's help, you wouldn't have been reconciled so fast."

Bella was rendered speechless.

"Hurry up!" Cindy pointed her chin at that corner.

Puzzled, Bella looked at Cindy and then the corner.

"Ask your Mr. Right to drink with us," Cindy urged.

Bella really didn't know what to do.

But Cindy had a fierce stare at her.

Helpless, Bella walked toward the corner. When she was a meter away from the two men, she stopped and fumbled in vain for words.

The two men stopped chatting. The white-shirted one turned around and looked up at her with curiosity.

Under the faint light, she finally saw his face; his eyes were black and deep-set under his thick brows. In general, he was not only handsome but also graceful. No wonder Cindy, a worldly woman, would think he was charming with only one glance.

He asked with an inconspicuous smile, "Anything?"

"My friend wants to treat you to some wine."

As she stammered, her face became as red as burning charcoal. It was the first time for her, a frequent bar visitor, to be so nervous in front of a man.

He looked surprised, but then, he said to his friend with a smile, "I'll be right back. Excuse me for a moment."

As such, he followed Bella over.

Cindy's jaw dropped as she saw them approach. Bella was so awesome tonight! Well done, sweetheart!

"Hi!" The white-shirted man greeted Cindy and the "returnee" politely.

At this moment, Bella was lost in thought. She supposed she might have seen him before, but she couldn't call to mind where she had met him. Perhaps he just looked like an actor, and yet she didn't know which actor it was. After all, she hadn't watched TV for a long time.

"Hi!" Cindy gazed at him in astonishment. To be exact, her mouth had been watering. What a pretty prey for Bella!

"Are you really her boyfriend?" The "returnee" pointed at Bella and looked at the white-shirted man in confusion.

The white-shirted man seemed to have understood something. He smiled faintly and didn't deny at once.