“Running away with someone!” Zhang Jingzhi said irritably, bending down to find shoes in the shoe cabinet and putting them on.
The old lady wasn't in a hurry, and then asked again, "Do you have enough money on you?"
Zhang Jingzhi almost choked on her mother's words. She turned around and glared at her mother for a long time without being able to catch her breath. The old lady didn't say anything, but just looked at her daughter with a smile.
This all goes back to Wang Yuhan. Zhang Jingzhi herself never expected that her love would come full circle back to Wang Yuhan, and to make matters worse, it just so happened that her mother had said the right thing. She was already feeling a little embarrassed, but who knew that her mother wouldn't be so tactless. She thought, "If you see your daughter has gotten what you wanted, why don't you just be happy about it? Why do you have to bring it up eight times a day?" Besides, Zhang Jingzhi is a very proud person. If you keep poking at her sore spot, how can she not get angry and embarrassed?
So, Zhang Jingzhi has been hanging out with her grandmother for almost a week now.
Zhang Jingzhi jogged downstairs, where Xiao Xiao was already impatiently waiting. Before Zhang Jingzhi could even close her car door properly, her car had already sped off.
"Xiao Xiao, are you crazy?" Zhang Jingzhi shouted. "Even if you want to marry a traffic cop, you don't have to be so arrogant, do you want to attract police cars?" In her panic, she didn't bother to fasten her seatbelt and just gripped the handrail tightly, watching Xiao Xiao drive the car onto the outer ring road like a madwoman.
Xiao Xiao didn't say anything, but stepped on the gas pedal hard. The car sped around the outer ring road and then turned back into the city, finally stopping on a dimly lit street next to the university district.
The streetlights were dim, and although it was past midnight, figures still occasionally flashed across the street, disappearing into the inconspicuous little doors on both sides, like fleeting fox spirits. The windows were like decorations pasted on the walls, revealing nothing inside. Only when a door opened could one faintly hear the clamor of voices and metallic music—if that could be considered music, of course.
Although Zhang Jingzhi had never been to this place, she had heard of it since her school days. It was a well-known pub area in the university district, a hell for women's depravity and a paradise for men's indulgence.
"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong with you? Huh?" Zhang Jingzhi asked, but was stunned the moment she turned her head and saw Xiao Xiao, forgetting what she was going to say next.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao was already in tears.
Zhang Jingzhi had only seen Xiao Xiao cry once before, back when she was a freshman in college. Since then, she hadn't seen her cry again. For a moment, Zhang Jingzhi panicked, frantically looking at Xiao Xiao, rummaging through her bag for a while before finally finding a tissue and handing it to her, cautiously asking, "What's wrong? Did the Jiang family upset you?"
Xiao Xiao shook her head, then suddenly frantically rummaged through the car's small storage compartment. After a long while, she finally found a dry, crumpled cigarette, lit it with trembling hands, took a deep drag, closed her eyes, and leaned weakly against the backrest. After a long while, she gently exhaled the smoke and slowly said in a hoarse voice, "The original Xiao Xiao died here. That year... she was nineteen. Before that, she was madly in love with a man, a man she called 'senior brother.' For that man, she dragged her luggage to this unfamiliar city alone. For that man, she gave up the best university and came to H University, a university she had never looked down on, but she came anyway, simply because it was only a wall away from his university."
Xiao Xiao's voice was flat and indifferent, as if she were telling someone else's story: "To win back his heart that had drifted away, she did everything she could. She even tried the tricks used by the evil female supporting characters in novels. But it was no use. Often, the gentler a person is, the harder their heart is. Her attempts to please him only made him more disgusted. After being disgusted, he would avoid her. But she seemed to be bewitched. She trampled her nineteen years of self-respect under her feet, just so that she could touch him when she stood on tiptoe."
"Xiao Xiao, let's not talk about it anymore." Zhang Jingzhi put her hand on Xiao Xiao's arm.
