Actually, Chen Yuanxing wasn't much better off after leaving the house. He was the creditor, but he looked like the one in debt. He took out the IOU written by Xiao Qiqi from his pocket and felt better when he saw the amount of compensation for lost youth and lost love. He couldn't help but hum a little tune. Whenever he was unhappy, he would ask this crybaby for these two things and see how she would pay it back.
"You reap what you sow," as the ancients said. At this moment, the carefree young master Chen, a science student, seems oblivious to the meaning and nuance of this refined, old proverb. When he finally understands it, will he be so filled with resentment that he wants to bang his head against a wall?
Xiao Qiqi opened the refrigerator and saw some chilled water. She couldn't resist pouring herself a glass. The cold water passed through her mouth and stomach, and the burning irritability in her stomach instantly disappeared. The heat that still lingered in her body was also temporarily relieved. This feeling was so good.
He listlessly returned to his room, opened the package, took out the mailing slip for most of his luggage, and frowned. Damn it, the long-distance bus station in the south of the city? How was he supposed to pick it up? With his current frail strength, it seemed impossible. He'd just have to wait a few more days. He hastily packed the few items he had left, then sat blankly on the bed, watching the twilight deepen outside the window. After a long while, he finally stood up, grabbed his keys, and decided it was time to start a new life. He went downstairs to buy a SIM card, called Sister Chen, who was still at the company. They agreed to report for duty tomorrow. Perhaps this was the beginning.
When Xiao Qiqi returned, the TV in the living room was on. A girl with long hair, about her age, was sitting on the sofa drinking water. Her skin was slightly dark. Xiao Qiqi knew that this was an employee of Zhou Zijian's company, so she quickly greeted her with a smile: "Hello."
Hua Ruomin was momentarily stunned when she first saw Xiao Qiqi. She understood why President Zhou had specifically instructed such an unknown figure in the company to speak to her. She was indeed a beauty, but her appearance was a bit too pale. She stood up and said with a smile, "You must be Miss Xiao? President Zhou has already told me that we should look after each other in the future. My name is Hua Ruomin."
Xiao Qiqi was very pleased with Hua Ruomin's gentle and generous manner, and quickly said, "Thank you for your help, just call me Qiqi."
Hua Ruomin didn't refuse, "Qiqi, since that's the case, everyone please don't stand on ceremony. Just call me Minzi, that's what everyone calls me. Have you eaten?"
Xiao Qiqi shook her head, "I'm not hungry."
"Oh dear, you don't look well. You mustn't skip meals, it's bad for your stomach. How about we go get some spicy hot pot at the entrance?"
Spicy? Xiao Qiqi hesitated for a moment. Refusing someone's kindness on the first meeting wouldn't leave a good impression, so she nodded, "Okay."
Hua Ruomin stood up. "Wait for me, I need to change my clothes." Xiao Qiqi then noticed that Hua Ruomin was wearing a well-fitting shirt and trousers. As she nodded, she remembered herself. Luckily, the company had uniforms, otherwise she would have had to buy a suit.
Hua Ruomin changed into denim overalls and shorts and looked at Xiao Qiqi: "Why are you still wearing long sleeves? Aren't you hot?"
Xiao Qiqi looked at the long sleeves and trousers that Chen Yuanxing had forcibly put on her and smiled faintly: "It's okay, I'm not hot."
Hua Ruomin affectionately took her hand, "Look at you, saying you're not hot, but your head is covered in sweat. Go change your clothes, the summer in Beijing is like a sauna, it's amazing you can stand being confined like this."
Xiao Qiqi hesitated for a moment, but still went inside to change into a short-sleeved shirt. She didn't change out of her long pants, after all, it was her own body, and she couldn't overdo it.
Throughout the journey, Hua Ruomin held Xiao Qiqi's arm very affectionately, frequently asking about her school, job, hobbies, and friends. When Hua Ruomin subtly inquired for the third time about Xiao Qiqi's relationship with Zhou Zijian, Xiao Qiqi became somewhat annoyed and could only say, "I really don't know Mr. Zhou well. He's a friend of a friend, so he introduced me to stay here temporarily." Hua Ruomin looked into Xiao Qiqi's eyes, which were very clean and innocent, and couldn't help but believe her a little. However, she still harbored some doubts, after all, Zhou Zijian's womanizing was notorious, and it wasn't unusual for him to be keeping a young beauty he was about to seduce.
