A Blind Date with the Cold-Faced Devil

By the time Su Wan finished admitting her last patient, her stomach was aching with hunger. She had just turned toward the break room—already picturing the lukewarm boxed meal waiting for her—when the duty nurse’s call came through. “Xiao Wan,” the voice said quietly, “Wang Hao is here. The patient who was discharged last week. He’s asking for you.” Su Wan remembered him instantly. Gallbladder surgery. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Physically healthy—but unpleasant. To her, patients were patients. Nothing more, nothing less. But personalities varied, and some left impressions she would rather forget. Wang Hao belonged firmly in that category. During his hospitalization, he’d had a habit of leaning too close, speaking too familiarly, cracking jokes that carried an edge. Her colleagues called it “flirting.” Su Wan called it harassment. Still, she had been responsible for him for seven days. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance that something was medically wrong, she had to check. Outside the ward’s glass doors, Wang Hao was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, posture lazy. When he spotted her, his head tilted slightly, eyes lighting up. The standard nurse’s uniform—white coat, white cap—was meant to make everyone look the same. But Su Wan never blended in. Her skin was fair, almost luminous under hospital lights. Her almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly at the corners, pupils dark and clear. A small nose, soft cheeks—features that gave her an innocent, gentle look at first glance. Too gentle. During his stay, Wang Hao had taken every opportunity to watch her up close. The more he looked, the more convinced he became that she was the kind of beauty that lingered in a man’s thoughts. Especially her lips—soft pink, like a ripe peach. The glass door slid open. Su Wan stepped out. Wang Hao straightened, flashing a grin. “Did you miss me? Two days and already forgot your favorite patient?” The nurse on duty shot them an odd look. Su Wan lowered her gaze, fixing it on the buttons of his jacket. Her voice cooled. “What do you need? I’m in a hurry.” Wang Hao lifted a takeaway bag from behind his back. Inside was a cup of milk tea. “Didn’t know if you’d eaten yet. Thought I’d bring you something.” “I appreciate the thought,” Su Wan said flatly, “but take it back. If there’s nothing else, I’m going inside.” She turned to leave. In two long strides, Wang Hao stepped in front of her, his tall frame blocking the glass doors. One hand held the milk tea; the other raised his phone, WeChat QR code already open. “If you don’t want the drink, that’s fine. Just add me. Once you do, I’ll leave.” Su Wan took a step back. “Whether you leave or not has nothing to do with me. Block me again and I’ll call security.” She looked soft, harmless—like someone who wouldn’t dare cause trouble. Wang Hao laughed. “Go ahead. Call them.” She didn’t even look at him. Su Wan walked straight to the duty desk and pulled out her phone. The security office number was already saved. She dialed without hesitation. Wang Hao’s eyesight was good enough to see that she wasn’t bluffing. The heat drained out of him instantly, like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. He had come today expecting her to be timid, easy to pressure. Instead, he’d hit a wall. This was a law-abiding society. He wasn’t stupid enough to escalate. With a dark look at Su Wan—still calmly speaking to security—he snorted, tossed the milk tea into the trash, and turned away. Once his figure disappeared down the corridor, Su Wan told security they didn’t need to come up after all. The duty nurse clicked her tongue approvingly. “Well done. The nerve of some people, coming to a hospital to act like that.” Su Wan pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m going to eat before I pass out.” She turned— And froze. Standing just beyond the glass door was Head Nurse Li Mei, arms folded, expression unreadable. She had no idea how long the woman had been there. Su Wan’s heart skipped. She pushed the door open anyway. “Are you heading out?” Li Mei studied her for a moment before closing the door behind them. “No. I saw you had trouble and came to take a look.” Su Wan hurried to explain. “He tried to add me when he was hospitalized. I ignored him. I didn’t expect he’d show up again—” “This isn’t the place to talk,” Li Mei said, already turning. “Come with me.” She led Su Wan to the break room. It was empty. A boxed meal sat on the table, long since gone cold. Li Mei nudged Su Wan’s shoulder. “Eat first. Don’t let yourself go hungry.” The gentleness in her tone loosened the knot in Su Wan’s chest. She pulled out a chair for Li Mei, washed her hands, then sat down and opened the box. Before taking a