Chapter 13 is acting, right?
Meng Weishen admitted that he was not prepared for the blind date and he went on it just to meet his mother's expectations of him.
He didn't even have a clear understanding of marriage. The only thing he knew clearly was that if marriage meant spending the rest of his life with someone, that person couldn't be Yan Cunrui. Every second he spent with her was difficult for him to breathe, like a freshwater fish thrown into the sea.
While he was hesitating, Jiang Ranxu had already answered:
"He is my younger brother and also from Beijing."
Yan Cunrui cast a pleading look at Meng Weishen. Meng Weishen was unable to explain. He and Yan Cunrui learned about their life experiences at the same time.
Yan Cunrui asked in confusion: "...your brother? Cousin? You two obviously have different surnames."
"He's my mother's younger brother from her second marriage. We both take our father's surname, carrying on the traditional Chinese surname culture."
"Wait, why is there another second marriage?"
"I can't help it. My family still has a tradition of remarriage." Before Yan Cunrui could react, Jiang Ranxu continued, "Oh, sister, you study cultural relics, so you must understand history. I just have a question for you: my mother's family has a title to inherit. Between me and Meng Weishen, who is the legitimate eldest son with the right of succession?"
Yan Cunrui was indeed confused: "This question... this question you should ask Ren Zhengfei, after all, I haven't remarried yet."
Seeing that the waiter was about to pour wine for Jiang Ranxu again, Meng Weishen decided not to hesitate any longer. He rushed over and grabbed Jiang Ranxu, taking him away from the main auction venue, through the carved corridor, and settled him in the east wing which served as a lounge.
Meng Weishen carefully observed Jiang Ranxu's condition and noticed that he looked extremely pale, with the scent of alcohol lingering on his neck. He worriedly said, "Doctor Jiang, you've had too much to drink! You can't drink any more. You've started talking nonsense!"
Jiang Ranxu stared at him with a complicated look, wanting to speak but hesitant. He thought Jiang Ranxu would continue to talk nonsense, but he leaned forward, supporting his forehead with the back of his hand, looking very reluctant:
"Yes, the alcohol content at the venue was too high and I got drunk. Sorry, did I embarrass you?"
"No, actually you don't have to drink with them for me. I can handle it myself. I'm ready."
"It's my own problem. I don't usually drink, so I'm not used to it. Now I might be a little allergic to alcohol, and I feel dizzy."
Meng Weishen felt even more guilty. He took off his coat and covered Jiang Ranxu's shoulders tightly. "Rest here for a while, I'll be back soon."
"where are you going?"
Jiang Ranxu suddenly grasped three of his fingertips, his movements natural and measured. Meng Weishen paused, "Go and explain everything to Sister Yan."
"Will you really come back? I can't find my way home by myself."
"Don't worry, I'll take you home."
Jiang Ranxu smiled at him and released his fingertips.
——
The wine offered at the auction was only slightly over 10% alcohol, with a sweet aftertaste, making it a fine wine worth tasting. Jiang Ranxu had considered satisfying his free craving, even if his stomach rebelled. It was all Meng Weishen's fault for being so foolish that he missed out on the chance to taste the wine.
Moreover, it was even harder to get a taxi on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, especially near tourist attractions with no-parking zones. After the two of them raised the fare but still couldn't get a taxi, Meng Weishen hurriedly dragged him onto the subway—a hotspot for cross-infection of germs.
But being stupid also has its advantages. Meng Weishen wasn't very sensitive to physical contact, so Jiang Ranxu could have been more uninhibited, pretending to be drunk and groggy, then when Meng Weishen put his arm around his shoulders, he would lean into his arms.
If it weren't for his remaining conscience, he would have pretended to sleep and lay on the other person's lap.
During the evening rush hour on ordinary days, the only people in the subway today were the train attendants wearing red armbands and the warm breeze blowing through the subway.
The two of them occupied an entire row of empty seats and an entire empty carriage.
Without having to have physical contact with strangers or endure mixed smells, Jiang Ranxu felt quite comfortable, and the pain of the puncture in his stomach was alleviated a little.
Jiang Ranxu carefully felt the soft texture of the expensive suit and asked, "Are you not planning to go home for the New Year this year?"
"I don't want to go home." Meng Weishen frowned. "My mom will definitely ask me about the progress of my blind date. But I just rejected Sister Yan, and going home will cause unpleasantness."
To demonstrate his sense of propriety, Jiang Ranxu naturally didn't ask about the content of the conversation between him and Yan Cunrui. He secretly congratulated himself, "Marriage requires careful consideration. You can't just settle for someone unsuitable just because they're being pressured into marriage."
"What about you? Aren't you going back to your home in Shichahai?"
"I don't want to go back." Jiang Ranxu answered briefly, leaving Meng Weishen with endless room for imagination.
"...So even rich people don't want to go home."
Meng Weishen's tone became very cautious, as if he was afraid of touching his psychological trauma.
