Chapter 122 N-Strong Liquor
Although the house is regularly cleaned by a housekeeper, it has been uninhabited for several years, and many areas have inevitably been neglected and aged. Except for the commonly used faucets, all the others are rusty, and the water heater is unusable.
Xing Yu carefully inspected the entire house, recorded all the damaged items, contacted a repair company, and then ordered brand new smart appliances online.
After finishing all that, he rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning.
Chu Beiling wasn't idle either. He rummaged through the living room and found some old newspapers, folded them into triangular hats, put one on Xing Yu's head, and then put one on himself to keep out the dust.
Xing Yu nudged his newspaper cap: "Your hands-on skills are still so strong."
Chu Beiling brushed the stray hairs from her forehead and flicked two fingers toward him: "Of course, you should be happy to have a boyfriend like me."
Xing Yu nodded: "I'm looking forward to having a boyfriend who's really good with his hands. I hope you can make good use of your strengths and become my coffee shop manager. Thank you."
"..." Chu Beiling: "Shut up."
Xing Yu chuckled a few times.
Chu Beiling was furious and punched him several times before turning to leave, but he pulled her back.
Xing Yu placed a kiss on his lips and then let him go.
Taking advantage of the recent good weather, Chu Beiling took the quilts from the wardrobe to the balcony to air them out. Xing Yu followed, and seeing that the balcony door lock was broken, he went to the storage room to find tools.
The two of them were busy with their own things, yet they worked together seamlessly to tidy up the house.
This shared sense of busyness reminded Chu Beiling of his past dreams: that they would go to Beijing together for art school training, rent a small house outside the training base, and gradually fill their shared home.
During the four years of university, students can apply to live off-campus and continue living in this small house together.
Chu Beiling patted the blankets to fluff them up and casually asked, "Xing Yu, what do you think would have happened if we had gone to Beijing for training early, like those 11 classmates who left school early?"
Xing Yu was fixing the broken balcony door lock. Hearing this, he paused but continued without looking up: "We will rent a house with good lighting and a balcony. After the training camp, we can continue practicing at home and air our paintings."
Chu Beiling continued, "The living room also needs to be big enough to fit your cello, our easel, and all our tools. We also need to leave a white wall for projecting movies."
Xing Yu tightened the screws with an electric drill. Amid the "screwing" sound, he said, "Let's buy a better speaker. We can snuggle up on the sofa and watch movies, or watch your favorite art documentaries. We'll prepare lots of snacks so we can eat while we watch. You can lean against me and fall asleep while I watch."
Chu Beiling's tone was excited and somewhat expectant: "I like the cramped warehouse-style room layout, while you prefer a clean and tidy room. I guess we'll argue for a long time, neither of us can convince the other, and then we'll have a cold war."
Xing Yu tightened the last screw, turned around, and looked at his eyes shining brightly in the sunlight, feeling a pang of heartache for a moment.
He composed himself and said seriously and calmly, "We didn't argue. In the end, we listened to you. We filled the house to the brim, and it's very cozy."
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds because of those words, and even the dust motes dancing in the sunlight slowed down.
Chu Beiling's throat tightened: "Yes, we went through nine months of inhuman training and got into the Academy of Fine Arts together. Although I failed the exam and my grades were not good, I still barely made it through the admission score and started my four years of university life."
Xing Yu continued, "Starting from our sophomore year, we interned at animation companies until we graduated in our senior year. We had gained experience and wanted to create the animated world we envisioned, so we started a business together."
“Starting a business is so tough, and you'll face many challenges.” Chu Beiling looked at him. “Will we argue?”
Xing Yu thought about it carefully: "Yes, because of differences in creative concepts, we will have a big argument, but after the argument, we will calm down and solve the problem together and get through the difficulties together."
Chu Beiling nodded: "When we encountered a funding shortage, we continued making animations while trying to attract investment. During that time, we had a tough time. We were so poor that we couldn't afford to eat. The two of us would only eat one bag of instant noodles a day."
Xing Yu raised his fingertip and wiped the corner of his eye: "We didn't work hard for long. Six months later, we met a reliable investor who invested a lot of money in us. Three years later, the animated film was released. Many people liked our story. We made a great comeback."
Chu Beiling's nose tingled with emotion: "Is reality this hard?"
Xing Yu shook his head: "No, Hu Tutu's parents used the money they had saved for his wedding house to invest some of our money, which helped us get through the most difficult period and survive until Xu Zeyi's investment. The movie was well received afterward, and we made a profit and even received a lot of investment funds for new movies. Nearly five years of hard work were not in vain. What about you?"
Chu Beiling: "I don't have that either. In Singapore, I can use Ms. Li's connections. Many people know that I am her son and are willing to meet me."
Even if you're lucky and have someone to help you, it's impossible to say that starting a business isn't hard work. All investors may be able to pull strings, but in the end, it's all about profit; they need to get their money.
Hu Tutu's parents, who had used the money meant for his wedding house, continued to make animations for him despite seeing no hope or future. If it failed, all their investment and money would be wasted, and they would be burdened with debt.
They understood this pressure implicitly and each tried to downplay it.
Fortunately, they all made it through smoothly.
No matter the time.
There were too many chores at home, and they didn't finish cleaning until evening. They didn't touch Grandma Chen's room; it remained as it was, with only a little dusting.
Chu Beiling also saw the original yellowed note left by the grandfather. It was pressed under the glass of Grandma Chen's desk in her room, still in its original state, telling the story of decades ago.
As the sun sets, the sky is dyed orange, casting a brilliant yet gentle hue over the old stairwell, layer upon layer, like a richly colored mural of flying apsaras.
