Zhou Zijian patted Chen Yuanxing on the shoulder, "Let's go, the driver is here, he'll take you home."
38. Arguing
Thinking about Chen Yuanxing's strange behavior tonight, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but worry. Finally, she hurriedly put aside her work and rushed home around nine o'clock. She bought his favorite braised pork intestine rice noodles, opened the door, and said, "Xingxing, look what I brought you!" It was dark. She fumbled for the light switch and closed the door. "Huh, asleep? Why did you turn off the light?"
The bedroom was empty. His so-called studio, always a mess when he came home from get off work, was also empty. Where did he go? She called his cell phone; it rang for a long time without answering. She called again a while later, but it was switched off. Xiao Qiqi put away the rice noodles, thinking he might have gone to exercise, but his workout clothes were all at home. Where could he be? Never mind him for now, she'd better clean up the house. She quickly tidied up the studio, which he had just turned into a complete mess. Looking at the clock, it was almost eleven o'clock. Why wasn't he back yet? Grabbing the half-empty pack of 520 cigarettes on the table, she muttered to herself, "My smoking habit is getting worse!"
I sat on the balcony and lit a 520 cigarette. The cool, mellow smoke quickly dispelled the fatigue in my mind. Feeling a bit lazy, I kept looking down at the road below. Where did he go? I was a little worried. Was he really angry?
It was almost one o'clock when Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but yawn. She dialed her phone again, but the same cold female voice said, "The number you dialed is currently switched off." Xiao Qiqi got up and paced around the room, thinking of someone.
Zhou Zijian lazily took out his phone and looked at Chen Yuanxing, who was standing beside him with his head turned to the side and his eyes closed. "Young Master, is your wife calling? Are you going to answer?"
Chen Yuanxing was still holding his breath, thinking, "Ah, let her taste the bitterness of waiting too!" So he said, "I won't answer."
Zhou Zijian shrugged. "Did you two have a fight?"
"No!" Chen Yuanxing said impatiently. "Stop talking nonsense and say you didn't see me."
Zhou Zijian answered the phone, politely exchanged a few words with Xiao Qiqi, and stated definitively that he had never seen Chen Yuanxing. By this time, the car had already arrived outside the alley. Zhou Zijian hung up the phone. "So, should I drop him off here or go inside?"
Chen Yuanxing got out of the car and said, "I'll walk back myself. Remember, don't let anything about that woman slip by."
Zhou Zijian understood and waved his hand: "Alright, you're henpecked!"
Zhou Zijian drove away, and Chen Yuanxing sat by the roadside. After waiting for about half an hour, he thought it was about time, and then leisurely hummed a little tune as he went home.
Xiao Qiqi was so anxious she stamped her feet. Besides Zhou Zijian, she really didn't know anything about Chen Yuanxing's friends—where he lived, his home phone number, who his friends were, or who they usually associated with. It was only then that Xiao Qiqi realized she knew almost nothing about him. Frustrated, she buried her face in her hands. Had she really been so negligent? He stayed home alone every day, while she often worked overtime until one or two in the morning. When he called to urge her, she would either not answer or give him a curt reply. What was he feeling? Was he always so anxious and distressed?
The sound of footsteps on the stairs and the door opening startled Xiao Qiqi. She jumped up, quickly opened the door, and exclaimed joyfully, "Yuanxing!" But then she smelled a pungent odor of alcohol. She had been so worried; it turned out he had gone drinking! Her voice rose again, "You went drinking?"
"Yeah, let's drink!" Chen Yuanxing walked in nonchalantly, pulled off his coat, and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Do you know how worried I was about you!" Xiao Qiqi was annoyed when she saw his expression. She was so anxious that she was about to call the police, fearing that something had happened to him. In the end, it turned out that the young master had gone out to have fun!
"Hehe, you're allowed to go out and fool around every day, but I'm not allowed to go out and have fun?" Chen Yuanxing squinted at Xiao Qiqi provocatively.
Xiao Qiqi got even angrier: "What do you mean by that? I'm just messing around all day? I go to work, okay? Do you think everyone is like you, doing nothing at home all day?"
