Chapter 13 (part 2)
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When Ning Wan saw the complicated expression on his face, she felt even guiltier. She really must have accidentally poked at a sore spot...

"Actually," she confessed, "I have something to tell you too. I've been misunderstanding you this whole time. I thought you were an aloof young master whose family knew Gao Yuan, and that you had come here to the community to put on airs and brush up your resume a little. Plus, you graduated from a famous school and looked down on my second-rate undergrad, so I had a bad impression of you from the start. I was even thinking of driving you out. It's really busy at the community, and I'd figured, if you won't work, then why stay?"

The more Ning Wan spoke, the guiltier she felt. "I never imagine that you were the sort who would rather die than submit to Gao Yuan's unspoken rules, and then got sent here as a punitive measure. I didn't know that you had such hardship going on at home, either. In fact, I even went to Gao Yuan today to lodge a complaint, hoping that he would transfer you back to HQ, and I was completely baffled why he refused to do it. So this was the real inside story! He was the one who sent you to the community as a punishment, how could he transfer you back to headquarters?"

Fu Zheng sat there in silence…

Thinking that he was being quiet due to pain, Ning Wan hissed indignantly, "Seriously! My junior brother once told me that I was awful at judging people. It used to be that I was in denial of that, but now I've really got to admit that he was right! All this time I've thought of Gao Yuan as an excellent senior partner. Who knew he would turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

The more she spoke, the more complicated Fu Zheng's eyes got. He must be so touched, Ning Wan thought. Finally, he has someone on his side...

The more she thought about it, the more fired up and frustrated Ning Wan got. "If it hadn't been for you, I would never have known that Gao Yuan was deep in the closet! I've heard that he and his wife get along well and are happily married. So it's all just an act! No wonder people say 'the more you lack something, the more you show it off'! I wish I knew his wife's contact information!"

She glanced at Fu Zheng. "Even if you are good-looking, it's just too shameless of him to take advantage of being your boss to try and attack you! Ugh!"

……

Ning Wan ranted on incoherently about Gao Yuan for some time. At first, Fu Zheng felt rather awkward, but eventually he started getting into the part and even begun fanning the flames--

"Yes indeed." He calmly threw Gao Yuan under the bus without the slightest remorse. "He really is shameless. Mmhmm, yeah, a real degenerate. Such a perv."

Ning Wan's junior brother is a wise man, Fu Zheng thought. She really couldn't read people well. Look at her swallowing his story whole, see the sympathy on her face. She was currently looking at him and saying, "This must be the first time you've ever encountered such a thing. Did you feel angry? Helpless?"

Fu Zheng nodded, and shamelessly heaped blame upon Gao Yuan. "Yes, but I didn't have any way out. Those who are in a position of weakness must bow their heads, and I have no money. Even if I must face his harassment, I can't resign." He glanced at Ning Wan. "But this is a disgraceful matter, and I still need this job. Please keep it a secret."

Across from him, Ning Wan nodded hard. "Rest assured, I will!" She drank some chrysanthemum tea before suddenly remembering a blind spot she had overlooked. "Wait, since you're in debt, what was with those expensive suits you wear? I once saw you throw away one. Aren't you short of money?"

"A very good imitation," Fu Zheng thought fast. "I got it to maintain my reputation. The one I threw away was actually quite old, and there were several holes in it that you never saw."

He regretted this excuse as soon as it came out of his mouth. Even he wouldn't believe this...

However, Ning Wan looked as though she had suddenly been enlightened. "Oh, I get it! It's just like Converse shoes. Real ones wear out in a year, but fakes last even longer. Some imitation brands nowadays really are better than the originals!"

She actually bought it...

She was such a shrewd woman when it came to handling community law, yet somehow, sometimes she was unexpectedly naïve...

They had eaten, they had gossiped, and it was now getting late.

Ning Wan paid for them both generously, then looked at Fu Zheng. "You said that you have nowhere to stay tonight and wanted to crash at my place?"

