HPDBC Chapter 375 Friends are Friends
Chapter 375 Friends are Friends
There was a moment of silence at the dinner table.
Everyone was looking at Lu Wenzhou and Pierre.
Zhang Ruoran put down her chopsticks, her expression calm, but there was a clear hint of seriousness in her eyes. She was the kind of person who, once she asked a question, would definitely wait for an answer; if she didn't ask, she wouldn't ask at all, but once she did, she would absolutely wait for you to explain clearly.
Li Ze sat to the side, twirling the string of beads in his hand, a slight smirk playing on his lips, but he remained silent. He already knew what to expect; he was just waiting to see how these two young men would respond.
Lu Wenzhou spoke first.
He put down his wine glass, sat up straight, and said to Zhang Ruoran, "Aunt Zhang, let me tell you my thoughts. I like Mengli, but it's not an impulsive kind of liking."
He paused, then continued, "I first met her at the gate of Han City University, the situation of which you may have heard about. I noticed her then not because of her status, but because of the way she spoke. She was very direct and unpretentious, saying what she meant, which is rare these days. Later in Paris, we talked a lot, and I discovered that she had her own opinions on many things, whether it was fashion, life, or the people around her; she took everything seriously."
He glanced at Mengli and said, "Of course I admire her beauty, but that's not the main reason. I think for two people to be together, they need to be able to talk to each other and complement each other's shortcomings. I feel that Mengli and I have that potential in that regard. So I want to get to know her better and understand each other properly."
After saying that, he looked directly at Zhang Ruoran without looking away.
Zhang Ruoran didn't speak, but nodded, her expression softening somewhat.
Li Ze nodded inwardly. This kid spoke logically and calmly, and his family background was clean, as he had checked beforehand. To be honest, he had a good impression of Lu Wenzhou.
Then everyone looked at Pierre.
Pierre cleared his throat and said in fairly fluent Chinese, "Let me speak."
He stood up, placed his hands on his chest, looked very serious, and stared straight at Zhang Ruoran. He said, "Aunt Zhang, I won't go into complicated things. I'll just say one thing: I like Mengli because she's beautiful."
Someone at the table chuckled.
Pierre didn't mind and continued, "In France, appreciating beautiful things isn't wrong. When Mona stood there, I immediately felt that this girl was different. Later, when we worked together, I realized that her appreciation of beauty was genuine, not an act, which made me like her even more. I wanted to pursue her; I wanted to be her best—how to put it, the most special one."
He thought for a moment and then said a word in Chinese: "Dream Lover".
Zhao Jiajia immediately covered her mouth with her hand, trying her best not to laugh out loud.
Huo Qian lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.
Mengli blushed, lowered her head to take a sip of water, and remained silent.
Li Ze hesitated for a moment, managing to hold back his laughter. He gently fiddled with the beads in his hand, his judgment already clear—Lu Wenzhou was serious, and Pierre was sincere, but the difference between the two was immediately apparent.
After listening, Zhang Ruoran remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she picked up her teacup, took a sip, put it down, and calmly said, "Okay, I understand."
She glanced at Li Ze.
Li Ze received that look and immediately understood. Despite being separated for eighteen years, the unspoken understanding between husband and wife was still remarkably harmonious in this situation. He didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, meaning: You say what you want, I support you.
Zhang Ruoran turned her gaze back to the two of them and said, "I heard what you both said. I won't comment on who's good or bad; this isn't something I decide, it's my daughter's decision. But there's one thing I need to make clear: my daughter isn't in a rush. She's still so young; she has a long road ahead of her, and no one needs to pressure her."
Both of them nodded, with no objection.
Zhang Ruoran continued, "I have one question for you: no matter what the final outcome, can you guarantee that she will never be wronged, no matter what?"
Lu Wenzhou said, "Yes."
Pierre also said, "Yes, I guarantee it."
Zhang Ruoran hummed in agreement, said nothing more, picked up her chopsticks again, and began to eat.
Li Menghan sat beside her, looked around, and couldn't help but say, "Mom, the way you asked that question is so shrewd."
Zhang Ruoran glanced at him: "Eat your food."
Li Menghan shrank back and shut up.
Li Ze chuckled, lowered his head, took a sip of wine, and remained silent.
Then, everyone looked at Mengli.
Mengli hadn't spoken since then, keeping her head down with a slight blush on her face. Now, under everyone's gaze, she raised her head, looked at Lu Wenzhou, then at Pierre, and finally looked away, clearing her throat softly.
She said, "I heard everything you said. I'm also very happy with what you said, and I'm very grateful to you."
She paused for a moment and said, "But I'm not ready yet."
Pierre frowned and asked, "What preparations?"
Mengli said, "Preparing for a relationship. I'm still studying and interning right now. I have many things I want to do, and I don't want to mess them up because of a relationship."
After listening, Lu Wenzhou did not speak immediately, but remained silent for a while.
Mengli continued, "So, could you guys be friends with me first? Just the most ordinary, pure kind of friends, playing together, chatting together, getting to know each other, but without any pressure."
After she finished speaking, she looked up at the two of them, her eyes direct and filled with a hint of expectation.
Lu Wenzhou and Pierre exchanged a glance.
The meaning behind that glance was complex; it was somewhat unexpected, somewhat helpless, and I didn't know what to say.
Pierre spoke first, saying a single word in Chinese: "Friend."
Then he shrugged and said, "Okay, friend, no problem. But I'm not giving up."
Lu Wenzhou also said, "Friend, I agree. But I also reserve my own opinion."
Mengli smiled and said, "Okay."
Zhao Jiajia whispered from the side, "These two, after all that effort into their relationship, only ended up getting a friend's spot."
Huo Qian touched her with her hand, signaling her to stop talking, but the corners of her mouth were also curved.
Upon hearing this, Li Ze finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, then pretended to look at his wine glass, concealing his expression.
Zhang Ruoran appeared calm, but was actually happy inside. She understood her daughter; it wasn't that Mengli disliked him, but rather that she knew what she wanted now, and this judgment put her at ease.
Li Menghan leaned back in her chair and said in a tone of someone who had been through it all, "Dude, I understand how you feel. I've been through something similar. Keep going."
Lu Wenzhou and Pierre both looked at him at the same time.
Feeling stared at by the two people, Li Menghan immediately said, "I'm serious, I'm just encouraging you."
No one cares about him.