plan
Duan Lixing glanced at the wine bottle in front of Yang Zheng and the wine glass in his hand: "This wine isn't to your liking? Why did you only drink this little bit?"
“Third Brother didn’t drink any,” Jiang Fanxing replied with an exaggerated expression. “The little bit that was missing from his cup was just poured away by a woman.”
"A woman?" Duan Lixing grasped the key point.
Jiang Fanxing nodded while pursing her lips: "Yes! A woman! Third Brother scolded her and drove her away just because she poured some of his wine."
"This isn't like you. You're even swearing? And because someone poured some of your wine?" Duan Lixing was also puzzled. He grabbed a bottle of wine and was about to clink glasses with the others: "Why don't you have a drink? Get drunk and it'll all be over."
Jiang Fanxing and Xu Qingjing both picked up their wine bottles and clinked them together.
Yang Zheng didn't explain or clink glasses. He looked at Duan Lixing and said, "Second Brother, I don't want to get drunk. I need to stay sober. I still have a lot to do."
Duan Lixing glanced at him, then tilted his head back and took a sip. Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing followed suit.
Duan Lixing looked at Yang Zheng: "What do you want to do?"
Hearing this, Yang Zheng finally changed his posture. He put down his wine glass, leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and asked Duan Lixing, "Second Brother, I remember you said before that you met a few leaders when you went to Xinfeng last time?"
Duan Lixing nodded slightly.
At this moment, Rong Yi ran over from the dance floor, covered in sweat, and leaned against Jiang Fanxing's lap: "Open a bottle for me."
Jiang Fanxing coaxed, "The air conditioning is so cold, take a break before drinking anything cold. I'll get you something at room temperature."
Then he waved to the waiter.
"Brother Xing." The waiter came over carrying a plate.
"Get me a sparkling water," Jiang Fanxing said.
"I don't drink sparkling water! Get me a room temperature Blue Ribbon!" Rong Yi sat up from Jiang Fanxing's lap.
The waiter, unsure of whose advice to take, looked at Jiang Fanxing and then at Rong Yi: "Sister Yi."
"Blue Ribbon, Blue Ribbon," Jiang Fanxing said helplessly, "It has to be at room temperature!"
The waiter hurriedly went to get the wine.
Rong Yi lay back down on Jiang Fanxing's lap.
Duan Lixing brought up the previous topic again: "What do you want to do?"
"I haven't thought it through yet. This is a bit difficult, and it might not work out, but I want to give it a try," Yang Zheng said.
Duan Lixing nodded: "In the next two years, Yi'an will cooperate with Pusu and Xinfeng. If you need Xinfeng's connections, we can develop them. But I have to ask you, is this for Shen Anxia?"
Yang Zheng did not deny it: "Yes."
Duan Lixing seemed to think for a moment: "Whatever you do, there are two things. First, Shen Anxia may not stay by your side because of your efforts, so what you are doing may be a fruitless endeavor. If it ends without a result, can you bear it? Second, there's your family. Judging from your condition, Uncle Yang thought the wedding was approaching and even asked around about which wine to use at the wedding banquet. Now that it seems hopeless, he will definitely intensify his pressure to get married. No one can bear this pressure for you."
Yang Zheng lowered his eyes: "I know I've tried my best, and there may be regrets, but if I don't do this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Duan Lixing was calm, rational, and articulate: "Since that's the case, then let's do it. But you need to know that building a network takes a long time. Have you discussed this idea with your older brother?"
"not yet."
"Forget it, I'll talk to my older brother. You should think about what you want to do first. I'll explain the general idea to my older brother, and you should also talk to Uncle Yang," Duan Lixing analyzed.
"Okay." Yang Zheng smiled for the first time that night after hearing this.
“But,” Duan Lixing said with some concern, “didn’t Shen Anxia officially tell you that she wouldn’t continue seeing you? Should you tell her what you’re doing for her now, and test her attitude?”
“She doesn’t need to know,” Yang Zheng said without hesitation. “She is free.”
Just as Duan Lixing and Yang Zheng were talking, Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing were also whispering behind Yang Zheng's back.
"What did I say? He's only known An Xia for half a year, and he's already reached the point of using his older brothers' connections. Can you believe it?" Xu Qingjing became even more convinced of his thoughts.
"I think what you said is impeccable, Fourth Brother. It must have been the day the upstairs leaked that Third Brother met Shen Anxia, and from then on he fell deeply in love with her and just had to wait for her to graduate to win her over."
“Now that he hasn’t succeeded, he’s trying to use his eldest and second brothers’ connections. It seems he won’t give up easily.” Xu Qingjing felt that he was too slow to realize that he hadn’t noticed his third brother’s intentions all these years.
"I really didn't expect that Third Brother would be so loyal?" Jiang Fanxing said with some doubt.
"This was premeditated." Xu Qingjing realized he had really underestimated his third brother.
