Chapter 20 Pearl Earrings
Lin Jiaoyu was going to Macau at the end of the month. A few of his former friends knew Zong Chi was coming and invited him to several gatherings, but he declined, claiming he had official duties to attend.
The host was somewhat embarrassed, but that wasn't the worst of it. The last time Zong Chi came to Jiangnan, Lin Jiaoyu had scolded him like a father, saying he was now so materialistic and associated with those who fawned over the Zong family. So, Zong Chi had picked out a case specifically for Lin Jiaoyu, asking him to investigate.
Lin Jiaoyu laughed at Zong Chi, oh, when it comes to openly intercepting things, it’s Chen Xiangyang who’s in charge, but when it comes to investigating other people’s affairs behind the scenes, it’s Lin Jiaoyu’s turn.
Zong Chi blames Lin Jiaoyu for being so troublesome. If he doesn't call you, you blame him, but if he does, you complain. What the hell do you want?
Lin Jiaoyu didn't take it seriously and continued to provoke Zong Chi. "I'm not afraid of your falling out. I've got your Young Master Zong's many shady and immoral deeds under my thumb. Now there's another one. Exposing your love rival, right?"
Zong Chi praised Guocui for a while, but finally stopped being pretentious: Yes, I did expose his secrets, so what? Even if he doesn't like me, he can still expose my secrets.
Lin Jiaoyu almost laughed out loud. He pointed at Zong Chi and scolded him, "You're so jealous, don't come back to me." "Another honest question from an old friend: Is the other person really that good? I trust Ah Li's judgment. Most people wouldn't catch her eye, and most people wouldn't cause our Young Master Zong to be so flustered."
Zong Chi swilled his drink with contempt and calmly echoed his friend's joke, "Well, if accompanying her on a blind date can be considered a quality, then I'd admit defeat."
Just a few days after this was said, Lin Jiaoyu got the news back, and as a result, this young master suddenly became interested in it.
Lin Jiaoyu intuitively felt that something was wrong. This guy Zong Chi, you say he has poor self-control, but no one can compare to his keeping strangers away; you say he has good self-control, but every time he does family affairs, he makes a mess.
They say that rivals in love become particularly jealous when they meet. A few days ago, Zong Chi had been so eager to kill everyone that he knew no flaws, but suddenly, his temper faltered. The experienced Lin Jiaoyu suspected that the problem lay with He Dongli. If she really stood up and protected her younger brother, saying a few nasty things about the old one, Lin Jiaoyu would be terrified. Young Master Zong was so concerned about his reputation, if he didn't kill that Zou guy, then there was only one possibility: he would die suddenly.
Adhering to the principle of public order and morality or brotherhood, Lin Jiaoyu unleashed the background check document without hesitation. After a quick glance, he went to find Zong Chi, carrying the document bag.
Secretary Huang has returned from vacation after not seeing him for a few days.
When Lin Jiaoyu saw her in the Zongchi Suite, the first thing he asked her was, "Is your boss still alive?"
Secretary Huang glanced at Lin Jiaoyu with an indisputable look that looked at no-one but carbon-based creatures, saying, "Mr. Zong is doing fine. I still have guests to meet, please feel free to do as you please."
Zong Chi was signing documents, and his condition wasn't too bad, with a slight hint of the loneliness of a widower. Of course, if you told him directly that his wife had died, he would fight you to the death.
When Lin Jiaoyu came in, Zong Chi was checking and signing some financial documents. As he dipped his ink to sign, he suddenly thought of He Dongli praising Zong Jingzhou's signature for occasionally being able to show the strokes of Feibai.
He'd already told her about her, how jumpy she was, staring at her classmates' parents' signatures for no reason. And how could an old man like him have good handwriting? Tsk.
Zong Chi still remembers the Christmas holiday that year when he returned home and picked up He Dongli from their school. He rented a small Western-style apartment in a mansion near He Dongli's medical school, giving her a place to stay on weekends and holidays when she didn't have to go back to her mother's house, and mainly so that Zong Chi could visit her.
He Dongli's roommate gave her a bottle of nail polish. Of course, they couldn't paint their hands during the anatomy class, so while she was chatting with him, she bent over and painted the five toes of her feet, and showed it to Zong Chi on a whim.
