Chapter 116: What kind of magic does this place possess?
Chapter 116: What kind of magic does this place possess?
When they returned to the private room, they had stopped playing cards.
Instead, a group of people surrounded Xu Xiangbai, demanding that he confess.
"Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. Does this mean Young Master Xu has a new love interest?"
"This is one of our company's artists, a new love my ass."
Upon taking office, Xu Xiangbai explicitly prohibited any form of office romance, stating, "As the boss, shouldn't I set an example?"
"It's suspicious that you casually carry around a photo of a female celebrity. Where have I ever seen you do something like this before?"
Xu Xiangbai slowly took a sip of his drink. "Do you understand the concept of warding off evil spirits?"
"Huh? Isn't this young starlet very pretty?"
Xu Xiangbai laughed twice. "Why don't you take a look at the signature under her photo? It looks like scribbles, isn't that enough to ward off evil spirits?"
"With this ugly character, when writing a signature for someone, it's hard to tell whether it's a blessing or a curse."
After saying that, she even looked at Zhou Jichen, who was not interested in the topic, seeking his approval.
The photo was shoved right in front of Zhou Jichen's face; he had no choice but to look at it.
Zhou Jichen lifted his eyelids and pushed up his glasses with his fingertip. "This is... one of your company's artists?"
"hold head high."
He murmured softly, "An Yu".
I increasingly feel that the world is small, and Jiangbei is small too.
Xu Xiangbai: "What, you two know each other?"
Zhou Jichen calmly withdrew his gaze. "The photo has her signature on it."
Xu Xiangbai scoffed, "You think you can bribe me with such ugly handwriting? You're so beautiful, but your handwriting is just as bad."
She clearly looked disgusted, but she just kept staring at the photo, talking to herself in a daze, "Don't you think she felt embarrassed writing love letters to someone in high school?"
"Oh right, she's also from Jiangbei No.1 Middle School, but I have absolutely no recollection of her."
However, Xu Gongzi had a girlfriend in high school who was already training as an idol in an unknown girl group. Whether he was dating early or just in a relationship, how could someone like him focus his attention on one thing?
Zhou Jichen took a sip of water. To prevent any unexpected situations from occurring at the hospital, he rarely drank alcohol. He said calmly, "I don't know."
But at that moment, perhaps because he had rejected the girl and hadn't even glanced at the love letter, Zhou Jichen felt guilty and added, "The handwriting... was alright, I guess."
"You can even praise such an objectively ugly character? I'm impressed."
Fu Yanjing pushed the door open and came in at that moment. He wasn't interested in the topic, but casually asked, "What are you talking about?"
"You're saying that reporter Wen's best friend's handwriting is so ugly, do you want to take a look, Brother Jing?"
Xu Xiangbai held the photo between his fingers and waved it at him.
Fu Yanjing didn't even lift his eyelids. "Keep it for yourself to admire."
The private room was dimly lit, and Fu Yanjing found the lighter in the corner of the sofa.
"I'm leaving now."
Xu Xiangbai said, "So early? Hasn't this game just started?"
Fu Yanjing didn't respond and walked away steadily, but paused when he passed the trash can.
Someone leaned close to Xu Xiangbai and whispered, "He had already drunk quite a bit before you arrived. If Yan Jing hadn't acted like nothing was wrong, I would have thought he was drowning his sorrows in alcohol."
Someone else chimed in, "He's not exactly acting like nothing's wrong, is he? I feel like his aura has been even more intense lately."
That person was already a marginal figure in the circle, and it was difficult for him to exchange more than a few words with Fu Yanjing. As a result, he dared not exchange pleasantries with him at all.
Xu Xiangbai frowned.
Zhou Jichen stood up and patted Xu Xiangbai on the shoulder, "You guys keep having fun. He's had a drink, I'll go see A-Jing off."
As Zhou Jichen walked out of Huaimi, he saw Fu Yanjing standing gracefully in front of the car, smoking a cigarette and waiting for the driver.
His shadow was stretched long by the streetlights, the dim yellow light enveloping him, and the autumn wind ruffled the fabric of his black shirt, causing it to tremble slightly.
The weather is turning slightly cooler, but the branches and leaves are still lush.
Autumn's desolation had not yet arrived, but a sense of loneliness seemed to linger around Fu Yanjing.
