003

It rained towards evening.

After saying goodbye to Wang Li, Xu Yu went to the supermarket and bought some vegetables. He turned on the air conditioner and cooked a simple meal. He waited until around midnight, when the doorbell didn't ring, before washing his hands and eating.

After dinner, I connected the speakers, played some relaxing music, washed the dishes, mopped the floor, and went upstairs to change into pajamas.

There was no reply to the text message sent to Xi Jiang, so Xu Yu didn't decide to wait any longer and climbed into bed, turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Usually when Xi Jiang didn't come back, Xu Yu would sleep very soundly, but tonight he woke up unexpectedly early. When he opened his eyes, it was half past five.

He took a shower, took a bottle of Coke from the refrigerator, and sat on the sofa to read messages on his phone.

Wang Li: [What actions are you planning to take?]

…

The bus was very slow and Xu Yu was too lazy to take a taxi, so he took bus No. 24 and got off at the Stadium Station.

He began to walk aimlessly, and because it was hot, he bought many bottles of vitamin C drinks along the way.

Then the phone rang.

Xi Jiang didn't like nonsense: "Where are you?"

"Outside in the sun," Xu Yu said. "I saw a blogger last night saying we should exercise more, otherwise we might die early."

Xi Jiang was surprised: "You believed it?"

"I'm afraid of death."

Xi Jiang: "If you have this much time, you might as well sign up for a gym instead of running around outside."

Xu Yu asked: "Can I sign up?"

"Can."

"OK."

After Xu Yu hung up the phone, he took a taxi to the gym without hesitation and bought a season pass.

He bought a new set of sportswear and immediately started working out. There were not many people around at the time, so he went to the empty treadmill area. His physical condition was not very good, and after running for half an hour, his waist and legs ached.

Forced to stop his workout, Xu Yu went home, holding his waist. He showered and changed his clothes casually, not wanting to cook, so he ordered takeout. Xi Jiang hadn't returned yesterday, just like yesterday. Wang Li asked him how his day was.

[I've already got a membership to that gym.]

Wang Li: [Awesome! Did you see it?]

[No. ]

Wang Li: [Don't lose heart. He's a member of that gym, but he probably hasn't been going there much lately. Just hold on for a few days.]

[good. ]

Xu Yu has been going to the gym every day these days. Xi Jiang called him, asked a few questions about his daily life, and then hung up.

There are dark clouds outside the window and it looks like it's going to rain.

Xu Yu stared at the water droplets flowing on the glass, and the sound of the water cup being put down rang in his ears.

Many people packed up and left, leaving the treadmill area empty. The man next to him was wearing the same sweatshirt, which stretched across his chest, showing he'd been working out a lot. His arms were toned and smooth, and Xu Yu felt like he could knock out both of them with one punch.

"Mr. Xu?"

Xu Yu was slightly surprised: "Mr. Zhu? What a coincidence."

"What a coincidence." Zhu Wenxu said, "I didn't expect you to come to this gym."

"I saw the ad online and wanted to try it out and get some exercise at the same time."

Zhu Wenxu nodded slightly, hung the towel on himself and got on the treadmill. Seeing that he was concentrating, Xu Yu did not continue to disturb him.

The rain began to get heavier as time went by. Xu Yu changed his clothes and waited for the rain to subside in the rest area. He did not forget to send a message to Xi Jiang as usual.

[Brother, are you coming back today?]

I hope it won't come back like before.

"I know, well, no need to rush." ​​Zhu Wenxu adjusted his bow tie with one hand.

Xu Yu saw his profile and subconsciously looked at the time. Just as Wang Li said, Zhu Wenxu had been in the gym for less than two hours.

It's a bit difficult to get closer.

Just as he was thinking this, Zhu Wenxu's gaze came over. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and asked, "Mr. Xu, do you want to go together?"

Xu Yu thought she would ask a few questions, but she didn't expect him to offer to take him home. He immediately shook his head and quickly made an excuse: "Don't bother Mr. Zhu, I still have to wait for my friend."

How could I possibly agree to that?

If Xi Jiang knew that he got into Zhu Wenxu's car, all his plans would be ruined.

There was no more conversation after that. The driver came over with an umbrella. Zhu Wenxu walked straight into the rain without paying any attention to Xu Yu.

Wang Li sent a message to Xu Yu: [I saw Zhu Wenxu is out. How is it? Have you chatted?]

[Yeah, we started chatting.]

Wang Li: [It's raining now, can't you faint in his arms, let him take you home, and take the opportunity to have some close contact with him? Take this opportunity to understand his preferences and prescribe the right remedy!]

