“Today, Xiao Ye isn’t working. We were waiting for you. Let’s go for dinner and then sing karaoke,” Wang Zheng invited.
Zeng Yu found it odd, “Is today a special occasion? Or did you suddenly remember to treat me?”
Zeng Yu only spoke this way with close friends.
“It’s Xiao Ye’s birthday today. Help me out and join us,” Wang Zheng pleaded.
Zeng Yu, tired from a long day, shook his head, “You two have other friends. Why drag me along? You know I don’t like nightlife. Besides, I didn’t prepare a gift.”
Wang Zheng grabbed Zeng Yu’s hand, “Don’t be like that. Come on, it’s just for fun.”
Zeng Yu shook off Wang Zheng’s hand, laughing, “Alright, alright, I’ll go.”
Ye Xiyan watched them with amusement. These two usually seemed so serious, but when they were together, and Wang Zheng wasn’t drunk, they were quite the entertaining pair.
“You could’ve just said yes from the start,” Wang Zheng teased as he let go.
“I’ll just go upstairs, change clothes, and take a quick shower. Is that okay?” Zeng Yu asked.
Wang Zheng waved him off, “Go ahead, we’ll wait downstairs.”
Ye Xiyan knew that despite Wang Zheng’s large circle of acquaintances, he only had one real friend—Zeng Yu.
She could say this with confidence because she had witnessed something herself. One time, she spent the night at a friend’s place and didn’t come home. Wang Zheng returned from work, drunk as a skunk. The next morning, when she came back, she overheard Zeng Yu scolding Wang Zheng, “Why didn’t you drink yourself to death! Just because they offer you drinks, you have to accept? Are you that desperate for money?”
When she peeked into the apartment, Wang Zheng was sitting at the table eating breakfast, smiling as he retorted, “Shut up. In this world, if you want people’s money, you have to give them your life. If we don’t trade our lives for money, what else do we have that’s valuable?”
It was the first time Ye Xiyan had seen Wang Zheng being scolded and still smiling.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Zeng Yu returned. He had changed into clean clothes, and his shoes were polished.
“Look at you all cleaned up. You almost look decent,” Wang Zheng teased.
Zeng Yu gave him a playful glare, “You should talk. Look at yourself.”
Wang Zheng laughed, “This is thanks to Yezi. Jealous?”
This “dog food” was too much for Zeng Yu, who just shrugged, “Where are we going?”
Ye Xiyan smiled, “Dinner first, then karaoke. I invited a few friends—lots of pretty girls.”
Wang Zheng and Ye Xiyan had planned to introduce Zeng Yu to someone new, hoping to help him move on from his recent breakup. Xiao Xiao had called Wang Zheng after the breakup, asking him to look after Zeng Yu. Wang Zheng, however, had angrily told Xiao Xiao that she was a shallow woman who only cared about money.
Zeng Yu, on the other hand, had never told Wang Zheng about an incident from his second year of high school. One afternoon, Zeng Yu’s father had accidentally scratched a Cayenne with his electric scooter. It was a potentially costly mistake for a family with little savings and a mortgage to pay. But Wang Zheng, who got out of the car, took one look at the damage and told Zeng Yu’s father, “You’d better run. I’ve got full coverage, and there are no cameras here!”
Zeng Yu had been sitting on the back of the scooter and remembered Wang Zheng’s face clearly.
Life is full of coincidences. Two people who might never have crossed paths became close friends by chance.
Dinner was at a nearby barbecue restaurant, and the three of them walked there. Three young women were already waiting, and they looked pretty good. But Zeng Yu felt no particular attraction to any of them. He didn’t love or hate them. Everyone has the right to choose their own path in life, and the outcome is their business.
Wang Zheng ordered a bunch of food and a case of beer. As they began eating, Wang Zheng raised his glass, “Today’s Yezi’s birthday. I may not be much, but I truly wish Yezi eternal youth and wealth.”
Ye Xiyan’s smile froze at these words. What did he mean by wishing her wealth?
Zeng Yu frowned slightly but didn’t comment. It wasn’t his place to speak when Ye Xiyan hadn’t said anything.
