After we finished eating, we left immediately.

As we passed Wang Rui's table, I carefully sized up her friend. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he looked very masculine, even a bit rugged.

"Leaving already?" Wang Rui asked, looking up at me.

"Yeah, enjoy your meal."

Just as I was about to leave, she asked again, "When are you going to honor our agreement?"

"What agreement?"

"Didn't we say we'd find a time to have a drinking contest?"

"Oh, that thing... anytime. I'm a free man these days."

"Then leave me your cell phone number, and I'll call you sometime."

I readily handed her my phone, watching her skillfully dial her own number.

"May I ask your name?"

"Lin, as in Shuang Mu Lin, the Che of Qing Che (clear)."

"That name is like a breath of fresh air. Did your mom pick it?" Wang Rui joked humorously.

"Who knows!"

Hearing my nonchalant tone, she looked up at me and said, "You need to correct your attitude toward your mother. Everyone has their worries. You're acting more distraught than a thirty-one-year-old spinster."

The guy across from her suddenly chuckled, and I immediately said, "Marry her quickly, even if it's just as a companion in old age."

He stood up and politely shook my hand, introducing himself, "Li Rui."

I smiled. The name was quite fitting; Wang Rui and Li Rui were homophones.

"I'll take off."

As I spoke, my eyes glanced toward the entrance, seeing Pei Shi Yu paying the bill. I strode over to her, discovering that she had already paid, and was putting her wallet back into her bag.

"I said I'd buy, what are you doing?"

"I thought you were deliberately stalling for time." She said very seriously.

"Is it necessary?"

"Highly suspicious."

It was supposed to be a humorous conversation, but coming from Pei Shi Yu, it wasn't so funny. A person without a sense of humor could make anything sound serious.

After an afternoon of playing, Xiao Long began to act playfully, using his legs to clamp around my right leg, and his little hands to tug at my shirt. I almost tripped, instinctively grabbing Pei Shi Yu's shoulder. She turned around as if shocked, looking at Xiao Long's actions. Her lips, which had been parted, closed again, forcing the words back. I quickly picked up Xiao Long.

Looking at the gloomy weather outside, the rain showed no sign of stopping. Though light, the air was thick with a dampness that made me uncomfortable.

Pei Shi Yu headed straight outside. I hurried after her, asking, "Are we going straight back or somewhere else to look around?"

Xiao Long answered before Pei Shi Yu, "I want to look around."

Though the child was young, what he said was sometimes amusing. Like now, the expression on his face was tense, as if afraid of being taken home.

Having never held a child before, I had a special fondness for Xiao Long. His cleanliness was secondary; what mattered most was the reliance he showed towards me, which made me unconsciously want to protect him.

I might not be a family man, but based on my feelings for Xiao Long, I knew that if I had my own child in the future, I would love and cherish them at all costs.

We got in the car and decided to go to the mall. We couldn't think of anywhere else. This car was brand new; the smell hadn't even dissipated, and yet she wanted to "abandon the car and leave."

"What will you do with the car when you leave?" I asked curiously.

"How about you buy it?"

She was deliberately trying to embarrass me, so I replied quickly, "You know I can't afford it, why are you teasing me?"

"You don't have to pay in full..."

"Do you think a jobless bum is suitable for installments?"

I thought she was teasing me, but Pei Shi Yu suddenly changed the subject and said seriously, "Take care of it for me first. If I don't stay abroad for long, it would be a shame to sell it."

If the car was white, I might have gladly accepted, but it seemed a bit inappropriate for a grown man to drive such a bright color.

"You should sell it. Not only would you get some money back, but you can leave with peace of mind."

"Why are you so against it? Isn't it nice to have you drive it?"

"Do you think it's appropriate for a grown man to drive this color? Besides, aren't you afraid I'll sell it and run away with the money?"

"Looks like you haven't had enough of the inside."

I calmly replied, "I've had enough, otherwise my face wouldn't have been injured so badly."

The atmosphere, which had been quite pleasant, suddenly turned silent. Although what I said was rather disappointing, it was the truth. Fortunately, I was able to endure it back then. The scar healed quickly. After the outer layer faded, new flesh was slowly growing. It wouldn't affect my appearance unless you looked closely.

I tend to forget things easily. I had already forgotten what I said earlier. Pei Shi Yu didn't seem to mind either. She parked the car and took Xiao Long's hand, walking ahead of me.

"This mall seems to be doing well."

"Just appearances," Pei Shi Yu said softly.

"It's still good, considering the overall economy."

"That's why I want to leave."

"Is this mall your family's?"

"Not anymore."

"But the supermarket downstairs is still booming."

"I can't manage it anymore. My brother signed a contract with someone when he was still around."

"What about the other assets?"

"There's still a small portion, which my dad is managing. After decades of being in business, he's lost a lot of money recently."

"Is your dad okay?"

"He's recovering well. The doctor said he was just traumatized and can recover with psychological counseling."

"I wonder if he knows that it was my dad who sent him in."

"How could he not remember?"

"Did he scold me?"

"No, he praised you."

"No way, he used to describe me as utterly wicked."

Pei Shi Yu didn't respond. Unknowingly, we had chatted quite a bit, and it was the first time I had communicated with her normally. I discovered that without her thorns, she had a feminine side. It was also the first time I had encountered this type of woman in my life, which I found very refreshing. Unlike the women before, who I would take straight to bed.

There were play facilities for children in the mall. Xiao Long seemed familiar with the place. After letting go of Pei Shi Yu's hand, he ran forward quickly, while we followed behind leisurely.

"Since your dad is in the country, why do you want to go abroad?"

"To do business. The current environment in China isn't very accommodating. The vicious competition is severe, and it's hard to make money. I have a company abroad. The foreigner you met last time, I have a partnership with him. The project with Director Li was originally my idea to bring him in as an investor, but after he learned about it, he withdrew. He called me a few days ago and asked me to come over."

Although I don't understand the business channels of trade, I know that if the economy wants to be active, trade must be open.