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Xu Yu's bedding was newly bought; he'd bought two sets just in case, and even after unpacking it, it still smelled brand new. He made the bed, found a pair of cotton slippers, and placed them in front of Zhu Wenxu.
The meaning was obvious: he should change and get ready for sleep.
"When you go out tomorrow, close the door and be quiet." Xu Yu reminded, "I'm going to bed too."
There was no awkwardness, no extra glances at his naked upper body, and only the sound of the door closing remained. Zhu Wenxu pinched the bridge of his nose and entered the bedroom Xu Yu had arranged for him.
The apartment he rented was very small, with two bedrooms and a living room. The sound insulation was poor, and he could hear the noise of people rolling around in bed.
One, two, three times.
There was no movement.
“…”
Xu Yu opened his eyes. Although he wanted to stay away from Xi Jiang, he didn't intend to have any contact with Zhu Wenxu. He had to find an opportunity to move for the third time.
I had previously opened a gym and called Xu Yu in the morning, saying that Xu Yu hadn't been there for a long time and was making a return visit. In fact, I was promoting their new discount event.
"Recharge 2,000 and get 800 back, recharge 4,000 and get 1,800 back, recharge 10,000 and get 4,000 back. It's a very good deal. If you're considering it, you can add WeChat to discuss it in detail, Mr. Xu."
"Not interested." Xu Yu hung up the phone.
The gym membership fee is 5,800 yuan, which is the living expenses that Xi Jiang transfers to me. I have only been there a few times, so it would be a waste if I don’t go there often.
Xu Yu went to take a shower without worry, and planned to go again with his bag to get a refund. The distance was not far, only three bus stops.
While riding the bus, Xu Yu casually scrolled through his social media feed. Assistant Zhao had posted a simple, casual work photo of Xi Jiang; Wang Meimei was updating her latest brand purchases; Shu Wei had posted a photo of them together, and then there was Jiang Dan, who had filmed a dance in a red dress, a post that even Xi Jiang had liked.
Arriving at the gym, Xu Yu bought a bottle of soda water. He put the money in, but no water came out. He tapped the machine, but there was no response.
"There's something wrong with this machine."
"No one is repairing it?"
“There’s no one there, and the maintenance phone number isn’t marked.”
"Forget it, I'll go to the store in front and buy it."
Xu Yu realized belatedly that the voice was familiar. He turned around and saw Wang Li, dressed in coarse linen clothes, squatting on the edge of the steps. He had an unshaved face and messy hair, looking like a beggar.
“You are…”
Wang Li spread his hands: "As you can see, I have nothing."
Xu Yu saw that he spoke naturally and asked, "Why didn't you contact me?"
"My phone's broken." Wang Li sipped his instant noodles. "I couldn't contact anyone, and I couldn't find a hotel. I stayed at a friend's for two days. I thought you'd come to this gym again, but you never showed up. Have you given up?"
"Just talk, don't spit." Xu Yu took a step back. "Did Zhu Wenxu cut off your escape route?"
Wang Li gulped down a mouthful of soup and said, "It's not Zhu Wenxu, it's Xi Jiang."
"Xi Jiang?"
"Originally, Zhu Wenxu didn't pursue the matter, but Xi Jiang also showed up. He said he'd tracked down your whereabouts and that you'd occasionally meet me. I thought he'd discovered you were looking for a new sponsor, but later it turned out he was furious that you'd found out about his relationship with Zhu Wenxu." Wang Li shook his head. "What kind of hard life have you been leading? Being someone else's stand-in for seven years?"
"Xi Jiang said that?"
"I never thought that when rich people quarreled, the scene was so explosive. Guess who won? Zhu Wenxu. He made Xi Jiang speechless. He said things like 'no one knows a son better than his father' and 'why not rebuild first'. Don't say it, it was so harsh and polite."
"When did this happen?" Xu Yu asked.
"What time? Let me think, last Wednesday." Wang Li burped. "Luckily, Zhu Wenxu let me go, so Xi Jiang didn't pursue my responsibility any further."