"What if, as Second Brother said, Third Brother and Shen Anxia ultimately don't end up together? What do you think Third Brother will do?" Jiang Fanxing couldn't imagine it.
Xu Qingjing sighed, hardly daring to imagine this outcome: "I can only hope that it won't end like this."
Otherwise, he simply couldn't imagine what Yang Zheng would do.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, Shen Anxia resigned from her internship and then enrolled in the dance troupe.
However, before she could even participate in her first performance with the troupe, Shen Anxia fell ill and suffered from a recurring high fever for a week.
After recovering from her illness, she began a life of working from sunrise to sunset in Xinfeng. As the troupe continued to participate in public and commercial performances, she would practice dancing whenever she wasn't performing. After returning to her apartment and tidying up, she would continue practicing her spoken English. She and her roommate Liu Shanshan were study partners and their cooperation remained excellent. Occasionally, Shen Anxia would also have a meal or go shopping with the troupe members. Her life was not unfulfilling.
At the end of June, Shen Anxia successfully obtained her double degree. Just then, Shen Anyi finished taking the college entrance examination, and Shen Ke took Zhao Ping and Shen Anyi to Xinfeng to visit Shen Anxia for two days.
Knowing that Shen Anxia had officially rejected Yang Zheng, and seeing that Shen Anxia seemed no different from usual, the family was relieved.
In late July, Shen Anyi received an admission letter from Pusu University. To celebrate with Shen Anyi, Shen Anxia took advantage of a lull in the group to return to Yi'an.
In early September, Shen Anxia started school, and Shen Anxia, Shen Ke, and Zhao Ping had a get-together in Pusu.
For the rest of the time, Shen Anxia lived a very serious life in Xinfeng.
Two other people were pursuing Shen Anxia, bringing her milk tea and offering to take her home.
Shen Anxia declined earnestly yet tactfully: "I'm sorry, I have a boyfriend."
However, Shen Anxia's solitary nature made her seem like a single woman at first glance. As a result, in addition to the two people in the group, people from other units she had worked with would also take the opportunity to talk to her.
Shen Anxia couldn't avoid it, so she became even more distant.
Before, she was alone.
Now, I am alone.
Chen Anxia, who had been so earnestly counting down the days, completely broke down and collapsed at midnight on October 15, 2015.
October 15th, the third day of the ninth lunar month.
She repeatedly tapped Yang Zheng's profile picture on WeChat; the message was still from their last chat.
Yang Zheng hasn't contacted her since he left on the Dragon Boat Festival.
His WeChat Moments were completely empty.
Sitting until 2 a.m., holding the birthday gift she had chosen for Yang Zheng, Shen Anxia was deeply immersed in her emotions. It seemed that every breath she took echoed clearly in the empty room. She wanted to wish the person on the other end of the message a happy birthday, but she felt that saying such a thing in her current position would only make things awkward for both of them.
She was not qualified to express her blessings, even as a friend.
Finally, she could only whisper to the air, "Yang Zheng, happy birthday."
In November, Shen Anxia successfully became a full-fledged employee, filled out the on-staff personnel resume, and officially stayed with the dance troupe.
But none of this caused much of a stir in Shen Anxia's life.
After Liu Shanshan finished her exams, she went back to her hometown, leaving Shen Anxia alone in the apartment.
The dance troupe gets busier as the New Year approaches. After looking at the troupe's performance schedule, Shen Anxia decided not to go back to Yi'an for the New Year.
After receiving a call from Shen Anxia saying she wouldn't return to Yi'an, Shen Ke and Zhao Ping decided that the whole family would go to Xinfeng for the New Year.
On New Year's Eve, after Shen Anxia finished her performance and returned to her rented room, Zhao Ping, Shen Ke, and Shen Anyi had already arrived.
"Dad, Mom, Ayi!" Shen Anxia gave Shen Ke and Zhao Ping big hugs.
"My Xiaxia." Zhao Ping drawled out the last syllable, holding Shen Anxia tightly and refusing to let go.
"Alright, alright! You're finally back, let's spend some quality time together as a family," Shen Ke advised from the side.
Zhao Ping let go of her hand, and Shen Anyi leaned forward again and hugged Shen Anxia in his arms: "It's my turn, sis!"
Shen Anxia hugged him back: "Before, Ayi was only half a head taller than me, but now he's a head taller than me."
Shen Anyi released his hand, his tone full of pride: "That's right, I'm 1.85 meters tall now! A real man standing tall and upright!"
"Alright! Let's sit down and talk!" Shen Ke said from the side.
The group sat down around the coffee table, and Shen Anxia said apologetically, "Mom and Dad, because of my work, we can't spend the New Year at home. I really feel bad about it."
