“Let’s talk here.” Zeng Yu said as he got out of the car.
Xiao Xiao, sitting in the passenger seat, kept her head down and asked timidly, “Can we go upstairs to talk?”
Zeng Yu sighed, “There’s no need. If we could have talked properly that night, I would have already finished our conversation.”
“Zeng Yu, can’t you give me a chance? I know I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Xiao Xiao continued to play the pity card, not realizing it only made Zeng Yu dislike her more.
Zeng Yu thought to himself, ever since he ran into Xiao Xiao that day, she hadn’t asked a single question about his father’s condition.
“Xiao Xiao, you made the decision to break up. I respected that and didn’t cling to you. But now, what’s the point of coming back and saying all this?” Zeng Yu frowned, his tone cold.
“What do you mean?” Xiao Xiao retorted.
Looking at the face he had once been so infatuated with, Zeng Yu shook his head with a bitter smile, “You always thought you were so clever, thinking you had everything under control. Xiao Xiao, stop dragging this out. There are many things I’m very aware of. Just because I don’t say it doesn’t mean I’m clueless.”
“I get it. I’ll leave now. I made a mistake, and I deserve the consequences.” Xiao Xiao said, stumbling as she reached for her suitcase. But she lost her grip, and the suitcase fell to the ground. Seeing this, Xiao Xiao crouched down and burst into tears.
Zeng Yu stepped forward, picked up the suitcase, and closed the trunk, “People have to take responsibility for their actions. I hope you take care of yourself. I have to get to work, so let’s leave it at that.” He turned and got back into his car, driving away.
Xiao Xiao was a smart woman. It wasn’t hard for her to guess that Zeng Yu, even though he was technically single, had rejected her so firmly because another woman was influencing him. Who could this woman be? Could it be Jiang Nan?
As Zeng Yu drove away, he remained uneasy, constantly thinking about how he would explain this to Jiang Nan. Even though Jiang Nan was unlikely to ask, Zeng Yu’s subconscious felt it was wrong to hide it from her.
Wang Zheng woke up hungover, sitting on the bed in a daze. He hadn’t had a satisfying drink and had ended up upsetting his brother. Wang Zheng scratched his head, wondering if Zeng Yu would actually cut ties with him. They were brothers, after all. He figured Zeng Yu had just been impulsive. Wang Zheng picked up his phone and called Zeng Yu, but Zeng Yu hung up immediately. When Wang Zheng tried again, he couldn’t get through—he’d been blocked.
“You’re really serious about this?” Wang Zheng groaned.
It was just bad luck that Wang Zheng had called when Zeng Yu was in a foul mood. The two people Zeng Yu cared most about had just dealt him blows, worsening his already low spirits. In a fit of anger, Zeng Yu had blocked Wang Zheng.
Zeng Yu parked his car outside the company, but he wasn’t in the mood to go in, so he wandered aimlessly along the street. After a while, a car pulled up beside him, startling him.
Jiang Nan’s smiling face appeared, “What’s up? Is this what you call ‘handling personal matters’?”
Zeng Yu froze, his expression turning bitter, “Can we find somewhere to talk?”
Jiang Nan smiled, “Sure, let’s go to my place. I’m a good listener, you know.”
They drove to Jiang Nan’s old house, went upstairs, and Jiang Nan opened the fridge, handing a bottle of iced tea to Zeng Yu, “Sit down and talk. Holding it in must be tough, right?”
“I’ve been feeling really down lately. When I called you earlier to take leave, it was because Xiao Xiao was waiting for me outside the company. Actually, last night, when I got home, Xiao Xiao had used the spare key to get into my apartment…” Zeng Yu sat on the sofa and recounted everything that had happened, feeling relieved after getting it off his chest. “After leaving the apartment, I got a call from my buddy Wang Zheng, and I thought I could crash at his place. But it turns out he’s not much better… So I spent the night in my car, and this morning, after freshening up, I came to work.”
“Go on.” Jiang Nan encouraged, smiling.