Seeing that Hua Ruomin was no longer pressing the issue of Zhou Zijian, Xiao Qiqi relaxed. After all, Hua Ruomin was the first girl she met in Beijing. Hua Ruomin was from Northeast China, and her straightforward and capable nature suited Xiao Qiqi's taste perfectly. Before long, the slight unpleasantness caused by the probing disappeared. The two ate spicy hot pot and soon began chatting like old friends.
Hua Ruomin ordered beer and insisted on inviting Xiao Qiqi to drink with her. Xiao Qiqi declined repeatedly, which annoyed Hua Ruomin. "Aren't you going to work? You can't just not drink. You have to practice your drinking capacity. Chinese business is all about building up your skills over drinks. Alright, even if you didn't drink before, consider this your first time. Consider it practice for tomorrow! Cheers!"
Seeing Hua Ruomin's enthusiasm, Xiao Qiqi thought to herself, "Doctor Yu didn't mention any allergic reactions to drinking alcohol, so why don't I give it a try?"
11. Unemployment
After leaving Xiao Qiqi's place, Chen Yuanxing called home to let her know he was back, but told his aunt not to wait for him as he was going out to dinner with friends that evening. Naturally, he received another lecture from his aunt, but Chen Yuanxing just smiled and gave her a few perfunctory replies before taking a taxi to find Zhou Zijian.
Zhou Zijian had already invited a few of his cronies to a welcome-back party for Chen Yuanxing. Most of these friends stayed in Beijing for university, while Chen Yuanxing went to K University in H City, a place known for its cutting-edge science. So every year during winter and summer vacations, when Chen Yuanxing returned, they would get together and party for two months. This time, Chen Yuanxing was almost a week late returning, and his buddies were already itching to get together, so they dragged him out for dinner before he even got home.
After a few drinks, Zhou Zijian started talking nonsense, patting Chen Yuanxing on the back and saying, "You all don't know, do you? Our young master Chen came back late because he went to protect a beauty." None of the others were easily fooled, and upon hearing this, they all started jeering, demanding that Chen Yuanxing confess. Chen Yuanxing was about to defend himself, but seeing Zhou Zijian's wicked smile, he couldn't help but get angry and deliberately raised an eyebrow with a smug smile: "Anyway, it's a beauty, Zhou Zijian, you can just stare and be envious!" The others, confused, quickly asked what he meant. Zhou Zijian then mocked Chen Yuanxing's "despicable and pathetic behavior" earlier that day, turning all of Chen Yuanxing's care and enthusiasm in front of Xiao Qiqi into a man's failure and humiliation. The others, always eager to kick someone when they're down, couldn't help but ridicule Chen Yuanxing mercilessly. Chen Yuanxing suffered in silence, unable to argue, and could only let them force down several more bottles of wine.
Before long, everyone was a little tipsy. Zhou Zijian glanced at Chen Yuanxing and asked, "Young Master, aren't you going to call your girlfriend?" Chen Yuanxing barely suppressed the urge to punch Zhou Zijian a few times. "Her phone doesn't even have a SIM card yet, why would she call?"
Zhou Zijian took out his phone and pressed a button. "It's alright. Our young master Chen has finally fallen into the whirlpool of love. It's something to celebrate. Reporting your drunkenness to your wife is something to be encouraged. I'll call her roommate for you, okay?"
Chen Yuanxing wanted to stop them, but fearing they would cause trouble, he had to ask Zhou Zijian to make the call.
After drinking just one beer, Xiao Qiqi felt a burning, throbbing pain all over her body. Sweat poured down her forehead like water, and her cheeks gradually turned a deep red, as if you could pinch water out of them. Hua Ruomin noticed something was wrong and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Xiao Qiqi shook her head, "It's okay, I really can't drink anymore."
Seeing that Xiao Qiqi's face was flushed and looked strange, Hua Ruomin panicked a little. She quickly paid the bill and helped her back. Just as she stood up, she received a call from Zhou Zijian. Hua Ruomin cautiously answered the phone and said "hello" before hearing Zhou Zijian's laughing voice, "Hua Ruomin, are you home?" Hua Ruomin quickly replied yes. Zhou Zijian then said, "Then could you lend your phone to Miss Xiao for a moment?" Hua Ruomin was stunned. Could she be so unlucky as to have gotten the boss's "mistress" drunk on her first day? Despite her fear, she still handed the phone to Xiao Qiqi, "Qiqi, our boss Zhou says he wants to talk to you."