“Let me tell you, I’ve been holding this in for years, and if I don’t say it now, it’ll just rot in my heart,” Xiao Xiao said. “…Then, on her nineteenth birthday, she came here alone to make one last gamble, betting that he still had a sliver of feeling for her…even if it was just pity. She texted him, telling him that if he didn’t come to see her at this bar…she wouldn’t leave. Later, her phone vibrated, and through her drunken haze, she read his text: just three simple words…Whatever. Their three years of love had dwindled to just three words, one a year, just right…”
Zhang Jingzhi wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't. She had to give Xiao Xiao a strong shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on. With tears in her eyes, she reached out, wanting to pull Xiao Xiao's head onto her shoulder.
Xiao Xiao pushed her hand away, smiled, and shook her head. "Later, she still left the bar, carried away by a strange man. From that night on, Xiao Xiao was already dead, dead..."
She smiled, a smile blooming from the corner of her mouth, a smile of despair, yet dazzlingly beautiful.
Zhang Jingzhi could no longer control herself and hugged Xiao Xiao, crying and shouting, "Bastard, he's a bastard, let's go chop him up, let's chop him up!"
Xiao Xiao patted her back gently and chuckled, "It's all in the past. I'm not crying anymore, so why are you crying?"
After a long while, Zhang Jingzhi stopped sobbing, left Xiao Xiao's embrace, and looked at her with red eyes: "What happened?"
“I saw him at Jiang Sicheng’s house.”
"The Jiang family?"
Xiao Xiao laughed self-deprecatingly: "Yeah, he's Jiang Sicheng's cousin's boyfriend now, Jingzhi. This world is ridiculous, isn't it?"
"We can't let him get away with this so easily!" Zhang Jingzhi said, clenching her fists tightly.
"Why? What did he do wrong?" Xiao Xiao asked.
Zhang Jingzhi was taken aback by the question and couldn't say a word.
Xiao Xiao smiled and looked at Zhang Jingzhi: "It's my own fault for not cherishing myself, I can't blame anyone else."
"That--"
"I'm saying all this today because I've realized I can completely let go of these things, completely let go, you know? Jingzhi, when I saw him there, besides the initial shock and feeling that fate was playing tricks on me, I didn't feel anything else. There was no love, no hate, and no so-called resentment. At that moment, I knew I could truly let go, I could finally be free, and I was happy. Even when I saw him being humiliated by Jiang Sicheng's aunt at the dinner table, I felt a little sorry for him..."
"Is it because of Officer Jiang?" Zhang Jingzhi asked softly. It's not easy to completely let go of that embarrassing past. Although Xiao Xiao sounded relaxed, as if she were telling someone else's story, Zhang Jingzhi knew that she was not relaxed at all.
Xiao Xiao didn't say anything, and tried to find another cigarette, but this time she searched for a long time and couldn't find one. She looked up and gave Zhang Jingzhi an awkward smile.
Zhang Jingzhi reached out and grabbed Xiao Xiao's flustered hands, staring at her as she asked, "Do you have something else to say? You haven't finished."
Xiao Xiao's eyes were a little dull, but she still smiled, nodded, and said softly, "After leaving the Jiang family tonight, I told Jiang Sicheng about my past, including my past infatuation with that person. I didn't hide anything from him."
"Are you crazy!" Zhang Jingzhi said angrily, her eyes reddening. "These are all things of the past. Why do you still have to tell him these things? Besides, he should already know about your past life. Even if you didn't tell him, it wouldn't be considered hiding it from him. Why do you have to bring it up again?"
Xiao Xiao withdrew her hand and smiled bitterly: "I don't want him to always deceive himself, always guessing about my past with the best intentions. There are no absolute secrets in this world. Even if he can ignore it now, what about later? I don't want others to tell him about my past."
"Xiao Xiao, I always thought you were smart, but I never expected you to do something so stupid. Men are all petty, don't you really know that? If you tell him, it will become a thorn in his side! Don't you understand!"