“What else is there to say? I didn’t go home for over a year because of Xiao Xiao. But when she decided to break up, I accepted it. Fine, we broke up, I accepted that too. But then she comes back, treating me like a fool? And then there’s Wang Zheng—I always thought he had principles, but after all these years with Ye Zi, he’s ready to ditch her just because his family’s back on its feet. During his lowest point, Ye Zi quietly stood by him, and now that he’s on the rise, he wants to throw her away. I should’ve beaten him up when I had the chance.”
Jiang Nan understood. Zeng Yu hadn’t fully healed from his breakup with Xiao Xiao, and Wang Zheng’s situation had only made things worse, leaving him feeling hurt and betrayed.
“Zeng Yu, I’m not going to give you advice because these are things you need to face on your own.”
As a listener, Jiang Nan felt happy, especially when she heard that Zeng Yu had refused Xiao Xiao’s advances. It made her day even brighter. But at the same time, she felt sorry for Zeng Yu. If she had been in his shoes, she would have cried long ago.
Knowing the full story, Jiang Nan didn’t plan to offer Zeng Yu any advice. She could have said something, and Zeng Yu might have listened, but if that had happened, neither Zeng Yu nor Jiang Nan would have been the same people they were.
“I understand, thanks for listening to me ramble on for so long.” Zeng Yu nodded, genuinely appreciating Jiang Nan’s understanding.
“Actually, I have something to tell you too.” Jiang Nan started, and Zeng Yu immediately tensed up.
“This morning, when I got up, my mom was acting really weird. She was mumbling to herself during breakfast. I asked her if she wasn’t feeling well and if she needed to see a doctor. Do you know what she did? She stared at me with this really scary look for a while, then turned and went back to her room.” Jiang Nan said, still feeling unsettled by Han Jiayi’s strange behavior.
“You should probably stay home from work today and spend some time with your mom. Talk to her.” Zeng Yu suggested out of concern.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I’m glad I ran into you and got to talk for a while—I feel a lot better. Come on, I’ll drop you off at work, and then I’ll go home and keep an eye on her. Do you think she might have depression?” Jiang Nan speculated.
Zeng Yu quickly shook his head, “I wouldn’t know, but I think you should stay with her and let your dad know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, I really haven’t been attentive enough to my parents over the years. I feel so guilty.”
Jiang Nan’s self-reproach opened up a floodgate for Zeng Yu, “You’re right. As children, we’re always chasing our own goals, often forgetting that our parents need love and care too. Once the company is stable, I’ll take some time off and go home to spend quality time with my parents.”
“That sounds good. By the way, when the time comes, I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend and go with you.” Jiang Nan offered.
Zeng Yu was taken aback, his gaze lingering on her face for a few seconds before he nodded seriously, “Okay.”
Jiang Nan’s smile grew even brighter at that promise.
Feeling dejected after being blocked by Zeng Yu, Wang Zheng returned to Wang Chengfu’s villa with his head hanging low.
He was greeted at the door by Wang Chengfu, still in his pajamas, “You’re back. How was your night?”
“Terrible!” Wang Zheng grumbled. “Uncle, should I go back home for a few days? Once everything here is sorted, we can head out to see my dad.”
“What are you talking about? Is there anything your uncle can’t handle?”
At that moment, a woman’s voice came from upstairs, yelling, “Wang Chengfu, you bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Wang Chengfu looked a bit embarrassed, glancing at Wang Zheng, who was trying not to laugh. He waved his hand, “Alright, get lost. I’ll call you when it’s time.”
With that, Wang Chengfu headed upstairs, and Wang Zheng had no choice but to leave.
Agata followed him and handed him a card, “This is for you from your uncle. The password is your birthday.”
Wang Zheng pocketed the card, walked a few steps, then turned back, “Give me the car keys.”
Upstairs in the bedroom, Yuan Lei sat on the bed while Wang Chengfu stood nearby, cautiously trying to appease her.
“Lei Lei, don’t get upset. Today, I’ll go home with you to meet your parents. If they agree, great. If not, we’ll elope.”
“Bullshit! If they don’t agree, you’d better find a way to solve it.”
Wang Chengfu’s face was full of affection as he gently hugged her and patted her back, “Alright, alright, don’t get worked up. We’ve already missed so much time together—I don’t want to waste another minute. If they don’t approve of us being together, I’ll kneel at their door until they do, okay?”
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