"What do you mean by that? You look down on me? Or do you have a girlfriend?"
Peng Fei didn't want to explain, but he was afraid Wang Li would misunderstand.
He thought she was a pretty good girl and had helped him a lot. It wouldn't be good for her to misunderstand, so after much hesitation, he mumbled an explanation.
"I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm already married."
Wang Li was shocked.
"Married? You're only 22 and already married? Don't tell me you even have kids!"
Peng Fei said that in his hometown, people married early. He didn't have children, but his friends his age all had children. Li Tao even had two.
Wang Li was shocked and disappointed, yet curious.
"Since you're married and don't have children, why doesn't she come out to work with you? It's much better for two people to earn money than one, and you can be together every day."
Wang Li's words truly hit a sore spot for Peng Fei.
When he first arrived, he had no fixed abode and no stable job. His family was heavily in debt. What he thought about most every day was working hard, staying here, and sending money home as soon as possible to pay off the debt.
Although he missed Zhan Jingchun dearly, longed to find her, and wanted to see her, what could he do seeing her in his current state?
He decided to pay off the debts and establish himself here first, then try not to think about her.
But being asked about her every few days, he had no choice but to think about her.
After Wang Li spoke and saw he was silent again, she became a little angry.
"I'm talking to you. Why do you go silent so easily? You have no manners. Are you trying to fool me? You're not married at all, you just look down on me and are afraid I'll pursue you, so you're trying to trick me."
She was joking, but Peng Fei took it seriously and quickly explained.
"No, no. I'm not lying to you, everything I said is true."
Wang Li pressed on, "Then tell me, why don't you bring her to work with you? Could it be that she's pregnant and waiting at home to give birth?"
Peng Fei didn't want to lie to her, so after much hesitation, he told her a condensed version.
"No. We separated. I heard she came to Nan City? I came here to look for her."
Wang Li was truly impressed by Peng Fei.
He rarely spoke, but when he did, his words repeatedly stunned her.
"So you're telling me now that not only are you married, but you're also divorced? You're only 22 and have gone through so much!"
Peng Fei corrected her, "I'm not divorced."
"Not divorced? Then why did she leave alone?"
Peng Fei was silent for a long time. "I did something bad and angered her. She doesn't want me anymore... Although I don't know where she is now, I believe I'll find her eventually. I want to apologize to her and make up for my past mistakes."
Wang Li couldn't imagine what terrible thing this honest and decent man could have done to make his wife abandon her family, leave without a word, and travel far away from him.
But Peng Fei didn't want to say more.
"I've finished eating. I have a long way to go back, so I'll be going now."
Wang Li was enjoying their conversation and was full of curiosity about his life. She didn't want him to leave, so she chased after him and asked.
"You're so good-looking, your wife must be pretty too, right? She must be working in a factory as well. Do you have a photo of her? I know more people than you do, give me a photo, maybe I can help you find her someday."
Peng Fei wished he had a photo of Zhan Jingchun, but unfortunately, he didn't.
Mentioning her, his gaze involuntarily softened. He looked out at the bustling street, recalling their time together.
"She is indeed very beautiful, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life, but I don't have her photo, and I don't need your help to find her. I will find her myself one day."
Wang Li's heart was pierced by his words.
His wife was the most beautiful woman among all the women she knew. It was infuriating.
Wang Li vowed to ignore him.
There were plenty of male workers pursuing her at the factory. Who cared about him!
But human nature is such that people are often attracted to those who are indifferent, and yearn for those who don't care.
She kept passing by Peng Fei. He was focused and never initiated conversation or even looked at her much, yet Wang Li couldn't forget him.
In fact, his indifference made her like him even more, and she tormented herself daily.
So, she thought of another approach.
Nan City was so big, and that woman was so beautiful. Since she had made up her mind to leave, she would surely meet someone better than Peng Fei. Perhaps Peng Fei would never find her again.
What was the difference between that and being divorced?
As long as she was good to him and got this man, it would be a stable economic investment, which was worthwhile.
She decided to try again.
The factory had just completed a large order, so Peng Fei and his colleagues had more free time. They didn't have to work overtime in the evenings, so he went to look for temporary work.
Wang Li observed him for a while and noticed his strong desire for money, so she approached him proactively.
"How much can you earn working an extra four hours there?"
Peng Fei replied while busy with his work, "50 yuan, why?"
"50 yuan for four hours? That's too little. With your good looks, you shouldn't be earning so little. I know a lot of people from all walks of life. If you really want to make money, I can help you find something."
Peng Fei's understanding was limited. Besides manual labor, he didn't know of any other ways to make money.
But since someone offered to help him find a job that paid more, he didn't mind.
"Will it be too much trouble for you?"
"Yes," Wang Li said. "So you'll have to treat me to a meal after you make money."
Peng Fei was a little reluctant.
It wasn't that he was stingy with money, but he felt very awkward being alone with Wang Li.
Seeing him fall silent again, Wang Li's teeth ached with frustration.
"Look at how stingy you are. You're not even willing to treat me to a meal. Perhaps I won't hold it against you! Forget it, forget it, come to the office with me."
Peng Fei was reluctant to put down his work and asked her what he needed to do.
"I'll take your ID photo and create a resume to help you find a job! Don't worry, I won't eat you, look how scared you are!"
Peng Fei went with her to the office. Wang Li kindly took his ID photo and created a resume, then posted it in the part-time job group she belonged to.
That evening, Peng Fei was noticed.
Even from a small ID photo, his features clearly indicated he was handsome.
The other party requested Peng Fei's detailed information. The next day, Wang Li excitedly ran to tell him.
"After work, come with me. I've found a good job for you."
"What job?"
"A good job that pays 300 yuan per hour, which is much better than you working yourself to death here all day. Hurry up, clean yourself up properly after work!"
After work, Peng Fei went back to shower and change clothes, and somewhat confused, he left with her.
Wang Li took him on the subway, and after several transfers, they arrived at the entrance of a mall.