"I saw someone I know," Lu Ziyan murmured as he turned his body around to look at the small restaurant that they just drove by.
Han Ye got out of the car and took Lu Ziyan's wheelchair from the back of the car. Once he helped the man onto the chair, he asked, "Should I wait for you?"
Lu Ziyan shook his head. He was unsure if he saw the person correctly, and if she were who he think she was, then he would prefer to talk to her alone than in the presence of someone else.
With a wave of his hand, Lu Ziyan said nonchalantly, "You can go back first. I'll call for a cab later. Don't forget to get Xiao Lei the ointment."
Han Ye looked at him curiously but he did not say anything. There was nothing Lu Ziyan hated more than being treated as an invalid. After a while, Han Ye nodded and said, "Fine. I'll go back first. You be careful. If there's anything, just give me a call."
Lu Ziyan chuckled as he lightly pushed Han Ye's abdomen. "Just go already. I'm not a woman! I'm more than capable to handle things myself. Don't forget that I'm still the owner of one of the top bars in Imperial City."
He tapped the side of his seat and said with a grin, "I have my own ways to handle things."
Han Ye smirked as he said, "Fine, fine, big boss! I'll see you later at home."
After Han Ye drove off, Lu Ziyan turned around and wheeled himself to a small late-night open-air restaurant that was not far from where Han Ye dropped him. When he arrived, he immediately looked around. There was only one small group sitting outside, and they looked like they were almost done with the night.
When he peeked inside the restaurant, there were a few groups of friends, but not the one he was looking for, and when he could not find the person he saw earlier, he thought he might have seen wrong.
"Am I getting older?" Confused, Lu Ziyan thought as he scratched the back of his head.
However, just as he was about to turn away, he saw her walking out with four large bottles of beers from within the inner section of the small restaurant, he stopped moving. His eyes landed on her. It was a Sunday, so she was dressed casually, which was unlike the rest of the time when they met.
"She's kinda cute in jeans..." thought Lu Ziyan and a hint of red appeared on his cheeks while he looked at her legs. He wondered what it would be like to have those legs wrapped around his waist. Yet when he looked down at his legs, he smiled sadly and murmured, "You f*cking idiot... Do you think women would still come after you?"
After the accident that took away the lives of his entire family and his ability to walk, the young women who used to surround him like flies disappeared faster than he could count to ten. Ever since then, he had not been with anyone.
She did not notice him at all as she sat down at a corner table by herself. With one move, she downed an entire bottle of beers before she slammed the empty bottle down on the table.
The owner of the small restaurant placed a plate of fried pork intestines and fried chicken wings and a plate filled with meat skewers on the woman's table.
"Thank you, auntie..." the woman said as she handed the owner a stack of cash. She then waved her hand drunkenly as she murmured, "Keep the change..."
The owner smiled happily as she kept the money in front of her apron. However, despite the money, she felt the need to advise the woman.
"Miss, don't drink so much. You drank two large bottles earlier. Too much of alcohol is not good for you."
The woman smiled gently at the owner before she nodded. "These are my last..."
The owner sighed and walked away while she mumbled something. When she saw Lu Ziyan there, she immediately went over to talk to him.
"Sir, would you like to order something?" she asked in a kind motherly tone.
"That woman... " Lu Ziyan asked without looking at the owner, "Does she come here often?"
The owner glanced at the woman before she nodded at Lu Ziyan. "Quite often. Do you know her? Would you like me to push you over?"
Lu Ziyan smiled and nodded at her. He then looked up at her and said with a polite smile, "Yes, please."
The chairs and tables were too close to each other, making it impossible for him to go through by himself. He was not stubborn enough to not know his own limits.
Since it was a Sunday night, there were not that many customers, so the owner was glad to help him out. She pushed the chairs and tables slightly aside to make a path for him.
When Lu Ziyan saw that the path was cleared, he took out some cash and handed it to her. "For your trouble..."
The moment she saw the stack of money, the owner gulped and shook her head. "No, it's not necessary."
Lu Ziyan basically handed her the equivalent of a night's earning for her.
Seeing that the owner was reluctant to accept the money, he smiled and explained, "I'd need to be able to get out later, and this is to cover whatever you'd lose by keeping that path clear for me. I'm not sure how long I'd be staying, so you'd have to keep that path clear for a while."
"But... This is still a lot..." the owner said as she looked at the money in her hands.
"If there's extra, then just keep it as tips." Lu Ziyan waved his hand nonchalantly. He then glanced at the woman who was sitting at the corner. "Since you said she's here quite often, then use this to cover whatever snacks that she might order in the future."
The owner glanced toward the woman before she nodded. "Alright..."
Lu Ziyan then wheeled himself over. As he stopped himself right behind the woman, he could see her body trembling softly as she rested her chin on her palm; it was as if she were thinking about something.
When he tilted his head to the side to see her face clearer, he saw that she was crying quietly.
"An Xin?"