Chapter 95 Drunkenness
At this moment, they followed quietly without disturbing Jiang Xia.
A series of footprints from the river gorge were left on the beach.
He was far from the water's edge, so the waves couldn't reach him and wash away his footprints, which stretched far into the distance along the river gorge.
Wu Zhou looked at the set of footprints. Many people like to walk along the water at the beach, which is more interesting and allows them to feel the thrill of the water approaching irregularly.
But for Jiangxia, safety is the most important thing.
He is the harbor where Jiang Xia is moored, but Wu Ming is a ship that doesn't like to dock. No matter how much Jiang Xia misses Wu Ming, if the two of them are really together, Wu Ming will always make Jiang Xia afraid, afraid that he will leave the harbor and he will never be at peace for the rest of his life.
Wu Zhou had made up his mind not to help Wu Ming anymore.
Actually, if Wu Ming could handle Xie Xingzhang's matter well, Wu Zhou might think more highly of him.
However, if Wu Ming could handle Xie Xingzhang's pregnancy properly, then Xie Xingzhang wouldn't have gotten pregnant. This is an intractable problem.
But Wu Ming was not willing to give up.
Wu Ming wasn't sure he'd meet someone comparable to Jiang Xia in the second half of his life; what was most precious was that sincere heart.
Young Master Wu was spoiled growing up. Jiang Xia is a person, not an inanimate object. If you don't want to give it to him, he won't get it.
In the distance, Jiang Xia coughed softly, the sound carried by the wind to their ears.
Wu Zhou was nervous and strode forward, with Zhan Lintian following behind.
The weather is bad today. It's windy at the beach, and there's no one there. It's really cold.
Dark clouds loomed over the sea in the distance, a sign of an impending storm.
The scarf covered most of Jiang Xia's face, making him feel stuffy. He poked his head out and coughed.
The scarf he was wearing was too thick, and the heat climbed up his cheeks, making his eyes wet.
He heard a noise behind him, turned around, and saw two blurry figures.
Jiang Xia blinked, and Zhan Lintian touched the tip of his nose, speaking first: "Let's go for a walk."
Wu Zhou hummed in agreement, and Jiang Xia looked at Wu Zhou in the direction of the sound.
Wu Zhou's lips curled up as he lied without any attempt to hide it: "Me too."
Looking out at the vast, boundless sea, Jiang Xia joked, "Today is truly a perfect day for a stroll."
Wu Zhou chuckled: "The weather is always good."
Jiang Xia blinked, breathed on his palms, and rubbed his hands together.
It was the first time Wu Ming and I had seen the sea. We hadn't checked the weather and had chosen a rainy day. As soon as we arrived at the beach, it started to drizzle.
Despite the dim surroundings, Jiang Xia felt the sea looked exceptionally beautiful that day.
“Yes…” Jiang Xia’s tone was gentle. Taking a walk with someone you like, any weather is a good day.
However, he couldn't remember clearly; Jiang Xia really had no memory of such scenes.
People who others can remember after just one meeting may take several times for you to even have an impression of them.
Wu Ming had only been abroad for a short time, and he could no longer recall what Wu Ming looked like; his mind was blank, like a white mist.
When Jiang Xia saw Wu Zhou, he noticed a resemblance between him and Wu Ming.
But Jiang Xia could not recall Wu Ming by looking at Wu Zhou.
Jiang Xia heard that the reason why the whole family looked alike was not only because of blood relations, but also because of their various lifestyle habits, such as their diet...
Coincidentally, Wu Zhou went abroad to study at a very young age.
Seeing that his face was flushed, Wu Zhou said, "It's too cold, let's go back."
It was so cold by the sea that his breath condensed into white mist.
Jiang Xia said in a low voice, "Let's go back to the villa first, it's too cold."
Zhan Lintian responded and hugged Jiang Xia from behind, half-pushing and half-carrying him forward: "It's very cold. Let's go out and take a look when the weather gets better."
When Jiang Xia returned, he saw rows of footprints on the ground and suddenly had a whim. He identified the footprints he had left and followed them back.
You always need to find some fun in life.
He did it very discreetly, but Wu Zhou and Zhan Lintian saw it all clearly from behind.
When Zhan Lintian saw it, he chuckled softly, trying to keep his voice down, but Jiang Xia still heard it.
Jiang Xia stopped, turned around, looked at him quietly, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Zhan Lintian smiled and said, "It's nothing, let's go."
Zhan Lintian urged him in a low voice.
Jiang Xia exclaimed in surprise, then cried out, as the man behind her pushed her forward.
