Fang Yi laughed, "Remember, you must kiss where it's appropriate, and you must touch where it's appropriate." Before he finished speaking, a hand slipped inside Chu Yang's sweater from her waist...
Zhang Jingzhi was dumbfounded. Seeing her cousin about to put on a show of "selling tofu at a loss" here, she finally couldn't bear it any longer. She stood up from the sofa with a "whoosh" and was about to rush forward to grab Chu Yang.
With a loud "slap!", Fang Yi received a hard slap on the face from Chu Yang, and he was stunned for a moment.
Chu Yang was also a little stunned. In her anger, she had swung her hand without thinking. She hadn't expected it to hit so hard. As she watched the anger in Fang Yi's eyes gradually subside, she suddenly felt very regretful. She had just touched him. Anyway, there wasn't much to touch there. Maybe he wouldn't even be able to find the right spot!
The two looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Zhang Jingzhi (revised)
Standing to the side, Zhang Jingzhi couldn't see the undercurrents between the two. She reached out and precisely grabbed Chu Yang's wrist. Forgetting about maintaining any ladylike demeanor, she pulled Chu Yang away from Fang Yi's arms. Chu Yang stumbled and almost fell onto the coffee table, tripping over several pieces of garlic before regaining her balance.
"You brat! Do you want to live anymore? You're really going to play around like this, huh? What do you want? You really think I won't spank you? You little brat, you dare to play like this? How can you be so spineless? Aren't you ashamed? If you really want to get angry, I'll go tell your mother?"
Chu Yang was a little dazed by Zhang Jingzhi's scolding, but he was able to escape Fang Yi's clutches. Even his cousin's scolding sounded so kind. Although his cousin was scolding him angrily, her expression clearly showed that she cared about him, and he felt a warmth in his heart.
The private room fell silent instantly. Everyone listened dumbfounded to Zhang Jingzhi's shrewish rant, speechless. Fang Yi frowned, stood up, and reached out to pull Chu Yang away from Zhang Jingzhi. He had just opened his mouth to say, "Hey—"
"Shut up!" Zhang Jingzhi yelled at him, pulling Chu Yang back behind her before turning to Fang Yi. Her words came out like a machine gun: "What are you yelling about? It's not your turn yet, why are you in such a hurry to be yelled at? Why are you frowning? I'm yelling at you, get it straight! We're the ones paying, why are you hitting us? If anyone should hit us, it should be us! What are you trying to gain by taking advantage of? Don't you have any professional ethics? Didn't you get any training before you started? You think she's easy to bully because she's small?"
Seeing Fang Yi's face darken, Chu Yang hurriedly reached behind Zhang Jingzhi to pull at her clothes, but Zhang Jingzhi slapped her hand away. Chu Yang was exasperated and continued pulling. Only then did Zhang Jingzhi turn around, glare at her, and whisper, "What are you pulling at? You slapped him! If we don't have the guts, he'll try to blackmail you! Do you even have the money? Stupid girl, we have to make him feel guilty! Damn it, you dare to play with a man like that? Do you even have a brain?"
Chu Yang was stunned. She hadn't expected that Zhang Jingzhi's righteous and stern scolding would have such a purpose. She felt both amused and exasperated.
As if she hadn't scolded him enough, Zhang Jingzhi turned around and pointed at Fang Yi's nose, scolding, "Trying to swindle money? Even if you want to cheat people out of money, you have to choose your target carefully, okay?" As she spoke, she pulled Chu Yang out from behind her and shook her a couple of times, "Does she look like she has money? She's still a student, and she even cheats me out of food and drinks. You think you can cheat her out of money?"
"Open your eyes and look carefully," she said, turning her finger from Fang Yi to Jiang Xiaoruo, "She's the sugar daddy, okay? She's the one who's paying! You should be looking for her, shouldn't you?"
When Jiang Xiaoruo saw Zhang Jingzhi suddenly pointing at her, she was so startled that she quickly dodged to the side and blurted out, "I have no money!"
