Chapter 248

When boarding the plane, Li Mingzhou specifically instructed Lu Fan that this trip to Jingcheng could be used for personal business!

On the way, Lu Fan reported on the relevant work of the Municipal Party Committee Office's selection.

Li Mingzhou said casually: "You are in charge of the office work. Consult with Secretary Guo and Ziqiang on this matter and decide for yourself."

After getting off the plane and picking up their luggage, the two hailed a taxi at the airport. Li Mingzhou said to the driver: "Go to Beizongbu Hutong!"

Lu Fan didn't pay much attention at first, thinking it was just a hutong, and got into the car with his luggage.

Unexpectedly, after arriving at the place, the surroundings were particularly quiet, and the environment was excellent.

After entering the courtyard house and seeing the elder, Lu Fan was dumbfounded!

After putting down his luggage, Lu Fan bowed respectfully and said hello.

Elder Li was very approachable and said with a smile: "You must be Lu Fan. Don't be constrained; treat this as your own home."

Li Mingzhou said: "Dad, I brought back two portions of lamb, which Lu Fan promoted. Let the chef cook it later; the seasonings are all ready-made. You taste it!"

Unexpectedly, Elder Li smiled and said: "Now that I'm old, it's suitable to eat some lamb. Today I'll taste the Ningyang thyme lamb!"

"Dad, where is Mom?"

"She went back to her hometown; she'll probably stay for a while."

"Why didn't you go with her?"

"I find it troublesome and don't want to move around. I'd rather stay quietly, play chess and drink tea with old friends when I have nothing to do—it's quite comfortable!"

Even now, Lu Fan still had a sense of unreality. Elder Li's identity was so unexpected and shocking! This made him unable to remain calm, and he didn't know how to communicate with Elder Li, sitting there feeling uneasy.

On the contrary, Elder Li and Li Mingzhou chatted about family matters, asking Lu Fan a few questions from time to time. It seemed casual, but it was actually very profound; there was no need to doubt Elder Li's wisdom.

After dinner, Li Mingzhou said to Lu Fan: "Young man, go out for a stroll; you don't need to accompany us here. We'll return to Yingjiang on Sunday."

Lu Fan got up to say goodbye to Elder Li, and after walking out of the courtyard house, he finally felt at ease!

"Dad, what do you think of Lu Fan?"

"His character is not bad. If he can reach the section-chief level before the age of thirty, his opportunities are very good, and he can be considered a leader among men! Of course, no one is perfect; his vision needs to be improved, and his ability still needs to be raised, but these can all be cultivated. The most important thing is that Zimeng likes him, and I don't want this girl to be wronged! If they are not meant to be, Lu Fan can still be cultivated; even if he can't compare to Wang Hongtao, his future achievements won't be low!"

"Dad, Lu Fan and Le Xueren have deep grievances, and Le Xueren is close to Duan Pengfei!"

Elder Li said lightly: "A minor skin disease, what's worth mentioning? Grasshoppers after autumn, they won't be able to jump for long!"

"Dad, Lu Fan has another advantage: he is nostalgic and values relationships!"

"Hmm, this is indeed a rare and precious quality. The most important thing in being a person is not to forget one's roots! Also, his family situation is quite special: both parents are dead, and he only has a younger sister, who is also very excellent. Such a person has fewer ties, fewer troublesome things, and the possibility of problems is smaller, while the possibility of achieving results is greater!"

"I'll give Zimeng a call; both of them are quite shy, someone has to be proactive!"

Elder Li laughed: "How can you be a father like that!"

After the call connected, Li Mingzhou said: "Mengmeng, what are you doing?"

"Shopping, Dad. Are you back?"

"I'm at your grandfather's house; Lu Fan just left!"

"He came too? And you brought him to see Grandpa?"

"Yes, Dad specifically brought him to Jingcheng for you. Did Lu Fan contact you?"

"Why would he contact me? He didn't even send a message!"

Li Mingzhou said earnestly: "Mengmeng, in this life, it's not easy to meet someone you like. When the fate arrives, you must be proactive! Remember, when dating, you need to be a bit bolder, a bit more delicate in your thinking, and a bit thicker-skinned! What could happen from proactively sending a message?"

Hearing her father say this, Li Zimeng said angrily: "Dad, how can you say that? Your daughter isn't that bad, okay!"

Li Mingzhou laughed. He knew his daughter's temperament and said: "Dad has already vetted him for you. Lu Fan is really quite good and will be a qualified husband. So, feel free to pursue love boldly; Dad will always support you! I wish you get what you want soon!"

"Alright, alright, I won't listen to your nonsense anymore!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Zimeng stared at her phone in a daze. After thinking for a long time, she bit the bullet and sent a message to Lu Fan: It's the weekend, what are you doing?

Lu Fan was enjoying his stroll when his phone rang. Seeing it was a message from Li Zimeng, he replied: Looking at the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. Do you want to see them together?

In less than three seconds, the message came back: Okay, you wait for me!

Lu Fan replied: Fine, I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Bird's Nest!

Twenty minutes later, a beautiful figure walked over. Lu Fan greeted her and said with a smile: "Didn't go out to play with friends this weekend?"

Li Zimeng giggled: "I didn't go to college in Jingcheng, so I don't have many friends here. Since you're here, of course I have to accompany you around!"