Xiao Qiqi hesitated before answering the phone, her mind racing with confusion. She had barely managed to say "hello" when she heard a burst of laughter on the other end, followed by Chen Yuanxing's hushed voice, "Xiao Qiqi, are you... um, alright?"
Upon hearing it was him, Xiao Qiqi quickly said, "It's nothing, I'm fine."
Chen Yuanxing glared resentfully at the guys around him with their varying expressions and said, "It's good that you're alright, then I'll hang up."
Xiao Qiqi handed the phone to Hua Ruomin, said thank you, and the two walked home. Along the way, Hua Ruomin touched Xiao Qiqi's burning hot hand, hesitating whether she should call President Zhou again to report. Remembering President Zhou's instructions in the afternoon to "take good care of Miss Xiao," she helped Xiao Qiqi into the house and lay down, and then dialed Zhou Zijian's number.
Chen Yuanxing was already a little tipsy, so he started slurring his words about his romantic encounters at various universities in H City. Women are always a topic of conversation among men, especially for men of this age. A few of his cronies huddled together, chatting about all sorts of women, and soon the mockery they had just made about Chen Yuanxing was forgotten.
Just then, Zhou Zijian answered Hua Ruomin's call with a smile. He listened cheerfully at first, but after a couple of sentences, his expression turned sour. After hanging up, he nudged Chen Yuanxing, "Young Master, do you still want that sickly beauty?" Chen Yuanxing was currently arguing with Zeng Qingfeng about the angels in white he encountered at the hospital and didn't listen to Zhou Zijian at all. "Old Zhou, get lost." Seeing that he ignored him, Zhou Zijian repeated, "Young Master, I've told you, your sickly beauty has a fever again. Are you going to go see her? But don't say I didn't pass on my message."
Chen Yuanxing finally heard what he said clearly and turned around to ask, "Huh? What sick beauty?" Zhou Zijian poured wine for Chen Yuanxing, "That Xiao Qiqi, Hua Ruomin from my company said she seems to have a fever again, and it seems quite high."
Chen Yuanxing's hand, which was about to take the wine, froze in mid-air. What? She has a fever again? Wasn't she fine when she left this afternoon? Besides, what does her illness have to do with me? Chen Yuanxing weighed his options, but Zhou Zijian chuckled slyly in his ear, "Young Master, how about I go and check on her for you? I don't think you're that interested in Xiao Qiqi, so you can just give her to me." Chen Yuanxing slapped Zhou Zijian across the face, but luckily Zhou Zijian dodged quickly and wasn't hit. "Get lost!" Chen Yuanxing cursed angrily, stood up, "I'm not drinking anymore, I'll drink next time."
Before anyone could understand what they were talking about, Zeng Qingfeng pulled Chen Yuanxing closer to his sleeve, "Young Master, where are you going? We haven't finished talking about the pretty girl yet." Zhou Zijian slapped Zeng Qingfeng's hand away and smiled maliciously, "Young Master is going to see his wife, what are you doing causing trouble?"
As their words became increasingly absurd, Chen Yuanxing had no choice but to swallow his anger. After all, he had acted so boldly and admitted Xiao Qiqi was his girlfriend. If he really ended up with a girlfriend like that, oh my god, Chen Yuanxing shuddered. It was terrifying! That woman was violent, prone to crying, and extremely disobedient—a nightmare for anyone who saw her! Ignoring their jeers, Chen Yuanxing walked out. Zhou Zijian called after him, "Young Master, take it easy! Should I get rid of Hua Ruomin for you tomorrow too?" The crowd burst into laughter again.
Chen Yuanxing angrily hailed a taxi and headed back towards the red brick building, still grumbling in his heart, "That damned woman Xiao Qiqi, I have to settle the fare with her too!"
Seeing the medicine on Xiao Qiqi's table, Hua Ruomin poured her some water and tried to feed it to her. Xiao Qiqi barely kept her eyes open, and despite Hua Ruomin's efforts, she couldn't swallow the small white pill. Xiao Qiqi struggled and grabbed Hua Ruomin's hand, saying, "I don't like taking medicine. I'll be fine after a night's sleep. Don't bother." Hua Ruomin still felt a little guilty, but she had no choice but to put down the cup and help Xiao Qiqi lie down, saying, "Qiqi, lie down for a while. President Zhou will be here soon." Xiao Qiqi hummed in agreement, but she hadn't actually heard Hua Ruomin's words clearly.