Fu Zheng bit his lip, nodded his head, and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Honestly, I was desperate when I asked you for this earlier and didn't really think it through. It must be terribly inconvenient for you. I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

He had planned out his story carefully earlier and continued according to plan. "All of a sudden, I remember that I actually have a distant relative here in Rong City..."

Saying that he had been driven out by his landlord was merely part of Fu Zheng's strategy to gain her trust. Psychology dictated that when a person is being asked for help, they trust more easily in the asker. He had refused her offer to lend him money in order to meet her face to face and describe his "tragic" experiences, but he had no intention of going to her home to stay the night.

Fu Zheng had returned to Rong City for his mother's sake. His father had died a few years ago, and she was his only living relative.

When he first returned, his mother had been seriously ill and about to go under the knife. The doctor had told them that she was in poor condition and hinted that her time might be short. Not wanting to have any regrets, Fu Zheng had decided to return to China in order to spend more time with his mother. Unexpectedly, the operation had been extremely successful, and his mother's postop recovery was speedy and without complications. Right before Fu Zheng got home, as he was still in the US making sure the handover of his previous cases went well, his mother was discharged from the hospital. She had promptly piled onto a cruise ship with her girlfriends and gone off to see the world.

As she hadn't left him a key, Fu Zheng hadn't been able to live in his mother's villa. He had bought his own villa after returning to Rong City, and while it was being renovated to his tastes, he was currently living in the suite of a five-star hotel.

It had to be said that as far as quality of life went, Fu Zheng was a pampered young master through and through. He could face hardship at his place of work, but not when it came to his daily meals and clothing.

But before he could get out his carefully prepared story, Ning Wan interrupted him with a bold wave of her hand. "It's late, and a distant relative, you said? Even if you put a lot of effort into contacting them, they might not take you in." She patted Fu Zheng on the shoulder. "Anyway, it's just two days. The two of us will figure out something."

Now it was Fu Zheng's turn to freeze. He pretended to be grateful but tried to hint his way out tactfully, "Thank you for trusting me, but well, we're of different genders, aren't we? If I live with you, it might look bad. Your boyfriend might misunderstand. Perhaps you could just lend me some money to stay in a hotel..."

"A boyfriend? I don't have one."

Weren't you cozying up to him on the phone before, saying those gross sickly sweet lovey dovey words? You broke up already?!

Unfortunately, Ning Wan couldn't hear Fu Zheng's inner criticisms. "Don't worry, it'll be okay. I believe in your character."

In his heart, Fu Zheng rolled his eyes. This woman had such a beautiful face, yet no guard at all. His hints weren't getting through in the least! Anyway, even if she believed in him, he didn't believe in her. He decided to once again ask her to lend him some money, then pretend to find a dilapidated motel to make do in. Then he would go back to the big bed in his five-star hotel and lie down...

Alas, this plan fell through. Ning Wan smiled an embarrassed smile at him, "As far as loaning you money, I'll tell you the truth. I'm usually in a state of extreme poverty five days before getting my own salary. The credit card I just used to pay for our dinner is at it's limit..."

She blinked. Then she said to Fu Zheng encouragingly, "Since we're both broke, let's not spend money wastefully! The poor should be self-reliant. Come stay with me for two nights."

“……”

Fu Zheng had never before been a man who easily regretted his decisions. He had always been able to accept the consequences of his own choices, even those that were negative. However, ever since he had first met Ning Wan, he found that he had begun tasting regret more and more frequently.

Since she had confessed the true extent of her poverty, Ning Wan did not bother hailing a taxi. Fu Zheng had to carry his two big suitcases, follow her onto the bus, transfer to the subway, and then walk for ten minutes before arriving at the gate of a neighbourhood that seemed like it had seen quite a number of years...

At that moment in time, only one sentence remained in the depths of Fu Zheng's heart--

Now I regret it, I regret it very much.1This is a meme.

……

When they got to the elevator, Ning Wan pressed the button, waited, and then said as if this was a very common occurrence, "Oh my, the elevator's broken again."

“……”

At that moment, Fu Zheng no longer had regrets in his heart, only desperation. In the end, he had to carry his two huge suitcases up to the fourteenth floor through the fire escape stairs...

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