"It's an honor! I've finished looking around here; you take me to a fun place!"

"That depends on what you want to do! Or what you want to play!"

Lu Fan thought for a while and said: "How about finding a bar to listen to some songs? How about Houhai? It's been famous for a long time, and I haven't experienced that kind of culture yet!"

Li Zimeng laughed: "Do you want to drink? Or listen to songs? Or do you want to look at beautiful women?"

"With a great beauty like you here, of course I want to listen to songs."

Li Zimeng pursed her lips and said: "This is the first time I've heard you compliment me; it's too rare! Then let's go, Houhai Bar Street. Just don't be disappointed!"

"I won't be. Let's find a bar with a good singer and sit down to feel the atmosphere."

The two hailed a taxi on the side of the road and headed straight for Houhai.

As the lights came on, the quietness and leisure of the day were shallowly swallowed by the night, and the wildness and unruliness of the night immediately took center stage.

Li Zimeng took Lu Fan to Houhai No. 5. There weren't many people; young couples and friends were sitting scattered in the bar, and there were resident singers and bands.

The two were arranged in a relatively front position. The sound of the speakers was very loud, so they couldn't hear each other's speech clearly and could only whisper loudly, which gave them both a strange feeling!

Ordering some drinks and snacks made Lu Fan's heart ache a little.

This was Lu Fan's first time in a bar. Every time the guitarist slid across the strings of the electric guitar, the passionate electronic sound was like a flash of lightning, stimulating his brain nerves; every time the drummer hit the drumbeat, it was like giant rocks smashing into his heart, splashing huge water splashes; and the singer's voice, sometimes high-pitched, sometimes gentle, sometimes lively, made Lu Fan's thoughts wander.

The bar's resident singers were a man and a woman, taking turns singing. They were all popular songs—sad, angry, sweet—and every song could hit Lu Fan's different moods.

Some people were here to show off, some to gather, and some to digest their troubles and worries. And Lu Fan, his heart also rose and fell with the music, his thoughts wandering.

By eleven o'clock, Lu Fan felt it was about time; girls should go home early, so the two walked out of the bar.

Under the colorful lights, they loosened their restraints under the anesthesia of alcohol. Under the cover of the night, any imagination became bold and crazy.

Lu Fan asked a question as if possessed: "Zimeng, do you have a boyfriend?"

Li Zimeng lowered her head shyly and said: "If I had a boyfriend, would I be wandering around with you in the middle of the night?"

Lu Fan said awkwardly: "I was just asking!" Then, for some reason, he said as if possessed: "The leader gave me a task to find a girlfriend!"

Li Zimeng's face immediately turned from sunny to cloudy, and she said angrily: "What do you take me for? A task to be completed?" Then she walked away angrily!

Lu Fan hurriedly chased after her to apologize, but didn't know how to explain, so he could only follow closely.

As they walked, Li Zimeng remembered Lu Fan's words just now. Weren't the last three words "girlfriend"? Regardless of his purpose, he had said those three words! She couldn't help but smile and couldn't help but look back at Lu Fan. Who knew that the blockhead was lost in thought while walking, not knowing what he was thinking about again.

"Lu Fan, why don't you find a girlfriend? Logically speaking, your conditions aren't bad; you're a young deputy section-level leading cadre."

Lu Fan blurted out: "I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"Ah?" Li Zimeng said in surprise: "Why do you say that?"

Lu Fan sighed and said sadly: "I offended a big shot. I had a girlfriend before, and on the day we got our marriage certificate, she had an accident! I don't want to hurt anyone else, at least until the danger is lifted!"

After hearing Lu Fan's words, Li Zimeng felt a pang of heartache. She didn't expect Lu Fan to have such a painful experience, and she also understood his hidden difficulties.

She stretched out her hands, gently held Lu Fan's hands, looked at the man in front of her with firm eyes, and said: "Fate will not always be so cruel. I believe that good and evil will eventually be rewarded!"

Feeling the warmth in Li Zimeng's palms, the ice in Lu Fan's heart seemed to be melting.

The night was deep, and the two walked on the street, but their hearts were closer...

At the time of parting, both had things they wanted to say, but neither spoke.

Li Zimeng took a taxi directly to her grandfather's house; she wanted to seek justice for Lu Fan!

Lu Fan found a hotel nearby to rest. After lying down, he tossed and turned, and Zhou Tianhui and Wang Yujia appeared in his mind.

In two more years, he should plan for the section-chief level. The marriage issue was already imminent. There were only a few girls in his life with whom he had intersections, but except for Zhou Tianhui, Lu Fan seemed to know nothing about the situations of the other two, except for their work units.

Lu Fan remembered a sentence: Think carefully about who you are most relaxed, natural, comfortable, and uninhibited with, and with whom you can be your truest self! That person is the most special and important person in your heart!

Returning home, his grandfather was already about to fall asleep, but was shaken awake by his granddaughter: "Grandpa, help Lu Fan, okay?"

Elder Li opened his eyes and said: "Mengmeng, some things must be done by him personally, otherwise the inner demon will remain in his heart forever, entangling him for a lifetime and making him restless! If you believe in him, then wait and see! If he can't do it, then he doesn't have much promise and isn't worthy of you!"

"Grandpa, I just want a plain and simple life!"

"Sigh, some people are destined not to be plain, so you have to consider it carefully!"