Zhang Deng felt like he was finished. As an editor, he reported plagiarism only to be subjected to cyberbullying by the influencer's fans, with an overwhelming flood of abusive comments in his ...
Chapter 7: Everyone's Nervous (Part 7) Click 1 to hear my revenge plan. ...
The salesperson ushered them in, forced a smile, and said, "When you made your online reservation, you said you had to pay in full and pick up the car on the same day, right?"
"Yeah." Wei Yuanye looked around and watched the salesperson introduce the various models of cars, holding a lantern in one hand like a chicken.
The salesperson asked: "Do you prefer an electric car, a gasoline car, or a hybrid?"
Zhang Deng refused to say anything.
Wei Yuanye asked, "Which one is the most expensive?"
Zhang Deng immediately said, "I want the tram!"
"Trains won't work," Wei Yuanye rejected his suggestion, "Let's go with a hybrid."
The salesperson smiled and said, "Indeed, hybrid vehicles are more suitable for us in the north. There are several hybrid models."
Zhang Deng actually had no intention of buying a car in his life plan. Although he got his driver's license in college, he refused to buy any real estate. The money he would have spent on a car would have allowed him to take taxis for the rest of his life.
But Wei Yuanye obviously had no intention of considering his opinion. He really wanted to give Zhang Deng a car.
Wei Yuanye had already looked at several SUVs online. When he recommended one to Zhang Deng, he took him to the car and let him sit in it to try it out. Zhang Deng was a little nervous: "I haven't driven a car in a long time."
Wei Yuanye said: "No need to drive, just sit in and feel it."
Zhang Deng sat in the driver's seat, touching the steering wheel, and suddenly a very strange feeling arose. The seat was very comfortable, and as soon as he sat in it, he felt like he was being wrapped up. Putting his hands on the steering wheel, he felt as if he was really in control of something.
In his mind, only real adults can drive: his dad drives, many of his teachers drive, and his editor-in-chief drives. But he never thought he would have his own car.
He had always felt that this was a symbol of success, as if owning these properties meant that one had truly grasped something in the world and could live well. Zhang Deng never considered himself to be in this category.
This feeling is wonderful, as if he has become an adult and can control some things.
Wei Yuanye looked at his expression and asked, "Do you like this?"
Zhang Deng asked, "This is very expensive, right?"
Wei Yuanye forgot and asked the salesperson, "How much is this?"
"It's not bad, 450,000." said the salesperson.
Wei Yuanye repeated the sentence exactly as it was: "Not bad, 450,000."
Zhang Deng said, "Four hundred and fifty thousand!"
Wei Yuanye closed the car door, shutting out Zhang Deng's roar, and said to the salesperson, "This is it."
Sale:"?"
The salesperson had never seen such a customer before, so he asked, "Don't you want to test drive it? Have the car inspected or something..."
Wei Yuanye said, "He can't drive either, how can he try?"
Zhang Deng opened the car door and was about to speak when Wei Yuanye pushed him back in and closed the door again. Then he leaned against the door to prevent him from getting out and said, "Pay."
Zhang Deng spent three hours buying clothes for Wei Yuanye, but Wei Yuanye only had thirty minutes to buy a car.
There were many tedious procedures to follow: buying insurance, paying purchase tax, choosing license plates, and applying for temporary plates. Zhang Deng was only responsible for taking his fingerprints and signing his name. Wei Yuanye paid for everything else.
The people in the 4S store cast suspicious glances at the two of them, so intense that even Zhang Deng noticed. It was really strange for a man to buy a car for another man.
Zhang Deng was also in a highly tense state and couldn't help but pull Wei Yuanye's clothes. In fact, there was no specific meaning. Wei Yuanye turned around and naturally held his hand.
Zhang Deng was startled, but he restrained himself and didn't show his surprise.
Wei Yuanye's thumb stroked the back of his hand soothingly for a moment until he needed Zhang Deng's signature again, and then he let go.
Zhang Deng picked up the pen, and the dry touch of Wei Yuanye's palm was still on his hand.
After completing all the procedures, they were finally able to take the car home. When Wei Yuanye sat in the driver's seat, Zhang Deng finally reacted and said, "Do you have a driver's license?"
"I've got a pilot's license," Wei Yuanye said. "It's universal in our area."
Zhang Deng: "That won't work!"
Wei Yuanye laughed, and Zhang Deng realized that he seemed to be joking.
"There are fake ones," Wei Yuanye said, "In fact, there are ID cards too. I lied to you before."
Zhang Deng felt that he should be angry. After all, his coping rules told him that he should show moderate anger when he was deceived, but he found that he was not angry.