Hua Ruomin waited for less than half an hour before the doorbell rang. She quickly tidied her hair again and ran to open the door, only to find a tall and handsome young man with a completely different temperament from President Zhou. She couldn't help but wonder, "Who are you?"
Chen Yuanxing barely managed to suppress his drunkenness. Upon seeing Hua Ruomin, he knew she was an employee of Zhou Zijian's company. He nodded and said, "I'm a friend of Zhou Zijian and also a friend of Xiao Qiqi. I heard she has a fever again, so I came to check on her." Hua Ruomin couldn't help but smile. So she really was a friend of a friend of President Zhou. She quickly nodded and said, "Come in. She seems to be a little unconscious, and she can't take her medicine."
As soon as Chen Yuanxing entered, he walked towards Xiao Qiqi's room and casually asked, "Didn't your fever almost break when I left this afternoon? How come it's gotten worse again?"
Hua Ruomin thought that the boy was a friend of President Zhou, so she was a little more respectful and quickly said, "It seems...it seems he had a little to drink and that's why he's like this."
"What? Drinking?" Chen Yuanxing turned to look at Hua Ruomin, gritted his teeth, then turned to look at Xiao Qiqi lying on the bed with her face flushed: "Damn woman, are you deliberately going against me? You idiot, didn't the doctor say you can't drink?" He rushed over and slapped Xiao Qiqi's face, "I'll let you burn to death, I don't care about you anymore!"
Hua Ruomin watched in horror as Chen Yuanxing berated the motionless Xiao Qiqi. Good heavens, she can't drink? Then...it seems I was the one who persuaded her to drink! Hua Ruomin stood blankly at the door, racking her brains for a way to make amends.
Chen Yuanxing pinched Xiao Qiqi a few times, and she only groaned twice. He touched her forehead and found it was even worse than at noon. After sulking for a while, she muttered as she got the medicine and water, and pulled Xiao Qiqi up, saying, "Do you think I owed you something in my past life?"
"Huh?" Hua Ruomin, who was standing at the door, suddenly woke up and looked at Chen Yuanxing in surprise. Chen Yuanxing didn't even see that there was someone standing at the door. He continued talking to himself and couldn't help but pinch Xiao Qiqi again, this time on her arm. "Damn woman, why am I always the one who gets unlucky?"
The same method was used to feed her the medicine. She would spit it out. Chen Yuanxing tried it once and then stopped. He used the old method: he would put the medicine in his own mouth, then kiss Xiao Qiqi's lips and slowly push the medicine into her throat with the tip of his tongue, followed by water.
After a few rounds, the medicine was finally delivered to Xiao Qiqi's stomach. Hua Ruomin stood at the door, watching this strange yet natural method of administering the medicine, and couldn't help but be astonished. She really was President Zhou's friend; even their shamelessness was the same. After watching for a while, Hua Ruomin couldn't bear to observe any longer, so she quietly slipped into her room.
Chen Yuanxing fed Xiao Qiqi the medicine, then clicked his tongue. This woman seemed to have been drinking and eating spicy food? Annoyed, looking at Xiao Qiqi's flushed face, he wanted to bite her. Damn woman! Thinking about it, he couldn't resist and leaned in to bite Xiao Qiqi's face. But it was just a light touch, and he jumped up as if he'd been injected with stimulants. His previously muddled, drunken thoughts cleared completely. He slapped his face. Being drunk is truly terrifying!
Chen Yuanxing frantically scrambled out of bed, keeping a safe distance from Xiao Qiqi. He pinched his arm; it hurt. Thankfully, he was still rational. Grabbing his bag, he prepared to run. As he did so, the baggage claim slip that had been on the table wobbled to the ground. Chen Yuanxing hesitated for a moment, then turned back to pick it up. "Going to get it from this far away?" he thought. "But what does it have to do with me?" Chen Yuanxing dropped the slip as if his hand were on fire, glanced at Xiao Qiqi's flushed face, quickly turned away, and strode out of the room. Reaching the door, he hesitated for a moment, then knocked on Hua Ruomin's door. Hua Ruomin opened the door. "What is it?"
Chen Yuanxing pointed to Xiao Qiqi's room, "If anything happens to Xiao Qiqi, give me a call." Hua Ruomin nodded, and Chen Yuanxing gave her his phone number before hurriedly leaving the red brick building. A gust of night wind blew into his head, making him realize how throbbing it was. Sitting in the taxi, he clutched his head, still disturbed by his terrible thought. "No, no, I only wanted to bite her, what's wrong with that?" Chen Yuanxing consoled himself for a long time, finally managing to clear his head. Soon he was full of confidence. After all, he was just unlucky to have met an even more unlucky senior sister.
