Well, now things are looking up for me. I finally got it all sorted, solved a case, got a diamond reward, and even a bonus. Life is pretty satisfying right now.

The two of them, along with a dog, were strolling in Times Square, chatting away. It had been a while since they'd seen each other, and it seemed like they had endless things to talk about, from celebrity gossip to murder mysteries, covering a wide range of topics.

Lin Feifei was scared to death, but she was incredibly curious about these suspenseful cases.

So Li Xiang decided to turn these cases into stories with a touch of artistic flair and tell them to her.

They were chatting passionately when Li Xiang's phone rang again.

It was a video call request from his mother.

Li Xiang hesitated a bit and didn't want to answer it.

Seeing him hesitate, Lin Feifei asked, "Why aren't you answering?"

"It's my mom calling."

"Then you definitely should answer."

Seeing her insistence, Li Xiang had no choice but to hit the green button. His mother's slightly aged face appeared on the screen, "Son, you finally answered! I called you several times before, why didn't you pick up?"

"Mom, I was on a mission, the phone wasn't with me. What's up?"

"How many days off do you get for May Day? Are you coming back? Your Aunt Wang found a lovely girl for you—she's so pretty and a civil servant. Would you come back and meet her?"

The phone was on speaker. Li Xiang didn't want to answer because his mother had already asked him this in her texts.

As expected, she's bringing it up again on the call.

"Mom, please stop setting me up on blind dates. There's no emotional foundation; it's hard for me to engage."

"What if you never want to date? How will you find someone then? Listen to your mother and come back to meet her. What if she's your type? If things go well, you could be engaged by the end of the year, married next year, and have a baby. I'll take care of them for you."

Lin Feifei overheard their conversation and immediately covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Who says you can't find a partner without blind dating? Haven't I already found one?"

Seeing her amusement, Li Xiang quickly turned the phone toward her. Lin Feifei's lovely face appeared on the screen, and both women were momentarily stunned.

Lin Feifei didn't expect that her curiosity would pull her into the drama. Li Xiang's mom was also surprised to see that her son was indeed on a date, and the girl was so pretty—she liked her more and more.

"Mom, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Lin Feifei. So please don't set me up with anyone else. Come on, Feifei, say hi to my mom~"

Asking Lin Feifei to play the role of his girlfriend was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Li Xiang. He hadn't even discussed it with her. He worried that she might expose the lie right there.

If she did, he wouldn't be able to avoid going home for a blind date during May Day.

Li Xiang, off-camera, kept gesturing for her not to spoil it.

Seeing his pleading eyes, Lin Feifei gave a cheeky smirk.

"Hello, Auntie. I'm Lin Feifei."

Lin Feifei neither confirmed nor denied it, which gave Li Xiang a sigh of relief; as long as his mother thought they were a couple, it was fine.

"Oh dear, Li Xiang, you should've told me you had a girlfriend. I'll tell your Aunt Wang. I won't disturb you both anymore. Come home with Li Xiang for May Day, and I'll make you a nice meal. I'll hang up now. Li Xiang, bring Feifei home for dinner over May Day, got it…"

His mother kept talking, saying she'd hang up, but didn't, so Li Xiang ended the call for her.

"Thank you. I've been worn out by all the blind dates my mom set up for me over the past few years, and fortunately, you didn't bust me."

During those years as an auxiliary police officer, that period was the darkest time of Li Xiang's life, especially the blind dates. He felt like a second-rate commodity, being evaluated and compared.

He grew to despise this pattern and resisted blind dates more and more.

Blind dating had become a market where love was weighed by material standards. The person with better conditions was considered superior.

Even now, when he had some standing in that market, his wounded heart couldn't easily heal.

"You can fake it for a moment, but how will you keep up the act forever? Sooner or later, the truth will come out, and what will you do then!"

"How about you do me a favor and continue this charade with me?"

"Ew, that's so cheesy. Let's go, Coal, we're not talking to him!"

Lin Feifei didn't refuse, which made Li Xiang feel secretly delighted.

There's hope!

He immediately went after her.

The two of them kept each other company until around five, then decided it was time for dinner.

When they got to the hot pot restaurant, they were told pets weren't allowed. So, they had to find a pet shop to leave Coal there temporarily.

Now with the dog out of the way, Li Xiang and Lin Feifei could finally enjoy some time alone together.

As the steaming hot pot arrived, they both enjoyed the dish. Lin Feifei, being a singer, rarely ate it to protect her voice, while Li Xiang didn't have it often because he was busy.

"Do you have plans for May Day? I was thinking..."

Though the hot pot was delicious, Li Xiang was preoccupied with how to get through the May Day predicament.

"What do I get in return for helping you?"

"You'll have a handsome boyfriend!" Li Xiang quipped.

"That's pretty tempting—tall, handsome police officer boyfriend in uniform..." Lin Feifei teased back.

With the talk of uniform allure, he didn't want to imagine what she'd say next, so he quickly surrendered, "If you help me this time, I'll do anything for you—face any challenge without hesitation."

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