"You little punk, the girl’s been waiting for more than half an hour now. She’s texted you, but you didn’t reply. Her grandfather even called me, asking what was going on, wondering if this was a scam. Is this how you show up for a date? Let me ask you, do you even want to get married?"

Inside a small motel near Binhai Dong Station, Yang Fei lay curled up on the bed, drenched in sweat.

He struggled to endure the pain, his sharp and chiseled face looking almost distorted from the agony.

The excruciating feeling, like his veins were about to burst, was something he’d faced before, yet every time, he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by it.

This episode had lasted a full thirty minutes before the intensity finally waned slightly.

At the moment, he clutched his phone, the voice of an irritated old man grumbling in his ear.

“There was... uh, an accident. I got delayed,” Yang Fei muttered, trying to suppress the pain. Then he hesitated before adding, "I mean, I’ve been so late. Pretty sure she’s already angry and left, right?""Wow, you actually realized the girl might be upset? Man, you’ve got some nerve. Standing up someone for such an important meeting as a blind date? But lucky for you, she’s got a great personality and is really serious about this. She’s still waiting for you over there, so hurry up. And remember to apologize properly, okay?"

Adolf Hunt froze for a moment, surprised that Charlotte Quinn was still waiting for him.

He quickly replied, "Got it, I’ll head over right away. Hanging up now."

As he ended the call, the sharp pain inside him slowly faded away.

He let out a heavy breath, relief washing over him, but his bright eyes darkened with a deep sadness and helplessness.

The pain was getting worse. Was this what they called… the downfall of a hero?

Just a year ago, Adolf had been the famous world-conquering Mad King, commanding respect and fear. Now? He was just a scarred mess, riddled with unrelenting ailments.

The memories of his past glory weighed heavy on him. His face carried a hint of despair, mixed with frustration and regret.

A notification ping snapped him out of his thoughts.

He checked his phone. The message read: “How much longer?”

And prior to that: “Are you still coming?”

The previous message was sent half an hour ago.

A deep sense of guilt churned within Adolf. He quickly replied, “Sorry about the delay—something came up last minute. Are you still there? I’m leaving now, will be there in ten minutes tops.”

He had already marked the meetup spot earlier; it wouldn’t take long to get there.The reply came quickly: "Okay."

Just one word? Not exactly warm and fuzzy.

But then again, he had been late for half an hour without giving any notice. Anyone would be annoyed, right? Yet here she was, still waiting for him. Hoping she'd still be enthusiastic about this meeting seemed a little optimistic.

Wait a second.

Aren't women nowadays supposed to be princess-like perfectionists? How come she's so chill?

Could it be... she's not much to look at? Like, maybe she's one of those women who'll put up with anything because she doesn't have many other options? Otherwise, any normal girl would definitely be ticked off after waiting for so long, right?

The thought made Adolf Hunt a bit nervous. Suddenly, his hopes for the woman's looks weren’t so high anymore.

But still, he had to show up.

Someone who waited for him for this long deserved an apology in person at the very least.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the coffee shop.

By the window, sunlight spilled across a graceful silhouette.

She was sitting there, her hair pulled back in a clean, simple ponytail, her neck long and elegant. She sat upright on the cushy seat, deeply engrossed in the book in her hands.

On the table in front of her, there was a cup of tea. Though he hadn't seen her face yet, Adolf Hunt already felt a wave of relief. With an aura like that, there was no way her looks would disappoint.

At the same time, he couldn't shake the guilt creeping in.

Showing up almost an hour late to their first meeting? Definitely not the impression he wanted to make.

Still, it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

On his way out of the station, he'd encountered an elderly man who had suddenly collapsed, suffering from severe convulsions. As a doctor, there was no way he could just walk away.

The good news? He managed to save the man’s life. The bad news? The intense pain in his own body flared up again, hitting him like a tidal wave. He had no choice but to find a nearby room to ride out the episode in private—after all, no one needed to witness his twisted face during such moments.

“Hi, are you Charlotte Quinn?” Adolf forced himself to step forward and asked, trying to sound composed.

The woman raised her head to look at him.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her figure in a glow that made her seem almost ethereal.

Adolf’s heart thudded, but oddly enough, he also felt a strange calmness take over him.

Charlotte closed her book and stood, nodding politely before gesturing to the seat opposite her. "Have a seat," she said in a voice that was soothing yet firm.

Adolf couldn't help but note — her voice matched her elegance perfectly.

As he sat down, a server approached and asked, “Sir, what would you like to drink?”

“Tea,” Adolf replied simply.The waiter left, and Adolf Hunt looked at the woman across from him—a woman who seemed to embody everything he admired about the beauty of Eastern women. With a hint of regret, he said, "I'm Adolf Hunt. Sorry about being this late on our first meeting."

Charlotte Quinn nodded slightly and replied, "It's alright. I had no urgent errands today, so waiting a little longer wasn’t an issue."

Her demeanor felt calm and forgiving, creating an impression of someone patient and understanding. Even when others were at fault, she wouldn't lose her temper easily and often allowed room for explanations.

Graceful and accommodating—her personality matched her presence perfectly.

Still, Adolf sensed an underlying coolness in her aura, an unspoken barrier that kept people from getting too close.

"I'm twenty-four years old. I enjoy quiet pastimes like reading, movies, and hiking. Right now, I teach at the Binhai University and work on some research projects as well. Sometimes the job is laid-back, but it occasionally demands consecutive sleepless nights, even keeping me from going home. Do you think...you could handle or accept that kind of situation?"

Breaking the awkward atmosphere, Charlotte took the initiative to discuss herself, catching Adolf off guard.

He paused for a moment. Wasn’t this a bit off-script compared to what he’d read online about how blind dates were supposed to go?Adolf Hunt cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to mimic her introduction. “Uh, my name’s Adolf Hunt, I’m 23, just got back here recently, and, uh, I don’t have a job yet. Technically, I’m a doctor—certified, for real. As for hobbies... um, well, looks like we’ve got similar ones. But seriously, I’m not just saying that to impress you.”

Charlotte Quinn smiled lightly, though it was hard to tell if it was from his attempt at copying her introduction or from that last sentence of his.

“Shouldn’t you be grilling me about family background, income, what car I drive, how many houses I own, and how much is in my savings account?” Adolf asked, recalling all those social media videos about matchmaking scenarios.

Charlotte blinked, caught off guard for a moment, but her lips curved into an effortlessly charming smile. “I’ve got all that covered,” she replied, playful yet confident.

She paused briefly before continuing with a teasing look. “So… did you bring your household registration book?”