Chapter 14: The Fourteenth Step to Becoming the Matchmaker: Don’t Shine Too Bright as a Third Wheel  

At a window seat in a café, Leng Yin’ning sipped her coffee, glancing at her phone with a faint smile.  

Kading Che had texted her, asking to hang out today, but his messages were a chaotic mess.  

Reading them, she couldn’t help but recall the boy she met as a child.  

Sadly, he probably didn’t remember her.  

Propping her chin with one hand, Leng Yin’ning softly hummed a tune Kading Che used to sing back then, waiting for him.  

A commotion outside caught her attention.  

People near the door were curiously peering out, some even standing to get a better look.  

Leng Yin’ning’s gaze followed, but unlike their curiosity, she was more concerned about Kading Che’s delay.  

He’d said he’d be a bit late, but she’d been waiting an hour—what happened?  

“Sorry, Yin’ning! I’m late!”  

Speak of the devil—Kading Che’s voice, tinged with panic and worry, reached her.  

Her sour mood lifted, a sweet feeling bubbling up.  

She looked up, ready to brush it off with a casual remark, but her eyes were nearly blinded by the sight.  

What was that?  

Something dazzling appeared before her!  

What was it?  

So bright, so blinding!  

It looked… human?  

How could a person be *that* shiny?  

As someone scraping by daily, Leng Yin’ning felt assaulted by the glint of wealth.  

She frowned in distaste.  

Her eyes finally adjusted, revealing Kading Che in a sharp suit, hair parted three-seven, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.  

He looked like he was here for a job interview, not a date.  

Kading Che was naturally good-looking, and the suit gave him a princely air, but his pained expression ruined it.  

Behind him trailed a boy, barely thirteen or fourteen, adorable with a likable face and dimples when he smiled.  

Behind the boy stood a tall, expressionless man, staring at Leng Yin’ning like she was merchandise, scanning her up and down before snorting and turning away.  

Truthfully, though in his thirties, the man was striking—sword-like brows, starry eyes, chiseled features like a mixed-race David statue.  

His short black hair was stiff and straight, signaling he wasn’t easy to deal with.  

Despite his handsome face, his sour expression made it seem like someone owed him a fortune.  

Leng Yin’ning instantly disliked him.  

Kading Che’s odd entourage soured her mood for the outing.  

With a half-smile, she said lightly, “Kading Che, I didn’t realize your ‘date’ meant a family reunion with your brothers.”  

“Uh… well… no…”  

Kading Che stammered, especially under her gaze, his words dissolving into mumbles.  

Chang Fei jumped in.  

“Miss Leng? Sorry, I’m Che’s cousin. I just arrived today, unfamiliar with the place, and called Che to show me around. I didn’t expect…”  

He paused, glancing awkwardly at Kading Che, like a little brother who accidentally crashed his big brother’s date.  

Hearing this, Leng Yin’ning’s annoyance softened.  

She chuckled at the disorganized pair—Kading Che impulsively asking her out, and his “cousin” just as impulsively tagging along.  

But her gaze shifted to Lezheng Tingyu, then back to Chang Fei.  

Of the three, she liked Chang Fei best—he felt approachable.  

Noticing her look, Chang Fei caught on, glaring at Lezheng Tingyu with displeasure.  

“I don’t know this uncle! He tried luring me with candy earlier, and now he’s shamelessly following me here!”  

Leng Yin’ning gasped, shocked that someone would dare target a kid in broad daylight.  

Outrageous!  

She reached for her phone to call the police, but Lezheng Tingyu’s face darkened like a burnt pot.  

Just before she dialed, he snapped, “I’m this kid’s father!”  

Leng Yin’ning froze, looking at Chang Fei.  

She couldn’t believe this boy would lie to her.  

If he shook his head, she’d call the cops—no mercy for this brazen child-snatcher!  

But Chang Fei frowned, glaring at Lezheng Tingyu.  

After a long pause, he spat, “This man hasn’t been my father legally for years!”  

His words stunned Leng Yin’ning, reminding her of her own past defiance toward a certain man.  

Could it be…  

She glanced at Lezheng Tingyu, whose face twisted.  

He opened his mouth but said nothing, closing it in defeat.  

Leng Yin’ning sneered, standing abruptly and offering Chang Fei a warm smile.  

“Little brother, how about your sister and brother take you to the amusement park?”  

Chang Fei blinked, caught off guard.  

His mind wasn’t on this.  

He’d just overheard those little matchmakers planning to splash water on Leng Yin’ning, create a scene, and separate her and Kading Che from him, leaving her alone with his idiot dad.  

If not for their scheme targeting Lezheng Tingyu and Leng Yin’ning, he’d never admit to being that man’s son!  

What was Leng Yin’ning thinking, inviting him to the amusement park?  

Wasn’t this supposed to be a two-person date with Kading Che?  

Was he stuck playing a massive third wheel, guarding against those matchmakers’ sudden moves?  

But he and Lezheng Tingyu were shining *way* too brightly as third wheels!  

***

Shang Zhi’s note:  

Plans can’t keep up with changes.  

I’ll try to make up for missed updates, though not now…  

Hoping for a chance at two chapters soon.  

Sorry for only one today to cover yesterday.