Chapter 83 - Matchmaking (Part One)

My Rebirth Legend—No Pop-Up Windows

Staring at the young man before him, dressed in a blue casual jacket and a pair of Nike sneakers, with a tall, upright figure and delicate features, Chu Zhengsheng appraised me with the shrewd eyes of a seasoned businessman. It was as if, in his eyes, the person standing before him was not his daughter's savior, but a highly valuable commodity.

"Ahem, Uncle Chu, hello," I coughed awkwardly to break the increasingly uncomfortable silence. Damn, I had been at Chu Qitong's house for a good ten minutes, and Chu Zhengsheng had done nothing but stare at me without a word. Was this how you received a guest? I almost felt as though I was about to be interrogated at a police station. Thankfully, the villa was spacious and luxurious, and the genuine leather sofa beneath me eased my urge to ‘confess leniently for a lighter punishment.’

"Oh, hello, hello! Xiao Xiao, do you remember what I said at the last computer competition? I said fate brought us together, didn’t I? Think about it—it's only been two months since we met, and this is already our third meeting." Now, Chu Zhengsheng finally acted like a true host, signaling the maid to make tea as he turned and smiled at me.

"Heh, yes, Uncle Chu, we’re indeed fated," I replied on the surface, though internally I was already quite exasperated. Fated? I doubt it. If it weren’t for your precious daughter and our brush with death, how would fate have brought me into your life?

Chu Zhengsheng nodded. "Well, today I must truly thank you. To be honest, I always admired your talent, but what I admire most is that you saved my daughter. I, Chu Zhengsheng, never expected that there are still people in this world who would risk their own life to give hope to another. Xiao Xiao, you are the first man I’ve found so hard to fathom."

"Uncle, you flatter me. Honestly, the fault that day was mine. It’s all behind us, so let’s consider it a false alarm." I replied lightly.

"How can it be put to rest so easily?" Chu Zhengsheng’s expression shifted to one of seriousness. "I, Chu Zhengsheng, am a man who always repays kindness. How could I not repay someone who was willing to give his life for my daughter? Xiao Xiao, I know you’re not short of money now. That SX software—you sold it to MicroSoft, didn’t you? Impressive, truly impressive. Compared to a giant like MicroSoft, my software company is truly small. To sell your software to such a major corporation, you must have made a hefty sum. But a debt of gratitude must be repaid. Think carefully about what you want. As long as it’s within my power, I will see it done."

"Uncle Chu, you’re much too generous. I didn’t save Qitong for any reward. I saved your daughter because it was the right thing to do. Your invitation to thank me in person is already an honor. There’s no need for any further compensation." I was genuinely uneasy. I would never take Chu Zhengsheng’s compensation. Even if I were to acquire his company in the future, it would only be through proper business dealings. There’s a saying: ‘Take a man’s handouts, and your lips are sealed.’ I didn’t want to owe anyone in my heart.

"Are you sure you want nothing?" Chu Zhengsheng’s brows furrowed as he looked at me, pondering deeply. "Think it over. Are you certain?"

"Truly, Uncle Chu. Don’t feel uneasy. I saved your daughter out of my own will, not for any benefit." I deliberately feigned a trace of annoyance. "Uncle, if you insist, I’ll leave right now and never come to your home again."

"Alright, alright, if you don’t want anything, I won’t insist." The stern look on Chu Zhengsheng’s face vanished, replaced by a broad smile that made his forty-something face shine with an unexpected radiance. It gave me a sudden sense of foreboding. "Since you refuse any material gift, I have something else—my most precious treasure, in fact."

"Eh?" I was at a loss, unable to follow his train of thought.

"Heh, I have a precious daughter..." Chu Zhengsheng said with a sly grin, leaning in close and putting on a sorrowful expression. "Xiao Xiao, you’re a real man, a good man, and a genius. I’ve had my eye on you since the start, considering you as my future son-in-law. Who else could be worthy of my daughter? Only you! In the past, my daughter hated and disliked you, so I kept silent. Yet ever since you beat her at that computer competition, she stopped insulting you. In fact, she sometimes asks about you—how did I meet you, why are you so talented with computers, and so on. At first, I thought she was just digging for your secrets, but when you had that accident, I realized my daughter... she truly has feelings for you."

My heart skipped a beat. "Uncle Chu, surely not! That accident happened because your daughter came to my house to apologize. Don't joke around. I was scared to death."

If I didn’t have urgent matters to discuss with Chu Zhengsheng, I’d have fled his house by now. Good heavens, what kind of father introduces his own daughter like this? In all of history, surely only this one!

Seeing me shaking my head in disbelief, Chu Zhengsheng’s expression shifted once more, becoming calm. "Let me tell you, my daughter has never once apologized to anyone in her life, let alone to a man. Do you know what she was really up to that day? Sigh, perhaps I’m to blame. People in the city have forgotten romance. Only in the mountains does a barbecue still have some charm. My daughter took my advice, bought a pile of barbecue supplies, and planned an outing with you. Isn’t it obvious? That’s why the accident happened. You didn’t see her face when she learned you were safe, nor the absent-minded way she’s been acting these days. Anyway, my daughter’s heart has already been stolen by you. What do you intend to do about it?"

So that was it! Father and daughter had conspired against me. Now I finally understood why Chu Qitong insisted on a barbecue trip to the mountains. It had been her father’s idea all along... Ah, unlucky in choosing acquaintances, truly unlucky...

Wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, I replied bitterly, "Uncle Chu, I’m sorry. I know Qitong is a wonderful, beautiful, and intelligent girl. But... but I already have a girlfriend..."

"Tch, my daughter told me—it’s that Su Guohui’s daughter, isn't it?" Chu Zhengsheng seemed entirely unconcerned, his tone calm. "Let me tell you, there are very few fathers in this country as easygoing and protective as I am. I advise you to give up on Su Xin. Given my years of friendship with Su Guohui, I know that with your family background and abilities, he would never let his daughter be with you. Even putting aside whether you’re worthy of Su Xin, the Su family’s current situation doesn’t allow for any so-called pursuit of love. You’d best give up hope."

Hearing Chu Zhengsheng’s words, I felt a surge of anger. So this whole invitation was just a pretense to thank me—in reality, it was a matchmaking scheme! Not only that, but Chu Qitong and her father even wanted to break me and Su Xin apart! My expression grew cold as I replied disdainfully, "Who Su Xin loves is her own choice and her happiness. No one, not even her father, has the right to interfere with her freedom or her happiness."