TRANSLATOR – ANNIE
The outside sky was clear, and through the cracks of the wooden planks nailed to the window, stars could be seen, exposed on the black velvet-like sky.
The stars on the sea were large and bright, like eyes, looking down at her tenderly.
Would there be a star that was Shao Zhenrong?
She slowly closed her eyes: “Thank you for coming to the island with me.”
After a long, long time, she didn’t speak any more. He finally turned his head. She was asleep. The candle had burned to the end, the weak candlelight shook and finally went out.
After a short period of darkness, he could gradually see the sparse starlight leaking through the window. In the distance came the sound of waves, and the sea beating against the sandy beach at the foot of the mountain.
She seemed to be able to fall asleep quickly, without any scheming, just like a clear stream. Although it was winding and looming among the rocks and mountains, it was actually crystal clear and could be seen through at a glance.
When bidding farewell to the children, it was hard to say goodbye. Even after the fishing boat sailed far, far away, they could still see the row of figures standing on the pier. They were too far apart, and only small black spots were visible, but they were still in sight, forever in their sight.
When they packed their bags in the morning, the students were very reluctant to leave. Two of the little girls also shed tears. Du Xiaosu was also very sad.
In the future, she would never come again. In a few years, the children would grow up, go to middle school, become more sensible, leave the island, and then go to university…Perhaps the children would remember her, perhaps they would forget her. But in the future, it would only be her and she would never return again. Because she and Zhenrong had already been there before and she, as one person, wouldn’t have a future. The sea surged and grazed their line of sight. The rushing waves splashed on the stern of the boat, and a few drops of sea water splashed on her face. The sea and the sky were so vast and boundless. In the sea, the boat seemed as small as mustard seeds. For thousands of years, who knows how many joys and sorrows the sea has seen. Time will pass fast. From now on, her time would just be herself.
The sea breeze was too strong, and the boat swayed in the waves. Lei Yuzheng stood there, watching her squatting motionless on the side of the ship. He estimated that all the food she ate in the morning had been vomited, but she still did not say a word, just like when she came, with a silent and stubborn look.
They rushed to the airport and took the latest flight back. Because it was getting late, the huge terminal building was brightly lit, and only a few passengers were sitting in the terminal waiting to board the plane.
Even after all the struggle on the boat, she just sat there silently, like a quiet doll.
He finally took out a business card, handed it to her, and said, “If there’s anything, you can call this phone.”
In fact, what he wanted to say was that he could return the house to her, but he didn’t know why, once the words went to his lips, they wouldn’t come out.
She took the business card: “Thank you.”
He didn’t speak any more.
“Zhenrong is gone.” She lowered her eyes, “I won’t trouble you again.”
After Du Xiaosu came back, Zou Siqi felt it very strange, because after returning from the island, Du Xiaosu seemed to be cheerful again. She even smiled occasionally, and when she mentioned Shao Zhenrong, she was very calm, and was no longer as vulnerable as she used to be. Only Du Xiaosu knew that the few days on the island were like stolen time. The small island was like a paradise, with only the clear eyes of the children. They were naive, but sensible, lived with all their might and studied hard. Even Little Teacher Sun had an unimaginable strength. In this world, she would live well, because Zhenrong hoped that for her, because her parents also hoped this, and the people who loved her hoped so as well.
So, she mustered up the courage to go to work.
There were still some colleagues who looked at her with strange eyes, but she was no longer discouraged, and no longer paid attention to rumors about herself. She worked seriously and went all out without any frustration or distraction. A few weeks later, there were obvious results. With such an attitude, she immediately won the trust of most colleagues, after all, performance proved everything. Shan Wanting, Lei Yuzheng’s secretary, re-delivered the keys to her. When she got the keys, she nearly didn’t even have joy. Gains and losses, losses and gains. But no matter what, she was still very fortunate to be able to get back the house for her and Zhenrong.
What was unexpected was that a few days later, the general manager’s office suddenly informed her that she would go to a business dinner with Mr. Xiang in the marketing department in the evening. After arriving, she learned that it was Yutian Real Estate’s deputy manager Mr. Gao who had invited Ms. Xiang. Halfway through the meal, Lei Yuzheng was suddenly led in by the waiter. All the people at the dinner naturally stood up. Lei Yuzheng shook hands with the elderly man while apologizing: “I just got off the plane. It was delayed. I’m really sorry.”
Mr. Xiang was from the Northeast, so he was particularly forthright. He shook Lei Yuzheng’s hand and said, “There’s no need to be so distant.”
They drank Luzhou Laojiao. There were no more than seven or eight people, so they quickly finished off four bottles of 1573 Guojiao. Thus, the feast became lively, several bosses joked with each other, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Du Xiaosu originally was just immersed in eating dishes, but was suddenly called by Ms. Xiang: “Xiaosu, on behalf of our company, let’s give Mr. Lei a drink.”
She had two seconds of surprise, before obediently raising her glass. Even after having drunk so much alcohol, not the slightest drunkenness could be seen on Lei Yuzheng’s face, but he smiled and said, “No, no. That’s bullying. How can you suddenly call a girl out after only drinking halfway? It doesn’t work that way. If I continue drinking like this, I’ll be sent back lying down.”
“I will carry you back.” Mr. Xiang was very invested. He grabbed the wine glass from Lei Yuzheng’s hands. “It hasn’t been just a year or two since our friendship, I know how much you can drink. Come on, Xiaosu, fill it up for Mr. Lei. Our Northwest’s girls, no matter what, Mr. Lei should show some face.”
Such events were always inevitable. This was the first time Du Xiaosu had seen Lei Yuzheng like this. Perhaps because he had just come out of the airport, his hair was a little messy, his gray shirt unbuttoned, and he was half leaning against the back of the chair. He looked quite different from his usual meticulous appearance, carrying the lazy raffishness of dandies. His slender fingers stopped the mouth of the cup: “It’s not a matter of face or shame, it’s unfair.” He glanced at her calmly, “Or Miss Du should also have a drink. If she has a drink, I will have a drink.”
Mr. Xiang was originally speculative about the relationship between him and Du Xiaosu, because when Du Xiaosu entered Boyuan Design, it was an old friend who called him and said they were helping based on the Lei family’s face. So he specially told HR to take more care of her. This time he brought Du Xiaosu to negotiate a contract with Yutian by using personal connections. But he had never thought that this was not what he thought it was. At the banquet he jokingly asked Xiaosu to come out to offer him a drink, but he didn’t expect Lei Yuzheng to say such a thing. He had no intention of going easy on her for being a woman.
When the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Du Xiaosu had already filled up her own glass.
She picked the glass up, “Mr. Lei, I will drink first.” Before everyone could react, she had already raised her neck and drank it all.
It was a sixty-degree strong liquor. Such a full, large glass, everyone at the table was stunned. After a few seconds, they cheered and clapped. No expression could be seen from Lei Yuzheng’s face, but Mr. Xiang felt that the relationship between the two people was a bit strange. Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Du Xiaosu take the wine bottle from the waiter and pour it up for Lei Yuzheng: “Thank you, Mr. Lei.”
Lei Yuzheng also drank it all in one breath. Mr. Xiang led the appreciative applause. Lei Yuzheng seemed to smile and said, “Miss Du also has to have a drink with Mr. Xiang. Only then will this be fair.”
Now, it was Mr. Xiang’s turn to disagree: “Isn’t this making it difficult for the girl? No, no, let’s just drink ours…”
Lei Yuzheng put the wine glass on the table, and only said two words: “Fill it up!”
Du Xiaosu knew that although it was Yutian inviting them, it was their company that had a favor to ask of Yutian. She picked up the glass. She did not finish drinking in one breath, but choked, and coughed twice while covering her mouth, before finally finishing it all with some effort. Mr. Gao on the side could not keep standing on the side watching, so he helped her out: “Hey, Miss Du is the only woman here. If she gets, that that would be too undignified of us. Let’s drink ours. Miss Du can drink juice…”
Lei Yuzheng did not speak. In fact, Du Xiaosu was already feeling dizzy. She could only drink an average amount of alcohol. Since she had drunk those two glasses of strong wine in a hurry, she felt her throat was burning, as if it was about to go up in flames. Luckily, at this time, the apricot-flavored bird’s nest drink arrived. Although she was not used to drinking bird’s nests, but from her mouth to her stomach, she felt it was burning, and felt that she needed something to press the heat down. Her hand shook even as she held her spoon. Luckily she didn’t spill.
