The story of Rose starts with being a brother

Chapter 436 The Ex-Wife Villain (Part 3) Nolan Arrives
As night fell, Zhang Wei's first formal date since his fiancée ran away from their wedding finally began.

Lonely Corner Bar.

Facing Mo Lan, Zhang Wei's mind went blank, and he didn't know what to say.

Although he remembered what Wen Sheng had told him before, he couldn't say anything except that the other person looked good tonight.

Oh well, I was so nervous I forgot to ask for a menu, and I haven't even ordered yet!
However, what relieved him slightly was that Moran on the other side spoke very little, and didn't say anything that would make his mind go blank.

The two sat for a while, and after a few awkward laughs, Moran finally asked him if he had paid the fine. If he hadn't, there would be a 5% late fee every day.

Zhang Wei calmly stated that it was all small change, but inwardly he was already feeling uneasy.

Just as he was feeling restless, Moran excused himself to go to the restroom and left, which gave him a great sense of relief.

Then he couldn't wait to call the strategist Qin Yumo.

"Hey, Yu Mo, hurry up and pay my fine, or I'll have to pay late fees!"

Zhang Wei spoke urgently, but there was no response from the strategist on the other end of the phone.

"Hello? Yu Mo?"

Just as Zhang Wei was wondering if he had dialed the wrong number, Qin Yumo's somewhat languid voice came from the other end of the phone.

"what's up?"

Zhang Wei looked at the phone number carefully, then asked with a puzzled look, "What's wrong, Yu Mo? Mo Lan just told me that if we don't pay the fine soon, we'll have to pay late fees."

"Nothing's wrong." Qin Yumo paused slightly in her languid tone, then exclaimed in surprise, "You've already started dating that Moran?!"

The sudden increase in volume made Zhang Wei subconsciously move his phone further away before saying helplessly, "Yeah, but I don't know what to talk to her about. I'm too nervous and completely unprepared."

"What's there to be nervous about? I've prepared everything for you, uh... just hang in there for a bit."

Qin Yumo hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking, leaving Zhang Wei looking completely bewildered.

Inside apartment 3601.

After dressing herself properly, Qin Yumo carefully opened Wen Sheng's door and peeked out. Just as she was observing the situation inside the suite, Wen Sheng pushed the door open and walked out.

"Don't worry, they haven't come back yet."

Wen Sheng, with his buttons fastened, said with a smile as he walked downstairs.

Hearing this, Qin Yumo breathed a sigh of relief and followed them downstairs, but she still glared at the other person.

"It's all your fault, you made me lose track of time."

"Is it my fault?" Wen Sheng smiled and didn't argue. He poured two glasses of water and handed them to her.

So Qin Yumo, her mouth dry as she took the water, blushed and said, "But I like it."

"Let's go, we're free tonight, let's see how Zhang Wei goes on his date." Wen Sheng put down his water glass, thought for a moment, and then asked, "By the way, what did you prepare for him?"

"Cool Strategy Guide!"

Qin Yumo pulled a menu out of her bag and smiled smugly.

Wen Sheng took it, flipped through it, and said with a smile, "Do you think this is useful? Besides, if these are the attractive qualities of a man in your eyes, I don't think I'm that cool or elegant."

"It's not based on what you made up!" Qin Yumo rolled her eyes at him. "If I were a man, I wouldn't need any other men. I would definitely be able to charm countless girls in Shanghai."

"Thank goodness you're not." Wen Sheng handed the menu back to Qin Yumo and then smiled and extended his hand, "Let's go, Shanghai's queen of picking up girls."

……

Wen Sheng wasn't particularly interested in Zhang Wei's date, but he did watch the awkward conversation between Wei Ge and Mo Lan firsthand.

If Yu Mo had written in her "Cool and Stylish Guide" that picking your toes while eating makes you look cool and manly, Wen Sheng would have no doubt that Zhang Wei would actually start taking off his shoes while eating.

To be honest, you might as well check out Lu Ziqiao's "Dating Secrets" updated on Weibo.

