The elevator stopped just in time, and Zeng Yu stepped out first, taking a deep breath by the door.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Nan asked, patting him on the shoulder.
Zeng Yu turned and smiled, “Nothing, just felt a bit stuffy.”
“You’ve been working too hard lately, take care of yourself.”
Zeng Yu nodded, “Thanks, I will.”
When they entered the restaurant, the staff greeted them, and Jiang Nan gave her name, leading them to a window-side table. The restaurant was on the 28th floor, offering a view of the river below.
“I specifically asked for this table. Not bad, right? You can see the river.” Jiang Nan said, noticing Zeng Yu looking out the window, proudly showing off.
Zeng Yu wasn’t at ease. Eating here wouldn’t be cheap. Right now, Zeng Yu had no income. Sure, he was a shareholder, but Jiang Nan hadn’t mentioned anything about a salary.
Jiang Nan expertly ordered the meal and smiled, “Since you’re driving, I didn’t order any wine, just hot drinks. I ordered everything I like, hope you’re okay with it?”
Zeng Yu nodded with a smile.
Jiang Nan looked at him, wanting to know more, and asked, “Do you smoke?”
“I started smoking in my freshman year. Working at a bar was tough, and sometimes when I had difficult customers, I’d smoke to relieve stress. Xiao Xiao didn’t like me smoking, so I quit. Recently, I’ve started again, but I can still control it.” Zeng Yu spoke lightly, but Jiang Nan noticed a hint of suppressed emotion in his eyes.
“You should quit; it’s not good for your health.” Jiang Nan advised.
Zeng Yu nodded.
“Earlier, we were talking about reading. I really have to thank my grandma for that. She has a lot of books. One day, I’ll take you to see my study; it’s full of books. There are also many in my bedroom. When I was little, my grandma always told me stories about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Yao, Shun, Yu, and the history of China’s five thousand years. There’s so much to talk about.” Jiang Nan spoke gently, and Zeng Yu listened attentively, feeling the deep affection she had for her grandmother.
“Don’t just talk about me. What about you?” Jiang Nan suddenly changed the topic.
Zeng Yu looked at her calmly, “Me? There’s not much to say. My father is a technician, and my mother works in a supermarket. But my father loves to read, and that’s how I picked up the habit. We live in a small county. After graduation, I really wanted to go back home, but what could I do there? There are more opportunities in the city, and with Xiao Xiao’s insistence, I stayed to work hard. Looking back, I might as well have gone back and taken my parents’ advice to become a civil servant. The pay might not be high, but I could have been there to take care of my parents.”
Talking about this, Zeng Yu’s mood became a bit down. Jiang Nan realized Zeng Yu wasn’t as carefree as he appeared. Xiao Xiao’s departure was still a wound. At least for now, he hadn’t moved on.
“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s eat.” Jiang Nan quickly changed the subject, vowing never to pry again. After finding out about his past, she felt emotionally exhausted.
Jiang Nan’s posture clearly indicated she was used to eating Western food, while Zeng Yu seemed a bit stiff. But he learned quickly and soon was doing quite well.
Zeng Yu took a few bites, put down his knife and fork, and said, “This is too much trouble. They should have the chef cut it up and just give me a pair of chopsticks.”
Jiang Nan couldn’t help but laugh softly, “That’s actually fine, though I’ve never seen anyone do it. I didn’t expect you to have this side to you. Were you just pretending to be aloof all this time?”
Jiang Nan’s face flushed slightly with happiness. Zeng Yu glanced at her and quickly lowered his head, saying, “I act aloof for work, to appear mature and steady. But I only graduated a year ago. To be precise, it’s only been a few days since I got my diploma.”
This resonated with Jiang Nan, “Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to work for a big group… a big company.”
Zeng Yu thought he understood Jiang Nan’s point, but Jiang Nan was actually thinking: If I worked for a group, people might respect me, but that would be because of my father, not because of me.
“That’s why you decided to start your own business?” Zeng Yu thought he had figured out Jiang Nan’s intention, but Jiang Nan was thinking to herself: If I worked for a big group, even if people respected me, it would be because of my father, not me.
“We need to take advantage of our youth to make something of ourselves, even if we fail, we won’t regret it.” she said.
Zeng Yu silently noted that Jiang Nan’s family background might be far beyond his imagination, considering she was willing to invest so much money into starting her own business.
Zeng Yu’s phone vibrated, and he glanced at the number. He apologized to Jiang Nan, “Sorry, I need to take this call.” He got up and answered as he walked away, “Mom, I’m in a crowded place, hold on a moment, I’ll find somewhere quieter.”
His mother, as usual, expressed her endless concern over the phone, asking about his eating, sleeping, and work. Zeng Yu patiently answered her questions, telling her that he was doing well, had started a business with someone, and was now a shareholder.
His mother sounded excited over the phone and then said something that made Zeng Yu’s head ache, “By the way, one of your father’s colleague’s daughters is heading your way. Remember her name and train details. I saw her, and she’s quite pretty. If you can bring home a girlfriend for the New Year, that would be perfect.”
Zeng Yu felt overwhelmed. He had always told his parents that he had a girlfriend. That was true, but Xiao Xiao had never agreed to go home with him to meet his parents. Because of this, they had had a cold war for half a month before making up.
“Mom, I already have a girlfriend. What are you doing?” Zeng Yu said, feeling a bit impatient.
