Shen Minhong continued, "I originally thought that Gu Xiaofei and Xiao Jun would truly love each other, but I was wrong. This woman's heart is far too ambitious."
Although I already knew that Gu Xiaofei was of considerable status, I still didn't understand how she had amassed such wealth.
Having worked with Mr. Zhang for three years, I had also interacted with Gu Xiaofei for three years. In my memory, she seemed to be Mr. Zhang's mistress.
Shen Minhong said, "I'm not sure how it happened, but Gu Xiaofei met a wealthy businessman, abandoned Xiao Jun, and shortly after, that businessman died. She inherited a portion of his estate."
Hearing this, my first instinct was that Gu Xiaofei had something to do with the businessman's death.
As for the specifics, I still didn't know, but given Gu Xiaofei's cunning and ruthlessness, she was certainly capable of such a thing.
What I still didn't understand was how Gu Xiaofei had met Mr. Zhang in the first place and what their connection was.
These questions tangled in my mind like a mess of threads, impossible to unravel.
I patted my head and asked Shen Minhong, "Why are you telling me all this?"
Shen Minhong replied, "I just want to warn you not to provoke Gu Xiaofei. A woman like her is someone you can't afford to cross."
I began to wonder what her true intentions were in telling me this.
In fact, I had already suffered quite a bit at Gu Xiaofei's hands, but it seemed I had no way to escape her grasp.
I had to admit, Gu Xiaofei's methods were indeed masterful.
As I looked at Shen Minhong, I sensed something from this beautiful woman.
Out of a sense of intuition, I asked, "Do you still have feelings for Xiao Jun?"
Indeed, the campus heartthrob of our school days had an irresistible allure for any young girl with romantic dreams.
Shen Minhong thought for a moment and said, "Back then, I did resent Gu Xiaofei for taking Xiao Jun away from me, but after all these years, that resentment has faded."
Though she said this, I could still feel that she hadn't fully let go of that emotional burden.
A terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind—could she be seeking revenge against Gu Xiaofei?
But considering Gu Xiaofei's current status and position, she wasn't someone who could be easily shaken. Moreover, after interacting with her for so long, I hadn't discovered any of her weaknesses.
Seeing the complex expression on my face, Shen Minhong seemed to guess what I was thinking. She was a sharp woman and knew that if she didn't clarify things now, it could lead to trouble later.
Shen Minhong said, "After graduating, I got married very quickly. Do you know why?"
In truth, Shen Minhong and I had only just met, so I knew nothing about her marital life.
She continued, "At the time, I wanted to be like Gu Xiaofei—a strong, independent woman."
Without guessing, I could imagine that Shen Minhong had married a boss, possibly even an older man.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to enjoy the luxurious lifestyle of a wealthy woman.
At this moment, Shen Minhong's expression was extremely complex. I knew she was showing the face of a resentful woman.
Money and love often cannot coexist—this is a common phenomenon in society. I finally understood why she had turned to infidelity. The reason was simple: her husband couldn't satisfy her.
Women like her often have a soft spot for young, handsome men, even going so far as to spend lavishly on them.
I thought to myself that perhaps Shen Minhong saw me as her young lover.
After all, I was only twenty-six, at the peak of my physical attractiveness.
In this materialistic and desire-driven society, a woman like Shen Minhong, with her high looks, was indeed very popular.
As we ate and chatted, I began to get a full picture of Shen Minhong.
Perhaps this was the real reason she had sought me out.
At this point, I suddenly asked, "If you had to choose again, between money and love, what would you choose?"
Shen Minhong thought for a moment and said, "I would still choose money."
She was truly a woman full of contradictions. I could only say that society's dependence on material wealth was overwhelming.
Everyone knows that in this society, money is absolutely essential.
Just like me—before walking into this Chinese restaurant, I had been worried about paying the bill.
But with five thousand yuan in my pocket, I suddenly felt much more confident.
Idealistic love is one thing, but real life is another.
I suddenly felt that perhaps Shen Minhong had sought me out to experience that idealistic love.
As we continued our meal and conversation, I could say that Shen Minhong and I were deeply engaged, though what ulterior motives we each had, no one could know.
As we neared the end of the meal, I asked Shen Minhong, "Where should we go this afternoon?"
Shen Minhong thought for a moment and said, "I'm a bit tired. How about we find a place to rest?"
Damn it, it seemed this woman was already burning with desire. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come looking for me so early in the morning.
If yesterday's events had been derailed because of Lu Wan's sudden appearance, leaving me in a terrible mood, today I had no excuses left.
Moreover, I was beginning to feel that remaining loyal to Lu Wan no longer held any meaning.
Just as I was about to agree, my phone suddenly rang.
At that moment, I felt a surge of excitement, hoping it was Lu Wan calling.
Though I knew it wasn't appropriate to answer Lu Wan's call in front of Shen Minhong, I couldn't see a future with Shen Minhong. Only Lu Wan represented hope for me.
