Chapter 437 - 433: You Still Need to Go on Blind Dates?

In a city the size of Lorcain, the odds of two people having two completely unplanned, back-to-back encounters were about the same as winning the grand prize in the lottery.

That was why Jasmine Sterling was so shocked. She didn’t even react at first, her gaze still a little dazed as it landed on Randall Jennings, who had suddenly appeared beside their table.

It wasn’t until Monica Coleman’s surprised voice cut in, "Director Jennings?"

Only then did Randall Jennings notice that the friend sitting with Jasmine Sterling was Monica Coleman, a renowned female entrepreneur from Cathay. While their business circles didn’t overlap, they were both prominent figures in Cathay’s commercial world and often appeared at the same high-society events, so they were already acquainted.

"Chairman Coleman, you’re here too!" Randall Jennings was also surprised; he hadn’t expected Ms. Sterling and Ms. Coleman to know each other.

He had spotted Jasmine Sterling from across the restaurant the moment he walked in, but he hadn’t noticed who was with her.

"Mr. Jennings, are you here to eat as well?" Jasmine Sterling asked, coming to her senses and instinctively starting to rise.

Seeing this, Randall Jennings quickly raised a hand, gesturing for her not to be so formal. "Yes," he replied. "I’m meeting someone for a blind date. I just saw you were here, Ms. Sterling, and wanted to come say hello."

He was very direct, clearly not shying away from the fact that he was on a blind date.

To him, marriage had never been a necessity. It was just that the old man was pressing him hard, so if a suitable candidate appeared, he was prepared to marry anyone at any time.

Over the years, the old man had sent quite a few candidates his way. He had made an effort to get to know a few of them, but it always ended up fizzling out.

Because while the word "suitable" seemed like a simple condition, in practice, finding someone who was truly "suitable" was the hardest part—especially by Randall Jennings’s standards.

"A blind date? Director Jennings, you need to go on blind dates?" Monica Coleman was stunned.

Jasmine Sterling was also taken aback. ’Would a man of Randall Jennings’s stature really use such a traditional, down-to-earth method to find a wife?’

Randall Jennings smiled a bit sheepishly. "It’s not that I need to, but the old man at home already arranged everything. It wouldn’t be right for me not to show up, and I can’t let the lady make the trip for nothing."

His words and bearing were utterly gentlemanly, and his frankness earned him the sincere respect of both Jasmine Sterling and Monica Coleman.

Randall Jennings glanced at his watch. "It’s about time; my date should be arriving soon. I won’t disturb your meal any longer."

He had arrived before his date. Regardless of his personal feelings about blind dates, Randall Jennings’s etiquette was impeccable. You could sense he had a genuine, heartfelt respect for women.

After he left, Monica Coleman turned to Jasmine Sterling. "Jasmine, you actually know Director Jennings!"

Her tone was filled with unconcealed shock. After all, given Randall Jennings’s status, everyone in Cathay might have known who he was, but there weren’t many people he would know—let alone approach to greet personally.

Moreover, Jasmine Sterling had been living in Veridia before coming to Lorcain, and her social class was separated from Randall Jennings’s by an insurmountable barrier.

Jasmine Sterling offered a faint smile at her friend’s words. Thinking back on the circumstances of her meeting Mr. Jennings, she found it rather amusing herself. So, she recounted the story of how they met for Monica Coleman.

The story was so bizarre and coincidental that Monica Coleman listened, completely dumbfounded.

"So you saved his life?"

Jasmine Sterling nodded.

"Well, that explains it," Monica Coleman said, unable to resist glancing in Randall Jennings’s direction. She sighed with genuine admiration. "Chairman Jennings is young and incredibly accomplished. Ever since old Mr. Jennings handed the group over to him, Jandon Group has been soaring under his leadership. Its market value just keeps shooting up."

No sooner had Monica Coleman spoken than she saw a strikingly beautiful young woman walk up to Randall Jennings’s table.

She used the term "young woman" because the person looked incredibly young, maybe only about twenty-five.

"His date’s here," Monica Coleman remarked, casting a brief glance before looking away. She wasn’t one for gossip and had no interest in prying into the details of someone else’s blind date. Not even when the person in question was Randall Jennings.

Jasmine Sterling also felt it was rude to stare, so she turned her attention back to her conversation with Monica Coleman.

Randall Jennings watched as his blind date for the day gracefully sat down across from him. Her eyes were downcast, her expression a mixture of apprehension and shyness.

’Just as the old man described,’ he thought. ’She’s a pretty girl.’

"Miss Nash, you’re... twenty-nine?"

Randall Jennings asked with some hesitation. She simply looked far too young.

Megan Nash nodded quickly, her tone slightly frantic. "I really am twenty-nine! I can show you my ID."

"That won’t be necessary," Randall Jennings said with a smile. "It’s just that you look much younger. You don’t need to be so tense."

Sensing her anxiety, Randall Jennings softened his tone. "It’s just a casual meal. Let’s just talk."

Megan Nash gave an awkward twitch of her lips. "Okay... okay."

Randall Jennings picked up a menu and handed it to her, but Megan Nash demurred, saying she wasn’t very good at ordering.

So Randall Jennings asked about her dietary restrictions and preferences before ordering for them both.

His gentle, gentlemanly demeanor quickly and subtly put Megan Nash at ease, dispelling some of her initial apprehension.

"Mr. Jennings, knowing I was meeting you today, I was so flustered I couldn’t sleep all night," Megan Nash said sheepishly. "I can’t seem to stop being nervous. I must seem ridiculous."

"Don’t worry about it. To be honest, I’m nervous too. This is my first formal blind date," Randall Jennings said, going along with her cue and cleverly using a shared feeling to ease her anxiety.

The tactic worked. Hearing that Randall Jennings was also nervous, Megan Nash’s curiosity was piqued. "You get nervous?"

’In her eyes, what kind of major event hadn’t Randall Jennings seen? How could he possibly be nervous?’

Randall Jennings nodded with a smile. "Of course. People always get nervous when they’re doing something they aren’t good at. And when it comes to blind dates, I have zero experience."

The corners of Megan Nash’s lips turned up in a smile, and this one was much more genuine.

"Are you familiar with my situation, Miss Nash?" Randall Jennings asked, taking the opportunity. Since he was here, he was determined to take the blind date seriously.

After all, it was clear that Miss Nash had put a great deal of thought into their meeting—from her clothes to her makeup, everything was meticulously prepared. He couldn’t just disregard the effort she had put in.

"I am. After all, you’re so famous..." Megan Nash nodded repeatedly.

Randall Jennings didn’t feign modesty, simply offering a smile. Then he added, "You studied design?"

"Yes. After graduating, I went to Occidenta for two years of advanced studies. When I returned, I founded my own brand, hoping to make a name for myself..." Here, Megan Nash gave a sheepish smile. "But the brand went under in less than two years. It was a pretty big blow, so right now I’m just unemployed and living at home."