On the first floor of a five-star hotel, there's a self-service Japanese buffet priced at 298 yuan per person. Zhan Nannan secured a spot directly. After the sashimi arrived, she took various photos and posted them in a group chat with a cheerful caption: 'Having a meal with Uncle.'
"Ah! That mischievous Nannan!"
"Could it be she's really into Uncle?"
"Damn it! Hurry up and get Uncle to write!"
In the group chat, a bunch of female readers were urging for more updates.
After posting the photos, Zhan Nannan started eating. She hailed from a second-tier city in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where they also had Japanese cuisine, but it didn't look as authentic as here in Jinling. The young girl liked these foods that looked good but tasted average. She would take photos first and then eat.
Zhou Yuwen asked, "You can't even afford a hotel room, so where are you getting the money to treat me to a meal?"
"Well, that's different! They want 399 yuan for a small single room, which is too expensive. I've been wanting to eat Japanese food for a while now, and besides, Mr. Zhou, you've taken me in, so let me treat you to Japanese food as a thank you!" Zhan Nannan blinked as she spoke.
Zhou Yuwen replied, "Stop calling me Mr. Zhou. We're only a few years apart."
"Okay then, Mr. Zhou, how old are you? I thought you had a youthful appearance…" Zhan Nannan suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"What do you mean by 'youthful appearance'?" Zhou Yuwen realized something was off.
"Oh, nothing," Zhan Nannan blushed, covering her mouth with a small hand and giggling foolishly.
Zhou Yuwen smirked. This Zhan Nannan was definitely not simple. Thinking about it, most of the female novels he wrote could practically pass as erotica, yet here was Zhan Nannan, his die-hard fan. How pure could her heart really be? Perhaps she was full of impure thoughts!
He noticed Zhan Nannan stifling her laughter, occasionally glancing towards his chest.
Youthful appearance?
Could that term really describe an older man?
Zhan Nannan pondered to herself.
Out of the blue, Zhou Yuwen remarked, "It suits you quite well."
"Huh?" Zhan Nannan jumped in surprise, looking at Zhou Yuwen with a puzzled expression.
"He can read minds?" she wondered.
"I can't read minds, but you shouldn't make it so obvious," Zhou Yuwen replied.
"Oh, okay!" Zhan Nannan giggled foolishly, sticking out her tongue, which made her look especially cute.
Plate after plate of sashimi, shrimp from Korea, and caviar were served. Zhan Nannan happily snapped pictures with her phone.
Zhou Yuwen commented, "I really don't understand how your parents could let you come here alone. They wouldn't even know if you were sold off."
Zhan Nannan remained silent, giggling in response. Zhou Yuwen then asked which school Zhan Nannan attended.
Zhan Nannan replied with the name of a second-tier college. Zhou Yuwen nearly dropped his chopsticks upon hearing this, casting a glance at Zhan Nannan who was still busy taking photos, oblivious to Zhou Yuwen's reaction.
The university where Zhou Yuwen studied was located in a large university city. However, back in 2010, this university city was still under development, with only a few universities established. The prestigious South China University of Economics and Finance was nearby, along with Zhou Yuwen's third-tier college, recently upgraded from fourth-tier status the previous year. While the school offered some second-tier majors, not many students chose to attend.
As Zhan Nannan continued eating tempura, she asked Zhou Yuwen why he had come to Jinling.
Zhou Yuwen replied, "To study."
"Huh?" Zhan Nannan was completely stunned.
Zhou Yuwen felt there was no need to deceive Zhan Nannan and proceeded to explain which school he intended to study at.
Zhang Nannan almost choked on tempura and barely recovered after drinking some juice. She excitedly asked Zhou Yuwen if he was next door.
Zhou Yuwen replied with an "Mm."
"Does that mean I can read novels in advance from now on?"
"What nonsense are you thinking?"
"Huh? Uncle~"
"Don't call me uncle, am I that old!?"
"Just let me read novels in advance, I treated you to dinner!"
"Eat sashimi!" Zhang Nannan picked up a slice of raw fish and brought it to Zhou Yuwen's mouth.
Zhou Yuwen looked at her eager-to-please face, ate the fish slice, and said, "Let's see how you behave."
From then on, Zhang Nannan flattered him in every possible way, and Zhou Yuwen took it all in stride.
The Japanese buffet offered a variety of dishes, from sashimi to foie gras and even oden. Zhang Nannan enjoyed the heavily flavored dishes immensely and insisted on feeding Zhou Yuwen, who refused, saying he'd get a blister in his mouth.
Chewing on her food, Zhang Nannan muttered, "Then you must lack vitamin C and be a picky eater. That's not good."
Zhou Yuwen said, "You shouldn't talk like that while eating."
They chatted back and forth as they ate. After finishing their Japanese meal, Zhang Nannan pestered Zhou Yuwen to go downstairs to the mall.
With nothing else to do, Zhou Yuwen accompanied her. When Zhang Nannan saw some nice clothes she wanted to try on, she looked hesitant due to her empty wallet.
At times like this, Zhou Yuwen was practical. He grabbed the back of Zhang Nannan's collar and pulled her away, saying, "Hey, girl, if you don't have money, don't show off here."
Zhou Yuwen had forty thousand yuan in stocks, having prepaid ten thousand yuan from his card for his studies. He felt that ten thousand yuan was quite substantial.
However, while strolling through the mall with Zhang Nannan, he spotted a commemorative Longines watch on sale for five thousand yuan.
Zhou Yuwen thought that Longines is a middle-class brand, not considered a luxury watch. However, due to effective advertising from the West spreading to the East, it quickly became a preferred choice among the middle class. The price of this watch has also skyrocketed, rising from just a few thousand yuan to tens of thousands.
Zhou Yuwen thought the watch was decent, so he decided to buy it. Spending five thousand yuan was no big deal for him.
This astonished Zhang Nannan, still a student, who widened her eyes and silently commented, "This author must be rich!"
Zhou Yuwen was used to spending liberally from his past life and didn't mind splurging, regardless of how much money he had in hand, if he liked something, he bought it.
Being single has its perks, as evidenced by how respectfully the salesperson wrapped up the watch for Zhou Yuwen.
After purchasing the watch and putting it on, Zhou Yuwen's demeanor changed.
I used to frequent clubs a lot in my past life. I feel uncomfortable without something on my wrist.
Satisfied with his purchase of a watch he liked, Zhou Yuwen suggested they leave when Zhang Nannan seemed tired from shopping.
Pouting, Zhang Nannan said, "Uncle, I treated you to dinner. Aren't you going to get me something in return?"
Zhou Yuwen replied, "I didn't force you to treat me."
"Aw, Uncle, at least I'm your loyal little fan," Zhang Nannan said pitifully.
"Have you ever seen any idol giving gifts to their fans?" Zhou Yuwen retorted.
Zhang Nannan pouted, looking unhappy.
Zhou Yuwen shrugged indifferently.
However, when they returned to the hotel, Zhou Yuwen ended up buying the clothes Zhang Nannan had liked. It was only three hundred yuan, roughly the same amount they spent on Japanese food.