Min Er kept her head down and didn't speak. Zhan Bei Jue waited for a moment before changing the subject.
"Where's your aunt? You ran out to work, leaving her home alone?"
Min Er nodded and checked the time on her phone.
"It's getting late, I should go back. I'm worried about her being home alone for too long."
"Goodbye, Mr. Zhan."
As she spoke, she turned to leave, and Zhan Bei Jue's face turned cold.
"I told you not to call me Mr. Zhan anymore!"
"..."
"Call me Ge!"
Min Er couldn't bring herself to say it, nor did she want to.
Turning away her lingering gaze, she said, "I'm leaving now."
Zhan Bei Jue reached out and stopped her, "Wait, I'll give you a ride."
He took out his phone with his other hand and called Jiang Nan Fang, asking why she wasn't out yet.
Regarding the bidding, Jiang Nan Fang would definitely seize the opportunity to gather more information and secure her advantage, so she chatted for a while longer.
She didn't expect Zhan Bei Jue to come pick her up in person and had been waiting impatiently.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming out now, please wait a moment."
However, when she walked out of the lobby, she saw two familiar figures standing by the car.
Shen Min Er, with her head bowed and looking pitiful, was finally seen by Zhan Bei Jue.
It was good. They came with a purpose and wanted to be seen by them.
They couldn't avoid it forever, so it was better to meet sooner rather than later.
Jiang Nan Fang didn't believe it.
She had eaten nearly ten years more than Min Er and experienced so much more.
Could such a young girl pose a threat to her?
She walked over with long strides and, before even reaching them, looked at Min Er with feigned surprise.
"I knew it, you looked so familiar, I must have seen you somewhere before. So it really is you!"
"Weren't you studying in Fucheng? Why did you suddenly start working? You're dressed like this, I almost didn't recognize you."
"When did you come to Nancheng? And you started working at Huatai, why didn't you tell us?"
"Your brother worries about you. He constantly talks about you in front of me, saying you're young, lack social experience, and don't truly know Fucheng, and he wonders if you feel lonely or get bullied."
"I was just looking for an opportunity to go back and see you, and then you came. It's like we're telepathically connected."
With such enthusiasm.
Anyone who didn't know would think she was Shen Min Er's sister-in-law.
Compared to Jiang Nan Fang's smooth talk, Min Er appeared much more naive.
After Jiang Nan Fang finished speaking, Min Er didn't know how to respond and could only reply woodenly, "Thank you."
"What's there to thank? This is what we should do, isn't it? Who told you Ah Jue is your brother?"
"Let's go. Since you're here, it's been a while, let's get together. I'll take you to see our place."
Saying this, she linked her arm with Zhan Bei Jue and Min Er, and was about to get into the car amicably.
As they walked, Zhan Bei Jue told her that their aunt had also come along, and since Min Er was at work during the day, she had locked her alone in their rented apartment.
He was worried about her being alone for too long and needed to check on her.
"Auntie came along too, so what about Uncle?"
While speaking with a tone of concern, Jiang Nan Fang thought to herself.
Well, it seems they've moved their whole family to Nancheng.
"Min Er, to be honest, do you dislike Fucheng and prefer Nancheng?"
"If that's the case, there's no need for you to rent a place. Just tell me, and I'll buy you another apartment."
"You are Ah Jue's benefactor, so I should treat you well. Let's go see Uncle and Auntie now and discuss which city you prefer. We'll look at houses tomorrow."
Jiang Nan Fang knew Zhan Bei Jue's character.
If Shen Min Er insisted on staying, he wouldn't let her keep renting.
After all, she was already grown up, and it was inconvenient to share a rented apartment with her parents.
Rather than waiting for Zhan Bei Jue to bring it up, it was better for her to do so.
After a flurry of words, Min Er truly didn't know how to respond.
Zhan Bei Jue, seeing her looking preoccupied and hesitant, explained for her.
Her father had passed away, and now she only had her mother.
Her father had passed away?
No wonder she suddenly came to Nancheng.
She was going through a difficult and vulnerable time, looking for someone to lean on?
It was a pity. She had found the wrong person.
There were millions of men in the world; if she wanted a man, he could introduce her, but she wasn't allowed to think about other people's husbands.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Min Er forced a smile, "It's okay. Let's go quickly."
Ke Teng had helped Shen Min Er rent an apartment in a run-down neighborhood outside the Fourth Ring Road.
There was no elevator, and they lived on the fifth floor, requiring them to walk up.
The corridor was dark and damp, with a musty smell. Some floors had voice-activated lights, while others were broken, making it pitch black.
Holding her breath as she walked through, Zhan Bei Jue held Jiang Nan Fang's arm the entire time, afraid she might fall.
Memories of their time in Switzerland flashed back.
Zhan Bei Jue couldn't help but lament Min Er's lack of ambition.
After finally escaping that quagmire in Switzerland, she had thrown herself into this.
The three of them arrived at the fifth floor one after another.
Min Er used the light from the hallway to find her key and unlock the apartment door.
Pushing the door open, the floor was a mess.
The television was on, the lights were on, and her mother, with disheveled hair and untidy clothes, sat on the floor, gesticulating wildly at the television as if speaking.
Min Er seemed accustomed to this scene. She walked in with a composed expression, picking up scattered items from the floor as she went.
She also called out, "Mom, I'm back."
Seeing such a scene, Jiang Nan Fang and Zhan Bei Jue couldn't help but feel a wave of shock.
What kind of life was this girl living every day?
Hearing her voice, her mother turned her head and gave a simple smile.
"Min Er, you're back? Am I being good today?"
"I'm listening to the teacher's lesson, doing exercises, and working out. See, isn't the sea breeze so comfortable? I want to sunbathe on the beach. I'm being so good today."
"Good, Min Er knows Mommy is the best. Did you finish eating?"
"I finished eating. But I'm not full, I'm so hungry."
On the coffee table behind her mother were two yellow ceramic bowls, so clean they looked licked clean, with nothing in them.
A spoon was lying beside them.
They were likely the utensils used for eating.
Min Er looked at the bowls and then patted her mother's head.
"You ate so cleanly, so good. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll make it for you now."
"I want... a big chicken leg! I want a big chicken leg!"
"You want chicken legs?"
Min Er looked a bit troubled.
There were two guests at home, so she would have to go to the supermarket.
With a blank expression, she walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and took a look.
She said to Zhan Bei Jue, "There are no vegetables left at home. If you're staying for dinner tonight, I'll have to go out and buy groceries. Are you staying?"
In this situation, how could they stay for dinner?
But it might be more troublesome to take them out to eat.
Exchanging a glance, Jiang Nan Fang made the decision for Zhan Bei Jue.
"Didn't Auntie say she was hungry? Making food will take too much time, so don't cook. Buy some cooked food for her."
"Ah Jue will stay here and watch. The two of us will go to the supermarket."
"It's a good opportunity for your brother to talk to you. Let's have dinner together and chat."