Zhang Deng concluded that he might need medication. Usually, when he couldn't understand his emotions, it was because he was having another attack.
On the way home, Wei Yuanye suddenly asked him, "Do you have a nickname?"
"Ah," Zhang Deng's thoughts were wandering, "No."
Wei Yuanye: "What did your parents call you?"
Zhang Deng said, "Just call me Zhang Deng."
"With your first and last name?"
"Yeah," Zhang Deng said, "My name isn't a good nickname either."
It doesn’t seem to be this kind of relationship, but neither of them said anything.
Zhang Deng suddenly remembered something: "Does it count if my classmate is called Lao Deng?"
"Isn't that a nickname?"
"That's all." Zhang Deng looked at the scenery passing by outside and thought of his Xiao Mi and Xiao Ai.
Maybe I can put Xiao Ai in front of the car window so that I can take Xiao Mi out to play in the future.
Zhang Deng asked, "What's your nickname?"
Wei Yuanye: "Just call me Yuanye."
"Your name is actually quite nice," Zhang Deng said, a little envious. "I was thinking of saying yesterday that your name sounds so romantic. Does it mean 'protect the wilderness'?"
Wei Yuanye had no expression: "Why not just call the forest ranger?"
Zhang Deng: “…”
Zhang Deng found that Wei Yuanye was really unromantic and had an extremely vicious tongue.
Wei Yuanye asked, "What does your name mean? Do you have a younger brother named Jiecai?"
"My grandfather gave me this name." Zhang Deng spoke of his family with a rare warmth. "My grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, very famous in town, but I don't know why he gave me this name."
"What did your grandfather call you?"
"I don't know," Zhang Deng said. "He died of tuberculosis when I was four."
Wei Yuanye said "Oh" and didn't react much, but Zhang Deng sensed that he might be a little embarrassed and took the initiative to say, "It's okay, I have forgotten it for a long time."
Wei Yuanye: "Let me give you a nickname."
Zhang Deng thought he was going to make another abstract joke and said with a smile, "Okay, call me whatever you want. I heard that a name is the shortest spell in the world. No matter how ugly the name is, you have to come and answer it."
Wei Yuanye said, "You are so beautiful, and your name is 'Deng', so I will call you 'Liangliang'."
Zhang Deng turned around and looked at him.
When they were almost home, Wei Yuanye parked the car in a parking space on the roadside of the community because there was no garage. The two of them went to the supermarket to buy some vegetables.
After paying the bill, Wei Yuanye was holding the plastic bag, which made a friction sound. He didn't hear Zhang Deng's words clearly, so he turned around and asked, "What?"
Zhang Deng asked, "Are you going to stay here for a long time?"
"How many days?" Zhang Deng asked. "A month?"
Wei Yuanye said: "I don't know."
Zhang Deng: "Until he apologizes to me?"
"Until your life is back on track," Wei Yuanye said, "until you can live a normal life."
But what is considered normal?
Zhang Deng didn't quite understand. Did that mean Wei Yuanye wouldn't leave right away?
Zhang Deng actually knew that he shouldn't have too many expectations. Wei Yuanye was not his friend. He just came here to complete his mission and make himself feel happy. It was part of Wei Yuanye's job.
But it is really warm.
Zhang Deng thought, it was such a heartwarming thing to have someone protecting you.
No wonder He Xiaoqiu fell in love with this feeling.
Will he live like this in the future?
Zhang Dengcai boldly imagined his future life, but a phone call extinguished most of his enthusiasm.
The phone rang for a long time. Wei Yuanye heard it when he was in the kitchen. Even after he came out with the dishes, Zhang Deng still didn't answer it.
Wei Yuanye asked, "The one with the surname Liu?"
Zhang Deng sighed and shook his head.
Wei Yuanye leaned over to take a look and saw "Mom" written on the screen.
Wei Yuanye stopped talking without permission.
After waiting for a while, the phone continued to ring. Zhang Deng prepared himself mentally and finally pressed the answer button.
"Mom." Zhang Deng only said this one word when he seemed to be interrupted by the other party. He listened for a long time before he got the chance to speak again.
"I'm sorry." Zhang Deng said, "But it's not entirely my fault—"
The other party said something else, and Zhang Deng tried to resist, saying, "I have something to do tomorrow."
Occasionally there would be some leaked audio on the phone, and after Wei Yuanye sat down he could occasionally catch a few words, which seemed to be saying that he had resigned and what else was there to be busy about.
Zhang Deng lowered his head and looked at the pattern on his reclining chair. He hummed and said, "Then I'll take a friend back with me."
"Where did you get your friend from?"
