Truth be told, Nan Chen knew Ning Ran would definitely counter offer him the moment she figured out the actual cost of his blazer.
After all, she had always been known as a stingy woman. It would be impossible to get her to compensate him a few hundred thousand.
Literally, she was one of the stingiest women he had encountered throughout his entire life.
Therefore, she would never hand over the sum to him, even if she had the requested sum.
In short, she was merely being courteous to prove her sincerity when she offered to compensate him for his loss.
“Where exactly are we heading over for a meal?”
“What do you have in mind? As long as it doesn’t cost more than fifty, you’re free to name your cravings!” Ning Ran announced.
“Fifty?”
“Yes! Fifty for the both of us! The first fifty is on me, but please foot the bill on behalf of us if it cost more than fifty by the end of our meal!” Ning Ran suggested with a bright grin.
Nan Chen was rendered speechless because she didn’t seem to have meant her words at all.
Fifty for the both of us? Has she really considered buying me a meal? She’s not sincere at all!
“I don’t want to have a meal with you anymore. Why don’t you compensate me for the loss of my blazer instead?” Nan Chen bleated.
“Huh? Why? What’s the fun there is to it? You know I’m as broke as a church mouse, right? How am I supposed to afford tens of thousands?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure you’re not going to foot the bill, even if you have that kind of money. Am I right?”
Ning Ran avoided Nan Chen’s gaze, effusing in return, “Wow! You’re such a brilliant man, Mr. Chen! You should keep that between us since we have come to a unanimous agreement.”
“Why? Are you embarrassed?” Nan Chen scoffed.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m an accountable woman, alright? However, I’m relatively sensitive when it comes to money because I have been broke over the past few years. I dislike wasting my money. I hope you’re able to see where I’m coming from, Mr. Chen.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in a foul mood after the incident you have gone through? I mean, you have been wrongly accused by others, right?” Nan Chen found Ning Ran’s behavior odd.
“Initially, I was about to fall into the vicious cycle of despair, but I felt better since you told me that you have faith in me,” Ning Ran declared.
Nan Chen stared at her in the eyes silently the moment Ning Ran finished her sentence.
Finally, she noticed her statement sounded misleading. Hence, she immediately explained herself, “I mean, you’re the boss! Literally, no one else apart from you can influence my career! As long as you have faith in me, I can pay no heed to other’s opinions.”
Ning Ran did a great job because her explanation was on point.
She’s a smart woman, but it’s not necessarily good for her.
All of a sudden, another car approached Ning Ran and Nan Chen’s car from behind.
Nan Chen’s driver pulled over immediately because Qiao Zhan was the one who had caught up to them. He was there to deliver Nan Chen another one of his blazers.
“How many similar pieces do you have?” Ning Ran asked confusedly since the one Qiao Zhan brought him had the same pattern as the one that had been cast away previously.
“Five.”
“Are you kidding me? Five pieces with a similar design? Aren’t you going to get sick of it?” Ning Ran quipped in return.
Nan Chen glared at her because he couldn’t fathom the reason Ning Ran found his reply hilarious.
He was the person in charge of an entire organization. It wouldn’t be necessary for him to get all sorts of fancy outfits for himself; he wasn’t a male model.
His task was to dress himself up properly and show up in front of others in a dignified manner.
“Great! If that’s the case, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to compensate you for your loss! You have another four in your wardrobe, right?” Ning Ran announced herself in a righteous manner.
Truthfully speaking, Nan Chen couldn’t be bothered by Ning Ran anymore. He put on his blazer as he asked Qiao Zhan, “What’s the outcome of the investigation?”
“The convicted duo are indeed related to one another, but they have insisted on the fact Ms. Ding is a homewrecker. The police deemed it unnecessary to file a case since it was merely a trivial matter. Hence, they warned them not to repeat themselves in the future before setting them free. They didn’t get to investigate the suspicious duo’s background either. However, I have dispatched our men to investigate their background.”
“I want you to get your hands on the truth behind, but don’t hurt them because they have been made use by others as well,” Nan Chen instructed.
“Yes.”
Nan Chen nodded and brought up a seemingly absurd question. “Can you suggest a location that’s relatively hygienic and provides barbecue meal?”