Xiao Xiao buried her face in the steering wheel and said softly after a long while, "But if I don't say it, it will become a thorn in my heart forever." She chuckled, "In the end, I am still selfish. I would rather let this thorn stick in his heart than keep it in my own."
Zhang Jingzhi was truly speechless. She could only silently look at Xiao Xiao for a long time before hesitantly asking, "What was his response?"
"He didn't say anything, he just got out of the car." Xiao Xiao closed her eyes and smiled silently.
Zhang Jingzhi felt an indescribable sense of emotion, and could only gently pat Xiao Xiao's back and sigh, "Why do you have to do this?"
Xiao Xiao stood up, a bright smile on her face, but that smile stung Zhang Jingzhi's eyes.
"Fool! Why do you have to make things so difficult for yourself?" Zhang Jingzhi asked helplessly.
"Because I've truly let go this time. After seeing that person, I realized I'm truly free. So no matter how Jiang Sicheng reacts, Xiao Xiao will treat herself well, respect herself, and pursue her own happiness. She's only twenty-five, and she has a long future ahead of her. Even if she's alone, she'll walk well!"
Zhang Jingzhi smiled with relief, pretending to slap Xiao Xiao's head hard, but her hand fell very lightly. "It's not just one person," she smiled, "I'm here too."
"Yes, I know," Xiao Xiao nodded with a smile, her smile as pure as a child's. "Please grant me one request, okay?"
Zhang Jingzhi began to look at Xiao Xiao suspiciously, wishing she could find some clue on her face. Talking to her in this tone couldn't be good, but she couldn't not answer. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Jingzhi chose the safest answer: "Tell me first."
"Come in with me for a drink, okay? We'll die here and be reborn here."
Zhang Jingzhi gritted her teeth: "Fine! I'll risk my life!"
"You don't need to risk your life, you don't need to drink, just remember to take me home, little sister. Tonight, I'm entrusting myself to you. Remember to take me home." Xiao Xiao said, sounding like a brave warrior entrusting his orphan to someone.
“Okay!” Zhang Jingzhi said, resolutely pushing open the car door and getting out. The moment she turned around, she hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Several years have passed, and little has changed here. Young bodies dance on the dance floor, while lonely souls wander in the dim light. Xiao Xiao sits at the bar, downing glass after glass of wine, while Zhang Jingzhi sits quietly beside her, neither stopping nor advising her.
Xiao Xiao said she wasn't sad, but was that possible? If that man could no longer hurt Xiao Xiao starting tonight, then what about Jiang Sicheng? What did his silent departure mean to Xiao Xiao?
Zhang Jingzhi remained silent, but looking at Xiao Xiao in front of her, she knew that Xiao Xiao was far less strong than she appeared. To be honest, Zhang Jingzhi didn't fully understand Xiao Xiao's actions, but since she had already done it, all she could do was support her, regardless of whether she was right or wrong, just like the promise she had made to Xiao Xiao before: When the whole world abandons you, I will be with you; when you abandon the whole world, I will still be with you.
Some men came over to try and strike up a conversation, but Zhang Jingzhi didn't say much, only one sentence: "Brothers, she's mine." Then she half-closed her eyes, smiled at the men with a smirk, and didn't forget to weigh the half-broken glass bottle in her hand. Most of the men would pause for a moment, mutter "Damn!", and then turn and walk away. Everyone felt that these days it wasn't worth getting involved with a pervert over a woman.
Zhang Jingzhi felt that she had a natural talent for being a rogue, which was much easier than pretending to be a lady, and it was also very fulfilling.
Behind the bar, the handsome bartender smiled at Zhang Jingzhi, pushed a glass of juice in front of her, and said with a smile, "You're a unique girl, this is on you!"
