This amount of alcohol was nothing for Zeng Yu. Just as he was preparing for another round, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he saw a WeChat message from Jiang Nan.
“I’m lying in my hotel bed, holding my phone, hesitating for at least ten minutes before finally working up the courage to send you this message. I have to admit, I made a mistake. I foolishly thought that showing up out of the blue would surprise you, and that you’d be happy to hear me explain everything from the past. I must say, it was a dumb mistake. For reasons I can’t explain, I asked you to wait for me for three years, then disappeared without a trace. Compared to your patience over the years, any explanation I could offer would feel weak and pointless. So, I won’t ask you to listen to my explanation—it’s foolish. Looking back at every moment we spent together, I realize that from the start, I was the one chasing you. I’ve really messed this up! Since I’ve already failed once, there’s no pressure anymore. I’ll let go of everything from the past and start over. You can think of it this way: I’m planning to chase you all over again!”
Staring at the message, Zeng Yu was at a loss. He thought back to the past and realized that Jiang Nan had indeed been the one taking the initiative. His heart ached slightly at the memory—such an exceptional woman had once chosen him. A sense of pride mixed with a touch of fear. He quickly realized that the firm walls he’d built around his heart had just been shaken.
Don’t think that just by saying this, everything can be fixed. You liar.
That’s what Zeng Yu told himself in his heart.
His fingers quickly typed out the words “Goodbye,” but when he was about to send the message, his hand stopped. Staring at the long message on his screen, he felt a pang of sadness.
Slowly, he deleted the two words and muttered to himself, “I’m such a soft-hearted fool.”
“Mr. Zeng, everything okay?” Li Geng came over, concerned.
“I’m fine.” Zeng Yu shook his head, put away his phone, and returned to the table to continue drinking and chatting. He used to be Mr. Zeng, but now he wasn’t anymore. The change in status made everyone bolder when talking to him, especially the newcomers.
“Mr. Zeng, since you’re still single, how about I introduce you to my sister?” One of the newer employees, half-drunk, blurted out.
The room instantly fell silent. The old employees nervously eyed the reckless kid, realizing he was pouring salt on an old wound.
Some of the female employees, especially the newer ones, had a different look in their eyes: even if Zeng Yu wasn’t the head of Jiangyu Company anymore, he was still a prime bachelor.
To everyone’s surprise, Zeng Yu wasn’t upset. Instead, he patted the young man on the shoulder and said, “Thanks, but I really should start a new relationship. Still, I’m not interested in being set up. For me, fate is the most important thing. Maybe I haven’t met someone who makes my heart race yet, but next time, in some unexpected moment, I might just find her.”
Zeng Yu’s little “heartfelt speech” left the young man stunned, while Zeng Yu smiled and made his way to the door. “You all carry on. I’ve got something to take care of,” he said, disappearing out the door.
Everyone was left dumbfounded. Li Geng walked over to the young man and lightly tapped his head, “You really need to watch what you say. How much do you even know about Mr. Zeng’s past?”
“What? What did I do wrong?” The young man was still clueless.
Standing by the street, Zeng Yu felt lost. He didn’t want to go home and face the emptiness of his apartment. Pulling out his phone again, he reread Jiang Nan’s long message, and once again typed “Goodbye.” Closing his eyes, he tried to muster the strength to send it, but he failed. Unable to harden his heart, he deleted the words once more and began wandering aimlessly through the streets.
“I can’t bear to watch you turn your back on me. If you’re leaving, please don’t linger with thoughts of regret…”
An old song suddenly played in Zeng Yu’s mind. Unable to resist, he pulled out his phone, searched for the song, and put on his headphones. He walked the streets, listening to the lyrics of “Can’t Say Goodbye” over and over, filled with endless emotions.
It wasn’t until his phone ran out of battery that Zeng Yu, exhausted, finally returned home.
This apartment was one of Wang Zheng’s properties. Zeng Yu lived here rent-free. A three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment was indeed a bit too spacious for just one person. In the past, Zeng Yu avoided staying home alone for long stretches, afraid he couldn’t handle the loneliness.
On workdays, he would come home, take a shower, and go straight to bed, leaving his clothes for the cleaner to deal with the next day. On his days off, Zeng Yu either stayed in the office working overtime or went out to socialize with friends.
That loneliness had led Zeng Yu to meet many new people, but no new friend could fill the void deep inside.
For years, Jiang Nan, who had vanished without a trace, stubbornly occupied a corner of Zeng Yu’s heart, leaving no room for anyone else. Because of that obsession, he was willing to wait for her. But with her sudden reappearance, that obsession began to fade.
It was like the dream he had that night. In the countless dreams of the past, Jiang Nan had always been the lead, but tonight, the face of the female lead was blurry.
“I can’t betray Jiang Nan,” a voice inside Zeng Yu’s head shouted, and he sat up suddenly.
Zeng Yu gasped for air. Realizing it was just a dream, his tense body relaxed. The room felt stiflingly hot, and he noticed he was drenched in sweat. He reached out to turn on the light, but nothing happened. The power must have gone out.
He got up, walked to the window, and opened the curtains. Bright sunlight streamed in. Checking his phone, he saw it was already 10 a.m. He washed up, changed his clothes, and stepped onto the balcony, where he noticed the woman next door doing yoga on a mat.
She noticed him, paused her workout, and greeted him, “Hey, even with the power out, you’re still not going out?”
