Zeng Yu came home from work and saw Wang Zheng standing there. He opened his door without acknowledging him.
Wang Zheng turned around and called out to Zeng Yu’s back, “Even if you’re going to kill me, shouldn’t you at least offer me a last drink?”
Zeng Yu turned and glared at him, sneering. “I live right across the hall. Do you think I don’t know if someone’s in your place? Ye Zi’s already gone, hasn’t she? And you still want a last drink? I should kick you instead.”
“How can you be like this? Do you even know the truth?” Wang Zheng shouted hysterically.
Zeng Yu opened his door, turned around, and said, “Alright, then tell me the truth.”
Wang Zheng scratched his head in frustration before dejectedly admitting, “The biggest mistake I’ve made in my life is thinking that as long as I didn’t say anything, Ye Zi wouldn’t leave me. I was too confident. Even when I was so poor I couldn’t afford a three-yuan pack of cigarettes, Ye Zi stayed with me. I was so angry that I didn’t come back to hear her out. I never expected her to actually leave.”
Hearing this, Zeng Yu’s expression softened, but his tone remained stern. “I really don’t get where your confidence comes from. So, that’s the truth?”
Wang Zheng stood up and said, “I want to drink. Will you join me?”
“Why should I drink with you? Give me a reason.” Zeng Yu’s tone softened slightly.
“If you want to know the truth, drink with me, and I’ll tell you slowly. This time, it really wasn’t my fault.”
Zeng Yu sneered and turned away. “Just for saying that, you can drink alone.”
Wang Zheng shouted after him, “Ye Zi has been lying to me all along!”
Zeng Yu turned back, glaring. “So what? She lied to you? Haven’t you lied to her enough?”
Wang Zheng’s eyes reddened, on the verge of tears. He whispered, “Please, just drink with me.”
It was the first time Zeng Yu had seen him give in, so he hesitated. “Wait here.” He went back into his apartment, put down his computer, and quickly returned. “Let’s go. But let’s be clear, I’m paying tonight.”
Wang Zheng muttered, “Why? When I was broke, you paid. Now that I have money, you’re still paying. It’s not fair!”
“Are you drinking or not? If not, go back inside!”
Zeng Yu didn’t hold back, giving Wang Zheng a firm kick. Wang Zheng didn’t dodge and took the hit.
Zeng Yu let him off after that, grumbling as they walked, “You’re lucky to have met a good woman like Ye Zi. You must have done something good in your past life. With your lousy attitude, if I were Ye Zi, I’d have left you too.”
“Don’t say that! I never cheated on her. I’ve only ever loved Ye Zi. This time, it really wasn’t my fault.”
“With your moral standards, you dare mention Ye Zi? If you didn’t have a girlfriend, I wouldn’t care what you did. But you and Ye Zi were together, and you still messed around. That’s just plain wrong.”
“Fine, I’m morally corrupt, okay? But at least I’m better than you… Forget it, I won’t argue about this. Let me explain later, and you can judge me then.”
The two of them kept bickering as they walked, but the more they argued, the more relaxed they became.
When they reached the barbecue stall, Zeng Yu sat down and shouted, “Boss, bring a case of beer and forty skewers of lamb. If you have scallops, bring twenty of those too.”
The two of them were regulars at this shop, so the owner greeted them with a big smile as he placed a case of beer next to them and handed over a plate of peanuts. “On the house, enjoy! You’re here a bit early today.”
“Coming early means we can take our time drinking.” Wang Zheng replied with a strained smile, looking more like he was forcing back tears than expressing joy.
He opened a bottle of beer and downed three cups in quick succession, emptying the bottle in no time.
Wang Zheng let out a belch. “You’re right. I’m really not worth much. I’ve got a ton of bad habits. Ye Zi tolerated me, and I should have cherished her. Sometimes, when someone’s always by your side, you take them for granted. It’s only when they’re gone that you realize they’ve become part of your very being, a part of your life.”
“It’s a bit late to realize that now, isn’t it? And telling me this isn’t going to change anything. You should be telling Ye Zi, not me.” Zeng Yu wasn’t planning to go easy on Wang Zheng tonight.
Wang Zheng squinted at him. “Where’s your conscience? Your sympathy? How can you jump to conclusions so quickly? You’re going to feel really awkward when I tell you the truth.”
Zeng Yu sneered. “Alright, let’s hear it. Maybe you’ll really make me sympathize with you.”
Wang Zheng took another swig of beer, a pained expression on his face. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked up. “The day before yesterday, I brought flowers to find Ye Zi. I wanted to tell her that no matter what my family thinks, I want to marry her. But do you know what happened? I went to the supermarket, and she wasn’t there. I asked the staff, and they told me she hadn’t worked there in a long time.”