"Ha, you're telling the truth now, aren't you? You think I'm just idle!" Chen Yuanxing started off joking, but after sitting outside for a while, the cold wind and the effects of the alcohol kicked in. Xiao Qiqi's comment about being idle, which directly contradicted his father's words, hurt his pride, and he became genuinely angry. "What, now that you're a manager, your standards have risen, and you look down on me? I stay at home, and you say I'm idle; I go out for a drink, and you make a scene. What exactly do you want from me?"
Xiao Qiqi was speechless with anger. Chen Yuanxing had never challenged her like this before. His words were too harsh. She gritted her teeth, suppressing the anger that had just risen in her heart. Oh well, he was drunk. She would not argue with him. She went over and helped him take off his clothes: "I'll talk to you tomorrow when you're sober. Go take a shower first."
"I'm not taking a shower!" Chen Yuanxing rudely pushed Xiao Qiqi's hand away. "You still haven't told me if you're disgusted with me!"
Xiao Qiqi withdrew her hand and smelled an unfamiliar perfume scent. She frowned and sniffed. It was indeed a woman's rose perfume. "Who were you drinking with?"
"Who I'm with is none of your business," Chen Yuanxing said impatiently, staring at Xiao Qiqi. "Tell me, do you think I'm unmanly? Do you think I'm childish? Do you think I'm idle?"
Xiao Qiqi's heart sank. He used to joke around, exaggerating how much time he'd spent seducing a beautiful woman, but never before had he smelled of a woman's perfume while refusing to admit it. She recalled all the tricks he'd used to get her, all just the result of male desire. So, what about now? Was he, like most men, tired of her? Disgusted? He wasn't on her level to begin with, and living this miserable life with her must have been unbearable for a long time. Thinking about it, she couldn't help but get stuck in a rut. He saw all her past; would he really cherish and love her as he promised?
Xiao Qiqi felt her palms grow cold. She slowly stood up, straightened her back, and said coldly, "I'm not going to argue with you! If you're tired of this, if you feel wronged, or if you find a better woman, leave immediately. I won't stop you."
Chen Yuanxing swayed as he stood up, staring into her eyes like a leopard. "That's not right, Xiao Qiqi. Shouldn't I be the one saying these things? I know women like strong men. You've seen more of the world now, and you know more people. You know in your heart whether you find me repulsive or not! Do you care about me? Where I go, what I do, what I think? Do you care? Not at all! I'm not even as good as your blueprints. You'd rather spend every day at the company construction site looking at those blueprints and structures than spend more time with me. That's the truth! I knew it all along. It's been a game I've been playing all by myself. You know what's in your heart, and who it belongs to!"
"Yes, I know best who I hold in my heart!" Xiao Qiqi bit her lip, holding back tears. "Anyway, it's not you, Chen Yuanxing!" She tossed out those words, rushed into her room, and slammed the door shut. She collapsed onto the bed, and tears she had held back for so long streamed down her face like rain. It was all a lie. He said he would wait, he said he loved her, he said he didn't care—he cared about everything, he cared about everything! He wasn't any different. He got tired of her so quickly, he couldn't wait any longer, he found new prey so quickly, didn't he?
Chen Yuanxing was startled by the loud thud on the door. He rubbed his forehead in realization. Good heavens, what had he said? He was just teasing her, how did it turn out like this? It was all the alcohol's fault! Chen Yuanxing swayed as he sat down, slapping his forehead. Hearing Xiao Qiqi's faint sobs from inside, his mind went even more blank. What had he just said? Right, he said she didn't have Chen Yuanxing in her heart at all! Chen Yuanxing abruptly looked up, staring blankly at the bedroom door. A sharp pain welled up in his heart. Was it still not him? Was it still not love?
Chen Yuanxing slammed his fist against the wall in frustration, his knuckles aching, but the pain was nothing compared to the rage in his heart. He stumbled into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. Suddenly, he saw his own face, chilled with anger, reflected in the mirror. He gave a bitter laugh. Was this the result he wanted? He knew from the beginning that her heart wouldn't be so easily captured, so why force it? Was everything tonight truly an impulsive act of alcohol? They'd only been together for a few months, and they were already arguing and complaining? It was time to sober up!
Pushing open the bedroom door, Chen Yuanxing found Xiao Qiqi already sobbing, wrapped in a blanket, huddled weakly in the corner, hugging her large teddy bear, her delicate shoulders trembling slightly. Chen Yuanxing walked over, lay down beside her, and gently hugged her, saying, "Don't cry, Qiqi, your crying is breaking my heart."
