Zhao Xiyin was so angry that she pointed to the sky and swore a vicious oath, "I'll die of fatness, I'll become a big fat pig!"
Zhao Xiyin shook off his hand and ran away.
Zhou Qishen suffered a fracture in his right leg, far beyond what was possible. He slammed his fist against the wall, his entire body aching.
My phone vibrated; it was Gu Heping.
In high spirits, he eagerly walked into the line of fire, as if seeking credit and reward, saying, "Let me tell you, buddy, I went to great lengths to win over Xiao Xi. She should be here to see you by now, right? Has she come yet?"
Zhou Qishen closed his eyes, his whole body trembling as he gasped for breath, his voice shaking: "Gu Heping, did I dig up your ancestral grave or fuck your immortal? You're a real genius, even the King of Hell would be so scared of you that he'd cry and wail and beg for his mother."
Gu Heping was baffled. "I'm not looking for my mom. She's doing just fine at home. What, you found your mom? My goodness, that's great news, Boss Zhou!"
Zhou Qishen trembled, almost smashing his phone: "You'd better come to my funeral tomorrow, get over here and wear mourning clothes for me!!"
Chapter 42 You're a real scoundrel (3)
After hearing the whole story, Gu Heping realized, "Oh no, this is bad."
When he tried to apologize again, his number was blocked and he was deleted from his WeChat contacts. Zhou Qishen was truly angry.
Gu Heping spent the whole night venting at Lao Cheng's teahouse, "I was just trying to be helpful, but he and Xiao Zhao are so estranged, it's driving me crazy. I didn't do it on purpose, why is he being so ruthless? We've known each other for over ten years since we were in the army, is it really necessary?"
Old Cheng listened to his rambling, brewed tea, and added mint and dried tangerine peel while timing it perfectly, exuding a Zen-like tranquility.
"If it comes to Xiao Zhao's matter, do you believe he could kill you? The girl you found for him, doing all the personal work, during such a sensitive time, don't you find it chaotic? No, Gu Heping, if you're going to hire a caregiver, just hire a caregiver. Are all the men dead? Why did you need a woman?"
Gu Heping said with great seriousness, "Don't you think that girl looks a lot like Xiao Zhao? Brother Zhou likes that type. I just wanted him to see her and be reminded of her, so that his heart could find solace."
Old Cheng put down the tweezers. "Aren't you afraid he'll become infatuated?"
"He's injured like that, how can he still play? Unless the girl is willing to move herself on top."
Old Cheng shut him up, "You're crazy. Zhao Zhao, go upstairs."
Zhao Zhao was sitting cross-legged on the sofa watching a drama when she paused for a moment, then blushed and obediently went upstairs.
Gu Heping smiled wickedly. After everyone left, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Old Cheng, I remember that year during training in Mohe, you fell from a tree and injured your lumbar spine. Is it fully healed? Can you use your strength now?"
Old Cheng knew he was never serious and didn't want to engage with his rambling nonsense. He simply asked, "Tell me, why did you hire a female caregiver?"
"I met her when I was having dinner with a friend. She was a pitiful girl who needed tuition fees, but she had good grades. I was just trying to help her and do good deeds."
Old Cheng knew his character all too well, "If you're going to chase girls, then chase girls, but don't go around causing trouble."
Gu Heping chuckled, "I really haven't touched her. I might be getting a girlfriend soon."
Old Cheng believed him, lit a cigarette, and leisurely asked, "Who's so unlucky?"
"Li Ran".
Old Cheng choked on a puff of smoke and coughed violently, tears streaming down his face. "Gu Heping, are you out of your mind?! That's Xiao Zhao's best friend, her confidante. What, what, what is this?!"
Gu Heping laughed so hard he bent over, and Lao Cheng couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.
Old Cheng was convinced. He narrowed his eyes and gave a serious reminder, "There are some mines you shouldn't touch. If you touch one and it explodes, you'll get splattered with shit, Little Zhao will come after you, and Brother Zhou will turn against you."
Gu Heping frowned, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "Let's see how it goes first, nothing's decided yet."
——
After the unexpected incident that afternoon, Zhou Qishen lost all interest in his treatment and simply discharged himself from the hospital. His hand was still sore, so he couldn't drive; his secretary, Xu, picked him up. She dropped him off at Fanyue, ordered takeout, and that was it for the boss.
Zhou Qishen asked, "What's the rush? I didn't ask you to work overtime tonight."
Secretary Xu said, "It's not in a rush. My girlfriend made a late-night snack and is waiting for me at home."
Zhou Qishen felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart; the sweet, romantic gesture was both heartbreaking and painful. Later, he couldn't sit still any longer and picked up his phone to make a call. He knew he couldn't call Zhao Xiyin; he'd seen her stubbornness before—she was incredibly obstinate, and when she was angry, he couldn't coax her.
Zhou Qishen called Zhao Wenchun five or six times, only to receive the same reply: temporarily unavailable. Zhou Qishen realized that Teacher Zhao had blocked him.
After more than half a year of turmoil, Zhou Qishen felt heartbroken for the first time. It was as if the mountain supporting him had been moved by the Foolish Old Man, and the magic staff that stabilized the sea had been taken away by the Monkey King. He was isolated and helpless, the one abandoned by the world.
After sitting listlessly in the living room for an hour, Zhou Qishen finally went to take a shower, albeit slowly and sluggishly. When bad luck strikes, even bathwater can cause poisoning. Already limping and with a broken arm, he struggled to apply shampoo to his hair, and the bottle slipped from his grasp and fell into the bathtub.
Zhou Qishen endured the pain, bent down to pick it up, lost his balance, and fell solidly to the ground with a loud "thud" that echoed.
I landed on my buttocks with a really heavy thud; my tailbone went numb from the impact.
Zhou Qi cursed and sat naked on the cold tiles, too painful to move for half an hour. He finally emerged, limping and with a sore buttock, too weak to even put on his pants. He was humiliated, naked and disheveled.
Zhou Qishen flopped onto the bed, and his phone rang. It was Secretary Xu calling, dutifully reporting, "Mr. Zhou, I just heard some news. Xiao Xi's aunt is returning to China and will arrive in Beijing tomorrow afternoon."
Zhou Qishen has now witnessed what the end of the world truly means.
——
The group had extra training on Saturday, and Zhao Xiyin danced listlessly, but after two rehearsals of her choreography, her performance was still quite good. During the break, Cen Yue handed her her water bottle and glanced at her several times.
Zhao Xiyin noticed, took a sip, puffed out her cheeks, and swallowed before asking, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Cen Yue rolled her eyes, "No." Then she lowered her head and ran away, lost in thought.
After the break, they rehearsed several more times. Dai Yunxin and Su Ying entered near the end. Standing together, they proved that time could not diminish beauty; whether it was Dai Yunxin in her forties or Su Ying in her thirties, their individual charms shone brightly, making them a truly pleasing sight.
They watched the rehearsal once, remaining silent throughout, only exchanging a few words in hushed tones occasionally near the end.
What they discussed is unknown.