Chapter 30: The Heartbreaker

It turned out that the elderly lady in the nursing home wanted to eat some pastries from a nearby shop, so Jiang Muyun had specifically come out for that purpose. Unexpectedly, she saw Zhang Shen together with two unfamiliar women.

Moreover, the crowd gathered around began to speculate wildly about the entire incident. The prevailing theory was that Xu Jinwen, who lay on the ground, had come to cause trouble for one of the women, and Zhang Shen witnessed the scene. In defending the two women, he was perhaps too forceful, leaving Xu Jinwen unable to get up.

Seeing the three of them about to be taken to the police station, Jiang Muyun became even more convinced by the onlookers’ version of events. So, this pig-headed man hasn’t contacted me these past few days because he’s found someone new. Truly shameless.

Jiang Muyun cursed him silently. No matter how loudly Zhang Shen called out to her, she responded with a look of complete unfamiliarity. Once Zhang Shen had left, Jiang Muyun took the pastries and headed toward the nursing home, muttering, “Zhang Shen, you heartless philanderer, I’ll never speak to you again.”

By coincidence, this entire scene was witnessed by Mu Qiao, who had been monitoring from the shadows. She once again reported the whereabouts of Miss Jiang and Zhang Shen to her employer, Jiang Zhengxing.

“Boss, based on these past few days’ observations, Zhang Shen is a scoundrel who indulges in both drink and women. It seems Miss Jiang has seen through him now.”

“Beep beep.”

Two seconds later, Mu Qiao received Jiang Zhengxing’s reply.

“No matter what Miss Jiang thinks, you must infiltrate their circle first, then look for an opportunity to sow discord.”

Mu Qiao pondered this, knowing she needed a suitable reason to approach them. If she appeared too abruptly, she might end up worse off.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shen, Ye Qiong, and Wang Ying had just arrived at the police station, where someone delivered video footage from the restaurant at the time of the incident. After reviewing it, the police determined Zhang Shen’s actions were normal self-defense, though perhaps a bit excessive. The injured Xu Jinwen agreed to resolve the matter with compensation for his medical expenses.

Wang Ying immediately transferred money to Xu Jinwen, and thus the issue was settled.

The three left the police station in silence, none of them expecting their pleasant meal to be ruined by such a troublemaker. However, Ye Qiong and Wang Ying secretly admired Zhang Shen for his bravery.

Ye Qiong said, “Goodness, what a string of bad luck these past two days.”

Though she meant nothing by it, Zhang Shen took her words to heart, believing Ye Qiong was indirectly blaming him. He felt indignant—didn’t Ye Qiong realize why he had stepped in?

Wang Ying sensed the tension and quickly changed the subject.

“Qiong, I saw some new gowns designed by an American designer at the Imperial Tower the other day. Why don’t we go take a look?”

Zhang Shen thought that shopping with the two ladies would be less comfortable than simply going home for a nap. As he turned to leave, Wang Ying called out, “Hey, where are you going?”

“Home, of course. What else? If I stick around and something unlucky happens again, I’ll surely be blamed for it.”

Neither Zhang Shen nor Ye Qiong ever let the other off easily. But as soon as Zhang Shen spoke, Ye Qiong realized she had said something wrong and quickly stepped in front of him.

“Divine Doctor, you see, last night you cured me, and just now you stepped in to help my friend. We haven’t even had time to thank you!”

“Really?” Zhang Shen could hardly believe those words came from Ye Qiong.

Ye Qiong glanced meaningfully at Wang Ying, who caught on immediately. “Yes, Divine Doctor, please believe us. Look, your clothes are a bit worn. Why not join us at the mall, and we’ll help you pick out some new outfits?”

Wang Ying’s words made Zhang Shen pause. It made sense; whenever he went out, he wore either a T-shirt or a plaid shirt—never anything presentable. Even when he studied medicine in the mountains, he wore rough cloth, and after arriving in Yuehu City, he barely managed to buy two sets of decent clothes, yet he was still mocked.

“But I don’t have any money,” Zhang Shen admitted honestly. He was just a night-shift internet café manager—how could he compare with these wealthy heiresses?

“No need to pay, Divine Doctor. We’re grateful to you!”

Zhang Shen’s thriftiness surpassed description—he could hardly be called anything but stingy.

The three walked side by side toward the Imperial Tower. Wang Ying and Ye Qiong were quite familiar with the place, while Zhang Shen simply followed behind.

When they reached the women’s fashion section, Ye Qiong and Wang Ying began selecting gowns, trying on clothes again and again. At first, Zhang Shen watched with interest, but eventually he laid his head on the table and fell asleep.

Who knows how much time passed before someone nudged him awake: “Get up, Divine Doctor, the sun’s nearly set.”

Groggy, Zhang Shen opened his eyes and replied, “My dear ladies, you’re actually aware the sun’s setting? If only I had a bed now, I could fall asleep instantly.”

“All right, enough sleeping. We’ve bought our clothes—now it’s time to help you pick yours.”

At the mention of buying clothes for himself, Zhang Shen became instantly alert. Back in the mountains, he wore little but rough cloth, and even after arriving in Yuehu City, he only managed to buy two slightly decent outfits, yet still became the butt of jokes.

This time, Zhang Shen walked ahead, with Ye Qiong and Wang Ying following. Along the way, many people—especially men—cast hostile glances his way. In shopping malls, it was expected for men to carry bags for women, yet Zhang Shen walked ahead empty-handed, seemingly oblivious to the ladies behind him. If not for their girlfriends or wives keeping them in check, many men would have wanted to help Ye Qiong and Wang Ying.

Zhang Shen strode straight into a men’s clothing store. The clothes at the entrance were already quite appealing to him.

At that moment, a female sales clerk approached.

“Hello, sir. I’m Ke Ying, a sales associate here. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Sir, do you prefer slim-fit or loose styles? We have a wide variety—there’s sure to be something that suits you.”

“Well, I haven’t tried before. May I give it a shot?”

“Of course!”

Just as Ke Ying was about to lead Zhang Shen to the racks at the back, a sharp voice called out,

“Ke Ying, why are you bringing just anyone in here?”