Chapter 21
Zhang Xingyan sat slumped on the carpet in the living room of Tang Chengting's house, half of his body leaning against the sofa, bloodshot eyes clearly visible, and he tilted his head to listen to Chen Huanong, who had just arrived in Kenya, launching a long-range personal attack.
"Zhang Xingyan has become quite capable. I left right after he came to open my wine? 1888 per bottle, plus my shipping fee, so four bottles are a friendly price of 8,000 (Zhang Xingyan, a black question mark, did the PE teacher teach him math?)."
"Zhang Xingyan has become so bold. He was your accomplice some time ago, and I retaliated against him like that (Zhang Xingyan quickly found his phone to record the conversation), and now he dares to ask you out for a drink?"
"Zhang Xingyan, that scumbag, just got you drunk and then left you alone? If you get hurt anywhere during this time, I'll definitely skin him alive when I get back. Otherwise, go to the restaurant steps and break a piece of yourself, and I'll help you get back the lawyer's fees I paid."
Zhang Xingyan's face was filled with black lines. "I only charged the lowest price. Is Chen Huanong really that bad?" He tried to speak, but Tang Chengting stopped him. Tang Chengting waved him off, turning back to listen to Chen Huanong's ramblings. Zhang Xingyan filled his glass with wine and said, "Get drunk. Drink until you lose your memory." His biggest regret today was asking Tang Chengting out for dinner, then following him home for a third round after two rounds of drinks, which ultimately earned him a grudge from Chen Huanong. He could already imagine Chen Huanong, far away abroad, clutching a small notebook and entering rapid grudge mode. He regretted getting involved with this strange couple so much that his intestines were emptied out.
After an unknown amount of time, the voice on the other end of the phone became much gentler. "Then why don't you go to bed now? Take good care of yourself when I'm not home and don't make me worry. I'll be back as soon as I finish things here. You're not allowed to drink with Zhang Xingyan anymore."
"Okay." Tang Chengting answered crisply, as if she had been waiting for her to say this. After the other party hung up the phone, Zhang Xingyan looked at Tang Chengting, and Tang Chengting also looked at him, his face rosy, his eyes clear, and his smile obvious, "My Qingqing said not to drink with you. I'm going to bed, you can drink by yourself!"
Zhang Xingyan turned around and looked out the window. The dawn light was about to tear open the curtain of darkness. It was a sunny and sunny day with no sign of snow. Zhang Xingyan felt aggrieved. He had been bullied like this, but he was still not as good as Dou E?
The two hungover people met in the kitchen. Tang Chengting drank the honey water in one gulp and asked Zhang Xingyan, "How much did we drink yesterday? I seem to have blacked out."
"Oh, really? Then do you remember what your dear said to you?"
Tang Chengting hated Zhang Xingyan's weird tone the most. "If you have something to say, just say it. Why all this drama?"
Zhang Xingyan snorted coldly, "I'm not the one who's acting all the drama, don't you remember? Remember that three-hour-plus overseas phone call you had with Chen Huanong yesterday? I don't know who was the one acting cute and coquettish in front of his soon-to-be ex-wife, saying things like, 'My dear, your dear,' See? I got goosebumps all over. Tang Chengting, I really didn't know you and Chen Huanong had such a mushy side. It's really eye-opening!"
Zhang Xingyan successfully saw Tang Chengting's face change several times. He was very proud of himself for getting back 10%. He walked out of the kitchen with his old waist twisted. Tang Chengting secretly swore that he would never drink with Zhang Xingyan again.
The day after Chen Huanong arrived in Kenya, she didn't sleep well because of Tang Chengting's call and the time difference. She was in a sluggish state. She was slow to respond to the intern's questions and simply threw down the materials in her hand, saying, "I finally came here, so I have to have fun first."
The resort they were staying at was nestled at the foot of Mount Kenya, next to an equatorial animal orphanage that cared for wild animal cubs that had lost their ability to survive on their own. Seeing so many wild animals for the first time, the intern was as excited as a child, completely forgetting that Chen Huanong was her boss. She kept dragging Chen Huanong to take pictures, "Law Chen, look! The little monkeys are shaking hands with people! They're so cute! They're not like the monkeys back home who just snatch food."
"Do you want to go shake his hand, too?"
"I want to go but I'm afraid he'll catch me."
