Chapter 5

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After lunch, there would be two to three hours of free time in the restaurant. The chefs and waiters would usually take advantage of this free time to play cards. Zhao Xiaoxiao would do the accounting and plan their expenses so that she could decide whether they needed to buy ingredients at night.

Nevertheless, Song Ruyi lost her phone today. She had to buy a new phone and get a new SIM card, so she would not have time to coax Wanwan to take a nap at noon. As such, Zhao Xiaoxiao took the initiative and brought Wanwan to the restaurant’s attic to take a nap for the time being.

Song Ruyi thought for a long time, but she was still not willing to spend so much money to buy a new phone.

She hesitated and prepared to call her phone. In this day and age, many phones were much better than her broken phone. It was unlikely that anyone would want her worthless gadget and steal it.

Even if she sold it second-hand, it could not be sold at a high price.

Moreover, there were still many good people in this world. News of people who did not pocket money or valuable items were often mentioned.

What if the person who found her phone was willing to return it to her?

Then she would not have to spend thousands of yuan. She could just give the other party one to two hundred yuan as a token of gratitude.

(Mr. Lu said, “Do you think I’ll want one to two hundred yuan from you?” He even rolled his eyes twice with a tsundere gaze.)

Song Wanwan had a very regular schedule. After lunch, she would take a nap. Zhao Xiaoxiao carried her to the attic.

Song Ruyi quickly went to the checkout counter and used the store’s phone to call her number.

No one answered the first time it rang.

Song Ruyi was unwilling and called the second time.

The second ring was almost over. Song Ruyi’s heart almost sank to the bottom. She lamented that she had thought too well of the people of this world.

Just as she was about to be disappointed, the other party picked up the phone.

Song Ruyi was ecstatic. “Hello? I’m the owner of this phone number. My surname is Song. I think you accidentally picked up my phone. If it’s convenient for you, could you please send my phone to the Xiaoxiao Restaurant on Huai Yin Road? I’ll be here until 8:00 pm.”

“Heh, you work hard, Song Ruyi.” Lu Jingnan snorted coldly.

‘She only finishes work at 8:00 pm.’

Song Ruyi was speechless.

Her body froze. Lu Jingnan’s voice was a very special one. She had not forgotten how it sounded even though they had not seen each other for more than three years. Moreover, the two of them had just had an unpleasant conversation not long ago.

Before they left, she made a wish that she would never see Lu Jingnan again.

Even so, the universe worked in mysterious ways. It was fine if she heard his voice, but fate should not have slapped her in the face so quickly, should it?

She would rather drop her phone in the ocean than let Lu Jingnan pick it up.

“What’s the matter? Did you become tongue-tied after hearing my voice? Weren’t you quite eloquent just now?” Lu Jingnan continued to tease the woman. He was so angry at her that he did not even have the desire to eat a big meal. At this moment, he had randomly picked a noodle restaurant with Tang Shan to make do.

Song Ruyi wished she could bite her tongue. She did not even get the gist of the situation and mentioned the Xiaoxiao Restaurant. She did not plan to meet Lu Jingnan again in the first place, but now that she told him where she was, did it not mean that he could come looking for her anytime?

If she resigned just to avoid him, given Zhao Xiaoxiao’s personality, she would surely get to the bottom of it.

Song Ruyi could not find a suitable reason to resign either.

“No, I was just surprised,” Song Ruyi argued stubbornly.

“Mr. Lu, one who returns a property to its owner will be thanked. Do you have time now? If not, let’s make an appointment. I want to get my phone back. Is that okay?”

“Song Ruyi, one who returns a property to its owner should be thanked. I have a meeting this afternoon and am not free. I don’t have dinner plans yet. You’re the host and I’m the guest. We’ve known each other for a while. Shouldn’t you do your part as a host to me?”

Song Ruyi was considering. Lu Jingnan was obviously asking for dinner with her.

Exchanging a meal for her phone would save her a few thousand yuan. This was a good deal.

She did not want to meet Lu Jingnan, but there was no way she could escape since he was the one who found her phone.

If she wanted to get her phone back, she had to meet him unless she did not want her phone anymore.

That said, she was not resigned to it.

“Think it over. I don’t want to see that little troublemaker around during dinner tonight. Take your time to think it over. I’ll wait for your call. My phone number hasn’t changed. If you can’t remember it, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get your phone back.”

As soon as Lu Jingnan finished, Song Ruyi’s phone in his hand ran out of battery, and the screen turned black.

Lu Jingnan grumbled unhappily. “What kind of lousy phone is this? It still had one bar of battery left, but now, it died just like that.”

Given Song Ruyi’s simple logic, she must have thought that he hung up after threatening her.

Lu Jingnan was not actually threatening her. He was just reminding her that her phone was about to run out of battery. If she could not remember his phone number, she would not be able to call him even if she tried to call her phone again.

Despite that, he did not have the chance to explain himself.

The lousy phone was dead.

Song Ruyi was indeed unhappy after being hung up on. ‘Why did he threaten me like this?’

Zhao Xiaoxiao came down at that moment. When she saw that Song Ruyi was still in the shop, she went over and asked, “Ruyi, why haven’t you gone to buy a new phone?”

“She found it,” a senior staff member rushed to answer. They had all heard Song Ruyi calling from the shop.

Song Ruyi said that she would certainly reward the person handsomely if the person returned her phone. Since she said that, most people would choose to return it.

“Really?”

“Yes.” Song Ruyi nodded.

Zhao Xiaoxiao was also happy for her.

She knew that Song Ruyi was a very thrifty woman, but she was never stingy when it came to Wanwan.

Wanwan had to eat and wear comfortable clothes. Song Ruyi would give her the best as long as it was within her capabilities.

On the other hand, she did not buy even two sets of clothes for herself in a year.

Song Ruyi was definitely not willing to spend two to three thousand yuan to buy a mobile phone.

Given her personality, she would also not accept it if Zhao Xiaoxiao bought one for her.

Therefore, it would be the best outcome if Song Ruyi could find her phone back.

“That’s good then. Did the person ask you to go and get it? Or will he or she send it over to you?”

“I’ll go pick it up myself later,” Song Ruyi said.

“What time? Where did you agree to meet? If the time is right, I’ll drive you there.” Zhao Xiaoxiao had always been very good to her. She took the initiative to offer her help.

“That’s not necessary, Sister Xiaoxiao. I want to treat the other party to dinner to express my gratitude, so I want to ask for leave tonight. I’m sorry,” Song Ruyi said with difficulty.

“It’s okay. There aren’t many people who want takeouts at night; most of them will dine in. Wait, you’re not familiar with the person, so it won’t be appropriate for you to treat him or her to dinner, right?” Zhao Xiaoxiao was still more concerned about Song Ruyi’s matter.

“We know each other. I was delayed for a while during noon because Wanwan was mischievous. She played with the handlebars of the tricycle and knocked the rear of the person’s car, but he didn’t even ask for compensation. Now that he picked up my phone, I should treat him to dinner. It’s only right.”

Song Ruyi conveniently explained the reason she was delayed for so long at noon.

As for the reason she was going to treat Lu Jingnan to dinner, instead of explaining to Zhao Xiaoxiao, it would be more accurate to say that she was trying to convince herself.