bite, she glanced up hesitantly. Li Mei laughed. “Relax. You handled that perfectly. I didn’t come to scold you. I came for something else.” Su Wan blinked. “Yes?” “You eat,” Li Mei said, checking her phone. “I’ll reply to a message.” Su Wan didn’t waste the opportunity. She ate quickly. When she was halfway through, Li Mei finally put her phone down and smiled at her. “You’re so pretty. Still don’t have a boyfriend?” Su Wan: … That familiar opening line sent a chill down her spine. She shook her head and buried herself in her food. “Plenty of guys chased you in college, right?” “There were only five men in my major,” Su Wan said. “All taken.” Li Mei knew nursing programs well enough to understand—but Su Wan’s face would have stood out in any department. The truth was, not many had approached her. She was quiet, kept to herself. Four years of dormitory, classroom, library, cafeteria—on repeat. After graduation, two years of hospital rotations in the capital left her exhausted and single. Then she returned home to Tong City, a small third-tier town. “In the past six months,” Li Mei said casually, “people must’ve tried to set you up a lot.” Su Wan nodded. Relatives. Friends. Even neighborhood aunties she barely recognized. She’d learned only after coming back how popular nurses were in the matchmaking market—ranked just below teachers, civil servants, and doctors. Her grandmother wanted her settled. Su Wan didn’t resist. She went to every date her grandmother approved. Once a month. Not a single spark. Now, the word blind date alone gave her a headache. Li Mei smiled knowingly. “Xiao Wan, we’re both busy, so I’ll be direct.” She leaned forward slightly. “I like you. You just joined the department, and I’ve never once spoken harshly to you. That’s true, right?” Su Wan nodded. “Of course, I like you because you’re diligent and capable. Not because I planned to play matchmaker from day one.” That made Su Wan laugh, tension easing. Her cheeks were faintly flushed from eating, soft pink like a half-ripe peach. Li Mei thought, What a waste if she stays single. “I have a cousin,” she said. “Her son’s name is Lu Feng. I want to introduce him to you.” She pulled out her phone and showed a photo. Su Wan leaned in. The picture showed a man peeling an orange, head lowered. Not a posed shot—more like a candid one. Only part of his profile was visible. He wore casual trousers and a black sweater. Simple. Domestic. Su Wan straightened quickly and smiled politely. “He looks handsome.” Li Mei continued enthusiastically. “Top university in the capital. Works at his family company.” “Thirty this year—older than you, but look at that height. One ninety!” “Very wealthy. Those two shopping complexes downtown? His family owns them.” “And his character—I guarantee it. Just a little quiet, not good with words. Might seem boring. But upside? Never dated. Clean slate.” Su Wan listened, fingers tightening slightly. “With conditions like that… he probably wouldn’t be interested in me.” Their family backgrounds were worlds apart. Li Mei waved it off. “Nonsense. He’s thirty—he can’t afford to be picky. His family doesn’t care about background, only personality. I know you. I know him. You’re a good match. Just have dinner first. Don’t overthink it.” Su Wan hesitated. Li Mei smiled. “Of course, if you’re not interested, I’ll drop it. It’s just a shame—he hates taking photos. His mother searched half the night to find this one.” Su Wan: … She couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright. “…He really doesn’t mind my family situation?” she asked softly. “Absolutely not,” Li Mei said firmly. “Trust me.” Su Wan’s face warmed. “Then… I’ll trouble you.” That evening, her grandmother went out to dance in the square. Su Wan finished cleaning up and curled up on the sofa, scrolling her phone. A WeChat friend request popped up. Lu Feng Recommended by Head Nurse Li Mei She accepted. His profile picture was a star-filled night sky. His Moments were empty. A message came through almost immediately. Lu Feng: Good evening, Nurse Su. Su Wan: Good evening. Lu Feng: Did Aunt Li show you my photo? Su Wan: Yes. Lu Feng: Do you think there’s anything wrong with how I look? Su Wan paused. She recalled the photo—bronzed skin, sharp features, strong jawline. Definitely not unattractive. Just very tall. She was 165 cm; she’d barely reach his shoulder. But that wasn’t really an issue. Su Wan: You look fine. No problems. Lu Feng: Good. She showed me your photo too. Su Wan: And? Anything wrong with mine? Lu Feng: Very pretty. Then— Lu Feng: Since our first impressions passed, may I invite you to dinner? Su Wan smiled faintly. Su Wan: Sure. That’s how blind dates usually work. Lu Feng: When are you free? She checked her schedule. Su Wan: Wednesday or Sunday afternoon. (It was Monday.) Lu Feng: Wednesday.