Looking at the time, Zhou Jianguo said to Luo Bei, “I didn’t consider everything today and left you alone with a stranger in the private room. It wasn’t safe, and I won’t let it happen again.” He rolled up his sleeves and showed off his strength. “With me here, that manager Zhao won’t dare to say anything to you. But I still need to compensate you and apologize. You’re my friend and my partner, and I let you have such an unpleasant experience.”
“It’s okay. I can’t let you hold it in and not go to the restroom, can I?” Luo Bei laughed at him. “And you also helped me revenge, so I feel much better now.”
Zhou Jianguo thought for a moment. “Next time, I’ll try to drink less water at these kinds of dinners. If I really need to go to the restroom, I’ll give you a signal to leave first. How about that?”
“Okay.” Luo Bei nodded. “But I think most people aren’t as creepy as Manager Zhao.”
Although there are often comments on Weibo about oily middle-aged men and the like, Luo Bei rarely encounters people as creepy as Manager Zhao in real life.
Zhou Jianguo sighed again. “If we ever encounter a female manager like Zhao, you have to help me too. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“…Hahaha!”
Thinking of Zhou Jianguo being hit on, Luo Bei couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Okay, seeing you laugh makes me feel better. Let’s go. There’s a large supermarket nearby. As an apology, you can pick whatever you want, and I’ll pay for it.” Zhou Jianguo said generously.
Luo Bei didn’t bother to be polite with him either, and the two of them rode the electric bike towards the direction of the supermarket.
It’s almost 9 o’clock now, and this large supermarket closes at 10 o’clock, but because it’s Friday, there are still quite a few people around.
Zhou Jianguo went to push the shopping cart first, but Luo Bei said, “No need for a cart, I can’t buy that much.”
“I’m afraid you’ll want to sit in it.”
In addition to some children sitting in shopping carts, there were also young girls in the supermarket who were sitting inside and being pushed by their boyfriends or husbands.
Luo Bei took a glance and said, “I don’t need it, do you want to sit? I can push you.”
“… ” Zhou Jianguo was speechless for the first time by Luo Bei’s words.
Although neither of them sat, Zhou Jianguo still pushed the shopping cart while walking and said, “Don’t be polite with me, I may have a little more money than you.”
Luo Bei knew that what Zhou Jianguo said was true. Although she had also been working for some time, she hadn’t really saved much money, while Zhou Jianguo was different. He worked so hard at his part-time job and didn’t spend much money on daily expenses.
Of course, she couldn’t just take whatever she wanted to eat because she knew Zhou Jianguo earned his money through hard work.
Zhou Jianguo didn’t like to eat snacks, so he bought some fruits and vegetables from the fresh food area. Luo Bei had always admired his ability to cook for himself despite being so busy with work. “You work so hard every day and still manage to cook for yourself. That’s really rare.”
“Ever since I found hair in my takeout food, I try not to eat out as much,” Zhou Jianguo explained. So he was forced to cook for himself. After weighing the pros and cons of dealing with the fumes and dishes versus the possibility of finding hair or other foreign objects in his food, he chose the former.
“Nowadays, guys like you are really rare. You’re handsome, motivated, hardworking, and I bet you don’t smoke or drink. You’re even willing to cook for yourself… I don’t know anyone like you.”
Zhou Jianguo replied calmly, “Being handsome is something I can’t help, it’s just genetics. Motivation and hard work are things that every adult should strive for. As for smoking, I have a bit of nasal inflammation and it’s really uncomfortable for me to smell smoke. Plus, I have two coworkers, one younger who smokes a pack a day for 19 yuan, and an older one whose child is already in high school and who smokes three packs a day for 5 yuan each. Why should I spend money and harm my health for something that doesn’t benefit me at all? Besides, most smokers have yellow teeth, and I don’t like that.”
Luo Bei was impressed by his logical reasoning and gave him a thumbs up.
Although smoking is a personal choice, it can harm others through secondhand and even thirdhand smoke. It’s not something that can be easily understood or tolerated by those around the smoker.
The two of them strolled through the supermarket while chatting, feeling relaxed. Even though it was after dinner, it was still a nice way to digest their meal.
Luo Bei didn’t buy much, just a bottle of yogurt and a pack of potato chips. Upon the recommendation of Zhou Jianguo, she also picked up some good-looking bananas before checking out and leaving the supermarket.
By the time they returned to the urban village, it was already past ten o’clock.
Luo Bei went upstairs to his home while Zhou Jianguo went downstairs to his. As he was about to unlock his door, the door next to his opened and Jiang Sihan walked out.
Jiang Sihan also had just returned from work. Although he had been exhausted from memorizing his lines and attending classes, he hadn’t forgotten his important task: to remind Zhou Jianguo not to take Beibei to dangerous activities, such as stock trading.
“Xiao Zhou, do you have a moment?” Jiang Sihan politely asked.
