The long-hungry Li Peifeng didn't mind Xu Manning's sarcastic jibes. In the end, he got a meal, and she did treat him to it. Endure some grievances and be a humble receptacle for negative emotions? Totally acceptable!
Therefore, no matter how Xu Manning mocked and ridiculed, Li Peifeng just responded with simple murmurs while eating, not bothering to defend himself.
After he was full, Xu Manning seemed to have vented her emotions as well. Seeing that Li Peifeng didn't initiate any conversation, she glanced at her watch and pressed on: "I have to get back to work soon. Do you have anything else?"
No, not really. How about you go pay the bill first?
Li Peifeng genuinely planned to leave satisfied, but then he thought about the thirty-thousand newbie task, and said hesitantly: "How about we go shopping? I'll accompany you to buy some clothes?"
"Shopping? With me?"
Without even thinking, Xu Manning wanted to refuse: "You never suggested shopping with me when we were together. Now that we're exes, you suddenly want to be kind and take me shopping? Forget it."
Li Peifeng explained: "Don't get me wrong, I have no other intentions. I just thought you were right before, the autumn wind is indeed fierce. The meteorological department also predicts a cold winter this year, so it's sensible to buy some autumn and winter clothes in advance..."
Xu Manning tilted her head and looked at him for a moment, then suddenly said with a half-smiling expression: "No way, no way, are you apologizing indirectly? Are you still interested in me? Are you dreaming of coaxing me into getting back together through shopping?"
Li Peifeng thought to himself, you're just projecting your own desires, but indeed, inviting her shopping just after reconnecting was a bit too hasty. There's still plenty of time, and the newbie task needs strategic planning.
"If not, forget it. We can talk about it another time..."
However, Xu Manning seemed to have hit a sore spot and ignored his words, saying firmly: "Let me be clear, it's impossible! Using such tricks just makes me laugh and sick! That monthly writer's fee of yours? Save it for some poor student girl, you're showing off to me? Shame on you!"
"Did you forget the financial gap between us? My monthly fund dividends equal your three years' earnings! I have property everywhere. The yearly management fees for these houses are your life's savings. Now you're trying to use money to coax me into reconciliation, using your family assets against my pocket money? Are you out of your mind? Thinking you're worthy is laughable!"
"..."
Li Peifeng ate in silence. She wasn't wrong; the wealth gap between them was immense. His income might be high for an average person, but to the second-generation-rich Xu Manning, it was nothing.
"Hmph."
Xu Manning gave a soft snort, fiddled with her phone without saying anything, occasionally glanced at Li Peifeng, then quickly looked away.
But after a minute passed, Xu Manning, for some reason, started the navigation on her phone.
"Ready to depart, the journey is 3.2 kilometers, approximately twelve minutes..."
"Let's go to Aote Department Store."
Focusing on the phone screen, Xu Manning glanced at Li Peifeng and casually said: "It's easy to park there."
Aote Department Store is a mid-range shopping center, offering various international brands but with prices relatively affordable, rarely hosting high-end luxury stores. Xu Manning usually wouldn't shop there.
But now she chose Aote, clearly considering Li Peifeng's wallet, but...
Li Peifeng put down his chopsticks and sincerely said: "Did you forget the financial gap between us? Your monthly fund dividends equal my earnings for eight years, and you have properties all over the world. The property management fees for these houses each year are my life's savings. What you were born with is beyond my reach in a lifetime."
"So just now, with a clear mind, I said I'm here to accompany you shopping, not to buy for you. So you need to pay for yourself."
Xu Manning's face gradually darkened, but Li Peifeng acted as if he didn't notice and continued calmly: "If possible, I mean if possible, it would be great if you could buy me two down jackets. Of course, if not, that's fine; I won't blame you."
"In short, this poor guy here has no money now, let alone buy things for you, even this meal I need you to pay for."
"Heh, heh..."
Instead of getting angry, Xu Manning laughed: "I forgot, I really did."
With that said, she picked up a scroll and walked away, her actions crisp and neat.
"Where are you going? You haven't paid for the meal yet!"
