Spring was approaching, so it was inevitably a little chilly. Perhaps because the new year was arriving, the entire City Z was immersed in bustling excitement. Despite the cold wind attacking this flourishing city, it did not dampen everyone's spirits.

The evening sky was hazy as it started to drizzle. The lively city seemed to suddenly have a hint of indistinct tranquility to it too.

A black Volkswagen Passat slowly drove out from the underground parking lot of a tall building in City Z's northern district. It passed through the long and wide road and made its way straight to the city center.

The streets seemed very bleak at night. Accentuated by the fall of the hazy drizzle, it made the streetlights on both sides seem a little dimmer.

In the driver's seat, Xi Xiaye was steadily maneuvering the steering wheel with one hand while her other hand was propped up beside the opened car window. Frigid wind continuously streamed in through the window, ruffling her shoulder-length hair into a mess.

She wore a black blouse and black trousers on the inside. Outside, she wore a bright pink windbreaker with black high heels. This was how Xi Xiaye usually dressed as she did not have many clothes. Apart from the dull, all-year-round, black professional suit, she did not have many other apparel.

...

City Z's downtown restaurant was currently filled with guests.

Xi Xiaye walked in with graceful strides, her cold gaze briefly examining the entire restaurant. Then, finally, her sharp eyes settled on a certain corner with a table.

Xi Xiaye picked up her pace and walked over. The man who had been sitting there, waiting for quite a while put his phone away. He looked up at Xi Xiaye and when he had a closer look at Xi Xiaye, an intense light shone in his eyes quickly.

"Mr. Wang Hong?"

Her hostile and slightly raspy voice rang out, and Xi Xiaye's unwavering gaze indifferently swept across the man before her.

The man looked about 30-odd years old. He wore a suit and had an ordinary appearance. One could not call him handsome. When he saw Xi Xiaye, there was a small smile on his face, but Xi Xiaye thought it looked a little garish.

The man nodded and quickly stood up. "Yes, I'm Wang Hong. Are you Miss Xi Xiaye?"

Xi Xiaye acknowledged, then she pulled the chair opposite him out and sat down. "Apologies for making you wait."

Wang Hong sat down too. His voice sounded a little pompous. "It's nothing. It's only right and proper for men to wait on women, but it's fine as long as there isn't a next time. I'm sure you know about my situation, Miss Xi. I'm not too sure about your story though. It's best if you could introduce yourself first."

Xi Xiaye nodded indifferently. "Let's order first."

Then, she gestured for the waiter to take their orders.

"I'm Xi Xiaye. I work at Glory World Corporation and I'm 26."

Xi Xiaye pulled the black gloves on her hand off and tossed them aside as she spoke nonchalantly.

"Mmm, I recall that Aunty Liu has introduced you to me before. I heard that you attended the military academy and graduated from military business school."

Wang Hong suddenly remembered something. He paused here, then he looked profoundly towards Xi Xiaye again, and continued after a while, "To be honest, I'm in the military myself, but I don't want to find someone who shares the same identity as me, but I'm quite happy with your current occupation. I think that women should run a household well and be a good wife, don't you think?"

When she heard this, Xi Xiaye's beautiful, twinkling eyes suddenly revealed a stern coldness. While her expression did not change as she looked heartlessly at this arrogant man before her, she remained silent.

"How many times have you been in a relationship before this? Are you still a virgin?" The man asked once again, not finding it awkward at all.

When Xi Xiaye heard him, she instantly frowned and could not help but start disliking him.

"By the looks of it, you should be. I don't date innocent girls. They have too few life experiences and usually don't know what they want. In fact, they are usually very easily tempted and find it hard to be loyal. Rather than being cheated on after marriage, I'd prefer to find an experienced woman," Wang Hong spoke without hesitation, appearing as if he had experienced a lot.

"I'm a man who prioritizes being practical. I've been through too much. You could say that I've done everything a man can, and have gone through everything a man can experience. I want to find an experienced woman to spend the rest of my life with me. I won't be thoroughly in touch with innocent women like you. It's not that I don't dare to; it's that we won't be suitable, the reason being that simple women are unstable," continued Wang Hong when he saw Xi Xiaye keeping quiet.

"How can one be so sure that an imperfect woman would definitely have plenty of experience? And where did you get this theory that innocent women don't have experience, and won't be able to resist temptation?" After a long while, Xi Xiaye finally smiled coldly and said with hostility, "Aren't your views a little too extreme?"

"Then let me tell you, I've had one night stands, I still have a lover now. Can you accept a man like me as your husband?" Wang Hong looked arrogantly at Xi Xiaye as if such a thing was to be proud of.

"What is marriage to you?" Xi Xiaye asked in reply.

"Responsibility, loyalty, and trust."

"Then, what are you trying to imply right now? Are you trying to boast to me that you're huge in demand? Does your so-called 'loyalty' and 'trust' allow you to go on a blind date with another woman while having one-night stands and having a lover? Mr. Wang, I can only say that you're really the military's best quality [1]. 1 Later on, I should get your commanding officer to award you with a medal and record these praises."

Xi Xiaye spoke without much emotion, but her hostile tone was akin to loose ice on the surface of a lake at the beginning of spring. It was piercing cold.

"I'm not looking for simple women. This is my pre-requisite for marriage. They are pure on the surface when in reality, they aren't stable at all, so they find it hard to be loyal."

Wang Hong seemed to be determined. His eyes seemed to be filled with resolve as he looked at Xi Xiaye, yet Xiaye caught a flash of hidden light in his eyes.

"Then, you can continue slowly finding your socially experienced woman." Xi Xiaye nonchalantly smiled.

At this moment, the waiter had already served the dishes. Xi Xiaye was not reserved at all. She picked up her chopsticks as if the man across her did not exist.

"Are you angry, Ms. Xi? I can't deny that the things you said earlier make some sense too, but this is just the universal pattern. My life experiences tell me that many simple women are just no good."

"Mr. Wang, I think that you don't have to explain these things to me right now. Since the second I sat down, I've already noticed that you aren't someone I'm looking for. The husband I want should be at least 1.8 meters tall. If he was a serviceman, his military post must be above regiment level and his rank should be at least Lieutenant Colonel. He must be the classic Mr. Perfect [2] 2 . I'm very sorry that you didn't match up to any of my standards. That means you, Mr. Wang Hong, your qualifications cannot match up to me, Xi Xiaye. Eating with people like you, I can always save on my meals. I'm done here. Enjoy your meal!"