Chapter Ninety-Three: It Has Come Again

The moment the man came through the door, he began apologizing, bowing over and over.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble, and I’m truly sorry. I’ll make up every penny you lose today."

Seeing the white at the man’s temples, Zhao Fan could not help thinking of his own mother, and he sighed.

"Are you this lady’s father?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I am."

His clothes were deeply wrinkled, faded to a washed-out gray-white from repeated laundering. One look told you the family was poor, the sort that wore the same garment again and again until it could bear no more.

"She’s still a child. You can’t let her keep following someone whose mind isn’t sound. Forgive me if I’m being blunt, but today I was in a good mood, so I brought them to the hospital. If they’d run into someone hot-tempered and cruel another day, something bad could have happened to them very easily."

The man wore a bitter expression. "I know. But I have no choice. There’s no one else at home, and I have to work..."

Years had bent his back and shoulders; what age leaves behind is not merely weariness, but weight.

"Thank you for today. I’ll pay you back for the medical expenses."

Zhao Fan watched the man leave, his brow faintly furrowed. Such is the manifold face of the world; money can solve most problems, and one must always strive to stand on higher ground.

Back at the supermarket, Zhao’s mother was talking with Chen Da. When she saw Zhao Fan return, she hurriedly asked, "How is it?"

"That woman’s not right in the head. The child was simply asleep; there’s nothing wrong."

Zhao’s mother slapped her thigh in anger. "Even if she’s not right in the head, she can’t go around harming people! If this hadn’t been handled properly, our business would have been ruined."

Infuriating, infuriating, utterly infuriating.

Putting his hands on Zhao’s mother’s shoulders, Zhao Fan kneaded them gently. "Don’t get upset, Mom. We can’t exactly argue with someone whose head isn’t in the right place."

"Is that the issue here? We have to eat too. If this wasn’t handled well, then it would have been... it would have been..."

"Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. It’s all small matters. Look, you’re working up wrinkles. That won’t do—ugly isn’t good."

Zhao Fan smiled as he soothed her. Too much anger hurts the body; she must not work herself into ill health.

Zhao’s mother snorted. "You silver-tongued rascal."

"Boss, I’m going to deal with something else."

"Zhao Fan, boss?"

A cry of surprise came from nearby. Zhao Fan and Zhao’s mother both turned their heads, and in the next instant, their expressions darkened.

"So it really is you, Zhao Fan. Haven’t seen you for a while, and you’ve become a boss?"

Zhao Fan’s face was cold. "What does that have to do with you?"

Wang Ying forced a smile. "Now, don’t put it like that. We did, after all, have a relationship once, didn’t we? So—do you have a girlfriend now?"

A boss. Zhao Fan had actually become a boss. How wonderful.

He had liked her before; even though they had fallen out over the betrothal gift and broken up, that still could not erase the fact that he once liked her.

People always said first love was hard to forget. She would surely be able to win back Zhao Fan’s heart.

Thinking this, Wang Ying completely forgot their previous conflicts, and naturally assumed that with a little effort, Zhao Fan would like her again.

At a glance, Zhao Fan could see what she was thinking and let out a sneer. "Wang Ying, put away those thoughts of yours. They won’t work. Mom, let’s go."

Zhao’s mother hesitated, then nodded and followed Zhao Fan away.

Once they were in the car, Zhao’s mother could not help asking, "Xiao Fan, you really don’t have feelings for Wang Ying anymore?"

Back then you were ready to die for her, even dropped out of school. How could you just stop liking her so easily? Was he being stubborn?

"Mom, Wang Ying and I have no future together," Zhao Fan said calmly as he fastened his seat belt. "I don’t eat what’s been chewed before."

In his past life, Zhao Fan had never forgotten what Wang Ying did. How could he possibly forgive her?

"Xiao Fan, feelings..."

"I know what I’m doing when it comes to feelings." His gaze fixed ahead, Zhao Fan added, "Before I’ve made something of my career, I won’t consider marriage."

Zhao’s mother paused, said "oh," and fell silent.

Running into Wang Ying had soured Zhao Fan’s mood considerably.

With Wang Ying’s shamelessness, she would surely keep pestering him after this.

Hah. At least they had changed locations; no matter how much Wang Ying wanted in, she could not get in now.

Who would have thought that the next day at noon, Zhao Fan would suddenly receive a call from Chen Da, saying that a woman claiming to be his fiancee was causing a scene in the supermarket.

Fiancee?

Zhao Fan’s temple twitched. Instantly, he thought of Wang Ying and asked in a composed voice, "What’s that woman’s name?"

"Wang Ying."

It really was her.

Zhao Fan clicked his tongue, inexplicably irritated. Was Wang Ying never going to stop?

"Boss, this matter—"

"Have security throw her out. I don’t have a fiancee."

"All right."

After hanging up, Zhao Fan thought it over and over, and still felt that Chen Da might not be able to handle it. In the end, he drove to the supermarket himself.

As expected, Wang Ying was still there and had not left. From afar, he could already hear a coarse voice shouting, "I’m your boss’s younger brother-in-law. If you dare offend me, I’ll have all of you fired tomorrow."

"That’s right. I’m your boss’s mother-in-law. If you keep blocking us, I’ll have Zhao Fan fire all of you this instant."

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Fan’s eyes. Fine. The entire Wang family was here.

Wang Ying, Wang Qiang, Liu Meiyun—they could spout such lies without a shred of shame.

Younger brother-in-law? Mother-in-law? Ridiculous.

"I don’t care whose relatives you are. Our boss has none of you among his family. If you think you can just walk off with goods by saying a few words, then ha. Either pay and leave, or put the things down. Otherwise, I’m calling the police!"

Chen Da was clearly losing his temper. Zhao Fan could hear the anger in his voice.

"Calling the police? What right do you have to call the police? We’re taking things from our own family home. It’s only natural. What right do you have to call the police?"

Zhao Fan watched Liu Meiyun lunge toward Chen Da, and the displeasure on his face deepened.

"What are the security guards even for? Throw these people out!"

The moment Zhao Fan spoke, the guards moved at once.

The three members of the Wang family were dragged and shoved toward the entrance by security, each one practically exploding with rage.

"Zhao Fan, Zhao Fan, what are you doing? I’m Wang Ying, your—"

Zhao Fan cut her off. "I, Zhao Fan, have never had a fiancee."

He said, "I’m still in high school, and I haven’t even taken the college entrance exam yet. Why would I be thinking about marriage? If your mind is full of delusions, go find someone else to indulge them. Don’t come causing trouble here. It’s useless."

There were many onlookers, and quite a few had been pointing and whispering, but the moment they heard that Zhao Fan was still in high school, the whispers vanished at once. The looks they gave Wang Ying and the others changed as well.

The man is still a student, and these inexplicable people came out claiming to be his fiancee and younger brother-in-law. Isn’t that just slandering his reputation?

"I say, Boss, have you recently been plagued by petty villains? Why do all these strange and sinister people keep coming to give you trouble?"

"Exactly. If this isn’t handled properly, it’ll affect your supermarket’s business."

Zhao Fan also found it odd, but there was no need to explain his thoughts to anyone else.

"It’s fine. As long as you trust me, no matter how many people come making trouble, they won’t affect my business. Sorry for disturbing everyone’s shopping today. As compensation, everyone who shopped at Flying Sky Supermarket today will get twenty percent off everything."

After that, Zhao Fan left the supermarket.