His Friends' Advices

"I have never seen you taking interest in any woman after your breakup with Ashley. And now you're telling us that you have a girlfriend?" Chase Zhao said. He forked some of his lunch and shoved it into his mouth.

"I'd like to meet this girl," Michelle told him skeptically. "We should definitely have a double date sometimes."

Ryan choked on his drinks when he heard his friends' words and spilled some on his pants. He quickly seized a serviette from the table and patted it against his damp pants.

"I'm dating this girl not because I like her," Ryan said. "I'm dating her because my mother wanted me to. I still can't believe that my mom would make me do this. Who on earth had his love life arranged in this era?"

Chase Zhao was Ryan's co-worker and best friend. They met each other during their years in medical school and they have been friends ever since. Ever since Chase started to date his girlfriend, Michelle Su in their final year, the three of them have been hanging out frequently.

Because of their relationship, Ryan confided in her friends about his mother's plan to let him date the daughter of her friend, Violet Xu. However, after talking to his friends, Ryan found that they had ignored the initial problem—that he was not dating the girl willingly.

"I know Doctor Li did," Chase said nonchalantly. "I heard that he's going to marry the girl of his parent's choice earlier next year. I heard that the girl is seven years younger than he is."

"Doctor Li will turn thirty-five next year. He is desperate to get married. Not me." Ryan countered. "I still have a lot of time to stay single."

"Tell us about your girlfriend. What is she like?" Michelle asked.

"That is not important," Ryan tried to shrug it off.

"Come on, tell us," Michelle urged. "Who knows, we might be able to help you figure out something to help you get through your situation.

Ryan let out a loud sigh as he tried to recall the person he was supposed to be dating. He remembered her phoenix hazel eyes and her long shiny black hair that she inherited from her father. She had dimples on her cheek when she smiled. But the thing he remembered most about Violet Xu was the sweet scent that would always accompany her.

"She's okay. I don't know," Ryan said with a shrug. "The thing is, I just know that I can't get along with this type of girl."

Michelle placed her elbow on the table and leaned forward. "What type of girl can't you get along with exactly?"

"All types of girls, probably." Chase snickered. A thought crossed his mind and Chase looked at his friend and wondered if Ryan was not over his breakup from years ago.

"Now that you mentioned it, I don't think I've ever seen you getting along with any other female colleagues," Michelle pointed out. "No wonder the new trainees would always harass me once they found out that we always hung out together."

Chase shifted his gaze from his friend and to his girlfriend. He cocked an eyebrow and smiled teasingly at her. "Are you sure it wasn't because you're dating me?"

Michelle faked a smile and gave her boyfriend a pinch on his arm causing him to yelp in pain. "I'm pretty sure. The trainees, doctors, and nurses were always asking me for your number, Ryan. I've never given away your number, of course. Back to your issue… What is it that you don't like about your fiancee?"

Ryan winced when Michelle casually addressed Violet as his fiancee. "There are people you just don't like from the beginning," he said with a shrug.

"That doesn't make sense," Michelle said. "You can't just decide that you don't like her without reasons. Don't you think that you're being unfair?"

"That's true," Chase agreed. "I'm sure she's not as bad as you think she is. Your mother wouldn't just pair you with anyone. Perhaps you just refused to give this person a chance."

"I second that," Michelle said. "You don't like her and I'm sure she felt the same way towards you. After all, she is in the same situation as you. She probably didn't want to date you either. You should treat her nicely since you're both in the same boat. Even if the two of you will not be in a relationship, you should at least consider her a friend, or a comrade."

Ryan rolled his eyes at his friends' advice. Weren't they supposed to take his side?

"Now you're starting to sound like my mother." Ryan fished for his cell phone when he felt the vibration in his pocket. He looked at the screen and winced when he saw that it was his mother. Ryan then stood up and signaled Michelle and Chase that he would be making the call. "Yes, mom?"

"Are you free to talk?" Audrey asked.

"I'm in the middle of lunch. But yeah, I'm free to talk." Ryan replied. "What is it?"

"You should stop by Violet's bakery and invite her to our house for dinner."

"Mom..." Ryan tried to protest. His brain was raking for anything that might get him out of the situation. Currently, he was beginning to regret telling his mother that he was free to have a conversation with her.

"I only asked you to invite her to come over to our house," Audrey said. "I did not say anything about the two of you going on a date yet."

Ryan exhaled loudly. "What if she's busy with work?"

"Well, everybody's busy with work. But surely she will have to make time for dinner?"

"What if she already has some plans for tonight? Just because I came to invite her to our place, she can still say no."

"Just tell her I want to meet her. She'll turn up." Audrey assured him. "Violet is more obedient than you are. Anyway, your sisters will be here too. I thought that it'd be good to introduce them to each other. We are going to be family when you marry her."

"Mom, that thing is still undecided," Ryan said impatiently. "I thought we had agreed that we were not going to talk about any wedding or engagement before the dating period ended. I'm not sure if we're suitable for each other. What if she doesn't like me?"

"Of course, she's not going to like you if you don't treat her nicely," Audrey said. "Don't forget to pick up my favorite soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Dinner at six. No excuse."

Ryan stared at his phone speechlessly when his mother hung up the call.

What favorite soon-to-be daughter-in-law?

Ryan clenched his phone tightly and groaned to vent his frustration at the situation he was in.