Lì Rán, having just returned to his room, said, "She bought a mechanical watch, saying her ex-boyfriend liked that sort of thing." After a pause, Lì Rán added, "Did you go too far and anger her?"
Lì Rán put himself in Fēng Fēng's shoes and felt that Shěn Sù's behavior was indeed excessive. Even if she were pursuing someone, she wouldn't tolerate such torment. When she was feeling weary, an ex-boyfriend's concern could easily reignite sparks.
Seeing that Shěn Sù remained silent, Lì Rán continued, "I asked her a bit about her ex-boyfriend. She has a pretty good impression of him, saying he was very mature and they never argued when they were together. Take my advice, you should stabilize your troops first..."
Shěn Sù scoffed. Fēng Fēng had such high praise for Lǐ Yuè. In his memory, he had never heard Fēng Fēng praise him. "Whatever. If they get back together, they get back together."
Lì Rán: "...Big brother, how old are you? If she really gets back with him, don't come crying to me."
Shěn Sù didn't reply and hung up the phone. Afterward, he opened his email and found Lǐ Yuè's information from past correspondence. He specifically looked up his birth date: December 22nd. Since Fēng Fēng bought a gift, she would likely meet him that day, which was already during the Christmas holiday.
Shěn Sù tried to imagine the scene and felt his blood surge, rushing to his head. He took a deep breath and sent Fēng Fēng a WeChat message: [Want to go to California together for Christmas?]
Shěn Sù's message was casual, as if nothing unpleasant had happened. For him, it was already a sign of weakness. It was strange, he had always been adept at coaxing women before. None of the women he had dated could deny his skill in placating them.
However, when facing Fēng Fēng, he always found it difficult to speak. Perhaps it was because he subconsciously knew that she wouldn't fall for that kind of tactic.
What he wanted was for Fēng Fēng to show weakness first, to act cute, or even just to coax him a few words, without needing to be particularly serious. But he couldn't even hope for that.
After receiving Shěn Sù's WeChat message, Fēng Fēng replied just as casually: [Which day?]
Shěn Sù: [The 22nd.]
Fēng Fēng: [I'm busy that day, but I can later.]
Shěn Sù asked knowingly: [The 22nd is already a holiday, why are you busy?]
Fēng Fēng was direct: [It's Lǐ Yuè's birthday. I promised to spend it with him.]
She didn't even try to hide it, being so open about it, as if she wasn't afraid of him being jealous. Shěn Sù stared at the message for a long time, then suppressed his emotions and replied: [We can postpone it by a day.]
Fēng Fēng: [Then okay. Tell me when you've bought the tickets, and I'll transfer you the money.]
Heh, she was still so clear about the accounts with him, but with Lǐ Yuè, she gave gifts and went out for meals without keeping track.
Shěn Sù remembered very clearly that in all the years he had known Fēng Fēng, she had never given him a gift. He, on the other hand, had given her several, but she would always transfer the money back to him. She had barely even used the gifts he gave her.
After this happened a few times, Shěn Sù lost the motivation to give her gifts. Few people could tolerate such a situation.
Ever since she found out about Shěn Sù's underhanded tactics, Fēng Fēng's attitude towards him had returned to its previous state: neither warm nor cold. Although she would talk to him, she was clearly more distant. Even though they were staying in rooms opposite each other in the hotel, no "accidents" had occurred.
After some time, the Christmas holiday arrived. The 22nd was the first day. Fēng Fēng had arranged to have dinner with Lǐ Yuè. She rested in the hotel for a day and only got up to put on makeup and change clothes in the afternoon.
Fēng Fēng gave Lǐ Yuè the hotel address. Around six o'clock, Lǐ Yuè drove to the hotel and waited for her downstairs. Fēng Fēng, carrying her bag, walked out of her room and bumped into Shěn Sù, who was also just leaving his room.
Shěn Sù looked intently at Fēng Fēng's attire. She wore a black wool coat, and her slightly curled long hair fell below her shoulders. Her makeup today was much more vibrant than usual, even her lipstick was Christmas red, making her look very sexy.
Shěn Sù's gaze swept over her. "Going out?"
Fēng Fēng replied, "Yes."
Shěn Sù asked again, "Where are you going? I'm going out too, I can give you a ride if it's on the way."
Fēng Fēng shook her head. "No need. Lǐ Yuè is waiting for me downstairs."
Without giving Shěn Sù a chance to ask further questions, Fēng Fēng said this and headed towards the elevator in her high heels, leaving Shěn Sù watching her retreating figure, gritting his teeth—Lǐ Yuè was even coming to pick her up at the hotel? Heh.
Fēng Fēng took the elevator down and saw Lǐ Yuè waiting at the hotel entrance. After several months apart, Lǐ Yuè had become even more mature. In this post-graduation phase, he was growing at an astonishing rate.
Lǐ Yuè wasn't wearing a suit today; he wore a black, long trench coat. His proportions were good, and this length of clothing suited him perfectly. When Fēng Fēng met Lǐ Yuè, she casually complimented him, "Nice coat."
Lǐ Yuè happily accepted Fēng Fēng's compliment. "Yours is nice too. Let's go, the car is over there."
Lǐ Yuè extended his arm in a "please" gesture. When Fēng Fēng reached the car, he habitually opened the car door for her.
Shěn Sù, following Fēng Fēng down in the same elevator, witnessed this scene.
Before he could react, Lǐ Yuè had already gotten into the car, and the vehicle quickly drove away, disappearing from his sight.
Although they had broken up, Fēng Fēng and Lǐ Yuè were both composed when they met again. On the way to the restaurant, Fēng Fēng asked about Lǐ Yuè's work. Hearing that everything was going smoothly for him, she was happy for him. "That's great. You're highly capable, and you'll get a promotion by next year at the latest."
Lǐ Yuè smiled as he steered the car. "I hope so. My boss treats me well, and I can learn a lot from him."
Fēng Fēng said, "Yes, having the right leader is very important. If he's willing to teach, you should learn as much as you can."
They chatted all the way, and finally, Lǐ Yuè parked the car in front of a Chinese restaurant. They both got out and found a window booth to sit down.
After ordering, Lǐ Yuè also asked about Fēng Fēng's situation. "How have you been lately?"
Fēng Fēng took a sip of water. "Same as usual."
Lǐ Yuè knew she was referring to her work, but he wasn't asking about that. "What about your personal life? How is it?"
Fēng Fēng immediately guessed what he wanted to ask. "Also the same as usual."
Lǐ Yuè didn't hide his intentions and said with a smile, "I thought you would go back to him."
He didn't mention Shěn Sù's name, but they both knew very well who "he" was.
Fēng Fēng didn't act coy. She told him, "I am indeed pursuing him."
Lǐ Yuè looked surprised. "You're pursuing him?"
He thought that if they could just talk things through, they could get back together. He had always believed that Shěn Sù hadn't let go of Fēng Fēng.
Fēng Fēng nodded under Lǐ Yuè's astonished gaze, then changed the subject. "Have you been in contact with Zhāng Shuāng recently?"
Mentioning that name, Lǐ Yuè frowned slightly. "Why are you suddenly asking about her?"