In the end, the group of people drank two more bottles of wine before finishing. Mr. Xiang’s face was red and even his speech became slurred. Mr. Gao was also quite drunk. Du Xiaosu was groggy, but remembered to help her boss negotiate the contract – but she was a little unstable even walking. She desperately tried to make herself more awake, but the sky and the earth were all shaking. In the end, someone finally stuffed her into a car. After the “bang” of the car door, the surroundings became quiet.
The car drove very smoothly. In fact, it was not uncomfortable to be drunk, but she was thirsty. The leather seat had the faint smell of leather hide. She turned around and hugged him, burying her head in his shoulders. The familiar and intimate smell. Her heart felt at ease. She imagined this countless times in her dream. She knew that was Shao Zhenrong. She dreamed of him again.
Lei Yuzheng tried to remove her hand. Everyone in Boyuan had left, especially Mr. Xiang, who left with the sentence: “I’ll leave Miss Du to you.” He waved his hand and got into the car and drove away. And this woman was like a stray cat, with big foggy eyes, standing pitifully under the streetlamp.
Before he could speak, his driver had silently stuffed the stray cat into the back seat.
He gave the driver a fierce look, but unfortunately the driver didn’t see it, only focusing on closing the car door and then entering the front driver’s seat and starting the car.
Forget it. It was only one time sending her home. He would do so looking at Zhenrong’s face.
But after a while, her whole body leaned over, and she couldn’t help but nestle into his arms. She was really like a dexterous cat, automatically finding a comfortable position, breathing lightly, and falling asleep.
He was almost petrified.
He wanted to push her away, but she is like gum, sticking to him. Later, as long as he pushed her, she hugged him tighter, much like that of an octopus.
“Du Xiaosu!” He patted her face, “Where do you live?”
She didn’t reply, then groaned, rubbed her chin on his chest twice, and fell asleep with her head tilted.
If she didn’t have the ability she shouldn’t have drunk like that during the dinner.
The car arrived at the gate of the villa. The driver opened the door for them. He patted her on the cheek again: “Hey!”
She did not respond.
Forget it. He would leave her in the car to sleep all night. But she was hugging his waist. If she didn’t move, he couldn’t get out of the car.
“Du Xiaosu!” He called her again, but she still didn’t respond.
He stretched out his hand to pinch her finger web, and she let out a grunt of pain, and finally opened her eyes. The long and slightly curled eyelashes, like the wings of a butterfly, trembled slightly.
“The driver will take you back.” He finally pulled one of her arms away, “I’m going to get out of the car.”
Her face was half raised, and her fair skin was almost translucent under the car roof light. It seemed like it was made of ice, able to melt with a breath. She smiled stupidly, as if she didn’t understand what he was saying. She leaned over and re-wrapped her other arm, childishly pointing out: “You gained weight.” She stretched out a finger and tapped his cheek.” Here!” Then it was the chin, “And here!”
Before he could react, she suddenly stretched out her hand to hook his neck and kissed him. There was a strong alcohol in her breath, and her hot lips were like a fish, sliding on his lips. No, no, that was her tongue. He instinctively wanted to push her away, but she tightened her arms and sucked harder on her lips. He wanted to say something, but her little tongue slipped in and blocked all of his voice. Her face and lips were frighteningly hot. Her whole person was like a ball of fire, fiercely surrounding him. He struggled hard, and finally shoved her away.
The driver had long gone. Only autumn bugs can be heard in the garden. There was a street light not far away, shining into the car. In fact, there was a light on the roof of the car, shining on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was half lying on the back of the car seat, drunk and groggy.
“Shao Zhenrong,” she murmured in a low voice, as if she was afraid of awakening herself, “I really miss you.”
He was stunned there, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The night was already dark. The lights were not turned on in the living room, and most of the furniture was immersed in silent darkness. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room were facing the east. Bamboo was planted under the walls, with a row of green spotlights buried in the front. The light outlined the branches and branches of bamboo, fine like drawings. The shadows of the bamboo reflected a deep blue into the room, deep like a lake. This place always reminded him of his father’s study at home, with a thousand bamboo under the eaves, and the sound of rain. He could hear the phone ringing in the front yard far away, and occasionally someone would walk in, their steps light and careful.
There were dozens of chess pieces scattered on the chessboard next to the window, their cool brilliance reflected in the dim light. This was also an incomplete score he laid down more than a month ago. Even the housekeeper didn’t dare move it. He rarely came over here to live because the room was large. Although it was a Chinese-style villa, the housekeeper was responsible for arranging and keeping it clean and comfortable, but he always felt it lacked a bit of life. So only occasionally, when he left the airport too late and he was too lazy to cross the river, he would rest here.
Using the faint green of the lights, he put the black and white pieces back into the chess box. The clattering sound reminded him of learning chess when he was a child. Learning was difficult for him, but his grandfather insisted on letting him learn under a famous teacher, tirelessly every day.
His grandfather said: “Tao’er is stable in nature, so he doesn’t need to learn chess. Rong’er is calm in nature, so he also doesn’t need to learn chess. But your temperament is too rough, so you have to learn.”
When he said this, Zhenrong was still a little four or five-year-old boy, and he was only six or seven years old, so he didn’t understand.
But those times have already passed.
He walked down the steps, sat on a wicker chair in the courtyard, and lit a cigarette.
The sky was an extraordinary orchid color, like a grape jelly, sprinkled with fine silver sugar. The summer heat subsided in the middle of the night, and the night breeze was very cool, blowing at people’s clothes.
He thought of the sleeping woman in the guest room on the second floor, and he felt a headache, as if he had drunk too much.
He has seen his parents treating each other with courtesy, and his grandparents treating each other with respect. In those times, there were many loving couples that shared their woes and never abandoned each other.
When he was young, he had thought that when he grew up, he would meet such a person and from then on, hold their hand in life and grow old with them.
But on too many occasions, it was merely amusement.
After seeing too much, he couldn’t help but get tired of it.
When Zhenrong showed up in front of him with her, he even thought it was a farce.
How could she match up to him? How could she be worthy of Shao Zhenrong?
But Zhenrong loved her. Zhenrong really loved her. He had seen Zhenrong’s red eyes and clenched fists.
But he hadn’t expected she would also love Zhenrong so much.
Helpless, frustrated, living like the walking dead, because Zhenrong died.
When his grandmother passed away, his grandfather was in great grief. As time went on, it seemed that he gradually calmed down. Ten years later, his grandfather passed away due to illness. The staff sorted out his things and found most were calligraphy works, and without exception wrote Su Dongpo’s “Jiang Chengzi”: “Ten years of life and death are boundless, without thinking, self-unforgettable.” He could not imagine how the old man felt in those last ten years, writing this eulogy over and over again. His grandfather was born in a big family. At the age of eighteen, he was dissatisfied with the arranged marriage. So he eloped to Japan with his classmate, his grandmother, and went to the United States to study part-time. After the outbreak of the war, he resolutely returned to the country, and since then, the two of them have spent their ups and downs together.
That was love that had gone through the years and the baptism of the flames. He always felt that in this era, he would never see such love again.
The people and things around him, he has long been tired of it. He felt their love was a joke. Who didn’t just turn their head and forget and meet new love?
He did not expect that there were fools like Du Xiaosu, paranoid, stubborn, and unwilling to forget.
He remembered that someone once said to him: “You haven’t met it, so you don’t understand.”
At that time, he was a little bit scornful, thinking it was ridiculous. How could life and death together be promised in this world, and what could rival money or material desire?
But when he really met it, he understood.
It wasn’t that he didn’t have it, but that he didn’t meet it.
He extinguished the cigarette and lifted his face. There was a faint band of stars in the sky. He wondered if it was the Milky Way. The air pollution in the city is so serious that even the stars were so pale they looked nonexistent. The crickets at the end of the steps called, one after another.
The night breeze really became cold.
