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.