The next day, Xiao Qiqi woke up to bright sunshine. Golden summer sunlight streamed through the clear glass, bathing her in its warmth. She was awakened by the intense heat, and after a few moments of grogginess, she remembered she was already in Beijing. She struggled to sit up, her head still throbbing, the fever still lingering. Looking at her watch, it was already 9:30. Xiao Qiqi was shocked; she was supposed to report to the company today. She quickly called Sister Chen, who impatiently told her to come immediately. Xiao Qiqi, ignoring her headache and dizziness, got dressed and gritted her teeth, hailing a taxi and rushing to the company. No matter how fast she rushed, it was already 10:00.
When Xiao Qiqi arrived at the HR department, the general manager had just hung up the phone. She smiled ingratiatingly and was about to speak when HR Manager Du greeted her warmly, offering her tea and asking questions. Xiao Qiqi, flattered, looked at Manager Du, waiting for her next move. Sure enough, the smiles were for no good reason. Manager Du politely and tactfully informed Xiao Qiqi that the company could not sign a contract with her, simply because Xiao Qiqi had been a week late reporting for duty and was late on her first day, seriously violating the company's punctuality and trustworthiness standards. Manager Du went on to say many more things, mostly expressions of regret and apology. Xiao Qiqi felt a surge of nausea coursing through her body; she could barely walk. Blindly, she walked out of the company and instinctively went to the office of Sister Chen, who had always been very supportive of her.
Sister Chen warmly grabbed Xiao Qiqi's arm: "So, are the formalities finished?" Xiao Qiqi shook her head, forcing a smile, "Sister Chen, thank you for your continued concern." Sister Chen looked at Xiao Qiqi in surprise, noticing her pale face, "What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?" Xiao Ping, who had just returned from HR, whispered something in Sister Chen's ear. Sister Chen immediately became agitated, slamming her hand on the table and yelling, "What kind of nonsense is this? They've only been with the company for two days and they're already replacing their own people!" Xiao Ping quickly pulled Sister Chen back, signaling her to lower her voice. Sister Chen, having been in the company for many years, naturally knew that gossip could easily spread, so she pulled Xiao Qiqi outside to a small conference room. Sister Chen shook her head, holding Xiao Qiqi's hand, "Qiqi, this company isn't any better. If they don't want us, we don't want them. It's nothing special! Don't be too sad." Xiao Qiqi shook her head: "Sister Chen, I'm fine. I just came to see you. You should go back to work. I'll find a better job."
Sister Chen breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, this is your first lesson in entering society. You should understand the importance of time and opportunity now, right? If you had come a day earlier, Mr. Zhao's relative wouldn't have stepped in and taken your place. There's nothing we can do about it." Xiao Qiqi nodded, reluctantly exchanged a few more words with Sister Chen, agreed to keep in touch, and then left the company in a daze.
As I walked to the company entrance, looking at the bustling overpass and the iron railing beneath it, I remembered a smiling boy who once held up a crumpled rose and said, "I want to give this to you." But now he's gone, and I can no longer savor those beautiful memories every day. Perhaps this is what missing out is, or growing up, or simply cruelty.
12. Street racing
Xiao Qiqi didn't know how she got home. She only remembered taking the wrong bus several times and changing buses several times before finally arriving at the red brick building. She collapsed onto the bed as soon as she entered the house. In the darkness, she no longer smelled the scent of despair.
Chen Yuanxing stumbled home late at night. His mother was away on a business trip abroad, and his father was nowhere to be found, as usual. Only his aunt was there, waiting for him, a routine he was used to. His aunt was a distant relative from his father's hometown, a young widow with no children. She had lived with them since Chen Yuanxing was three years old, and was, in a way, much more caring than his own mother. Sure enough, as soon as his aunt saw Chen Yuanxing return drunk, she immediately rushed to prepare a bath for him, made his bed, and looked him up and down, before finally letting him sleep with a mix of laughter and tears.