Du Xiaosu didn’t know why she was at this place again. She stared at the mirror, upset for almost an hour, yet couldn’t recall what happened last night.
She was drunk, then she was stuffed into the car, and then she woke up in Lei Yuzheng’s villa.
She hoped she didn’t do anything shameful.
She took a deep breath. There was no one in the corridor. The summer sun was shining brightly, coming in through the ancient-style narrow lattice windows, like ten thousand pieces of golden sand that floated and swirled in the air.
A uniformed maid holding flowers greeted her with a smile, and then told her: “Miss Du, Mr. Lei is in the dining room.” She could only smile back. In the living room, someone was changing the flowers in the vase. Seeing her, they also greeted her with a smile, “Good morning, Miss Du.”
She hurried to the dining room, her eyes lowered, to see that on the smooth mirror-like yellow pineapple wood floor, Lei Yuzheng was wearing slippers, a casual T-shirt and trousers. He looked very homely.
She felt awkward. After returning from the island, she was determined not to do anything stupid. She has nothing to do with Lei Yuzheng anymore, although he was Zhenrong’s elder brother, but she wouldn’t bother him anymore. I didn’t expect to have done something shameful again last night.
Lei Yuzheng didn’t say anything, reading the newspaper while eating breakfast. In fact, his meal was very simple. She has always imagined that a rich man would eat abalone wings every day, but there was no more than a bacon sandwich on the plate in front of him. A cup of coffee next to him. He read the newspaper quickly, his thoughts completely not on eating.
The butler personally came to ask her if she wanted a Chinese or Western breakfast. She was embarrassed: “The simplest is the best.”
As a result, the kitchen still brought out the steaming porridge and bamboo shoot and shrimp small buns. She bit into the steamed buns. The buns were fragrant and soft. They were very delicious. The porridge was cooked just right, and the rice was sweet and fragrant.
“Don’t casually drink outside in the future.”
She was frightened, choked on her throat with a mouthful of porridge, nearly choking to death.
But Lei Yuzheng didn’t look up at all. He seemed to be talking to the newspaper: “A girl, how unsightly to casually drink to such a drunken stupor.”
Her voice was very low: “I’m sorry.”
She always seemed to be apologizing to him.
He did not comment. After a while, he turned the pages of the newspaper and said, “Where do you live now? I’m going to play ball. I can send you back on the way.”
Then she remembered that today was Saturday and there was no need to go to work. No wonder he was dressed so casually. She asked, “Where are you going to play ball?” Afraid of his misunderstanding, she quickly added, “Just drop me off to the nearest subway station.”
She didn’t expect him to personally drive a black convertible sports car. Contrasted with his light-colored T-shirt, his whole person was more like a jade tree, more like Zhenrong. Only, he wore sunglasses and his silhouette was even more pronounced and profound.
He drove very fast and shuttled through traffic very skillfully. When they waited for the red light, a car stopped alongside them. The people in the car even whistled at them. She just pretended not to hear, but Lei Yuzheng’s jawline was tight.
He was angry. His angry look was very similar to Zhenrong. On the surface, he seemed to be very calm, but the lines of his face were tight.
“Hold on.” He said very briefly. Before she could even react, the signal light had changed, and the sports car suddenly shot out like an arrow.
She was pushed back against the back of the chair from the acceleration. Fortunately, she fastened her seat belt. To race on the bustling main road of the city, he must be crazy. She held onto the only handle. Hearing the wind fly past, cutting at her face, she only saw him familiarly change the gears, and press the pedal. In a short while, they passed by numerous cars. She saw the red light at the intersection from a long distance away. She thought he would pass through, but who knew he would slow down and brake.
The car slowly stopped at the intersection. The car back there had reappeared next to now. Even with that kind of speed, they hadn’t gotten rid of them. Before Du Xxiaosu had time to be surprised, the driver lowered the window. He also wore sunglasses. His smile showed off a mouth of white teeth: “Lei Er, why are you running so fast?”
He was obviously someone Lei Yuzheng recognized. Lei Yuzheng’s hand was still on the gear. Because of the force, there were faint veins on the back of his hand. Du Xiaosu was afraid that he was going to be furious. Who knew that the corners of his mouth were bent, as if he were smiling casually: “Since I knew you were going to follow, how can I not hurry? If I drive any slower, wouldn’t I be looking down on your newly purchased German car?”
“Bullshit!” The man had the same northern accent as Lei Yuzheng. Even his swearing had cadence. “You have a girl, and when you saw me, it was as if you put oil on the soles of your feet. Isn’t this you being guilty? Who are you trying to trick!”
Lei Yuzheng calmly said: “You have a guilty conscience! If you have the guts, let’s meet on the court. If I don’t let you lose, it won’t fix your skin itch.”
The man laughed and faced his left thumb down. The signal just changed, and the two cars went forward at the same time. They shot out in almost the same second. But before the person could react, Lei Yuzheng suddenly turned the direction and turned to the right. A few minutes later, they were on the viaduct, throwing the other car far, far behind them.
After passing the river, his speed dropped significantly, and he asked Du Xiaosu, “Where do you live?”
She said the name of the road, and he just drove silently along the way.
The environment in the community she rented was not good, so she said from afar: “Just leave me on the side of the road, it’s not easy to park there.”
Lei Yuzheng hadn’t entered the teeing area, before seeing several familiar figures far away. When they saw him, they greeted him: “Aiyo, why are you late today?”
“Traffic jam.” Lei Yuzheng said perfunctorily, “Why aren’t you all playing?”
“We’re waiting for you, isn’t that right?” Someone patted him on the shoulder from behind, and asked with a grin, “Stop changing the topic, where’s that girl?”
To the side, people immediately began clamoring, “Just tell us all about it. Shangguan already told us. Today, he ran into you on the main road and there was a beautiful woman in the car!”
“Don’t listen to Shangguan’s nonsense.” Lei Yuzheng put on his gloves, displeased, “If you really believe him, your stocks should have already risen to 8000 points. Why don’t you all hurry up to call the traders to open up positions.”
Shangguan Boyao couldn’t hold it in. He laughed out loud with a, not annoyed, but rather openly: “Alright. No matter how you guys ridicule me, I don’t believe that it won’t rise.”
“How lucky he is.” Ye Shenkuan, who has not spoken out, said slowly, “When other people do it, they add the stamp tax. The moment he enters, the stamp tax is reduced.”
“Can we not talk about stocks?” Lei Yuzheng was a little impatient.
Shangguan still had that cheeky grin: “Why are you so angry today? You also said you would make me lose eight or ten strokes. I think that you are sure to lose.”
“Really?” Lei Yuzheng smiled, “Let’s go and see.”
Just after the second hole, Shangguan had already lost four stroke, but he was not in a hurry, playing with his club with a smile. He asked Lei Yuzheng: “How about we make a bet?”
The sun in the afternoon was quite striking. Lei Yuzheng squinted his eyes behind his sunglasses: “How big is the bet?”
“Betting money is so basic!” Shangguan was very invested, “Let’s bet something interesting. If you win, I will treat everyone to dinner. If I win, you will tell me the name and number of the girl in the car.”
Lei Yuzheng instantly coldly said: “What do you mean?”
Seeing the atmosphere wasn’t right, Ye Shenkuan called Shangguan and said jokingly: “Why are you so spirited today? Isn’t it because you saw Lei Er driving with a girl. You don’t know – he always brings pretty girls with him. What is this for?” Shangguan was not afraid of Lei Yuzheng’s anger, but wanted to say, “That’s not the same. You know where I met him? Fangdian Road! Just after passing Century Park, I saw his car. Hey! Think about it. At 7 o’clock early in the morning. Obviously, he had just come out of his mansion. You don’t know about his mansion. No woman has ever stepped in it. Usually it’s just a few brothers who can go to drink, eat, and brag. Wasn’t it you who gave it name, what was it called? Oh, that’s right, Bachelor Hall. Us bachelors, coincidentally gathering together in one hall.”
“Who said so?” Ye Shenkuan took the cue from the caddy, tried out the shooting posture, and said, “You are a bachelor, but I am not. I have a family and a wife.”
