Haiheng Restaurant
"It looks pretty good," Liu Nanfeng said, looking at the restaurant before him with a hint of emotion.
The entire restaurant was bright and clean, giving off a very hygienic impression.
However, it was completely different from Liu Nanfeng's memory of it.
In his memory, this small eatery, besides its delicious food, was cramped, dim, and its yellow decor was old-fashioned and tacky. In the summer, the old ceiling fan would creak and groan all day long.
"Their food is quite good, but it gets very crowded at night. It's not very busy at noon," Zhan Zhongxiao said, leading the way inside.
Immediately, a middle-aged woman, who looked like the owner's wife, emerged from behind the bar.
"Owner, you're here."
The proprietress was very enthusiastic. Her expression suggested she was quite familiar with Zhan Zhongxiao.
"I've reserved the Rose Hall."
"I know, I'll take you there."
"If it's not too crowded at noon, we can just sit in the main hall."
Liu Nanfeng glanced at the seats by the glass wall, which offered a clear view of the main road and a wide vista.
"How many people are you?" the proprietress asked.
"Just four."
"Four people can fit in the main hall."
The spot Liu Nanfeng was looking at was a four-seater.
A long marble table with two long benches, facing each other, could comfortably seat four people.
"Is this okay? It might not be ideal," Zhan Zhongxiao hesitated, thinking about the large round tables in private rooms that accommodated more dishes and felt more formal.
"We're not strangers, so why be so particular?" Liu Nanfeng directly pulled Su Huamei towards the seats by the wall.
"Alright then, owner, we'll sit in the main hall," Zhan Zhongxiao said with some resignation.
However, by the time he sat down, he suddenly realized something. He looked at Liu Nanfeng with surprise and subtly gave him a thumbs-up.
Because Liu Nanfeng and Su Huamei were sitting side-by-side on the same bench, Shen Wenhui would have to sit with him. This was an opportunity Liu Nanfeng had deliberately created for him.
"Do you have Wenhui's phone number? Ask her when she'll arrive." Liu Nanfeng checked the time; it was almost 11:50 AM.
"I have her WeChat. I'll ask her." Zhan Zhongxiao replied.
"Huh? When did you add her on WeChat?" Liu Nanfeng was surprised. The last time they met, Zhan Zhongxiao hadn't gotten her WeChat yet.
"I just added her yesterday, mainly in case I couldn't find the place today and it would be inconvenient," Zhan Zhongxiao explained.
Just as Liu Nanfeng was about to speak, he felt a pinch on his waist.
"What are you doing?" Liu Nanfeng flinched from the pain.
"Why are you asking for so many details? Do you want to add her too?" Su Huamei asked, her tone filled with jealousy.
"Not at all, I was just asking casually," Liu Nanfeng quickly said.
He rubbed his waist and his gaze swept outside the glass. He saw a long-haired girl standing under a plane tree by the road, wearing a gray t-shirt and black shorts, with a small handbag on her back. She was occasionally pushing her long hair back and looking at her phone.
"Hey, isn't that Shen Wenhui?" Liu Nanfeng pointed outside the glass.
Zhan Zhongxiao, who was editing a message, looked up and immediately said with surprise, "It really is her. She's probably waiting for us."
"I'll go get her."
As Liu Nanfeng was about to get up, he felt his clothes being pulled. Looking down, he saw Su Huamei pouting and tugging at the hem of his shirt.
"Dundun, you should go get her then." Liu Nanfeng sat back down.
"Me? That's still..."
He had always held a torch for Shen Wenhui, but when it came to actually meeting her, he felt a pang of anxiety.
"I'll go then."
Seeing Zhan Zhongxiao's cowardly demeanor, Su Huamei was speechless. She stood up and walked towards the door.
"You had the chance, but you blew it," Liu Nanfeng said with feigned despair.
Then he looked outside the glass, scrutinizing Shen Wenhui. He sighed, "She's really grown up. I never imagined that little girl would turn into such a beauty."
Shen Wenhui was even prettier than in her photos. The addition of glasses only made her look more intelligent.
Zhan Zhongxiao became alert at his words and nervously said, "You already have two..."
"Two what? What are you talking about?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed. What's going on between you and her?" Zhan Zhongxiao pointed at Su Huamei outside.