"Meal? You can wash dishes to pay it off!!"
...
Shopping wasn't happening, and the three-thousand task completion was still far off, but fortunately, before leaving, Xu Manning did pay for the meal, despite her harsh words.
[Xu Manning treated for a meal, cost 225 yuan, 29,775 yuan to go to complete the assessment task (Xu Manning).]
[Still 49,755 yuan to go for the lucky draw. Please keep working hard, host.]
Li Peifeng didn't regret his earlier counterattack, feeling it was almost too gentle.
Mr. Cao Dahua of the Major Crimes Unit had shown the best way: soft meals, hard to eat!
This "hard" means hard in every sense, especially the firmness kind of hard.
As a man, as a male, one should fully display that innate rectitude, resilience, and steely resolve in front of women, unable to be swayed by riches or intimidated by power.
That is the most attractive to the opposite sex, even if one's looks or economic conditions are slightly lacking.
In Li Peifeng's view, if he were to grovel and beg for forgiveness after Xu Manning said those things, it would be a huge mistake.
The correct approach was to immediately showcase a determined attitude.
If he couldn't do that, he would only be a plaything or a male pet.
"There's still more than fifty days, just thirty thousand, no rush, no rush..."
Li Peifeng calmed his mind, planning to head home.
Elsewhere, the two girls at the adjacent table hadn't finished their meal. Seeing him about to leave, they exchanged looks.
"Quick, he's leaving, ask for WeChat!"
"You help me ask, sister, I'll cover your meals for a week, breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
"Not enough! At least a month!"
"A month? That would kill me!"
The two girls' whispered discussion went ignored by Li Peifeng, who pretended not to hear as he walked to the front desk and suddenly asked, pointing to the girls' table: "How much is their bill?"
The cashier lady looked puzzled but dutifully answered: "125 yuan."
"I'll pay it."
Li Peifeng pulled out his phone and settled the bill, leaving the cashier lady confused.
What's going on?
You didn't pay for your own table and let the girl at your table pay, and now she's left, and you settle the bill for the two girls at the neighboring table?
"Eating one dish while eyeing the pot!"
The cashier lady rolled her eyes, internally labeling this handsome young man a heartbreaker.
Actually, Li Peifeng firstly wanted to express some gratitude. After all, that porridge was quite significant to him when he was starving.
Secondly, Li Peifeng was testing out a loophole in the system. He wanted to know if the girl gifted food, he consumed it, even digested it, but ultimately he paid for it, how would the system judge this?
If it couldn't detect it, his operational space would expand greatly, disregarding any assessment tasks or the punishment of starving to death.
Entering the password, Li Peifeng felt nervous. He had tried many times to exploit the system, but to no avail.
However, this time held the greatest hope, as his taste was restored, and the porridge was in the stomach, likely already digested after over half an hour...
"There's nothing insurmountable in this world, as long as you're determined! No loophole I can't find!"
"Can the system really erase food from my stomach?!! I don't believe it!"
"Even if it does, it's just one bowl, the two pots of porridge Xu Manning treated won't disappear, no big deal."
"WeChat notification of 125 yuan received..."
The restaurant's computer announced the successful payment.
But Li Peifeng couldn't hear it clearly anymore as he felt a sudden emptiness in his stomach, his mind went blank, experiencing symptoms akin to standing up too quickly after crouching for a long time; heart palpitations, trembling, cold sweat, blurred vision, and limb weakness, nearly causing him to fall. He barely managed to stand by holding the front desk. All this mattered little compared to...
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[Host's passive resistance, repeated deceitfulness, refusal to fulfill system goals, refusal to adhere to system principles, all these behaviors are intolerable!]
[Punishment: Enter the state of 'Hunger Blaze,' clearing all food ingested in the last three hours and burning all nutrients already digested.]
"Gone? All gone!"
Instinctively, Li Peifeng reached out to clutch his stomach as if hoping to hold on to the missing food. His freshly-fed face turned instantly pale...
"Damn system, even taking back that porridge that's almost poop? You really are full of it!"
Li Peifeng, in danger!!