Watching Jiang Xia's retreating figure, Wu Zhou curiously lowered his head and, mimicking Jiang Xia's earlier actions, stepped his leather shoes into Jiang Xia's footprints...
He thought, "How cute."
After Jiang Xia returned, Wu Zhou helped him take off his scarf and hang it up, saying, "It's going to snow."
Jiang Xia said, "I'll do it myself."
"It's okay, your hair is just messy." Wu Zhou helped him take off his hat again.
Wu Zhou gently smoothed his hair with both hands. The humidity was high by the sea, and as soon as he entered the house, Wu Zhou noticed that his hair was slightly damp, so he used a towel to dry it for him.
Jiang Xia wanted to refuse, but Wu Zhou's attitude was firm, as if the only way to refuse was to forcibly avoid him or scold him forcefully.
Jiang Xia pursed her lips, thinking to herself that President Wu's desire for control was a bit too strong...
Finally, seeing that Jiang Xia did not resist, Wu Zhou patted his hair with satisfaction.
Jiang Xiatou nodded slightly after being patted on the shoulder, and asked softly, "When will it snow?"
"It might be tonight," Wu Zhou said softly.
It just so happens that the courtyard where they are now living has a view of the snow. There is a large floor-to-ceiling window, and the snow falls into the courtyard. The tea room is not very soundproof, so it is convenient to listen to the natural sounds outside the window.
Jiang Xia sat at the tea table, holding a cup of hot tea in both hands, watching the heavy snow falling outside the window.
There were tangerines on the table, and Jiang Xia looked out the window.
Zhan Lintian hugged him and whispered, "Mengcheng is a bit further south than Duliang. Huaihai near Mengcheng has had such heavy snowfall, so Duliang is probably frozen."
Jiang Xia looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
Zhan Lintian said, "Don't go back to Duliang this year. The road is bad and too dangerous."
Jiang Xia lowered his eyes and finally said "good".
On a snowy night, Jiang Xia was huddled on the sofa, facing the courtyard view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Seeing the river gorge, Zhan Lintian's eyes lit up, clearly enjoying the scenery.
This villa belongs to one of Wu Zhou's friends. It was bought but left vacant, and he recently wants to sell it.
Upon hearing that Wu Zhou was looking for a place to stay in Huaihai, I offered my recommendations.
The two thought that Jiang Xia would really like this style of decor that combines Chinese and Western elements, and sure enough, it turned out that she did.
Zhan Lintian thought to himself that he would buy it and give it to him.
Jiangxia was still marveling at how long it had been since there had been such heavy snowfall, as it continued to snow intermittently.
In the past ten years or so, there has been almost no heavy snowfall in the south. The "river gorges" refers to the kind of heavy snow that can fall for a day or two, and the snow is ankle-deep when you step on it.
The last time was in 2008, when he was sitting in his grandfather's kitchen, with darkness outside the window.
When I opened the door, snowflakes fell on the ground outside. When I woke up the next day, the surroundings were blindingly bright.
Snow was one of his few novel toys.
At that time, he did not know that more than 20 years later, he would be lying in a villa, nestled in a warm tea room, watching the snow fall.
It all felt like a dream, devoid of any sense of reality.
Not just today, but ever since graduating, Jiangxia has felt increasingly unreal.
Every time he sits at home and looks out the bay window, he wonders if it's real or not, and whether this is how his life will be forever.
He knew the reason: when he was studying, he was in a lively environment with classmates and tasks assigned by teachers.
They guided him on how to survive, but after graduation, they no longer assigned him any tasks, leaving him to rely on himself to make his way in the world.
He is the planner of his own life.
"Can I really plan my own life well?" Jiang Xia often asked himself.
What is it that I really want?
His salary is already among the highest of his peers.
Jiang Xia held the tea but didn't drink it. His eyelids were drooping, and he thought to himself that he was getting old and his energy wasn't as abundant as before.
As Jiang Xia drifted off to sleep, he thought to himself that perhaps all he wanted was happiness.
After his parents left him, all he wanted was happiness and joy.
Studying hard, making money hard, and trying to live a decent life are all just ways to pursue happiness more.
Zhan Lintian looked down and whispered to Wu Zhou, "He's sleepy, so I'll hold him and let him rest here."
Seeing that Zhan Lintian had him firmly in his grasp and wasn't planning to let go tonight, Wu Zhou didn't say much. He glanced at his phone and said, "I'm going to the study to work on something."
Zhan Lintian watched his retreating figure, then looked back at Jiang Xia.