Zeng Yu smiled, “I didn’t know the power was out. I just woke up. What about you?”
“The power went out halfway through my workout, but I didn’t want to stop, so I moved out to the balcony since there’s a breeze.” She thought Zeng Yu looked a bit silly and couldn’t resist chatting a little longer, hoping to maybe get a free meal from Jiang Nan someday. “By the way, I’m Gu Meisheng, 25, single, and an office worker. What’s your name? What do you do?”
Gu Meisheng had often seen a chauffeur driving a Maybach to pick up Zeng Yu, and she had definitely been interested in him. But every time she tried to chat with him, he never said more than three sentences, which was quite discouraging.
She already knew Zeng Yu’s name—she’d gotten his information from the property security a while back—but of course, she had to pretend she didn’t know.
“Me? I’m Zeng Yu.”
Today, Zeng Yu seemed much more approachable than usual. Not to mention, it was rare to see him at home at this hour. Interesting, she thought.
“I work in sales.” A wave of sadness washed over Zeng Yu as he spoke. In the past three years, aside from the friends he made in business, his life had been entirely closed off. To put it bluntly, if he died at home, no one would even notice.
“A salesman with a chauffeur driving you around in a Maybach? Yeah, right.” Gu Meisheng wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t let it show. “I’m in admin work. I guess I need a career change; sales seems to have a better future.”
Zeng Yu didn’t catch the sarcasm in her voice. He nodded, “It only looks glamorous from the outside. Once you’re in the industry, it’s filled with hardships.”
Gu Meisheng laughed, “Is that so? How about this: since today’s a holiday, why don’t we go out for lunch and maybe catch a movie? As neighbors, this is the longest we’ve ever talked.”
But the next moment, she felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her.
Zeng Yu stubbed out his cigarette, “Sorry, I’ve got things to take care of today. Maybe next time.” The sudden shift in tone left Gu Meisheng stunned as she watched him walk away.
On the balcony was a large mirror, and Gu Meisheng looked at her reflection in it with frustration. What exactly went wrong to scare off such a perfect catch?
She struck an “S” pose, tilted her chin, and gazed sideways into the mirror. With her dreamy eyes, long legs, and a head of blonde hair, she was practically the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe. How did that not win him over?
After freshening up, Zeng Yu grabbed his bag and headed out the door. Before leaving, he sent Louis a message. Soon, Louis replied with an address—an exclusive private club.
This kind of club didn’t accept outsiders, but the best part was its tranquility, making it an ideal spot for business discussions.
Zeng Yu had been to this club once before. At that time, Cheng Ye had tried to convince him to get a membership, which cost 300,000 yuan upfront. Zeng Yu had been too stingy to go for it. Now, as he got out of his car, he had no choice but to call Louis from outside the club.
Louis soon came down and, seeing Zeng Yu, couldn’t help but tease him, “You’re acting so broke. Are you really that short on 300,000 yuan?”
How to describe Louis? His name might make people think he was a foreigner, but he was a local through and through. His name, “Louis,” was just his Chinese name. Louis was all about living the high life—good wine, gourmet food, luxury cars, and designer clothes. If Zeng Yu’s interest in designer brands had been sparked by Jiang Nan and later pushed along by Wang Zheng, then it was Louis who had completely dragged him into that world. This guy knew his wines and loved to play. But in terms of business, Louis had helped him a lot, and Louis needed Zeng Yu’s sales contacts too. They had a mutually beneficial relationship.
“I really am short on cash right now!” Zeng Yu replied bluntly.
Louis was quiet for a moment, shaking his head with a sigh, “About Jiang Nan, I owe you an apology. I really didn’t mean any harm. I thought I was helping you two out. You have talent and ability, and she comes from a good family, with looks and class. I figured you two were a perfect match. It wasn’t until yesterday that I heard about what happened between you and Jiang Nan from Han Jie. I’m really sorry, but I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”
Zeng Yu smiled, “If I was holding a grudge, I wouldn’t have come.”
Louis nodded, “Fair enough. Let’s go inside. Oh, by the way, when you go to France, stop over in Hong Kong. The watch you ordered has arrived there.”
“No problem!” Zeng Yu nodded as the two of them headed inside.
Louis grinned, “After all these years, aside from getting you to represent a few wine brands, my greatest success was convincing you to buy that watch.”
Zeng Yu gave a bitter smile, shaking his head, “Don’t even mention that watch. It still hurts. If I hadn’t been drunk, I never would’ve fallen for your trick and bought such an expensive watch.”
Louis laughed, “You think that’s expensive? There are ones that cost over 10 million yuan.”
“Stop talking. I’ve been holding back the urge to punch you for a long time.”
Louis laughed even harder.
Downstairs in the club’s café, Ah Wen and Xiao Dong were already there, but Cheng Ye was nowhere to be seen.
Zeng Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Cheng Ye not showing up? That’s a surprise.”
Yawning, Ah Wen replied, “Don’t mention him. Last night, he dragged us into playing cards until past 3 a.m. Then he got a call and just ran off, leaving the three of us stranded.”
“Did he get some kind of insider tip? It’s not like him to take off at 3 a.m.,” Zeng Yu asked casually.
Xiao Dong sighed, “It probably wasn’t good news. He looked pale when he left.”
Louis sat down and waved for the waiter, “One cigar, one cappuccino.” He then turned to Zeng Yu, “What about you?”
“I’ll have tea. Green tea, please,” Zeng Yu replied.
