I followed Shen Minhong to a charming Chinese restaurant. At that moment, I realized I was facing a serious problem—I hadn't brought any money. To be precise, I didn't have any money at all. In this day and age, trying to woo a woman without money is downright embarrassing. So, as we walked into the restaurant, my expression instantly became uneasy.
As soon as we sat down and opened the menu, I discovered that the prices here were outrageously high. Even a regular meal would cost around three to four hundred yuan per person. For someone like me, who was currently penniless, such high expenses were hard to bear.
Shen Minhong, being quite perceptive, immediately noticed something was off. "Zhao Jian, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, her beautiful eyes furrowing with apparent concern.
Seizing the opportunity, I quickly said, "I need to use the restroom."
Once inside the restroom, I called Zhao Hu. "Zhao Hu, do you have any money on you? Can you lend me some? I'll pay you back in a few days."
"Bro, you know my situation. I've spent a lot of money chasing girls recently, and I can't even pay off my credit card," Zhao Hu replied, sounding quite troubled.
With no other options, I had to turn to others for help. But after making three calls, everyone claimed they were broke. At that moment, I realized how poor my social connections were—I couldn't even borrow enough money for a meal. It seemed that over the past year, I had devoted all my energy to Lu Wan and neglected maintaining my old friendships.
The only person I could turn to now was my boss, Zhang Zhiyuan. I hadn't been to work in a long time, and to be honest, I felt quite guilty about it, especially since I was still receiving a salary without doing anything. More importantly, I was pretty sure I couldn't complete the task Zhang Zhiyuan had assigned me. But since he didn't know about this yet, I decided to take advantage of the timing and collect my salary. Although I felt embarrassed, it was still better than losing face at the dinner table.
So, I decisively called my boss. The call connected quickly, and Zhang Zhiyuan's tone was calm. "Xiao Zhao, what can I do for you?" he asked.
After thinking for a moment, I said, "Boss, I'm a bit tight on cash this month. Could I get an advance on my salary?"
Under normal circumstances, such a request would likely be granted. But now, my relationship with my boss had subtly changed, and I wasn't sure if he would agree. To my surprise, Zhang Zhiyuan didn't hesitate and readily agreed. "If you need it now, you can come to the finance department to collect it," he said.
I felt a bit awkward because I couldn't possibly leave at that moment. "Boss, could you transfer it to me via WeChat? I need it urgently," I said, knowing my request was somewhat unreasonable but feeling I had no choice.
Zhang Zhiyuan paused for a moment before replying, "Of course, but you'll need to come to the finance department to settle the accounts later."
Five minutes later, five thousand yuan was successfully transferred to my account. With money in hand, I felt more confident. When I returned to the table, my expression had noticeably improved.
Shen Minhong seemed a bit displeased. "Why did you take so long in the restroom?" she asked.
I lied, "I didn't sleep well last night, and maybe I caught a chill. I had a bit of a stomachache."
By then, the food had already been served. I saw that it was just ordinary Chinese dishes. I took a bite and found the taste quite good.
Soon, the conversation turned to the main topic. Shen Minhong said, "Do you know why I came to see you?"
I was taken aback, thinking, "What good could come from a woman seeking out a man?" But I couldn't say that out loud, so I shook my head, indicating I didn't know.
But then Shen Minhong said something that surprised me. "You might think I'm a promiscuous woman."
Her words hit the mark, and I couldn't find a way to refute them. But my experience from pursuing Lu Wan told me I had to counter this impression. So, I said, "A beautiful woman like you could find a one-night stand anywhere. Why come to me?"
This reasoning seemed logical and flawless. Shen Minhong laughed, and I knew my lie had worked. Sometimes, you can't tell women the truth, which is why honest men often struggle to find wives.
Shen Minhong said, "I've just realized how smooth-talking you are. It's a pity Lu Wan didn't fall for it."
Her words felt like an arrow piercing my heart, and I felt a pang of pain.
She continued, "Actually, I came to see you today because of your devotion to your wife."
Hearing this, I was even more surprised. If that were the case, Shen Minhong shouldn't have come to see me. I looked at her with confusion and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Shen Minhong replied, "Last night, we were about to get intimate, but when your wife showed up, you decided to go home. That shows you still care about her."
I had to admit, she was right. That's exactly what I had been thinking at the time. But logically, Shen Minhong and I should have cut ties. Why would she still come to see me? Nothing in this world happens without a reason, and I believed there was something behind this.
Shen Minhong said, "Actually, I admire men who value relationships."
Hearing this, my heart began to race. Sitting across from me, Shen Minhong, though nearly thirty, didn't look it at all. In fact, when we stood together, people might think we were a perfect match. But I knew Shen Minhong was married, so I wouldn't entertain such thoughts. At least, I wouldn't destroy someone else's family. In relationships, it's often the woman who gradually falls in love, leading to family breakdowns, which is ultimately not worth it. Like my wife, who was now running off with another man, I felt immense pain.
Shen Minhong continued, "Do you want to know about our past?"
Suddenly, I felt that the reason she had invited me here today was to tell me about her past. Usually, when a woman shares her past with a man, it means she's developed feelings for him—something all experienced players know.
In truth, my heart was wavering. Should I accept Shen Minhong? I had to admit, this beautiful woman was incredibly alluring, even more so than Gu Xiaofei. A campus belle should have the aura of a campus belle, and after all these years, that aura had only become more pronounced.
If Shen Minhong and I just ate in silence, it would be boring and awkward, which is fatal when pursuing a woman. So, I said, "Sure, I'd like to know about your past."
But to my surprise, Shen Minhong shook her head and said, "What I want to talk about today isn't my past, but the past I share with Gu Xiaofei."
Hearing this, I immediately understood that Shen Minhong had an agenda. Clearly, she wanted to tell me something.
My curiosity about Gu Xiaofei far exceeded that about Shen Minhong. I really wanted to know what kind of past Gu Xiaofei had. I always felt she was particularly wild and calculating. At least in the few encounters I'd had with her, I had unknowingly fallen into her traps.
Shen Minhong continued, "Do you remember that campus heartthrob, Xiao Jun?"
I smiled and said, "He's already turned into a middle-aged man. If you hadn't said he was the campus heartthrob back then, I wouldn't have believed it."
Shen Minhong shook her head and said, "Don't underestimate Xiao Jun. He was quite a figure back in school, and almost every girl in our year knew him."
I replied, "But good looks don't pay the bills. Society is very realistic now."
Shen Minhong knew I was mocking Xiao Jun's current state. She continued, "Don't look down on Xiao Jun. He's actually from a wealthy family."
If this hadn't come from Shen Minhong, I wouldn't have believed it. But I knew she wouldn't lie to me—there was no need. I looked at Shen Minhong with surprise, as this was completely unexpected.
Shen Minhong went on, "Because Xiao Jun was so popular back then, he became the idol of all the female students, and many pursued him."
At that moment, I realized something—Xiao Jun and Gu Xiaofei must have had a relationship. Otherwise, Shen Minhong wouldn't have brought him up in this context.
Shen Minhong continued, "Campus life is a magical place. On the surface, it's about studying, but in reality, it's filled with young men and women dreaming of love."
At this point, I suddenly thought of Lu Wan and the relationship she had during her school days. For me, it was an inexplicable pain.
Shen Minhong said, "Actually, back then, Xiao Jun was interested in me, but Gu Xiaofei used some method to snatch him away from me."
Although Shen Minhong made it sound simple, I knew the process must have been extremely complicated. With Gu Xiaofei's tactics, she could definitely pull it off. But I still didn't understand why Shen Minhong was telling me all this.