The next morning, as soon as Chen Yuanxing woke up, he smelled the delicious aroma of breakfast. His aunt had already brought breakfast to his bedroom. Watching him drink soy milk, she wiped away her tears and said, "Yuanxing, I heard from your second brother that you twisted your ankle. How are you now?" Chen Yuanxing almost choked on his soy milk. This kind of lie was only meant to make his aunt shed a few tears for him. His father didn't believe it at all, and his mother probably didn't have time to think about it even if she did. Seeing his aunt's red eyes, he felt a little sorry for her, jumped off the bed, and twisted his ankle, saying, "Look carefully, there's nothing wrong. Don't listen to your father's nonsense."
The aunt insisted on examining his two feet. "How could Second Brother lie to me? You must have been sick and didn't want to tell me, otherwise why did it take you so long to come back?"
Chen Yuanxing could only scratch his head and say, "Auntie, to tell you the truth, please don't tell my dad that I lied to him and cheated him out of his money."
The aunt was alarmed upon hearing this. "What? Yuanxing? You've actually learned to lie and cheat your father out of his money? This is outrageous!"
Chen Yuanxing knew that his aunt was simple and kind, and he didn't want to lie to her, so he could only say, "Auntie, don't be in a hurry, let me finish. Actually, I used money to help a sick senior sister, and I pretended to be injured so that I wouldn't have to talk to my dad about it."
Upon hearing this, the aunt chanted a Buddhist prayer and then asked, "Is your senior sister's illness better?" Chen Yuanxing ate the fragrant shumai and mumbled, "She should be fine now, Auntie, don't worry. With me taking care of her, she'll be alright."
The aunt laughed at his boasting, "Yuanxing, you're still a big kid yourself, how can you take care of someone?" She then looked closely at Chen Yuanxing's face and lowered her voice, "Is that girl particularly beautiful?"
Chen Yuanxing almost choked on his shumai again, and after a while, he finally said, "Auntie, don't scare me so early in the morning, okay? What does it matter to me whether she's pretty or not!" Chen Yuanxing stood up sullenly, opened the closet to look for clothes, and muttered, "Pretty? What's so pretty about being skinny? I like mature women, they're more pleasing to the eye!"
The aunt stood behind him listening to his muttering, and only asked, "What are you muttering about?" Chen Yuanxing made a face at the aunt in the mirror, "Auntie, I'm going to change my clothes, are you planning to continue admiring me?" Only then did the aunt smile and take the tray out.
Chen Yuanxing had just left his side courtyard and crossed the corridor when he saw his father, dressed casually, about to go out. He called out "Dad!" from afar, then walked over. Reaching the grape trellis by the corridor, he casually picked a still-green grape and popped it into his mouth, chewing it unconsciously. A moment later, he spat it out with a "Ptooey!" and gasped, clutching his cheek. His father, Chen Yifan, with his hands in his white casual pants pockets, watched his son bouncing around like a monkey, a slight smile creeping onto his tense face. "Serves you right!"
Chen Yuanxing hopped over to his father, still gasping, "They're really sour! Dad, do you often eat grapes like these?" His father frowned slightly, looking exactly like Chen Yuanxing when he frowned, "What are you saying, so disrespectful! I'm playing golf, are you coming?"
Chen Yuanxing shook his head and smirked, "I won't embarrass myself with you!" Chen Yifan's lips twitched, and he raised his hand as if to hit Chen Yuanxing, "You little brat, you come back and start arguing with me. What kind of talk is that? Wait till your mother teaches you a lesson!"
Chen Yuanxing jumped away early, chuckling, "Forget it, Dad, don't pretend like that. What if I go and steal something you cherish? Then you'll pick a fight with me, and it won't be worth it." Chen Yifan was just saying it casually, knowing his son didn't like showing up with him, so he said, "Alright, go find your friends to hang out with, but don't go too crazy, I won't be responsible if you get into trouble! Besides, you'll be graduating next year, you should be more serious. Even though you've already made arrangements with the schools in America, you can't be too bad."
"Okay, Dad, Uncle Li is waiting, you should hurry up and go." Chen Yuanxing nodded impatiently to his father, "Oh, and give me a car key."
Chen Yifan shook his head, "After all this time, this is what we want?" He then ignored Chen Yuanxing and walked through the lush courtyard toward the gate.
"Dad, the keys! If you don't give them to me, I'll drive Mom's car. If she gets angry, I'll say you let me drive it." Chen Yuanxing shouted from behind his father. Chen Yifan turned around and made a gesture. Chen Yuanxing looked at it and scoffed. It seemed his father hadn't forgotten he had a son.
