The crowd burst into an uproar, as if they had just heard a joke.
None of them believed Lu Xiangyang had that kind of ability.
In their eyes, he was just an abandoned member of the Lu family, merely holding the title of factory director of the food factory. They respected him only because of the Lu family’s name—no one truly took him seriously.
Even Shen Nanzhi didn’t believe he was capable of what he said.
Jiang Feng struggled to his feet from the ground, dust covering him like his dignity—shattered and trampled by Lu Xiangyang.
His eyes were filled with unwillingness and anger, and a mocking smile curled at his lips.
“Lu Xiangyang, what do you think you are! You’re no longer in the military, yet you still dare to challenge me here!”
“Even if you spent a few years in the army and know a few people, you don’t have the ability to shake our military-civilian cooperation project.”
His gaze shifted to Shen Nanzhi. Seeing her eyes still fixed on Lu Xiangyang, jealousy burned in him until his eyes turned red.
He said viciously, “Lu Xiangyang, do you really think Nanzhi will marry you? Stop dreaming! She’s just using you to get back at me out of anger!”
The crowd immediately erupted.
In their view, Shen Nanzhi choosing Lu Xiangyang was just an impulsive act.
“Mr. Jiang is right! She’s just using Lu Xiangyang to provoke him!”
“Shen Nanzhi is Mr. Jiang’s childhood fiancée. How could she really give him up and live with a disabled man for life?”
“She’s just trying to hold onto Mr. Jiang’s heart tighter.”
The surrounding discussions pierced Shen Nanzhi’s ears like needles.
She walked up to Lu Xiangyang and took his hand, feeling it trembling.
Her heart tightened painfully. She regretted dragging him into this and making him suffer even more humiliation.
Looking at him with guilt and affection, she smiled gently.
“My feelings for Xiangyang are sincere. From the moment I said I would marry him, I was already his wife.”
Her determined gaze swept across the crowd before landing on Jiang Feng.
“You say I’m playing hard to get and trying to hold onto Jiang Feng’s heart—but you were the ones who assumed I was his childhood fiancée.”
“In the past two days, it was Jiang Feng who kept pestering me, begging me to marry him and rushing me to get the marriage certificate.”
“For a woman, a marriage certificate is the greatest protection. Why wouldn’t I agree?”
The moment she said this, the entire crowd fell silent.
Jiang Feng, seeing that the crowd was no longer on his side, panicked.
“Breeze, you clearly said if I secured this big project for you, you would marry me!”
“Stop!” Shen Nanzhi interrupted him.
“You were the one who said you’d give me this contract as a birthday gift. I accepted it—as compensation for missing my wedding and the emotional loss I suffered.”
“As for the marriage certificate, I never agreed to it. I always said I would rather die than marry you.”
Jiang Feng tried to argue, but Wang Dashan suddenly grabbed his shoulder and whispered a few words into his ear.
After hearing them, Jiang Feng trembled with rage, his facial muscles twisting in fury.
He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words: “You’ve done well.”
Then he turned abruptly and stormed into the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
The crowd looked at each other, confused about what had just happened.
Shen Nanzhi didn’t care to find out either. She pushed Lu Xiangyang back into the house.
Once inside, she immediately fetched a basin of clean water and washed his face and hands.
After that, she pushed him to the dining room.
On the table were three dishes and a soup.
Golden sweet-and-sour spare ribs, crispy fried shrimp, tender stir-fried green beans, and a light seaweed egg soup—Lu Xiangyang’s favorite dishes.
Aunt Wang brought in two bowls of rice and quietly left, giving them space.
In the quiet dining room, Shen Nanzhi looked at Lu Xiangyang, her heart racing.
This was the first time she had ever sat down to eat with him like this.
She sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and placed a piece of sweet-and-sour pork into his bowl.
“Xiangyang, try this. It’s really good.”
Lu Xiangyang looked at the piece of meat, then at her expectant eyes.
He picked it up and took a bite. The sweet and sour flavor spread in his mouth.
He slightly frowned—but said, “It’s good.”
“If it’s good, eat more.”
Shen Nanzhi kept adding dishes into his bowl.
He didn’t refuse, but he also didn’t look particularly happy.
Thinking of how she had accompanied Jiang Feng to sign the contract, a heaviness pressed in his chest.
After eating a few more bites, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “The guard said you came to the factory this morning looking for me?”
Shen Nanzhi nodded.
“This morning Jiang Feng caused trouble, and I felt upset, so I went out for a walk. I wanted to invite you to lunch, but you weren’t there.”
She sighed softly, a complicated emotion flashing in her eyes.
After what happened later, her good mood had completely disappeared.
She lowered her head and quietly ate.
Lu Xiangyang thought she was unhappy because she hadn’t been able to eat with him.
He placed a peeled shrimp into her bowl.
“I’ve already told the security department. You can come find me anytime. If I’m not there, you can wait in my office.”
“Okay.” Shen Nanzhi replied softly.
Seeing her low spirits, he didn’t know how to comfort her.
Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.
“Factory Director Lu, the refrigerator has been delivered.”
Shen Nanzhi recognized it as the voice of Director Huang from the supply and marketing cooperative.
The word “refrigerator” instantly struck her nerves.
She immediately put down her bowl, stood up, and rushed out of the dining room.
Lu Xiangyang watched her figure disappear and smiled faintly.
He had known she would like the refrigerator.
In the courtyard, Director Huang wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled as he drank water handed to him by Aunt Wang.
At his feet was a large box.
Shen Nanzhi immediately recognized it—it was the only refrigerator she had put up for sale at the supply store that day.
When Director Huang came to buy it, she had proudly said, “288 yuan, no discount.”
She had bought it for 68 yuan and sold it for 288 yuan—a profit of 220 yuan.
She never expected that this deal would come full circle and end up back in her hands.
Seeing Wang Dashan hand 288 yuan to Director Huang made her chest tighten with frustration.
She couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Director Huang, are you joking with me?” she said sharply.
Her voice rose, attracting everyone in the yard.
Director Huang looked confused.
“Shen Nanzhi, what nonsense are you talking about? What joke?”
“This refrigerator—you sold it to us, and now you’re reselling it back.”
“I bought it for Factory Director Lu. The price is exactly 288 yuan. I didn’t make a single cent profit.”
Director Huang quickly clarified himself.
Shen Nanzhi’s face turned red with anger.
Lu Xiangyang wheeled over.
“Nanzhi, what’s wrong?”
She glared at him.
“You people are rich and reckless with money!”
Aunt Wang frowned.
“Nanzhi, how can you say that about the young master? He found out you didn’t have a refrigerator for your cake yesterday, so he immediately asked Director Huang to buy one for you. And you still scold him?”
Shen Nanzhi’s chest rose and fell violently with anger.
“I’m an employee! With my membership discount, I could have bought it for 250 yuan! That’s 38 yuan more—thirty-eight!”