Zhang Jingzhi shook her head, "Thanks! No need!" She glanced at Xiao Xiao, who was already passed out drunk, then took out her wallet and spread all the banknotes out on the table, counting them from left to right. As if she wasn't sure, she counted them from right to left again. Only then did she look up at the bartender with a very sincere gaze and ask, "Can I get a discount?"
The bartender was somewhat amused and shook his head slowly. Then, seeing the starlight in Zhang Jingzhi's eyes dim, he suddenly felt a pang of pity and was about to say a few words of comfort when he saw Zhang Jingzhi's eyes light up again. Pointing to the juice in front of her, she asked him, "How much is this?"
The bartender hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Twenty."
"You're treating me? You don't want any money?" Zhang Jingzhi asked again.
The bartender smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's on you."
Zhang Jingzhi smiled and pushed the glass back to the bartender, saying, "Twenty, right? I'll return it. Remember to give me my change."
The handsome bartender had seen unreasonable people before, but never one this unreasonable. For a moment, he forgot to speak, just staring blankly at Zhang Jingzhi. It took him a long time to come to his senses, then he lowered his head, clenched his fist, and chuckled softly for a long time. After laughing, he looked up at Zhang Jingzhi again, his eyes smiling. He reached into the cash on the counter, picked out the largest bill, placed it in front of Zhang Jingzhi, gathered the rest together, and then said with a smile, "Your friend is almost done. You should go home early; it's not safe for a girl to stay here late."
After finally getting Xiao Xiao into the car, Zhang Jingzhi was so exhausted that she could barely straighten her back. She regretted refusing the bartender's offer earlier. Who would have thought that a drunk woman would be so heavy? For the distance of a few dozen meters, Zhang Jingzhi hypnotized herself several times: This is a sack of RMB, this is a sack of US dollars, oh no, this is a sack of Euros!
Looking at Xiao Xiao, who was completely drunk, and then at the car, Zhang Jingzhi was genuinely worried. How was she supposed to drive this car? Although Xiao Xiao's car was automatic, requiring only a touch of the accelerator, Zhang Jingzhi was a driver without a license! It wasn't that she hadn't tried driving before; it was just that the driving school had refunded her entire tuition, and the instructor had pitifully told her, "Little Zhang, I think we shouldn't learn anymore. You don't necessarily have to know how to drive, right?"
With a determined heart and gritted teeth, Zhang Jingzhi plopped down in the driver's seat, trying to cheer herself up, when Xiao Xiao's phone rang, and showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. Zhang Jingzhi had no choice but to release the steering wheel and pull Xiao Xiao's phone out of her bag: "Hello!"
The person on the other end was clearly taken aback when they heard her voice, and then asked, "Where's Xiao Xiao?"
Zhang Jingzhi was furious and cursed angrily, "You bastard surnamed Jiang, you actually know how to make a phone call!"
...
Xiao Xiao ※ Chu Yang
Zhang Jingzhi was furious and cursed angrily, "You bastard surnamed Jiang, you actually know how to make a phone call!"
...
When Xiao Xiao opened her eyes, it was already bright outside. Her head felt numb, and when she moved it slightly, it felt like her brain had turned into jelly. It hurt terribly when she shook it. There was something poking under her neck, and it was so numb that she could hardly feel anything.
She turned her head and looked up at the man sleeping beside her. He had a square jaw with a faint bluish tinge. Xiao Xiao sighed and touched his face with her hand, feeling the slight prickling sensation under her fingertips. How could this man's beard be so stubborn? It had already sprouted up again after just one night.
Jiang Sicheng sensed her movement, slowly opened his eyes, and looked down at her.
"Have you figured it out?" Xiao Xiao asked softly.
“Okay, I understand,” Jiang Sicheng said.
"No regrets?"
Jiang Sicheng looked at her, pulled her closer with his numb arm, rested his chin on the top of her head, and said, word by word, "No regrets."
...