“Even if she’s not good enough, you can’t go after a child. You should at least find someone more mature, right? At least, at least,” Zhang Jingzhi twirled her finger before finally landing on Xiao Xiao, pointing at her and saying, “It should at least be someone like this, right?”
Fang Yi crossed his arms and coldly watched Zhang Jingzhi peck at anyone she could get her hands on like a mad hen. Then he saw her point at the woman who had been hiding in the shadows. He narrowed his eyes, glanced at Xiao Xiao with an awkward smile, and raised an eyebrow.
Seeing that she couldn't avoid it any longer, Xiao Xiao had no choice but to stand up and force a smile, "Hehe, hehe, hello boss, hehe, what a coincidence—ah?"
Everyone was taken aback, and their eyes immediately focused on Xiao Xiao, then quickly shifted to Fang Yi. Xiao Xiao quickly walked to Zhang Jingzhi's side and said with a smile, "This is my boss, Fang Yi, hehe."
He then turned to Fang Yi and introduced him with a smile, "These are all my friends, hehe, everyone come and see what's new." He then turned to Zhang Jingzhi and frowned, saying, "I told you not to drink so much, but you wouldn't listen. You've gotten drunk and are causing trouble! Really!" As he spoke, he winked at Zhang Jingzhi.
Zhang Jingzhi frowned slightly, glanced at Fang Yi, and then looked suspiciously at Xiao Xiao. She thought to herself, "So this is the 'top-notch' boss you were talking about? What's wrong with you? Why are you blinking? So what if he's the boss? He's not mine anyway. I've already yelled at him, what else can I do? Why do you want me to pretend to be drunk? Besides, the drinks here are so expensive. That stingy girl Jiang Xiaoruo barely ordered any beer, and I haven't even had a couple of sips yet. What's the point of being drunk?!"
“Yeah, yeah, sis, you really shouldn’t have drunk so much. Even if you’re heartbroken, you don’t have to be like this. It’s not worth it for that man!” Chu Yang hurriedly said, reaching out to help Zhang Jingzhi up, and whispered in her ear, “He’s the gangster I was talking about!”
Zhang Jingzhi felt her legs go weak, and she almost collapsed as if drunk, clinging to Chu Yang. Good heavens, was he the underworld boss Chu Yang was hiding from? No wonder he didn't look like he was here to be a gigolo! Oh my god, would she be killed? Would she get beaten up? Was she the one who just cursed? What did she say? If she had known it was him, even if her aunt chopped her up when she got back, she wouldn't have stood up and cursed. If she had known it was him, she wouldn't have said a word, even if she bled Jiang Xiaoruo dry!
"Leave me alone, I'm not drunk, I want to drink more!" Zhang Jingzhi buried her head in Chu Yang's shoulder and reached for the beer bottle on the coffee table again. "I'm not drunk, what do you know? Do you know the bitterness in my heart? I don't blame anything else, he shouldn't have lied to me! He shouldn't have lied to me, he clearly doesn't like me, why did he lie to me?"
Zhang Jingzhi's voice was already tinged with tears. She grabbed the bottle and took a swig. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fang Yi with a cold smile on his lips, watching her with an expression of watching a good show. She quickly took another swig, choked, and tears really flowed down her face. She mumbled something incoherently, but her body slumped down, just like she had been drinking. She only managed to stay upright because Xiao Xiao and Chu Yang were supporting her.
Looking at his cousin's tear-streaked face and pained expression, Chu Yang almost shouted "Good!" Wow, she got into character so quickly!
When Xiao Xiao saw Zhang Jingzhi like this, she quickly called Jiang Xiaoruo over to support Zhang Jingzhi. Jiang Xiaoruo was a little confused and didn't know why the tone of the play had suddenly changed from "a shrew cursing in the street" to "a resentful woman drunk." It wasn't until Xiao Xiao called her several times that she finally rushed over to support Zhang Jingzhi.
"You guys hurry up and take her back, don't let her cause a scene here while she's drunk," Xiao Xiao instructed. "I've already paid the bill, you guys go out first and wait in my car."
