Chapter 120 I Am Also Me (VIII) I observe floating, just as the universe observes me...

Qi Lin went upstairs and felt quite embarrassed. He said, "I've shown my weakness."

"No, it's very good," Zhang Deng said. "You reminded me of something."

Qi Lin pretended to listen attentively.

Zhang Deng: "The composer of this piece has played this piece his entire life, but when a good friend came to listen, he still played a wrong note. People didn't think it was because he couldn't play, but because this friend was too important to him."

Qi Lin said: "Oh my god, I'm so touched."

"A soulmate," Qi Lin said. "I've played it at least 800 times, if not a thousand, since I was a child. I'm really nervous. To be honest, I haven't played the piano in two years. When I went out on my own, I told my dad I'd never touch a piano again in my life."

Qi Lin said, "But when people make a vow, they're always waiting for the day to break it, and today is the day."

Zhang Deng took a sip of the lemonade on the table. He felt that the water was too heavy and he could hardly hold it in his hand.

Qi Lin recounted his difficult childhood journey learning piano. His father tried to make him a piano prodigy, but he resisted and ultimately started his own business. Zhang Deng listened quietly. Qi Lin studied him and suddenly said, "This is what I like most about you."

"You listen to everything," Qi Lin said. "Even when I'm farting, you don't interrupt."

Zhang Deng said, "This is what I hate about you the most. You're clearly not farting."

Qi Lin's speech was very skillful and interesting, but he was flashy, empty and fake, pursuing humor and wit. Although Zhang Deng didn't like it, he had to admit that it was very easy to talk to Qi Lin.

Qi Lin asked, "Then what do you hate about me?"

Zhang Deng glanced at the exquisite dishes on the table and said, "Except for that song, I don't really like anything today."

"It's too much of a performance," Zhang Deng said. "It's a real performance, not at all staged."

Zhang Deng's words were very ruthless, and Qi Lin put away his playful smile.

Qi Lin asked, "Is there really no hope at all?"

"Why are you so strong-willed?" Qi Lin asked. "Is your heart made of stone? ... This dish is too disgusting."

Zhang Deng drank his drink and didn't answer his question.

Qi Lin was quite depressed. He felt a bit frustrated as he had no idea what to do with the lamp. He wanted to smoke a cigarette, but smoking was prohibited here, so he threw the cigarette box on the table like a child who couldn't get a toy.

Zhang Deng felt a little sorry for what he was saying, but he said mercilessly, "Boss Qi, you've been very attentive to me. If I don't respond to you seriously, it would seem very rude of me."

Zhang Deng said, "When I said you were too handsome and I didn't like you, I was just saying it casually. It's actually because you come from a wealthy family and have excellent conditions, which is too different from mine."

Qi Lin was about to speak when Zhang Deng raised his hand, interrupting him for the first time, and continued, "I'm a slow-moving person. In relationships, I tend to fall deeply in love after realizing it, and by the time I realize it, it's already too late to extricate myself. I'm willing to sell everything I have to maintain a relationship. Mr. Qi, your feelings came on like a raging tide, and I believe they will fade just as quickly."

"I don't believe any of the promises you can make now. Your kindness is nothing but illusions in my eyes. The only bit of sincerity that touched me is not worth investing my whole life in."

"I won't reject you just because you're frivolous, dissolute, and a playboy," Zhang Deng said. "It's not that I can't bear the consequences. On the contrary, I can completely tolerate these shortcomings. It's just that I don't like you taking them for granted, as if money, your looks, or your connections can make up for them. You don't even have the intention to correct these shortcomings. They're exposed so blatantly now, and they will only become more arrogant in the future."

Qi Lin was stunned by his humiliating words.

Zhang Deng stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "I'll pay for this meal. Mr. Qi, I can accept resignation or dismissal, and I'm also willing to continue working here. I'll wait for your news."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Qi Lin staring at his back with wide eyes.

For Zhang Deng, this birthday was also a failure.

He checked the time, half past eleven, and hailed a taxi.

Qi Lin is a good boss. He is humble and open to criticism and suggestions. Zhang Deng feels very comfortable working under him. If he can't continue working because of this, it will be a big loss for both of them.

Qi Lin will never find such good cattle and horses again, and Zhang Deng will never find such a generous boss again.

Zhang Deng felt that Qi Lin would not fire him, but the two of them would definitely not be so comfortable getting along in the future.

He wanted to lean his head against the car window sadly, but the bumpy ride caused his bones to crack, so he quickly picked it up. His phone was boring, as he had almost finished watching all the videos for next year in the past few days, and there was nothing new.

I got home, paid the money, and when I got off the car, I suddenly realized that I couldn't scan the payment code.

Zhang Deng then realized that he seemed to be in arrears. He said, "Ah, Master, please wait a moment."

A hand suddenly opened the car door from the outside, and the fingers with distinct joints held a mobile phone to scan the code and pay. Zhang Deng looked at him in a trance, completely forgetting what he was going to do.

The car drove away, and Zhang Deng finally reacted. He looked up at the person in front of him, and heard a buzzing sound in his ears.

