Chapter 63 63. Is Complete or Divided
In the box, Zhuang Yongyuan sat on Xie Kang's left, near the door, watching the waiter fill his goblet with red wine. The next waiter then poured a glass of Moutai into a small white wine glass.
The wine swayed in the glass, and Zhuang Yongyuan looked up and glanced around at the people at the table.
Most of the faces were new. Besides the principal, whom he had just met, there were four or five others who looked familiar to Zhuang Yongyuan. After all, he had been in and out of No. 1 Middle School for several months and had a good impression of the teachers and leaders. One or two of them were actually the same school leaders from his high school days.
After the first course was served, the man who looked the oldest stood up and said a few words. His accent was too heavy, and because they were far away, Zhuang Yongyuan couldn't hear clearly what he said. He vaguely understood that the dinner was to entertain two Peking University teachers who came to discuss the allocation of quotas for the province's special recruitment plan.
After the man finished speaking, the principal stood up again and toasted the person who had just spoken and the two Peking University teachers. Finally, he walked between Zhuang Yongyuan and Xie Kang, patted them on the shoulders, and introduced them to the others. "Today, we have two young talents from No. 1 Middle School. This is Xie Kang and Teacher Xie, our school's youngest core teachers."
Zhuang Yongyuan had attended numerous drinking parties over the years, and the rules of the table were largely the same regardless of location. Xie Kang should have stood up and toasted everyone at the table, but he didn't. He simply nodded blankly, not even offering a polite smile.
The principal was stunned for a moment, then immediately turned to Zhuang Yongyuan and introduced him to the guests at the table as a big star who had not forgotten his original aspirations and was returning to his hometown by coming to No. 1 Middle School to substitute teach. The whole table applauded. Zhuang Yongyuan bent down, toasted, and spoke a lot of polite words. He caught a glimpse of Xie Kang looking at him from the corner of his eye.
He couldn't figure out the meaning in Xie Kang's eyes, and couldn't help but look at him a few more times in between words. Xie Kang had already lowered his head and drank most of the glass of red wine.
After the banquet was over, Zhuang Yongyuan sat down again, straightened the tablecloth hanging on his legs, and picked up something to eat. Then a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses came to toast him privately, saying that he wanted to introduce him to someone from the Pingnan Cultural and Tourism Bureau.
He spoke with a thick local accent and said enthusiastically, "We've been developing tourism in Pingnan lately. We should learn from you young people and make some promotional videos on Douyin. Big stars, don't be too stingy. Show up and let us, your fellow townspeople, take some credit!"
Zhuang Yongyuan drank the Maotai from his baijiu glass in one gulp, showed the bottom of the glass to the other party, and said with a smile, "I understand, I understand. It's a new government media. I will definitely cooperate!"
Similar toasts came several times. When the dishes were halfway served, Xie Kang was still sitting at the table in a depressed mood, which was out of tune with the atmosphere in the box. When someone toasted him, he just waved his hand and said at most that he was not feeling well.
After his eighth glass of baijiu, Zhuang Yongyuan began to feel dizzy. He sat down on the edge of the table and lit a cigarette. Unable to resist, he nudged Xie Kang with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you?"
Xie Kang didn't respond. Zhuang Yongyuan sat closer to him and said, "If you're angry with me, there's no need to be angry with your own leader. I'll be leaving in a few days. You'll have to live your life from now on."
Xie Kang didn't lower his voice at all because he was in public: "Is it a big deal to leave? You bring it up every once in a while?"
The people nearby overheard a few words and gave him strange looks. Zhuang Yongyuan smiled at them and continued to coax Xie Kang: "If you don't like it, I won't say anything. Let's spend these last few days well."
Xie Kang was almost unable to breathe. Why had Zhuang Yongyuan been able to reduce the relationship between the two of them to just physical needs an hour ago, and now he was pretending to be considerate? He really had to prove what he said about "just having fun".
