C17 The Present Was Not the Same as the Past!

"Ah..." Liu Jiajia leapt up, darting away like a startled rabbit, her screams trailing behind her: "Mom, Lee Wen is harassing me..."

Lee Wen stood there, utterly baffled. It was just a few dozen yuan, and what's wrong with a spicy hotpot? It's filling, isn't it? How did that get twisted into harassment?

With confusion written all over his face, he slipped his hand into his pocket, humming a tune as he prepared to head back to his rental.

But then, his expression seized up. Feeling around in his pocket, he finally realized what had made Liu Jiajia scream. His fingers had brushed against the barrel of the small pistol tucked into his waistband.

"Damn..." he muttered under his breath, abandoning his casual demeanor. He couldn't risk a leisurely stroll now. He ducked his head, ready to make a break for it.

"Lee Wen, you stop right there! You haven't settled yesterday's account, and now you dare to pick on Jiajia?" Wang Min's booming voice approached from ahead. The formidable landlady was striding toward him, feather duster in hand.

With a whoosh, Lee Wen took off. He had no intention of getting cornered; he knew all too well Wang Min's formidable reputation for talking someone's ear off all night long.

Bang! The door slammed shut behind him. Lee Wen exhaled deeply, sinking into the small sofa with relief.

Outside, Wang Min, still fuming at Lee Wen's hasty retreat, brandished her feather duster in frustration. "That little rascal, always pretending to be so well-mannered. To think he'd take advantage of Jiajia when she's unwell. He's really asking for trouble!"

Ten minutes later, Lee Wen rose slowly, switched on the water dispenser to heat up, and grabbed a cup of instant noodles.

As the water heated, his gaze drifted to a photo on the wall, and he was lost in thought. The photo showed a man and a woman, both beaming with joy—it was him and Jiang Lan, back when they were still a couple.

The following morning, Lee Wen pulled ten thousand yuan from beneath his pillow and tucked it into his wallet.

After the mishap last night, he was determined not to let such a blunder happen again!

Lee Wen made his way to Tingyu House, effortlessly leaping through a window to land inside. He unlocked the door from within, signaling the start of the business day.

"Tingyu has entrusted me with the shop; I must strive to do my best!" With this thought in mind, Lee Wen began to meticulously dust the antiques, which already appeared spotless.

"Boss, we've got customers!" A booming voice announced just as Lee Wen was tidying up.

"They're here!" Lee Wen said, turning around with a smile.

However, his smile quickly faded, replaced by a stiff, unnatural expression.

He didn't recognize the man, but the woman was all too familiar—it was Jiang Lan, the woman from the photograph on his wall.

Jiang Lan entered, arm in arm with the man, a flirtatious smile on her face. Upon seeing Lee Wen, her expression briefly stiffened with surprise, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "Lee Wen, you've found a job so quickly?"

"All that is in the past," Lee Wen reminded himself, taking a moment to steady his breath.

"Yes, how have you been lately?" Lee Wen asked, maintaining a polite smile.

"Do you two know each other?" The well-dressed young man asked, puzzled by their interaction.

"He's my ex-boyfriend—Lee Wen. Dear, I'm sure you've heard about him," Jiang Lan said to the young man with a playful laugh.

Realization dawned on the young man's face, and he looked at Lee Wen with a dismissive sneer. "Oh, so you're that loser!"

"My dear, how can you speak like that? He is my ex, after all. You're making him feel ashamed," Jiang Lan chided, feigning displeasure.

Lee Wen watched the pair mock him, a fleeting chill in his gaze. But ultimately, he took a deep breath and regained his composure.

Jiang Lan was his former girlfriend. After a long pursuit and a period of dating, their relationship succumbed to the harsh realities of life. Post-graduation, Jiang Lan quickly ended things, claiming there was no future with Lee Wen, and soon after, she was in the embrace of a wealthy heir. Until now, Lee Wen had not known the identity of this rich suitor, but at last, he was seeing him in the flesh.

I had always imagined that witnessing such a scene would fill me with anger and pain, but to my surprise, after the initial sting, I found myself wanting to chuckle. Why pine for a woman who, despite my earnest efforts and near servility, ultimately threw herself at another for material gain?

There was no point in holding onto her photo as a form of self-motivation.

Wearing a light smile, I asked, "What can I help you two find today?"

"We're interested in purchasing some antiques. Have your boss come out," Dong Xiaofei said dismissively.

