Zhou Jinbei felt very panicked hearing that her second brother had become like that.
But glancing at Jiang Nan Fang, who seemed much calmer than her, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Alas, as expected, you truly love my second brother. After something like this happened, he refused to acknowledge you and even pushed you away, yet you're still speaking up for him."
Jiang Nan Fang was very certain.
"Of course. I understand him. I can also feel his predicament."
"If my memory were forcibly erased by someone else, I believe your second brother would treat me the same way."
"So what now? We can't just stand by and watch my second brother get together with someone else, can we?"
Zhou Jinbei became worried again.
"I wonder if he and that woman have… you know. It's been so long, what if she has another child…"
She dared not imagine how Nan Cheng would cope.
Jiang Nan Fang wasn't too worried about this.
Zhan Bei Jue had certain… obstacles in that regard.
He had said many times that besides Jiang Nan Fang, he wouldn't have any physical reactions to anyone else.
And looking at him now, he probably wasn't living very well, so he shouldn't have the leisure to have children so soon.
"I know my second brother's personality, how stubborn and persistent he is when he recognizes someone, I know that too."
"So at a time like this, forcing him to give up that woman and accept me, accept everything about Nan Cheng, might backfire."
"Forceful tactics won't work; we have to be clever."
"Yes, yes, yes, I agree with what you're saying. My second brother's temper is indeed exceptionally stubborn."
"If you were to rush at him and claim him, to say things from the past to make him change his mind, for him, who has no memory of you, it might just be a burden."
"We have to use our wits. I believe with your charm and such beautiful looks, even if there's no emotional foundation now, as long as you interact more, he will fall in love with you again."
"As expected, you are the one who truly knows me, which is why I brought you here."
Jiang Nan Fang smiled and patted Zhou Jinbei's hand.
"However, this matter must be kept secret for now. Don't tell anyone, not even the old man."
"The mastermind behind what happened to him in Switzerland hasn't been caught yet. It's possible that person is still looking for him."
"Once we expose him, he will become a target again. We cannot harm him."
Zhou Jinbei understood.
"Don't worry, I absolutely won't say a word, to anyone. Starting tomorrow, I'll watch the child, and you can focus all your attention on finding my second brother."
Sigh.
Even just the thought of going to find him, facing his lack of recognition and his coldness, made Jiang Nan Fang feel uncertain.
"To be honest, I'm not confident. Growing up, besides your second brother, I've never liked anyone else, nor have I ever actively pursued anyone."
"To suddenly have to make my presence known to him, I really don't know how to do it."
"Especially with your second brother, he's so sharp-tongued and heartless when he dislikes someone."
Speaking of which, that was Zhou Jinbei's forte.
"Do you want me to give you a couple of pointers?"
The next morning, Jiang Nan Fang rented a car and parked it downstairs from Zhan Bei Jue's hotel.
The hotel wasn't high-end and didn't provide breakfast.
Jiang Nan Fang waited downstairs until 08:10, and then he emerged.
Today, he wasn't as bundled up. He had changed into black casual pants, black sneakers, and a black short-sleeved t-shirt.
His firm chest muscles stretched the t-shirt taut. He walked while glancing at the shops on both sides of the street.
He was probably looking for a place to eat.
Jiang Nan Fang drove very slowly, following him quietly from behind, constantly watching his retreating figure.
Although he was still as thin as before, he seemed much more muscular in certain areas.
His chest and biceps were twice what they used to be, bulging to the point where they were almost comparable to those fitness enthusiasts who deliberately trained their muscles in the gym.
The veins on his arms and the backs of his hands were very prominent.
Moreover, she couldn't imagine how much hardship he had endured in the past six months.
There were many small, purplish scar marks from scratches on his arms that hadn't completely faded.
Jiang Nan Fang thought that perhaps he still cared about these scars, which was why he was so heavily wrapped up when he went to the television station yesterday.
After walking for more than ten minutes, Zhan Bei Jue spotted a very ordinary steamed bun shop by the roadside.
Seeing him walk in, Jiang Nan Fang quickly parked her car and casually walked in as if by chance.
"Two steamed buns, one bowl of mung bean soup with no sugar. Sir, your breakfast."
The breakfast shop was very simple, about forty to fifty square meters. There were four rows of tables against the walls on either side.
They were those very simple, low, thin-topped fast-food tables.
Zhan Bei Jue, being so tall, looked rather small and comical when he sat at the table.
There was no one opposite him, so Jiang Nan Fang sauntered over and sat down opposite him.
She watched him pick up a steamed bun, take a bite, and then directly lift the bowl and take a sip of the mung bean soup before pretending to be surprised.
"Oh, Mr. Barton? What a coincidence. You're here for breakfast too?"
Zhan Bei Jue wasn't wearing sunglasses today.
Hearing this, he slowly lifted his eyelids and glanced at her.
It was the woman who had mistaken him at the television station yesterday.
Why was she here too?
Judging by her attire and demeanor, she didn't seem like someone with low spending power.
Why was she eating in such a place?
Could it be that her intentions were not yet dead, and she had deliberately come to run into him?
How boring.
Zhan Bei Jue ignored her.
Jiang Nan Fang's gaze fell on his left hand.
On his index finger, he wore a turquoise ring that seemed very out of place with his demeanor.
He had said yesterday that he was engaged.
There was no engagement ring, just this. What was this?
It looked like a decorative ring from a middle-aged man's aesthetic.
Was his taste really that bad, or was it a gift from his girlfriend?
If she sent something like this… did he really have a girlfriend?
"What are you eating? I was wondering what to eat. Can I copy your order?"
Jiang Nan Fang giggled and looked at his face again.
She was clearly just making small talk.
What else could one eat at a steamed bun shop besides steamed buns and porridge?
Zhan Bei Jue still ignored her.
Just then, the proprietress finished packing steamed buns for a customer outside and turned to greet Jiang Nan Fang.
"Miss, what would you like to eat?"
"The same as him."
"Sure. Two pickled cabbage buns, one bowl of mung bean porridge with no sugar."
Zhan Bei Jue, with the steamed buns the size of his palm, stuffed them entirely into his mouth in two bites, completely lacking his usual refinement.
Moreover, he seemed to have lost his潔癖 (cleanliness obsession) as well, picking up a used bowl and drinking from it directly.
Jiang Nan Fang's breakfast hadn't even arrived yet, and he was already reaching for a second steamed bun.
"Mr. Barton, are you in a hurry? Why are you eating so fast? Eat slowly, don't rush, don't choke."
Crazy.
Am I that familiar to you?
Zhan Bei Jue, wanting to get rid of her as soon as possible, simply stuffed the entire steamed bun into his mouth.
By the time Jiang Nan Fang's breakfast was served, he had already finished eating.
He clapped his hands and asked the owner in English how much it cost.
"Four yuan. Scan code or cash?"
The owner, thinking he was a foreigner, gestured to him.
Zhan Bei Jue subconsciously knew what the sentence meant.
However, he had only bought his phone before returning to the country, and he hadn't downloaded many domestic apps, so he couldn't scan codes.
He patted his pockets. He had changed into new clothes that morning and forgotten to bring cash.