After dinner, Jiang Nan insisted on driving Zeng Yu home, not wanting to part from him. Zeng Yu could feel her warmth, but he hadn’t yet figured out how to respond to her feelings.
As Zeng Yu waved goodbye from downstairs, little did he know that a pair of eyes was watching him from behind the curtains.
Jiang Nan got back into her car and waved goodbye before heading to the hospital to check on her uncle and aunt.
When Zeng Yu returned home, he turned on the lights and was immediately stunned—
Xiao Xiao, dressed lightly, was sitting on the bed, smiling sweetly at him.
“How did you get in here?” Zeng Yu’s expression showed surprise, but no joy.
“There’s a spare key under the flowerpot on the balcony.” Seeing Zeng Yu’s displeased expression, Xiao Xiao maintained her smile.
Zeng Yu immediately opened the door, pointing outside and saying loudly, “You should leave. Don’t force me to turn hostile. Let’s part on good terms.”
“Zeng Yu, I was wrong. I can’t lie to myself anymore—I love money, but I love you more. I know you resent me, but please, for the sake of our past, don’t drive me away.” Xiao Xiao cried as she hugged Zeng Yu tightly.
At that moment, Zeng Yu’s defenses wavered slightly. He was about to reject her more gently when an image of Jiang Nan waving goodbye flashed in his mind.
Zeng Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively pushed Xiao Xiao away, turning to open the door, “I’m sorry, Xiao Xiao, but we can’t go back.”
“Zeng Yu, I’ve been kicked out. Are you really going to leave me out on the street?”
Zeng Yu then noticed the suitcase by the bed. He took one look and said, “Fine, you can stay here tonight. I’ll find somewhere else to sleep. Tomorrow, once you’ve found a place, we’ll talk.”
With that, Zeng Yu left, cutting off Xiao Xiao’s view of him.
When Wang Zheng answered Zeng Yu’s call, he was staring at the hotel ceiling in a daze.
“What’s up?” Wang Zheng’s tone was heavy.
Sensing something was off, Zeng Yu asked, “Is this a bad time?”
“No, I’m just trying to figure something out. You came at the right time—let’s have a drink, and you can help me think it over.”
Xiao Xiao’s sudden reappearance had left Zeng Yu in a foul mood. He had always prided himself on his judgment of people, but with Xiao Xiao… Zeng Yu was starting to doubt his instincts.
When the doorbell rang, Wang Zheng opened the door to find Zeng Yu holding a plastic bag.
“What took you so long?” Wang Zheng asked, closing the door behind him.
Zeng Yu didn’t answer, instead surveying the room and teasing, “Staying at such an expensive hotel and spending the evening here by yourself?”
Wang Zheng grabbed the bag from him, opened it, and found skewers and two bottles of Erguotou.
“Two bottles of Erguotou? Isn’t that overkill?” Wang Zheng noticed something was off with Zeng Yu.
“Answer my question first, then I’ll answer yours.” Zeng Yu shot back.
Wang Zheng sighed and smiled bitterly, “The room was booked by my uncle’s assistant, a Ukrainian girl. She left just half an hour before you arrived.”
“Oh, she must not be very attractive.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Wang Zheng set out the skewers on the table.
They opened the bottles of Erguotou and clinked their glasses.
Zeng Yu could hold his liquor, something only Wang Zheng knew. Wang Zheng had learned that the hard way during their private drinking sessions.
“So, what’s bothering you? What’s the trouble?” Wang Zheng asked.
Zeng Yu shook his head, “Nothing. I’ll be fine after a drink. But what about you? Why are you staying in a hotel? If your uncle kicked you out, you could always go back home.”
“That’s the thing with you—you’re young, but you like to bottle everything up. Others might not know you, but I do. Don’t change the subject—talk!” Wang Zheng knew Zeng Yu all too well; he was the kind of person who would carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. During their four years in university, Zeng Yu had worked part-time jobs to cover his tuition and living expenses.
“Xiao Xiao is at my place, so I had to escape.” Zeng Yu briefly explained his situation.
Wang Zheng narrowed his eyes, “That woman wants you back. If I were you, I wouldn’t have run away.”
“Stop dodging—spill it.” Zeng Yu insisted.
“My uncle is back, and things are going to change for my family. I’m trying to figure out what to do about Ye Xiyan. At first, I thought that our relationship was casual enough that even if we broke up, it wouldn’t hurt too much. But today, just thinking about leaving her made me anxious.” Wang Zheng said, looking troubled.
Zeng Yu’s eyes widened, and he raised his eyebrows, “I see. So, your family is about to rise again, and now you think Ye Xiyan isn’t good enough for you? Does that mean I’m not good enough to be your friend anymore?”
Wang Zheng panicked, “You can’t compare the two! We’re brothers. When my family was down, who was there to share a bag of soybeans with me, drink with me, and cheer me up? It was you! When everyone else treated me like the plague, avoiding me, you came to find me with food and drinks. When I got drunk and passed out on the street, you carried me to a motel. When I got into fights, you—a guy who never gets into fights—picked up a brick and took down three guys, getting yourself beaten black and blue in the process. You’re the only brother I’ve got. What is a brother? He’s like a limb! How can a woman compare to a brother?”
“Bullshit! Sure, a brother is like a limb, but what about women? Xiao Ye stood by you through thick and thin when you were at rock bottom, and now that you’re on the rise, you want to ditch her? Is that something a human being would do?” Zeng Yu, who had never been this angry with Wang Zheng before, snapped at him.
