Chapter Thirteen: The Guardian of the Flower

After all, Murong Xuan was a young woman. She hesitated for quite some time, unable to make her true intentions clear. Moreover, she wasn't particularly familiar with Zhang Wei, so she had no idea how he would view her after hearing what she had to say.

"It seems, Miss Murong, that you're not very pleased about the arrival of this suitor," Zhang Wei observed, feeling awkward on her behalf. But if he were to make such a request to a girl himself, he probably wouldn't fare much better.

"Yes, that's right! He's my best friend's ex-boyfriend. Now that they've broken up, he's turned to pursue me, and I really don't want to be entangled with him," Murong Xuan bit her lip, gathered her courage, and continued, "So I want you to pretend to be my matchmaking partner, so he'll realize it's hopeless and give up."

Having said this, Murong Xuan lowered her head in embarrassment, a blush blooming across her cheeks, afraid Zhang Wei might misunderstand or mock her.

"If I agree to pretend to be your matchmaking partner, your pursuer won't get angry and try to hit me, will he?" Zhang Wei joked.

"No, he's a very refined gentleman. He would never do anything unbecoming of his status; you can rest assured about that," Murong Xuan replied.

Hearing Murong Xuan's words, Zhang Wei began weighing the pros and cons. After two years of struggling in society, he was no pushover. He wouldn't agree just because Murong Xuan was pretty; he was considering whether the outcome would benefit him.

If he refused, not only would Murong Xuan resent him, but he'd also lose a potential rental deal—no advantage in that. If he agreed, he'd gain Murong Xuan's favor and secure the rental, a win-win situation.

As for offending Murong Xuan's suitor, Zhang Wei wasn't concerned; he didn't even know the man. At most, he'd be cursed in the man's heart, but it wouldn't cost him a penny.

"Alright, I agree," Zhang Wei said, having thought it through.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Murong Xuan exclaimed gratefully. All she wanted now was to shake off Lin Hongwen and leave the Ziyun Pavilion restaurant as soon as possible.

Seeing Zhang Wei agree, Murong Xuan finally relaxed, regaining her usual poise. To prevent Zhang Wei's cover from being blown, she shared some personal details, and the two exchanged basic information.

Half an hour later, Lin Hongwen found their private room, holding a bottle of wine. When he opened the door and saw Zhang Wei sitting beside Murong Xuan, he was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Murong Xuan's so-called friend to be a man, nor did he expect her to dine alone with him.

"Xuanxuan, this private room is so quiet! If it weren't for the server's guidance, I wouldn't have found it," Lin Hongwen remarked, addressing Zhang Wei.

"Hello, my name is Lin Hongwen, a friend of Xuanxuan from Hong Kong. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Hello, Mr. Lin. My name is Zhang Wei; I just met Miss Murong as well," Zhang Wei replied.

"Mr. Zhang, I hope my uninvited visit isn't disturbing your meal?" Lin Hongwen said.

"Of course not! I wish I could meet more of Miss Murong's friends," Zhang Wei smiled.

Zhang Wei's first impression of Lin Hongwen was quite good—elegant manners, articulate speech, and a hint of a Cantonese accent. However, Lin Hongwen immediately addressed Murong Xuan as 'Xuanxuan,' displaying their closeness and probing the relationship between Zhang Wei and Murong Xuan.

"Mr. Zhang, I heard Xuanxuan was dining with a friend, and I happened to have a bottle of vintage wine from '96. I thought I'd invite you to try it; I hope you like it," Lin Hongwen said, raising the bottle.

"Hongwen, have a seat first," Murong Xuan interrupted, worried that Lin Hongwen would inadvertently expose Zhang Wei, and quickly cut him off.

"Xuanxuan, what brings you to the capital so suddenly?" Lin Hongwen asked.

"You know I've always wanted to open a large chain restaurant, and BJ is my first trial location," Murong Xuan replied. Although she disliked Lin Hongwen calling her 'Xuanxuan,' she couldn't correct him in front of Zhang Wei.

"Oh, so is Mr. Zhang your business partner?" Lin Hongwen redirected the conversation to Zhang Wei.

"No... Mr. Zhang is a 'friend' my best friend specially introduced to me. Today is our first meeting," Murong Xuan emphasized the word 'friend,' believing someone as clever as Lin Hongwen would catch the underlying meaning.

Although Lin Hongwen had already guessed some of it, hearing Murong Xuan admit it herself still made him uncomfortable. He couldn't help scrutinizing Zhang Wei, wanting to see what kind of rival he faced.

Lin Hongwen sized up Zhang Wei, finding him neither handsome nor dressed in designer brands. He decided Zhang Wei's qualifications didn't match his own and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Even if they're really matchmaking, Xuanxuan surely won't fancy him. Maybe she's just afraid he'll cling to her, so she called me here as a chaperone, hoping I'd scare him off."

"May I ask, Mr. Zhang, where do you work?" Lin Hongwen straightened his posture, glanced meaningfully at Murong Xuan, and nodded as if he already believed she wanted him to act as her protector.

"I work for a real estate company," Zhang Wei replied with a gentle smile.

Using his mind-reading ability, Zhang Wei easily saw through Lin Hongwen's thoughts. He chuckled inwardly at how self-assured Lin Hongwen was, believing Murong Xuan had invited him to play the role of guardian, not realizing their roles should be reversed.

"Real estate is a great field! It's the hottest industry of the twenty-first century—five of the world's top ten richest Chinese are in real estate," Lin Hongwen commented.

"Zhang Wei, this afternoon I'd like to invite a feng shui master to examine the store's layout. Do you have time to accompany me?" Murong Xuan interrupted Lin Hongwen again.

"Certainly! I'm quite interested in Hong Kong's feng shui traditions and would love to observe," Zhang Wei replied.

Businesspeople in Canton and Hong Kong are devoted to feng shui; renting or buying property usually involves a master examining the energy. Murong Xuan had rented her store in this area on a master's advice and, after signing the lease, planned to have the master review the layout and place ornaments to boost her fortune.

Hearing Murong Xuan and Zhang Wei's conversation, Lin Hongwen was suddenly baffled, thinking, "Didn't Murong Xuan invite me here to act as her protector? Why is she asking Zhang Wei to accompany her for feng shui? Does she want me to join them too?"

"Actually, I'm free this afternoon. I can go with you as well, Xuanxuan," Lin Hongwen said.

"No need. Zhang Wei works nearby and knows the area well. It's enough for him to accompany me. You're a busy executive; I wouldn't dare waste your time," Murong Xuan laughed sweetly.

Lin Hongwen finally sensed something was wrong. It seemed Murong Xuan wasn't displeased with Zhang Wei; instead, he was the one being neglected. He roared inwardly, "Damn it, what on earth is happening here?"