As May approached, Chu Yang's trip abroad was just one last formality away, but her heart grew heavier with each passing month. She wondered how long she could keep this a secret from Fang Yi, and what his reaction would be in his fury when he finally found out! She couldn't guess, and she didn't dare to guess.
Fang Yi is not someone to be trifled with. Putting aside everything else, this is evident from the fact that He Yiqian used his father's influence to trip up Fang Yi. After investigating for over half a month, the tax and public security departments hadn't made any progress, but the procuratorate had found some clues, which subtly pointed to Mayor He. Suddenly, the situation was somewhat unexpected and slipped out of certain people's control…
Huang Fei hadn't expected things to turn out this way between the eldest and fifth brothers. Although he didn't know much about Chu Yang's situation, he couldn't bear to see his former good brothers end up like this, so he acted as a mediator, constantly trying to reconcile Fang Yi and He Yiqian. But the two involved parties seemed completely unconcerned, greeting each other with smiles and calling him "elder brother" and "fifth brother" as usual, which infuriated Huang Fei. He thought to himself, "Do you even consider me a brother? Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you really think I can't see that you're fighting over that 'cucumber'?"
In the end, things got heated, and Huang Fei yelled at He Yiqian: "Fifth Brother, what are you pretending for? Do you think I don't know you've already been given a good scolding by your father? Even that damn tax bureau chief got into trouble because of you! I'm not saying this to criticize you, but we've been brothers for years, don't you know what kind of temper the eldest brother has? If you go and mess with him, aren't you just asking for trouble for your father? Don't even mention you, even your father has to give his family some face!"
No matter how much Huang Fei cursed, He Yiqian remained silent with a cold face. Huang Fei, on the other hand, was hoarse from cursing and fuming, but his anger hadn't subsided at all. Seeing He Yiqian's appearance only made him angrier. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him and cursing as he left: "Fine! I don't care anymore, you can do whatever you want!"
He'd said the harsh words, but could he really just ignore it? Unable to reason with He Yiqian, he cautiously went to Fang Yi, going against his own nature to subtly persuade him not to hold a grudge against Lao Wu. Fang Yi, unlike He Yiqian, didn't remain silent with a cold face. He simply smiled faintly and said, "Huang Fei, I know what you're thinking. It's not that I won't let Lao Wu go; it's that Lao Wu insisted on provoking me!"
"Brother, he's just a hothead, why bother arguing with him?"
Fang Yi ignored his words and simply asked with a light laugh, "Huang Fei, this has nothing to do with you, why are you getting involved?"
Huang Fei angrily ruffled his hair. "Big brother, we five brothers have a good relationship. Is this really why we're breaking up? I'm not willing to accept it! Just because of that brat Chu Yang?" Seeing Fang Yi's face darken, Huang Fei quickly smiled awkwardly and said, "Big brother, don't be angry. Don't you know how loose my tongue is? I can't keep it to myself!"
Fang Yi's expression softened a bit. He turned to look at the street outside the window and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "Second brother, you haven't met the person who will win your heart yet. When you do, you'll understand that many things are hard to explain."
"Brother, what Fifth Brother did was underhanded, but he kept it all from his father. His father is worried, he's scolded him, he's even hit him. Those two groups of people who came will be transferred away soon. You should loosen your grip a bit. After all, we've been friends since your grandfather's time, and we younger generation are all good brothers. It hasn't been easy for us, so why make things so tense!"
Fang Yi turned around and looked at Huang Fei with a half-smile: "These words don't sound like you at all."
Huang Fei smiled wryly: "The mayor's wife has already spoken to me. I hope this matter can be resolved easily."
"Oh? She contacted you?" Fang Yi smiled disdainfully. "It seems Mayor He is getting restless, so his wife stepped in."
"Big Brother—" Huang Fei wanted to say something, but Fang Yi pressed down on his shoulder and said with a smile, "Huang Fei, this is none of your business. Don't worry about so much. With this free time, you might as well go find the third and fourth brothers. They miss you a lot."