“H-Huh? Are you craving a barbecue meal? I-I’m not too sure about that either, but I can—”
Nan Chen waved and beckoned his subordinate to leave before Qiao Zhan could finish his sentence. “That won’t be necessary. You are free to go now.”
Ning Ran’s eyes gleamed and queried, “Are you going to treat me to a barbecue meal?”
“Aren’t you the one who’s going to buy me a meal?” Nan Chen asked with a straight face.
Ning Ran got pumped up and announced, “Oh! You’re right! I’m supposed to be the one buying you a meal, but I have a condition! Our budget has a total of fifty! To be honest, I don’t know if there’s any hygienic barbecue store, but there’s one that serves scrumptious barbecue dishes! Let’s go, Sir Chen! It’s time for me to bring you around this time!”
Soon, Ning Ran brought Nan Chen to Emerald River.
A bridge had been built over the river, and there was a barbecue stall at the bottom of the bridge.
Through the reflection of the river, the entire well-illuminated bridge could be seen. It was dazzling in the pitch-black night while creating a blissful environment.
Nan Chen was surprised because he wasn’t aware of such a hidden gem in Flower City.
Although it was relatively unhygienic as compared to an ordinary eatery, the stall had been well-equipped with a few desks and plastic chairs.
Pit’s Barbeque
A neon sign portraying the name of the stall could be seen, but it seemed to have gone haywire. Yet, the stall owner couldn
’t be bothered by it and left it around, hanging idly.
He rarely had customers who would show up in such a proper set of outfits. Hence, he wiped the desk and chairs clean before showing Nan Chen and Ning Ran their seats.
Nan Chen was a tall man. Due to the chair’s odd design, he couldn’t sit upright.
At the same time, Ning Ran found Nan Chen’s posture hilarious but dared not laugh at him.
“If you’re feeling uncomfortable, why don’t you stretch your legs? I believe that’s going to help at least a bit,” Ning Ran suggested.
“That’s pretty indecent,” Nan Chen rasped.
“Huh? No one around is going to take table manners seriously, okay? Just sit back and enjoy yourself! Just stretch your legs however you want!”
Nan Chen gave it a thought and decided to give it a try. He felt better the moment he stretched his legs as suggested.
“What would you like?” The stall owner approached the duo to take their orders.
“What do you feel like having? You know what? Let’s forget about the budget we have agreed upon! I’ll buy you a meal to your heart’s content for once!” Ning Ran offered generously.
Meanwhile, Nan Chen was dumbfounded because he couldn’t figure out the sort of cuisines that were available as there wasn’t a proper menu.
Ning Ran stared at Nan Chen in the eyes and found him hilarious as she had figured out his confusion.
“I’ll place the order on our behalf. Once the ingredients are served, feel free to help yourself to the ingredients that are to your liking. What do you think?”
Nan Chen nodded in return.
He had barbecue meals before, but the ingredients were those of premium ones. Apart from that, he had always dined indoors.
It was the first time he dined outdoors, let alone under a bridge.
Thus, he had no idea what sort of food was available. On the contrary, Ning Ran got pumped up and ordered everything.
There were several foods that Nan Chen was familiar with, yet he had never heard of the vast majority of things Ning Ran had ordered.
“Done! Shall we get ourselves each a glass of drink?” Ning Ran offered.
“I’ll get Qiao Zhan to bring us a bottle of wine.”
“No! Seriously? We’re not supposed to be so particular over a barbecue meal. Can you please let loose of yourself for once? Aren’t you tired of all the manners you have to abide by?”
“What do you mean by the manners I have to abide by? Are you implying I’m a pretentious man?”
“Not really, but you should forget about your identity as a member of the upper echelon and mingle around with people from all walks of life every now and then. C’mon! Relax! I promise you it’s going to be fun!”
Nan Chen cast a skeptical gaze at the crates of beer.
“There’s nothing else that goes along with barbecue meal better than beer! Trust me!” Ning Ran tried her best to persuade Nan Chen.
Finally, Nan Chen gave in to temptation because he had grown fond of the location. It had blissful scenery with a sense of serenity.
He detected the scent of the dishes the stall owner prepared. Undeniably, they were exceptionally alluring.
As he couldn’t figure out the reason she enjoyed eating a barbecue meal, he couldn’t wait to try the food that would soon be served to see for himself.