He blurted out, "Are you disgusting?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xie Kang regretted them. He had known Zhuang Yongyuan for eleven years and had never said anything so harsh to him. Yet, Zhuang Yongyuan only smiled, a superficial smile, the same one he'd give when toasting a table full of idiots.
"Don't be angry, it's my fault." Zhuang Yongyuan said, "I'll take you back."
Xie Kang drank: "You're doing pretty well here, aren't you willing to leave?"
"If you don't leave now, you're going to mess this place up."
In Xie Kang's eyes, Zhuang Yongyuan's earnest face, along with his skillful welcoming and seeing off, overlapped with many other faces, and finally twisted into the appearance of his parents' faces fused together, repeating, "It's messed up, it's messed up, it's messed up."
He looked at the various dishes on the turntable. People in Pingnan didn't pay much attention to food. No matter it was a banquet or a family dinner, there were only a few dishes. More than ten hours ago, similar dishes were placed on the table in Zhuang Yongyuan's house. They ate quietly facing each other. How come these dishes became so greasy and disgusting when they were on the table?
Xie Kang sneered: "Do you think I've never messed up before?"
Now it was Zhuang Yongyuan's turn to be surprised: "What messed up?"
Xie Kang drank in silence, his expression shrouded in mystery. Zhuang Yongyuan, a little anxious, pressed him, "Clarify your words. What did you mess up?"
"What does this have to do with you?" Xie Kang squinted at him, his voice growing hoarse, "Zhuang Yongyuan, I understand."
"What do you know?"
"I get it. You came back this time just to get revenge on me, to get back at me for leaving you. I was wrong, Zhuang Yongyuan. I'm sorry. I can't afford to offend you. I'm leaving now. You can toast here by yourself."
Xie Kang didn't give Zhuang Yongyuan any room to explain. He stood up suddenly and knocked over the red wine that was right in front of him. He didn't care and walked out the door and slammed the box door shut.
The sound of the door being smashed was like an order, and the banquet immediately became quiet. Everyone looked at the smashed door of the box in surprise, and then at the empty seat left by Xie Kang.
Zhuang Yongyuan didn't bother to wipe the red wine still dripping down his body. He explained palely, "Teacher Xie, Teacher Xie is not feeling well and has a fever. I'm taking him to the hospital."
The principal said tolerantly, "It's okay. Xiao Xie just works too hard and doesn't know how to take care of himself."
When Zhuang Yongyuan left the box, he heard the principal talking to the people at the table about how hard Xie Kang worked. But just before closing the door, he saw the two teachers from Peking University looking at him with strange expressions, which made his heart skip a beat.
Xie Kang was also splashed with red wine. Zhuang Yongyuan followed the dark red wine on the ground and found Xie Kang staggering down the stairs.
Zhuang Yongyuan rushed over and grabbed him: "You are drunk, I will take you home."
"Stay away from me!" Xie Kang waved his hand and pushed Zhuang Yongyuan away.
Zhuang Yongyuan pulled one of Xie Kang's arms, put one hand around Xie Kang's waist, and held his wrist on his shoulder with the other hand. He used all his strength so that no matter how much Xie Kang struggled, he could not get rid of him and could only keep cursing.
People passing by looked sideways, but drunk people causing trouble in restaurants was not uncommon, so they just watched.
Zhuang Yongyuan had also been drinking, and Xie Kang was struggling so hard. He was tired after just going down two floors. He thought it would be difficult to go down further and stuff Xie Kang into the car. Seeing that the banquet hall on the floor in front of him was dark and no one was there, he simply dragged Xie Kang into the banquet hall, carefully avoiding the round tables on the road, and blocked Xie Kang in a corner before letting him go.
Xie Kang was also tired of scolding and stood quietly against the wall. Zhuang Yongyuan was furious and pushed him: "What are you crazy about? Weren't you fine during the rehearsal this afternoon?"
Xie Kang cast his gaze towards the dark corner and said, "What's wrong? Is it hindering your socializing?"