“Come on, I know you have a sweet wife and an adorable son.” Shangguan’s tone was dismissive, “We bachelors are pitiful, can’t I at least have the upperhand in words?”
Ye Shenkuan said, “You are not afraid of retribution, I’ll just wait for you to fall and see if you’ll still be able to say such words!” After a shot, the white ball flew far away, but in the end it fell into the sandpit. Annoyed, he handed the cue to the caddy. Shangguan was delighted: “Work harder!”
They ate lunch at the clubhouse. Shangguan originally proposed to play cards, but after getting a phone call Ye Shenkuan had matters to attend to and had to leave, so the group dispersed. Shangguan Boyao lived in Puxi. After crossing the river, he was caught in a traffic jam and could only slowly move forward. After finally getting off the side roads, the traffic was even heavier. Just as he was looking at the beauties on the sidewalk in boredom, he suddenly saw a figure in the rearview mirror, with long hair and big eyes. Her appearance was very sweet, but he seemed to have seen her somewhere. At a closer look, he realized this was the girl he ran into this morning. To think that he could get to this point with no effort at all. Seeing that she was holding supermarket shopping bags in both hands, he hurriedly pressed down the car window and called her, “Hey!”
Du Xiaosu walked with her head down, and didn’t pay attention at all. He called several times before she finally looked over. She saw him push the car door halfway open, smiling and beckoning to her: “Quickly come on!”
She looked at her four surroundings, and he smiled more brilliantly: “You don’t recognize me? In the morning, vrooom, I was that…” He imitated the sound of the engine very well. Du Xiaosu saw his smile of white teeth before finally remembering that he was the person racing with Lei Yuzheng this morning.
“Quickly get in the car! Otherwise the cameras will catch me!” He urged her, “Hurry up! You’re carrying so many things. I’ll take you home!”
She said, “No, my house is right in front.”
He sternly said: “Do you suspect that I am a bad person?”
There was no bad guy in this world who drove an Audi R8. At best, he was a bored dandy.
She was still hesitating, and he desperately urged: “Hurry up, there is a traffic police ahead! Hurry up!”
He made her muddled with his urging, so she quickly pulled the door open and got into the car. As soon as the car door was closed, they saw a traffic policeman really walking past. He was very satisfied with her agility and praised her: “Good job. He almost saw.”
In fact, when both he and Lei Yuzheng were speeding in the morning, the cameras had probably already taken eight to ten photos.
She smiled and fastened her seat belt. But with how jammed it was, the speed is about the same as walking.
Although there was a traffic jam, he was not idle: “I am Shangguan Boyao. What is your name?”
“Du Xiaosu.”
“Your name is really good. It sounds beautiful. “He was still playfully making jokes,” Lei Er, this boy, every time he finds a girlfriend, their names are very nice.”
“No.” Her expression was very calm, “I am not his girlfriend.”
He seemed to be surprised. He glanced at her before saying: “I have never seen people like you. People are always eager for others to misunderstand you as his girlfriend, yet you are anxious to put those suspicions down.”
Du Xiaosu was silent.
“But that’s also good.” He suddenly smiled at her, “Since you’re not his girlfriend, then be my girlfriend.”
Du Xiaosu was a little overwhelmed. Her big dark eyes were filled with surprise, but Shangguan continued: “Look. I’m good looking, right? At least, I’m more handsome than Lei Er, isn’t that right? When it comes to money, even though he seems more busy, I’m in no way poorer than him. Moreover, he’s so non-sentimental. He only knows to pretend to be cool all day long. Staying with him, you’ll suffocate.” Now, Du Xiaosu really understood. This was a playboy that was bored to death. So she said: “I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend, thank you.”
Shangguan glanced at her and said, “Don’t lie, if you really have a boyfriend, how can you go to the supermarket alone on weekends and carry two big bags. Even if you really have a boyfriend, from this point along, he doesn’t pass. Quickly forget him!” Du Xiaosu was a little emotional, and whispered: “I will never forget him.” She self-deceivingly turned her head and looked out the car window. The car was moving slowly. There were many people on the sidewalk. Everyone was walking in a hurry. The street was surging like a tide, but there was not even a similar figure.
“It’s not a good habit to lie.” Shangguan grinned, “That’s it, be my girlfriend.”
“I do have a boyfriend.” She finally turned her face, her eyes slightly red. “I didn’t lie to you. His name is Shao Zhenrong.”
He didn’t speak for a long time, and after a long time he said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing.” Du Xiaosu said quietly. Pressing down the long baguette that popped out of the shopping bag, her eyelashes were very long, curved like a fan. They appeared even longer when faced down, like separated by a layer of fog. The car quieted down suddenly. He stopped joking with her. She bit her lower lip slightly, holding the supermarket shopping bag tightly. After a long time, she said, “I… just let me down here.”
“It’s okay.” He drove the car past, stopped beside the no-stopping sign, and asked her, “Is this this place?”
She nodded. Just as she opened the door, he got out of the car and took her two big bags first: “I will send you up!” “No need!” He was adamant: “I will send you!”
He was still holding her things. It was good for her to grab them out of his hands. So she could only lead the way. They took the elevator upstairs and walked through the corridor to the door. She said, “Thank you, I’m here.”
“I’ll bring it in for you.” He frowned as he looked at the transparent shopping bag. “Instant noodles, instant vermicelli, canned ham, bread, do you eat this all day long?”
“I have to go to work, sometimes I don’t have time to cook.” She was a little embarrassed. He blocked in front of the door like a tower. She could only open the door to let him in. Fortunately, in the broad daylight, having such a guest wasn’t too awkward.
She first gave him a cup of tea, and then put the two big bags in the refrigerator. He ran to the kitchen holding a tea cup and asked her: “Did you buy or rent this house?”
“Rent.”
“It faces towards the west.” His forehead was shining with sweat, “Even your wall is burning. Isn’t it hot?”
The temperature was too high today. In fact, she had turned on the air conditioner as soon as she walked in, but the temperature still had not yet dropped. She was a little apologetic. She took the remote control in a hurry, and adjusted the temperature down again.
The air conditioner was still ringing. She suddenly heard him say: “I’ll find you a house.” He immediately added another sentence, “Don’t get me wrong, I have a friend who works in real estate. He must have a good one on hand. It can even be cheaper than market price. You can just pay them rent.
She was like a frightened bird. She no longer dared to take this kind of advantage. She shook her head quickly: “No, this place is not bad. I have a house. Zhenrong left it for me…but it hasn’t been renovated yet…Once it’s finished, I’ll move there.”
Shangguan said: “Then I will invite you to dinner, as an apology.”
In fact, he hadn’t offended her. She could only say that already had an appointment. He smiled: “Lying is not a good habit. I didn’t eat enough at noon and I’m already hungry. Don’t be polite, okay? Even though we just met. But Lei Er’s younger brother is just like my brother, let’s go. It’s just one meal.”
He referred to Zhenrong implicitly. But she tried hard to make herself look not pitiful. She didn’t want other people’s pity. He probably regretted his words: “Look, I’m so hungry that I can’t even speak properly. I’ll invite you to a barbecue, so I won’t be bored eating alone.”
Although he had a smooth tongue, it wasn’t easy to refuse him after he adopted a serious manner. The two of them went downstairs. They suddenly saw the traffic police commanding the tow truck to hoist up his R8.
“Hey!” He rushed over, “Comrade police, wait a minute! Please wait a minute!”
The traffic police took a look at him: “Are you the owner of the car?” Pointing to the huge no-stopping sign, “Do you know what this is?”
He was sweating profusely: “Comrade, it’s like this. Listen to me. I quarreled with my girlfriend, and she got out of the car and left. I had to put the car here and chase her. I finally coaxed her back. Look, I came back right away, right?” He pointed to Du Xiaosu not far away, “Look, if you tow the car away, and she gets angry again, then will fight again. We were planning to get our marriage certificates tomorrow, now… Please do me a favor. This is related to my lifelong happiness…”
The policeman glanced at Du Xiaosu suspiciously, then at the sincere Shangguan, then at the R8. He finally took out a ticket, and lowered his head to copy the license plate: “Go to the bank and pay a fine of two hundred. Your car won’t be towed.”