He didn't even deign to give me a direct look, clearly not considering me worthy of a face-to-face conversation.

"The boss is away on business, so I'm in charge for the time being. Whatever you need, feel free to ask me!" I replied cheerfully, treating the pair before me as if they were new customers.

Truth be told, if it weren't for the business, I wouldn't even bother engaging with them.

"Oh? Lee Wen, you seem to be doing quite well for yourself lately, earning the boss's favor. Your salary must be pretty substantial, huh? In the tens of thousands?" Jiang Lan asked with a casual glance, her tone lofty as if she were a noblewoman condescending to a commoner.

Indeed, she felt superior in her heart. With Dong Xiaofei's affluent family and their millions, he was leagues above someone from an ordinary background like me. Her betrayal and subsequent embrace of Dong Xiaofei were driven by material desires, and now she was keen to flaunt that in front of me.

She aimed to demonstrate that the fault lay with me, not her vanity. It was simply because I lacked ambition.

"Roughly," I responded, too indifferent to give details.

"That's nearly what a servant in Xiaofei's household earns!" Jiang Lan chuckled, giving Dong Xiaofei a flirtatious smile.

I sighed internally. How had I ever fallen for such a woman?

"Wow, talk about wealthy! A servant's pay here is higher than a master's salary!" A light voice floated in from the entrance, belonging to Liu Xinmei, who was dressed as seductively as ever.

She entered with a flirtatious smile, her steps delicate and alluring.

"Him? A master? Sister, you must be kidding. I know Lee Wen!" Jiang Lan scoffed.

"Oh, really? You must be talking about Lee Wen before he started working. I offered him a million yuan a year, plus a house, a Mercedes-Benz, and additional bonuses, and I still couldn't lure Master Lee away. I can only wonder what kind of lavish compensation Ms. Ye from Tingyu House has provided!" Liu Xinmei said, her face showing a hint of regret as she looked at Lee Wen.

Jiang Lan's laughter grew louder upon hearing this. She gave Liu Xinmei a contemptuous glance and said, "Sister, stop joking. Since when did it become so easy for anyone to play the big boss, offering houses and million-yuan salaries? It's laughable!"

Dong Xiaofei shot Jiang Lan a glare, then turned to Liu Xinmei with a beaming smile, "Ms. Liu!"

"Do you know me?" Liu Xinmei asked, her expression one of confusion.

With an easygoing grin, Dong Xiaofei replied, "My father is Dong Xuehai; he's collaborated with you before!"

"Oh, his son!" Liu Xinmei said dismissively, her attention swiftly moving away from Dong Xiaofei, clearly not considering Dong Xuehai to be of much importance.

Lee Wen, having exchanged greetings with Liu Xinmei, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

He was aware that Liu Xinmei's visit was not just for leisure, but he found himself more intrigued by Dong Xiaofei.

He hadn't expected him to be the son of Dong Xuehai, whom he had recently given a severe beating, breaking many of his bones.

Nevertheless, Lee Wen wasn't concerned. His mindset had shifted dramatically from the past.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lan was reeling with shock. She had pegged Liu Xinmei as nothing more than a braggart, yet here was the supposedly affluent Dong Xiaofei, acknowledging her acquaintance. Moreover, Liu Xinmei's indifferent reaction to the mention of Dong Xiaofei's father suggested that her own status was far superior to that of Dong Xiaofei's father.

"Could it be that what this woman said about Lee Wen was actually true? That he really became a master?" Jiang Lan's face soured at the thought.

Her previously seductive smile now twisted into an unpleasant grimace.

Though she had nestled into Dong Xiaofei's embrace, it was clear to her that he didn't take her seriously, seeing her as nothing more than a fling. Jiang Lan was acutely aware of this and aimed to secure her gains quickly, knowing that even if she were cast aside later, she would have reaped some benefits.

Yet, the advantages she could gain paled in comparison to Lee Wen's current achievements. In Oklark, where real estate was incredibly valuable, the most she could hope to get from Dong Xiaofei was the equivalent of a house's worth. Lee Wen, on the other hand, had achieved far more, with others unable to lure him away even with the promise of houses, cars, and generous salaries. Clearly, he had access to greater rewards in this city.

Jiang Lan was certain that, given Lee Wen's past attentiveness, all of this could have been hers. But she had cast it all aside, along with a man who had truly cared for her.

In that moment, Jiang Lan's expression was as ghastly as if she had swallowed a dead rat.