"No, as long as you don't do anything excessive, they won't hurt you." The guide was a young African woman who had studied in China for three years and spoke fluent Mandarin. Chen Huanong hadn't originally planned to go on a trip, so she hadn't contacted a guide in advance. She only remembered about the tour guide when she decided to go on a whim. Fortunately, the resort's attentive service brought her to the location within an hour.
Encouraged by the local guide, the intern slowly approached the long-tailed monkey and reached out his hand. The monkey hesitated, then grasped the guardrail with one hand before slowly placing the other in the intern's palm. Chen Huanong quickly pressed the camera button. The Kenyan sky was the moon-white of an ink painting, the clouds resembled casually rolled cotton candy, and beneath the intertwined branches of the elm trees nestled small, innocent-eyed creatures. Every frame held its own unique beauty, without requiring a carefully crafted angle.
During lunch, the intern found some photos and posted them in their small group, successfully exposing Chi Buyu. First, he blasted Chen Huanong for getting three degrees darker the day after going to Africa, and she would probably be no different from the African natives when she returned; then he dissed Chen Huanong's photos with wild animals with his real name, saying that if any of the wild animals got wild and ate her as a snack, he would come to take over her job; finally, he shamelessly asked Chen Huanong to bring him a wood carving.
As for Chen Huanong, he had already turned off the Do Not Disturb feature and was engrossed in a conversation with the guide. "If these animals aren't domesticated after being taken in, how can we be sure they won't hurt anyone?"
"Because they've been hurt, they're all very cautious. If someone likes them, they'll treasure them even more. If they're smart, they'll go out of their way to please them."
To please? It had been a long time since Chen Huanong had heard the word. When she first started dating Director Tang, she'd heard him occasionally joke, "Lawyer Chen is so eloquent, don't I have to please you to get through the rest of my life?" He said this, but he'd never seen Tang Chengting do anything to please.
"Chen Lu, your photos are out. Don't they look great? Do you want to leave a message?"
Chen Huanong thought for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote word by word, with bright wind and clear moon, and endless creation.
"There is a wedding at the resort tonight. It seems to be hosted by Chinese people. Do you want to attend?" The tour guide was chatting with them about the local culture when she suddenly remembered this. Her tone was very cheerful. If you didn't know, you would think she was hosting the wedding.
"We're not invited. Is it okay for us to just attend like this?"
"Of course, the characteristic of weddings here is collective revelry. As long as you are a guest of the resort, you can participate freely."
Chen Huanong noticed the intern's confusion and slowly explained, "Holding a wedding in China is complicated and cumbersome nowadays. The newlyweds stand on the stage like fools, being watched. Few people sincerely congratulate them, and most relatives who come are just there to do favors and go through the motions. That's why young people are reluctant to hold weddings these days. But what girl doesn't want to wear a beautiful wedding dress and take beautiful photos? Holding a wedding here can satisfy your wishes and create romantic memories at the same time."
In the afternoon, the three of them strolled around the surrounding market. Chen Huanong selected a few small wood carvings and chose souvenirs for others. When it was Tang Chengting's turn to choose a gift, Chen Huanong was a little hesitant. He didn't like flashy things, nor did he like useless things. He was really picky.
"Doesn't that mean Director Tang doesn't have any gifts?"
Chen Huanong looked at the intern and saw that he felt quite sympathetic towards Director Tang. He couldn't help but laugh. "We can just buy it at the international airport when we get back. Director Tang likes expensive things."
After following Chen Huanong for two days, the intern realized that she was actually quite easy to get along with in private. She was no longer as reserved as before and even dared to gossip about Chen Huanong, "That's why Director Tang likes Chen Lu!"
"What? Who likes who?" Chen Huanong thought it was jet lag, causing him to hallucinate. What kind of shocking thing was this? Chen Huanong put down his knife and fork, tapped his wine glass, called the waiter, and downed another glass of red wine. "You'll understand later. Adult marriages aren't necessarily based on love. That's why I married Director Tang, not because of love. It just happened to be a mutual need."
"But I see that the way Director Tang looks at you is clearly different."
"Even if you raise a dog for six years, the way he looks at you will be different, let alone a person, let alone someone so expensive!" In her relationship with Tang Chengting, it can be said to be family affection, or revolutionary friendship, but there is no love. Tang Chengting never believed in the empty concept of love. Chen Huanong believed in love, and was also convinced that love had nothing to do with her life.
