Ning Wan didn't know about the little tricks Fu Zheng had been playing behind her back. All she noticed was that he had become quieter after taking that phone call. Maybe her failure to give him an answer had made him a little melancholy, because Fu Zheng looked a little absent-minded and had glanced out the window by the table several times.
Seeing him like this, Ning Wan almost couldn't bear it. She was just about to say something to liven up the atmosphere and hint at her answer when, along with the drifting scent of women's perfume, a pair of beautiful high heels suddenly appeared by their table--
"Excuse me…"
Ning Wan looked up to find that the person who had come was a beautiful, fashionable young girl. Her clothing indicated that she was from a wealthy family. Her makeup was exquisite, her face small and cute, and she looked a little familiar.
As soon as the girl spoke, Ning Wan realized where she had seen her before. She looked up at her and pointed to the card on the table. "The WIFI password is right there, no need to ask us."
"..."
The girl was obviously stunned. She probably hadn't expected Ning Wan to recognize her. Realization dawned on her face, and then she looked at Fu Zheng affectionately. "What a coincidence to meet each other again! I recognized you just now."
She didn't care that Fu Zheng was ignoring her, staring at him greedily. After a moment, she looked at Ning Wan and said, "May I be so bold as to ask, are the two of you boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Ning Wan thought that it might be that the store wasn't well-ventilated, because she was feeling a bit stuffy. Even stabbing the fruit beside her waffle with her fork was giving her trouble.
What did it have to do with this person whether they were boyfriend or girlfriend? Were all passers-by so nosy nowadays?
What made her even more unhappy was that this time Fu Zheng replied briefly, looking at the girl. "No."
Ning Wan took out her anger on a blueberry, stabbing as hard as if it were a dead fish.
She felt a little irritable, but knew she had nowhere to vent it. After all, Fu Zheng was right. Her relationship with him was currently in limbo and had yet to be determined. She hadn't given him an answer.
Receiving this signal, the girl decided to push her luck. Shyly but boldly, she confessed, "Does that mean you're single? You're so handsome! I felt it the last time I saw you. I took a secret photograph of you then and used it as a screen saver for a while. It felt like love at first sight! I even put a notice out on the Internet trying to find you because you were so handsome and elegant. Since... since this young lady is not your girlfriend, if you're single, would you mind giving me your number?"
She explained by saying, "I'm a photographer, and thanks to my bad occupational habits, I just can't resist beautiful people. You're the most beautiful man I've seen recently. It's okay if you're not interested in me like that, but if it works for you, would you mind letting me take photos of you? When I post them online, you'll be famous! If you're single, there'll be plenty of girls who will chase after you and love you to death then, and you'll be able to resolve your singlehood..." She clasped her hands together. "Please, please, if it's okay with you, can I have your number?"
At this point, the waffles in Ning Wan's mouth were no longer sweet. After having held it in for a long time, she finally could no longer bear it and set her fork down sharply with a 'clack'. "It's not okay with him."
"Why not? You're not his girlfriend..."
Ning Wan glared at the girl before her. "I wasn't just now, but now I am. This man is mine."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Fu Zheng's eyes across from him seemed to light up. He looked at Ning Wan with deep and focused eyes, as if nothing else he was looking at mattered.
Then he looked at the girl who had come over to strike up a conversation. "I'm sorry, young lady, but I already have a girlfriend. Please show some respect for yourself. I don't like girls who take the initiative to chat me up."
These were quite harsh words. The girl likely hadn't expected to be rejected like this, because real confusion showed on her face. If one insisted on translating her expression, it was probably something like: who am I, where am I, what am I doing?
A moment later, she finally reacted. She stared at Ning Wan wide-eyed, then back at Fu Zheng, her unaccepting expression quite difficult to describe. "Me? You want me to respect myself???"
"Yes," Fu Zheng said coldly. "Please don't interrupt our dinner date again."
"..."
Ning Wan clearly saw murder flash through the girl's eyes for a moment, but for whatever reason, in the end she suppressed the urge to hit Fu Zheng. The enthusiasm and admiration in her eyes vanished into thin air, and she gave them both a meaningful look. "I've interrupted you two. I wish you both happiness and a quick and blissful marriage. Perhaps we'll have a chance to meet again in the future."