It was dinner time on a weekday, and the quiet stairwell was bustling with activity again, a testament to the enduring vitality of Zhanlongkou.
As they reached the third floor, the woman of the house on the outside returned. She looked up at them from the steps below and said, "Oh, it's you?"
Chu Beiling hesitated and asked, "Aunt Chen?"
"Yes," Aunt Chen said with a smile, "Xiao Yu and Fan Fan, right? It's been so long since I've seen you. You've both grown up and become even more handsome. What brings you here today?"
"Clean up Grandma Chen's house." Chu Beiling looked at Aunt Chen, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.
He figured that after so many years, Aunt Shen probably wouldn't remember, and it likely wouldn't be preserved.
The neighborhood in Zhalongkou is both distant and intimate. After meals, people relax in the park within the community, dance, play chess, and gossip about each other, knowing a little about each other's affairs.
Therefore, Aunt Shen also knew about Grandma Chen's situation: "How is the old lady? Is she alright?"
“He’s gone,” Chu Beiling said.
Aunt Chen was taken aback, then said, "The old lady has had a hard life. Fortunately, she has you all. She is getting old, so don't be too sad."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chu Beiling and Xing Yu took their leave.
As soon as I got downstairs, the penetrating voice of a middle-aged woman drifted from the sky.
Upon realizing they were being called by name, the two were startled, exchanged a glance, took a few steps back, and simultaneously looked up.
Aunt Chen leaned over the white wall, peeking out with her head down at them, and shouted, "You haven't come back since you moved out, and I don't have your contact information. Xiao Yu, your package has been here with me for years, but I couldn't find you to come back and get it. Now that you're back, come and get it. It's at my house."
Aunt Shen and her husband run a herbal tea shop outside the community and contract part of the parcel storage business. Before, when they lived at school and were not at home, they would send the parcels to Aunt Shen's herbal tea shop and pick them up when they got home from school.
Xing Yu asked in confusion, "My package?!"
Chu Beiling opened his mouth: "It's yours." He hadn't expected it to actually still be there. He glanced at Xing Yu: "It's a birthday present I gave you."
The two of them carried seven or eight packages back to the car, some large and some small. Aunt Chen had kept all the boxes very well, except for a few that had faded.
“At that time, I thought it was very simple. Aunt Chen is so kind-hearted. If you don’t go to pick it up, she will deliver it to Grandma Chen’s house. Even if you are angry with me, you will still go to see Grandma Chen and you will be able to see the gift.”
Chu Beiling glanced sideways: "Maybe Grandma Chen will say a few good words for me, and then you won't be so angry with me anymore."
Xing Yu said, "I'm not angry with you."
"Now I know." Chu Beiling looked at him, her face full of grievance, and said, "But I was sad for a long time."
Xing Yu: "How can I stop being angry and sad?"
Chu Beiling, quick-witted, seized the opportunity: "Forget about that conversation just now."
"That section?" Xing Yu feigned ignorance.
Chu Beiling wasn't falling for it anymore. He pursed his lips and said in a muffled voice, "!#￥￥%..."
Xing Yu leaned slightly over the center console and said, "What did you say? I can't hear you."
Chu Beiling shoved his head away, enunciating each word clearly: "!#￥￥%..."
Xing Yu shook his head regretfully: "I still can't hear clearly."
"..." Deliberate, absolutely deliberate, Chu Beiling looked at him angrily, even though he had made it so clear.
After a while, he grabbed Xing Yu's ear and whispered in his ear, "Forget about the maid outfit cafe manager incident, okay, Brother Yu?"
Xing Yu glanced at him: "Then you can continue to be sad."
"How can you say something about minus 25 degrees Celsius when your mouth is at 37 degrees Celsius?"
"It might be... a talent."
Chu Beiling: "Lying down..."
Xing Yu: "Don't swear."
"I didn't, I'm innocent. What I want to say is, my God, how can there be such a shameless person like you?"
"Thank you for the compliment, I am honored."
Chu Beiling was too lazy to argue with him, so she tried to negotiate and salvage the situation she had just created: "How about the coffee shop manager?"
"Sure." Xing Yu lifted his eyelids and said casually, "Then on the bed."
Chu Beiling read each word aloud deliberately, like a robot in a science fiction movie: "I will be a pleasant coffee shop manager. Please give me your orders."
Xing Yu chuckled: "Okay, pleasant coffee shop owner, let's go to bed together then."
"Xing Yu, you cheat!" Chu Beiling shouted, her voice cracking.
The two bickered and teased each other all the way home. When the apartment elevator stopped on the first floor, the door opened and a man with a dog was standing outside.
Chu Beiling and the other party were both taken aback.
Then the man greeted Xing Yu: "Mr. Xing, it's been a long time."
Just as Xing Yu was about to tell him to wait for the next elevator, the other person led two large Samoyeds into the elevator car.
"..." He looked at Chu Beiling, who had already crashed, and hesitated to speak.
People are all standing here, he can't very well ask them to get off, it would seem like there's something going on. The elevator isn't his property, so he can explain that people are still here, and there are some things that are inconvenient to say in front of outsiders.
Xing Yu didn't want unimportant people to know about his private affairs.
The door closed, creating a sealed and cramped space.
Chu Beiling wore a cold expression as she scrutinized the young man walking two large dogs beside her through the bronze mirror of the elevator.
The other person's eyebrows, eyes, and temperament were remarkably similar to his when he was seventeen. Except that his facial features and lines were softer and more alluring, he resembled him by about four points.
Just then, as if he hadn't even seen him, the other person walked past him, glanced at Xing Yu, and asked with stars in their eyes, "Mr. Xing, did you eat the bagels I made for you on New Year's Eve? Were they good?"
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