Zeng Yu asked flatly, “So what?”
Wang Zheng exhaled a bitter laugh, his breath tinged with alcohol. “Yeah, nothing wrong with that. But then I saw one of Ye Zi’s friends walk into a nightclub. I followed her, hoping to find out where Ye Zi was working. I chased her to the elevator, and just as I got there, I saw Ye Zi coming out. She’s working at a nightclub, in a place where she has to smile at men all day, letting them touch her however they want. Do you know how that felt? It was like my heart was being ripped apart.”
Zeng Yu frowned slightly but kept his tone cold. “And then?”
Wang Zheng glared at Zeng Yu. “Are you still my brother or not?”
“If I were you, I would have calmly talked to her to find out what’s really going on. But knowing you, I bet you didn’t do that.”
“Fine, I’ve told you everything. Now what?” Wang Zheng stared coldly at Zeng Yu.
Zeng Yu picked up his beer and splashed it right in Wang Zheng’s face. Caught off guard, Wang Zheng got soaked and yelled, “Are you crazy?”
Zeng Yu sneered. “I’m just helping you cool off. Now sit down, and let me tell you something.”
Wang Zheng wiped his face and glared at Zeng Yu, saying, “Alright, go ahead. Let’s see if you’ve got anything better to say.”
“Do you remember when I was a freshman? You weren’t with Ye Zi back then. You were lugging that guitar around, trying to sell it. For three days straight, you didn’t sell a single one, and you were broke. When I came to see you, you were lying on your bed, looking like death warmed over. You told me you hadn’t eaten in two days and had fainted on the street. Ye Zi found you and brought you back. When I was about to go buy you some food, Ye Zi showed up with milk and apple pies. She gave me one of the pies, and after I ate it, I went to the bathroom. On the floor, I found a receipt for a blood donation subsidy. When Ye Zi left, she gave you 500 yuan. The amount on the subsidy receipt was exactly 600 yuan.”
Zeng Yu paused and looked directly at Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng clutched his chest, staring at Zeng Yu in disbelief. “Are you telling the truth?”
Zeng Yu nodded. “After Ye Zi left, I chased her down and asked her about the receipt. She told me that a supervisor at the supermarket had been harassing her, so she quit without even collecting her salary.”
Wang Zheng slapped himself hard, leaving a red mark on his face.
Zeng Yu continued, “That’s why I chose to stand by Ye Zi. I couldn’t believe that a woman who would sell her blood to help you could ever betray you. I couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t want to. I threw that beer at you because I ate one of Ye Zi’s apple pies, which she bought with the money from selling her blood.”
Wang Zheng was silent for a long time before suddenly shouting to the owner, “Boss, bring me a bottle of Yanghe Daqu!”
Zeng Yu said nothing, watching him quietly.
The owner brought the liquor, and Zeng Yu opened it, poured a glass, and handed it to Wang Zheng. “Drink up if you want to get drunk. I’ll carry you home later.”
Wang Zheng smiled bitterly and downed the glass in one go.
The liquor hit him hard, making him cough violently, and tears and snot streamed down his face. He buried his face in his hands and mumbled through his tears, “I’ve wronged Ye Zi.”
Zeng Yu didn’t say anything, just watched him calmly.
After a long while, Wang Zheng lifted his head, wiped his tears with a napkin, and smiled weakly at Zeng Yu. “Let’s keep drinking. Let’s get hammered tonight. Starting tomorrow, I’m quitting drinking. I won’t stop until I find Ye Zi.”
Zeng Yu smiled slightly, raised his beer glass, and said, “I’ll stick to this. I’ll need to carry you home later.”
Wang Zheng’s expression relaxed as he reflected on his past with Ye Zi. He finished the entire bottle of liquor, and they polished off all the barbecue.
Zeng Yu went to settle the bill and then helped Wang Zheng home.
As the night breeze blew, the alcohol hit Wang Zheng hard, and he started singing at the top of his lungs, “You are my eyes…”
Zeng Yu quickly covered his mouth. It was late at night, and they didn’t want to get pelted with rotten eggs for disturbing the peace.
When they got back to the apartment, Zeng Yu took a shower, and by the time he came out, Wang Zheng was already fast asleep on the bed.
Zeng Yu sighed softly, wiped the floor with a towel, spread out a blanket, and turned off the lights to sleep.
The next morning, Zeng Yu woke up to find that Wang Zheng was gone. A note was left on the table: “I won’t stop until I find Ye Zi.”
