Since returning from the party, Shen Su had been waiting for Feng Feng to contact him. After all, he had been so intimate with Li Ran at the party, and Feng Feng didn't know Li Ran's identity. Even if Feng Feng was calm, she couldn't have been unaffected.
Unexpectedly, he hadn't received a call or a message from her until now.
Shen Su was in a bad mood, so when he answered Xing Zheng's call, he was indifferent, "What is it, calling me in the middle of the night?"
Xing Zheng immediately detected Shen Su's displeasure and disappointment. He deliberately teased, "What's wrong? In a bad mood in the middle of the night?"
Shen Su remained silent.
Xing Zheng chuckled and teased, "Then it's over. After you hear my gossip, your mood will probably get even worse."
Xing Zheng's words piqued Shen Su's curiosity. His intuition told him that the news Xing Zheng had must be related to Feng Feng. "What gossip?"
Xing Zheng didn't play coy. "I happened to see my wife chatting with Feng Feng just now. She said some senior from her university is pursuing her and has arranged to climb Yunlu Mountain together tomorrow."
When Xing Zheng mentioned a senior, Shen Su thought of Zhang Lan. Shen Su knew Zhang Lan; Feng Feng's former superior had introduced them. At the time, it was said that Zhang Lan had been Feng Feng's senior.
Moreover, Zhang Lan's attitude towards Feng Feng at the party was indeed good. They were chatting and laughing. Although Shen Su knew Feng Feng wasn't interested in Zhang Lan, her agreeing to climb the mountain with him clearly indicated a hint of pique.
Shen Su was silent for a long time before saying to Xing Zheng, "I know. Thanks."
Xing Zheng asked with a smile, "So, what are your plans? You two are playing this push and pull to the extreme."
Shen Su smiled faintly and didn't answer Xing Zheng's question. They chatted casually for a few more sentences before ending the call.
Yunlu Mountain.
After finishing the call with Xing Zheng, Shen Su messaged Li Ran again: "Are you free tomorrow? I'll take you hiking in the morning."
Li Ran replied quickly: "Brother, spare me!"
Shen Su: "Do me a favor, I'll pick you up at the hotel tomorrow."
Li Ran: "What favor? Tell me clearly."
Shen Su hadn't mentioned Feng Feng to Li Ran before. Now that Li Ran was asking, and he needed her help, he couldn't keep it a secret. Thus, Shen Su called Li Ran for a voice call and told him about the years of entanglement between him and Feng Feng.
Their situation wasn't complicated and could be explained quickly, but the emotional entanglement behind it was a mess. Li Ran clicked his tongue after listening, "No wonder you've been sticking with me all night. You're using me as a shield, aren't you?"
Shen Su retorted, "Didn't you ask me to introduce people to you?"
Li Ran: "Alright, then let's consider it mutual exploitation. But tomorrow, it will be 100% you exploiting me. Brothers settle accounts clearly, you have to give me some benefits, cousin."
Shen Su readily agreed. Giving benefits was as easy as pie for him. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. When you get there..."
"Don't worry, I'm very good at this kind of thing." Li Ran had already guessed what Shen Su was going to remind him of. As a seasoned player in love, she was most familiar with how to make a woman jealous.
After chatting with Li Ran, Shen Su waited for a long time, but Feng Feng still didn't contact him. He put down his phone, a smile curving his lips. He had to admit that Feng Feng was always composed, no matter the situation. He had met his match.
The next morning, Feng Feng met Zhang Lan at the agreed-upon location. Zhang Lan came with other members of the club. The club had a dedicated bus for the event. After Feng Feng and Zhang Lan met, they boarded the bus together.
Zhang Lan introduced Feng Feng to the other members of the club. Feng Feng was familiar with a few of them, having interacted with them at work. Everyone was there to relax, and they were all approachable. Feng Feng hadn't participated in outdoor activities for a long time. She was wearing sportswear and had a simple base makeup on, looking much younger than usual. Even Zhang Lan praised her, saying she had the aura of her university days.
Feng Feng smiled at the compliment, "You're exaggerating. I'm over thirty, I can't compare to that time."
Zhang Lan: "A woman in her thirties is at her best age, not old."
Feng Feng nodded. She agreed with this point. Regardless of gender, one's thirties were the perfect age.
Zhang Lan and Feng Feng had a good personal relationship. As they chatted, the topic turned to boyfriends. Zhang Lan knew about Feng Feng's past relationship with Li Yue and casually asked a few questions. She then learned that they had broken up, which surprised Zhang Lan.
Feng Feng said, "The age difference is too great, and our life plans are also different. I don't want to hold him back."
Zhang Lan said, "Indeed. Are you considering dating again? I can introduce you to someone with a similar age gap?"
Feng Feng refused, "No need. I already have someone in mind."
Zhang Lan was surprised by Feng Feng's directness and became curious, "Who is so lucky to have won your favor?"
Feng Feng didn't answer the question, only smiling and saying, "I'm still pursuing him, haven't won him over yet."
This time, Zhang Lan was even more surprised. "You're the one pursuing him?" In his impression, people were always pursuing Feng Feng, and he had never seen her actively pursue someone. Therefore, Zhang Lan was even more curious about what kind of person he was.
Feng Feng didn't tell Zhang Lan who the person was, and Zhang Lan, being tactful, didn't press for details. However, his curiosity remained. Later, they talked about other things, and the topic passed.
Upon arriving at Yunlu Mountain, Feng Feng and Zhang Lan got off the bus together. They packed food and water for the hike, put on sun hats, and prepared to set off.
Feng Feng was personally invited by Zhang Lan, so Zhang Lan naturally wanted to stay with her.
Feng Feng and Zhang Lan walked forward, chatting. After only a few steps, they saw Shen Su.
At first, Feng Feng thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. After confirming several times, she was sure it was indeed Shen Su, and the woman beside him was the one he had attended the party with last night, his cousin.
Feng Feng lowered her eyes. Recalling what Lin Mei had said last night, she understood what was going on.
Perhaps Lin Mei had informed Xing Zheng, who had then tipped off Shen Su, so Shen Su had brought someone along, intending to "counter" her. He didn't know yet that she had already learned of Li Ran's identity.
Feng Feng's lips curved slightly, and she looked up at Shen Su. Many people at the club knew Shen Su and naturally included him in their group. So, Shen Su naturally walked with them.
Seeing Shen Su, Zhang Lan went up to greet him. Shen Su also smiled in response, "President Zhang and President Feng are together? I didn't expect your private relationship to be so good."
Zhang Lan said, "Feng Feng is my junior."
Shen Su smiled even more brightly, his gaze shifting to Feng Feng, "I haven't heard President Feng mention it before."
How could Feng Feng not detect the sarcasm in Shen Su's words? However, she wasn't going to indulge him. "President Shen and I are not close in private, so we don't talk about these things."