His face was half-hidden in the night, making it impossible to see his expression.
But Zhou Jichen only glanced at it from afar, and he was already certain—
Fu Yanjing has something on his mind.
His emotions are never revealed; he is either nonchalant or indifferent, making it difficult for others to discern his inner turmoil.
He might be acting strange tonight.
And it's not just tonight.
"Don't call a driver, I'll take you."
Fu Yanjing didn't stand on ceremony and tossed him the car keys. "What kind of kindness are you showing?"
Zhou Jichen started the engine and waited for Fu Yanjing to sit in the back before saying, "Are there any nannies in Qiushui Bay? I'm worried about you going back by yourself."
He rubbed his aching temples. "I don't need a nanny to lull me to sleep."
"You have to eat something after drinking alcohol." As a doctor, you'll inevitably develop some occupational hazard, and Zhou Jichen has unconsciously incorporated healthy living into his lifestyle.
"Want to be the doctor friend next to a domineering CEO?" His voice was hoarse from the alcohol. "Don't worry, I don't have a serious stomach problem."
"It's common knowledge that drinking alcohol on an empty stomach makes your stomach feel uncomfortable. What does that have to do with stomach problems?"
As the car drove away from Huaimi, Zhou Jichen asked, "What would you like to eat?"
Fu Yanjing was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's have noodles. Go to Wensong Road."
This stirred up some memories for Zhou Jichen.
Fu Yanjing is a picky eater, but there was an inconspicuous noodle shop on Wensong Road that he frequented countless times during his high school years.
Zhou Jichen was quite surprised. He came from a family of doctors, and every meal at home was inseparable from the way of health preservation. His father, mother, grandparents and other family members took turns incorporating medicinal cuisine into their daily diet. He rarely had the opportunity to eat out.
When Xu Xiangbai told him, Xu Xiangbai's expression was extremely exaggerated. "I've never eaten anything so bad in my life. I'm crazy, just like I've never eaten noodles before, I just have to try it."
*
It was already 11 p.m., and Wensong Road was unusually quiet at this time.
There were a few scattered diners, many of whom were young couples in love. As they walked in, many stall owners were preparing to close up shop.
Fortunately, that noodle shop wasn't there yet.
The boss recognized Fu Yanjing at a glance this time and was very enthusiastic, "Young man, how long has it been since you last came? Still the same as before?"
"Um."
Does your friend want some?
Zhou Jichen nodded.
I wanted to taste how special this noodle was to win over Fu Yanjing's stomach.
The steaming hot noodles were served in no time.
Zhou Jichen lost his appetite looking at the thick layer of cucumber shreds on top. Perhaps this combination would create a wonderful collision on the taste buds?
He took a sip, just to give it a try.
It took me a while to chew that bite before I could swallow it.
He ate with far more elegance than Xu Xiangbai, and his expressions were not as exaggerated as Xu Xiangbai's, but it was clear that his opinion was on the same side as Xu Xiangbai's.
The boss brought them two bottles of water, understanding the predicament on Zhou Jichen's face.
"Don't you like the food?"
"A little."
“You’re not the only one who can’t get used to the food. The little boy who came with him in high school also couldn’t get used to it. The only one who had the same taste as him was the girl he brought last time. I thought she was his girlfriend at the time.”
After saying that, the boss went to clean up the kitchen.
Zhou Jichen looked at him with great interest. "Reporter Wen?"
Fu Yanjing didn't say anything, but slowly ate his noodles.
Zhou Jichen didn't press further, but looking at the bowl of noodles, which was even blander than the medicinal porridge his grandfather used to make, he finally couldn't help but ask:
What is it about this dish that makes you so obsessed with it?
Fu Yanjing looked up.
Wensong Road, devoid of crowds, stretches as far as the eye can see.
The dim yellow lights and the night enveloped this alleyway full of life, and the stalls and scattered figures in the distance could be clearly seen.
Many stalls nearby had closed up and turned off their lights, but one wonton stall's light was still on, making it particularly conspicuous.
In front of that shop, a familiar and graceful figure appeared in Fu Yanjing's line of sight.
His Adam's apple bobbed.
"I also want to know, what kind of magic does it have..."
——————
See you tomorrow, my wives!
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