TRANSLATOR – ANNIE
The outside sky was clear, and through the cracks of the wooden planks nailed to the window, stars could be seen, exposed on the black velvet-like sky.
The stars on the sea were large and bright, like eyes, looking down at her tenderly.
Would there be a star that was Shao Zhenrong?
She slowly closed her eyes: “Thank you for coming to the island with me.”
After a long, long time, she didn’t speak any more. He finally turned his head. She was asleep. The candle had burned to the end, the weak candlelight shook and finally went out.
After a short period of darkness, he could gradually see the sparse starlight leaking through the window. In the distance came the sound of waves, and the sea beating against the sandy beach at the foot of the mountain.
She seemed to be able to fall asleep quickly, without any scheming, just like a clear stream. Although it was winding and looming among the rocks and mountains, it was actually crystal clear and could be seen through at a glance.
When bidding farewell to the children, it was hard to say goodbye. Even after the fishing boat sailed far, far away, they could still see the row of figures standing on the pier. They were too far apart, and only small black spots were visible, but they were still in sight, forever in their sight.
When they packed their bags in the morning, the students were very reluctant to leave. Two of the little girls also shed tears. Du Xiaosu was also very sad.
In the future, she would never come again. In a few years, the children would grow up, go to middle school, become more sensible, leave the island, and then go to university…Perhaps the children would remember her, perhaps they would forget her. But in the future, it would only be her and she would never return again. Because she and Zhenrong had already been there before and she, as one person, wouldn’t have a future. The sea surged and grazed their line of sight. The rushing waves splashed on the stern of the boat, and a few drops of sea water splashed on her face. The sea and the sky were so vast and boundless. In the sea, the boat seemed as small as mustard seeds. For thousands of years, who knows how many joys and sorrows the sea has seen. Time will pass fast. From now on, her time would just be herself.
The sea breeze was too strong, and the boat swayed in the waves. Lei Yuzheng stood there, watching her squatting motionless on the side of the ship. He estimated that all the food she ate in the morning had been vomited, but she still did not say a word, just like when she came, with a silent and stubborn look.
They rushed to the airport and took the latest flight back. Because it was getting late, the huge terminal building was brightly lit, and only a few passengers were sitting in the terminal waiting to board the plane.
Even after all the struggle on the boat, she just sat there silently, like a quiet doll.
He finally took out a business card, handed it to her, and said, “If there’s anything, you can call this phone.”
In fact, what he wanted to say was that he could return the house to her, but he didn’t know why, once the words went to his lips, they wouldn’t come out.
She took the business card: “Thank you.”
He didn’t speak any more.
“Zhenrong is gone.” She lowered her eyes, “I won’t trouble you again.”
After Du Xiaosu came back, Zou Siqi felt it very strange, because after returning from the island, Du Xiaosu seemed to be cheerful again. She even smiled occasionally, and when she mentioned Shao Zhenrong, she was very calm, and was no longer as vulnerable as she used to be. Only Du Xiaosu knew that the few days on the island were like stolen time. The small island was like a paradise, with only the clear eyes of the children. They were naive, but sensible, lived with all their might and studied hard. Even Little Teacher Sun had an unimaginable strength. In this world, she would live well, because Zhenrong hoped that for her, because her parents also hoped this, and the people who loved her hoped so as well.
So, she mustered up the courage to go to work.
There were still some colleagues who looked at her with strange eyes, but she was no longer discouraged, and no longer paid attention to rumors about herself. She worked seriously and went all out without any frustration or distraction. A few weeks later, there were obvious results. With such an attitude, she immediately won the trust of most colleagues, after all, performance proved everything. Shan Wanting, Lei Yuzheng’s secretary, re-delivered the keys to her. When she got the keys, she nearly didn’t even have joy. Gains and losses, losses and gains. But no matter what, she was still very fortunate to be able to get back the house for her and Zhenrong.
What was unexpected was that a few days later, the general manager’s office suddenly informed her that she would go to a business dinner with Mr. Xiang in the marketing department in the evening. After arriving, she learned that it was Yutian Real Estate’s deputy manager Mr. Gao who had invited Ms. Xiang. Halfway through the meal, Lei Yuzheng was suddenly led in by the waiter. All the people at the dinner naturally stood up. Lei Yuzheng shook hands with the elderly man while apologizing: “I just got off the plane. It was delayed. I’m really sorry.”
Mr. Xiang was from the Northeast, so he was particularly forthright. He shook Lei Yuzheng’s hand and said, “There’s no need to be so distant.”
They drank Luzhou Laojiao. There were no more than seven or eight people, so they quickly finished off four bottles of 1573 Guojiao. Thus, the feast became lively, several bosses joked with each other, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Du Xiaosu originally was just immersed in eating dishes, but was suddenly called by Ms. Xiang: “Xiaosu, on behalf of our company, let’s give Mr. Lei a drink.”
She had two seconds of surprise, before obediently raising her glass. Even after having drunk so much alcohol, not the slightest drunkenness could be seen on Lei Yuzheng’s face, but he smiled and said, “No, no. That’s bullying. How can you suddenly call a girl out after only drinking halfway? It doesn’t work that way. If I continue drinking like this, I’ll be sent back lying down.”
“I will carry you back.” Mr. Xiang was very invested. He grabbed the wine glass from Lei Yuzheng’s hands. “It hasn’t been just a year or two since our friendship, I know how much you can drink. Come on, Xiaosu, fill it up for Mr. Lei. Our Northwest’s girls, no matter what, Mr. Lei should show some face.”
Such events were always inevitable. This was the first time Du Xiaosu had seen Lei Yuzheng like this. Perhaps because he had just come out of the airport, his hair was a little messy, his gray shirt unbuttoned, and he was half leaning against the back of the chair. He looked quite different from his usual meticulous appearance, carrying the lazy raffishness of dandies. His slender fingers stopped the mouth of the cup: “It’s not a matter of face or shame, it’s unfair.” He glanced at her calmly, “Or Miss Du should also have a drink. If she has a drink, I will have a drink.”
Mr. Xiang was originally speculative about the relationship between him and Du Xiaosu, because when Du Xiaosu entered Boyuan Design, it was an old friend who called him and said they were helping based on the Lei family’s face. So he specially told HR to take more care of her. This time he brought Du Xiaosu to negotiate a contract with Yutian by using personal connections. But he had never thought that this was not what he thought it was. At the banquet he jokingly asked Xiaosu to come out to offer him a drink, but he didn’t expect Lei Yuzheng to say such a thing. He had no intention of going easy on her for being a woman.
When the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Du Xiaosu had already filled up her own glass.
She picked the glass up, “Mr. Lei, I will drink first.” Before everyone could react, she had already raised her neck and drank it all.
It was a sixty-degree strong liquor. Such a full, large glass, everyone at the table was stunned. After a few seconds, they cheered and clapped. No expression could be seen from Lei Yuzheng’s face, but Mr. Xiang felt that the relationship between the two people was a bit strange. Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Du Xiaosu take the wine bottle from the waiter and pour it up for Lei Yuzheng: “Thank you, Mr. Lei.”
Lei Yuzheng also drank it all in one breath. Mr. Xiang led the appreciative applause. Lei Yuzheng seemed to smile and said, “Miss Du also has to have a drink with Mr. Xiang. Only then will this be fair.”
Now, it was Mr. Xiang’s turn to disagree: “Isn’t this making it difficult for the girl? No, no, let’s just drink ours…”
Lei Yuzheng put the wine glass on the table, and only said two words: “Fill it up!”
Du Xiaosu knew that although it was Yutian inviting them, it was their company that had a favor to ask of Yutian. She picked up the glass. She did not finish drinking in one breath, but choked, and coughed twice while covering her mouth, before finally finishing it all with some effort. Mr. Gao on the side could not keep standing on the side watching, so he helped her out: “Hey, Miss Du is the only woman here. If she gets, that that would be too undignified of us. Let’s drink ours. Miss Du can drink juice…”
Lei Yuzheng did not speak. In fact, Du Xiaosu was already feeling dizzy. She could only drink an average amount of alcohol. Since she had drunk those two glasses of strong wine in a hurry, she felt her throat was burning, as if it was about to go up in flames. Luckily, at this time, the apricot-flavored bird’s nest drink arrived. Although she was not used to drinking bird’s nests, but from her mouth to her stomach, she felt it was burning, and felt that she needed something to press the heat down. Her hand shook even as she held her spoon. Luckily she didn’t spill.
