Min’er remained silent, head down. After a moment, Zhan Beijue changed the subject.
“Where’s your aunt? You left her home alone to come out to work?”
Min’er nodded and checked the time on her phone.
“It’s getting late, I should head back. I’m not at ease leaving her alone for too long.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Zhan.”
As she spoke, she prepared to leave. Zhan Beijue’s expression turned cold.
“I told you not to call me Mr. Zhan anymore!”
“…”
“Call me ‘ge’!”
Min’er couldn’t bring herself to say it, nor did she want to.
She averted her lingering gaze. “I’m leaving now.”
Zhan Beijue reached out and stopped her. “Wait, I’ll give you a ride.”
He took out his phone with his other hand and called Jiang Nan Fang, asking why she wasn’t out yet.
Regarding the bidding, Jiang Nan Fang knew she had to seize the opportunity to gather more information and secure her advantage. Therefore, she had been talking for a while.
She hadn’t expected Zhan Beijue to come pick her up himself, and she was getting impatient.
“Alright, alright, I’m coming out now, please wait a moment.”
However, when she walked out of the hall, she saw two familiar figures standing by the car.
Shen Min’er, with her head bowed and a piteous expression, had finally been encountered by Zhan Beijue.
It was perhaps for the best. They had come with a purpose, and their being seen was exactly what they wanted.
They couldn’t avoid it forever, so it was better to face it sooner rather than later.
Jiang Nan Fang refused to believe it.
She had lived ten years longer than Min’er and experienced so much more.
Could this mere girl pose a threat to her?
She strode forward, and before she even reached them, she looked at Min’er with feigned surprise.
“I knew you looked familiar! I must have seen you somewhere before, so it really is you!”
“Weren’t you studying in Fucheng? How did you suddenly start working? You’re dressed so differently, I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“When did you come to Nancheng? And you started working at Huatai, why didn’t you tell us?”
“Your ge is always worried about you, talking about you constantly, saying you’re young, lack social experience, and aren’t truly familiar with Fucheng. He worries you might feel lonely or get bullied.”
“I was just thinking of finding a chance to visit you back home, and then you came here. It’s almost like telepathy.”
She was so enthusiastic.
If one didn’t know better, they might think she was Shen Min’er’s own sister-in-law.
Compared to Jiang Nan Fang’s smooth demeanor, Min’er appeared much more naive.
After Jiang Nan Fang finished speaking, Min’er didn’t know how to respond, so she simply replied woodenly, “Thank you.”
“Thank me for what? This is what we should be doing. Who knows, maybe Zhan ge is your brother?”
“Let’s go. Since you’re here, it’s been a while. Let’s get together. I’ll take you to see our place.”
Saying this, she linked arms with Zhan Beijue on one side and Min’er on the other, and cheerfully headed for the car.
As they walked, Zhan Beijue told her that Min’er’s aunt had also come along. Min’er had a day job, so she had left her aunt alone in the rented apartment. He needed to go and check on her as he was worried about leaving her alone for too long.
“Auntie came along too? What about Uncle?”
Though her tone was concerned, Jiang Nan Fang thought to herself.
Well, it seemed the whole family had moved to Nancheng.
“Min’er, be honest. Do you dislike Fucheng and prefer Nancheng?”
“If that’s the case, there’s no need for you to rent a place outside. Just tell me, and I’ll buy you another apartment.”
“You are Zhan ge’s benefactor, so it’s only rational for me to treat you well. Let’s go see Uncle and Auntie right now and discuss where you’d like to live. We can look at houses tomorrow.”
Jiang Nan Fang knew Zhan Beijue’s character.
If Shen Min’er insisted on staying, he wouldn’t let her continue renting.
After all, she was already grown up, and it wasn’t convenient for her to share a cramped rental with her parents.
Rather than wait for Zhan Beijue to bring it up, she decided to do it herself.
After chattering on and on, Min’er really didn’t know how to handle her.
Seeing her preoccupied and hesitant, Zhan Beijue explained for her.
Her father had passed away, and she only had her mother now.
Her father had passed away?
No wonder she suddenly came to Nancheng.
She must be feeling vulnerable and sad right now, looking for someone to lean on?
It was a pity, though. She had chosen the wrong person.
There were countless men in the world; if she wanted a man, she could introduce her to one. But she wasn’t allowed to want someone else’s husband.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
Min’er put on a forced smile. “It’s fine. Let’s go quickly.”
Ke Teng Bang had rented Shen Min’er’s apartment in a run-down neighborhood outside the Fourth Ring Road.
There was no elevator, and they lived on the fifth floor, meaning they had to walk up.
The corridor was dim and damp, carrying a musty odor. Some floors had voice-activated lights, while others were broken, making it pitch black.
Holding their breath as they walked, Zhan Beijue held Jiang Nan Fang’s arm the entire way, afraid she might fall.
Memories of their time in Switzerland flashed back.
Zhan Beijue couldn’t help but lament Min’er’s lack of ambition.
She had finally crawled out of the mire in Switzerland, only to throw herself into this situation again.
The three arrived at the fifth floor one after another.
Using the dim light from the hallway, Min’er found her key and unlocked the door.
Upon entering, the floor was a mess.
The television was on, the lights were on, and her mother, with disheveled hair and unkempt clothes, sat on the floor, gesturing animatedly at the television.
Min’er, as if accustomed to such scenes, walked in with a composed expression, picking up scattered items as she went.
She also called out, “Mom, I’m back.”
Seeing this scene, Jiang Nan Fang and Zhan Beijue couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
What kind of life was this girl living every day?
Hearing her voice, her mother turned, a vacant smile on her face.
“Min’er’s back? See how good I’ve been today?”
“I’m listening to the teacher’s lecture, doing exercises, and working out. Look, the sea breeze is so pleasant, I want to lie on the beach and bask in the sun. I’ve been so good today.”
“Good, Min’er knows Mommy is the best. Did you finish eating your food?”
“I finished. But I’m still hungry, my stomach is so empty.”
On the coffee table behind her mother were two yellow ceramic bowls, so clean they looked licked, with nothing inside.
A spoon lay beside them.
They were likely used for eating.
Min’er looked at the bowls and then gently patted her mother’s head.
“You ate so cleanly, so good. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll make it for you now.”
“I want… a big chicken leg! I want a big chicken leg!”
“You want chicken legs?”
Min’er looked troubled.
With two guests present, she would have to go to the supermarket.
She walked to the refrigerator with a blank expression and opened it to take a look.
She turned to Zhan Beijue and said, “There’s not much food at home. If you’re staying for dinner, I’ll need to go buy groceries. Do you want to stay?”
In this situation, how could they stay for dinner?
But if they took them out to eat, it might be even more troublesome.
Exchanging a glance, Jiang Nan Fang made the decision for Zhan Beijue.
“Didn’t Auntie say she was hungry? Cooking will take time, so don’t bother, just buy some ready-to-eat food for her.”
“Zhan ge can stay here and keep an eye on her. The two of us will go to the supermarket.”
“It just so happens that your ge has something to tell you. Let’s have dinner together and chat.”