The girls were good at creating a lively atmosphere, and the barbecue was eaten with plenty of laughter. Zeng Yu, however, remained somewhat detached, quietly eating and occasionally checking his phone. The girl sitting next to him tried several times to engage him in conversation, but he only responded with brief “mm-hm”s before returning to his food or phone.
The world’s most distant relationship: one person is talking to you, while you’re engrossed in your phone.
During a bathroom break, Wang Zheng pulled Zeng Yu aside, “What’s wrong with you? At least pretend to be interested.”
Zeng Yu looked indifferent, “Are you trying to set me up? Do you think I can’t find a girlfriend on my own?”
“Didn’t Xiao Xiao break up with you?” Wang Zheng blurted out, forgetting himself.
Zeng Yu, however, didn’t react much, “And you still want to introduce me to someone? I’m not the kind of person who jumps into a new relationship right after a breakup.”
“By the way, where did you get the clothes you’re wearing?” Wang Zheng asked casually, and Zeng Yu looked at him curiously, “My business partner gave them to me. Why?”
Wang Zheng smirked, “A woman, right?”
“How did you know? Did you see me?” Zeng Yu was intrigued.
Wang Zheng laughed, “I didn’t see it, but I know. And I’m not telling you why. I’ll let you guess.”
“You’re crazy. Get out of here!” Zeng Yu retorted, not backing down.
Wang Zheng laughed heartily, “Yeah, introducing you to someone new was unnecessary.”
After the barbecue, Ye Xiyan, still trying to create an opportunity for Zeng Yu, arranged for him to ride with the three girls in one car while she and Wang Zheng took another.
As they drove, Wang Zheng finally explained to Ye Xiyan, “We shouldn’t introduce him to anyone. The guy’s already been noticed by a rich girl.”
“What do you mean?” Ye Xiyan was curious.
Wang Zheng chuckled, “He smells like perfume. And did you see his clothes? They’re the latest from Versace.”
Ye Xiyan looked at Wang Zheng with surprise, “You know about that stuff?”
“Just because I can’t afford it doesn’t mean I can’t window-shop. Let me tell you something: those scenes in movies like *Pretty Woman* do happen, but most salespeople in high-end stores are professionals. Even if they look down on you, they won’t show it on their faces. They might just silently judge you. Also, our homegrown nouveau riche have a lot of quirks. Some of them like to play dumb to catch people off guard. Yeah, it’s all from reading too many web novels,” Wang Zheng said with a grin, making up a reason, which Ye Xiyan believed.
In the car, Zeng Yu was still looking at his phone, seemingly in another world. The girl sitting next to him looked exasperated. This guy probably doesn’t even remember my name, does he?
Zeng Yu wasn’t rude; he just wasn’t in the mood to randomly start a relationship.
In Zeng Yu’s view, Wang Zheng and Ye Xiyan’s relationship wouldn’t last. Wang Zheng was too ambitious, always striving to rebuild his family’s fortune. A former rich kid, now doing things he once scorned, Wang Zheng could adapt. But if he ever made it big again, that would likely be the day Ye Xiyan left. Zeng Yu could tell that Ye Xiyan had too much pride. Unless Wang Zheng remained down-and-out, their relationship wouldn’t endure.
The nightclub’s name was as flashy as expected—Empire Club.
Zeng Yu had just stepped out of the car and was glancing around when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Jiang Nan staring at him with a disapproving look, Yuan Lei standing beside her with an amused expression.
“I asked you to celebrate, and you said you were going home. Now you’re here? Is this your home?” Jiang Nan was clearly upset, feeling that Zeng Yu had deceived her.
When Jiang Nan had first caught sight of Zeng Yu’s back, she hadn’t thought about what kind of relationship he might be in. Instead, she was just naturally unhappy and wanted to come over and ask him directly, forgetting what her actual role was in questioning him.
“What a coincidence! My friend’s girlfriend’s birthday is today. I had just gotten home when they grabbed me and made me come along,” Zeng Yu explained. Usually, he wouldn’t have bothered, but seeing the slight hurt in Jiang Nan’s eyes, he felt a small pang of guilt and smiled as he calmly explained.
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