Mr. Meng’s invitation came as scheduled.
Ruan Jiujiu deliberately put on makeup, and just as she was applying mascara, Cheng Jun silently appeared by her side like a ghost.
“What’s this?” He pointed at the mascara.
“Oh my goodness, you scared me!” The silent room suddenly echoed with Cheng Jun’s question, startling Ruan Jiujiu, causing her to shudder, smudging mascara onto her eyelid, and inadvertently ruining half of her eyeshadow.
“Could you please give me a heads-up next time?”
Cheng Jun said slowly. “Isn’t that what you do? It’s like asking about the weather today or what you had for lunch. Finding a way to connect with what the other person is doing makes the conversation easier.”
His long string of theories surprised Ruan Jiujiu.
“Where did you learn all this?”
Surprisingly, Cheng Jun had also begun paying attention to the art of conversation. Quite impressive.
Ruan Jiujiu’s question made Cheng Jun’s eyes wander for a moment. “Online advertisements.”
“Oh…”
If Ruan Jiujiu knew that he had already read every book on relationships, she’d probably burst into laughter right then and there.
It’s important to emphasize that Mr. Cheng, following strict principles, consulted multiple sources of data, mainly relying on Douban1a Chinese social media platform that focuses on user-generated content related to books, movies, music, and other topics ratings, and finally compiled a booklist.
The ultimate secret booklist, the contents of which only he had access to.
Ruan Jiujiu carefully wiped off the smudged mascara with a cotton swab and continued, “You can have dinner by yourself tonight; I have to go out.”
“Where are you going?”
“Mr. Meng said he’s taking me to a small gathering to meet some senior colleagues. It’s a good opportunity for me. I’ll probably be back late at night, so… you’ll have to manage on your own.”
Cheng Jun remained silent for a long time, then just gave a faint “Mm” and quietly left Ruan Jiujiu’s bedroom.
Ruan Jiujiu: “?”
For some reason, she imagined Cheng Jun with snowflakes falling on his head, singing “Little White Radish” in a desolate manner.
Ruan Jiujiu quickly shook her head to get rid of this strange image.
She slung a small bag over her shoulder, casually curled her shoulder-length hair, and as she was doing so, she noticed Cheng Jun sitting on the couch.
“Don’t forget to eat and avoid junk food,” Cheng Jun’s gaze followed her.
Ruan Jiujiu stood at the door changing her shoes, raised her head, and Cheng Jun, with one hand in his pocket, slowly walked up to her.
Ruan Jiujiu waved at him. “I’m leaving, then.”
“Come back early.”
Cheng Jun stood alone at the door, as if Ruan Jiujiu had abandoned him.
Ruan Jiujiu felt a bit sorry for him and was considering whether to comfort him when Cheng Jun suddenly said, “The fried chicken place downstairs doesn’t deliver at night. I don’t want to go downstairs, so when you come back, please bring me some.”
Ruan Jiujiu: “…”
Cheng Jun: “I want sweet and spicy sauce and egg yolk sauce. Oh, and add a side of french fries and a bottle of cola.”
Ruan Jiujiu: “…”
Cheng Jun: “I’m done talking, you can go now.”
Ruan Jiujiu: “…”
She gave Cheng Jun two resounding words: “Goodbye!”
Mr. Meng drove his car and picked up Ruan Jiujiu as planned.
Ruan Jiujiu felt a bit embarrassed, but fortunately, Mr. Meng was on his way, so she sent him her address.
Mr. Meng arrived early, and from quite a distance, Ruan Jiujiu saw a flashy sapphire-blue BMW with colorful cartoon characters painted on its sides.
The car was extremely eye-catching, causing passersby to turn their heads and even take a few photos with their phones as souvenirs.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Mr. Meng said, “I was afraid you wouldn’t find it.”
“How could I not find it?”
Ruan Jiujiu fastened her seatbelt. “Your car is like the star of the show in the middle of the stage.”
Mr. Meng took this as a compliment and laughed heartily.
“I really didn’t expect you and your partner to live in such an ordinary building. The security here isn’t very high. If you’re interested, you should consider moving to a more upscale apartment. There are quite a few bad people around these days, so don’t think the world is too simple.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
But how could Ruan Jiujiu say that this building meant more to Cheng Jun than just a simple residence? Perhaps it carried many memories he’d rather forget.
“Hey, young lady, you look so pretty today. It’s a pity my son is still in school; otherwise, I’d have you wait for him. Do you have any pretty younger sisters at home? Save a few for me.”
Ruan Jiujiu: “What? You’re making it sound like human trafficking.”
The two of them chatted all the way. To be precise, it was still Mr. Meng bombarding Ruan Jiujiu with his talkative style, going on and on about how fun the spring comic exhibition was.