Last Wednesday?
Xu Yu mentioned moving to Xi Jiang, no wonder he reacted strangely and didn't reply for a long time. Was he worried that she would have a fight with him?
Seeing Xu Yu's pale face, Wang Li threw away the empty instant noodle bucket and took a few steps towards him: "What's wrong with you? Are you scared silly?"
"Can you still keep your job?" Xu Yu asked, "What are you going to do next?"
"Nothing was said. They said I was suspended, but there was no explicit order. They know exactly how much news I contributed to our agency. They need to consider it internally. As for where I live, I'm not completely without a place to go."
Xu Yu: "Do you have a lot of time to do other things?"
"Almost. Fitness is impossible." Wang Li waved his hand. "It would cost me two months' salary."
"Two drinks, please."
"real?"
"Really, I'll refund first."
"What refund?"
Xu Yu walked in and explained the reason directly, but the staff was still trying to persuade her to stay and explain the package, dragging on for a long time without discussing a refund. Xu Yu was worried that the refund would not be successful, so he took out the business cards of Assistant Zhao and Xi Jiang.
As expected, he shut up.
"We'll help you with that now."
About ten minutes later, he received a refund message. As he walked out, Wang Li immediately followed him, staring at the gym entrance: "You're not coming?"
Xu Yu: "Not coming."
"Giving up on Zhu Wenxu?"
Xu Yu grabbed his shoulder and said, "I've never succeeded before. Let's eat first."
The two of them chose a barbecue restaurant. Xu Yu bought a coupon and ordered four bottles of beer. Wang Li wiped his face and tilted his head slightly: "Isn't the contrast between us too stark?"
Xu Yu was confused: "What comparison?"
"You're just like that innocent college student who picked up a homeless person. If a kind person took a photo and gave it to you, you might even be trending on the internet tomorrow—a kindhearted man treating a homeless person to drinks and barbecue. I've even thought of the copywriting. It's about everyone being equal, regardless of social status. It really brought tears to my eyes." Wang Li licked the rim of his glass. "Why is your glass so full?"
Xu Yu put down his water cup and asked, "Eating a meal can trigger your occupational disease?"
"That's called daring to discover," Wang Li said. "Let's have a drink to celebrate the friendship between you and me."
Xu Yu did not refuse: "Okay."
Wang Li talked about many things in the workplace, such as which celebrity he had met, who liked to act like a big shot, which female celebrity liked to roll her eyes, etc. When ugly photos of celebrities were intercepted, the hush money started from five figures and the details had to be discussed.
"It must be because I filmed too much, and this is retribution. I have never dared to find a wife, for fear that having children in the future would affect the family. Xu Yu, you are different. I always feel that you can make a name for yourself."
Xu Yu felt a little dizzy: "Me?"
"Don't disbelieve me, you're good-looking and have a great figure, so being a model won't be a problem at all. And you can take pictures, right? You can definitely develop a career in photography."
"Let's talk about it later."
When talking about dreams, Xu Yu suddenly felt a thorn in his heart. Before he could feel the pain, he felt dizzy. His ears rang for a long time and countless chaotic images flashed through his mind.
Even more dizzy.
But now Xu Yu didn't want to spoil the fun, so he turned his head and picked up the wine glass: "I toast you."
Wang Li stuffed a mouthful of meat and said, "Come on, I'll toast you too."
He closed his eyes and lost all reaction. He only felt the pain of his head hitting the chair, which made him want to vomit. He must have vomited later and felt uncomfortable in his stomach. Xu Yu had no memory of what happened next.
After a while, he was picked up and smelled the faint fragrance of flowers and the sound of unclear conversation.
Lost consciousness again.
After waking up, Xu Yu felt an extreme headache and could hardly stand while brushing his teeth. He went out of the living room to get some water and saw Wang Li sleeping on the sofa. Wang Li was soundly sleeping with his arms around a pillow, completely unaffected by the noise.
He got drunk last night. Wang Li should have sent him back. He didn't leave, so he must have been a little drunk... and fell asleep on the sofa?
