Zhao Fu went shopping with Yun Fan. It was rare for Wen Zhao Fu to have a weekend free of official duties, but he was once again disturbed by Wen Hao Chen and his siblings.
Wen Hao Chen’s younger sister, An Li Wen, was a popular movie star. She was about to attend a fashion festival and needed a piece of jewelry to complete her outfit. When she went to the store, she found that her shopping quota for the year was insufficient to make a direct purchase. After much deliberation, she could only turn to Wen Zhao Fu for help.
An Li Wen was still somewhat afraid of Wen Zhao Fu, even though this eldest brother was actually much gentler with her than Wen Hao Chen was.
Yun Fan followed the old butler to tidy up the area dedicated to art collections and the wine cellar that stored many fine wines. He saw Wen Hao Chen and a girl rushing out of the main gate of Lang Yun Tai.
“That’s Miss Li Wen, the second young master’s sister,” the old butler kindly offered, proactively answering the question on Yun Fan’s mind.
“Such energetic young people,” Yun Fan replied.
The old butler smiled. “Those two are always causing trouble for the eldest young master.”
Reading between the lines, Yun Fan could tell that in the old butler’s heart, there was only one employer: Wen Zhao Fu. Whatever Wen Zhao Fu instructed, he carried out with meticulous precision.
A butler loyal to his employer was nothing wrong. But on the surface, it seemed Wen Cheng obeyed Wen Zhao Fu without question, yet deep down, the latter also accommodated the former quite a bit.
Sure enough, when they returned to Lang Yun Tai, Wen Zhao Fu asked Yun Fan to get ready and accompany him out.
The old butler raised an eyebrow and said to Yun Fan, “Take good care of the boss.”
By the time Yun Fan changed into a fresh set of clothes, Wen Zhao Fu handed him a car key. Yun Fan followed behind Wen Zhao Fu’s wheelchair and saw a brand-new car parked in the courtyard.
“Oh, wow, that’s a shiny polish,” Yun Fan said, walking around the car. “Does this car have some kind of magical security system? Like, when necessary, two guns pop out from underneath?”
Wen Zhao Fu laughed, his hand curling into a fist and pressing against his nose. The smile softened his otherwise sharp features, giving him an air of casual ease.
“Go ahead and drive,” Wen Zhao Fu said, tilting his chin.
“Got it!” Yun Fan said, heading toward the left-side door.
Just as he was about to pull the door open, Yun Fan froze, then looked at Wen Zhao Fu in despair. “Sir, it’s a right-hand drive car. I can’t drive that!”
Seeing Yun Fan’s crestfallen expression, Wen Zhao Fu found him all the more lively. The people around him were used to hiding their emotions and rarely showed such frankness in front of him.
“Good big brother, come along with us,” Wen Zhao Fu said with a hint of apology. “I was thinking of giving you half a day off.”
Yun Fan quickly clasped his hands in a bow. “Good big brother, big brother, hello.”
The driver, Big Brother, waved generously. “It’s within my duties. No need to be polite.”
Wen Zhao Fu’s driver was named Si Hao Hao, now 38 years old, and had been with Wen Zhao Fu for five years. He was a good man and reliable.
Because Wen Zhao Fu called him “Big Brother,” everyone at Lang Yun Tai followed suit.
Yun Fan sat in the passenger seat, looking out the left window with curiosity.
Having been here for so long, he hadn’t actually taken a good look at the outside world. Wen Yan Lan Di was far from the bustling city, nestled against the mountains and by the sea a peaceful place. It had everything, but it felt like there was a membrane separating it from the outside.
The car wound through the mountain roads, then drove into livelier areas. Seeing the tall and short buildings and the hurried passersby, Yun Fan finally felt a sense of reality.
So this was where he lived.
Wen Zhaofu noticed Yun Fan hadn’t spoken, and he didn’t say anything either just watched Yun Fan’s profile as he stared off into space.
The driver brought the car to a smooth stop behind a pale yellow minibus and said, “Boss, we’re stuck in traffic.”
Wen Zhaofu, a man who always prized efficiency, frowned at the news. Yun Fan pressed down the window and stuck his head out, then pulled it back in, his crisp voice filling the car.
“Oh, it’s only twenty meters no big deal, don’t rush.” Yun Fan said breezily.
Wen Zhaofu smiled. Yun Fan had dismantled his frustration so effortlessly. Right, what was a short wait, anyway?
“Little Yun’s seen it all.” Wen Zhaofu’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
Yun Fan chuckled. “I haven’t seen much else, but I’ve seen plenty of traffic jams. Sideways, end-to-end, stacked up there’s always a way they clog.”
The black curtain came down, and the shop hung up its “Temporarily Closed” sign. Passersby only caught a glimpse of a young man pushing a wheelchair through the door. The person seated in it sat with a straight back, his presence undiminished.
The large glass windows facing the street were all covered, as if unwilling to let even a sliver of the wealthy family’s life show through.
In Harbor City, the only wheelchair-bound big shot who could make such a fuss and have a high-end jewelry store serve him exclusively was none other than Wen Zhaofu.
