Romance goes sour because of third wheel

A first date between a man and his online girlfriend turned into a disaster when the woman unexpectedly brought two girlfriends along.

The 27-year-old man, surnamed Cao, worked in a State-owned enterprise in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province. He came to know the woman, known as Xiao Mei, in early October on the Internet. After chatting online many times they decided to meet in a local Western restaurant.

Xiao Mei brought two friends to the dinner without asking for Cao's agreement and spent more time chatting with them during the dinner. Cao, who felt embarrassed, made an excuse and said he didn't bring enough cash for the bill, forcing Xiao Mei to pay for her share. They decided to end the romance.

Cao said he was ready for a date but not for a party with the woman's friends, and he actually had a bank card with him, according to Chutian Metropolis Daily, based in Hubei province.

A survey by the newspaper later found that men and women have different opinions on whether to invite friends or relatives to a first date. Among 3,000 respondents, more than 70 percent of men objected to third-party companions. But a majority of women said they usually bring others, only 35 percent chose to go alone.

A woman, 32, said that in the past two years she always brought her cousin with her on blind dates.

"I was shy," she explained.