Chapter Twenty-Four: Wang Zhengguo’s Thoughts

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Watching Sun Yan deftly handle the knife and fork, slice off a generous piece of beef, and chew it with satisfaction, Zhuo Nan regretted his earlier decision. Damn it, he should have ordered something to eat himself; at worst, he could have helped wash dishes at the restaurant tonight. That would be far better than sitting here with an empty stomach.

The worst part was Sun Yan seemed to be doing this on purpose. "Nan, are you sure you're not hungry?"

Zhuo Nan forced a smile, suppressing his hunger. "I'm not hungry, go ahead and eat..."

In truth, Zhuo Nan was thinking that Sun Yan would never finish such a large meal. When she inevitably left behind some bread and salad, he could pack it up under the pretense of not wasting food.

But his plan came to nothing. Watching Sun Yan drain the last spoonful of soup from her bowl, Zhuo Nan felt utterly defeated. Was this woman part pig?

"Wow, I'm so full…" She wiped her mouth contentedly, stretched lazily, and continued, "Nan, I'll take care of what you mentioned tomorrow. How should we stay in touch?"

Zhuo Nan thought for a moment. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Now that their business was settled and the meal finished, there was no reason to linger. Sun Yan summoned the waiter to pay, but Zhuo Nan quickly stopped her. "Sun Yan, you should head home. I'll pay in a bit; I'm waiting here for a friend."

To Sun Yan, this streetwise 'big brother' Zhuo Nan left a rather odd impression. He ogled people and spoke lewdly, yet his analytical and judgment skills were nothing like those of an ordinary high schooler. More importantly, he had a touch of gentlemanly grace, insisting on paying the bill. Judging from his manner, she wondered how he would manage to settle the bill once she left. Sensing the joke had gone far enough, Sun Yan spoke up. "Nan, let me pay. You didn't even eat anything..."

Zhuo Nan kept up his act. "So what if I didn't eat? I can't let you pay just because we're having dinner together. You go ahead, I'll pay in a bit..."

"Nan, that's not how it works. We're asking you for a favor; how could we let you pay for dinner? I'll cover this meal, and you can treat next time," Sun Yan said earnestly.

Zhuo Nan began to waver. After all, a meal costing over a hundred yuan—if he called his father to pay, he might escape a scolding, but would surely be interrogated endlessly. "That doesn't seem right..."

"Nan, what's wrong with it? It's settled," Sun Yan said, then signaled the waiter.

The waiter handed Zhuo Nan the bill. "Sir, your total comes to 163 yuan. Please check if everything is correct."

Zhuo Nan was mortified, glaring at the waiter's smiling face. He wanted nothing more than to slam him onto the table. But Sun Yan called the waiter over and, with a bemused look, handed him the money.

Our lovely waiter couldn't resist glancing back at Zhuo Nan, thinking, "So he's living off a woman..."

Zhuo Nan then asked, "Wasn't it 158? How did it become 163?"

Sun Yan quickly ducked her head as if to say, "I don't actually know this guy..."

The waiter looked at Zhuo Nan with contempt and replied, "Sir, the glass of water you drank is five yuan."

Zhuo Nan wanted to curse—damn, even the water costs money. But in such a posh place, having played the gigolo already, if he acted like a thug, Sun Yan's reputation would be ruined.

"Nan, I'll be off now. Don't let me take up your time. Please take care of Fan Hao's matter for us," Sun Yan said as she picked up her bag and stood, reminding him once more before leaving.

Zhuo Nan stood politely. "Don't worry, Brother Du's business is my business. I'll call you tomorrow."

He watched Sun Yan leave, then sat back down. Staring at the half-full glass of water before him—damn, that's two-fifty right there. He tipped it back, getting his money's worth.

After sitting a while, sensing Sun Yan was far enough away, he left the restaurant, glanced around, then swaggered toward the bus stop, eager to get home and eat instant noodles.

Sun Yan waited in the corner near the restaurant, observing Zhuo Nan board the bus. Only then did she come out, smiling to herself, "This guy is really interesting!"

Wang Zhenguo had been out of sorts these past couple of days. Ever since the floppy disk was stolen, he felt a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. He considered all the possible suspects, including another deputy director at the plant with whom he was at odds. Yet, two days had passed with no reaction from anyone. If his adversary had evidence that could ruin him, he wouldn't be so calm...

That evening, Wang Zhenguo came home early. His son Wang Yu had been discharged from the hospital but still needed to recuperate in bed—three broken ribs left no other option. Seeing his son reminded him of Zhuo Nan and Wang Liru, and he cursed inwardly. That woman—one day, he'll get her in bed.

He had even imagined Wang Liru as the thief, but after covertly observing her for two days, noticed no change in her demeanor. Even when she saw him from afar, she seemed as fearful as ever; definitely not the reaction of someone holding leverage.

After dinner, Hua Hongya changed into an outrageously seductive nightgown. Before entering the bedroom, she popped into the study, saying to Wang Zhenguo, who was pretending to read the newspaper, "Old Wang, it's late. Let's rest."

Hua Hongya knew nothing about Wang Zhenguo's floppy disk; the money contained there was all his illicit gains, kept secret even from her. She only knew about the legitimate assets.

Wang Zhenguo looked up at her. This woman, now in her forties, had begun to put on weight, her breasts hanging like two sacks. For the past couple of days, preoccupied with the disk, he hadn't visited his other residence or brought any women over. Now, seeing his wife dressed like this, his pent-up desire surged. He realized he hadn't cultivated Hua Hongya's 'field' in ages; tonight, he would thoroughly plow it.

Wang Yu lay in bed, listening to the moans coming from the next room, unable to contain himself. His left ribs were injured, but his right hand could still move, so once again his right hand had an intimate encounter with his little brother... A future bestseller could be called "The Right Hand Complex."

As the saying goes: at thirty, a woman is a wolf; at forty, a tiger. Hua Hongya was in her prime, and Wang Zhenguo rarely spent time at home. She knew he had women outside, but didn't mind as long as he brought money home for her and their son and didn't bring those women into their house. As for the rest, as long as he