After drinking water, the headache still did not subside, so Xu Yu ordered some painkillers from takeout and went back to the room to lie down.
Wei Pei'er sent him several messages last night, which were like short essays.
Xi Jiang and I had a fight. He's been ignoring me for the past day. I went to see him today, but he ignored me. I don't know what I did wrong. His ex-girlfriend asked me out, and I went. It was just a boring afternoon tea. He told me not to go see him again. I couldn't help but ask, and I found out that Xi Jiang had been spending the previous night with a woman. She had short hair and a small face. She looked like some celebrity. After we had a fight, I checked and found out that it was indeed a celebrity, but! He's a man.
[Does his presence affect you, sister? He never mentioned you when we were together, but when other people mentioned you, his face turned particularly grim. Oh, and he might go looking for you because that sissy seems to have pissed him off too.]
[I've already packed up and moved out. There's no way we can reconcile or get married. (crying.JPG)]
Xu Yu covered his forehead and didn't reply. He buried his head in the quilt and fell asleep again. Wang Li woke up in the living room. He yawned and opened the window. He opened the door when he heard the noise and got the painkillers that Xu Yu ordered from the delivery man.
"Thank you." Wang Li closed the door and muttered after seeing the medicine, "Next time, don't take him drinking too much."
After Wang Li finished speaking, he took out his cell phone from his pocket, took a photo, got a cup of warm water, and brought it to Xu Yu's room.
Xu Yu took the medicine half asleep and half awake, frowning in resistance: "Can you take a shower?"
"I feed you medicine and you still despise me?" Wang Li smacked his lips. "You have no conscience."
Xu Yu frowned and got under the quilt: "I need to sleep for a while, you find something to wear and take a shower."
Wang Li smelled himself and instead of feeling disgusted, he was pleasantly surprised. He found some loose clothes in the closet and went to take a shower.
After washing, she was not idle either. She helped Xu Yu clean the living room and went downstairs with the old clothes, keys and garbage.
Xu Yu was half asleep. Being drunk wasn't a good habit, and he needed to stop. When he came out, the living room was empty. Wang Li probably didn't want to bother him, so he took the last two apples from the refrigerator.
He was boiling some water when he heard a knock on the door. Zhu Wenxu looked dry, perhaps from being out in the sun for a while. He was carrying a bag of green onions and cabbage in one hand and a medicine bag in the other.
Xu Yu looked around and felt that this outfit and this scene really did not fit Zhu Wenxu's personality.
"I bought some vegetables, but I don't know if they're suitable."
Xu Yu took the dish and asked, "Are you off work?"
"I'm out on patrol this afternoon and back early, but I might need to look over some documents."
Xu Yu handed him a pair of slippers and asked, "Have you asked anyone to look at your house?"
Zhu Wenxu changed his shoes: "It will take a while to repair. A lot of things inside are scrapped."
Xu Yu carried the dishes into the kitchen, then returned to turn on the air conditioner for Zhu Wenxu. He took the bag and saw the medicine box inside: "Why do you need painkillers?"
"I saw you and Wang Li. Wang Li said you were drunk," Zhu Wenxu said. "Will I disturb you if I read something in the living room?"
Xu Yu: “No.”
Then everyone went about their own business. Xu Yu put the frozen ribs into the microwave to thaw quickly, then chopped up onions, ginger, and garlic and threw them into the pot. He then added a large bowl of carrots and started to cook.
It takes at least three hours to cook. During this time, Xu Yu went upstairs to get his cell phone and saw the message Wang Li sent twenty minutes ago.
[Let me tell you, when I was going downstairs, I met two stalkers who kept taking pictures of me. I chased them for a long time before I finally got their phone.]
[picture]
[Guess who it was sent to? Damn Xi Jiang, I think Xi Jiang is going to misunderstand that you and I have an improper relationship. I think he's probably on his way here. Good luck to you, brother.]
The picture was taken of the mobile phone interface, and the content of the phone was sent directly to Xi Jiang. No information about the boss was hidden, and the remarks were all straightforward: Mr. Xi.
