“Yay, I found a teacher! Hang on, I have to show off to someone.”
Li Manzhu excitedly dialed Li Moyuan’s number and called out “Big Brother.”
Wen Zhiyu’s scalp went numb, like a cat whose fur was standing on end.
She wanted to run, but there was no escape.
The next second, the phone was placed in front of her.
Li Manzhu looked at her with pleading eyes. “Teacher, please say something to my brother and prove I’m not lying.”
The other end of the line was very quiet, with only a faint static and a familiar breathing sound.
Wen Zhiyu’s mind went completely blank, replaying over and over the fact that she had actually crossed paths with Li Moyuan in reality.
The person on the other end seemed to let out a low chuckle. The laughter came through the receiver with a hint of breathiness, tickling her ear slightly.
“Hello, teacher.” A deep, magnetic voice sounded.
Wen Zhiyu repeated it dazedly, replying in a slightly more professional tone: “Hello, Mr. Li.”
The voice that finally came out was still soft and gentle, and Wen Zhiyu was afraid the other party would notice.
“You know my surname is Li?”
The brief exchange immediately put the other party on alert.
Wen Zhiyu held her breath, wondering if it was too late to kneel down and apologize right now.
The phone moved away from her—Li Manzhu had saved her.
“Brother, my surname is Li. If you’re not surnamed Li, then what are you? Are you so overworked you’ve gone stupid?”
He could indeed have a different surname.
Because Li Manzhu hadn’t specified what kind of brother he was, Wen Zhiyu bit her finger, hoping this small issue would be glossed over quickly.
She was wrong. She truly knew she was wrong. She shouldn’t have taken Li Manzhu’s job just because she was greedy for money.
“Allowance.”
Two ruthless words came out of his thin lips.
Li Manzhu groveled in apology: “The bestest, bestest, bestest brother in the world, no matter what went wrong, it’s all my fault.”
Then she paused and continued to act cute.
“Brother, I found the teacher, but I’m a bit short on funds. Can you sponsor the bestest, bestest, bestest little sister in the world?”
“How much?”
He was quite generous.
“Fifteen hundred an hour.”
“Wait.”
“Got it.”
Li Manzhu stared at the screen and accepted the transfer the moment it arrived.
Wen Zhiyu looked up at her. No wonder she was the sister of a big shot—no different from a shady secondhand dealer.
Li Manzhu felt her gaze and wasn’t shy at all. She excitedly grabbed Wen Zhiyu’s hand and patted her chest.
“Come on, I’m treating you. Today’s expenses are on Mr. Li.”
Wen Zhiyu’s eyes curved into crescents.
It was Li Manzhu who was scamming Li Moyuan’s money, not her. She could just tag along for free food and drinks.
Li Manzhu suddenly reached out and rubbed her face, and she couldn’t help it anymore.
“Zhizhi, you’re so sweet.”
Wen Zhiyu’s round cheeks were squished out of shape in her hands.
“You’re adorable too.”
“Of course! I’m the most adorable little girl in the whole wide world.”
In the end, they didn’t manage to leave, because Wen Zhiyu had to work. Li Manzhu checked the time and made an appointment to come pick her up after her shift.
“Not eating here?”
“No, let’s go somewhere else. I eat here every day—I’m tired of it.”
Wen Zhiyu wanted to cry.
She had seen the restaurant’s menu. The prices at Time’s Grace were not low, ranking among the top in the capital.
She would be perfectly happy eating steak and caviar every day.
When her shift ended, no one placed any more orders.
Still, Wen Zhiyu had a fruitful day—she got the commission from Li Manzhu’s order and landed her tutoring gig.
She told Li Mei she was eating out and got into Li Manzhu’s car.
The two discussed what to have for dinner.
Li Manzhu leaned toward things she didn’t eat often—barbecue and crayfish.
Wen Zhiyu had no objections.
She sent a message to Li Moyuan.
Little Fairy: [I’m having barbecue and crayfish tonight. Inviting you to eat virtually. What are you having for dinner?]
Little Fairy: [Also, good news—I got another part-time job.]
Little Fairy: [Don’t call me Little Fairy anymore. Call me Rich Lady. Come on, shout my name out loud and let me see your hands.]
Li Moyuan didn’t reply. Wen Zhiyu guessed he was busy.
Perfect—she used the time to deal with her other online flings.
No. 2: [Woman, you only ever reply to my last message. Do you have another man?]
No. 2: [Photo.JPG]
No. 2: [Woman, be mesmerized by your man.]
Wen Zhiyu casually skimmed through, then gave perfunctory replies with “Mm” or “Oh.”
No. 2: [Woman, if you keep giving me the cold shoulder, I’m breaking up with you.]
Wen Zhiyu read the message and didn’t reply.
She went offline, checked all her assets, and couldn’t take it anymore. She transferred the money directly.
Little Fairy: [Then break up.]
No. 2: [Woman, I was just joking.]
Wen Zhiyu couldn’t take it anymore. She had already paid back what she owed, and she took the opportunity to clearly propose a breakup.
She wouldn’t reply to No. 2’s messages anymore.
As she was switching between apps, the eye-catching icon caught Li Manzhu’s attention.
“Zhizhi, you do online dating too? Then you might have run into my big brother—he uses this app too. His name is…”
Wen Zhiyu’s whole body tensed up.
Oh no, she’d forgotten.
She thought back. She really hadn’t opened Li Moyuan’s chat window just now.
To make chatting easier, she had pinned Li Moyuan’s messages to the top.
“It’s fine, if you can’t remember, no need to force it.”
I know what it is, and I chat with him casually every day.
Li Manzhu slapped her forehead: “Ah, I can’t remember.”
Her dramatic pause nearly scared Wen Zhiyu to death.
She patted her own chest: “Good that you didn’t remember, good that you didn’t remember.”
“Hmm?”
Li Manzhu curiously tilted her head to the side.
“I mean, it’s fine if you can’t remember.”
“It’s okay, once we get to the restaurant, I’ll ask Big Brother. A screen name, so mysterious.”
“No need for that.”
Arriving at the restaurant, Li Manzhu got out of the car.
“Honestly, I don’t trust these messy apps at all. It’s too easy to make friends—one person can chat with eight others.”
She linked her arm through Wen Zhiyu’s as they walked into the restaurant. “Zhi Zhi, stay alert, don’t let yourself be fooled by someone.”
Wen Zhiyu gave a dry laugh.
She wasn’t chatting with eight—she was chatting with ten.
And moreover, she was the one doing the fooling.
Having made a reservation in advance, the two found their seats, sat down, and ordered their dishes.
While waiting for the food, Li Manzhu really did go bother Li Moyuan.
Li Moyuan refused to tell her his name.
“Hmph, my teacher uses this app too. I was thinking of introducing my sweet teacher to you, but it seems you’re not destined for that fortune. Oh, right, Zhi Zhi, what’s your screen name? Tell me quietly, I won’t tell Big Brother.”
Li Manzhu deliberately said this in front of Li Moyuan.
When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer too.
Wen Zhiyu suppressed the urge to turn around and leave: “Haha, no need, I have a boyfriend.”
“Bro, you really have no chance. You don’t know what a wonderful person you’ve missed out on. Tsk.”
Li Manzhu continued.
Wen Zhiyu: …
Hurry up and serve the food, she wanted to eat.
By the way, that dog of a man Li Moyuan—he only replied to his sister’s messages, not hers.
Even knowing this, she couldn’t do anything about it.
The next second, Li Moyuan’s name popped up on her screen, and her phone buzzed.