When Shu Yan heard the driver say that Fang Zeyu was also going to Hangzhou and wanted to share a ride with her, she agreed without suspicion.
She had hitched a ride with other people many times before, so there was no reason for her not to agree to Fang Zeyu's request for a ride now.
She opened the back door with practiced ease, only to find Fang Zeyu sitting inside. He used to always sit in the passenger seat, and Shu Yan assumed he would be there today too. But she was surprised to find him in the back. Now that she had one foot in, she was stuck, unsure whether to go in or out.
"What's wrong?" Fang Zeyu asked Shu Yan calmly.
"Oh, it's nothing." Shu Yan paused for a moment, pursed her lips, and realized that it wouldn't be good to leave now, so she sat down instead. "Master, let's go."
"Business is very good at the store."
"Huh?" Shu Yan put her things away, not having heard Fang Zeyu's words clearly.
"Did I say your shop is doing very well?" Fang Zeyu's face was calm, but his palms were sweating profusely.
"It's alright. We had a promotion at the end of last year, and a lot of clothes sold out. Besides, we're about to launch our spring collection, so I'm going to Hangzhou to get some stock. Are you going to see DouDou?" Shu Yan asked with a smile.
"Not entirely. There's some business at the company in Hangzhou, so I'm going to visit Dou Dou while I'm there. Do you want to go see him?" Fang Zeyu asked, then immediately regretted not taking Dou Dou to see her when he got to Hangzhou, and then having a meal together.
"Me?" Shu Yan looked at Fang Zeyu in confusion.
"Yes, he told me several times that he wanted to come and see the aunt who saved him." This was not a lie to Shu Yan. Dou Dou's mother and Dou Dou had indeed mentioned it many times, but Shu Yan had always refused. She originally planned to visit during the Spring Festival, but Fang Zeyu came to Shu Yan's house only to find that she had gone on a trip with her child from Lin Hui.
"I don't think I'll have time. I'll rest for a bit tonight, then head to the market around 3 a.m., start buying goods around 4 a.m., and work until 7 or 8 a.m. in the morning. I still have to rush back to stock up on new products." These past two days have been the busiest, and I really can't find the time.
"It must have been really tough." Fang Zeyu genuinely felt that way.
"I'm used to it, it's alright." Shu Yan smiled and asked, "You just mentioned a company, what company do you work for?"
After asking, Shu Yan felt uneasy. Given Fang Zeyu's reputation, he definitely wouldn't be able to get into any good companies. Would her question touch a nerve?
“I work at Hua’an Security Company, so I haven’t wasted what I learned.” Fang Zeyu opened his mouth, but the words that were about to come out were, “What about your child? How about I ask a friend to help you send your child to school?”
"No need. You know I asked my daughter's classmate's mother to help with pick-up and drop-off. I hired an auntie at the end of last year, and the dumplings I gave you were made by that auntie. So there's nothing to worry about now." Shu Yan didn't expect Fang Zeyu to be a security guard, but he was definitely different from ordinary security guards. Could he be a private bodyguard?
"Do you know anything about the nanny? I can have someone check." He had seen many nannies who treated children badly or even trafficked children.
“She’s a relative of my neighbor. Her daughter studies at Nancheng University, so I know her well enough that there’s no need to investigate.”
The two chatted about everyday things and before they knew it, they had arrived in Hangzhou. Shu Yan had always thought that Fang Zeyu was taciturn and didn't like to talk, but she didn't expect him to be quite talkative.
"Then I'll be going now." Shu Yan waved to them, closed the car door and was about to leave when she saw Fang Zeyu get out of the car.
Where are you going now?
"I want to find a hotel to sleep for a while, and then come back around 3 a.m.." The weather is still very cold, especially at night, so Shu Yan wasn't going to be silly enough to sit outside and wait.
"I'll take you there." It's already past 11 o'clock, and there are only a few streetlights around.
Just as Shu Yan was about to refuse, she saw Fang Zeyu walk ahead of her without saying a word. She paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and silently followed behind him.
Men often confuse "straight male chauvinism" with "male chauvinism," but even mild male chauvinism can really hurt a woman's feelings. For example, when crossing the street, a man might pull a woman onto the inside of the pedestrian crossing. Or, when a woman is sick, he might forcefully force-feed her medicine…
"Do you usually stay at this hotel?" Fang Zeyu observed carefully from outside. It looked tall to ordinary people, but to him, it was unsafe everywhere.
“Yes, I’m already familiar with this proprietress. Don’t worry, I’m quite safe here.” Seeing his frown, Shu Yan smiled and said, “I’m just an ordinary person, nothing will happen to me here. Besides, there are quite a few people here who come to buy goods, so we can go to the market together.”
Fang Zeyu originally intended to pay for Shu Yan's money, but Shu Yan refused. Even if she didn't have money, she shouldn't take advantage of her.