"How old are you? Is it funny to say something like that?"
"So you pulled me out here just to show off how mature and well-behaved you are now, and that I'm the one who's immature and has no sense at all at a dinner party?" He said, his eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, scanning the banquet hall. "And you brought me all the way here? What's your point? To show me how I've made such a mess of my life?"
"What do you mean specially..." Zhuang Yongyuan frowned and suddenly realized halfway through his words that this was not the first time they had come to this banquet hall. Xie Kang had held his birthday party here, and it was here that he met Yan Xu and ran away from Xie Kang's birthday party. Later, the university's graduation banquet was also held in this hall.
Zhuang Yongyuan swallowed hard, but his throat still felt like it was clogged with cotton. His former, self-deprecating self had faded into obscurity, and Xie Kang no longer shone like he once did. Without the crystal chandeliers and golden tablecloths, the darkness of the banquet hall seemed to perfectly suit the present Xie Kang.
"I didn't think that much, Xie Kang, don't be angry." Zhuang Yongyuan's voice softened.
He had never seen Xie Kang so manic and in pain. He felt unfamiliar and frightened. Xie Kang had always seemed omnipotent, and even though they had reunited and he was just an ordinary small-town teacher, being with Xie Kang, Zhuang Yongyuan regained a long-lost sense of security.
Zhuang Yongyuan couldn't bear to see Xie Kang suffer because of someone or something other than himself, couldn't bear to see him embarrassed, even just a little bit. This feeling overwhelmed all his chaotic emotions. He kissed Xie Kang almost flatteringly, whispering in his ear, "You didn't fail."
Xie Kang pushed him away, sneered, and said, "With your current status, don't you think it's funny to say such things to me?"
Zhuang Yongyuan took a few steps back and said, "You're drunk. Let me take you home to rest. We'll talk about it tomorrow when you're sober. Don't forget, we still have rehearsal tomorrow."
Zhuang Yongyuan retreated, and Xie Kang came in, pinching his neck and kissing him, biting his lips, and sucking hard in his mouth. He was merciless, and Zhuang Yongyuan was suffocated by his kisses, breathing was difficult, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his body in the winter night.
But he was not angry at all, and even enjoyed it a little, allowing Xie Kang to treat him rudely.
Zhuang Yongyuan felt that the current Xie Kang was the real Xie Kang. His usual thoughtfulness and gentleness, and his meticulous care tinged with guilt were just a mask. Now the mask was cracked, and the fragments were falling down. His lost vitality was gradually returning, and Zhuang Yongyuan was willing to act as a container for his impulsiveness and anxiety.
For a moment, he even had an extreme thought. He didn't want to live every other day anyway, so it would be nice to die at Xie Kang's hands.
When the world in front of him became blurry due to suffocation, Xie Kang let him go and said, "I'm not drunk, I'm sober now."
Zhuang Yongyuan covered his neck and gasped for a moment before asking him, "What can I do to make you feel better?"
Xie Kang looked into Zhuang Yongyuan's eyes, but he couldn't find a trace of joking in them. It was Zhuang Yongyuan who had said those words in the old house, and it was Zhuang Yongyuan who was now fawning over him. He was overwhelmed by the piles of Zhuang Yongyuan he had been hiding from, and the feeling of helplessness he had escaped for years was returning to him. He knew nothing about Zhuang Yongyuan, or about the world at large.
Xie Kang's anger was still burning. He knew he was standing on a precarious border, but Zhuang Yongyuan was tempting him to cross the border with abandon.
"Are you willing to do whatever I ask you to do?" Xie Kang said.
Zhuang Yongyuan nodded.
Xie Kang pointed to the ground in front of him and said to Zhuang Yongyuan, "Then kneel down and help me."
--------------------
Alas, the plot was more intense than expected... Xiao Xie got angry in a way that I didn't expect!
Thank you for all the comments and tips! I read every one carefully and I am very happy > <
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