Ruan Jiujiu felt dizzy from listening, but luckily, they weren’t far from the club where the gathering was taking place. When she got out of the car, she felt like Andy Dufresne escaping from Shawshank Prison2a reference to a famous scene from the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.” In the film, Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, is wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison. Over the years, he meticulously plans his escape, and in a dramatic sequence towards the end of the movie, he successfully escapes from the prison through a tunnel he has been digging for years; used to describe a feeling of immense relief, liberation, and freedom after enduring a long and difficult ordeal or situation, eagerly welcoming the fresh, liberating air.
The gathering location was a private club, and everyone needed to show their membership cards to enter. Ruan Jiujiu found it intriguing, following Mr. Meng closely and trying her best to act less like a country bumpkin.
Mr. Meng found her reserved manner amusing. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to be nervous. They’re all good friends, and they have lively personalities.”
“Phew…”
Ruan Jiujiu breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, I got it.”
A waiter led the two of them to one of the rooms. The corridor was eerily quiet, as if there were no people around.
Suppressing her nervousness, Ruan Jiujiu followed the waiter as he opened the door…
Several people sitting on the sofa turned their heads simultaneously, each with a bunch of sticky notes on their faces. The scene was so comical that Ruan Jiujiu was on the verge of bursting into laughter but managed to hold it in.
Mr. Meng, on the other hand, laughed heartily without giving them any face. “You guys are playing cards again.”
“Well, we were waiting for you. Isn’t that right behind you, the legendary Jiujiu little bird? Why is this young lady so pretty? Come over here; the middle seat is reserved for you.”
The group excitedly waved her over, just as Mr. Meng had described—no airs and even overly enthusiastic.
Ruan Jiujiu sat in the middle of the sofa, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Apart from Mr. Meng, there were three other people—two middle-aged men and a slightly younger woman. Mr. Meng introduced each of them to Ruan Jiujiu.
They didn’t look impressive at first glance, but each one was a towering figure in their field. Mr. Wei, in particular, was almost retiring due to personal reasons, and his works were priceless.
Ruan Jiujiu learned that he had made significant contributions to Chinese animation, and she couldn’t help but show more respect.
“Oh, don’t be so reserved. Watch out for getting more sticky notes stuck on you,” Mr. Wei said as he spoke, causing the sticky notes on his face to flutter up and down. Ruan Jiujiu couldn’t help but laugh this time, looking at them with an embarrassed expression.
Mr. Meng laughed heartily, not giving them any face. “I told you, they’re all a bunch of old kids.”
His words were unanimously rejected by the three: “Bah! You might be old, but I’m forever 18.”
“That’s right.”
Amid their occasional banter, Ruan Jiujiu gradually relaxed.
The others were full of curiosity and asked Ruan Jiujiu many questions, such as where she graduated from and who her mentors were. However, Ruan Jiujiu couldn’t provide clear answers, so she vaguely mentioned that she was self-taught.
“Your work has vitality, young lady, and you have great prospects for the future. You don’t necessarily have to work in the gaming industry.”
“What should I do then?”
Ruan Jiujiu was taken aback.
Mr. Meng changed the topic and said, “This old man is really bad, always advising people to change careers. Don’t listen to him today; we won’t talk about work.”
Mr. Wei also didn’t mind and lifted his teacup. “Then I’ll penalize myself with a drink. Jiujiu, don’t be upset.”
“Of course, I won’t be upset.”
Ruan Jiujiu replied with a smile.
After three rounds of tea and nearly finishing the fruit platter, they had eaten so many dried snacks that their cheeks hurt. They had also consumed a lot of tea.
This gathering was quite different from what Ruan Jiujiu had anticipated. She had prepared herself for a severe test but ended up feeling like she needed to use the restroom after drinking so much tea.
Indeed, they didn’t talk about work. Instead, they discussed various everyday trivialities, making the conversation interesting.
As they chatted, the topic eventually shifted to Ruan Jiujiu.
Xu Jie asked with a teasing smile, “You and your partner seem to have a good relationship. It’s great to be young.”
“Yeah, when are you planning to have a child? But it’s also good to keep playing for a few more years. Or are you two planning to be child-free?”
Ruan Jiujiu felt a bit awkward.
Have a child? They hadn’t even begun discussing it.
Amid this diversion, Ruan Jiujiu suddenly felt a sense of crisis while strapped into her safety belt.
Upon careful thought, Cheng Jun, although a bit “doggy,” was still a normal man. He couldn’t reproduce asexually, after all.
So, Cheng Jun had desires too.
Desires…
Perhaps it was because Cheng Jun appeared so docile in front of Ruan Jiujiu and didn’t act domineering like other overbearing CEOs, which made her completely unguarded around him.
Cheng Jun… was also a mature man.
Ruan Jiujiu, suddenly shrouded in a sense of crisis, was stunned.
It wasn’t until the party ended, until Mr. Meng dropped her off downstairs, and until Ruan Jiujiu bought fried chicken and entered her home that she continued to dwell on some strange self-contradiction.
Was it really so difficult to admit that Cheng Jun was a normal man?
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