The men's pajamas she was wearing were a little too long, and Zong Chi said he hadn't noticed. So He Dongli held up the trouser legs and solemnly showed him her bare ankles, waiting for his comments.
It was rare for Zong Chi to see He Dongli put down her book and be so conceited, so he pretended to be upset and lied that she was replying to an email from a classmate. In the end, he let her stand beside him until she walked away in despair.
Zong Chi didn't forget to tease her behind her back, saying that she was not pretty and was very ugly.
He Dongli poured nail polish remover on her nails before they were completely dry. Zong Chi quickly rushed to the rescue and said it was very beautiful. How could someone be so beautiful? Even her toes were beautiful. Every one of them was beautiful.
He Dongli scolded him for being so hypocritical and like a robot.
Zong Chi scolded her for farting, saying, "How can you be so stupid? You are not happy with the praise. You should also praise me."
When he was painting her other foot, He Dongli didn't dare to move. Zong Chi said she was acting cute like a little chicken. He Dongli said she had endured it many times and didn't understand why people always accused her of being cute. If you think I'm not cute, then I'm not cute. I've never said I'm cute either.
Zong Chi didn't take it seriously and said that if someone thinks he is cute, he must be ugly.
He Dongli didn't want to chat with him and was about to pull her foot back, but Zong Chi didn't let her and held her ankle tightly, saying in a joking but sincere tone: You're even cuter when you can't run away.
He Dongli called him a pervert.
Zong Chi then told her that the way she stood in front of him seriously just now reminded him of the letter he wrote to his parents during his last study tour in the ninth grade. He was just one second away from telling her, "Well, I'll give it to you tomorrow morning."
In the end, she had no patience for him and turned away. That's why he forged Lao Zong's signature to deal with her.
Zong Chi asked her why she exposed it so quickly at that time.
He Dongli said something, and he smiled. On the sofa, he coaxed her to be on top, but He Dongli was a little hesitant. She complained about the bright lights, then about being downstairs, and finally, she was so embarrassed that she leaned her head on his shoulder. Zong Chi held her distracted face with one hand, and with the other hand, he guided her hand to the place where they met. In his joy, he told her, He Dongli, you are most adorable when you are doing something you are not good at.
He carried her back to the room and opened the gifts, the gifts for Christmas Eve.
He Dongli blamed Zong Chi for sending her gifts too frequently, leaving her with no place to store them. Each gift had to have a name, and Zong Chi blamed her for being boring. And her return gift, Zong Chi preferred to call it a medal.
The most practical and valuable gift Zong Chi received was a solid gold zodiac protection plaque that He Dongli bought for him after he received the national scholarship.
The protective plaque was custom-made with a crudely scribbled "Bern Mountain." For the first time in her life, He Dongli asked her mother to accompany her to the temple to ask the master to chant sutras and bless it.
When Zong Chi received it, he was dizzy and asked her, "Are you sure you are not using it to propose to me?"
As it turned out, in the years since, he hasn't received another gift that was made with such effort and care, or even by burning the midnight oil. The dog protection tag was melted down by Zong Chi the year Bernanshan passed away.
*
Thinking of this, Zong Chi's pen scratched the paper, and a drop of ink stained the entire report.
Those who were angry at the moment simply threw them all aside.
When Lin Jiaoyu came up to him, Zong Chi had a gloomy face. He didn't ask his friend why he came. He just stood up and greeted him, asking him what he wanted to drink and pouring him some wine.
Lin Jiaoyu pointed to the sun outside. It was only ten in the morning. "It's a little early for you to get drunk."
Zong Chi didn't wait for Lin Jiaoyu to finish his words before he swallowed them all. He asked him, "What do you want from me?"
Lin Jiaoyu sat down at Zong Chi's desk and tossed the briefcase onto it. Whether it was Zong Chi's sharp nose or his rival radar on full alert, it didn't matter. Didn't Zong Chi say it himself? What he couldn't have, no one else could.
"Besides, that Zou guy doesn't have to be Ah Li."
Zong Chi pinched the rim of the cup with three fingers of his left hand, walked back and sat down, staring at Lin Jiaoyu suspiciously. Before the latter could say anything, he got angry and said, "I asked you to pay double the reward, but I didn't ask you to open it and take a look."
"Bullshit, I want your money. I paid for it myself, so can I just watch it?"