"Is it what you're thinking?" Liu Nanfeng raised an eyebrow, not denying it.
"You're amazing. But does your wife know? Aren't you afraid she'll skin you alive if she finds out?"
Zhan Zhongxiao was worried about Liu Nanfeng. Su Jinxiu was no ordinary woman; she had plenty of ways to deal with Liu Nanfeng if she wanted to.
"She knows."
Zhan Zhongxiao's jaw dropped and remained agape for a long time.
"You're truly impressive. How did you..." Zhan Zhongxiao was utterly convinced and admired him profusely.
"I don't know either. They all chased me," Liu Nanfeng said deliberately.
Zhan Zhongxiao: ...
He desperately wanted to jump up and curse. How could there be such a huge difference between humans and demons?
But after his mental equilibrium was disrupted, Zhan Zhongxiao's first reaction was that Liu Nanfeng must have something special about him.
So, he stared intently at Liu Nanfeng, sniffing the air.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm checking if you're Tang Monk. Why are you so popular with female demons?"
"It's innate. There's nothing I can do. You can't be jealous of it."
Liu Nanfeng ran a hand through his hair, striking a handsome pose. Talking casually between friends in a relaxed atmosphere was the most comforting thing.
"Get out of here," Zhan Zhongxiao said disdainfully.
As they were talking, Su Huamei came in, pulling Shen Wenhui with her. They quickly stood up.
"Wenhui."
"Liu Shutiao, Zhan Dundun..."
Shen Wenhui greeted them both gracefully, her smile particularly sweet.
"That's too much. I didn't even call you Shen Yellow Hair, and look at me now, do I look like Liu Shutiao?" Liu Nanfeng flexed to show his physique.
"Haha, you have indeed gotten a lot stronger," Shen Wenhui said with a slight smile.
Then, her gaze shifted to Zhan Zhongxiao, who was standing beside them looking a bit nervous. "But you haven't changed. You're still so fat."
"Well... I tried to lose weight, but I just can't seem to shed it." Zhan Zhongxiao scratched the back of his head with a simple, honest expression.
"Sit down and let's talk. No need to stand," Su Huamei said from the side, gesturing for everyone to sit.
"Thank you, Sister Su," Shen Wenhui said.
He didn't know what Su Huamei had said to her earlier, but she seemed very familiar with them on their first meeting. Women were truly strange.
Zhan Zhongxiao tried to shrink himself closer to the wall, making more space for Shen Wenhui.
Seeing his nervous demeanor, Liu Nanfeng felt like laughing.
"Liu Shu— Liu Nanfeng, I didn't expect you to be married, and to a beautiful woman like Sister Su," Shen Wenhui said, looking at Su Huamei with a playful smile.
Huh? Did Su Huamei introduce herself like that just now?
However, Liu Nanfeng didn't correct her. He said proudly, "Of course. I'm so handsome, I naturally have to find a beautiful wife to match me."
"You're still as cheeky as you were when you were little," Shen Wenhui said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a hint of charm.
"Yes, he was very cheeky even as a child," Zhan Zhongxiao managed to interject.
Shen Wenhui turned to look at him, and Zhan Zhongxiao immediately became nervous again, shifting his gaze away from her.
"You even said you'd marry me when you grew up? You made me wait for you all these years, but seeing a beauty like Sister Su, I'm truly impressed. I lost fairly."
Zhan Zhongxiao, who was pretending to sip tea with a teacup, immediately widened his eyes and looked at Liu Nanfeng sitting opposite him.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense. When did I ever say that?" Liu Nanfeng panicked.
Su Huamei glanced at him from the side, smiling without saying anything, as if waiting for his explanation.
"Haha... I was just teasing you. But I never expected you to get married so early," Shen Wenhui said with a laugh.
Liu Nanfeng let out a long sigh and then said with a hint of helplessness, "You're still the same as when you were little, always playing tricks on me. Every time you tricked me, if I tried to hit you, you'd tell your parents, and I'd get scolded."
Although Shen Wenhui looked like a well-behaved girl when she was young, she was actually quite mischievous. Liu Nanfeng had suffered under her antics for a long time.
"You still remember? Why did you always bully me? I still remember one morning, I deliberately stuffed chili sauce into my baozi..."
As Shen Wenhui's stories unfolded, the three of them seemed to return to those carefree childhood days.