Zhang Deng was also worried that Wei Yuanye would hear such embarrassing words, so he responded vaguely, saying, "I understand. Let's hang up."
While eating, Wei Yuanye asked, "Going back to your home?"
"Sorry," Zhang Deng finally realized, "I forgot to ask for your opinion."
Wei Yuanye had no objection. He asked casually, "When?"
"At noon," Zhang Deng hesitated and said, "Don't worry, my parents are very nice to outsiders."
"Liu Yan and He Xiaoqiu should also be there tomorrow," Zhang Deng said. "My mom is a little angry with me. She might want to talk about this."
Wei Yuanye: "Okay."
Zhang Deng stood up and went to find medicine. Wei Yuanye handed him a bottle of water without looking back. Zhang Deng drank the medicine with the water and finally felt a little relieved.
Then the dinner table became quiet.
Even on this night, the lights were on and I washed the dishes and washed up, then I hugged the cat and said goodnight.
Wei Yuanye began to feel that Zhang Deng was like a very sensitive energy-saving robot, which would automatically enter energy-saving mode when encountering a disaster mode.
What kind of family could raise a child like this? Wei Yuanye actually didn't quite understand Zhang Deng's fear of his original family. In his opinion, if getting along with someone is difficult, there is no need to continue to get along.
But after spending two days with him, Wei Yuanye also found the answer in Zhang Deng. Zhang Deng was the kind of person who tended to repair broken things rather than replace them. He had a serious fetish complex and found it difficult to let go of the past, even though it had become a cancer in Zhang Deng.
Zhang Deng is the kind of person who will embrace pain with open arms. He firmly believes that as long as he is strong and works hard, he will be able to overcome the difficulties.
This is completely contrary to Wei Yuanye's outlook on life.
People are the answer to the environment. Zhang Denghui has become what he is today because of the hints that life has given him over the past 26 years and because it is what the people around him want him to become.
Wei Yuanye thought of this and smiled subtly in the dark.
Let’s give it a try, he thought, to see who Zhang Deng will listen to and what he will become.
The next day the weather was unusually mild.
After a few days of cooling, the temperature had already dropped below zero. Zhang Deng prepared all the thick clothes in the house and put on thin cotton pants early. However, looking at the weather outside today, he was a little troubled.
He prepared too early. When Wei Yuanye came back after buying breakfast, he saw Zhang Deng standing in front of the mirror. When Wei Yuanye finished his breakfast, Zhang Deng was still struggling with what to wear.
In fact, Zhang Deng didn’t have many clothes. He had tried on all possible ones after several attempts, but he still felt unsatisfied.
Wei Yuanye saw him take off his cotton pants and try on his clothes in his pants, then he turned to Wei Yuanye and asked, "Is this okay?"
Wei Yuanye: "It's minus two degrees outside."
Zhang Deng was a little depressed. He said, "I've gained weight."
Wei Yuanye walked over and looked at Zhang Deng in the mirror. It was conservatively estimated that Zhang Deng's legs were not as thick as his arms.
Zhang Deng thought Wei Yuanye might get angry after he said this, but Wei Yuanye turned around and looked at the clothes on the bed. He picked up the new set he bought yesterday, picked out a pair of thinner autumn trousers, and a pair of dark jeans, and said, "Try this set."
The lanterns would clearly shine brightly with a little sunshine. He asked, "Is that all right?"
Wei Yuanye said, "Are you going to walk the red carpet?"
Zhang Deng tried it as he said, and the effect was actually pretty good, but there was really no better choice.
Wei Yuanye didn't blame him for making a fuss about trying on clothes. He folded the other clothes and said, "If you're not satisfied, you can buy two more."
But this didn't fit Zhang Deng's consumption philosophy, so he refused: "I already have a lot of clothes."
A typical manifestation of a fetish complex.
Wei Yuanye looked him over and said, "This is a very nice outfit."
Zhang Deng has a standard outfit of wide top and narrow bottom. With a small head and thin figure, she actually looks good in anything she wears.
At this time, Wei Yuanye thought that he was just too nervous and was not satisfied with anything he saw.
Wei Yuanye also wore yesterday's new clothes today. The two of them walked together, looking a bit ostentatious.
Nowadays, even real couples don’t go out wearing matching outfits.
But Zhang Deng quickly rationalized the situation: Wei Yuanye was a man with a weak sense of boundaries. He wasn't sensitive to other people's opinions, and he had no clear boundaries when it came to relationships. To him, going out in matching outfits with someone he'd only known for three days was as normal as eating—it was just a piece of clothing.
In fact, it is more like an absolute self-confidence. Only when you don’t care about anything can you not care about anything.