"Get out!" Xiao Qiqi choked back tears as she pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Chen Yuanxing hugged her even tighter and nestled his face in the crook of her shoulder.
In front of him, Xiao Qiqi was always her most authentic self. If it were before, her proud and stubborn self would never have compromised so easily. "Get out of here and change your clothes!"
Chen Yuanxing loosened his grip, sniffed his arm; the strong rose perfume scent had faded, yet still lingered. "Ah!" he exclaimed in alarm. So that's how it is! He quickly stripped off his clothes, just about to crawl into bed, when he heard Xiao Qiqi coldly slam a large teddy bear down on his head, yelling, "Get out of my way!"
"Hehe, can I go take a shower now?" Chen Yuanxing got up helplessly.
After quickly taking a shower and clearing his head, Chen Yuanxing was troubled. How could he end tonight's argument? What was she thinking? Would she stay angry forever?
"Qiqi?" Chen Yuanxing tentatively hugged Xiao Qiqi, but his hand was slapped away.
"Sister?" She clung to him again. "Don't be angry, I didn't mean it, really." She said, feeling wronged, "You always call me a child and say I'm idle. I'm afraid you'll look down on me."
"I didn't! You're the one who's hiding something." Xiao Qiqi finally said a few more words.
Chen Yuanxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "...I did go drinking with a beautiful woman today, but I definitely didn't do anything else."
"What else do you want to do?" Xiao Qiqi pinched his hand on his waist. "Go on a date with a beautiful woman, get drunk, not answer the phone, throw a tantrum, and argue with me?"
"I... I really didn't mean it. I was just teasing you, but you said those things to me, and I got drunk and started talking nonsense."
"I'm not just talking nonsense, I have something on my mind."
Chen Yuanxing sighed, "Yes, I've been very afraid because of what I'm thinking. I'm afraid you'll dislike me and kick me out."
"...I didn't!" Xiao Qiqi paused. "Then why won't you admit you went drinking with a beautiful woman? And why didn't you answer my calls?"
"My phone was dead, I really didn't hear your call. Maybe...maybe I was drinking and bragging with Lao Zhou and the others and didn't notice. A beautiful lady, hehe..." Chen Yuanxing started to laugh it off.
Hearing this, Xiao Qiqi knew that he must have been caught by Lao Zhou and his gang again and was making up stories. Perhaps the so-called beauties were all vain and were taken advantage of by those guys. "Lao Zhou is really hateful. I called him and he said he had never seen you before. I didn't expect him to take you out to fool around."
"No way! I deliberately stopped him from saying it. I wanted you to experience what it's like to be lost and helpless while waiting for someone, is that not allowed?" she said righteously.
Xiao Qiqi's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but choke up again. She obediently turned around and nestled in his arms. "...I thought something had happened to you. Please don't scare me like this in the future, okay? I always call you when I work overtime, but you just ran away like that. How am I supposed to feel?"
"It won't happen again." Chen Yuanxing kissed her forehead. "You are my dearest wife, and I report everything to you! But... if you really don't like me staying home all the time, then I'll go to work tomorrow, okay?"
“Well, it’s good to go to work. Otherwise, you’ll always be overthinking things when you’re home alone. You might get angry one day and start arguing with me, or even run away from home.” Xiao Qiqi said sullenly. “But I don’t mind that you’re home all day. You’re not really doing nothing. I’m just worried that you’ll get bored.”
"I'm not bored. Just thinking about my sister coming home to cook for me and talk to me makes me feel happy." Chen Yuanxing continued to kiss her cheek, which still tasted slightly salty, probably from when she was crying.
"So where are you going to work? With Lao Zhou?"
Chen Yuanxing paused, "...Well, if Lao Zhou doesn't mind me causing him trouble."
39. Plain and uneventful
"Huh?" Chen Yuanxing's eyes widened and he jumped up. "Xiao Qiqi, I object!"
Xiao Qiqi winked and smiled brightly, "Objection overruled. Given your scumbag record of hiding money and your despicable behavior of flirting with beautiful women, your allowance will be... one yuan starting today!"
"Woo woo..." The howl turned into a puppy's whimper. Xiao Qiqi put on her shoes and beckoned to him: "I'm going to the mall to shop. If you're in a bad mood, you can stay home and keep crying. Be a good girl and wait for me to come back."
