Chapter 1185: Chapter 1185: Extra Story of the Eel 22

Where Lu Yuwen decides to stay is his own choice; Su Man has no reason to ask him to stay.

She thought quietly for a moment–she had to work during the day, her mother was at the hospital caring for her father, and there was practically no one at home to host Lu Yuwen. Having him stay here seemed far less convenient than a hotel.

That evening, Su Man mentioned this to her mom. On the phone, her mom sighed repeatedly:

“Well, there’s nothing we can do; he’s here as a tourist, after all. Naturally, he’ll stay wherever is convenient. We’ll have to find another opportunity to thank him later.”

Expressing gratitude requires careful thought. It shouldn’t be one-sided; ideally, the gesture should truly resonate with the recipient so the favor feels repaid.

If Lu Yuwen were short on money, the Su Family could give him a direct monetary token of appreciation. But since Lu Yuwen clearly wasn’t facing any financial difficulties, they’d have to find another way.

Su Man lay in bed, her thoughts scattered. One moment she was picturing Li Li’s drunken antics; the next, it was Lu Yuwen’s refined and gentle smile directed at her. She couldn’t help but marvel–how could someone be this wonderful?

His speech was consistently polite and appropriate. No awkward silences, no uncomfortable moments; he made people feel at ease, like a warm spring breeze. And he was so thoughtful and meticulous, considerate in every way. Plus, he was incredibly good-looking…

When she thought of Li Li again, the comparison left her speechless.

By all accounts, Li Li had been one of the more outstanding individuals among their circle of “high-ranking family kids”–he was intelligent, had a clean private life with no bad habits. But compared to Lu Yuwen…

Sigh.

All she could do was sigh; she had nothing else to say.

Perhaps the comparison wasn’t entirely fair. After all, she had known Li Li for over twenty years. Their relationship had grown so familiar that they wouldn’t even step aside to pass gas around each other. Naturally, she knew all his faults. But as for Lu Yuwen…

Wait.

Su Man rolled over silently.

…Why was she anticipating uncovering Lu Yuwen’s flaws?

They had just met. For all she knew, they might never cross paths again. Why did she feel the need to understand him so deeply?

She was acting irrationally.

These days, she was completely irrational!

Su Man shut her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

…

The next day, she went to work as usual. She got up early and rushed to support the morning rush hour. The entire day she was caught in the torrent of traffic, enduring the scorching sun and choking exhaust fumes. Her only focus was work; nothing else crossed her mind.

When she finally had downtime, it was after work.

She didn’t have to check for drunk driving today, so Su Man felt relieved and headed straight to the hospital after clocking out.

To her surprise, when she pushed open the door to her father’s hospital room, she discovered Lu Yuwen was there, chatting cheerfully with her parents.

Su Man froze in place, dumbfounded.

Her mom waved her over: “Perfect timing–you’re just in time. Your dad said he wanted an apple. Come peel one for him.”

“Oh…” Su Man walked over and picked up an apple, peeling it in silence.

Meanwhile, her parents and Lu Yuwen continued their conversation.

Her mom’s tone carried obvious amusement: “Opening a new branch is a great idea. We’ll finally have a new place to eat. Have you picked a location yet? Do you need any help with that?”

Lu Yuwen replied in soft, measured tones: “The new place needs foot traffic most of all. When the branch opens, having you bring some friends over to show support would already be a tremendous help. As for the location, I’m planning to leave that to my business partner, so there’s no urgency–I’d prefer to spend the next two months getting familiar with the local restaurant scene first.”

Su Dad nodded approvingly: “Xiaolu’s approach is absolutely spot-on. Nowadays, young people are too impatient and short-sighted. Running a business should be done this way–you have to take the time to understand market trends before you can succeed…”

Su Mom scoffed: “Oh, like you’re an expert. You’ve spent most of your life working in government offices anyway.”

“I’ve studied the theory,” Su Dad muttered under his breath. His gaze shifted briefly to his daughter, and he changed the subject. “Are the apples peeled yet?”

Su Man handed the apple over.

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, Lu Yuwen suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist. Su Man froze instantly.

“What happened to your hand?” He frowned. “It’s bleeding.”