Lu Ziqiao had specifically asked for his advice beforehand. If Zhang Wei could have mastered even a tenth of the knowledge in this book, he wouldn't be so restless now.

As for Mo Lan, who was also restless, Wen Sheng remembered that in the original drama, she was transferred from a criminal police officer to a traffic police officer. They were opposites, but they were heading in the same direction.

However, unlike the original drama, this time the situation didn't happen where the two characters used the wrong strategy, leading to Zhang Wei pretending to be gentle and Mo Lan pretending to be cool and elegant.

Overall, the date was both awkward and... awkward.

But for Zhang Wei, this was a rare opportunity to talk to a girl for so long under the guise of a date, since his fiancée ran away from their wedding.

So after the date, Zhang Wei was practically begging Qin Yumo to kneel down and kowtow.

"Yu Mo, you are the queen of picking up girls in Shanghai in my heart."

He paused, then added, "Also, the fine must be paid by tomorrow no matter what."

……

"If you were a firebird, I would be the flame—burning you, burning you!"

Tuesday afternoon, Lonely Corner Bar.

Zeng Xiaoxian held a wine glass and pretended it was a microphone to sing loudly, while the ones who suffered were Lu Ziqiao, Guan Gu, Tang Youyou, and Hu Yifei sitting in front of him.

Only after his self-absorbed performance ended did everyone remove their hands from their ears.

"Teacher Zeng, is this your trump card for participating in 'Dancing with the Stars'?" Tang Youyou hesitated for a moment before asking the question.

"Yeah, how about it? Isn't it awesome?" Zeng Xiaoxian said, beaming.

"This..." Tang Youyou couldn't say anything, so she could only look at the other people.

Guan Gu Shenqi thought for a moment and then said, "Teacher Zeng, we won't comment on your singing yet, but what about the dance? Isn't this 'Dancing with the Stars'? Why isn't there any dance?"

"Oh, the dance selection is still underway, but for a star like me who can sing and dance, any dance is a piece of cake," Zeng Xiaoxian chuckled.

"Well, you're good at singing and dancing, I'm just afraid you might hurt your back." Hu Yifei laughed disdainfully, "And your trump card just now, I don't know if it will work, but it was pretty cheap."

"you……"

Zeng Xiaoxian's expression changed. Although he was very narcissistic, he hadn't reached the late stage yet. He knew how he had performed just now, even if he had embellished his image in his mind.

He could only think it to himself, but hearing Hu Yifei say it aloud made him feel a little embarrassed.

"Damn it, you guys insisted on hearing me sing. If I'd known it would turn out like this, I definitely wouldn't have sung for you," Zeng Xiaoxian said unhappily. "You guys have no appreciation skills at all. This has to be combined with dance, and then with that kind of... um..."

Zeng Xiaoxian frowned, and after choosing his words for a while, he continued, "That kind of freestyle style, do you know?"

However, his forced explanation only resulted in an awkward silence.

In the end, it was Guan Gu who kindly clapped and nodded to encourage everyone, which brought the atmosphere back to normal.

"Teacher Zeng, forgive my bluntness, but do you really think you can make it to the finals with just your singing and dancing skills?" Lu Ziqiao, who was drinking through a straw, spoke up. "But there are still a few rounds of preliminary rounds waiting for you."

Tang Youyou and Guan Gu nodded in agreement.

"I'm still practicing, aren't I? I'll definitely make a qualitative leap when the competition starts."

"Actually, you could do that shirtless shower dance, it would be absolutely amazing, absolutely awesome, and the mentors and audience would definitely cheer for you!"

Hu Yifei then smiled sarcastically and said, "If you add a long, drawn-out hiccup to that, who can tell if you're on 'Dancing with the Stars' or trying to break a Guinness World Record?"

"..." Zeng Xiaoxian gritted his teeth, glared at Hu Yifei, and then sat down on the other side angrily.

"Alright, Teacher Zeng, we're your support team, and we'll still cheer you on," Tang Youyou comforted her.