Because of Wen Zhaofu’s striking looks and impeccable bearing, many people kept an eye on him.
Soon, Wen Zhaofu’s whereabouts were posted online. Some lamented that Young Master Wen had booked the place out again, though they still felt a pang of sympathy being in a wheelchair, he clearly didn’t want to be seen.
Yun Fan inside the store didn’t see it that way. He thought Wen Zhaofu bringing his own chair along for a shopping trip was downright brilliant. Besides, that wheelchair looked comfortable no digging into the hips, no pressure on the back probably far better than the office chair he used to have.
The jewelry store sat on a narrow lane by the sea, with a modest storefront but hidden depths. Above ground, it appeared to be only a two-story loft, but underground, there were three more levels.
Five floors in total taking your time to browse through all of them was exhausting.
To buy that necklace for An Liwen, per the store’s rules, Wen Zhaofu had to bundle it with a bunch of other items. Spending money wasn’t the issue, but he couldn’t just buy a pile of useless things. So he called on Yun Fan to help him pick and choose.
“This is really ‘buying a whole plate of dumplings just for the vinegar,'” Yun Fan muttered under his breath.
Wen Zhaofu smiled. “Who says it isn’t? I really don’t like coming here.”
“But you still spend a lot here every year,” Yun Fan said, eyeing him.
As if afraid Yun Fan might misunderstand, Wen Zhaofu’s expression turned serious, and he answered earnestly, “Sometimes I buy things for my mother and my grandmother.”
“No one else?” Yun Fan teased. “What about some heiress, a returnee elite, an important business partner?”
Wen Zhaofu’s brow furrowed, his nose twitching slightly. He looked Yun Fan straight in the eyes. “Little Yun, I promise there’s no one.”
Seeing Wen Zhaofu suddenly so formal, Yun Fan felt a strange flutter inside. He straightened up, his gaze darting away, and gestured vaguely. “Come on, let’s wrap up the dumplings.”
After much deliberation, neither Wen Zhaofu nor Yun Fan was satisfied with the newly arrived bags, jewelry, or watches. With store staff nearby, they didn’t feel comfortable exchanging more than a glance, but both knew full well that the designer’s taste was on the decline.
“This watch…” Yun Fan eyed the triangular dial and drew in a breath. “It’s distinctive.”
“Hao Chen would love this.” Wen Zhaofu shook his head, leaning his neck forward to whisper near Yun Fan’s ear. “He’s a collector of ugly things.”
Yun Fan rubbed his ear and shifted slightly to the side. He understood now these things still had their audience.
When Yun Fan went to pay, he mentally calculated the total before the cash register could. He was stunned for a moment, then counted on his fingers how many zeros were in the total.
Oh my god, let all those zeros just bury him already!
Carrying bags in both hands, Yun Fan walked toward where the car was parked. He didn’t notice Wen Zhaofu, who had fallen slightly behind, pulling out another card to buy a set of cloud-themed ornaments.
“No need for wrapping just hand it to me.” Wen Zhaofu took them and tucked them into the inner pocket of his coat.
Wen Zhaofu had never liked being overly attended to by those around him when out in public. Having someone like Yun Fan walk ahead while he followed behind felt comfortable to him.
Yun Fan, in truth, wasn’t thinking about any of that. He was still dazed, mulling over all those zeros.
On the way back, they went to a small island across the sea. There was a house on the island, with a star hanging by the door.
“Xiao Yun, go deliver this to the person inside for me.” Wen Zhaofu said gently.
It turned out to be a colorful star he’d bought earlier the one Yun Fan had wondered why he liked the design of.
Yun Fan pushed the door open, and a smiling young woman was waiting there. She took the item from his hands and thanked him softly.
There were children’s voices inside the house, not too loud. Yun Fan smiled and turned to leave. Children of the stars Yun Fan understood.
Back in the car, Yun Fan turned to look at Wen Zhaofu. Seeing him absorbed in his tablet again, he didn’t disturb him. The driver kept the car steady, eyes fixed ahead.
After a moment, Wen Zhaofu spoke up on his own: “That’s a charity organization my mother leads, helping children with autism.”
Yun Fan nodded it was what he’d figured. Wen Zhaofu continued: “My father and mother separated a long time ago. Even before I returned to the Wen family, they’d already split.”
Hearing this, Yun Fan quickly turned around to check Wen Zhaofu’s expression. Wen Zhaofu smiled at him, his eyes betraying no particular emotion.
The driver, meanwhile, gave Yun Fan a subtle glance after all, this was the first time he’d heard his boss voluntarily bring up family matters with someone else.
After a busy day, Yun Fan took out his little notebook and scribbled in it. For dinner, Uncle Man had made a savory, tender steamed pork patty with salted fish, and Yun Fan felt it was a pointed gesture.
But that didn’t matter, what mattered was that it was delicious.
He was getting sleepy. As he turned over to set the notebook down, his hand knocked against the vintage-style telephone receiver mounted on the wall.
Retro design, gold handle he’d been curious about what it was for.
Yun Fan picked up the receiver and saw there was only one button on the wall. Without overthinking it, he pressed it.