The file bag remained intact, and Zong Chi had no interest in opening it. Lin Jiaoyu didn't have the patience to waste time, so he simply told Zong Chi:
Zou Yan had a childhood sweetheart whose mother had been his junior high school teacher. The family's surname was Feng, and Feng's mother and Zou's father, Zou Siming, were classmates from the same hometown. Zou Siming's academic career was more promising, and he later met his current wife. They had twin sons, but one died in an accident while in college.
Lin Jiaoyu said this and looked at Zongchi, "Father Zou and Mother Feng had a relationship when they were young. It was originally not a big deal, but unexpectedly, their son got together with the daughter of his old lover. When the relationship was exposed, it happened to be when the eldest son got into trouble. Mother Zou loved her son but hated him at the same time. She threatened to commit suicide to force her youngest son to break up with that woman."
When Zong Chi heard this, he suddenly understood why he did not call for his friend's grandmother's surgery in the name of the Zou family.
Lin Jiaoyu opened the bag on the table. The information was useless. It was just a bunch of familiar, unspoken gossip. It was nothing new. But there was a photo Lin Jiaoyu wanted Zong Chi to see: a photo of them kissing Zou Yan in his car during a secret meeting six months ago.
Feng Qianxu, who is in the rising stage of her career and has been plagued by negative news recently, is one of the family members who A Li helped to arrange for the flying knife surgery. Her real name is Feng Lulu.
As it happens, Lin Jiaoyu was not being polite when she said that Feng Xing’s current nominal sponsor or rumored boyfriend is one of his best friends, Dou Yunong.
Lin Jiaoyu's intentions were clear at this point; as both men, they understood perfectly. While the relationship from years ago could have been severed, the lingering affection from six months ago, and the secret arrangement for surgery against their parents' wishes, were irreconcilable. Lin Jiaoyu had urged Zong Chi to release the photo through the media; it was the perfect way to break up the relationship.
Zong Chi used the sunlight filtering through the glass curtain wall to hold the slightly eye-catching kiss photo with two fingers, and he never said a word.
Lin Jiaoyu wanted to take the photos back, but he refused.
"Why, who was so eager to kill me just a few days ago? Zongchi, don't let your brothers laugh at you."
"What a joke." Zong Chi cursed back, "Do you think I care? It's nothing to argue about other people's family affairs."
"Then you have to check on them!"
"I just want to verify my intuition." True and false, Zong Chi narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized the supposedly passionate kiss photo. His and Lin Jiaoyu's opinions differed, even diametrically opposed. In this photo of the woman on top, Zou Yan was clearly at a disadvantage. Zong Chi suddenly understood something!
It's true that the man who accompanies her on a blind date is definitely not someone she would fall in love with.
He was wrong to lose his temper with her over a pack of cigarettes. He was just mad at her for relaxing her conditions for others, but that didn't mean that the pack of cigarettes was her opening her heart.
It doesn't mean that she will let others stay overnight.
This must be the case. Doesn't He Dongli know that she is the most capable of making people jump in anger? When she saw him raging that night, she must have felt extremely contemptuous in her heart. Zong Chi thought so.
Zong Chi's brief parade of devotion was flawless, and Lin Jiaoyu, observing him and unsure of what he was laughing at, blurted out, "Don't tell me you're attracted to that actress. It's all good. Let Ah Li go. She'll marry a good-looking, intellectual man, and everyone will be happy."
"Happy..." Zong Chi almost swore, but finally held back. While picking up the lighter on the table, he denigrated any form of marriage in any social system, "You won't die if you don't get married."
"Well, I'm willing to marry you, Master Zong. But then again. Is it true? I don't know you yet!" Lin Jiaoyu's friend said harshly. After that, he watched Zong Chi burn the kiss photo and threw it on the ashtray.
Zong Chi paid no attention to his friend's words. When Lin Jiaoyu asked him what he meant, he arrogantly said he didn't want these unorthodox methods, especially those involving a woman's reputation. He wasn't that mean; he just wanted to know what he wanted to know.
There is another thing that Zong Chi did not confess to Lin Jiaoyu: If he really did this, He Dongli would be the first one to look down on him.
During the tea break that afternoon, Zong Chi came back from inspecting the factory, and Secretary Huang's meeting with the client was preliminarily agreed upon.