"You're still the best at speaking human language, Youyou. You're much better than some humanoid species."

"..."

Seeing that Hu Yifei was on the verge of losing her temper, Tang Youyou quickly added, "By the way, Teacher Zeng, doesn't this program require a dance partner? Have you found one yet?"

“Of course, with my charm, how could I lack a dance partner?” Zeng Xiaoxian’s eyebrows shot up again. “Although there were countless applicants, after careful consideration, I still found a female colleague from the radio station to dance with me.”

"A female colleague?" Lu Ziqiao's eyes gleamed strangely. "Is she pretty?"

"What are you thinking? It's just a few hosts from the station who are competing, getting together to appear on a show. They're just ordinary colleagues." Zeng Xiaoxian pursed his lips, then added, "Besides, there's a saying: no live singing at galas, no truth in interviews, and no beautiful women on radio. These are the three great laws of the media industry."

“Really? What about Nuolan?” Hu Yifei retorted.

“Well… she’s an exception,” Zeng Xiaoxian said awkwardly, feeling embarrassed after being proven wrong.

Upon hearing the mention of Nuolan, Tang Youyou asked curiously, "By the way, Teacher Zeng, your dance partner isn't Nuolan, is she? Be careful Wen Sheng might..."

Tang Youyou made a throat-slitting gesture.

Zeng Xiaoxian glanced at her, then said irritably, "Don't overthink it, Nuolan didn't participate."

"Huh? Nolan isn't participating but you are?" Tang Youyou asked in surprise, her expression changing from one of support for Zeng Xiaoxian.

Just as Zeng Xiaoxian was speechless, Guan Gu Shenqi asked in confusion, "By the way, Teacher Zeng, I forgot to ask you before, your show only features you, why doesn't Mrs. Wen participate?"

“Uh, she…” Zeng Xiaoxian was reluctant to say that Nuolan had arranged for him to be on “Dancing with the Stars”.

However, no one knows a person better than Hu Yifei. As soon as she saw his hesitant look, Hu Yifei spoke up directly.

"Could it be that Nuolan didn't want to go, or that she gave you the opportunity because she felt sorry for you?"

"Nonsense!" Zeng Xiaoxian vehemently denied. "I got this opportunity solely through my personal charm and talent. How could I possibly ask her to give it up?"

"Ha, if your leader wasn't blind, he wouldn't have given this opportunity to you instead of Nuolan," Hu Yifei said, pursing her lips.

"..."

Although the others didn't say anything at the moment, their eyes told Zeng Xiaoxian that they thought the same thing.

Seeing this, Zeng Xiaoxian could only say helplessly, "Oh dear, Nuolan has been promoted to deputy director of the channel, she doesn't have time to attend, okay?"

"Oh, no wonder!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

"..."

"Hey, Teacher Zeng, now that Nuolan has been promoted, will she continue to host 'Your Moon, My Heart'?" Tang Youyou asked.

"Well, it seems likely for now." Zeng Xiaoxian put away his previous speechless expression, thought for a moment, and then said, "After all, she's only been broadcasting here for a few months, how can she leave so soon?"

"I feel sorry for you. Not only is your partner more popular than you, but now he's your boss," Hu Yifei said with a shake of her head and a laugh after taking a sip of her drink.

“You can’t say that, Yifei,” Lu Ziqiao chimed in. “It’s precisely because Teacher Zeng’s partner is more popular that he was able to escape the situation of ‘Midnight Ring’. Moreover, if his partner were his boss, Teacher Zeng’s life might get better. For example, he has now gotten the opportunity to appear on a TV show, hasn’t he?”

Listening to the two of them singing in unison, Zeng Xiaoxian's face twitched involuntarily.

At this moment, Guan Gu Shenqi added, "Moreover, there's Wen Sang's connection to this. Mrs. Wen will take care of him because Teacher Zeng and Wen Sang are neighbors."

"Why does this sound to me like Teacher Zeng is living off a woman?"