Chen Huanong and the intern didn't expect to attend someone else's wedding on the second day in Kenya. The clothes they brought were work suits and casual clothes. Chen Huanong looked at the clothes in the suitcase and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he took the intern to the nearest shopping mall. The two of them chose similar long skirts, and at first glance they looked a bit like sisters.
Chi Buyu wouldn't miss any opportunity to strike a blow against Chen Huanong. He sent a message, "Old Chen, I'm telling you, you can cut ties with the person who just praised you two as sisters. They're obviously dishonest. How can you two be sisters? You're more like mother and daughter."
Buyu is a handsome guy who was kicked out of the group chat.
The intern had seen Chen Huanong at Shensong, dressed in a sharp business suit, her high heels always the first to reach her. She'd seen her strolling, wearing loose, comfortable loungewear, white flats, and a casual ponytail. She'd seen her drunken, her eyes misty like a deer, only flirting with Director Tang. The Chen Huanong before her was the first she'd ever seen, a Chen like a flower. Her gauzy red dress swayed in the evening breeze, her honey-brown curls cascading down her shoulders. A wreath of yellow roses adorned her, her cheeks shimmering with a shimmering smile. She chatted softly with new hires, as if they were long-time friends. The intern recalled how the assistant commented on Chen Huanong when she first arrived at the firm: "Don't look at our lawyer Chen's stern face now. She's a lot of fun in private. If she's willing to chat, you can talk for three days and nights without getting bored. She can pick up on any topic and any joke. She's become so aloof now, all because of her professional image!" In our line of work, you can't be too friendly, or you'll be easily ignored.
Chen Huanong seemed to sense the gazes coming from elsewhere. She turned and saw the stunned intern. She smiled and waved at her. Then she turned to introduce them to the bride and groom, "This is an intern from our law firm. Don't be fooled by her sweet and cute appearance. She is very decisive and resolute when handling cases. If you need anything in the future, you can contact her. I'll give you a 12% discount on the friendly price."
The newlyweds were amused by Chen Huanong, and the conversation became even more lively. By the time the dinner began, the intern had witnessed how their lawyer, Chen, had used his eloquence to successfully secure a seat at the honored table, despite being a complete stranger. However, this honored seat wasn't easy to sit in. When they were invited to perform, the intern felt like she might as well choke to death on the steak she had just hastily devoured. The intern anxiously glanced at Chen Huanong, who patted her shoulder, signaling her not to panic. Then, he walked to the back of the sound system and, after tinkering for a few minutes, produced a familiar melody.
"You can sing this song, right?"
The intern nodded. After all, it was a very popular palace drama. The famous "all men are pigs" plot came from this drama. She used to be a fan of this drama!
Tang Chengting saw the video of Chen Huanong dancing after it had been rebroadcast several times. A guest at the scene filmed it first, and an intern asked for it to be shared in a small group chat. Chen Huanong downloaded it and shared it with their close friends. Mo Yiyan downloaded it and shared it on WeChat Moments, praising her under her real name. Zhang Xingyan saw it and took the video to Tang Chengting. His first question was, "Is this your wife?" His second was, "Chen Huanong is something!" His third was, "It seems foreigners all like this." What if someone fell at your wife's feet, pursued her relentlessly, and had a beautiful encounter in a foreign country? When Chen Huanong returned, would he just sign the contract?
Tang Chengting put his phone aside and continued with the work at hand, his tone inexplicably firm, "No."
"Who can say for sure? You don't have anything that Chen Huanong must hold on to. Women are either after money or affection. She can't get anything from you. If she really meets someone who is passionate, she might fall for you."
"Chen Huanong doesn't like enthusiasm."
"Yeah, she doesn't like the passionate ones, but prefers the cold ones like you? Does she have masochistic tendencies?"
Passion will fade, but indifference will not. Men and women are different. When men first pursue women, they will be full of passion and use all kinds of tricks. But after half a year, the passion will fade and gradually become dull or even indifferent. At the same time, women who gradually get used to men's company and become dependent on men will feel a gap. This gap will make one party feel insecure, fall into endless entanglement, and eventually get tired of it and separate. At least over the years, Chen Huanong has not fallen into anxiety, has not been surrounded by entanglement, and has not grown tired of him because of this repetitive cycle.
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