Chapter 8, Under the Fence (06)

He was silent for a few seconds, "Understood."

Hmm? Shen Zizhu raised his tone.

At this moment, Tan Ruyi, who had been watching all along, immediately called out: "Miss Xia!"

At this point in the conversation, whoever lowers their arrogance will be at a disadvantage. Xia Lan scanned the surrounding neighbors, who were either women watching the spectacle or homebodies in slippers, and could hardly find anyone who appeared more presentable than the man before her

"Xia Lan." Xia Lan extended her hand, and Shen Zizhuo released Tan Ruyi, gently shaking hands with her.

Shen Zizhuo lowered his head to look at the fingers of her hand that were gripping his sleeve, then slightly raised his gaze to her face. She had a slight frown, her expression solemn, as if she were entrusting him with a matter of life and death.

The man then moved aside and said, "Xia Lan, I told you that you are neither considerate nor gentle, and you still refuse to accept it. Just take a look at yourself; you are no different from a shrew right now!"

"Damn it!" Xia Lan's voice suddenly rose, "It's that little maid who slept and knelt at your feet to wipe the floor, not me! Why should I be polite to you!"

Then find one for me, and show it to me now

Old Lady Shen, without any awareness, continued with a smile, "Grandpa has a plethora of shortcomings, but he is always very accurate in reading people's faces. Look, this time he got it right again..."

Mr. Shen, unsure whether he wanted to deny the first half of the statement or felt a sense of modesty regarding the praise in the latter half, let out a soft "hmph".

Tan Ruyi thought for a moment and realized that "Zixuan" referred to the great-grandson of Old Lady Shen, who was already in the fifth grade of elementary school

Tan Ruyi was momentarily taken aback, turning her head to glance at Shen Zizhuo, "Mr. Shen..."

Where is Zixuan

Tan Ruyi merely lowered her head to eat, yet her earlobes gradually became hot

No, no, no... what I mean is, Mr. Shen, you are very good, exceptionally good, better than many pretentious beasts... no, no, no, you are more outstanding than many excellent men!

Mr. Shen is eighty-two years old this year, with four generations living under one roof, and the family totals more than a dozen members. Tan Ruyi has not yet fully sorted out the family relationships of the Shen family and momentarily cannot recall who this "Zixuan" is.

As they quickly reached the floor where Tan Ruyi and Shen Zizhuo lived, when it was time to leave, Xia Lan called out: "Ruyi, if you don't mind, come find me upstairs tomorrow afternoon; I would like to treat you to a cup of coffee"

As she passed by the man, Tan Ruyi heard him let out a dismissive "tch" in defiance. For some reason, she suddenly felt as joyful as Xia Lan.

Ah, Tan Ruyi did not expect Shen Zizhe to bring this up, "When you were on a business trip, my father came to find me..." She realized something and suddenly paused, then reached out to grab Shen Zizhe's sleeve, saying, "Mr. Shen, if my father comes to find you, you must not meet him; if he goes to your company, call security to have him removed; if he harasses you, just call the police."

Xia Lan vented her anger and had no intention of staying to watch the live television broadcast any longer. She pushed the box beside her in front of the man and said, "Your clothes are all here, hurry up and move them and get lost. The remaining matters will be discussed by my lawyer with you." After saying this, she walked barefoot, stepping on the shirt and trousers that had fallen to the ground, as if a queen inspecting her soldiers, and walked into the elevator with her head held high

A cardboard box, half the height of a person, stood by Xia Lan's feet. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing her index finger at the man's nose, she exclaimed, "I originally wanted us to part on good terms, but you instead chose to be the villain and complain first, speaking ill of me in front of my mother!" She was so angry that her whole body trembled as she grabbed the items from the box and threw them at the man; however, to her surprise, the box was filled with clothes, which had no impact when thrown. Unable to contain her anger, Xia Lan bent down and took off her two high-heeled shoes, hurling them at the man.

Shen Zizhuo seemed satisfied at last, placing the keys on the cabinet and changing into slippers before walking inside. Tan Ruyi was both amused and exasperated; after changing into her slippers, she bent down to arrange the tips of her shoes and Shen Zizhuo's shoes outward.

A man's self-esteem can sometimes be surprisingly fragile, especially in the face of competition among peers. A man glanced over and snorted through his nostrils, "You may think highly of others, but they may not necessarily think highly of you."

