Chapter 73 Fang Min and Zhou Xu support...
The courtyard gate that Fang Min was holding onto was suddenly opened from the inside. "Sister?"
It is Guanyang.
Fang Minzhou had just responded when she noticed Guan Yang's expression, which had been full of enthusiasm and eager to share something, suddenly change. She followed his gaze and saw Wang Kan smiling, but it was a forced smile, like a mask.
The entrance was within the illumination range of the nearest street lamp, which usually allowed for a clear view of each person's face during interrogations.
“You…” A shadow of frustration clouded Guan Yang’s eyes, and he couldn’t finish his sentence, pressing his lips tightly together.
He stood there blocking the doorway, leaving Fang Minzhou in a dilemma, inevitably feeling awkward. She pretended not to notice and asked him if he was still awake, subtly reminding him to apologize.
Guan Yang's face tightened, as if he had been humiliated. He reluctantly and quickly uttered those three words, and before Wang Kan could say it was alright, he had already turned around and walked away angrily.
Fang Minzhou sighed silently and went into the courtyard, while Wang Kan was still standing outside the door. She called out wearily, "Come in."
Wang Kan stepped into the courtyard and casually asked, "You won't go easy on me, will you?"
Fang Minzhou felt a tightness in her chest. "You're overthinking it."
They got back a bit late; everyone had already gone back to their rooms, with only a few motion-activated nightlights still on.
“He Wenlun won’t do, Guan Yang won’t do, and neither will I,” Wang Kan said. “May I ask what your criteria for choosing a partner are?”
here we go again.
Fang Minzhou opened her bedroom door. "I've never had any standards."
After saying that, she closed the door.
Leaning against the door for a while, I finally remembered to turn on the light. I mustered my strength and took a shower. After calming down, I thought it over and over again before finally sending a message to Sun Tong.
She decided to switch to computer science in the second semester of her junior year, but she didn't dare to give up her major courses easily, so she tried to do both and signed up for business competitions.
During summer vacation, I went to Hong Kong. A senior in my group had a friend studying there, and we arranged to have dinner together. The senior brought her along. They randomly asked a student for directions on campus, and it turned out to be Sun Tong.
Fang Minzhou was startled and almost didn't recognize her at first glance. It was also the first time she had seen a surprised expression on Sun Tong's face.
They had met once before, during her freshman year winter break. She and her parents went to a farmhouse in the countryside for a feast, and they spotted each other from afar. She hesitated whether to greet them, but Sun Tong had already looked away.
Once at the table, some unfamiliar relatives started telling other, even less familiar, relatives how good Fang Minzhou's grades were. She felt extremely embarrassed, afraid that Sun Tong, who was somewhere, would overhear. Then she saw Sun Tong outside the door, seemingly arguing with an auntie who was serving dishes.
Someone passed by, blocking Fang Minzhou's view. After the person left, Sun Tong and the aunt were also gone.
They looked somewhat alike. Fang Minzhou belatedly realized that she had never met Sun Tong's parents during the two years they were classmates in high school.
At that time, Sun Tong was no different from other students in Gangcheng, and was completely different from Sun Tong in that winter and in high school.
She had gained a little weight and her skin was a bit darker, making her look much healthier and stronger. She had changed to a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, and although her hair was still short, it had been trimmed with layers and parted to the side. Even though her expression was still indifferent, she had lost some of her fierceness and gained a more capable and efficient air.
After giving directions, she was about to leave, and it seemed like they would just pass each other by again. But for some reason, Fang Minzhou said to her in his newly learned Cantonese, "Long time no see." She gave him a surprised look, which Fang Minzhou found inexplicably amusing.
The next day, Sun Tong took her to a restaurant.
They ended up talking a lot, and the conversation went surprisingly smoothly.
When Sun Tong bluntly told her that she was too greedy, Fang Minzhou was stunned for a moment, and her anger at being offended disappeared.
She stopped burying her head in the sand, and Sun Tong was right. She didn't want to give up anything, and she didn't know what the outcome would be, but she had already exhausted herself.
