Linghu Jiahao finally clicked his tongue. “Alright, alright, you guys win!” He turned to Si Tao, held up his hand, and moved his fingers.

Si Tao simply raised his brows though, not catching his drift. He eyed the glass in his hand that he had just picked up and then looked back up. “You … want another drink?”

Linghu Jiahao shook his head. “No! I want you to show me what you’ve got!”

Next to Si Tao, Tong Lan laughed and then elbowed her fiance. “He wants you to show him some pictures of who you’re thinking of. Don’t make him suffer a loss there!”

Si Tao exhaled. “So that was it.” He put the glass down and took out his phone, opening up the gallery. Actually, he didn’t take many photos but he did have a few of each of his friends for sure. “Well, any type you’re looking for? I know a lot of people.”

Linghu Jiahao wasn’t sure how to answer and turned back to Li Ming and Zhao Chen. Looking at them, it seemed that maybe going for something more different would be better?

Li Ming hastily shook his head. “Brother Linghu, don’t look at us! Zhao Chen has a clear type and I’m open to anything. Also, this is about your own relationship. Rather than looking at how others are getting along, wouldn’t it be better to think about what you want?”

Linghu Jiahao leaned back and sighed, sipping on his drink. “Isn’t that exactly the problem? I simply don’t know what I want.”

Li Ming smiled faintly. He might not like to think about Mo Fang but he would be happy to help somebody out when it came to looking for a new partner. “Well, if it was me, I’d ask myself what qualities I generally appreciate in somebody. Like, can you think of three things you would never compromise on? Whether it’s a positive or a negative quality, it could help.”

Linghu Jiahao thought for a bit and then patted Si Tao’s arm. “Ah, don’t you dare suggest me a smoker! No matter how charming he is, I still won’t want to kiss him.”

Si Tao gave a huff. “You think I don’t know about that yet? How long have we been friends for?” He shook his head, clearly remembering Linghu Jiahao complaining about that type of thing several times.

He turned to Li Ming and Zhao Chen who didn’t know what was up and immediately gossiped about his friend’s usual behavior. “You guys don’t know but Jiahao is actually quite obstinate. There’s no use in trying to make him change his mind on anything. Smoking isn’t just some small pet peeve for him, it’s like the final nail in the coffin for anyone who wants to date him. I’ve seen him reject some bold ones who tried pretty harshly. He really has no mercy.”

Linghu Jiahao looked embarrassed but seeing as Si Tao and Tong Lan were friends and Li Ming and Zhao Chen were still somewhat close, he figured he shouldn’t think about it too much. “That’s because you don’t understand. With that kind of thing, there is no compromise. If you’re sensitive to smell like me, you’d also have a different perspective on this. Those guys who think I couldn’t tell just because they stepped out into the air for five minutes, they’re delusional!”

Tong Lan nodded along and raised her brows at Li Ming and Zhao Chen. “It really is his nose. He’s usually polite to their faces unless they try to argue but I’ve heard him confess once that he rejected his guy for the body wash he was using.”

This time, Linghu Jiahao turned bright red and didn’t bother even explaining any longer.

Li Ming looked from one person to the other and suddenly felt that he should be happy that Si Tao didn’t know anything worthwhile to gossip about him. Otherwise, he’d probably be in the same situation.

Feeling some compassion for his slight, he finally cleared his throat. “Well, some people just aren’t compatible. If you notice early on before either side gets attached, isn’t it better for everyone?”

“Right, right, right!” Linghu Jiahao raised his glass to him. “Somebody finally gets me. I knew I didn’t teach you in vain back then.”

Li Ming laughed, feeling that this and that had nothing to do with each other. He didn’t mention it though and just motioned back at the phone that Si Tao was still holding. “Well, no matter what anyone else thinks, as long as this is something that brother Linghu feels is important to him, you should take it into consideration. Surely, you’ll know some guys who dislike smoking as well?”

Si Tao clicked his tongue but still nodded. “Sure, I do. Although none of them are as militant about it as Jiahao. Anyway, I think you were supposed to think of three things you wanted. What are the other two? I’m not letting you out of the restaurant today before I’ve arranged a blind date!”

The others laughed but Linghu Jiahao indeed took some time to consider it. To be honest, it had been so long since Mo Fang broke up with him but he hadn’t thought much about what he wanted from a man. Everything he could think of at once was the usual things everyone would want in a relationship: honesty, being treated with sincerity, some warmth. He didn’t think he could mention any of that. Honestly, needing the person to be able to work around his peculiarity of being this heavily affected by smell was the only specific requirement he had.

Thinking for a bit, he clicked his tongue. “I don’t know. What do you think I should look for?” Anyway, since he wasn’t pondering this alone at home, he might as well ask for some inspiration.