Chu Yang hurriedly helped Zhang Jingzhi out. Jiang Xiaoru hesitated for a moment, still wanting to be polite to Xiao Xiao, but seeing Xiao Xiao wink at her, she quickly followed her out.
Fang Yi didn't move, watching Zhang Jingzhi and the others walk out with a cold smile. He saw that woman, who was clearly "drunk" and almost unconscious, was still clinging to someone else, but her feet were moving faster and more nimbly than anyone else's.
"Papa" had heard the commotion outside. Seeing Zhang Jingzhi and the others leave, he came in with a puzzled look. He was surprised to see Fang Yi standing inside. He was stunned for a moment, then reacted and came over to greet him respectfully, "Brother Fang!" Seeing the boys still standing there dumbfounded, he quickly scolded, "Hurry up and come see Brother Fang! You bunch of country bumpkins! Don't you even recognize Brother Fang?"
Fang Yi waved his hand, signaling them all to leave. Seeing Fang Yi's unfriendly expression, "Papa Sang" didn't dare to say anything more and quickly led the men away.
Xiao Xiao chuckled dryly and nodded to Fang Yi: "Boss, I'm sorry, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. My friend is going through a breakup and is feeling down. She drank too much and has been acting crazy for half the day. Please don't hold it against her!"
"How come you're so clear about the rules when you're cursing? Drunk? With just half a bottle of beer?" Fang Yi sneered.
Xiao Xiao (revised)
Xiao Xiao followed Fang Yi's gaze, swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and laughed, "Boss, is it really necessary to argue with a woman like this? For my sake, let it go. We're all acquaintances. What more do you want?"
"Who is Chu Yang to you?" Fang Yi suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Xiao Xiao was taken aback. Recalling the scene between her boss and Chu Yang earlier, and knowing vaguely about her boss's past background and Chu Yang's behavior, she immediately guessed that the gangster Chu Yang mentioned was likely her boss. Fearing that he would cause trouble for Chu Yang again, she quickly said, "My sister, for my sake—"
"Sister?" Fang Yi sneered, interrupting Xiao Xiao.
"Uh, a friend's," Xiao Xiao said with a dry laugh, glancing guiltily at Fang Yi before correcting herself, "my cousin."
Fang Yi nodded. "Alright, you can go now."
Xiao Xiao quickly walked outside, but stopped again as she passed Fang Yi. Her smile faded, and she said in a low voice, "She's still a student."
Fang Yi stared coldly at Xiao Xiao without saying a word.
Xiao Xiao sighed and walked out.
Xiao Xiao came out and saw Zhang Jingzhi and Jiang Xiaoruo stamping their feet in the cold by her car. She realized that she had forgotten to give them the car keys. She quickly took a few steps, opened the car door, and turned on the heater before asking Zhang Jingzhi, "Where is Chu Yang?"
Zhang Jingzhi rolled her eyes at Xiao Xiao, quickly got into the car, and said irritably, "Her? She runs faster than a rabbit. That girl is so heartless. I bet she'll have her bags packed by the time you get home."
Jiang Xiaoruo didn't get into the car with them, saying that she was going in a different direction and that she could just take a taxi.
Seeing that so many things had happened tonight, Xiao Xiao didn't insist on giving her any more credit. She just helped her call a taxi and let her go first before driving Zhang Jingzhi home.
No one expected what would happen that night. The two didn't say a word the whole way. When the car arrived at Zhang Jingzhi's building, Zhang Jingzhi said to Xiao Xiao, "Take your time on your way back," opened the car door, and was about to get out.
Xiao Xiao suddenly said, "Wait a minute, I have something to tell you."
Zhang Jingzhi glanced at Xiao Xiao, then sat back down in her seat and closed the car door.