Chen Yuanxing stopped pretending to cry, quickly got up, and looked for his shoes: "I'll go too."
"Waaah, sister, I don't have any shoes. Can you buy me a new pair?" These cheap canvas shoes costing fifty yuan are so embarrassing!
Xiao Qiqi laughed: "Put them on, I'll buy you new shoes later."
"Really?" Bubbles of happiness kept rising.
Shopping mall. "Xiao Qiqi, you stingy woman, I want those pairs!"
"Too expensive!" Xiao Qiqi decisively grabbed another pair, feeling a pang of heartache as she paid—two hundred and eighty-three! Chen Yuanxing's hidden stash of money! The pair he wanted, aha, cost over a thousand!
Muttering to herself all the way, filled with resentment and anger, she refused to eat dinner! Chen Yuanxing was like a naughty child, making Xiao Qiqi both angry and amused, yet she was also very happy. It's impossible not to keep someone like that in your heart, isn't it?
Our time together was filled with ups and downs, day after day. Occasionally we'd argue, sometimes we'd get angry, sometimes we'd get bored, but most of the time we were happy and joyful.
Chen Yuanxing was always as cheerful and carefree as ever, turning today's unhappiness into tomorrow's source of joy. He still loved to act like a spoiled young master, resolutely refusing to eat vegetables, resolutely yearning for gourmet food and beautiful women, resolutely hiding his allowance, and resolutely envying designer brands. Xiao Qiqi, as always, remained steadfast, tormenting this two-faced guy in her own way, yet her heart warmed day by day, and she tucked that person deep into her heart.
Chen Yuanxing wasn't as carefree as he seemed on the surface; sometimes he was so tender and caring that it was heartbreaking. He would still make her brown sugar water during those painful days, massage her stomach, and hold her cold body in his arms to warm her with his own body heat; he would still remember to remind her not to drink alcohol at banquets, not to drink cold water after get off work, and to eat; he would bring her an umbrella when it rained, holding her in his arms and letting himself get soaked; he would still be harsh and irritating to Xiao Qiqi, and also sweet-talk her until she forgot who she was; he would still make the house look like a garbage dump, and still couldn't do housework; he would still watch boring TV dramas and tell Xiao Qiqi about them little by little at night, and he had even learned to smoke, but only 520 cigarettes…
Xiao Qiqi's life gradually became filled with work and Chen Yuanxing. She would remember to call him in her busy schedule to remind him not to eat junk food; she would be extremely busy at work just to avoid overtime, so she could cook for him when she got home; she would smile happily as she watched him frown while eating vegetables; she would wash his hair and tidy up his messy room; she would buy him clothes and take care of his chaotic life; she would pretend to be angry at his "womanizing" behavior and watch his smug and arrogant smile; she would listen to his endless complaints when she worked overtime or went on business trips...
Chen Yuanxing collaborated with Zhou Zijian on a game development project. He spent two days at Zhou Zijian's company but then stopped going, for various reasons. Xiao Qiqi burst into laughter after hearing Zhou Zijian's complaints.
That day, Chen Yuanxing, under the guise of going to work, wore a 30-yuan wool T-shirt from a roadside stall, swaggered around in rabbit fur slippers, smoked a 520 women's cigarette, and hadn't cut his hair for three months, which was so long that it covered his eyes. He squinted at his half-awake peach blossom eyes and strolled to Langya Company around 10 o'clock.
The commotion didn't cause much of a stir. There are plenty of eccentric and crazy people on the internet; everyone's seen it all and isn't surprised. Zhou Zijian didn't care either. But after spending the morning impeccably dressed and talking to clients, when he opened the office door, his mood plummeted. The table was covered in cigarette ash, and a guy with messy hair was lounging in the comfortable executive chair, his big feet propped up on the table, soundly fast asleep!
Zhou Zijian was speechless. He had no choice but to pull the man along and, under the man's righteous indignation, bought him clothes and shoes, even paying for his haircut. Back at the company that afternoon, Chen Yuanxing was beaming with pride. His captivating peach blossom eyes and perfectly proportioned figure, accentuated by his designer casual wear, made him exceptionally handsome. His mature and charming smile was incredibly dashing, instantly making all the female employees on floors one through eight of Langya Company stare in disbelief.