Zhang Deng was somewhat envious of Wei Yuanye's mentality.
Zhang Deng's home is on the other side of the city. When he was looking for a job, out of selfishness, he deliberately chose a unit far away from home. After working for three years, all his colleagues thought he was from another place. In fact, Zhang Deng's home can be returned by taking the subway.
But he rented a house and lived like an outsider, so there was no need for him to go back.
After driving for forty minutes, the two arrived downstairs of the residential complex.
To Wei Yuanye's surprise, the environment of Zhang Deng's residential area was quite good, even quiet and high-end.
The guard had never seen this car before, so he came out to see it, and when he saw the lights on, he showed his face and said, "Uncle."
"Ah," the guard didn't recognize him at first, only thinking he looked familiar. It took him a while to realize, "You're home?"
He opened the door and said, "I saw your mother buying so many vegetables."
Zhang Deng nodded politely. Since entering here, he has become a little uneasy and stiff.
Wei Yuanye pursed his lips as he drove the car into the underground parking lot of the residential complex, then said, "Don't be nervous."
"You don't have to either." Wei Yuanye said, looking at the rearview mirror, turning the steering wheel and parking in a parking space.
Zhang Deng said "hmm" and got out of the car with some help.
Just as they took two steps, a bright light from a car suddenly flashed before their eyes. The two of them subconsciously narrowed their eyes, and a relatively low-key commercial vehicle honked at them.
There were two people in the car. Wei Yuanye took a quick look and recognized He Xiaoqiu sitting in the passenger seat. The other one should be Liu Yan.
He Xiaoqiu looks thinner and paler in real life than he does in front of the camera. His face is delicate with light makeup, but it still can't hide his red eyes, giving him a frail look. Even so, he's still good-looking, with his hair styled and his shirt immaculately ironed. Just a glance reveals that he's truly exceptional in both appearance and temperament.
He Xiaoqiu is always so refined and respectable, as if he were a character from a film or TV series. Yet, beneath his well-groomed attire, he reveals timely flaws and vulnerabilities, like his reddened eyes and dejected state. This makes everything seem even more dramatic, making you want to get closer to him and understand him.
He Xiaoqiu has this kind of charm that makes everyone around him willingly revolve around him.
Wei Yuanye took a look and turned away, seeing Zhang Deng's somewhat stiff expression.
Wei Yuanye pulled him aside to let the car pass, and then the two of them stood there. His hand was clasped on Zhang Deng's arm and never let go. He could feel Zhang Deng's muscles exerting force, and even trembling slightly.
After a while, Liu Yan and He Xiaoqiu came over.
Liu Yan was about 5 feet 4 inches tall, his hair combed behind his ears. He wore a trench coat and leather shoes, a classic elite look, and he was indeed quite good-looking. Liu Yan's eyes first fell on Zhang Deng, then on Wei Yuanye, and he looked him up and down without disguising himself, finally focusing on their clothes and Wei Yuanye's hand holding Zhang Deng's arm.
Wei Yuanye put one hand in his pocket and held a lantern in the other. He stood at the top of the slope in the parking lot, tucked his chin into the collar of his windbreaker, and met Liu Yan's gaze from top to bottom.
Liu Yan said: "Won't you introduce yourself?"
"My friend," Zhang Deng said, "his name is Wei Yuanye."
Liu Yan should have extended his hand to shake hands, but he didn't move, and Wei Yuanye didn't move either. The two of them just stared at each other, and no one spoke for a while.
Wei Yuanye turned around and said, "Let's go."
Zhang Deng was pulled away by him, and the two of them walked directly in front. He seemed to hear Liu Yan laugh, but it was not a very friendly laugh.
Zhang Deng lowered his head unconsciously, and Wei Yuanye hugged his arm. With a force, Zhang Deng was forced to straighten up.
But Wei Yuanye never said anything.
Zhang Deng didn't know what Wei Yuanye was thinking at this moment, or what his plans were.
He entered the elevator with very complicated feelings.
Liu Yan was some distance away from them. Zhang Deng hesitated after pressing the floor number, not knowing whether to wait for them. Wei Yuanye directly pressed the close door button.
When Liu Yan and the others arrived at the elevator door, they watched the elevator door close in front of them. Wei Yuanye's face was somewhat dimmed by the light above the elevator. He stared at Liu Yan, and it seemed that for a moment, his eyes were extremely cold. Then the elevator door closed, and Liu Yan only saw his own reflection.
He Xiaoqiu smiled reluctantly and said gently, "Don't mind it."
Liu Yan didn't answer. He looked up to observe Liu Yan's expression. Only then did Liu Yan react and said, "It's okay."
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