Testing Each Other

In a restaurant downstairs of the company building.

Two women sat facing each other.

Under normal circumstances, they should have had endless things to talk about. Now, however, they both remained silent, seemingly waiting for the other to break the ice.

Soon, the dishes arrived.

It was Cheng Jun who broke the silence first.

"Help yourself, Sister Nan."

After saying this, she simply started eating. An apocalypse-induced habit. She abhorred wasting food.

Fu Nanzhi picked up her bowl obediently, but she wasn't in the mood, and put down her chopsticks after a few bites.

Taking a sip of water, she wears a satisfied expression and said,

"Jun, you changed a lot. You even seem much more elegant than before."

This remark gave Cheng Jun mixed feelings. She stiffly stopped her chopsticks in movement for a moment, then replied in a low voice,

"Is that so? Even you noticed."

After a pause, she continued with a wistful expression on her face,

"One often believes they will grow up slowly. But in truth, growing up can be swift and ephemeral."

"So swift that perhaps ... it might happen overnight."

Having experienced a similar growth, Fu Nanzhi agreed empathetically,

"Indeed."

The two had been childhood playmates. Fu Nanzhi was a year older, and hence a grade higher than Cheng Jun.

During adolescence, Fu Nanzhi underwent a significant change in personality, and it was then that their interactions dwindled. They bumped into each other occasionally during family gatherings.

Later on, Fu Nanzhi stayed in the country attending college, while Cheng Jun went abroad.

Separated by the coast and busy with their respective lives, their communication nearly ceased.

A reunion under such circumstances should have been warm and cordial, not this odd, stifling silence.

The clattering of bowls and chopsticks masked their internal turmoils.

Cheng Jun was generally more forthright, so after some thought, she decided to be upfront and asked,

"Sister Nan, do you know a Shen Yi?"

Fu Nanzhi nodded assertively,

"Of course, I do."

"What kind of person is he?"

While asking, Cheng Jun couldn't help but covertly study Fu Nanzhi's expression.

At the mention of Shen Yi, Fu Nanzhi burst into delighted laughter before she even spoke. Her eyes softened, and a bewitching smile spread across her face.

"He acts like an adult on the outside, but inside he's a child who never grows up."

These words accurately depicted Shen Yi's personality, as if they were commenting on a former spouse.

Cheng Jun observed from the sidelines, feeling a bitter-sweetness she couldn't explain. Fu Nanzhi's mental state seemed genuinely unfeigned.

Whenever Shen Yi was brought up, Fu Nanzhi would light up. She would be radiant, like a blossoming flower, showing no reservations.

"Could it be that he's already with someone else in reality? And still he treated me the same way in the apocalyptic world..."

A lump formed in her throat that she had to force down.

Just then, she noticed a document on the corner of the table and a realization dawned upon her.

Sister Nan didn't even know that Shen Yi had quit his job. She was no better off than Cheng Jun. There must be some misunderstanding.

Pretending to wipe her mouth with a napkin to hide her emotions, she asked nonchalantly,

"So, Sister Nan, what is your relationship with him?"

Fu Nanzhi instinctively blurted out,

"He is my old...old friend."

She gently patted her chest once the words had left her mouth. She was relieved she hadn't spilled the beans.

Cheng Jun was skeptical of the term 'old friend'.

"Why should you need his file if he's just your friend?"

"Oh, you mean that…"

“Actually, Shen Yi has a solid foundation in Law and self-studied a ton of legal knowledge. I happen to be working in legal affairs, so I thought I'd recommend him to Uncle Cheng.”

Fu Nanzhi rarely lies, but this one she puts forth without a blush or a stutter.

Following up, she voices a question that has long been festering in her heart,

“And how did you come to know him, Cheng Jun?"

"Me? Well...."

“I...I...he saved my life.”

Caught unprepared, Cheng Jun worried that telling the truth might make her appear delusional.

Hesitating for a moment, she eventually comes up with an explanation. It wasn't really lying, it was indeed the truth.

To her surprise, Fu Nanzhi expresses concern,

“Ah? Were you hurt? Does Uncle Cheng know about this?”

In haste, Cheng Jun reassures her,

“My father doesn't know, you shouldn't tell him either, he would simply worry. It's all past now.”

She then adds,

“I was fine, it's just...Shen Yi saved me. He didn't leave any contact information, so I want to find him and express my gratitude.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Nanzhi comprehends and shows a sign of approval towards Shen Yi. This does indeed sound like something her husband would do.

Thinking, she frowns, he might be just too kind-hearted as many young women in their previous department were constantly asking him for favors.

But saving someone's life is no small thing. It's perfectly reasonable for Cheng Jun to seek him out now.

“Should I help arrange a meeting for you two?”

Fu Nanzhi has been worrying about finding a good reason to get close to Shen Yi and this now seems like a perfect opportunity.

If she can establish contact with Shen Yi first, she feels very confident.

Given her charm, there's no reason he wouldn't be charmed, right?

As quickly as possible, she plans to assert her status, hoping to sever the lingering thoughts of her cousin.

After all, Fu Nanzhi is no fool.

She has heard of things like a hero saving a beauty, the suspension bridge effect, and so on. Cheng Jun's family background and appearance are not inferior to her own. It wouldn't be surprising if there were some unintended consequences.

If she cuts in, there will be nowhere left for her to mourn.

“No, not necessary. I think it would be more solemn if I contact him and express my gratitude.”

Cheng Jun promptly declines, she only wants to see Shen Yi alone – and confirm whether he shares her past experiences as well.

Meeting up with three people, especially when she had fabricated her story just now, she risked being exposed and not knowing how to explain herself.

“Oh, alright.”

Despite feeling a sense of disappointment, Fu Nanzhi simply nods in agreement.

With their meal ended and filled with hidden agendas, they throw each other farewells in the elevator.

One pressing the button for the 11th floor, the other for the 17th - differing roads yet evenly matched.

Concerning the matter of bonding that evening, no one brought it up.

Sitting at her desk, Fu Nanzhi couldn't focus on her work, and opened up Shen Yi's files once again.

Her past life's journey has taken a significant turn, and Fu Nanzhi feels uncertain which butterfly flapping its wings caused this change.

Initially, she planned to follow her previous path slowly, but it seems now her husband might end up belonging to someone else if she isn't careful.

Fu Nanzhi can let many things go, but this is something she would never yield.

“I can't hesitate any longer. I must initiate contact.”

She mulled over in her heart, simultaneously analyzing Shen Yi's personality, considering what approach would make her less obvious.

The archive had his contact number and current residence, finding him was not a difficult task anymore.

"Should I call him. But what do I say, 'I was your wife in a past life'?"

"Or after work, should I wait for him in front of his house? Would that scare him?"

Fu Nanzhi held her face in her hands, pursing her lips in thought.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jun pushed the door and returned to her seat.

She picked up a pen and wrote down an address and a phone number. Her memory was good enough. She only glimpsed at the archives once and noted Shen Yi's contact details.

As she twirled the pen in her slender fingers, she was engrossed in her thoughts.

"Shen Yi never mentioned having a girlfriend, could Nanzhi be in unrequited love?"

She was much smarter than Fu Nanzhi, no matter how well disguised, Cheng Jun could see through the insincerity.

In recent years, when Cheng Jun returned home for holidays, she had never seen Fu Nanzhi treat anyone favorably in their circle, except for Shen Yi.

"Hmm, an old friend…" Cheng Jun muttered, curling her lips.

Suddenly, Cheng Jun's hand came to a halt, slapping the pen on the table. She had made up her mind.

"After work, I'll go find him, making sure Nanzhi doesn't give the game away."