At noon, Zhang Wanru arrived at the restaurant where she had arranged to meet her first love, Chen Xiaohe.
As soon as she entered the restaurant, she saw Chen Xiaohe sitting by the window. Even though they hadn't seen each other for so many years, she recognized the man at a glance; he was simply too dazzling.
Chen Xiaohe is two years older than Zhang Wanru, and is 49 years old this year. Many men of this age, like Lin Haoran, have loose skin and beer bellies.
Chen Xiaohe, on the other hand, had a flat stomach and a strong physique. Paired with a well-tailored navy blue suit and a neatly trimmed beard, he exuded the air of an elite middle-aged man and looked every bit the successful person.
As for his facial features, they were impeccable, no wonder Zhang Wanru couldn't forget him for so many years.
Chen Xiaohe looks a lot like a celebrity in this age group. Zhang Wanru couldn't remember the name for a moment, but it was the male star who complained that his mistress spent too much money, and then had his wife call the police on charges of fraud, sending the mistress to jail. The two are practically identical, equally handsome, and Chen Xiaohe even has more charisma than the male star.
Zhang Wanru clutched her chest, frozen in place, so nervous she could hardly breathe.
How can a man who is almost fifty years old still be so stunningly handsome?
Why can't I marry such a handsome man instead of wasting my life with Lin Haoran?
Upon seeing Zhang Wanru, the other person was taken aback at first, but after a few seconds, exclaimed with delight, "Wanru! Over here!"
Zhang Wanru came to her senses and awkwardly took steps, walking with the graceful steps of a lady from the pre-Qin period. She was both surprised and delighted, yet worried that the other person would be disappointed in her, like a helpless little girl.
She sat down nervously opposite Chen Xiaohe, unsure of what to say: "Xiaohe..."
Chen Xiaohe gazed at her and said excitedly, "Wanru, I never imagined that it would be more than twenty years since we last met! You are still so beautiful."
After saying that, he took out a bouquet of red roses from the empty seat next to him: "Wanru, these flowers are for you. I remember they are your favorite flowers."
Zhang Wanru accepted the flowers with great joy: "Xiao He, thank you, I love them so much."
Everyone knows the meaning of red roses, so it seems Chen Xiaohe still has feelings for her. Zhang Wanru's tension eased.
Moreover, in all the years she's been married to Lin Haoran, he's never once sent her flowers. Compared to Chen Xiaohe, Lin Haoran is clearly inferior.
Chen Xiaohe laughed and said, "Wanru, no need to thank me. What kind of relationship do we have? Why are you being so polite with me..."
Zhang Wanru smiled shyly without saying a word.
Just then, the waiters brought out dish after dish of food. Zhang Wanru covered her mouth in surprise and exclaimed, "These are all my favorite dishes! Xiao He, you still remember...?"
"I don't know if your preferences have changed, so I've ordered first. I hope you like it," Chen Xiaohe replied gently.
Zhang Wanru immediately burst into tears: "Xiao He, you are so thoughtful. You are still so gentle and considerate, and so handsome and sunny."
Chen Xiaohe smiled. Just then, his phone rang. He answered it and said, "Put my things over there first, and come pick me up after I finish eating."
After saying that, he hung up the phone and mentioned to Zhang Wanru, "It's nothing, it was the driver's call. You should try this, I remember it's your favorite."
As he spoke, he picked up a piece of fish and put it into Zhang Wanru's bowl.
Hearing that the other party also had a driver, Zhang Wanru was secretly pleased. It seemed that Chen Xiaohe was doing quite well. She hurriedly asked:
"You brought a driver with you back to China?"
Chen Xiaohe nodded and said, "Yes, my company in the United States is doing well. I have no worries now and am focused on returning to China to expand my business here. This driver is one of the first employees I recruited in China."
Zhang Wanru asked in surprise, "You also have a company in the United States?"
"Mm-hmm." Chen Xiaohe said, "The business is already quite mature, so there's not much need to worry about it. The focus of future development will still be in the domestic market. We're currently in talks with a project worth several billion."
Zhang Wanru suppressed her excitement and nodded slightly, secretly delighted. Wasn't this the perfect wealthy businessman returning from abroad?
She recalled that when they were dating, the Chen family was well-off. She was very willing to break off her engagement with Lin Haoran and marry Chen Xiaohe. Unfortunately, Chen's father's investment failed, and the Chen family suddenly fell into decline. Chen's mother forced Chen Xiaohe to marry someone who could help the Chen family, and the two separated.
Unexpectedly, Chen Xiaohe is so successful that he has businesses both at home and abroad, which shows that he has a very strong economic foundation.
Then, Chen Xiaohe said, "Stop talking about me, let's talk about you too. Wanru, how are you doing? I heard you got married and had several children. How are your husband and children?"
Zhang Wanru felt relieved. It seemed that Chen Xiaohe was not aware of the events in China, otherwise he would have definitely heard of Lin Haoran's name.
She bit her lip and said, "I've been separated from my partner for many years and we're preparing for divorce. We don't keep in touch much, so I don't know how he's doing."
“My children have grown up and have their own lives. They are all doing well. My youngest child is named Lin An. He just turned eighteen and already has his own company. He was also admitted to Peking University through a special admission program.”
Zhang Wanru brought up Lin An at this time to embellish her own image, to show how successful she was as a mother, and also to indirectly demonstrate her social status and economic strength, so as not to make Chen Xiaohe look down on her.
Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "That's great! You're also a person, and you're so successful."
Zhang Wanru smiled slightly: "There's no such thing as success. It's just that my child is somewhat successful. As for me, I have nothing to do and just live off the returns from my investments."
Chen Xiaohe continued, "You still have a lot of investments? You must be living a very comfortable life, right?"
"It's alright, it's only a few tens of millions." Zhang Wanru's tone changed, and she said sadly, "Although I don't have to worry about making a living, I'm always alone, and it's a bit lonely."
Chen Xiaohe asked in a low voice, "Wanru, are you unhappy?"
As he spoke, he grasped Zhang Wanru's hand, his eyes revealing a look of heartache.
Chen Xiaohe continued, "Wanru, no matter what happened before, you have me now."
Zhang Wanru felt the warmth from the other person's palm, and her face flushed red. She felt like she was in love again.
She thought to herself how wonderful it would be if she could rekindle her romance with the handsome and wealthy Chen Xiaohe in front of her.
Upon realizing this, Zhang Wanru was incredibly excited, but the thought of Lin Haoran made her nervous again.
What worries her is what if Lin Haoran refuses to agree to a divorce?
Lin Haoran will be released from prison in ten days. What if he tries to hold me accountable then?
I'm almost fifty years old. If I don't pursue love now, it will be too late. Once I develop old-age illnesses and have to worry about blood pressure and cholesterol every day, I'll be completely cut off from love.
But if that shameless Lin Haoran knew she had found a wealthy businessman, he would definitely try to extort a hefty sum from her.
Or he could simply refuse to divorce her and demand money from her. Lin Haoran is definitely capable of doing that; she knows Lin Haoran better than anyone else.
Compared to Chen Xiaohe, Lin Haoran is nothing but a pile of stinking dog shit!
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