Later in the meal, Fang Minzhou finished her food and, during a moment of silence, casually remarked that the music playing in the restaurant was very pleasant.
Under Wang Kan's influence, she became able to understand some Cantonese and vaguely heard a female voice singing "Go on, go on." She didn't expect Sun Tong to know this song.
Although Fang Minzhou only truly began to get to know Sun Tong after this meal, her impression of her hadn't completely changed, and she inevitably still thought of her as the girl who sat in the front row studying hard.
They exchanged contact information, and that night, Sun Tong shared the song on her WeChat Moments.
A city may never see snow, and a person may decide not to stay young forever. They meet again by chance after a long time, both unprepared for their twenties, gazing at the future with confusion and anxiety, yet still harboring an instinctive ambition deep inside, just like the lyrics say: The road is winding / Steps are slow / From ignorance, I have come here.
They overcame countless obstacles in this way.
Later, Fang Minzhou didn't contact Sun Tong often, and they didn't exchange polite text messages during holidays, except for that meal two years ago. The last time they chatted was last year, when her mother had surgery. She asked Sun Tong some questions, and after the successful surgery, she also told Sun Tong that she wished her aunt a speedy recovery.
That year, she went directly from Gangcheng to Nancheng to meet Wang Kan. She mentioned this chance encounter to Wang Kan, but didn't say much about what they talked about. He teased her about how wonderful the friendship between girls was, and she wondered if it could be considered a friendship.
While typing away in the input box, Fang Minzhou left a message for Sun Tong, briefly recounting what had happened, asking if Wang Kan had said anything, and also asking if she was still in Zhangcheng.
Sun Tong replied to her the next morning, saying that she had returned to Hong Kong and hadn't contacted her because she was only there for two days and was busy with her schedule. As for her and Wang Kan, they exchanged a few words about their recent situations. "Then he asked me if I knew you were going abroad when I was in college. I asked him why he suddenly asked this, but he wouldn't say anything."
Fang Minzhou replied that everything was fine and that he would meet with Sun Tong again when he had time.
Why ask these questions? She thought with a hint of helplessness.
There was still a message from Jin Ying at around 2 a.m. Jin Ying, who lives a life with her days and nights reversed, asked when she would be free to go to Jiangcheng together.
They are still looking for a suitable office space. Based on the client situation and their own resources, after looking around, Jiangcheng is still the most suitable.
Yesterday, Jin Ying had dinner with a fellow student who suggested they take a look at the policies of the Jiangcheng Entrepreneurship Center. She said that entrepreneurial teams that pass the expert project review can receive 3-12 months of free office space and other support. Jin Ying was very interested, but she still needed to visit the park in person before making a decision.
Fang Minzhou replied to Jin Ying that she had time recently, then turned on her computer to handle some work emails and messages before going downstairs.
It was still early. In the restaurant, Grandma was rolling out noodles and simmering the broth. Fang Minzhou went over to help and asked where Grandpa was. Grandma said that Grandpa was a worry. Xiao Wang went to work, and he went along to check on him. "His back isn't healed yet, but he's just joining in the fun."
"So early?" Fang Minzhou asked. "Have you had breakfast?"
"I just ate something quick. There's going to be a typhoon coming up soon, so they said they need to check if everything has arrived. If anything is missing, they need to order it quickly. This job is quite tiring; you have to keep an eye on things all the time."
Fang Minzhou remained silent.
Around 10 o'clock, Grandpa and Wang Kan returned to the guesthouse and went straight to the barn.
Fang Minzhou was sent by her grandmother to deliver some mung bean soup that had been cooked and cooled that morning. She saw Wang Kan discussing something with a worker. He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black casual trousers, similar clothes to those he wore when he was in school, but he looked much more composed, like a person who gets things done, no longer so flamboyant.
He reacted calmly when he saw her, having put away the resentful and infatuated energy he had shown the night before. Fang Minzhou thought this was quite good.
