The Person Who Pretends to Sleep

It doesn't taste as nice as the one you made.

The words were stuck on her tongue, and Shen Wan swallowed them back.

In their previous life, Zhou Chi wasn't skilled in cooking, but occasionally, he would make some desserts like fruit mille-feuille and tiramisu.

They tasted surprisingly delicious.

Because of this, Shen Wan became picky. Whether it was this shop or the things Feng Shuangshuang made before, nothing could satisfy her.

Zhou Chi's interest was piqued. He forked a piece and put it in his mouth, commenting, "It's really not that great."

Not as good as what he used to make.

"Why, have you tasted something better?"

"Of course, I..." Zhou Chi hesitated, his expression suddenly dimmed. Did he learn how to make desserts himself, or did Feng Shuangshuang teach him?

Shen Wan acted as if she hadn't noticed, took a sip of her coffee, her brow still slightly furrowed, and showed no sign of leaving.

Zhou Chi was restless, and his gaze toward Shen Wan was filled with conflicted emotions as if he wanted to say something but held back.

He didn't speak, and Shen Wan didn't initiate the conversation either. Let's see who could restrain themselves better.

In the end, it was Zhou Chi who surrendered first. "Do you also think I'm a failure?"

Shen Wan paused. "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"Of course, the truth."

"OK, allow me to thoroughly analyze what your ex-girlfriend said. First, you don't have your own house and car in Ning City; second, you don't have a stable job and your income isn't high; third, you can't provide her with a stable life and a hopeful future..."

"Do you also think that?" Zhou Chi looked very disheartened, like a wilted little dog.

"Let me finish," Shen Wan interjected just in time, "The above three points may seem reasonable, but they're only surface-level."

"What do you mean?"

"Women at a certain age do seek a stable life, and that's understandable. However, at your current age, if someone proposes conditions like owning a house and car and expects you to achieve all that on your own, it can only suggest one thing." Shen Wan paused.

"What's that?"

"In this relationship, the woman desires to gain without contributing. To put it plainly, if you were to marry her, it would be akin to wedding a demanding ancestor who constantly requires provision. She'll anticipate you bowing to her thrice a day. A woman who seeks to take without giving, particularly someone so focused on money, likely, only you would deem her as precious.

I have to say, you should be thankful for her infidelity; otherwise, you would have a lot to deal with in the future!" Shen Wan spoke convincingly.

Zhou Chi was left dumbfounded by her words. Then, he looked at her with doubt. "You seem to be around twenty years old at most, and yet you're spouting all this. Aren't you just making up nonsense to amuse me?"

Shen Wan shook her head, a sigh in her eyes. "No wonder there is a saying, 'You can't wake up someone who's pretending to be asleep'."

"Are you referring to me?"

"It's a very fitting description." She applauded.

Zhou Chi was speechless.

Exiting the dessert shop, Zhou Chi's mood seemed to have improved quite a bit.

Perhaps Shen Wan's words had played some role after all. It was somewhat consoling. After all, she had successfully portrayed Feng Shuangshuang as a selfish, money-oriented woman.

Of course, that was the truth.

Shen Wan took out her phone and handed it to him.

"What's this for?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"It's my phone number. Enter it yourself."

Zhou Chi's throat tightened as he faced her resolute gaze. He took the phone, quickly punched in a series of digits, and handed it back.

"Done."

Shen Wan glanced at it, confirming that it was indeed the familiar combination from their past life.

"Now can you give me back the motorcycle key?"

Shen Wan fished the key out of her bag and tossed it to him. Zhou Chi caught it steadily, his eyes revealing a complex swirl of emotions.

Shen Wan didn't have much time to study him as he quickly masked his expression. A thought had crossed his mind, but he couldn't quite understand it fully.

He said, "Thank you."