Zhou Jianguo felt a bit odd hearing him call him Xiao Zhou. Based on his usual schedule, he should be rushing back to his room to take a shower and prepare for bed, so he didn’t have much time.
But since he wasn’t close to Jiang Sihan, he assumed that there must be something important for him to come looking for him.
“There is, but not for long, probably around half an hour to forty-five minutes.”
Jiang Sihan: “That’s enough time. I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“Uh, sure, but I don’t drink.”
The two men weren’t familiar with each other, and it would have been awkward to go to either Jiang Sihan’s or Zhou Jianguo’s room. So, they went to a braised food restaurant in the urban village instead. After Jiang Sihan sat down, he realized that this was the same restaurant that Zhan Qi had taken him to and gave him a warning.
What a coincidence.
After they sat down, Jiang Sihan ordered several braised dishes. Zhou Jianguo wasn’t really hungry, and he didn’t have the habit of eating supper, but to save face, he still took a few bites with his chopsticks.
“Xiao Zhou, I heard from Beibei that your unmanned store business is doing well.”
Jiang Sihan was usually silent around people he wasn’t familiar with. He didn’t know what to talk about, so he often gave people the impression of being cold and aloof.
Just like now, he could only make small talk with Zhou Jianguo.
It’s a torture for both sides, he understands.
Knowing that Jiang Sihan wasn’t good at socializing and chatting with people, Zhou Jianguo replied, “It’s going pretty well. We’re also looking for other ways to sell our products, so we should stabilize soon.”
In fact, there was nothing wrong with doing business, even if it was an unstaffed store for adult products. But it was the fact that he was involved in trading stocks with Beibei that made people inexplicably worried.
Jiang Sihan was not a saint, and if Zhou Jianguo was trading stocks on his own, he wouldn’t care, nor did he have any reason to. But since he was inviting Beibei, he had to care.
“Xiao Zhou, I heard from Grandma Luo that you’re taking Beibei to trade stocks?” Jiang Sihan said as politely as possible. “Beibei has just started working for a short time, and she doesn’t have much savings. On top of that, you know her family situation, and she’s still paying off her father’s debt. I don’t think this situation is suitable for her, and she doesn’t understand this area. She has never been in contact with it before.”
Zhou Jianguo understood why Jiang Sihan came to see him.
“As Beibei’s good friend, I’m just worried that she’ll get caught up in it. If I’m not saying it nicely, please forgive me, Xiao Zhou,” Jiang Sihan continued.
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Jianguo said, “I did lack consideration in this matter. Beibei doesn’t know much about this area, and I shouldn’t have let her get involved so early. But don’t worry, if we really lose money, it’ll be my fault alone. If we make money, I’ve already agreed with Beibei that we won’t buy any more stocks. She’s not interested in this area, and I brought it up myself. Xiao Jiang, don’t worry. Beibei is also my friend, and we’re partners. We live so close to each other, and I won’t let her do this kind of thing again.”
That’s the truth. Actually, Zhou Jianguo regretted a bit bringing Luo Bei into this, although he felt confident in this area. But it seemed inappropriate to involve Luo Bei.
Of course, since he had already talked to Luo Bei and made a deal, it would be even more inappropriate to back out now.
Hearing Zhou Jianguo’s words, Jiang Sihan felt a bit embarrassed. He felt like he had been too pushy in his speech.
Xiao Zhou’s character was good, at least he could say that if he lost, it would be his own fault, which was rare.
Jiang Sihan was also relieved. From a man’s perspective, Xiao Zhou was not bad. He let out a sigh of relief, “Then I can rest assured. Beibei just graduated not long ago, and there are many things she doesn’t understand yet. It’s great that you two are doing business together. Even Grandma Luo said that Beibei has been very energetic recently and is happier than before.”
Zhou Jianguo also has a good impression of Jiang Sihan. He thinks that this person has a good heart and probably put some thought into what he said. Ultimately, it’s because he cares about Luo Bei, and he speaks politely and appropriately. All in all, he’s a pretty decent person.
The two reached a consensus, and Jiang Sihan was satisfied. Zhou Jianguo was not unhappy either.
They ordered a table full of braised dishes. It would be a waste not to eat them. Wasting food was shameful! With this thought in mind, the two chatted aimlessly, enjoying the meal together in a harmonious atmosphere.
Recently, Zhan Qi developed a habit of eating supper. Just like before, he went to the braised food restaurant that he often visited after finishing work, planning to buy some braised food to pair with a cold beer and watch a game in an air-conditioned room. He felt quite content.
However, he never expected that even before entering the restaurant, he would see Jiang Sihan and Zhou Jianguo eating supper together at the same table???
One was Beibei’s ex-boyfriend, and the other was her current one. No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem friendly!
Could it be that he had stumbled upon the legendary battlefield?
What should he do?
Zhan Qi-ah, spend less time on the internet… 🤦🏻♀️🤣
Hehehe, ZQ, you’ve watched too many idol dramas…. 😄
Lol, you think too much