Xu Yu clenched his phone tightly, feeling exhausted.
The other side.
When Xi Jiang saw this photo, he had just finished a staff meeting. Both parties to the new cooperation were very satisfied. The next second, his smile froze.
Doubts and misunderstandings spread in his mind. His body was heating up, and the last bit of his rationality was crumbling. Then he strode down the stairs, not caring about the afternoon meeting, and reminded Assistant Zhao: "Drive to Xu Yu's place."
"Mr. Xi, there is a very important meeting this afternoon..."
"Don't understand? I told you to drive."
"……OK."
Assistant Zhao saw that Xi Jiang looked unhappy and secretly informed Xu Yu.
Xu Yu took a look at the soup in the pot, turned it to low heat for a slow simmer, set the timer, and came to Zhu Wenxu.
"I might have some personal business to take care of."
Zhu Wenxu pushed up his glasses and asked, "Do you need help?"
"Yes." Xu Yu said, "Can you come into my room?"
“…”
The scene of openly inviting a man whom she didn't really know into the bedroom was really weird, but she couldn't think about it at the moment.
Zhu Wenxu: "Will it affect you?"
"No, it's troublesome."
He helped Zhu Wenxu pack his things. Zhu Wenxu carried the briefcase into Xu Yu's bedroom. It was very clean, but the space was not very large. There was a desk with a brown wooden door and a bookcase.
"If necessary, please lock the door." Xu Yu said and went out. He also received the message when he reached the door.
Assistant Zhao: [Mr. Xu, Mr. Xi is coming over. He looks a little angry.]
angry?
Why?
Xu Yu found Wei Pei'er's WeChat and made a voice call. The other end answered quickly: "How do I make a voice call?"
"How long does it take to get to Yuehua Community from where you are?"
His tone was serious. Wei Pei'er jumped up from the bed: "Let me search. If I find it, it will take half an hour by taxi."
"Okay, take a taxi over here, wear a blue plaid dress, and carry a bag of apples. If you see Xi Jiang, just stand there and pretend you don't want to see him."
"Why?"
"You'll find out when you come."
Xu Yu hung up the phone.
Three or four minutes later, Xi Jiang walked in with a gloomy face. His expression was as cold as the air conditioner. He sat down and went straight to the point. He clicked on the computer screen and pushed it onto the table.
The attitude is very direct.
"Why did he come out of your house?"
"Brother, you want to say that he came to see me?"
Xi Jiang: “Isn’t it?”
"It doesn't mean that the picture has been photoshopped." Xu Yu struggled to stand firm, "I didn't..."
"Xu Yu, when did you learn to lie?" Xi Jiang stared at him. "The photo was taken by my people. Do you want me to call them over to confront you?"
Xu Yu looked up in disbelief: "Brother, have you been looking for someone to spy on me?"
Xi Jiang did not deny it.
"I've already given you a lot of freedom. Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't know. You've really grown wings, Xu Yu. So strong that you've even forgotten who's helping you?"
"Over the past few years, I've personally taken care of every single thing you've eaten, clothed, or used. Have I ever let you experience the hardships of society? I'm letting you sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor, not letting you spend your money on wine and women outside, nor am I allowing you to bring strange men home."
The atmosphere was at a freezing point. Assistant Zhao knew Xi Jiang was supporting Xu Yu again, but after hearing it again, he had no idea the relationship was so complicated. Furthermore, President Xi was surrounded by other beautiful women and handsome men on a daily basis, and no one had ever thought of Xu Yu.
Xu Yu's face was expressionless, and the light reflected from his pupils, making people mistakenly think that his eyes were filled with tears.
"Seven years ago, you saved me from danger. Brother, I've always been grateful to you. I've been learning things I didn't know, trying my best to make up for your help. That's why I didn't get angry at all in the first five years. I thought you'd let me go when the contract expired, but I didn't expect you to resubmit the contract two years ago and ask me to sign it, saying that you'd let me stay by your side and let me go when you get married." Xu Yu said calmly, "Brother, this is very tiring."
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