He felt a mix of lingering fear and relief.
Wu Zhou didn't try to take it from him, afraid of waking Jiang Xia. From beginning to end, Wu Zhou cared about Jiang Xia's feelings, afraid that being too forceful would annoy Jiang Xia.
Zhan Lintian narrowed his eyes.
Otherwise, I would not have compromised.
In the tea room, Zhan Lintian leaned back, adjusting his posture to make Jiang Xia more comfortable.
Jiang Xia nestled in his arms.
Zhan Lintian gently patted Jiang Xia's shoulder, coaxing him to sleep.
The two of them were wrapped in the same blanket, feeling comfortable and at ease.
Jiang Xia, half-asleep, gently placed his hand in Zhan Lintian's palm.
Zhan Lintian suddenly laughed, squeezed his fingertips, and kissed them: "Not asleep?"
Jiang Xia looked up at him, trying to pull her hand back.
Zhan Lintian simply pulled his hand into his arms, and Jiang Xia leaned against him. The next moment, the world spun around him, and he fell onto the sofa.
Zhan Lintian half-pressed him down, lowered his head to peck at his lips, and occasionally teased them.
He was very skillful, using a semi-forceful manipulation to open Jiang Xia's mouth, which was not yet fully conscious.
Their tongues touched intermittently, and Zhan Lintian gradually deepened the kiss...
*
At this moment, Wu Zhou closed the door in his study before answering the phone.
As soon as the call connected, the grievance in Wu Ming's voice flew across mountains and rivers and oceans to reach his elder brother's ears.
"Brother, you promised me you'd let me come back to China to celebrate Jiang Xia's birthday."
Wu Ming sat on a bench downstairs in the apartment building, looking up at the gloomy sky.
His whole body was ice-cold, and his elder brother's voice was also ice-cold: "I didn't agree."
Wu Ming suddenly stood up: "You said that as long as I behave, you'd let me... wait..."
Wu Ming abruptly stopped speaking. It seemed that his elder brother hadn't agreed; he had been presumptuous.
Wu Zhou asked, "Xie Xingzhang is still in the Fog Kingdom. You should spend more time with her."
Wu Ming murmured, "All she does every day is shop, shop, shop. Her group of girlfriends just keep her company. It has nothing to do with me."
He spoke very softly, afraid that his older brother would notice his guilty conscience.
Wu Ming changed the subject: "I really love Jiangxia. I can't accept the rest of my life without Jiangxia. I was too dissolute before."
Wu Zhou said coldly, "You will still disappoint him after you return to China."
"I can't!" Wu Ming shouted through tears.
"What gives you the right to define my love for Jiangxia!"
Wu Zhou said, word by word, "You may like Jiang Xia, Wu Ming, don't you think your preference serves no other purpose than to disgust Jiang Xia?"
Wu Ming sobbed, "I know I was wrong before, so I want to do my best to make it up to him now. Brother, please give me a chance. I can't live without Jiang Xia!"
He knelt down and wept bitterly, not caring whether others would see him.
Wu Zhou said, word by word, "You are just like Wu Chenglian back then."
These words struck Wu Ming like a thunderbolt.
Wu Chenglian, their father.
When he first cheated on his mother, he begged for her forgiveness in the same way, and even knelt down at one point.
However, he cheated on his mother again and again, and his initial kneeling and begging were attributed to his mother's domineering nature, which caused him to lose face.
No matter what mistakes were made, others were also at fault.
He may have had feelings for his mother, but those feelings faded later.
The eldest brother's name was specially chosen by combining the surnames of both husband and wife as a testament to their relationship, but later he became a thorn in their side.
He racked his brains to give the name Wu Ming a supposedly auspicious meaning, but in reality, he just hoped that his youngest son would be mediocre.
Wu Ming thought he was just a bit of a womanizer, but he never expected his older brother to use their father's name to describe him.
"Brother, what are you saying? How could I possibly be like Father?"
“You’re talking nonsense. I must go back to China. I’m afraid he’ll forget about me if I don’t go back.”
Wu Ming choked up as he said, "He doesn't really recognize people."
Back when I was in school, every time I went back home for summer vacation, if I deliberately bumped into him on the street, Jiang Xia would always walk past him with a suspicious look on his face.
Jiang Xia suspected it was him, but wasn't sure.
Wu Zhou frowned; he knew this himself.
People around Wu Zhou always recognize him naturally, even if he has no recollection of them.
But the Yangtze River Gorge...