Chen Yuanxing drove off leisurely, calling his friends to arrange a trip to a hot spring in the suburbs. Zhou Zijian had dropped out of school long ago, but as a busy man running a company, he naturally didn't have time to spend with these idle students. So, he arranged to meet a few other classmates from high school. After agreeing on a meeting place, Chen Yuanxing sped off, startling the traffic police at the intersection. But seeing the direction the car had come from, a quiet flower-lined path lined with traditional courtyard houses, and guards standing at the intersection, the police officer sighed and turned to shoo away other vehicles.
Having not seen each other for half a year, the classmates naturally had a lot to talk about. Some went out for drinks last night, while others didn't, leading to another round of teasing. After Chen Yuanxing's stern warning, the group avoided bringing up the awkward "wife" topic from the previous night, simply because their high school beauty, Hu Qin, had also arrived. Looking at Hu Qin's even fuller, swaying figure, Chen Yuanxing couldn't help but gleam in his eyes. It was that same heart-pounding feeling he had in high school—a voluptuous, mature woman, Chen Yuanxing's favorite.
It was already noon when Xiao Qiqi got back. She drifted off to sleep, not knowing how much time had passed before slowly waking up. Her forehead was still slightly hot; it seemed the fever wouldn't go down without medicine. Holding her throbbing head, Xiao Qiqi tried to get up, but her strength failed her. The weakness and longing deep within her tormented her with an inescapable pain. She picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number. On the other end was her mother, her voice a mixture of joy and tears, scolding her for not hearing from her for days, then worrying about whether she was sick or alright. Listening to her mother's voice, Xiao Qiqi's inner emptiness gradually filled. She realized how wonderful it was to have family. She then asked about Jiang Yilan, but her mother said she had gone south, leaving a phone number at home. Xiao Qiqi quickly wrote it down.
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Qiqi still called Jiang Yilan. Jiang Yilan naturally yelled and cursed. Xiao Qiqi barely managed to keep up her spirits and exchange a few words with her. After all, Jiang Yilan was her close friend of many years, and no matter how she tried to hide it, she could hear the melancholy in her voice. But no matter how she asked, Xiao Qiqi refused to say anything. Jiang Yilan could only say "I'll come to see you in a few days" before hanging up the phone.
Xiao Qiqi got up to pour water and take fever-reducing medicine. The small white pills were so difficult to swallow. Xiao Qiqi smiled bitterly; she drank a lot of water but still couldn't swallow a single pill, and gave up in frustration. Looking at the packaging, she noticed several pills were missing. Had she taken them while she was asleep?
After a while of lost thought and daydreaming, another night fell. Xiao Qiqi sorted through her resume, wondering how she could, in her current state, find a place to stand in this city.
At a resort in the suburbs, a group of people were having a barbecue. Chen Yuanxing sat there casually, waiting for Hu Qin to grill the meat. Yuan Jialin brought over a plate of meat and kicked Chen Yuanxing, saying, "Young Master, move a muscle! I haven't seen you move a finger all night." Chen Yuanxing raised his hand and said, "Aren't my fingers moving?" This remark made Hu Qin and Cheng Di, who had come over, burst into laughter. On the other side, Fatty, who was eating meat, smacked his lips and said, "Do you know why his nickname is 'Young Master'?" At this moment, several friends brought over meat and gathered around to ask. They were all Chen Yuanxing's high school classmates, and it seemed that he had had this nickname since he entered school. Fatty's real name was Zhu Jian. He had a big head and a fat body and had been called "Fatty" since he was a child. However, the originator of this nickname was, of course, this lazy Young Master Chen who only moved one finger.
So Fatty began to vividly recount, "When I was in kindergarten, the teacher made us learn to tie our own shoelaces. Everyone did it obediently, except for one person who sat still." As Fatty spoke, he glanced at Chen Yuanxing, who then narrowed his charming eyes and beckoned to Fatty, "Fatty, do you want to live?"
Ignoring him, Fatty shook his big head and continued, "The teacher was curious and asked the man, 'Why aren't you tying your shoelaces?' Do you know what the man said?" Everyone understood what he meant and burst into laughter, urging Fatty to continue. Fatty became excited and, in a childish voice, said softly, "I won't tie them, I'll wait for Auntie to tie them for me." "The teacher was immediately displeased and said, 'Hey, you really are a young master!'" Hearing his strange voice, everyone laughed even louder. Fatty continued, smiling and shaking his head, "From then on, someone had a truly fitting nickname: Young Master Chen!"