Meng Weishen had actually taken his lies at the auction seriously, and who knows what kind of family ethics drama he'd conjured up in his mind. Jiang Ranxu found it amusing, but his face remained calm: "Rich people's families are complicated. They only care about money, not emotions. Let's not talk about it."
The reason for stopping it was that he hadn't prepared the follow-up yet.
What psychological trauma could a wealthy person experience? They didn't have to endure the high-pressure atmosphere of their father's failed business, constantly worrying about furniture falling on them. They didn't have to share a public bathroom with the entire alleyway, running the 200 meters home in the winter with ice in their hair. Lack of money is, of course, far more terrifying than lack of love.
Meng Weishen also showed a very high emotional intelligence. He stopped asking about the rich man's complicated family situation and instead hugged him tighter.
It took nearly an hour on the subway to get from the West Second Ring Road to the North Fifth Ring Road.
It was nearly evening, but the streetlights were surprisingly brighter than during the day. Neon lights festooned the trees, lanterns hung from the community gates, and even the evening lights on the windowsills of the residential buildings lit up. The festive glow was incredibly powerful, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold wind as it passed.
The two followed the warm light from the subway entrance to their home. As they approached the residential area, the air gradually filled with the aroma of New Year's Eve dinner: smoked, steamed, braised, stir-fried, blanched... Even if they couldn't see the actual dishes, they could imagine them, and their imaginations always overlapped with childhood memories.
Meng Weishen suggested treating Jiang Ranxu to a New Year's Eve dinner. Jiang Ranxu had just experienced a hangover and wasn't in the mood for food, but he couldn't resist the invitation and followed him into the nearest hot pot restaurant.
But Meng Weishen soon realized that to become an elite man in a suit, he had to abandon the love, hatred, and vengeance of the world, as well as the hot pot.
Amidst the steaming smell of meat, Meng Weishen took off his coat first. He was hesitating whether to take off his suit when the aunt who was delivering the meat slices rushed past. He felt a chill on his side and his cuffs were stained with blood.
Meng Weishen simply took off his suit and tie and placed them in a wooden basket to prevent odors from spreading. He was left with only a base shirt, two buttons undone, and finally relaxed completely.
Fresh charcoal burned beneath the copper pot, its crimson flames still trapped within the black carbon, not yet reaching a boil. Small bubbles sank to the bottom of the water, while dried shiitake mushrooms and red dates floated leisurely on the surface.
While waiting for the pot to boil, they took two hot Lulu instead of drinks.
Meng Weishen clinked glasses with Jiang Ranxu: "Doctor Jiang, I wish you can become the director of the outpatient department soon."
"Keep your voice down, so Director Tan doesn't overhear." Jiang Ranxu said jokingly, "Your blessing is really ahead of the times. What else can I say? I wish you a happy marriage soon and a happy life."
"Forget it. Just hope I don't get laid off this year. I'm not ready to get married at all. I shouldn't have gone on blind dates. I've explained this clearly to Sister Yan today."
Jiang Ranxu propped his chin with one hand, as if studying him carefully. "Marriage does require careful preparation, so there's no need to rush. Why don't you try dating first? Marriage is the gradual development of love."
"Doesn't love require preparation?"
“It only takes a moment to feel in love.”
"What moment?"
"There are many kinds of moments. For example, the moment when the watch alarms that the heart rate is too fast." Jiang Ranxu said.
Meng Weishen stared blankly at the rented mechanical watch and wiped the white mist condensed on the dial. The pointer on the glass dial was about to reach eight o'clock in the evening.
He decided to switch back to a digital watch tomorrow.
The Spring Festival Gala began. The LCD TV on the counter was some distance away from them, so they could only see a mess of scrambled eggs and tomatoes swaying on the screen. The sounds of singing and talking were only a series of indistinct murmurs.
Watching the show is better than eating the meat. The meat is sliced extremely thin and dipped in boiling water several times. Once the red color fades and the edges of the meat are slightly curled, it's ready to eat. The water has no extra seasoning at the bottom, preserving the meat's flavor perfectly.
The two of them ate the longest New Year's Eve dinner ever, with the Spring Festival Gala playing in the background. They only put down their chopsticks when the shop was about to close.
Meng Weishen sent Jiang Ranxu downstairs, thinking that he could still catch the last subway train, but Jiang Ranxu came closer and put a thin card in his coat pocket.
Meng Weishen touched the card in confusion, studied the logo on the card, and found that it was actually the card key of the other party's car.
"You didn't drink today, you can drive my car back."
"Thank you, I'll return it to you as soon as possible."
Jiang Ranxu suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into his pocket. Even after he released the card, he still didn't let go.
Jiang Ranxu asked abruptly, "Meng Weishen, are you afraid of owing me?"
Meng Weishen heard the sound of his own atrial fibrillation and subconsciously replied, "I don't."
"Very good, then don't worry about returning it to me."
Jiang Ranxu let go of his wrist.
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