"You said you're a writer? Have you published any works?"
"I, I'm a web novelist. For my works to be published, their performance must be exceptionally good."
"So, you mean your performance isn't good? How much do you earn a month?"
"If I get my full attendance bonus, it's probably around six thousand a month."
"Only six thousand? That's not even half the price of my handbag. That's too little, isn't it? How can you live in Baltimore City with that kind of income?"
Inside a Lakeside Coffee Shop in Baltimore City, Jason White was on a blind date with a woman introduced by his mother's card-playing friend.
When they discussed Jason White's salary and benefits, the atmosphere suddenly became very awkward, making the already socially anxious Jason White feel even more on pins and needles.
After a brief, frozen silence of a few seconds, the woman rose from her seat, slung her brown handbag over her shoulder, and smiled helplessly.
"Alright, I have something else to do later, so I'll be going now. We'll be in touch."
In her eyes, this man was fairly good-looking and quite tall.
But his plain attire, unshaven stubble, and haphazardly styled hair gave off an overly casual impression.
His demeanor also seemed dispirited; his eyes behind thick glasses were hollow and lifeless, like a shut-in who stayed home playing games day and night.
More importantly, he didn't have much money!
His small electric scooter parked at the coffee shop entrance was a real eyesore compared to the other cars nearby.
"Take care."
Jason White felt no disappointment; deep down, he even felt a little excited, finally able to be alone.
Jason White was 24 this year. Due to his passion for web novels, he became a web novelist after graduation, specializing in wuxia and passionate adventure stories.
This job was similar to that of a tech-savvy shut-in, requiring him to stay home typing all day.
This prolonged reclusive lifestyle made Jason White, who was already somewhat introverted, even more shy and reserved.
Aside from going downstairs to eat, Jason White rarely left his home.
Several years of such isolated living had resulted in Jason White's current extremely poor social skills.
Whenever he interacted and chatted with women, Shen Lang became exceptionally nervous, his verbal functions would get muddled, and he often said things that were completely out of tune with the atmosphere.
This was also the main reason why Jason White, at 24, had never been in a normal relationship.
Just then, his phone rang in his pocket.
"Hello, is this Mr. White? Can you come sign the contract later? I need to pick up my daughter from school soon."
"Okay, okay, I'll be right over."
Unable to bear his parents constantly pressuring him to find a partner, Jason White found a single apartment on a rental website, intending to distance himself from the old couple who kept urging him to marry.
He picked up his coffee, drank it in one gulp, and then stood up to pay at the counter.
Based on the woman's materialistic behavior just now, Jason White didn't expect her to split the bill or pay.
"Hello, that'll be 150 yuan. You can scan here."
The cashier sister was very pretty, her eyes curving into a lovely smile.
"Ah, okay."
Jason White shyly avoided the cashier sister's gaze.
Most socially anxious and introverted people are like this; they are uncomfortable making eye contact with the opposite sex, especially when talking face-to-face with pretty girls.
"Thank you for your patronage, please come again."
After scanning the QR code and completing the payment, Jason White suddenly felt a blur before his eyes.
It seemed like a few lines of text and a blurry heart icon flashed above the girl's head.
He blinked and looked at the girl again, but the text and heart icon had vanished.
"It's time to find some time to exercise."
Jason White believed it was a bad habit caused by his prolonged sitting.
After paying the bill, he got on his small electric scooter and headed straight for Fulong Community in the suburbs.
Dreamland Community was far from the city center, but the rent was cheap, and the surroundings were relatively quiet.
Jason White, who rarely left his home, was attracted by this point, which is why he readily paid the deposit on the rental website.
As soon as he entered the elevator, his WeChat notification sound rang.
Head of the House(Mom): "@Jason White, Son, how was your blind date today?"
Jason White: "It fell through, what else? Also, the blind date cost me $150 today. Can you reimburse me?"
Head of the House(Mom): "Son, do you want me to tell you a story?"
Jason White: "What story?"
Head of the House (Mom): "Once upon a time, the Grand Supreme Elder spent forty-nine days refining an immortal pill. This immortal pill also gained sentience and ran down to the mortal world, arriving under a ginseng fruit tree. Over time, it transformed into the appearance of a ginseng fruit."
Head of the House (Mom):"Later, Grand Supreme Elder and his disciples arrived there, and Sun Wukong ate many ginseng fruits, but then he used his staff to kill the ginseng fruit that this immortal pill had transformed into? Can you guess why?"
Jason White: "Why?"
Head of the House (Mom): "Because it was a Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen). What's the use of not killing a Danshen? Don't you think so, son? Smile smile smile."
Jason White: "....n?"
Looking at the string of smiling emojis and mix of God knows how many stories his mother sent, Jason White nervously swallowed and quickly exited the WeChat group to go invisible.
For the sake of his life, he decided not to go to his parents' place for dinner this weekend.
The elevator arrived on the 22nd floor. Jason White stepped out of the elevator and walked to the door of his rented room.
"Tap, tap, tap, tap…"
The main door was open, and the sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from inside the room, clear and crisp.
"Is that Mr. White?"
Hearing the elevator, the sound of high heels in the room grew closer, and Shen Lang's heart beat faster and faster.
He really wasn't very good at dealing with women.
A moment later, a woman wearing a shirt embroidered with brown patterns appeared before Jason White.
The woman had an exquisite and fair oval face, her dark long hair draped over one shoulder. She wore a flesh-colored straight skirt paired with flesh-colored stockings on her lower body, and her legs were well-proportioned and slender. From head to toe, she exuded the unique sensual charm of a mature woman and the aura of a married woman.
She held a rental contract in her hand, and a large string of sparkling silver keys lay on the small table in the room.
Jason White subconsciously glanced at the number of keys; there were definitely more than ten sets of houses.
Beautiful, with a good figure, a Landlady—Shen Lang had only seen such a charming married woman in his fellow authors' YY novels.
"Are you Jason White?"
The woman unexpectedly sized up Jason White, then smiled playfully and teased,
"Listening to your voice, I thought you were in your early thirties. I didn't expect you to be so young."
Facing this sudden compliment from the beautiful young woman, Jason White gave an awkward smile, then quickly interjected,
"Ah, I, I didn't expect it either."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jason White regretted them. His toes could practically dig out a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.
What kind of nonsense was he spouting? He didn't know his own age, did he?
Sure enough, after Jason White said that, the beautiful young woman looked at him with a particularly surprised expression.
Jason White was so nervous he felt like dying.
After racking his brain for a moment, Jason White , in a desperate attempt, forced out a compliment,
"I mean, you're also very young, Big Sister, you look like a young girl."
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