In the end, the group of people drank two more bottles of wine before finishing. Mr. Xiang’s face was red and even his speech became slurred. Mr. Gao was also quite drunk. Du Xiaosu was groggy, but remembered to help her boss negotiate the contract – but she was a little unstable even walking. She desperately tried to make herself more awake, but the sky and the earth were all shaking. In the end, someone finally stuffed her into a car. After the “bang” of the car door, the surroundings became quiet.
The car drove very smoothly. In fact, it was not uncomfortable to be drunk, but she was thirsty. The leather seat had the faint smell of leather hide. She turned around and hugged him, burying her head in his shoulders. The familiar and intimate smell. Her heart felt at ease. She imagined this countless times in her dream. She knew that was Shao Zhenrong. She dreamed of him again.
Lei Yuzheng tried to remove her hand. Everyone in Boyuan had left, especially Mr. Xiang, who left with the sentence: “I’ll leave Miss Du to you.” He waved his hand and got into the car and drove away. And this woman was like a stray cat, with big foggy eyes, standing pitifully under the streetlamp.
Before he could speak, his driver had silently stuffed the stray cat into the back seat.
He gave the driver a fierce look, but unfortunately the driver didn’t see it, only focusing on closing the car door and then entering the front driver’s seat and starting the car.
Forget it. It was only one time sending her home. He would do so looking at Zhenrong’s face.
But after a while, her whole body leaned over, and she couldn’t help but nestle into his arms. She was really like a dexterous cat, automatically finding a comfortable position, breathing lightly, and falling asleep.
He was almost petrified.
He wanted to push her away, but she is like gum, sticking to him. Later, as long as he pushed her, she hugged him tighter, much like that of an octopus.
“Du Xiaosu!” He patted her face, “Where do you live?”
She didn’t reply, then groaned, rubbed her chin on his chest twice, and fell asleep with her head tilted.
If she didn’t have the ability she shouldn’t have drunk like that during the dinner.
The car arrived at the gate of the villa. The driver opened the door for them. He patted her on the cheek again: “Hey!”
She did not respond.
Forget it. He would leave her in the car to sleep all night. But she was hugging his waist. If she didn’t move, he couldn’t get out of the car.
“Du Xiaosu!” He called her again, but she still didn’t respond.
He stretched out his hand to pinch her finger web, and she let out a grunt of pain, and finally opened her eyes. The long and slightly curled eyelashes, like the wings of a butterfly, trembled slightly.
“The driver will take you back.” He finally pulled one of her arms away, “I’m going to get out of the car.”
Her face was half raised, and her fair skin was almost translucent under the car roof light. It seemed like it was made of ice, able to melt with a breath. She smiled stupidly, as if she didn’t understand what he was saying. She leaned over and re-wrapped her other arm, childishly pointing out: “You gained weight.” She stretched out a finger and tapped his cheek.” Here!” Then it was the chin, “And here!”
Before he could react, she suddenly stretched out her hand to hook his neck and kissed him. There was a strong alcohol in her breath, and her hot lips were like a fish, sliding on his lips. No, no, that was her tongue. He instinctively wanted to push her away, but she tightened her arms and sucked harder on her lips. He wanted to say something, but her little tongue slipped in and blocked all of his voice. Her face and lips were frighteningly hot. Her whole person was like a ball of fire, fiercely surrounding him. He struggled hard, and finally shoved her away.
The driver had long gone. Only autumn bugs can be heard in the garden. There was a street light not far away, shining into the car. In fact, there was a light on the roof of the car, shining on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was half lying on the back of the car seat, drunk and groggy.
“Shao Zhenrong,” she murmured in a low voice, as if she was afraid of awakening herself, “I really miss you.”
He was stunned there, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The night was already dark. The lights were not turned on in the living room, and most of the furniture was immersed in silent darkness. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room were facing the east. Bamboo was planted under the walls, with a row of green spotlights buried in the front. The light outlined the branches and branches of bamboo, fine like drawings. The shadows of the bamboo reflected a deep blue into the room, deep like a lake. This place always reminded him of his father’s study at home, with a thousand bamboo under the eaves, and the sound of rain. He could hear the phone ringing in the front yard far away, and occasionally someone would walk in, their steps light and careful.
There were dozens of chess pieces scattered on the chessboard next to the window, their cool brilliance reflected in the dim light. This was also an incomplete score he laid down more than a month ago. Even the housekeeper didn’t dare move it. He rarely came over here to live because the room was large. Although it was a Chinese-style villa, the housekeeper was responsible for arranging and keeping it clean and comfortable, but he always felt it lacked a bit of life. So only occasionally, when he left the airport too late and he was too lazy to cross the river, he would rest here.
Using the faint green of the lights, he put the black and white pieces back into the chess box. The clattering sound reminded him of learning chess when he was a child. Learning was difficult for him, but his grandfather insisted on letting him learn under a famous teacher, tirelessly every day.
His grandfather said: “Tao’er is stable in nature, so he doesn’t need to learn chess. Rong’er is calm in nature, so he also doesn’t need to learn chess. But your temperament is too rough, so you have to learn.”
When he said this, Zhenrong was still a little four or five-year-old boy, and he was only six or seven years old, so he didn’t understand.
But those times have already passed.
He walked down the steps, sat on a wicker chair in the courtyard, and lit a cigarette.
The sky was an extraordinary orchid color, like a grape jelly, sprinkled with fine silver sugar. The summer heat subsided in the middle of the night, and the night breeze was very cool, blowing at people’s clothes.
He thought of the sleeping woman in the guest room on the second floor, and he felt a headache, as if he had drunk too much.
He has seen his parents treating each other with courtesy, and his grandparents treating each other with respect. In those times, there were many loving couples that shared their woes and never abandoned each other.
When he was young, he had thought that when he grew up, he would meet such a person and from then on, hold their hand in life and grow old with them.
But on too many occasions, it was merely amusement.
After seeing too much, he couldn’t help but get tired of it.
When Zhenrong showed up in front of him with her, he even thought it was a farce.
How could she match up to him? How could she be worthy of Shao Zhenrong?
But Zhenrong loved her. Zhenrong really loved her. He had seen Zhenrong’s red eyes and clenched fists.
But he hadn’t expected she would also love Zhenrong so much.
Helpless, frustrated, living like the walking dead, because Zhenrong died.
When his grandmother passed away, his grandfather was in great grief. As time went on, it seemed that he gradually calmed down. Ten years later, his grandfather passed away due to illness. The staff sorted out his things and found most were calligraphy works, and without exception wrote Su Dongpo’s “Jiang Chengzi”: “Ten years of life and death are boundless, without thinking, self-unforgettable.” He could not imagine how the old man felt in those last ten years, writing this eulogy over and over again. His grandfather was born in a big family. At the age of eighteen, he was dissatisfied with the arranged marriage. So he eloped to Japan with his classmate, his grandmother, and went to the United States to study part-time. After the outbreak of the war, he resolutely returned to the country, and since then, the two of them have spent their ups and downs together.
That was love that had gone through the years and the baptism of the flames. He always felt that in this era, he would never see such love again.
The people and things around him, he has long been tired of it. He felt their love was a joke. Who didn’t just turn their head and forget and meet new love?
He did not expect that there were fools like Du Xiaosu, paranoid, stubborn, and unwilling to forget.
He remembered that someone once said to him: “You haven’t met it, so you don’t understand.”
At that time, he was a little bit scornful, thinking it was ridiculous. How could life and death together be promised in this world, and what could rival money or material desire?
But when he really met it, he understood.
It wasn’t that he didn’t have it, but that he didn’t meet it.
He extinguished the cigarette and lifted his face. There was a faint band of stars in the sky. He wondered if it was the Milky Way. The air pollution in the city is so serious that even the stars were so pale they looked nonexistent. The crickets at the end of the steps called, one after another.
The night breeze really became cold.
