81: Chapter 81 A Chance Encounter Leads to Heartbreak!
Her ten fingers were fidgeting restlessly, her heart filled with extreme nervousness.
After the wedding that day, she had asked Boss Zhang about him through indirect questions.
Because of that, she had learned more about just how much power Shen Zhou wielded.
As a result, she had long been looking forward to reuniting with Shen Zhou.
She just hadn't expected this day to come so soon.
Shen Zhou turned slightly to size up Lin Manzhi standing before him.
He realized he had still underestimated this woman.
She was wearing a long black dress with lace trim.
Shiny black high heels were on her feet, and her long black hair fluttered in the wind.
Her fair and enchanting face was accented by bright red lips.
The flame-like red appeared exceptionally eye-catching even in the dark of night.
Coupled with the slightly slim-fitting cut of the long dress,
Lin Manzhi's graceful figure was instantly revealed without reservation.
“Are you shopping at the mall alone?”
Shen Zhou spoke up to ask.
Lin Manzhi was about to nod, but her eyes quickly darted around as she came up with a brilliant answer.
“No, I was just shopping with my husband, but I told him to go back.”
“And I personally saw him off.”
She told a white lie and very naturally took hold of Shen Zhou's arm.
These words instantly caused a flame to surge in Shen Zhou's lower abdomen.
Lin Manzhi was different from Ju Weiwei.
Regarding Lin Manzhi, Shen Zhou felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
“Let's go, let's find a place to eat. What do you want to eat?”
Shen Zhou patted Lin Manzhi's hand.
“I'll listen to you.”
Lin Manzhi pressed her body tightly against Shen Zhou.
Shen Zhou felt his arm sink into a valley, unable to escape in the slightest.
As they walked along, Lin Manzhi looked free and easy in her black dress.
Dressed entirely in black, she looked like an elf of the night.
“What a beautiful woman!”
People passing by would steal glances from time to time.
Lin Manzhi held onto Shen Zhou openly, not afraid at all of others discovering their relationship.
Shen Zhou had a faint smile on his face; he cared even less.
The two arrived at the snack street on the side of Yongzhen City.
Just as they reached the roadside, a taxi pulled over at the corner.
A woman with a strong 'big sister' aura opened the car door and stepped out.
Holding her arm was a young girl full of sunny energy.
These were none other than Lin Lan and Chen Xiaoran.
“Sister Lan, what are we going to eat?”
Chen Xiaoran held Lin Lan's arm, constantly swaying it back and forth.
“Stop shaking, I'm going to get dizzy if you keep shaking. Let's go eat Malatang.”
Lin Lan turned her head somewhat helplessly.
“Okay! I saw a food blogger mention that the Malatang on this street is delicious.”
Chen Xiaoran immediately looked around excitedly, searching for the specific location of the shop.
Soon, her eyes lit up first, then her body stiffened slightly.
An extremely sour and bitter emotion erupted in the depths of her heart.
Even though she knew Shen Zhou wouldn't belong to her alone,
When this day actually arrived, her heart still felt an impulse to cry.
At this moment, Lin Lan also spotted Shen Zhou walking toward them, accompanied by a charming woman holding his arm.
“What a coincidence?”
She gave Shen Zhou a look that was half a smile.
She even used her peripheral vision to hint at the somewhat despondent Chen Xiaoran beside her.
Shen Zhou was momentarily stunned, but then the smile on his face grew even softer.
He gently winked at the two of them.
At this, Chen Xiaoran let out a heavy sigh of relief in her heart.
“That's great, Brother didn't pretend not to see me.”
Although she was still disappointed, she felt much better than she had a moment ago.
Lin Lan found it somewhat amusing and patted Chen Xiaoran's back.
“What a silly girl!”
There was a hint of pity in her gaze.
She even felt some regret—why did she have to let Shen Zhou pick up Chen Xiaoran that day?
“Shen Zhou, is this your girlfriend? She looks really beautiful.”
Lin Lan greeted him openly.
Beside her, Chen Xiaoran immediately stared intently at Shen Zhou, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, her heart tightening nervously.
“She is my friend, Lin Manzhi.”
Shen Zhou introduced her with a natural expression.
Lin Manzhi gave a very friendly greeting.
Then Shen Zhou smiled again:
“Manzhi, this is my boss, Lin Lan.”
As for Chen Xiaoran, she was ignored by Shen Zhou.
After all, this scene was already cruel enough for her.
He couldn't very well stab her in the heart again.
Beside him, Lin Manzhi originally had a polite, business-like smile on her face.
But when she heard Shen Zhou refer to Lin Lan as 'boss', her heart jolted.
“Shen Zhou's boss? What level of big shot is this?”
She solemnly extended her right hand to Lin Lan again.
“Hello, Ms. Lin.”
Lin Lan also very politely reached out and shook it.
Then the four of them parted ways very naturally.
After Shen Zhou's group left, Chen Xiaoran still stared reluctantly at Shen Zhou's back.
“Silly girl, you should have expected this day long ago.”
Lin Lan pulled Chen Xiaoran into a hug, comforting her softly.
Chen Xiaoran lowered her head without a word, but soon took a deep breath.
She forced the smile back onto her face.
“Let's go, Sister Lan, we're going to have a big meal today. Just Malatang won't do!”
Since she couldn't change the current situation, she decided to turn her grief and indignation into an appetite.
Lin Lan immediately felt relieved and led Chen Xiaoran to the shop across the street with a chuckle.
Shen Zhou and Lin Manzhi also chose a small shop not far away.
They chose a chain Chuanchuan shop.
As soon as the two of them walked in, the entire small shop went silent.
Many customers suddenly turned their heads around.
“This is too beautiful, she's as good-looking as a celebrity!”
“This guy is pretty handsome too, and his aura is amazing. He's probably some young master from a big family!”
“As expected, handsome men and beautiful women always pair up; they don't circulate at all!”
Until Shen Zhou found an empty seat to sit down, the surrounding discussions continued one after another.
“Handsome guy, beautiful lady, what would you like to eat?”
An enthusiastic auntie immediately came over with an order sheet.
She stared fixedly at the two of them, wishing she could keep them in her sight forever.
“Kelp, tofu skewers, ginseng vegetables...”
“Auntie, mild spice is fine, thank you.”
Lin Manzhi very naturally ordered various green vegetables, and also ordered a bunch of meat dishes for Shen Zhou.
The auntie carefully confirmed the order before reluctantly turning away.
“I remember you don't seem to be able to eat very spicy food.”
Lin Manzhi turned her head and looked at Shen Zhou with smiling eyes.
“That's right.”
Shen Zhou nodded with a smile.
This was the magical thing about Lin Manzhi.
Back in school, she was just as attentive.
She could even remember the birthdays of the vast majority of her classmates.
As long as the relationship was decent, she would present a small gift when their birthday approached.
The gift wouldn't be too expensive, but it always seemed very thoughtful.