Xiao Xiao didn't speak, took out a cigarette, lit it, took a few puffs, and then said calmly, "Chu Yang's matter is really a bit tricky. Although he is my boss, we don't have any private dealings or friendships. I don't know much about him either. It seems that he does have some underworld background. I can't tell if he has really gotten into a fight with Chu Yang. If all else fails, you should let Chu Yang go into hiding. It's better to avoid getting involved with that kind of man who is rich, powerful, and has a somewhat unclear background."
Zhang Jingzhi scoffed, "That girl Chu Yang is young, but she's got a lot of ideas. I'm really in a dilemma. I don't know whether to tell her mother or not. If I do, I don't know what kind of trouble it will cause. If I don't tell her, and something happens later, I'll probably be held responsible." Zhang Jingzhi was somewhat annoyed. "Damn it, how could that brat have gotten involved with someone like that? I always thought someone like your boss would be interested in someone like you, which makes perfect sense!"
Xiao Xiao chuckled, flicked her cigarette ash, and looked at Zhang Jingzhi: "We don't need to play games between us. To be honest, I don't care much about Chu Yang. She's your cousin, not mine. What I want to ask you is what's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" Zhang Jingzhi looked surprised, then folded her hands and gently placed them on her sides, regaining her gentle and virtuous lady-like expression. She widened her eyes slightly and asked, "I'm fine, what's wrong?"
Xiao Xiao glanced at Zhang Jingzhi with disdain and pouted, "Don't try to play games with me. Stop acting all ladylike. You've been acting crazy all day."
Zhang Jingzhi then grinned and said, "You already know I'm acting crazy, so why are you asking?"
"You were really into it today. I saw you having sex from the morning until tonight, and you finally reached your climax," Xiao Xiao said calmly, her eyes narrowed.
When Zhang Jingzhi heard Xiao Xiao say that she had even drawn a "climax", she almost rolled her eyes and fainted from anger. "Please, beautiful lady, can you not use those two words? I feel like those two words have a different meaning as soon as they come out of your mouth."
Xiao Xiao laughed, "Maybe it's just that the lewd see lewdness." Then her smile faded, and she asked, "You would never normally be like this, what's wrong with you today? Is it because of Yang Lei?"
Zhang Jingzhi didn't speak, but turned her head to stare quietly out of the car. After a long while, she finally let out a breath and said softly, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just so angry today. I want to argue with people and fight."
Xiao Xiao stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, thought for a moment, and said, "If it doesn't work out, just give up. Why make things difficult for yourself? I've only met Yang Lei once, but I can tell he's not right for you. Men are all a bit perverse; you can't expect to get something in return for your efforts."
Zhang Jingzhi smiled bitterly, then pointed at Xiao Xiao's nose and started cursing, "You brat, you're the one who made me chase after you, and you're the one who made me give up on you. Are you playing me for a fool? No way! Now that I've made up my mind, I'm not backing down!"
Xiao Xiao laughed and reached out to brush Zhang Jingzhi's fingers away. "I told you to pursue men, but I didn't mean to fight to the death with a turtle shell that can't be cracked, did I? It's okay to try, but you need to know when to back down, especially when it comes to relationships. Many times, it's wiser to back down than to never give up."
“I know and understand this principle, but I just can’t give up,” Zhang Jingzhi said.
"It's come to this?" Xiao Xiao asked.
Zhang Jingzhi nodded, "Didn't you also say I'm the repressed type? It feels like I've been holding it in for over twenty years, and it just suddenly burst out. There's nothing I can do about it. At worst, I'll just have to grow up eventually!"
Xiao Xiao didn't know what to say. She turned her head and thought for a long time before saying, "Don't put yourself in the position of a savior goddess. This is not love at all. You're just competing."
Zhang Jingzhi remained silent.
Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a bit irritable, so she took out another cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and then said, "Aren't you crazy? Go find a cigarette and slap it on your head?"
Zhang Jingzhi laughed and raised an eyebrow at Xiao Xiao, "I'm having a fit, so what?"
"Would you like to hear me tell you a story?" Xiao Xiao suddenly asked.