But when I looked at my phone, I was immediately disappointed—it was Gu Xiaofei calling.
This woman had caused me so much trouble that I was now afraid of her, even feeling a shadow of fear in my heart.
Seeing me hesitate to answer, Shen Minhong asked, "Who's calling?"
I hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's Gu Xiaofei."
Shen Minhong looked surprised and asked, "What does she want with you?"
I was at a loss. In truth, I still didn't fully understand why Gu Xiaofei was so fixated on me.
Seeing my silence, Shen Minhong said, "Answer it. She must have something important."
It seemed she was more anxious about this call than I was.
Reluctantly, I answered the phone.
As soon as I picked up, Gu Xiaofei said, "Handsome, were you mad at me yesterday? Why did it take you so long to answer my call?"
Damn it, if this woman weren't so far away, I'd have dragged her over and given her a good beating.
Of course, that was just a joke. Given Gu Xiaofei's current status, I couldn't afford to offend her.
If she so much as whispered a bad word about me to Mr. Zhang, I'd be in deep trouble.
Such is society—a dog-eat-dog world, but also a stage to showcase one's talents.
I said to Gu Xiaofei, "I'm in a bad mood, so I didn't feel like answering."
Gu Xiaofei suddenly laughed and said, "Zhao Jian, don't you understand Lu Wan's character yet? Yesterday, she was clearly playing the victim, trying to shift the blame."
Hearing this, I frowned.
To be honest, I didn't like hearing negative things about my wife, so when others spoke ill of Lu Wan in front of me, I felt反感.
But Gu Xiaofei's status was different—I couldn't afford to offend her.
After a moment's thought, I suddenly asked Gu Xiaofei, "Did you call Lu Wan over yesterday?"
On the other end of the line, Gu Xiaofei paused, clearly not expecting this question.
It was, admittedly, not a very smart thing to ask.
Gu Xiaofei thought for a moment and said, "What, do you think this was some scheme of mine to have your wife catch you in the act?"
"Isn't it?" I quickly retorted.
Gu Xiaofei snorted and said, "I'm not that close with Lu Wan. Why would I help her catch you cheating?"
Indeed, every action needs a motive. I couldn't see how this would benefit Gu Xiaofei, and it would only make me resent her more.
That left only one explanation—my wife had been following me.
But this explanation was hard to believe, as my wife had her own job and wouldn't have the time to track me.
After much thought, I concluded that it was impossible for my wife to have been at that location, yet she had appeared, accurately finding my room. It was simply unbelievable.
If my wife were truly that resourceful, she should have believed in my innocence.
Realizing my mistake, I said to Gu Xiaofei, "I'm sorry, Xiaofei. Maybe I misunderstood."
Gu Xiaofei giggled, and I could tell she was pleased.
"Zhao Jian, it seems you're a smart man. Now you see how complicated Lu Wan is, don't you?"
It seemed Gu Xiaofei's only goal was to make me see my wife in a worse and worse light.
But she didn't understand that I had lived with Lu Wan for over a year and knew her well.
The image of Lu Wan as a gentle and virtuous wife wasn't something that could be easily shattered.
Then, Gu Xiaofei asked me, "Zhao Jian, where are you now?"
Shen Minhong was sitting right beside me, and upon hearing Gu Xiaofei's question, she immediately waved her chopsticks, signaling me not to reveal our location.
I understood that Shen Minhong didn't want Gu Xiaofei to know we were together.
So I said, "I'm at home."
Gu Xiaofei said, "If you're free, come over to my place. I need to talk to you."
Thinking about the intimate moment Shen Minhong and I were about to share, I naturally didn't want to go.
Besides, this woman had just had a wild night with that handsome guy Xiao, and the thought of going over there made me feel disgusted.
Was her desire really that insatiable, or was Xiao unable to satisfy her?
I hesitated and said, "Xiaofei, I'm not feeling well today. How about I come another time?"
"I told you to come, so stop making excuses!" Gu Xiaofei's tone was almost commanding.
I really didn't like Gu Xiaofei's domineering personality, but it seemed I had no choice.
Before I could say anything else, Gu Xiaofei hung up.
Shen Minhong had been sitting right beside me, so she had heard every word Gu Xiaofei said.
"Zhao Jian, I think you should go see Gu Xiaofei. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble."
Hearing this, I suddenly felt touched. This woman was incredibly considerate.
Though Lu Wan was virtuous, her level of thoughtfulness paled in comparison to Shen Minhong's.
Then, Shen Minhong stood up and said to the waiter, "Check, please."
The bill came to a little over three hundred yuan—not too expensive.
To my surprise, Shen Minhong insisted on paying for the meal.
As we left, Shen Minhong said to me, "Zhao Jian, I'll come find you again. Don't worry."
It seemed this woman had her sights set on me. This must be what they call a stroke of luck.
Hearing this, I felt a surge of happiness.