"Where are you now?"
Liu Nanfeng felt that Zhan Zhongxiao emphasized every word in that sentence, giving him the illusion of a deliberate, drawn-out delivery.
"At the entrance of Wenhui's apartment complex."
"And where is Wenhui's home?" Zhan Zhongxiao asked in a low voice over the phone.
"Xiushui Garden."
"Stay right where you are, I'm coming over immediately."
"Coming over for what? I..."
"Relax, I won't beat you to death," Zhan Zhongxiao finally dropped the pretense, his voice laced with teeth-grinding anger.
"Heh, who's afraid of whom? I'll wait for you here."
Liu Nanfeng realized the situation and deliberately provoked him.
After hanging up, he turned to Shen Wenhui beside him. "Is there anywhere we can sit around here? Dun Dun said he's coming over soon."
"Coming here? What's the matter?"
Liu Nanfeng explained the incident of stealing the car last night.
"You really are out of luck," Shen Wenhui chuckled. "There's a convenience store over there, let's go sit there."
"Alright."
"But your car looks quite imposing. How much did it cost?"
Shen Wenhui was a biology expert, not a car expert. Her biggest luxury purchases were usually cosmetics. Therefore, she didn't know much about cars, only that the one in front of her looked grand and substantial, and likely expensive.
"I don't know. My wife gave it to me."
Shen Wenhui: ...
So he really was living off his wife?
The two went to the convenience store, where the air conditioning was strong, offering a pleasant coolness. After finding a spot to sit, Liu Nanfeng asked, "Have you had breakfast?"
Shen Wenhui shook her head. She had actually come out for breakfast, which was how she met Liu Nanfeng.
"What would you like to eat?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
"I'll get it myself," Shen Wenhui said, getting up.
"No, let me. Are you having a steamed bun or bread?"
The convenience store didn't have many breakfast options, only steamed buns, corn, and bread.
"Bread, please."
Liu Nanfeng got up, took a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk, and a bottle of water for himself.
"Breakfast is here!" Liu Nanfeng said as he walked towards Shen Wenhui after paying.
Shen Wenhui was looking down at her phone. Hearing him, she quickly put it away.
"What were you looking at?" Liu Nanfeng asked casually.
"Nothing, thanks for the breakfast." Shen Wenhui reached up to smooth a strand of hair from her forehead. She had actually been checking the price of the car. To her surprise, even the base model of the Lincoln Navigator cost over a million yuan.
"Why are you being so polite with me? I used to snatch so much food from you when we were kids. Consider this compensation," Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
"Well, this little bit isn't enough," Shen Wenhui laughed in response.
"If you stay to work in Jiangcheng, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Oh? Do you really want me to stay?" Shen Wenhui suddenly looked up from her breakfast, her large eyes behind her glasses seeming to gleam with an unusual light.
"Hey, girl, don't get any ideas. I have a wife. But yes, I do want you to stay. I don't have many friends, and you're one of them."
"Friends?" Shen Wenhui lowered her head and took another bite of bread.
"Actually, Dun Dun also wants you to stay. When he came back to Jiangcheng this time, he was thinking of settling here. But in Jiangcheng, besides me, you're his only friend, so he's quite lonely. I have a family, so I don't have much free time. If you were also in Jiangcheng, it would be different..."
As Liu Nanfeng spoke, he sent their current location to Zhan Dun Dun. Shen Wenhui wasn't foolish; she was quite intelligent, otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten into Xiajing University, one of the top institutions in Xiajing. Thus, she immediately understood and asked, "What do you mean by that? Did Dun Dun ask you to say this?"
"It's exactly what you're thinking, but Dun Dun didn't ask me to say it."
"Self-importance," Shen Wenhui rolled her eyes at him.
"It's really not self-importance. You know, when Dun Dun came back this time, he immediately asked me about you. Actually, your mother should have mentioned it to you..." Yu Huilan had contacted Shen Wenhui's mother, directly stating it was to arrange a meeting.
Shen Wenhui fell silent. In truth, she knew it perfectly well.
"And if you weren't interested in Dun Dun, you wouldn't have traveled all the way from Xiajing back here, would you?" Liu Nanfeng added.
Shen Wenhui looked up at him and shook her head. "Not really. It's just... I miss my parents a bit."
"Whatever the case, just give Dun Dun a chance. You can get along and see. If you really don't like him, no one will force you."
Shen Wenhui looked up at Liu Nanfeng and asked, "You want me to date Dun Dun?"
"Uh... the way you put it." For some reason, looking into Shen Wenhui's eyes, Liu Nanfeng felt a little uneasy.
"Actually, I don't really want you two to date."
"Oh? Why?" Shen Wenhui showed a sweet smile, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Because I'm afraid that in the end, you two will completely fall out and can't even be friends anymore. It would be awkward for me to be caught in the middle," Liu Nanfeng said with a grimace.
What Liu Nanfeng said was indeed plausible and quite common. Friends who were once close drifted apart, never to speak again, all because of romantic entanglements.
"Then let's not date and just stay friends." Shen Wenhui smiled and then lowered her head to continue eating her bread.
"Sigh, it's up to you. But if you ever look for a boyfriend, I hope you'll give Dun Dun a chance." Liu Nanfeng was quite frustrated.
Shen Wenhui remained silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, "We'll see."
As silence fell, the atmosphere between them became somewhat awkward. After a moment's thought, Liu Nanfeng broke the silence.
"Wenhui, did you ever have a boyfriend in college?"
Shen Wenhui reached for her milk, trying to unscrew the cap. However, it was too tight. Liu Nanfeng naturally took it, unscrewed it for her, and handed it back.
"Some boys did pursue me, but at that time, I was completely focused on my major courses, so I didn't have the extra energy for dating. By the time I graduated and joined the research institute, most of the seniors were older than me, and everyone was engrossed in their research..."
Alright, so Shen Wenhui's romantic history was zero. A twenty-seven-year-old woman who had never been in a relationship, no wonder her mother was a bit anxious.
Just then, Liu Nanfeng's phone rang. It was Zhan Dun Dun.
"Hello, we're at the convenience store here. You can just come straight over."
"Can't find it? You want me to pick you up? Okay, honestly, how can you not find such a big store?"
Liu Nanfeng got up with a sigh and said to Shen Wenhui, "Dun Dun's here. I'll go pick him up. Wait for me here."
He then stepped out of the convenience store and walked in the direction Zhan Zhongxiao had indicated. However, halfway there, a thick arm reached out from behind a car parked nearby and grabbed Liu Nanfeng by the neck.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Liu Nanfeng quickly reached out to block. Their arms collided, making a dull thud. The other party was clearly surprised by Liu Nanfeng's strength and paused for a moment.
"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."
It was Zhan Zhongxiao. Seeing his bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing, Liu Nanfeng quickly tried to explain.
"Calm down first, let me explain," Liu Nanfeng hurried to pacify him.
Zhan Zhongxiao withdrew his gaze from his own arm and looked at Liu Nanfeng in astonishment. "Are you a monster too?"