"Miss Bennett, how much do you make a month?"

Scarlett's hand paused mid-stir in her coffee. Her gaze shifted to the man sitting across from her—today's blind date. According to the matchmaker and Scarlett's overly enthusiastic mother, this man was supposed to be "top-tier": a supervisor at a large company with an impressive monthly salary in the tens of thousands.

At just twenty-four, Scarlett had already been hounded by her mother to the point of dreading trips home, which left her with no choice but to go on dates like this. But honestly, she hadn't expected her so-called 'ideal candidate' to kick things off with a question straight out of a financial interview.

"This café? I own it," Scarlett replied, her tone calm and poised. The man glanced around the place, looking satisfied, so she dropped the follow-up. "Although, it's not exactly making money yet."

His expression shifted instantly. "Wait, you're running at a loss?"

She gave a light nod, still keeping her composure.

He frowned. "So, did you use your own money, or are you in debt? How much do you owe?"

"I co-invested with a friend," Scarlett said candidly, "and yes, I borrowed some. Around a hundred grand."

The displeasure on his face was unmistakable, and honestly? That suited her just fine—she found him equally unappealing."Miss Bennett, here’s the deal. Any debt you have from before marriage? Don’t count on me to pay it off. And I’m guessing you don’t own any property either, right? Well, I have two apartments under my name, both my premarital assets. After marriage, you can live in one of them, and we’ll split the mortgage, but I won’t be putting your name on the title."

"Oh, and I’m not getting any younger. My parents are eager to have grandkids. After we’re married, I’d expect you to get pregnant ASAP. But don’t think they’ll help with childcare—they’ve already worked hard enough raising me and my siblings. The kid’s care would entirely be on you."

"I don’t cook and am pretty busy with work, so meals? Your job. House chores? Also you. I like a clean and tidy home, so make sure it’s spotless. A messy place would really ruin my mood when I get back from work."

"One more thing—"

"Mr. Perry," Scarlett interrupted him, her tone sharp. His face darkened slightly, clearly not used to being cut off mid-sentence, but Scarlett didn’t care about his reaction. She spoke bluntly, "Mr. Perry, I’m sorry, but you’ve got the wrong person. I can’t meet your conditions, and honestly, I suggest you go find someone who’s okay with being an unpaid nanny for your family. The coffee is on me."

With that, she gestured toward the door, inviting him to leave.

His face turned a deep shade of red, clearly stunned by her candid refusal. He likely thought of himself as a catch—high income, good assets—and assumed meeting Scarlett was doing her a favor. After all, he was graciously willing to marry her despite only being attracted to her youthful appearance. Too bad for him, Scarlett wasn’t about to play along.Nathaniel Hart abruptly stood up, pulling out his wallet. He yanked out a hundred-dollar bill and slapped it onto the table with a sharp thud. “I can afford a cup of coffee, Miss Bennett. No need for you to treat me,” he said coldly.

After shoving his wallet back into his pocket, he pushed the chair aside and turned to leave. But a few steps away, he stopped, looked back at Scarlett Bennett, and added with a sneer, “Women like you, who don’t know how to contribute to a family or show basic manners, will never get married.”

Scarlett didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her coffee cup and hurled it, coffee and all, straight at Nathaniel. Her voice was sharp and cutting as she shouted, “Get lost!”

Caught off guard, Nathaniel didn’t manage to dodge. The coffee splashed all over his pristine white suit, staining it instantly. His face turned red with anger as he stomped in frustration. By then, the commotion had drawn curious glances from the other customers in the café. Realizing that arguing back would only make things worse, he clenched his jaw and spat out, “A good man doesn’t stoop to the level of a nasty woman.”

With that, he stormed off in a huff.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “What a joke. Calls himself a ‘high-quality man.’ Ridiculous.” She felt her frustration boil—what a complete waste of time. There was no way she’d ever consider ending up with someone like that, even if it meant staying single forever.

A small crowd of onlookers who had originally planned to leave paused to take in the scene. After the dramatic display, most dispersed, exchanging amused remarks among themselves. One man lingered behind, saying a few words to the others before stepping toward Scarlett.

“Scarlett,” he called out.Scarlett heard a calm voice calling her name, and instinctively turned to look at the man walking toward her.

She quickly stood up, her face instantly lighting up with a bright smile. "Nathaniel, what brings you here?"

Nathaniel Hart replied with a small smile, "I had plans to meet some friends here. You weren’t around when I came in earlier."

That explained why, even as the owner of Serendipity Cafe, Scarlett hadn’t noticed Nathaniel’s arrival.

"Mind if I join you?" Nathaniel asked, his tone as polite as ever.

"Of course not, have a seat!" Scarlett immediately motioned for him to sit and called over a server to tidy up the table. Then, she looked at Nathaniel and said enthusiastically, "Hang on, I’ll brew you a fresh cup of coffee myself."

"No need," Nathaniel replied casually. "A glass of warm water will do. I’ve already had a coffee; another one might just keep me up all night."

So Scarlett poured him a glass of warm water herself and asked the server to bring over some snacks.

Nathaniel had been college classmates with Scarlett’s older brother, Lucas Bennett. Back when Lucas was attending university, he frequently traveled between S City and A City during school holidays. Although Lucas and Nathaniel weren’t particularly close, they often ended up taking the same train back home because they both hailed from the same town.

Scarlett, five years younger than her brother, used to tag along with their father to pick Lucas up from the station. That was when she would bump into Nathaniel as well.Even though most of their interactions over the years were limited to quick greetings, Scarlett Bennett and Nathaniel Hart had known each other for a solid eleven years. Despite not having seen him in recent years, Scarlett recognized him instantly when their paths crossed again.

“What was that all about just now?” Nathaniel asked, his tone calm and steady.

Scarlett let out a sigh, her face full of frustration, and unloaded her complaint: “Nate, I’m only twenty-four, but my mom’s been pushing me so hard to get married that I’m honestly scared to go home. Whenever she bumps into someone she knows, she immediately asks them to set me up with someone. This whole month, she’s called me ten times a day to hound me. I’ve already been on, like, ten blind dates in a row.”

Nathaniel paused, then said, “Well... sounds like your mom’s a bit anxious.”

He still remembered meeting Scarlett when she was just thirteen, and it hit him how quickly time had flown now that she was already twenty-four.

“Exactly! Take today for example. The guy I was supposed to meet claimed he was some ‘premium bachelor.’ Yeah right—more like a ‘premium joke.’ No wonder he’s single and pushing forty. He expects others to do all the work while he just sits back like a king.”

Nathaniel studied her for a moment before replying, “Someone like you doesn’t even need blind dates. Honestly, men should be lining up around the block for a shot.”Nathaniel Hart had pretty much watched this girl grow up. Back then, she was sweet and a little naive, but now, she's grown into a confident, charming woman. There was something captivating in the way she carried herself—it was hard to imagine she lacked admirers.

Scarlett Bennett pursed her lips before explaining, "I had a boyfriend back in college. We were together for four years, but six months ago, he dumped me for someone more 'successful.' My mom's been worried that the whole thing messed me up, afraid I wouldn’t want to settle down, so now she keeps asking around to set me up with guys."

She paused for a moment, her tone casual yet tinged with bitterness. Starting her own business had left her little time or interest for relationships, but she couldn't deny it—those four years of love crumbling under the weight of ambition and greed had left a scar.

Nathaniel’s gaze flickered as he listened to her story about being left behind. His eyes darkened, becoming unreadable, like a silent storm brewing just beneath the surface.