Tan Ruyi smiled and said, "Last time, Miss Xia also helped me out, so I suppose we are even now." As for other matters, Tan Ruyi felt it was inappropriate to inquire further. Moreover, having observed for quite some time earlier, she had already grasped about seventy to eighty percent of the situation. The only thing Tan Ruyi was curious about now was whether Xia Lan really chased her husband and the young maid for several hundred meters with a kitchen knife. However, given Xia Lan's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if she actually did.

Go to hell! Do you think all men in the world are the same, like beasts in human clothing, engaging in petty theft? A three-legged toad is rare, but men with two legs are everywhere. Just pick any one of them, and they would be better than you, this beast with a human facade.

Tan Ruyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize that she was actually holding onto Shen Zizhuo's hand that was reaching for the keys, and she hurriedly let go as if she had been electrocuted. Shen Zizhuo opened the door, bent down to change into slippers, and suddenly thought of something. He turned to look at Tan Ruyi and asked again: "Am I only better than a beast that looks like a human?"

Xia Lan turned her head in response and saw Shen Zizhuo beside Tan Ruyi. Her eyes lit up, and she pointed with her index finger, "I won't mention the distant Wu Yanzu, Jin Chengwu, and Gu Tianle, just this one, take a look yourself!"

Shen Zizhuo's expression was calm, and after a few seconds of silence, he finally replied, "Understood"

As the elevator doors were about to close, they suddenly opened again, and a voice from inside called out, "Ruyi! Hurry in, the elevator doors are going to close!"

After a while, Old Lady Shen suddenly thought of something, "Self-drinking, your elder brother and the others are returning to Chongcheng."

I have not found a suitable one yet, so last night they called me and asked if you could help inquire which school is easier to upgrade to a provincial key junior high school; also, please check the current price range of the nearby school district housing.

The elevator ascended slowly, and Xia Lan brushed her hair back, looking at Shen Zizhuo, "This is ... ..."

The two stayed at Mr. Shen's house for dinner before returning. On the way back, Shen Zizhuo seemed to have something on his mind, his expression somber, and Tan Ruyi did not dare to speak rashly. She rested her elbow on the car window, gazing outside, as the fleeting lights of the street lamps left only a momentary illusion in her eyes. The journey was silent.

Shen Zizhuo reached out and grasped her arm, speaking in a low voice: "Let us go."

Zixuan is also going to transfer schools, and will soon be entering the sixth grade of elementary school, just in time to stay here for the transition to junior high school

Have you found a school?

Tan Ruyi replied, "Grandma, I understand."

Shen Zizhuo parked the car in the garage, and Tan Ruyi followed closely behind. Just as she was about to enter the apartment building, she suddenly heard a heated argument coming from inside. Tan Ruyi curiously peered in and was astonished to find that it was Xia Lan; standing in front of her was a man who bore a striking resemblance to the one Tan Ruyi had seen in Xia Lan's wedding photos.

At the end, Madam Shen furrowed her brows slightly, her expression showing some concern. She paused her chopsticks and looked at Tan Ruyi, smiling as she said, "Ruyi, your sister-in-law is moving back next month. You should not get too close to her; just fulfill the necessary courtesies as usual."

After releasing, Xia Lan no longer paid attention to Shen Zizhe and turned to Tan Ruyi, smiling as she said: "Thank you so much this time"

Neighborhood relations are usually indifferent and distant, but when faced with such sensational social news worthy of being reported, everyone changes their demeanor, with onlookers observing, commentators discussing, and arbiters weighing in.

Shen Zizhuo replied.

Tan Ruyi was taken aback by this nonsensical question and momentarily did not know how to respond. After a while, she recalled what Xia Lan had just said and was immediately captivated by Shen Zizhuo's peculiar line of reasoning. A smile could no longer be concealed on her face, yet she still forced herself to respond seriously, "No."

Your assertiveness is such that no man would appreciate it

Tan Ruyi smiled and responded quickly, turning to follow Shen Zizhuo's footsteps. Upon reaching the door, as Shen Zizhuo took out the keys, he suddenly asked: "When did you get to know Miss Xia?"

Tan Ruyi hurriedly said, "This is... um, this is my... this is... Shen..."