61: Chapter 61 Su Wanqing's Change of Attitude

The lights of the night market gradually dimmed, and the stalls were mostly packed up.

Chen Fan shoved the last folding table into the cargo bed of the tricycle, brushed the dust off his hands, and with a mischievous grin, sidled up to the little pink e-scooter, his butt just about to nudge onto the back seat.

"Move it."

Su Wanqing blocked him with a shove and shot him a glare. The farce of the "mass confession" earlier still had her face burning; if she let this scoundrel hug her waist for the whole ride, the entire night market would be gossiping about it by tomorrow.

"Don't be like that. My legs are sore from working all day." Chen Fan feigned a massage on his thighs.

"If they're sore, then saw them off." Su Wanqing wasn't buying it at all. With a flick of her wrist, a set of keys traced a parabola through the air. "Ride it yourself! If you dare to crash my scooter, I'll have your kidneys carved out to pay for it."

Chen Fan scrambled to catch the keys, and watching Su Wanqing climb straight into the driver's seat of the tricycle, he could only sigh helplessly.

This woman—her defenses had just lowered a fraction, and her thorns were already back up.

Chen Fan straddled the little e-scooter and twisted the throttle. The wheels rolled over the potholed road, and the two of them rode into the night, one after the other.

They had ridden less than two kilometers when they reached a traffic light.

Even though there were still five seconds of green light left, Chen Fan slammed on the brakes.

Screech—!

Inertia caused Su Wanqing on the back seat to gasp; she was thrown forward uncontrollably, her chest pressing firmly against Chen Fan's back, her hands instinctively wrapping around his waist.

"Chen Fan! Are you blind? The light is green, why aren't you going!" Su Wanqing was so angry she pinched the soft flesh of his waist.

"Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Chen Fan yelled. "These brakes are too sensitive! I was just afraid of running a red light! See, I told you my skills aren't good enough, I really need you to take me."

"Shut up! Just drive properly!"

Su Wanqing scolded him, but this time, her hands wrapped around Chen Fan's waist did not let go.

The night breeze was a bit chilly, blowing against their faces, but it couldn't dissipate the body heat from the two of them pressed together.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long.

"Chen Fan."

Suddenly, Su Wanqing's muffled voice came from behind, fragmented by the wind.

"Hmm?"

"These past few years... did you really never think about coming back to demand an explanation from us?" Su Wanqing's head rested against his back, her voice very soft. "Even if just for the sake of the children."

Chen Fan's grip on the handlebars tightened.

This question was a death trap, but also an opportunity to score points.

"I thought about it. I thought about it every day." Chen Fan's voice lowered, shedding his playful demeanor. "There was one time I even bought a ticket and arrived at the Yunzhou Railway Station."

"Then why didn't you come?"

"I didn't dare."

Chen Fan gave a bitter laugh, his tone filled with world-weariness and self-mockery. "Back then, I was drowning in debt and living like a dog. I was afraid. I was afraid to see that you had already married, afraid to see you holding another man's arm, living a stable life. If a piece of trash like me suddenly appeared, what could I do other than ruin your life?"

"So I thought, as long as you didn't come looking for me, it meant you were doing okay. Since you were doing okay, I shouldn't go and be a troublemaker."

The highest level of lying is nine parts truth and one part falsehood.

Su Wanqing fell silent.

The arms she had wrapped around Chen Fan's waist slowly tightened, squeezing him until he could barely breathe.

So that was it.

This fool had actually been hiding for all these years because of his inferiority complex and because he wanted her to have a good life.

Su Wanqing buried her face into that T-shirt which smelled of sweat and tobacco, her tears silently soaking the fabric. She had hated him for so many years, resented him for so many years; in the end, all that hatred dissolved into a single sigh.

They arrived downstairs at Xingfuli Residential Area.

Chen Fan parked the scooter and was just about to pull out the key to return it.

"Keep it." Su Wanqing jumped off the scooter without taking the key or looking at him, walking toward the stairwell with her head down. "The scooter is out of power; push it to the bike shed and charge it. Tomorrow morning... I'll need the scooter tomorrow morning."

Chen Fan clutched the key, which still held her body heat, stunned for two seconds before his mouth stretched into a grin that reached his ears.

What was this?

This was trust! This was authorization! This was handing over the management rights of the family's major assets to him!