Zeng Yu quickly dressed and rushed out, worried about traffic, so he took the subway. But even then, he was late to the office. Fortunately, Jiang Nan hadn’t arrived yet, but Zeng Yu still marked himself down as three minutes late on the attendance sheet.
Just as he finished, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to see Jiang Nan smiling at him.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing much. Wang Zheng went crazy last night and dragged me along.”
Jiang Nan looked at him and teased, “I’m starting to suspect there’s something going on between you and Wang Zheng.”
Zeng Yu gave her a surprised look and responded seriously, “I never would’ve guessed that beneath your pure exterior lies the heart of a gossip.”
Jiang Nan replied just as seriously, “You’re only realizing this now? Too late, no refunds on sold goods.”
“Fine, I’ll take the loss.”
Jiang Nan raised her hand as if to hit him, but a voice from behind interrupted, “Alright, it’s work time. Stop flirting.”
The only person who dared to talk like that was Yuan Lei.
“Aren’t you supposed to be getting your marriage certificate today? What are you doing at the office?” Jiang Nan asked.
Yuan Lei snorted. “I came to check on my dowry, making sure you two don’t squander it.”
Zeng Yu took the opportunity to escape.
“See what you did? You made him blush.” Jiang Nan complained.
Yuan Lei covered her mouth and laughed. “You, such a beauty, sticking by him—he’s lucky! Can’t I tease him a little? Oh, and you have to promise me something: be my bridesmaid. Starting tomorrow, help me prepare for the wedding. Can you do that?”
Jiang Nan was a bit surprised. “So soon? What about my work at the company?”
Yuan Lei said, “Zeng Yu can handle everything for you. Why worry? Just say yes. Tomorrow, you need to try on the bridesmaid dress.”
Jiang Nan nodded. “That’s easy enough. Have you set the date?”
“The 28th of the lunar month, ten days from now.”
Jiang Nan scratched her head at that. The timing seemed tight.
“Will everything be ready in time?” she asked.
Yuan Lei nodded. “It’s a bit rushed, but it doesn’t matter. Fortunately, the house is ready, just needs a bit of decorating. As for the banquet and dowry, he’ll take care of that. My job is to look pretty.”
“Is that his idea or yours?” Jiang Nan asked, slightly annoyed.
Marriage is a major life event; it shouldn’t be taken lightly, right? If it’s Wang Chengfu’s idea, Jiang Nan will definitely gather a group of sisters and confront him.
Yuan Lei laughed and said, “I know you’re looking out for me, but Jiang Nan, I’ve waited so long that I don’t want to wait any longer, not even a moment. To be honest, I’m afraid that if I wake up one day, all of this will have been just a dream. So, I’d rather finish this dream first.”
Jiang Nan reached out and touched Yuan Lei’s forehead. “No fever, so why are you talking nonsense? Must’ve fried your brain drinking last night.”
Yuan Lei smiled gently and shook her head. “You don’t understand, happiness is like lightning—quick to come and quick to go. If you don’t catch it, it’s gone.”
Jiang Nan, missing the point entirely, said, “If happiness is lightning, then you’re already a charred corpse.”
Zeng Yu had been busy outside and was just about to leave when Jiang Nan came out and clapped her hands a few times. “Everyone, stop for a moment. I have a couple of announcements.”
The employees paused their work and turned to look at her.
“I won’t be able to come to the office much for the time being. During my absence, Zeng Yu will be in charge of all company affairs, big and small. This is Lü Qin, our new finance person. She’ll handle both accounting and cashier duties for now. Besides the financial signature system Zeng Yu mentioned, I want to add that from now on, Zeng Yu’s signature on financial matters will be as valid as mine. That’s all. Everyone, back to work.” Jiang Nan finished and returned to her office, then soon left with Yuan Lei.
After the two left, Zeng Yu smiled at the employees and said, “You all saw that, right? That’s capitalism for you. Just kidding, back to work. Remember, you’ve got one week.”
As he wrapped up, Zeng Yu’s phone buzzed with a message from Yuan Lei: “My office is yours now.”
Zeng Yu pushed open the door to the office labeled “Director” took one look, and quickly stepped back out. He dialed Yuan Lei’s number. “Do you have a grudge against me?”
Yuan Lei, just buckling her seatbelt in Jiang Nan’s car, slapped her forehead when she answered the call. “Oh no, I left something behind. Hold on, I’ll be right back.”
Yuan Lei rushed back to the office to find Zeng Yu standing at the office door, looking rather displeased.
She approached with a grin. “Alright, don’t be mad. It wasn’t on purpose. I’ve just been so busy lately, I’ve been all over the place.”
Zeng Yu remained silent, his head bowed.
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