Zhao Ping also felt touched: "Silly child, the meaning of reunion is that the family is together, not about where to spend the New Year. Before we settled in the city, didn't we go to Grandma's or Grandma's house every year? We'll go back to Yi'an on the second day of the Lunar New Year. You said on the phone last time that you could come home after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, so let's get together then."
Shen Anxia nodded; after all, this was the most compromise. She asked Shen Anyi, "How do you feel about university life?"
"Excellent!" Shen Anyi's voice radiated sunshine. "Even better than I imagined!"
"Do you want to pursue postgraduate studies or go straight to work?" Shen Anxia asked again.
"I want to take the national civil service exam directly after graduation."
Shen Anxia nodded: "That's fine. It would be best if I could take the civil service exam, but I still need to take the CET-6 (College English Test Band 6)."
Shen Anyi thought the same thing: "If I don't take the CET-6 exam, my mom will beat me to death."
Zhao Ping hadn't intended to get involved in the siblings' conversation, but upon hearing Shen Anyi's words, he slapped him hard on the shoulder: "I might as well kill you right now."
Shen Ke laughed from the side: "It's almost the first day of the new year, so don't say anything unlucky. If you're going to say anything, wait until next month."
"Hey, Mom and Dad, don't go too far," Shen Anyi said, making an ineffective statement.
"Alright! This is our first time visiting Xiaxia's rented apartment, we should at least take a look around," Chen Ke said.
Shen Anxia led the three of them around the house: "Liu Shanshan lives in this closed bedroom. We share the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. We will pay the rent until the end of February. We should get a notification about her postgraduate entrance exam by then. There will also be dormitories in my theater troupe, so we won't be staying for too long."
"Mom is staying with me tonight. As for Dad and Ayi, you two will have to make do on the sofa."
"Hey, it's great that we have such a big room to stay in." Shen Ke was always casual.
After touring the house, the group gathered around the coffee table. Zhao Ping pulled Shen Anxia aside and said, "Xiaxia, now that your job is stable, you should start thinking about marriage."
Shen Anxia understood Zhao Ping's meaning, but did not respond.
Seeing Shen Anxia's silence, Shen Ke continued, "Xiaxia, do you have something on your mind?"
Shen Anxia still didn't respond.
Shen Anyi looked at Zhao Ping, then at Shen Ke, and finally at Shen Anxia. He tentatively asked, "Sister, do you prefer Yang Zheng's personality?"
Shen Anxia looked up at Shen Anyi: "He and I are destined to meet but not to be together."
Shen Ke probed, "In that case, shall we take a closer look at the others?"
“Dad,” Shen Anxia said sullenly, “I once saw a sentence that I’ve always kept in mind. The original sentence was: When you’re young, you shouldn’t meet people who are too amazing.”
"But when you meet someone amazing, it doesn't matter if you're young or not. I met someone who amazed me in the past, and now there are only two possible outcomes: either everyone else is just a compromise, or everyone I can be attracted to is like him."
This 'he' refers to Yang Zheng, of course.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ping looked at Shen Ke. After a brief exchange of glances, Zhao Ping spoke first: "Xiaxia, there's something your father and I haven't told you yet, but now, Mom thinks it's necessary to say it."
Shen Anxia looked at Zhao Ping with a puzzled expression.
Zhao Ping recounted an incident: "After the Dragon Boat Festival, Yang Zheng visited our home once. At the time, your father and I only felt sorry for him, after all, he was the most innocent person in this blind date, but he unfortunately bore the consequences. But what he said warmed our hearts even more."
"He said he was attracted to you, but he wouldn't stop you from flying. He chose to respect your wishes and agreed to separate temporarily, but that didn't mean he would give up. Before he could give you a lifetime of security and make you fall in love with him, it was your freedom to like anyone. However, if you didn't meet someone you could spend your life with, he said he would walk towards you step by step every day."
Shen Anxia's eyes welled up with tears. She seemed to see through Zhao Ping Yang Zheng making a promise to her parents, word by word, gentle yet sincere, just like every time he spoke to her.
In the past six months, Shen Anxia has hardly stopped for a moment. Whenever she has a moment of free time, a certain moment with Yang Zheng will appear in her mind.
She had tried to get along with other men. Being friends was fine, but as soon as the topic of flirtation or confession came up, she would immediately retreat to her own sphere. She knew clearly that she was not like that with Yang Zheng. Yang Zheng was an extremely exceptional person in her life, and she saw special effects in him.
"Why have you never told me?" Shen Anxia didn't understand why her parents had kept it from her.
When she said goodbye to Yang Zheng half a year ago, she thought that if Yang Zheng really didn't mind the long-distance relationship, or could disregard the distance and even just meet once a week, maybe, maybe she could be brave enough to go to a hopeless end.
But Yang Zheng didn't say anything at the time.
At the time, she felt that since they had only known each other for half a year, it was really not appropriate to talk about these things. It was a very normal choice for Yang Zheng to leave after hearing her farewell.
But today, it seems that this is not the case.
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