During the meal, Liang Yufeng was the silent one. Lan Lan hadn't planned to speak either, but Zhou Bing seemed to enjoy chatting with her, and the two began to converse, moving from skincare products to handbags. Liang Yufeng knew these were things Lan Lan liked, but he didn't understand them as well as Zhou Bing, so he couldn't interject.
After lunch, Zhou Bing was picked up by the driver Liang Yufeng had arranged. Lan Lan had assumed they would leave together, and she could use this opportunity to depart as well. However, after Liang Yufeng saw Zhou Bing out the door, he returned within minutes.
Curious, Lan Lan couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you leave with her?"
Liang Yufeng retorted, "Do you really want me to leave with her?"
"Your affairs have nothing to do with me," Lan Lan blurted out. In response, Liang Yufeng let out a cold laugh, "You can't leave if I haven't told you to."
His temper was worsening, and his triggers were increasingly strange. At this moment, his anger seemed to come out of nowhere. Could it be because she hadn't "competed for his affection" or engaged in "catfights" as he'd expected? Was he frustrated because he couldn't feel his own charm?
Where did men get this idea that all women connected to them were meant to compete for his attention?
"Are you angry?" Lan Lan asked. "Because Zhou Bing and I were chatting happily?"
Liang Yufeng looked at Lan Lan. Though he didn't speak, his eyes betrayed his thoughts; he was clearly curious how she knew.
"Zhou Bing is a very nice person," Lan Lan said. "Women don't only have competition and animosity between them."
"Liang Yufeng," Lan Lan said seriously, calling him by his full name. "Competing for affection will never happen with me."
"Why?" Liang Yufeng instinctively asked.
"There's no why; I've never had that habit since I was little," Lan Lan replied. "My value in this world isn't defined by which man I've won over. My existence itself is value. Men are merely my diversions for amusement."
"Oh." Liang Yufeng only caught the latter half of her statement, extracting the core idea: "It's still because you don't care."
If she cared, she wouldn't be able to act so nonchalantly. Even he, who was indifferent to many things, couldn't help but be possessive in relationships. Seeing her speak even a word more to someone else would drive him mad with jealousy.
"It has nothing to do with caring or not," Lan Lan said, unusually expansive with Liang Yufeng. "Even if I truly liked someone, I wouldn't compete for them. It's too demeaning."
She had encountered this situation many times in past relationships. The men she dated were usually of superior appearance and had many admirers. For example, the senior from university who was on the basketball team; countless girls had flocked to him. Even after they started dating, some girls would still act as cheerleaders, give him gifts, and the bolder ones would even confess their feelings.
Once, on White Day, a girl gave the senior a gift, and Lan Lan happened to witness it. The girl fled in panic. The senior, wanting to show his loyalty, was about to throw away the handmade chocolate the girl had given him. Lan Lan, however, stopped him. Not only did she prevent him from discarding it, but she also took the chocolate and tasted it herself.
The senior asked her at the time if she wasn't jealous. She smiled without answering and continued eating the chocolate, even praising the girl for her craftsmanship. The senior finally said helplessly, "I don't think you like me at all. You don't even get jealous when other girls give me gifts."
"I never get jealous," Lan Lan said. "I only eat chocolate."
The senior was exasperated but amused by her. Perhaps it was the same for all men; if a woman was frequently jealous, they would find it bothersome, but if she was truly indifferent to everything, they would feel she didn't love them enough.
Therefore, Lan Lan never thought that understanding women was like fathoming the deep sea; it was men's hearts that were the true enigma.
As long as one didn't treat men as the meaning of life or the source of their value, even if they liked someone, they wouldn't let a small gesture from him disrupt their daily life.
Lan Lan went upstairs. Liang Yufeng sat on the sofa, Lan Lan's words from earlier still echoing in his mind, lost in thought.
She had said that even if she truly liked a man, she wouldn't compete for him. Did that mean she didn't like him...
Lan Lan went to the upstairs balcony to sunbathe. It was a rare moment of relaxation on the weekend. She lay on the carpet, took out her phone, and started chatting with Lin Mei and Feng Feng in their WeChat group.
Lin Mei had been on leave for a long time and was now in her hometown, Xiangxi City, awaiting childbirth. Her due date was approaching. Lan Lan looked at the photos of Lin Mei's pregnant belly posted in the group and eagerly anticipated the birth of the little one.
Among the three of them, Lin Mei's romantic journey had been the most tumultuous. First, she encountered that scumbag Chen Qi. After finally cutting ties with him, Xing Zheng appeared. Although Xing Zheng liked Lin Mei, being with him had also caused Lin Mei considerable suffering. The scar on her face still remained; such a beautiful face...
Fortunately, all those hardships were behind them. Xing Zheng had recovered from his illness and had now put aside all his work to return to Xiangxi with Lin Mei.
Lin Mei shared her daily life with them in the group almost every day. Seeing her mood improve with each passing day, Lan Lan felt immensely relieved. "Once my godson or goddaughter is born, I'll fly over immediately to give a very generous red envelope!"
Feng Feng also chimed in, "Count me in."
Lan Lan was engrossed in their chat when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. It was Liang Yufeng coming onto the balcony. She remained lying down, and Liang Yufeng sat beside her, asking, "What are you doing?"
Basking in the sun, Lan Lan felt relaxed and had put the earlier unpleasantness behind her. "Chatting with Hua Mei. She's due soon."
Liang Yufeng noticed the excitement in Lan Lan's tone, wondering if it was for Lin Mei's happiness or for the child. "Do you like children?"
"I suppose," Lan Lan said. "I like well-behaved, cute ones. But not brats."
Then she didn't truly like them. Liang Yufeng wasn't surprised; given her personality, it was unlikely she would like children.
Liang Yufeng had also seen Lin Mei's pregnancy photos on Xing Zheng's WeChat moments. Occasionally, he would chat with Xing Zheng, who had now become a devoted homebody completely devoted to Lin Mei, neglecting his work. Others might think he was foolish for abandoning his career, but Liang Yufeng often envied him.
What he had once desired was a life unhurried, a simple family, a peaceful existence, and a cute child...
"Will you go see the baby when it's born?" Liang Yufeng asked Lan Lan.
"Of course!" Lan Lan exclaimed. "No matter how busy I am, I'll have to take time off to go." Her friendship with Lin Mei was unquestionable, and Liang Yufeng wasn't surprised by this answer. "I'll go with you."
Lan Lan responded with an "Oh." She didn't think Liang Yufeng was going for her sake but suddenly remembered something important. "Have you spoken to the leadership about my company?"