Tang Youyou's words made Zeng Xiaoxian feel a tightness in his chest, but he couldn't refute them because both his previous performance evaluation and this opportunity were related to Nuolan.

While it wouldn't be accurate to call it being a kept man, it's true that I received benefits from him.

"Oh, right, Zeng Xiaoxian, I suddenly remembered something."

Hu Yifei squinted at Zeng Xiaoxian, her tone becoming inscrutable.

"what's up?"

"It's about what happened between Yu Mo and Wen Sheng before... Did you tell Nuolan about it?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, the people in the sofa area immediately fell silent and all turned their attention to Zeng Xiaoxian.

"How could that be? Am I the kind of person who talks big?" Zeng Xiaoxian's eyes twitched, then he replied confidently.

He paused, then added, "Besides, what could possibly happen between Yu Mo and Wen Sheng? It was just an accidental kiss and a wrong number for a confession. It's all a misunderstanding!"

He did the same thing to Hu Yifei, and now they're still completely innocent and nothing has happened between them.
Therefore, Zeng Xiaoxian still managed to be both loyal and righteous!

But unfortunately...

If Nuolan had threatened him like before, he could have outwardly complied but inwardly defied her. But she not only withdrew her threats but also gave him a chance. This is a great favor!

Everyone knows that Zeng Xiaoxian is swayed by both soft and hard tactics, but usually it's Lisa Rong who uses the hard approach on him. He's never been swayed by the soft approach at work, except for the favor Nuolan showed him a few days ago... which was a soft approach.

This made him a little conflicted.

Just as he said, at the apartment, Qin Yumo forcibly kissed Nuolan's man and made the confession call to Wensheng to Nuolan. Whether Wensheng knew or not, Yumo's intentions were obvious.

As Nuolan's undercover agent, he turned a blind eye to this and chose to cover it up. Everything was fine until Nuolan tried to be lenient with him.
But Qin Yumo was also his good friend, and they were all part of a small group, so he couldn't betray his good friend.

Faced with the debt of gratitude owed to Nuolan above and the friendship of Yumo below, he was in a dilemma. His mind raced, and he eventually suggested to Nuolan that she come and sit at the apartment for a while.

Since Yu Mo has such intentions, he might back down after meeting Nuolan. Since Nuolan is worried, doesn't his frank invitation prove that he has nothing to worry about?

Moreover, he knew that it was inconvenient for Nuolan to come directly to Love Apartment, so wouldn't that make his invitation just an empty promise?

Since the two sides can't meet, it's a win-win situation for him, an undercover agent who can't betray kindness and friendship!

Hmm... Winning against both sides is a win-win situation.

We can't let him become a double agent, can we?

Listening to Zeng Xiaoxian's words, Hu Yifei looked him over carefully for a few moments before finally nodding and saying, "That's for the best. Don't spread rumors and ruin their relationship. Yu Mo has moved to 3602 now, so don't scare her away again."

"Hehe, don't worry, I'm not someone who doesn't understand the bigger picture," Zeng Xiaoxian said with a dry laugh.

However, just as the group finished discussing this topic, two people walked in from the bar entrance and headed straight for them.

"Yeah, you're all here?"

Wen Sheng's voice came, and they all turned to look. They then discovered that there was someone standing next to Wen Sheng who would almost never be here.

"This is Nuolan. You've all met her before. I don't know if Teacher Zeng has told you about her promotion. To celebrate, Lanlan and I are treating everyone to dinner this weekend."

As Wen Sheng finished speaking, Nuolan, wearing a light pink dress with a white suit jacket over it and her hair neatly pinned up, smiled at everyone.

"Hello everyone," Nuolan said gently. "Thank you for taking care of Awen during this time. I hope you can all join us."

After saying that, she glanced at Zeng Xiaoxian, whose face was stiff, as if in response to his earlier invitation.

"Teacher Zeng, what's wrong?" Guan Gu Shenqi whispered.

"I want to go home and watch Infernal Affairs."

(End of this chapter)