No sooner had the words "Young Master Chen" been uttered than a cold voice followed, "Zhu Jian, should I tell them that someone wets the bed at nine years old?" Fatty's massive body instantly seemed to possess supernatural powers as he swiftly lunged forward and covered Chen Yuanxing's mouth, shouting, "Chen Yuanxing, I'm not finished with you!"
Another burst of deafening laughter erupted; happiness was so simple. Amidst this joy, Chen Yuanxing received a call from Hua Ruomin. After a few words, his expression darkened. Watching Hu Qin's graceful figure sway before his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder, "Why is that woman so thin? Does she even eat?" He slapped his forehead, "Impulsive! Impulsive! She's just a senior sister, skinny and frail, a world apart from Hu Qin!" He continued laughing and chatting idly with Hu Qin, his mind occasionally drifting away. "Sigh, is she even taking her medicine?"
Fatty nudged Yuan Jialin beside him, "Look, Young Master is daydreaming. This is the first time I've ever seen Young Master Chen lose focus in front of a mature woman." Yuan Jialin nodded, "I remember it clearly. Before, Young Master would drool over Hu Qin every time he saw her." The two exchanged a glance and whispered at the same time, "Something's wrong, honey!" They were both buddies who had been drinking together last night and knew the inside story.
Just as the two were about to proceed with their next activity, Chen Yuanxing suddenly stood up and said, "I have some things to do, so I'm going back to the city first. You two can go back on your own tomorrow." Fatty and Yuan Jialin exchanged a strange look, rolled their eyes disdainfully, and remained silent. Hu Qin, upon hearing this, became a little anxious and stood up, saying, "Then I'll go back with you. I have some things to do tomorrow." Yuan Jialin's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and Fatty patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, "There's no way around it, buddy. Tomorrow, drive a cool BMW yourself, and Hu Qin will be all over you." Yuan Jialin didn't push him away, saying dejectedly, "Hu Qin didn't treat Young Master Chen any differently before." Fatty continued to rub salt in the wound, "That's because Young Master Chen rides a beat-up bicycle like you." Yuan Jialin shoved Fatty's fat hand away, "Get lost!" He stood up and followed Chen Yuanxing and Hu Qin, angrily saying, "I'm going back too." Seeing that Hu Qin had left, leaving only her as the only girl, Cheng Di also wanted to leave. With that, only Fatty and the other two would be left. What would be the point of playing? Fatty had no choice but to follow them out as well, "Then let's go back too."
So the seven of them drove back to the city under cover of night. Hu Qin, Cheng Di, and Yuan Jialin rode in Chen Yuanxing's car, while Fatty and the other two male classmates rode in his. Fatty was startled when he saw Chen Yuanxing's silver-gray BMW speed onto the road like a rocket. He quickly called Chen Yuanxing, "Young Master, you're worried about your wife, but you should worry about us too! Driving like this, someone could get killed!" Chen Yuanxing chuckled on the phone, "Fatty, we're waiting for you. Hurry up and catch up." But he didn't stop driving. The suburban roads were wide and there weren't many cars—perfect for a high-speed chase! Along the way, Fatty kept yelling into the phone, while Hu Qin and Cheng Di screamed even louder, their heads in their hands. Even Yuan Jialin, pale-faced, clung to the car door, seemingly ready to jump out at any moment. Once they entered the city and the traffic picked up, Chen Yuanxing's car could no longer speed up. Yuan Jialin said, trembling, "Young Master Chen, I really didn't know you had such a bloodthirsty side." Chen Yuanxing opened the car door with a grin, "Scared? Then goodbye."
Half an hour later, when Fatty arrived in his Honda, he found only two unfriendly-looking beauties and a gnashing-teeth Yuan Jialin by the roadside. Before Fatty could ask, Yuan Jialin started jumping up and down: "That bastard Chen Yuanxing is just a henpecked husband! He said it was close to his girlfriend's place, so he wouldn't take us home and told us to take a taxi ourselves."
And so this digression ends. Chen Yuanxing didn't know what his mindset was; he sped like a rocket from the suburbs back to the city, circling around for almost an hour before finally wiping the sweat from his brow and parking the car in front of the red brick building. He jumped up to the third floor in a few steps, but as soon as he rang the doorbell, Chen Yuanxing felt a pang of regret. What on earth was he doing?
Hua Ruomin opened the door for Chen Yuanxing with a smile and said softly, "She's asleep. She said she was going to work today, but I think she didn't go. It seems like... she even cried."