When it was time to eat, Wang Kan ate at the same table with them. As he passed by her to get his bowl and chopsticks, Fang Minzhou smelled the scent of his shower gel and realized that he had taken a shower and changed his clothes.
When they called Guan Yang to eat, he said he wasn't hungry and had no appetite. His grandparents found this strange, but after a while, Guan Yang still came over, pulled out a chair, and sat down, eating rice bit by bit. His grandmother asked him, "Yangyang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No," Guan Yang mumbled.
"Is it too hot? If you can't eat rice, have some vegetables instead."
Grandpa also complained that it was too hot today, and then he started to crave some wine.
Grandma scolded him for drinking in broad daylight, but Grandpa said it would give him energy to work in the afternoon. He asked Wang Kan if he wanted a drink, but Wang Kan said he didn't drink. Guan Yang interrupted and said he could drink, but Grandma scolded him again for being a child.
"Pour me some," Fang Minzhou said.
Grandpa poured her a glass with satisfaction, then asked Wang Kan, "Little Wang, are you really not going to drink?"
At this moment, Wang Kan readily took the cup and said, "Just a little bit, not too much."
Fang Minzhou: "..."
Zhao Qingyou and Wang Kan chatted happily. Seeing Guan Yang's displeasure, Zhao assumed he wanted to drink excessively and secretly gave him a drink. "You're a grown man, what can't you drink?" he thought. Zhang Xiufen found out and was both amused and exasperated, saying the old man was leading the child astray. Zhao Qingyou chuckled and said a little wine was good for his health.
In the end, only Fang Minzhou didn't touch his wine glass.
Fang Minzhou has a good alcohol tolerance, but she is not sensitive to alcohol. In addition, she actually had a remote meeting in the afternoon. She said that just now because she was afraid that her grandfather would be bored drinking alone.
After taking a few sips of wine, Guan Yang broke his silence and started to retort to Wang Kan from time to time. Wang Kan responded with apparent grace, but in reality, he skillfully deflected the topic.
Fang Minzhou was so engrossed in the conversation that she almost lost her appetite. She was thinking of finishing her meal quickly and leaving the table when her grandmother quietly approached her and asked, "Why does it seem like Yangyang is causing trouble for Xiao Wang?"
Fang Minzhou: "No, right?"
Since her granddaughter had said so, Zhang Xiufen couldn't doubt it anymore. She couldn't stand it any longer and put the bottle away. "That's enough, that's enough. Do you want to get drunk in the middle of the day?"
"How could you get drunk from such a small amount?" Zhao Qingyou said with a smile, then suddenly exclaimed, "Yangyang, why is your face so red?"
Fang Minzhou looked up and noticed that Guan Yang's neck, face, and even arms were covered in a layer of red.
"Oh no, I told you not to drink it! This liquor is very strong!" Zhang Xiufen exclaimed, suppressing her anger, and asked Guan Yang if he was feeling unwell, "Are you dizzy?"
Guan Yang shook his head, supporting his forehead, "...I forgot."
"Forgot what?" Zhang Xiufen asked.
Guan Yang enunciated each word carefully, “...the car, to take someone away.”
Fang Minzhou was the first to realize that he meant Wang Kan was leaving tonight, and they should have taken him to the train station. "It's okay, I'll take him."
Guan Yang heard her clearly and looked at her belatedly.
Fang Minzhou saw through his thoughts. Her grandparents were still there, and she was a little nervous that he might say something irreversible. While asking her grandmother to prepare some honey water, she walked to Guan Yang's side and said, "Can you still stand up? I'll take you back to your room to rest."
Guan Yang stared blankly at Fang Minzhou, who had walked up to him. After a while, he trembled and then struggled to stand up, using the table for support. His room was on the first floor, and Fang Minzhou helped him walk slowly there.
"Be careful." Grandpa sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. He turned to Wang Kan and asked, "How are you? You don't look well either. Are you drunk too? You young people these days can't hold your liquor..."
"No." Wang Kan forced a smile. "I'm fine."
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