Du Xiaosu didn’t know why she was at this place again. She stared at the mirror, upset for almost an hour, yet couldn’t recall what happened last night.
She was drunk, then she was stuffed into the car, and then she woke up in Lei Yuzheng’s villa.
She hoped she didn’t do anything shameful.
She took a deep breath. There was no one in the corridor. The summer sun was shining brightly, coming in through the ancient-style narrow lattice windows, like ten thousand pieces of golden sand that floated and swirled in the air.
A uniformed maid holding flowers greeted her with a smile, and then told her: “Miss Du, Mr. Lei is in the dining room.” She could only smile back. In the living room, someone was changing the flowers in the vase. Seeing her, they also greeted her with a smile, “Good morning, Miss Du.”
She hurried to the dining room, her eyes lowered, to see that on the smooth mirror-like yellow pineapple wood floor, Lei Yuzheng was wearing slippers, a casual T-shirt and trousers. He looked very homely.
She felt awkward. After returning from the island, she was determined not to do anything stupid. She has nothing to do with Lei Yuzheng anymore, although he was Zhenrong’s elder brother, but she wouldn’t bother him anymore. I didn’t expect to have done something shameful again last night.
Lei Yuzheng didn’t say anything, reading the newspaper while eating breakfast. In fact, his meal was very simple. She has always imagined that a rich man would eat abalone wings every day, but there was no more than a bacon sandwich on the plate in front of him. A cup of coffee next to him. He read the newspaper quickly, his thoughts completely not on eating.
The butler personally came to ask her if she wanted a Chinese or Western breakfast. She was embarrassed: “The simplest is the best.”
As a result, the kitchen still brought out the steaming porridge and bamboo shoot and shrimp small buns. She bit into the steamed buns. The buns were fragrant and soft. They were very delicious. The porridge was cooked just right, and the rice was sweet and fragrant.
“Don’t casually drink outside in the future.”
She was frightened, choked on her throat with a mouthful of porridge, nearly choking to death.
But Lei Yuzheng didn’t look up at all. He seemed to be talking to the newspaper: “A girl, how unsightly to casually drink to such a drunken stupor.”
Her voice was very low: “I’m sorry.”
She always seemed to be apologizing to him.
He did not comment. After a while, he turned the pages of the newspaper and said, “Where do you live now? I’m going to play ball. I can send you back on the way.”
Then she remembered that today was Saturday and there was no need to go to work. No wonder he was dressed so casually. She asked, “Where are you going to play ball?” Afraid of his misunderstanding, she quickly added, “Just drop me off to the nearest subway station.”
She didn’t expect him to personally drive a black convertible sports car. Contrasted with his light-colored T-shirt, his whole person was more like a jade tree, more like Zhenrong. Only, he wore sunglasses and his silhouette was even more pronounced and profound.
He drove very fast and shuttled through traffic very skillfully. When they waited for the red light, a car stopped alongside them. The people in the car even whistled at them. She just pretended not to hear, but Lei Yuzheng’s jawline was tight.
He was angry. His angry look was very similar to Zhenrong. On the surface, he seemed to be very calm, but the lines of his face were tight.
“Hold on.” He said very briefly. Before she could even react, the signal light had changed, and the sports car suddenly shot out like an arrow.
She was pushed back against the back of the chair from the acceleration. Fortunately, she fastened her seat belt. To race on the bustling main road of the city, he must be crazy. She held onto the only handle. Hearing the wind fly past, cutting at her face, she only saw him familiarly change the gears, and press the pedal. In a short while, they passed by numerous cars. She saw the red light at the intersection from a long distance away. She thought he would pass through, but who knew he would slow down and brake.
The car slowly stopped at the intersection. The car back there had reappeared next to now. Even with that kind of speed, they hadn’t gotten rid of them. Before Du Xxiaosu had time to be surprised, the driver lowered the window. He also wore sunglasses. His smile showed off a mouth of white teeth: “Lei Er, why are you running so fast?”
He was obviously someone Lei Yuzheng recognized. Lei Yuzheng’s hand was still on the gear. Because of the force, there were faint veins on the back of his hand. Du Xiaosu was afraid that he was going to be furious. Who knew that the corners of his mouth were bent, as if he were smiling casually: “Since I knew you were going to follow, how can I not hurry? If I drive any slower, wouldn’t I be looking down on your newly purchased German car?”
“Bullshit!” The man had the same northern accent as Lei Yuzheng. Even his swearing had cadence. “You have a girl, and when you saw me, it was as if you put oil on the soles of your feet. Isn’t this you being guilty? Who are you trying to trick!”
Lei Yuzheng calmly said: “You have a guilty conscience! If you have the guts, let’s meet on the court. If I don’t let you lose, it won’t fix your skin itch.”
The man laughed and faced his left thumb down. The signal just changed, and the two cars went forward at the same time. They shot out in almost the same second. But before the person could react, Lei Yuzheng suddenly turned the direction and turned to the right. A few minutes later, they were on the viaduct, throwing the other car far, far behind them.
After passing the river, his speed dropped significantly, and he asked Du Xiaosu, “Where do you live?”
She said the name of the road, and he just drove silently along the way.
The environment in the community she rented was not good, so she said from afar: “Just leave me on the side of the road, it’s not easy to park there.”
Lei Yuzheng hadn’t entered the teeing area, before seeing several familiar figures far away. When they saw him, they greeted him: “Aiyo, why are you late today?”
“Traffic jam.” Lei Yuzheng said perfunctorily, “Why aren’t you all playing?”
“We’re waiting for you, isn’t that right?” Someone patted him on the shoulder from behind, and asked with a grin, “Stop changing the topic, where’s that girl?”
To the side, people immediately began clamoring, “Just tell us all about it. Shangguan already told us. Today, he ran into you on the main road and there was a beautiful woman in the car!”
“Don’t listen to Shangguan’s nonsense.” Lei Yuzheng put on his gloves, displeased, “If you really believe him, your stocks should have already risen to 8000 points. Why don’t you all hurry up to call the traders to open up positions.”
Shangguan Boyao couldn’t hold it in. He laughed out loud with a, not annoyed, but rather openly: “Alright. No matter how you guys ridicule me, I don’t believe that it won’t rise.”
“How lucky he is.” Ye Shenkuan, who has not spoken out, said slowly, “When other people do it, they add the stamp tax. The moment he enters, the stamp tax is reduced.”
“Can we not talk about stocks?” Lei Yuzheng was a little impatient.
Shangguan still had that cheeky grin: “Why are you so angry today? You also said you would make me lose eight or ten strokes. I think that you are sure to lose.”
“Really?” Lei Yuzheng smiled, “Let’s go and see.”
Just after the second hole, Shangguan had already lost four stroke, but he was not in a hurry, playing with his club with a smile. He asked Lei Yuzheng: “How about we make a bet?”
The sun in the afternoon was quite striking. Lei Yuzheng squinted his eyes behind his sunglasses: “How big is the bet?”
“Betting money is so basic!” Shangguan was very invested, “Let’s bet something interesting. If you win, I will treat everyone to dinner. If I win, you will tell me the name and number of the girl in the car.”
Lei Yuzheng instantly coldly said: “What do you mean?”
Seeing the atmosphere wasn’t right, Ye Shenkuan called Shangguan and said jokingly: “Why are you so spirited today? Isn’t it because you saw Lei Er driving with a girl. You don’t know – he always brings pretty girls with him. What is this for?” Shangguan was not afraid of Lei Yuzheng’s anger, but wanted to say, “That’s not the same. You know where I met him? Fangdian Road! Just after passing Century Park, I saw his car. Hey! Think about it. At 7 o’clock early in the morning. Obviously, he had just come out of his mansion. You don’t know about his mansion. No woman has ever stepped in it. Usually it’s just a few brothers who can go to drink, eat, and brag. Wasn’t it you who gave it name, what was it called? Oh, that’s right, Bachelor Hall. Us bachelors, coincidentally gathering together in one hall.”
“Who said so?” Ye Shenkuan took the cue from the caddy, tried out the shooting posture, and said, “You are a bachelor, but I am not. I have a family and a wife.”
