"What do you mean by that? Do you look down on me? Or do you have a girlfriend?"
Peng Fei didn't want to explain, but he was afraid Wang Li would misunderstand.
He thought she was a pretty good girl and had helped him a lot. It wouldn't be good for her to misunderstand, so after hesitating, he mumbled an explanation.
"I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm already married."
Wang Li was greatly surprised.
"Married? You're only 22, and you're already married? Don't tell me you even have kids!"
Peng Fei said that in his hometown, people got married early. He didn't have children, but his friends his age all had children. Li Tao even had two.
While Wang Li was shocked and disappointed, she was also curious.
"Since you're married and don't have children, why doesn't she come out to work with you? Earning money together is much better than earning it alone, and you can be together every day."
Wang Li's words truly hit a sore spot for Peng Fei.
When he first arrived, he had no fixed abode and no stable job. His family was heavily in debt. What he thought about most every day was working hard, staying here, and sending money home to pay off the debt as soon as possible.
Although he missed Zhan Jingchun terribly, longed to find her, and wanted to see her, what could he do in his current state?
He decided to pay off the debt and establish himself here first, then he would try not to think about her.
But with people asking him about her every few days, whether he wanted to think about her or not was out of his control.
After Wang Li spoke, seeing that he had fallen silent again, she became a little annoyed.
"I'm talking to you. Why do you go silent so easily? You have no manners. Are you lying to me? You're not married at all, you just look down on me, and you're trying to fool me because you're afraid I'll pursue you."
She was joking, but Peng Fei took it seriously and quickly explained.
"No, no. I'm not lying to you, everything I said is true."
Wang Li pressed further, "Then tell me, why didn't you bring her out to work with you? Could it be that she's pregnant and waiting at home to give birth?"
Peng Fei didn't want to lie to her. After hesitating, he could only tell her a part of the story.
"No. We separated. I heard she came to Nancheng? I came here to find her."
Wang Li was truly impressed by Peng Fei.
He rarely spoke, but when he did, he managed to shock her half to death several times.
"So you're telling me now that not only are you married, but you're also divorced? You're only 22, and you've been through so much!"
Peng Fei corrected her, "I'm not divorced."
"Not divorced? Then why did she run off alone?"
Peng Fei was silent for a long time. "I did something bad, and it made her angry. She doesn't want me anymore... Although I don't know where she is now, I believe I'll find her someday. I want to apologize to her and make up for my past mistakes."
Wang Li couldn't imagine what terrible thing this honest and upright man could have done to make his wife abandon her family, leave without a word, and travel a thousand miles away from him.
But Peng Fei was unwilling to say more.
"I'm done eating. I still have a long way to go back, so I'll be leaving now."
Wang Li was just getting into the conversation and was full of curiosity about his affairs. She didn't want to let him go like this and chased after him, asking more questions.
"You're so good-looking, your wife must be pretty too, right? She's probably working in a factory too. Do you have a photo of her? I interact with more people through HR, give me a photo, maybe I can help you find her someday."
Peng Fei wished he had a photo of Zhan Jingchun, but unfortunately, he didn't.
When he mentioned her, his eyes unconsciously softened. He looked out at the bustling street with traffic and reminisced about their time together.
"She is indeed very beautiful, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. But I don't have her photo, and I don't need your help to find her. I will find her myself someday."
Wang Li's heart was pierced like a beehive by his words.
His wife was the most beautiful woman among all the women she knew, which made her furious.
Wang Li vowed to ignore him.
There were plenty of male workers pursuing her at the factory, who cared about him!
But human nature is like that; you don't appreciate those who like you, and you can't forget those who don't.
She always passed by Peng Fei. He was completely focused, never approached her first, and wouldn't even glance at her. Wang Li couldn't forget him.
In fact, because of his indifference, she liked him even more, tormenting herself daily.
So, she changed her way of thinking.
Nancheng was so big, and that woman was so beautiful. Since she had made up her mind to leave, she would surely meet someone better than Peng Fei. Perhaps Peng Fei would never find her again.
What was the difference between that and being divorced?
As long as she treated him well and managed to get this man, it would be a stable financial investment, a good deal.
She decided to try again.
The factory had just completed a large order, and Peng Fei and his colleagues had more free time. They didn't have to work overtime at night, so he went to find temporary work.
Wang Li observed for a while and found that he was particularly eager for money, so she approached him.
"How much do you earn for working four extra hours?"
Peng Fei answered while busy with his work, "50 yuan, why?"
"50 yuan for four hours? You're too cheap. With your good looks, you shouldn't be earning so little. I know a lot of people from all walks of life. If you really want to make money, I can help you find something."
Peng Fei's understanding was limited. Besides manual labor, he didn't know of any other ways to make money.
But since someone was helping him find a way to earn more, he didn't mind.
"Won't that be too much trouble for you?"
"Yes," Wang Li said, "so you'll have to treat me to a meal after you make money."
Peng Fei was a little reluctant.
It wasn't that he was stingy with money, but he felt very awkward being alone with Wang Li.
Seeing that he had fallen silent again, Wang Li's teeth itched with anger.
"Look at how stingy you are, you can't even afford to treat me to a meal. I won't hold it against you! Forget it, forget it, come to the office with me."
Peng Fei was unwilling to put down his work and asked what she wanted him to do.
"I'll take a photo of you for an ID and make a resume to help you find a job! Don't worry, I won't eat you, look how scared you are!"
Peng Fei went to the office with her. Wang Li kindly took his ID photo and made a resume, then posted it in the part-time job group she belonged to.
That evening, Peng Fei was noticed.
Even from a small ID photo, it was evident that he was a handsome guy.
The other party requested Peng Fei's detailed information. The next day, Wang Li excitedly ran to tell him.
"Follow me after work. I've found a good job for you."
"What job?"
"A good job that pays 300 yuan per hour, which is much better than working yourself to death here all day. Hurry up and get cleaned up after work!"
After work, Peng Fei went back to shower and change, and was led out by her in a daze.
Wang Li took him on the subway. After several transfers, they arrived at the entrance of a shopping mall.