Zhou Zijian was even more exasperated. The self-proclaimed number one handsome guy on the internet! He'd been so easily defeated! Various beautiful women were loitering around the next office, making excuses. Zhou Zijian could no longer handle everything with composure and smugness; he was going crazy! He called Xiao Qiqi, insisting she take this troublemaker away! Xiao Qiqi burst out laughing after hearing this! Zhou Zijian slumped onto the table, groaning in anger.
When Chen Yuanxing got home that evening, Xiao Qiqi asked him about the company. He was naturally beaming with pride, his eyes sparkling as he said he hadn't done anything all day, just ate his fill of tea, coffee, and various fruits and snacks. He was also dazzled by the beautiful women he saw, and his mood was absolutely fantastic! He thought working was so great, and decided to go back the next day! Seeing his happiness, Xiao Qiqi also felt he'd been cooped up at home for too long and had become detached from reality. She simply grabbed his neck and said, "You can eat, you can look at beautiful women, you can feel good, but your heart can't be moved!"
Chen Yuanxing nodded like a shrimp, swearing with a curse: "I only love my wife."
Xiao Qiqi suddenly became sad and rested her head on his shoulder. "I am your Qiqi, not your wife."
Chen Yuanxing said nonchalantly, "That's easy, we'll go get our marriage certificate tomorrow."
Xiao Qiqi was shocked, pushed him away, and said seriously, "Don't talk nonsense."
Chen Yuanxing stopped laughing and pulled her back, saying, "I'm serious."
Xiao Qiqi panicked even more. The ringing of her phone broke the eerie silence. Xiao Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief and answered the phone. It was Jiang Yilan, who wanted to come over for dinner with Lao Zhao again this weekend. Xiao Qiqi quickly agreed, thinking that it would be more fun with more people.
Chen Yuanxing had been sullen ever since, playing games non-stop. Xiao Qiqi got annoyed and told him to go to the next room. But Chen Yuanxing slammed the computer shut, pounced on her, and pinned her down on the bed. The two of them took off their clothes in a crazy, competitive manner, but neither of them said a word.
The next day, at noon, Xiao Qiqi was stuffing bread in her mouth, her fingers frantically typing emails to clients, when her phone rang incessantly. She finally managed to swallow the bread and answer the phone. Zhou Zijian's strange, rude shouts erupted from the other end. Startled, Xiao Qiqi quickly held the phone far away from her ear. "...Xiao Qiqi, come downstairs right now! I'm downstairs at your company!"
"Old Zhou, what's wrong?" Xiao Qiqi swallowed the bread stuck in her throat with difficulty. "What exactly happened to Yuanxing?"
"Anyway, you come down here, I'll take you to him!" Zhou Zijian angrily hung up the phone. Xiao Qiqi stared at her phone and smiled bitterly. Chen Yuanxing was indeed a troublemaker wherever he went!
After hurriedly sending the email and going downstairs, Zhou Zijian's car was indeed parked arrogantly at the entrance, blocking many cars from entering and exiting. The security guard kept knocking on the window in a humble manner, but the people inside remained unmoved. Xiao Qiqi shook her head. They're all so arrogant!
Upon seeing Xiao Qiqi appear in his line of sight, Zhou Zijian kicked open the car door with a bang and said coldly and fiercely, "Get in!"
Xiao Qiqi was stunned. Why did this feel like a kidnapping?
"Drag your gorilla back to me, or don't blame me for disregarding our years of brotherhood and beating him senseless. Don't be so heartbroken, Xiao Qiqi, when that happens!"
Seeing Zhou Zijian's face all scrunched up, Xiao Qiqi's morning of busyness vanished instantly, and she couldn't stop giggling. Her gorilla had the potential to drive people crazy!
Zhou Zijian's car sped towards Langya Company. As the car approached the building, Zhou Zijian said dejectedly, "He asked my secretary out for coffee at the second-floor coffee shop at noon. I've been trying to get her to come over for a month without success, but he managed to seduce her in just one morning! Xiao Qiqi, do you think this world is any better?"
Xiao Qiqi laughed so hard she could hardly breathe. "Zhou Zijian, you're like a hunter who gets pecked in the eye by a goose. Do you think everyone else is like you, with no brains other than women?"
"Xiao Qiqi, I just don't understand, how can you trust Chen Yuanxing so much?"
Xiao Qiqi stopped smiling, got out of the car, and said, "I just believe it!"