“Come on, I know you have a sweet wife and an adorable son.” Shangguan’s tone was dismissive, “We bachelors are pitiful, can’t I at least have the upperhand in words?”
Ye Shenkuan said, “You are not afraid of retribution, I’ll just wait for you to fall and see if you’ll still be able to say such words!” After a shot, the white ball flew far away, but in the end it fell into the sandpit. Annoyed, he handed the cue to the caddy. Shangguan was delighted: “Work harder!”
They ate lunch at the clubhouse. Shangguan originally proposed to play cards, but after getting a phone call Ye Shenkuan had matters to attend to and had to leave, so the group dispersed. Shangguan Boyao lived in Puxi. After crossing the river, he was caught in a traffic jam and could only slowly move forward. After finally getting off the side roads, the traffic was even heavier. Just as he was looking at the beauties on the sidewalk in boredom, he suddenly saw a figure in the rearview mirror, with long hair and big eyes. Her appearance was very sweet, but he seemed to have seen her somewhere. At a closer look, he realized this was the girl he ran into this morning. To think that he could get to this point with no effort at all. Seeing that she was holding supermarket shopping bags in both hands, he hurriedly pressed down the car window and called her, “Hey!”
Du Xiaosu walked with her head down, and didn’t pay attention at all. He called several times before she finally looked over. She saw him push the car door halfway open, smiling and beckoning to her: “Quickly come on!”
She looked at her four surroundings, and he smiled more brilliantly: “You don’t recognize me? In the morning, vrooom, I was that…” He imitated the sound of the engine very well. Du Xiaosu saw his smile of white teeth before finally remembering that he was the person racing with Lei Yuzheng this morning.
“Quickly get in the car! Otherwise the cameras will catch me!” He urged her, “Hurry up! You’re carrying so many things. I’ll take you home!”
She said, “No, my house is right in front.”
He sternly said: “Do you suspect that I am a bad person?”
There was no bad guy in this world who drove an Audi R8. At best, he was a bored dandy.
She was still hesitating, and he desperately urged: “Hurry up, there is a traffic police ahead! Hurry up!”
He made her muddled with his urging, so she quickly pulled the door open and got into the car. As soon as the car door was closed, they saw a traffic policeman really walking past. He was very satisfied with her agility and praised her: “Good job. He almost saw.”
In fact, when both he and Lei Yuzheng were speeding in the morning, the cameras had probably already taken eight to ten photos.
She smiled and fastened her seat belt. But with how jammed it was, the speed is about the same as walking.
Although there was a traffic jam, he was not idle: “I am Shangguan Boyao. What is your name?”
“Du Xiaosu.”
“Your name is really good. It sounds beautiful. “He was still playfully making jokes,” Lei Er, this boy, every time he finds a girlfriend, their names are very nice.”
“No.” Her expression was very calm, “I am not his girlfriend.”
He seemed to be surprised. He glanced at her before saying: “I have never seen people like you. People are always eager for others to misunderstand you as his girlfriend, yet you are anxious to put those suspicions down.”
Du Xiaosu was silent.
“But that’s also good.” He suddenly smiled at her, “Since you’re not his girlfriend, then be my girlfriend.”
Du Xiaosu was a little overwhelmed. Her big dark eyes were filled with surprise, but Shangguan continued: “Look. I’m good looking, right? At least, I’m more handsome than Lei Er, isn’t that right? When it comes to money, even though he seems more busy, I’m in no way poorer than him. Moreover, he’s so non-sentimental. He only knows to pretend to be cool all day long. Staying with him, you’ll suffocate.” Now, Du Xiaosu really understood. This was a playboy that was bored to death. So she said: “I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend, thank you.”
Shangguan glanced at her and said, “Don’t lie, if you really have a boyfriend, how can you go to the supermarket alone on weekends and carry two big bags. Even if you really have a boyfriend, from this point along, he doesn’t pass. Quickly forget him!” Du Xiaosu was a little emotional, and whispered: “I will never forget him.” She self-deceivingly turned her head and looked out the car window. The car was moving slowly. There were many people on the sidewalk. Everyone was walking in a hurry. The street was surging like a tide, but there was not even a similar figure.
“It’s not a good habit to lie.” Shangguan grinned, “That’s it, be my girlfriend.”
“I do have a boyfriend.” She finally turned her face, her eyes slightly red. “I didn’t lie to you. His name is Shao Zhenrong.”
He didn’t speak for a long time, and after a long time he said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing.” Du Xiaosu said quietly. Pressing down the long baguette that popped out of the shopping bag, her eyelashes were very long, curved like a fan. They appeared even longer when faced down, like separated by a layer of fog. The car quieted down suddenly. He stopped joking with her. She bit her lower lip slightly, holding the supermarket shopping bag tightly. After a long time, she said, “I… just let me down here.”
“It’s okay.” He drove the car past, stopped beside the no-stopping sign, and asked her, “Is this this place?”
She nodded. Just as she opened the door, he got out of the car and took her two big bags first: “I will send you up!” “No need!” He was adamant: “I will send you!”
He was still holding her things. It was good for her to grab them out of his hands. So she could only lead the way. They took the elevator upstairs and walked through the corridor to the door. She said, “Thank you, I’m here.”
“I’ll bring it in for you.” He frowned as he looked at the transparent shopping bag. “Instant noodles, instant vermicelli, canned ham, bread, do you eat this all day long?”
“I have to go to work, sometimes I don’t have time to cook.” She was a little embarrassed. He blocked in front of the door like a tower. She could only open the door to let him in. Fortunately, in the broad daylight, having such a guest wasn’t too awkward.
She first gave him a cup of tea, and then put the two big bags in the refrigerator. He ran to the kitchen holding a tea cup and asked her: “Did you buy or rent this house?”
“Rent.”
“It faces towards the west.” His forehead was shining with sweat, “Even your wall is burning. Isn’t it hot?”
The temperature was too high today. In fact, she had turned on the air conditioner as soon as she walked in, but the temperature still had not yet dropped. She was a little apologetic. She took the remote control in a hurry, and adjusted the temperature down again.
The air conditioner was still ringing. She suddenly heard him say: “I’ll find you a house.” He immediately added another sentence, “Don’t get me wrong, I have a friend who works in real estate. He must have a good one on hand. It can even be cheaper than market price. You can just pay them rent.
She was like a frightened bird. She no longer dared to take this kind of advantage. She shook her head quickly: “No, this place is not bad. I have a house. Zhenrong left it for me…but it hasn’t been renovated yet…Once it’s finished, I’ll move there.”
Shangguan said: “Then I will invite you to dinner, as an apology.”
In fact, he hadn’t offended her. She could only say that already had an appointment. He smiled: “Lying is not a good habit. I didn’t eat enough at noon and I’m already hungry. Don’t be polite, okay? Even though we just met. But Lei Er’s younger brother is just like my brother, let’s go. It’s just one meal.”
He referred to Zhenrong implicitly. But she tried hard to make herself look not pitiful. She didn’t want other people’s pity. He probably regretted his words: “Look, I’m so hungry that I can’t even speak properly. I’ll invite you to a barbecue, so I won’t be bored eating alone.”
Although he had a smooth tongue, it wasn’t easy to refuse him after he adopted a serious manner. The two of them went downstairs. They suddenly saw the traffic police commanding the tow truck to hoist up his R8.
“Hey!” He rushed over, “Comrade police, wait a minute! Please wait a minute!”
The traffic police took a look at him: “Are you the owner of the car?” Pointing to the huge no-stopping sign, “Do you know what this is?”
He was sweating profusely: “Comrade, it’s like this. Listen to me. I quarreled with my girlfriend, and she got out of the car and left. I had to put the car here and chase her. I finally coaxed her back. Look, I came back right away, right?” He pointed to Du Xiaosu not far away, “Look, if you tow the car away, and she gets angry again, then will fight again. We were planning to get our marriage certificates tomorrow, now… Please do me a favor. This is related to my lifelong happiness…”
The policeman glanced at Du Xiaosu suspiciously, then at the sincere Shangguan, then at the R8. He finally took out a ticket, and lowered his head to copy the license plate: “Go to the bank and pay a fine of two hundred. Your car won’t be towed.”