Wang Zheng was left speechless, and Zeng Yu, calming down, continued, “Let me tell you something: Xiao Ye may not stand out, but she’s one of the most important people in your life.”
“It’s easy for me to say, but I’m worried my dad and uncle might have other plans. You wouldn’t understand, so forget it. I don’t want to talk about it.” Wang Zheng tried to change the subject, but Zeng Yu stood up and headed for the door.
“What’s wrong?” Wang Zheng called out, trying to get Zeng Yu to stay, but he didn’t sound very confident.
Zeng Yu said nothing and kept walking out. Just then, the door opened, and Agata stood there with a plate of appetizers. Seeing Zeng Yu, she asked, “Leaving already? Didn’t you say you wanted to drink to your heart’s content?”
Zeng Yu replied coldly, “You can drink with him. I’m not good enough.” With that, he stormed off.
Wang Zheng sat in a daze, not surprised by Zeng Yu’s reaction. If Zeng Yu had acted differently, he wouldn’t have been the same Zeng Yu.
As he walked down the street, Zeng Yu realized he had nowhere to go. Not wanting to waste money, he spent the night in his used Ford. But he didn’t regret his decision.
After Zeng Yu left, Wang Zheng drank himself into a stupor and passed out.
The next morning, Zeng Yu woke up in his car, his neck and back aching. He thought for a moment before driving back to his apartment.
When he opened the door, the place was empty, and Zeng Yu finally relaxed.
Xiao Xiao had left, even tidying up the bed before she went, indicating she had been gone for a while.
Xiao Xiao hadn’t stayed the night. Shortly after Zeng Yu left, she changed her clothes and checked into a hotel. With Zeng Yu gone, there was no point in staying. But she hadn’t given up yet, because someone had told her that Zeng Yu was now co-running a company with Jiang Nan. Zeng Yu, the potential goldmine, was finally on the rise.
Xiao Xiao knew Zeng Yu well. Since playing the clingy card didn’t work, she decided to change tactics.
A few days later, just as Zeng Yu parked his car outside the company, he saw Xiao Xiao standing at the entrance with a suitcase. She had clearly dressed carefully, this time opting for a sweet and innocent look, wearing a floral dress with her hair down and bangs framing her face.
Zeng Yu felt stuck, so he called Jiang Nan, “I need to take care of some personal matters. Can I take half a day off?”
He needed to end this once and for all. Leaving things unresolved would only make it worse for everyone involved.
Jiang Nan had gone to the hospital first thing in the morning, and just as she arrived, Zeng Yu’s call came through. After hanging up, Jiang Nan guessed that Zeng Yu’s “personal matters” probably involved Xiao Xiao.
“How are you feeling today, Uncle?” Jiang Nan asked, carrying a thermos into the room.
She hadn’t cooked the soup herself; a family maid had prepared it.
Fu Yu wasn’t there, so when Jiang Nan walked in, Zeng Zhanhao greeted her with a wide smile, “Xiao Jiang, you shouldn’t trouble yourself. With your Aunt Fu around, I don’t need much care.”
“It’s my duty, Uncle. I didn’t tell Zeng Yu about your surgery, so if he finds out I didn’t take good care of you, he’d scold me to death.” Jiang Nan said with a smile.
Zeng Zhanhao sighed, “Yes, this has really put you in a difficult position.”
“Don’t say that, Uncle. It’s all for Zeng Yu’s sake. By the way, Zeng Yu closed a big deal yesterday—a Michelin three-star restaurant opening a branch in China chose the wine brand Zeng Yu represents. The first batch is 500 bottles, to be delivered in three days.”
Jiang Nan shared the good news, but Zeng Zhanhao didn’t quite understand.
“What’s a Michelin three-star restaurant?”
“Well, it’s a top-tier standard for fine dining. This branch adopting our wine brand will greatly enhance its reputation, and our agency’s business will really take off.” Jiang Nan explained.
“But 500 bottles isn’t much. I read in the news that wine is very popular in China right now. They said something about Lafite selling 2 million bottles a year. Just 500 bottles seem a bit small.” Zeng Zhanhao, clearly an outsider in the wine industry, commented.
Jiang Nan couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh, “Uncle, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear in the news. Lafite only produces about 200,000 bottles a year—there’s no way they have that much for the Chinese market. The Sophie brand we represent produces about 100,000 bottles annually. Once our reputation is established in such a large city, we’ll struggle to keep up with demand.”
Zeng Zhanhao blushed slightly, “I see. I was just reading aimlessly.”
Jiang Nan smiled, “We’re aiming to position this brand as a relatively high-end product. A bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti costs over 100,000 yuan, and a bottle of Lafite can go for over 30,000 yuan. We’re aiming for a price range of 8,000 to 10,000 yuan per bottle.”
“Wine is that expensive?” Zeng Zhanhao asked in surprise.
Jiang Nan chuckled, “Well, that’s how the market is right now. We have to admit that the Europeans have done an excellent job in building their wine brands. Our agency doesn’t aim to be big or all-encompassing—just focusing on one brand is enough.”
“Get in the car.” Zeng Yu opened the car door, putting the suitcase in the back.
Xiao Xiao, still looking pitiful, followed Zeng Yu into the car. Zeng Yu had no particular destination in mind and instinctively drove back to his apartment building.
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