The proprietress peeked out and whispered to Shu Yan, "Was that your boyfriend just now?"
"No, just a regular friend," Shu Yan replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Don't lie to me. A regular friend would take you to a hotel in the middle of the night and be reluctant to leave." The landlady didn't believe a word of it.
"He wasn't reluctant to leave at all; he left decisively." Shu Yan said, both amused and exasperated.
"You wouldn't believe it, but I've run a hotel for so many years and seen all sorts of people. I have a keen eye. He seemed quite reluctant to leave just now. He must have been your boyfriend or one of your suitors. He seemed pretty composed, except for that scar on his face," the landlady said regretfully.
“It’s okay for a man to have a scar.” Besides, Shu Yan thought that the scar looked pretty badass on Fang Zeyu’s face.
The proprietress gave Shu Yan a knowing smile. "So you're protecting her already?"
"No, that's not true. I'm just stating the facts. Boss lady, I'm going upstairs to sleep now. I'll return the alarm clock to you when I'm done." Shu Yan didn't want to discuss this matter with the boss lady anymore and simply left.
She used to fall asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, but tonight she couldn't fall asleep at all. Shu Yan kept replaying the landlady's words in her mind.
Many people say they are oblivious to feelings and don't know how the other person feels until they confess. That's utter nonsense. Whether you're a man or a woman, as long as you're not stupid, how could you not sense the other person's feelings? Unless they're really hiding it deeply, or the other person themselves doesn't know they have feelings for you, the person being loved will definitely feel it. They just won't say anything; they'll simply enjoy the other person's pursuit and affection.
Fang Zeyu was noticeably different today than usual, something Shu Yan herself could sense. In fact, she was also a little suspicious. It wasn't that she was narcissistic; the change in him was just too obvious. The usually quiet man had suddenly become much more talkative, and then he suddenly took her to a hotel…
Shu Yan is very clear about her current situation: divorced, raising two children, uneducated and unattractive, it would be difficult for her to find a good match. However, Shu Yan is not thinking about getting married right away. If she can't find someone, she'll just raise her two children alone.
Suddenly sensing someone trying to get close to her, Shu Yan wasn't surprised; instead, she felt a bit panicked.
However, Fang Zeyu's status as a veteran and his behavior gave Shu Yan a strong sense of security. But Fang Zeyu's current situation also had to be taken into consideration by Shu Yan; she had two children who were attending school in that area, and they couldn't withstand the gossip.
She drifted off to sleep while thinking, and if it weren't for the alarm clock, she probably would have overslept. When she arrived at the entrance of the clothing market, Shu Yan spotted a familiar figure in the distance and ran over quickly.
"Big Sister." It was the same big sister from Wen County who had come to buy goods for the first time.
"It's you, little sister? What a coincidence!" The older sister was also very happy to see Shu Yan.
"What a coincidence! I come here every week and look around the square every time, but I've never seen you." Shu Yan took the older sister's hand. "Were you waiting outside all night? It's so cold today. I have some hot water here, have a sip."
"No need, I'll take it myself. How's your clothing store business these days?" The older sister had actually seen Shu Yan earlier, but she didn't recognize her. She had changed so much; she was thinner and paler, and her whole demeanor was different.
"Business is alright, how about you, sister?" When the two came to a brighter spot, Shu Yan noticed that her sister's complexion was a bit sallow, completely different from the confident and radiant sister she had met before. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
"No," the older woman said with a wry smile. "Not long after I went back last year, the shop I rented was going to be demolished. I had no choice but to run the shop and take care of my child. I finally managed to rent a new shop, but business is nowhere near as good as before." She couldn't blame anyone else; she could only accept her bad luck.
"Don't worry, big sister, you're so good at business, things will get better." Shu Yan suddenly remembered that they didn't seem to have any franchise stores in Wen County yet, so she asked, "Big sister, do you know Qianxue?"
"Yanxue Company's Qianxue brand thermal underwear?"
"Yes, it's that Qianxue." Shu Yan felt that she should talk to Hu Ruixue when she got back and suggest that they change the advertisement so that people wouldn't think that Qianxue only wore thermal underwear.
"How could I not know? Everyone in the clothing industry knows Qianxue, the first famous underwear brand in China. The boss really went all out, advertising on CCTV, I wonder how much money he spent," the older woman exclaimed.
Shu Yan laughed and said, "I have a friend who works at Yanxue. I heard that they're about to open up franchises in second-tier cities. Do you want to open one? You'll be the first one in Wenxian. You can choose any location you want. Business should be good. After you open a franchise, you won't have to go to Hangzhou to get supplies yourself. Just call the company and they'll ship directly to you. You can make money and take care of your children at the same time."
"The thermal underwear is almost out of season, and it's too late now," the older woman said, shaking her head.
"Who says Qianxue only has thermal underwear? They also have bras, pajamas, and loungewear, which are useful all year round. If you're free, you can come with me to their flagship store in Nancheng."
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