“If you really have a girlfriend, that’s great. Then let’s meet her tomorrow when we arrive in Shanghai.” his mother replied, leaving Zeng Yu speechless.
She had him caught in a trap; all the talk earlier was just to set him up.
“Mom, what are you coming to Shanghai for?” Zeng Yu asked.
“Nothing much, your father has some back pain and needs to get it checked out.” his mother replied.
Zeng Yu immediately grew anxious, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Have you contacted the hospital?”
“One of your father’s college friends’ wives is a director at the affiliated hospital of the medical university. We got in touch with her to set up the appointment.”
Zeng Yu’s father, Zeng Zhanhao, had been assigned to his hometown in Qingshan County after graduating from college. He wasn’t ambitious and had worked in grassroots positions all his life. His mother, Fu Yu, hadn’t been as lucky, dropping out of school early and working various jobs without ever holding a formal position.
Zeng Yu returned to the table with a serious expression, and Jiang Nan immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zeng Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s nothing, just a private matter.”
Jiang Nan gave him a slightly reproachful look, “Can’t a friend show some concern?”
“My mom called to say they’re bringing my dad to Shanghai for a check-up.” Zeng Yu finally admitted.
Jiang Nan immediately grew concerned, “Did they contact the hospital?”
Zeng Yu nodded, “Yes, they’ve arranged it. The problem is my mom insists I bring my girlfriend to the station. You know I broke up with Xiao Xiao. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just hire someone online.”
Jiang Nan couldn’t help but laugh, but she held it in. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Do you have to bring a girlfriend?”
“My mom is very stubborn. If I don’t bring a real girlfriend, she’ll find a way to set me up on a blind date. One of my uncle’s daughters might be coming with them, which is just another way to push me into a blind date. To make them give up, I need to bring a real girlfriend; a photo won’t cut it.”
Jiang Nan thought for a moment, “How about I play the role of your girlfriend temporarily?”
“You? I can’t afford that.” Zeng Yu joked.
“I’m offering my help for free. Do you want it or not? Just say the word. If not, forget it!”
Seeing Jiang Nan’s serious expression, Zeng Yu quickly said, “If that’s the case, I’ll reluctantly accept.”
Jiang Nan widened her eyes, “I’m going to hit you!”
“Can I borrow your car tomorrow? My mom said the hospital is connected to one of my dad’s classmates’ wives, but who knows if that’s true. They might just be being polite, and when we actually go there, they might not be willing to help.”
Zeng Yu had experienced too many cold shoulders over the past year and was preparing for the worst.
“Don’t worry about the medical university’s affiliated hospital. Leave that to me. What department should we be looking at?” Jiang Nan immediately offered to help.
“If you have connections, that’s great. My dad has back problems, but I’m not sure exactly what department we should go to.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make a call to find out.” Jiang Nan said, getting up to make a phone call. She returned shortly after, “Back pain can have many causes, but let’s start with orthopedics. Most back pain falls under that. Since they’re already here, we might as well get a thorough check-up. It won’t cost too much.”
After dinner, they agreed on a time to meet the next day, then drove off.
Since it wasn’t a holiday, Zeng Yu had to get up early for work. Yuan Lei was reliable, and the employee training was progressing smoothly.
Before the end of the morning, Jiang Nan came out of her office and called out, “Zeng Yu, let’s go.”
Zeng Yu stood up, following her out. As they left, he remarked, “Isn’t it still work hours? Doesn’t this count as using company resources for personal gain?”
Jiang Nan rolled her eyes, “Rules are rules, but I don’t want my company to be heartless.”
Zeng Yu didn’t say anything. After getting into the car, Jiang Nan turned to scrutinize him, “Not bad, you cleaned up well this morning, didn’t you?”
Zeng Yu shrugged, “You only noticed now? I must be a failure.”
“You’re okay on the looks, but when it comes to your wardrobe, just forget it.” Jiang Nan teased, and Zeng Yu raised his hands in surrender.
Jiang Nan lifted her chin, laughing wildly.
At the station, Zeng Zhanhao was supporting his back, trying to look out for his son. Zeng Yu hadn’t been home for over a year, missing the last New Year because he had to work overtime at the company. Zeng Yu hadn’t told his father that it was because he had compromised with Xiao Xiao.
Fu Yu stood beside him with a suitcase, next to a young girl. She was chatting with the girl, “Ying Su, don’t worry. Your Zeng Yu brother will help you with everything.”
Ying Su was quite pretty, a recent college graduate who had failed to pass the civil service exam and had decided to come to Shanghai to find a job. As a girl in an unfamiliar city, she naturally needed someone to look after her. Fu Yu felt that Zeng Yu was the perfect candidate, thinking that after a while, they might develop feelings for each other. Fu Yu liked the girl very much and was certain that Zeng Yu was bluffing about having a girlfriend, hoping that Ying Su and Zeng Yu could have a good future together.
Fu Yu was very strong-willed at home, and Zeng Zhanhao couldn’t say much, but he didn’t agree with forcing feelings in a relationship. However, Fu Yu had strongly rebutted his opinion, “They can meet and see how it goes. You never know; sparks might fly. Didn’t our feelings develop from working together?”
Hearing this, Zeng Zhanhao immediately fell silent. The gap between ideal and reality was too great. Back in the day, Zeng Zhanhao had dreamed of Zhao Yazhi as his ideal woman.
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