Feeling dizzy and with a heavy head, he took a step back and sat directly on the flower bed. The man made a gesture to reach out, but ultimately did not help him.

Zhang Deng looked a little disheveled. He touched his face and realized that he hadn't shaved for several days. Because his beard was sparse, he was always too lazy to take care of it. His clothes also made him look like a homeless man's, and there was no matching at all.

He looked down and saw his pair of white sneakers that had become gray. What were these? Zhang Deng felt a chill in his heart. Could it be that he couldn't live anymore and had to wear something like this?

Zhang Deng raised his eyes, his heart filled with sadness, tears falling down his face. He quickly reached out to touch it, extremely panicked.

That’s not what I meant, Zhang Deng thought desperately in his heart. No, I don’t mean to pretend to be pitiful. He definitely didn’t have a miserable life.

Zhang Deng said: "I——"

He discovered with horror that he could not speak; he could not find his vocal cords.

Wei Yuanye took a step forward and something on his body made a noise. Zhang Deng then saw that he was holding a birthday cake in his hand. Through the small transparent plastic window on top, he saw colorful fruits on the cake.

Wei Yuanye took out a bottle of water from his pocket. Zhang Deng thought about it and took it. He opened it and took a sip, and felt a little calmer.

Zhang Deng thought, miracles always happen when you are in despair.

During the past two years, there were so many moments when Zhang Deng thought that Wei Yuanye had returned, and that he had sent him some kind of signal, but it was not the case, and all was in vain.

And when he had almost given up, he really showed up.

But after shaking him like this, how many days would he have to look forward to seeing him again? How many nights would he look forward to seeing his face again after getting off the car?

The light is just an imagination, it feels scary.

But Zhang Deng couldn't scold Wei Yuanye for being selfish, ruthless and indifferent like he scolded Qi Lin. He wanted to scold him, but he couldn't seem to open his mouth. The reason might be that he couldn't bear to do it.

Zhang Deng's tears kept falling. He wiped them with his sleeves and tried to chat with Wei Yuanye in a casual way. He smiled and said, "Why didn't you bring paper wrapping?"

When I said it out loud, I realized it was too ambiguous.

Wei Yuanye really took out a pack of tissues from his pocket, and Zhang Deng cried and laughed, and snorted.

They both wanted to wait for Zhang Deng to calm down before speaking, but Zhang Deng was shaking and crying, and his hand holding the water was clenched and pale. Zhang Deng felt embarrassed and said, "Are you okay?"

"Um."

Zhang Deng pleaded, "Just say a few more words."

Wei Yuanye looked into his eyes and asked, "What about you?"

"I'm very good," Zhang Deng said. "Xiao Mi is also good. I now earn over 20,000 yuan a month. I bought a car, a sedan with only two seats. It's very beautiful."

Zhang Deng wanted Wei Yuanye to say a few more words. He missed him so much that it felt like a dream, but he kept saying, "I'm dressed rather shabbily today. I've been on vacation lately and saved up a lot of time off. My boss finally got kind enough to let me have some rest."

Wei Yuanye listened quietly.

Zhang Deng said: "After the novel was published, it became popular. Now it is going through the publishing process. The book number has been issued. I can make some money. Haha, you always talk about money, but in fact I can't spend that much."

Wei Yuanye looked at his thin figure and frail chest and asked, "Do you want to eat?"

Zhang Deng exclaimed, "Oh!" and exaggeratedly said, "I'm so busy, so busy, so busy at work. My boss is such a jerk that I sometimes forget about him. It's okay. When I quit and become a great writer, I won't be so tired anymore."

In fact, Zhang Deng had no such plan in his life.

"Let's not talk about me anymore," Zhang Deng said quickly, "What about you? Why did you come back?"

Zhang Deng asked desperately, yes, didn’t we agree at that time that we would never come back?

You are such a man of your word, why would you break your vow?

Wei Yuanye said, "'God' forgave my sins, and I went to reform."

"What do you mean?"

"He struck me endlessly, and I endured eternal punishment in Chaos," Wei Yuanye said. "It might be hard for you to understand, but I'm still being punished. While my body can appear here, a part of me remains forever in Chaos."

"I don't understand," Zhang Deng said, "Are you feeling bad?"

Wei Yuanye found it difficult to answer this question. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm currently in good health, but there's no way I can go back to my old state."

“I lost those abilities,” he said.

Zhang Deng touched his body and felt something solid. He breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't understand.

Wei Yuanye simply summed it up: "Demoted to a mortal."

Zhang Deng: “…”

"You are lying to me." Zhang Deng looked at him and said.

Wei Yuanye: “No.”

Zhang Deng said, "Can you tell the truth?"

He didn't have the courage to confront Wei Yuanye, so he could only beg him: "Don't lie to me anymore."

Wei Yuanye looked at him and said, "This is the condition of my exchange with God."

"Everything I just said hasn't happened yet," Wei Yuanye said. "I can see the future. These things are about to happen. After you die, I will repay what I owe you with my long, endless life."

Zhang Deng's eyes were wide open, tears rolling uncontrollably. He didn't know why he was crying, nor did he know what else he could do besides crying.