“…”

If I were frail, I wouldn't be going to the gym. I should be going to the hospital to see a doctor.

[You should quickly uninstall the novel software.]

Xu Yu waited for a while, and the rain subsided. He drank half a glass of water and then filled it with another half glass to increase his energy so that he wouldn't be thirsty when he ran to the bus stop later.

As I walked out of the gym, I saw two large pine trees. A completely black Maybach was parked across the exits blocked by fences on both sides.

The window of the back seat of the Maybach was open, and Zhu Wenxu's profile was exposed. Sensing the movement, he looked over and reached out to knock on the rear window that was not completely closed.

Xu Yu did not step forward.

Perhaps anticipating Xu Yu's reaction, the car moved an inch, this time trapping the person inside with the rear window mostly open.

"I should respect your wishes, but considering your relationship with President Xi, I'd give you a ride as a courtesy to President Xi, unless you don't want to give me that courtesy."

The tone was gentle, but it sounded threatening no matter how you listened to it.

Xu Yu still didn't move: "Thank you very much, in case this causes any misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding? Us?" Zhu Wenxu chuckled. "By the way, I'm asking about some of Mr. Xi's personal matters."

Private matter?

Does this mean that he is secretly paying attention to Xi Jiang and is preparing to reconcile with Xi Jiang?

Xu Yu opened the car door: "Sorry for the trouble."

After getting in the car, the driver drove away. Zhu Wenxu asked him, "Where are you going?"

"Oasis Community."

"The Oasis community on Center Street?"

"yes."

"Where will the driver take you?" Zhu Xixu asked again, "Where does Xi Jiang usually go?"

Xu Yu answered honestly: "Occasionally."

"overnight?"

"Yes, we sleep in separate rooms."

Zhu Wenxu: "Why?"

Xu Yu didn't understand: "What?"

"Have you always slept separately?" Zhu Wenxu asked again, "I thought we would share a pillow."

Xu Yu thought about the problem. Xi Jiang never coerced anyone in their love life. In other words, she never had any ambiguous feelings towards him. They ate as usual and did their own things in the same space.

But Xi Jiang's other ambiguous partners were different. Xu Yu had seen them sitting on Xi Jiang's thighs and crawling on Xi Jiang...

These things cannot be told to Zhu Wenxu. If they want to be together, these things must be treated as if they never happened.

Xu Yu pondered for a long time and chose Xi Jiang's words from his oldest memory: "He has mysophobia."

Zhu Wenxu paused flipping through the documents, sneered, and then asked as if nothing had happened, "What about you?"

"Me what?"

"You have no feelings for Xi Jiang?"

Xu Yu was stumped by his question. He remained silent for a long time without answering, which made Zhu Wenxu turn his head to look at him.

It was a very natural order of questioning, because he wanted to fully understand the relationship between him and Xi Jiang. If he told the truth, he might be considered a love rival, but if he lied, it would not be convincing.

"I have only a debt of gratitude towards him."

Zhu Wenxu lowered his head and flipped through the contract again. "You said you received his favor seven years ago. Seven years have passed, and you've lived under his circumstances. Do you really have no feelings for him at all?"

Xu Yu: “No.”

"Mr. Xu, you're not very good at lying," Zhu Wenxu said bluntly. "How can you convince Mr. Xi with this tone when facing other ambiguous relationships?"

"I……"

Zhu Wenxu: "Dishonesty is not a good thing."

"Boss Zhu, I'm not lying. My relationship with Boss Xi ends here. He's never been overly intimate with me."

"If we're not in an intimate relationship, why are you willing to stay with him for so many years?" Zhu Wenxu's voice was very light, like torture but not like torture.

Xu Yu thought it was too complicated to explain in detail, and it would take too long to finish: "There are some reasons."

"I actually think that instead of helping Mr. Xi to act as a matchmaker, Mr. Xu should step down and leave the position to someone more suitable."

Of course Xu Yu knew, isn’t this being implemented?

But when Zhu Wenxu asked this, did he already have the idea of ​​living with Xi Jiang?

“I’m working on it.”

"If you really can't quit, find someone who can help you, and don't blame me." This was a warning.

Xu Yu felt that his mood changed too quickly. When he looked up, the car happened to be quite stable.

Zhu Wenxu rubbed his nose and didn't look at him: "You're here."

The car stopped at the entrance of the residential complex. The rain was even lighter than before. Having exhausted the conversation, Xu Yu opened the car door and remained polite, "Thank you, Mr. Zhu."

After saying this, he closed the window and left. He walked so fast that he almost slipped in a puddle.