"Got it! I guarantee it'll be fully charged!" Chen Fan shouted toward her retreating figure.

Once Su Wanqing's figure disappeared into the stairwell, the silly grin on Chen Fan's face instantly vanished. He casually tossed the keys to his bodyguard, "Dark Blade," who stepped out from the darkness.

"Go, charge the scooter. While you're at it, oil the chain, wipe the body clean, and pump up the tires." Chen Fan instructed. "If there's even a hint of a strange noise from this scooter tomorrow, you'll all run five kilometers alongside it."

"Yes, boss." Dark Blade took the keys and, with a solemn expression, pushed the little pink e-scooter to the shed as if he were escorting a nuclear warhead.

Returning to the apartment next door he had just purchased, Chen Fan lay on the expensive sofa and took out his phone.

【Chen Fan: Hot pot for lunch tomorrow? What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it.】

About five minutes later, his phone vibrated.

【Su Wanqing: The tripe needs to be in large pieces, the yellow throat needs to be crunchy, and get two portions of duck intestine. Also, wide vermicelli, frozen tofu, enoki mushrooms, and crown daisy. Oh, and the kids like shrimp paste, buy plenty of that.】

Looking at the long list, Chen Fan rolled around on the sofa.

This wasn't just a menu; it was clearly Su Wanqing's "entry permit" for him.

...

The next morning, at seven o'clock.

Yunzhou's most high-end imported supermarket, "Jenny Lou."

Here, cherries were sold by the piece, beef was weighed by the gram, and the usual clientele were wealthy ladies living in villa districts.

Today, it welcomed a special guest.

Chen Fan was wearing simple sportswear, looking as if he had just finished a morning run and dropped by on his way. But behind him followed four burly men in black suits, pushing shopping carts.

The scene was both bizarre and imposing.

"This beef, the M9, I want this whole row." Chen Fan pointed to the steaks in the freezer case priced in the thousands. "Slice it thin, for hot pot."

The butcher's hand trembled, and he nearly cut himself. "Sir... you want all of it? That's about ten catties..."

"I told you to slice it, so slice it. Why so much chatter?"

"These cherries, take ten boxes. These Shine Muscat grapes, give me five bunches."

"What's this? Imported potato chips? The kids should like these. Give me a box of this flavor, and a box of that flavor too."

Chen Fan walked between the shelves, pointing out items like a general commanding an army. The bodyguards behind him pushed the shopping carts, which were soon piled high like small mountains.

The supermarket manager had long since been alerted and came trotting over, sweat covering his forehead. "Mr. Chen! If you need anything, just give an order directly, and we'll have it delivered to your door!"

Although Chen Fan was dressed plainly, the manager had a sharp eye and immediately spotted the patek philippe on Chen Fan's wrist—a watch worth enough to buy half his supermarket.

"No need for delivery." Chen Fan picked up a box of strawberries and inspected the quality. "I'll carry it back myself. Delivery makes it seem insincere."

The manager nodded and bowed repeatedly. "Yes, yes, you are right. Then we will help you bag it."

Half an hour later.

Chen Fan carried four huge shopping bags in his hands, stuffed with top-tier ingredients. The bodyguards loaded the rest of the items into the commercial van parked on the side of the road, leaving only these four bags of "essentials."

"Alright, you guys withdraw." Chen Fan waved at Dark Blade. "Don't follow too closely, don't scare the neighbors."

"Boss, with so much stuff, you, alone..."

"Less talk. This is the weight of love, you wouldn't understand."

Chen Fan carried the items and strode into Xingfuli Residential Area.

The elderly people taking their morning strolls stared wide-eyed.

"Whoa! Did this young man empty out the whole supermarket?"

"That must be for Old Su's daughter, right? He really doesn't skimp on spending!"

Hearing these comments, Chen Fan straightened his back even more.

Arriving at Su Wanqing's door, Chen Fan set down the bags, adjusted his collar, and sniffed himself to see if there was any smell of sweat.

He took a deep breath.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking rang out.

The sound of slippers shuffling came from inside, followed immediately by Su Wanqing's lazy inquiry: "Who is it? So early."

Chen Fan looked at the door that was about to open, a flash of cunning in his eyes.

As long as this door opened, he had no intention of leaving again today.

"Delivery! You ordered a hundred pounds of love, please sign for it!"

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