Yan Xi felt a pang of pity for Zheng Zemin when he said that, even though she didn't know who he had a crush on.
Zheng Zemin was actually a very good young man.
He was responsible, ambitious, and dependable.
Any girl who ended up with Zheng Zemin would be incredibly lucky.
Seeing Yan Xi's hesitant expression, Zheng Zemin smiled faintly and said, "You don't have to be like this. I've moved on. Honestly, even if she wasn't married, the gap between us would still be too vast. It would be impossible for us to be together. My crush was just a fleeting stir of adolescent infatuation."
Zheng Zemin was being quite subtle, not revealing to Yan Xi that she was the object of his affection.
He was afraid.
Afraid that if he confessed, their friendship might not even survive.
Zheng Zemin had no choice but to bury his feelings deep inside. Looking at Yan Xi, he smiled faintly and said softly, "Xi Xi, actually, I feel like there's a whole galaxy between us. Even if she wasn't married, it would still be impossible for us to be together."
Yan Xi suddenly couldn't understand what was so promising about Zheng Zemin's unrequited love.
Some crushes could be cherished as a "white moonlight," a beautiful memory even if they never ended up together.
Others could transition into reality, leading to marriage and children.
However, Zheng Zemin's words were truly baffling to Yan Xi.
Zheng Zemin didn't know how to explain it all to Yan Xi, so he decided not to.
He said casually, "The food is getting cold. Let's eat."
It was his private matter, after all, and Yan Xi didn't want to pry further.
She nodded and began to eat.
After a few bites, Yan Xi couldn't help but ask, "What do you think of Tang Yi?"
Zheng Zemin picked up a piece of food and put it in his mouth. By sheer coincidence, it was a chili pepper. He was about to reach for water, but Yan Xi's question threw him off balance, and he choked on his own saliva.
It was very spicy.
Zheng Zemin coughed uncontrollably.
Yan Xi didn't realize she had said something wrong; she had just blurted it out.
If Zheng Zemin was interested in Tang Yi, then Yan Xi could play matchmaker. But if Zheng Zemin had no feelings for Tang Yi, then there was no need to string the girl along.
From the way Tang Yi looked at Zheng Zemin last time, Yan Xi could tell that Tang Yi harbored feelings for him.
Throughout the meal, Zheng Zemin felt uneasy. Although Yan Xi hadn't said much, he had a bad premonition.
After they finished eating, Yan Xi went to pay the bill. Zheng Zemin stepped in front of her and said, "I'll pay."
"No, we agreed I would treat you. I haven't paid for you every time, and I feel bad about it."
"Xi Xi, if I let you pay, will we have a chance to see each other again?"
Zheng Zemin asked Yan Xi very seriously. Yan Xi was completely confused, not understanding where his question was coming from.
Zheng Zemin smiled faintly and explained, "It's nothing. I'll treat you. It's not right for a girl to pay when we go out to eat."
Yan Xi was still stunned, not understanding the meaning of Zheng Zemin's previous question.
What did he mean by "a chance to see each other again"?
They were classmates; they could meet anytime, and they could even organize alumni gatherings.
Zheng Zemin's question was rather odd.
Before Yan Xi could respond, Zheng Zemin quickly said, "Tang Yi and I only met once before, but she was willing to come out and clarify things for me. I think she's a good person at heart. If you go out again next time, invite her too."
After saying this, Zheng Zemin silently cursed himself for being despicable and shameless.
He actually didn't have much of a good impression of Tang Yi.
However, in order to see Yan Xi, he was willing to use Tang Yi as a shield.
In his heart, Zheng Zemin despised himself, admitting that he could be quite shameless sometimes.
But he couldn't help it. If he didn't do this, Yan Xi would surely sense something was wrong and would then ignore him.
To get closer to Yan Xi, Zheng Zemin had no choice but to act this way.
He had money. Even if he couldn't give Tang Yi love and had used her, he was willing to help her financially.
He had learned about the situation in court last time. Tang Yi's mother was hospitalized and required a massive amount of medical expenses. Tang Yi, still in college, couldn't possibly earn that much money. It was then that certain people approached Tang Yi, hoping she would take photos of Yan Xi's misfortune.
Initially, Tang Yi refused. She was a respectable girl, not someone of ill repute, and she didn't want to take such photos. But after the other party offered her an exorbitant sum, Tang Yi, looking at her mother, hardened her heart and agreed.
Afterward, realizing the impact the incident had on Yan Xi, Tang Yi returned the money and testified in court.
After learning these details, Zheng Zemin had to admit that he was impressed by Tang Yi.
Tang Yi had, at the last moment, realized her mistake and mended her ways.
This was incredible, especially considering her mother's urgent need for money to save her life.
It made Tang Yi's actions even more commendable.
When Yan Xi heard Zheng Zemin's words, she didn't know what he was thinking, but she was very happy.
Although Zheng Zemin didn't like Tang Yi at the moment and had someone else in his heart, his willingness to take this step indicated that he was ready to let go of his unrequited love and explore a relationship with Tang Yi.
Seeing Yan Xi so happy, Zheng Zemin felt a complex mix of emotions.
Perhaps, he had to be a little despicable to maintain continuous contact with Yan Xi.
The two exchanged pleasantries at the restaurant entrance and parted ways.
Meanwhile, in a hospital corridor.
Xin Yi handed a stack of photos to Fu Yan Ting and said, "Boss, Miss Yan is involved with another man again. She's so unfaithful; she's not worth your love."
Fu Yan Ting glanced at Xin Yi, who immediately shut his mouth in fear.
After a long pause, Fu Yan Ting looked up and calmly assessed Xin Yi. "You seem to be overstepping your bounds a bit."
Actually, Xin Yi didn't intend to interfere in his boss's private life.
It was just that Yan Xi's private life was too scandalous, and Fu Yan Ting was hopelessly in love with her. As a subordinate, Xin Yi worried that his lovesick boss was being deceived by Yan Xi without even realizing it.
"Boss, what are you planning to do?" Xin Yi asked.
Fu Yan Ting glanced at Xin Yi, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Fu Yan Ting calmly said, "Compile a list of all the unmarried and divorced socialites in Yan City."
Seeing that his boss was finally coming to his senses, Xin Yi was overjoyed and asked, "Boss, what about those who are divorced and have children?"
Fu Yan Ting gave Xin Yi an exasperated glare and growled, "What do you think?"