The people in the car watched, and when the person had been gone for about five or six minutes, they raised their watches to remind the driver: "Let's go."

Back home, Xu Yu got goosebumps all over his body. What did Zhu Wenxu mean by that? Did he have no feelings for Xi Jiang at all?

He turned himself over and over, and the answer was always no love, and he didn't really understand Xi Jiang at all.

After taking a shower and changing into pajamas, Xu Yu drank a bottle of milk and started to cook. Halfway through the meal, the door suddenly opened. Xi Jiang loosened his tie and took off his jacket, tossing it on the sofa. He stood in front of the kitchen glass and said, "What are you cooking? It smells so good."

"I want to eat hot pot."

"Is it too much trouble? It's too much trouble to go out and eat."

Xu Yu lowered his head and cut garlic: "It's not a problem."

"Let's make a shabu-shabu hotpot. I want clear soup." Xi Jiang sat down on the sofa and took out his phone to check. "Is there anything you need to buy? I'll order takeout."

Xu Yu stared at the back of Xi Jiang's head and looked away: "No."

Afraid that Xi Jiang would be unhappy, he added, "They're all in the refrigerator."

Xi Jiang didn't say anything else, and the sound of the game soon came from the other end.

He had been losing the entire game, and Xu Yu had listened to him the entire time. After finishing cooking and putting the meal on the table, he hung up his apron and called out to him, "Brother, it's time to eat."

Xi Jiang still didn't respond, so he started another game.

Xu Yu sat down at the dining table, but didn't move his chopsticks. He listened to Xi Jiang play another game, but he lost again.

Throwing the phone aside, Xi Jiang stood up and walked to the dining table, asking with a hint of blame: "Why don't you eat first?"

If Xu Yu wanted to eat first, he would definitely be scolded for being disrespectful and having no etiquette for eating. He could even imitate the tone of voice word for word.

During the time I spent with Xi Jiang, life was full of rules. In the past two years, they have been relaxed a lot, at least not to the point of signing and sealing contracts every year.

Xu Yu started to scoop rice: "I want to wait for brother."

"Let's get a duck tomorrow."

tomorrow?

Is Xi Jiang coming back tomorrow?

"good."

"More pairs of chopsticks, Jiang Dan is coming over."

It's not difficult.

Xu Yu nodded.

Xi Jiang took the meal and the two began to eat in silence. After the meal, Xi Jiang went upstairs and Xu Yu cleaned up the dishes and washed them, and was busy for nearly half an hour.

The sound of the game came from the second floor. It should be the fourth game. Finally, the victory was won, and then the sound of the game stopped.

Xu Yu was not in a hurry to go upstairs. Usually, Xi Jiang would call him into the room to chat. Xu Yu was very reluctant to stay with Xi Jiang. Just some of the questions gave him a headache.

Everything was cleaned up and there was no sound at all on the second floor.

Xi Jiang's door was open; she had already fallen asleep. Xu Yu closed the door and returned to his room. Wang Li sent him Zhu Wenxu's recent itinerary on his phone. Zhu Wenxu was very busy, flying here and there, returning the same day or the next morning, and getting less than three hours of sleep.

Xu Yu copied all the content into the mind map. He spent some money to lock the APP. There were three pictures in it. The first one was the rules that Xi Jiang set for him seven years ago; the second one was the new rules that Xi Jiang set for him two years ago.

The former is densely packed, while the latter is only a few words.

This page of Zhu Wenxu was newly made, just a few days ago, and contains quite a lot of content. Most of it was the content he looked up in his spare time and the information provided by Wang Li. All in all, the entire page is filled with words.

He wanted to start with Zhu Wenxu, and it would take a lot of courage. Before thinking about reconciling them, Xu Yu wanted to find out the reason for their quarrel.

He yawned and decided to think about it tomorrow.

I had no dreams tonight. When I woke up, Xi Jiang was gone. The first floor was still filled with the smell of hot pot base from last night. Xu Yu had no appetite, so he went to the supermarket to buy groceries and bought a bowl of white porridge from a roadside stall.

Just after buying the white porridge, he turned around and saw the familiar Maybach.

Zhu Wenxu was getting out of the car. This early in the morning, as always, he was meticulous. His expression was serious, his fingers dangling a cigarette, his mouth motionless, completely absorbed in the conversation.

Suddenly his eyes swept over and looked at Xu Yu who was carrying vegetables and fruits for two seconds, then quickly looked away.

He put out his cigarette and walked towards Xu Yu. The chaotic pedestrians and the noisy morning made it seem unsuitable for a meeting here.

Zhu Wenxu stopped five steps away from him and hung up the phone: "I have something to talk to you about."