After saying that, she didn't stay in the restaurant any longer, and she didn't need the WIFI password. Bag in hand, she yanked the door open angrily and stomped out on her stilettos.
As soon as this little episode ended, Ning Wan immediately felt regret. She had been too incompetent. Why had she gotten all worked up and agreed? That was just making things too easy for Fu Zheng!
After the two finished their meal, they returned to Ning Wan's house.
Ning Wan clutched her chest and spent the whole time thinking, wondering how best to deal with it in a manner that made her behavior just now seem reasonable and natural. After all, she could begrudgingly be considered a senior lawyer, so she didn't want to lose face! To have actually caved immediately just because she was jealous!
Thanks to her attitude, Fu Zheng got a little nervous. "Was what you just said a definite answer this time?"
Feeling a little tired from walking, Ning Wan flopped down onto the sofa as soon as she reached home. She raised her eyes to regard Fu Zheng and only blinked.
But her non-statement only made him even more confused. He glanced at her twice and unable to get an answer, asked again, "Are you still going to break up with me? Was that something you just said casually because you were worked up?"
Fu Zheng's appearance was no longer his usual calm and self-possessed manner. He didn't look like a mature man in his thirties, but instead seemed nervous and impulsive, wrapped in youthful emotions inconsistent with his age. He even seemed flustered. It was childish, but Ning Wan didn't feel like it went against the grain. On the contrary, she found it quite touching. It was a completely undisguised show of emotion.
Sincerity repaid sincerity. When Fu Zheng stood in front of her sincerely and without reservation, Ning Wan felt that she had no chance of winning.
Her heart was once again beating violently for the man before her. No matter how hard she refused to admit it, facts spoke louder than words. She did like Fu Zheng. She liked him regardless of whether he was an older intern from a poor family or a senior partner. What she liked was him as a person, nothing to do with his societal standing.
Although it was true that there were some elements of embarrassment and anger, as she watched Fu Zheng fidget anxiously before her, Ning Wan felt the dregs of those emotions dissipate.
She relaxed and burst out laughing at how nervous he was. Feeling like a rich woman choosing a pretty boy toy, she asked him, "Why should I break up with you?"
Fu Zheng was left stunned for a moment. "What?" he asked, at a loss.
"I said, why should I break up with you?" Ning Wan cleared her throat and observed him. Not so long ago, this man had made her head spin with his logic, but now he was as quiet as if he were on trial. No matter how many arguments he made or how eloquent he was, in the end the choice was Ning Wan's. She could say yes or no.
Thinking of all the embarrassing things she had done in the past being misled by Fu Zheng, Ning Wan felt a slight sense of superiority. "Actually calm down and think about it. Why do you think I must want to break up with you?"
He looked a little blank. "I lied to you..."
"Yes, you did. But if you analyze it rationally, although you may have lied about your identity, your education was real, your appearance wasn't modified, and your height didn't come from wearing pads in your shoes. Why should I break up with you because a poor, older intern from a fallen family transformed into a wealthy senior partner?”
"Fu Zheng, when you persuaded me you sounded so rational and logical, so when it came to yourself, why didn't you analyze it just as calmly?"
Ning Wan felt it was time to show Fu Zheng her own excellent logic. "Yes, I was shocked and a little angry when I first learned about your true identity, but I also studied law! I'm a lawyer just like you are, and once I calmed down and analyzed the pros and cons, the result was straightforward. Why should I break up with my domineering boss when he falls in love with me? Is there anyone in the world who actually wants to be poor?”
"You became wealthy and powerful, not bald! That's a good thing! Why should I dump you for that? Also, your second-hand house has appreciated so much that I really can't let some other woman take advantage of that! I hand-picked it myself and even lent you money! How wrong to let it all go to someone else!"
"After much thought," Ning Wan asserted very high-soundingly, "It must have been that the heavens were moved by my sincerity and so bestowed upon me a senior partner. So why should I turn it down? This was the reward bestowed by the heavens! Isn't a senior partner falling in love with me an affirmation of my own charm? What do I have to be unhappy about? Yes, it was wrong for you to deceive me in the process, but when it came to the result, what did I lose?"
"..."