As soon as he arrived at the room, Secretary Huang called him and said that Miss Jiang had prepared a gift and wanted to visit Mr. Zong in person.
Zong Chi agreed to help He Dongli, and even though he was so angry, he didn't think of breaking his promise. He just didn't want to give her a chance to talk.
She was such a noble person, she rarely spoke back. As for the meeting gift, forget it. He put his phone on speaker and said this to his secretary.
A slightly unfamiliar female voice came from the other end, repeatedly emphasizing that it wasn't a valuable item, but Mr. Zong would definitely like it. It was recommended by Dongli.
Zong Chi let his secretary lead Jiang Xingyuan upstairs and into his room.
Honestly, he had no impression of him. Jiang Xingyuan, however, was enthusiastic, explaining that this economic report was a long-planned topic, focusing on livelihoods. Honestly, without professional technical consultants and the opportunity to conduct on-site research, it would have been incredibly difficult to write it properly. So, Jiang Xingyuan thanked Mr. Zong so much for giving them this opportunity to accompany him on the research and development process. "Don't worry, we'll give the final draft to Secretary Huang and you for your approval before we publish it."
Zong Chi casually invited her to sit down and said, "Since we're alumni, there's no need to be so polite. Calling me Mr. Zong all the time is giving me chills."
Jiang Xingyuan's carefree personality made him seem quite loud and noisy, which, in principle, matched someone's sensitive nature perfectly. She bluntly asked, "How could it be? How could it be so creepy?"
Zong Chi gave her some water to drink and said, "People who call me that usually don't think I'm a good person."
Jiang Xingyuan smiled but said nothing. After drinking some water, he changed the subject. "Anyway, thank you for giving us this opportunity."
"You're welcome. In principle, thank you for your hard work."
Jiang Xingyuan knew that the boss was being polite and that he should not take it seriously, so he quickly flattered him, "Dongli said that you and your father rarely accept interviews from such self-media. I know that you finally made an exception."
Zong Chi didn't show it on his face, "No, I was just trying to scare her."
This time, Jiang Xingyuan didn't know how to respond. She could only put the fruit basket she brought today on the table. Zong Chi didn't even look at it, but just politely said that it was unnecessary.
Jiang Xingyuan then slowly explained, "Before coming here, I thought I should bring you a gift. I asked Dongli, and she said the best gift would be for me to write a manuscript to your satisfaction. In the end, she couldn't persuade me, so she told me that you don't eat much other fruits because of your exercise, so the thing you bring most is bananas for fast carb replenishment. Bananas can also reduce neuromuscular tension."
So Jiang Xingyuan brought a basket of bananas from various places to his schoolmate.
Zongchi felt his heart skip a beat for more than sixty seconds, as if it had stopped or gone deaf. Then he almost blurted out, "Why did she tell you this?"
Jiang Xing was originally objective and said what she said. From the perspective of a best friend, she wanted to scold Zong Chi a few times to feel relieved. You can be so arrogant and angry over a pack of cigarettes. If she doesn't break up with you, then who else should she break up with! Unfortunately, the higher the official, the more powerful he is. Asking for help comes first, so she has to distinguish her position. "Because Dongli is like this. Business is not about kindness, but about righteousness. She said that her business with you is separate. Since I came to please her, then naturally I have to speak to your heart. Expensive greetings may be suspected of bribery, so it is better to send a safe greeting within the scope of friendship."
Zong Chi never thought that one day he would be gagged by a basket of bananas of different lengths, and he would also be branded as a gift-taker.
He immediately peeled one and ate it in front of his classmates. The excuse Jiang Xingyuan gave for the gift was indeed what Zong Chi told He Dongli. She asked him why he only ate bananas. Zong Chi's original words were: It is safe, convenient, easy to peel, and can also relieve emotional tension.
People who are grateful for the favors they receive from others should be polite in the end.
Jiang Xingyuan was a little embarrassed and immediately asked Zong Chi, "When are you free? I'll treat you to a meal."
Zong Chi glanced at the other person calmly, "Just the two of us?"
Jiang Xingyuan understood immediately, but as she'd said, she unconditionally supported Dongli as her best friend. So, she tried to pick up the conversation, but then she didn't. "Huh? You mean to ask Dongli to come? It seems impossible. She just sent me her new schedule for this week, and it's probably hard for me to find a time that's convenient for her."
