This hot pot restaurant was particularly large, occupying an entire five-story building. When they entered the first floor, it was already packed with people.
The young waiter immediately led them to a two-person table by the side on the third floor after noticing the two ladies. They ordered the hot pot base and dishes and waited for the food to arrive.
While waiting, the two chatted.
Shen Nian wasn't a talkative person, so it was always Jiang Lingling who initiated the conversation topics.
She propped her chin and stared intently at Shen Nian.
"Sister Nian."
"Hm." Shen Nian was arranging Lu Lingchuan's schedule and work for the next few days.
"Sister Nian, do you have a boyfriend?" Jiang Lingling's eyes flickered with curiosity, truly eager to know the answer.
"..." Shen Nian's typing hand paused as she looked up at her, not answering but asking instead, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Because in my heart, Sister Nian, you're really impressive," Jiang Lingling said with wide eyes, speaking honestly.
"Although we're the same age, the gap between us is not small. When I was still in school, you had already started working hard. So now that I've just graduated, you already have several years of work experience and the ability to handle things calmly."
She continued to vent, "When I was interning before, some of my dorm mates complained about the companies they were interning at. The veteran employees would boss them around just because they were senior. It would be fine if they asked them to do work-related tasks, but they even made them buy coffee, tea, and lunch. When my dorm mates asked about work, the veterans would get impatient and say my dorm mates had no brains and didn't know even the simplest things, questioning how they even got into university...
That's really ridiculous, right? We're human, not machines. It's normal not to know everything right after graduating. That's why we ask to learn. Why did they have to say such rude things? It's clear they were just abusing their seniority and showing disrespect."
"I was lucky to meet you, Sister Nian. You've never made me buy coffee, and whenever I didn't understand something, you patiently taught me. Even when I did a poor report, you would go through it carefully and help me correct the mistakes."
Although they were of the same age, Jiang Lingling called her "Sister Nian" wholeheartedly, showing her respect for Shen Nian.
After listening to her chatter on and on, Shen Nian put down her phone and quirked her lips, "I'm not as good as you say."
"But in my heart, you are that good, Sister Nian," Jiang Lingling said sincerely.
"In my heart, Sister Nian, you're young and beautiful, capable, kind at heart, and have such a good temper. In all the time we've been together, no matter what mistakes I've made, you've never gotten angry with me..."
Jiang Lingling extended a finger for each of Shen Nian's good qualities until all ten fingers were spread out, but she still hadn't finished.
She simply gathered her hands and said, "If the full score is 100, Sister Nian, you'd get 120 in my heart because you even got the bonus points! So I was wondering, what kind of man would be so lucky to win your affection."
She blinked and stared directly at Shen Nian, "So, Sister Nian, do you have a boyfriend?"
After all that, she still circled back to wanting to know if Shen Nian had a boyfriend.
Shen Nian tugged at her lips, the complex emotion in her eyes quickly disappearing as she said, "No."
She and Lu Lingchuan had already broken up, so he wasn't her boyfriend anymore.
"Ah--" Jiang Lingling seemed a little disappointed, but quickly understood, "I suppose that makes sense. Sister Nian, you seem like a career-oriented, strong woman. We're still so young, so you probably wouldn't want to get into a relationship, get married, and have kids early on."
Still propping her cheek, Jiang Lingling began to imagine, "But I really want to know what kind of amazing man could win Sister Nian's heart in the future. He should be like President Lu - tall, handsome, young, capable, and from a good family background..."
In Jiang Lingling's impression, Shen Nian was so impressive that the future partner of such an excellent woman would have to be exceptionally outstanding as well.
"..." The tugged smile on Shen Nian's face froze.
Jiang Lingling had praised her too highly. That was just a false facade.
If that facade was shattered, the real her would be revealed as quite unworthy.
Back then, Lu Lingchuan had stood alone against the drunken man to let her escape, but she had actually abandoned Lu Lingchuan and ran away...
Shen Nian took a deep breath to calm herself and changed the subject.
"The food is here, let's eat."
The waiter had already brought the hot pot while they were talking, and now the dishes were served as well.
"Oh, okay." Jiang Lingling had been eyeing the food and immediately picked up her chopsticks.
This meal was relatively quiet, with the two no longer continuing their previous topic. Jiang Lingling shared amusing stories from her university days, like how one of her classmates and her boyfriend were caught making out in the bushes by a patrolling security guard, or how her roommate in the first year was a gossipy drama queen...
Shen Nian remained silent throughout, only listening.
Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder. Ever since Lu Lingchuan's passing, Shen Nian had been very sensitive, feeling averse to physical contact from anyone other than those she fully trusted.
So when she felt someone touch her, she immediately flinched away and looked up.
It was an unfamiliar man who appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
The man, around 1.7 meters tall, was of average height and looks. He wore a brand-name T-shirt with a gold chain around his neck and held a cup of alcohol in his hand.
He stared at Shen Nian with a slightly hazy gaze, clearly intoxicated. When he noticed Shen Nian looking at him, he immediately flashed a smile laced with sleaziness.
"Pretty lady, you look so good. Why don't you let me buy you a drink?"
His words carried a greasy undertone.
Whether it was the word "greasy," "sleazy," or "drunk man," each one undoubtedly triggered Shen Nian's trauma and outrage.
After all, it was a greasy, sleazy drunk man who...
Shen Nian's face immediately darkened.
Across from her, Jiang Lingling noticed someone hitting on Shen Nian. Knowing Shen Nian wasn't very talkative, she feared Shen Nian would feel uncomfortable, so she quickly intervened to reject him.
"My friend doesn't drink, thank you."
However, the sleazy man ignored Jiang Lingling and continued staring at Shen Nian, showing no intention of giving up, "Pretty lady, just give me a chance. It's just a drink, no big deal. It's not like I'm asking for your contact info, right...?"
Shen Nian looked up, her jet-black eyes meeting his, "Give you a chance?"
"..."
"Why should I give you a chance? Who are you?"
The man's expression froze. He thought Shen Nian looked so beautiful, with a gentle, innocent face that gave off a pretty and gentle vibe. He hadn't expected her to respond that way.
