Finally I Get You (男人使用手册) [Men's User Manual]

Chapter 17

Gu Shengnan left the restaurant with her head down, knowing exactly what the diners who were whispering and glancing at her were saying without needing to hear them—

"Look, look! Isn't that the zombie from earlier?"

"So it was all makeup effects!"

"Oh! I get it, it's an old woman playing cosplay like the youngsters! No wonder I was half scared to death..."

Gu Shengnan returned to Xu Zhaodi's car, enduring the gossip surrounding her.

Vivian glanced at her lazily and guessed, "Judging by your dejected look, you failed."

Gu Shengnan waved her hand dismissively, assuming a "let bygones be bygones" attitude: "Oh, forget it. Let's drive."

Xu Zhaodi, sitting in the driver's seat, didn't start the car and seemed lost in thought.

Seeing Xu Zhaodi gripping the steering wheel in a daze, Gu Shengnan had to ask Vivian, "What's wrong with her?"

Vivian shrugged indifferently: "I don't know. She turned into this after taking a phone call."

Gu Shengnan waved a hand in front of Xu Zhaodi's face. Unexpectedly, Xu Zhaodi suddenly snapped back to reality and grabbed her hand: "Shengnan, do you know Lu Jin is leaving next week?"

Gu Shengnan's heart skipped a beat, and after a long pause, she slowly said, "I know."

Xu Zhaodi scrutinized her, not understanding: "Then why are you so calm?"

Gu Shengnan, feeling guilty and unsure how to respond, suddenly realized something odd—

She had to look at Xu Zhaodi again: "How do you know?"

Xu Zhaodi was taken aback by the question.

"And why are you so agitated knowing he's leaving?"

Xu Zhaodi lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said nothing, silently starting the car.

Under the cover of the engine's noise, Xu Zhaodi muttered to herself in a volume only she could hear: "I haven't had enough time with him yet, of course I can't stay calm..."

Vivian, sitting silently in the passenger seat, looked at Xu Zhaodi and then at Gu Shengnan, wondering if the two women had their periods at the same time. Otherwise, why did they both seem like they were half-dead all of a sudden?

The car drove in silence along the waterfront towards the entrance of the Bauhinia Hotel. The scenery outside the window extended to the blue waters and the yachts docked at the port. On one of those yachts named "Victoria," Mr. Lu was also on the verge of collapsing from being pestered by his assistant—

"I need to take leave."

"No."

"Mr. Lu, I've found a temporary caregiver for you. I need to take leave."

"Are you trying to rebel?" Ever since the assistant hid and made a phone call, Mr. Lu had heard "I need to take leave" so many times that his ears were about to form calluses.

"I just need four days. I will be back next Monday and won't delay your trip to the airport. I need to take leave."

"Meng Xinjie!"

"I need to take leave."

"You have no family or friends in City B. Why on earth do you need four days off?"

"I need to take leave."

Lu Jin rubbed his temples, which were on the verge of splitting, and before the assistant could say "I need to take leave" for the 101st time, he quickly interrupted him: "Get off the boat now and disappear before I change my mind."