Zong Chi put down his half-eaten banana and reached out to scratch the itch between his eyebrows, seemingly giving up. He snorted inwardly. They really are good friends, even the tradition of sharing calendars has been passed down to her bestie.
When the secretary sent Jiang Xingyuan out, Zong Chi had something on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to ask her, "Miss Jiang, do you smoke?"
In Jiang Xingyuan's eyes, Zong Chi's face was full of indifference and impatience. He was no different from the senior clients she met with. After saying what he wanted to say, he would start asking his secretary to send people off.
In the evening, Zong Chi did not order any food until after eight o'clock.
When Secretary Huang came to pick up the approved documents, he asked the boss, "Are you going to cut off the carbon tonight?"
Zong Chi hummed indifferently, saying he wasn't eating anymore and that there was no need to bother him. Before leaving, the secretary gave him a gift from her vacation.
It's a Hong Kong limited edition StellaLou chocolate.
Zong Chi glanced at his secretary and said, "This gift of yours is too perfunctory. Are you giving me the leftovers from your girlfriend's meal?"
Secretary Huang never liked to joke around during work hours, but she had a few jokes today, and after seeing her boss on a hunger strike, she couldn't help but laugh. "Since you like Bunny, I figured StellaLou would be too."
Zong Chi's expression was even more abominable and hateful than a centipede falling into a pile of roosters. He couldn't let his boss down easily, so he lightly teased his secretary, "Well, I can see you enjoyed your vacation."
Secretary Huang was grateful for her boss's approval of the leave. She'd heard he was staying in China to work, so she immediately requested it. She knew he'd return to Singapore someday, and then she'd miss the opportunity. So, she'd have to offer some bureaucratic flattery, "Yes, people work to live a quality life, and a quality life is the driving force behind work."
Zong Chi translated it into plain English for her, "It means that you two spent a week madly on your credit cards, and then came back to earn money to pay off your debts."
Secretary Huang nodded in agreement.
"Why do adults still want to go to Disneyland?" Sochi suddenly asked his secretary.
Secretary Huang actually doesn't like going; it's his girlfriend who does. Her girlfriend said, "Children go there to have fun because they believe fairy tales exist. Adults go there to buy happiness because they know once they leave, they'll have to surrender to reality."
Zong Chi didn't say anything, just raised the chocolate in his hand and thanked him.
Secretary Huang couldn't help but ask, "So, this Miss Jiang isn't the owner of Bunny Rabbit today?" before returning to her room.
"You talk a lot today."
"Yes, I'm just curious about what Bunny Rabbit's owner looks like."
One night, Zongchi was a little annoyed by the high-frequency words of Bunny Rabbit.
He finally rescued her from the dark corner of the safe.
After washing, she was no longer as cute as before. Zong Chi blew her hair with a hairdryer, remembering what she had said to him before: when she bought her own car, she would stick a Bunny or Strawberry Bear on the back of the car and drive it only on sunny days.
Zongchi didn't understand why she was so obsessed with dolls; he couldn't see why she loved them. "Why does it only bloom on sunny days?" he asked her.
He Dongli: Because they will get wet on rainy days.
Sochi: Idiot, you can't drive another car in the rain.
He Dongli hid behind the rabbit doll and was silent for a moment. Finally, he fiddled with the rabbit's ears and agreed with him, "You are right."
Zong Chi followed her example and held the rabbit in her arms, snuggling on the sofa, trying to feel the attachment to it.
Holding the phone in his other hand, he stared at the friend request column for a long time. Finally, he pulled his rabbit's long ears and clicked to accept.
I kept my phone battery down to below 20% and hadn't even thought of an opening line.
Finally, a very sloppy and businesslike sentence:
I've taken care of Jiang Xingyuan's matter for you.
He didn't even have time to tell his identity. He didn't know if the person on the other end was on duty or off duty, but the reply was very clear and concise, with two words:
Thanks.
Zong Chi, however, felt a great deal of weight in these two words. She no longer had the evasiveness she had shown in the Liang family, so he edited the second line extremely quickly, his hand moving faster than his mind could think:
I forgot to return the pearl earrings to you. Do you still want them?
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The author has something to say: To Zong Gou: Go! Apologize! [rolling eyes]
To my readers: I won't update on Wednesday, but I'll try to update early on Thursday. [Let me check it out]
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