Zhang Jingzhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, as if laughing at herself, or perhaps at Xiao Xiao, and sneered, "Tell me a true story? Is it about yourself? Xiao Xiao, I know you mean well, but I don't want to hear it right now. Why don't you wait until my story has developed to a certain point, and then tell me? Let's see if I can finish the second half for you."
After a long pause, he turned to look at Xiao Xiao and said, "I saw a passage like this in a book a few days ago, and I found it quite interesting."
Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow at Zhang Jingzhi, waiting for her next words.
"It says that in one's life, one will always meet someone who hurts you and someone you hurt. Finally, you will meet someone with whom you owe each other nothing, and then the two of you can live a peaceful life together. A marriage where one loves another too much or is loved too much by another will never last. I don't know if what she said is true or not, so I want to try it myself and see if the first person I meet is here to hurt me, or if I am the one who hurts them."
Xiao Xiao remained silent, only smoking quietly. Zhang Jingzhi opened the car door and got out, waving at her to signal her to go back, but she was somewhat dazed, still thinking about the so-called "three-person theory".
It seems the person who hurt me has already appeared. But what about the person I'm meant to hurt? Has that person yet to appear, or has they been forgotten in the mundane world? And what about the last one, the one with whom I owe nothing? Will that really happen?
Zhang Jingzhi (revised)
Zhang Jing went upstairs, went home, and went to sleep. When the back of her head hit the pillow, she glanced at the clearly visible "bracelet" on her wrist, paused for a moment, then picked up her phone, dialed a number, and was about to call when her thumb touched the call button. She then regretted it, deleted the number, dialed Chu Yang's number, and made the call.
"Should we tell your mom?" she asked.
Chu Yang thought for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "No need!"
Zhang Jingzhi said, "Okay!"
Then I hung up the phone, closed my eyes, and went to sleep. Damn it, I have to go to work tomorrow. If only someone could take care of me!
The next morning, just before I was about to leave work, Xiao Xiao called: "Has your sister gone crazy?"
Zhang Jing was taken aback. She greeted her colleague and went outside to answer a call.
It turned out that when Xiao Xiao returned home last night, she found that Chu Yang had indeed packed his bags, just as Zhang Jingzhi had said, and was ready to leave. Xiao Xiao said, "It's so late, there's nothing else to do, if you're going to leave, leave tomorrow." Chu Yang seemed to be thinking about something as well. He picked up his simple luggage and was about to leave, but when he reached the door, for some reason, he suddenly seemed to have made a major decision, slammed the door shut, turned back to Xiao Xiao, and said, "I'm not leaving!"
Xiao Xiao didn't think much of it and went to work as usual the next day. The entanglement between the boss and Chu Yang was between them and had nothing to do with her, she thought. But when it was almost noon, Chu Yang suddenly came to see her, not to see her, but to see Fang Yi.
According to Xiao Xiao's own words, when she saw Chu Yang come out of Fang Yi's office, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. She wasn't usually a busybody, but this time she couldn't hold back and pulled Chu Yang aside to ask what was going on. Chu Yang calmly told her that she wanted to have a proper relationship with Fang Yi! However, the postgraduate entrance exam was approaching, and she was worried that it would affect her exam, so she asked Fang Yi not to disturb her before the exam. She also said that if they were together in the future, Fang Yi had to be faithful to her, at least until they broke up.
Zhang Jingzhi almost fainted when she heard this. She realized that there was a real generation gap between her and Chu Yang. It seems that nowadays, the generation gap can no longer be measured in years, but in months and days.
Xiao Xiao added, "That's not the most shocking thing. The most shocking thing is that Fang Yi actually agreed to all these conditions!"
Zhang Jingzhi really felt she couldn't sit still any longer. She had to go see Chu Yang. After all, she was her cousin whom she had watched grow up since childhood. If something really happened to her, especially if it happened right under her nose, her fierce aunt might actually chop her up with a knife!
Zhang Jingzhi quickly asked the director for two hours off. Adding the one hour at noon, she figured it would be enough for her to make a round trip. Without even taking off her uniform, she put on a coat and took a taxi straight to Xiao Xiao's small apartment.