The first time I ate at the Wu family's house, I stared at him for a long time. Jiang Xia also stood behind Wu Ming, looking around and glancing at me several times.
After some time, Jiang Xia was going somewhere, and Wu Ming asked him to give him a ride.
Jiang Xia stood at the car door for a long time, then opened his mouth for a while, hesitated, and finally said dryly, "Hello."
At this moment, Wu Ming was still struggling.
Wu Zhou commented: "Now he's even more like a stubborn mule."
Wu Zhou decisively hung up the phone, not wanting to hear Wu Ming's even louder wails.
He froze all of Wu Ming's cards and instructed his assistant to keep a close eye on them.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhou planned to have Zhan Lintian arrange for a moving company to work overnight to move his belongings to... a hillside villa under his name.
The scenery there is beautiful, and it's not far from the city center.
Mengcheng is a large city, but people's life trajectories are fixed. Wu Ming could not wait for Jiang Xia at home, but he could always find him at the company or at the restaurant he frequented.
After Wu Zhou finished handling everything, he left the study and went to the tea room, where he saw Zhan Lintian stealing a kiss from Jiang Xia, who was asleep.
...
never mind.
*
Zhan Lintian has many investments, including a moving company. He called the next day to help Jiangxia move.
Of course, he specifically asked Jiang Xia for his opinion before moving and received his approval.
The snow outside has stopped.
Snowflakes fell on the pine and cypress trees in the yard, and someone brought over something.
Zhan Lintian selected several bottles of wine. These wines were from different places. He didn't like drinking, so when others gave him wine, he would just leave it where it was closest to him.
Now, to open all the boxes at once, I still need my assistant to run back and forth to several places to help me get them.
Jiang Xia's birthday is tomorrow, and Zhan Lintian plans to celebrate it for him, so naturally, he wants to do it at midnight.
He went out today to finish up some work with the client and see the overseas client off at the airport.
When he returned home, the client prepared a gift for him. The two clients recently have indeed been very polite and generous, which is why Jiangxia has continued to cooperate with them for so many years.
Jiang Xia returned with the items, opened them, and found a bottle of Moutai and some tea.
"Baijiu (Chinese liquor)." Zhan Lintian leaned closer. "Have you ever tried it?"
Jiang Xia shook his head.
Zhan Lintian said, "If you've never tried strong liquor, then forget it; it'll make you dizzy."
Jiang Xia thought that if he didn't want to drink it himself, he could either resell it or give it to someone else.
Zhan Lintian began promoting his drinks: "My drinks have arrived. You can try them tonight. Want to try what it tastes like after a rainy morning? My friend described it in great detail, but I haven't tried it yet."
Jiang Xia nodded.
As dusk fell.
Jiang Xia suddenly sighed. For the past fourteen years, Wu Ming had been celebrating his birthday with him most of the time, but he never expected that someone else would be celebrating with him this year.
It's a very strange feeling.
It feels like I'm slowly saying goodbye to my past self and letting go of those memories.
He had little appetite, and although there was plenty of food on the table, Jiang Xia only preferred fruit.
He had only taken a few sips of the wine, trying hard to discern the so-called top, middle, and base notes...
After failing, he chose to give up.
He admitted that he might not have a talent for wine tasting, and that nothing is perfect, but he accepted that with equanimity.
However, Zhan Lintian opened another bottle of wine and tempted him, "You'll definitely like this wine; it's very sweet."
Jiang Xia saw that the wine glass in front of him had been filled with sweet red wine again.
Wu Zhou also took a bite: "It does taste a bit sweet."
Jiang Xia was skeptical, but after taking a bite, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. Was it sweet?
Wu Zhou reminded him: "Take only a little bit each time, and then taste it with the tip of your tongue."
Jiang Xia studied intently, tilting his head back, squinting his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and his lips wet with wine.
Jiang Xia took a sip of the wine; it seemed to have a slightly sweet taste.
More than the taste of the alcohol, the gradual warming of the body and the pleasant feeling in the brain are the ultimate purposes of drinking in Jiangxia.
Jiang Xia sat on the sofa, nodding and looking at the wine glass in his hand.
He held the wine glass between his fingertips, turning it gently, the light reflecting off the wine shimmering in his eyes.
Zhan Lintian brought a lot of alcoholic beverages this time, and Jiang Xia tasted them one by one. In the end, he still picked out his favorite one.
Upon closer inspection, Zhan Lintian realized it was a wine-based beverage from a small, local area.
This is really sweet.
Jiang Xia tilted his head back and took a big gulp, listening to his phone alarm clock reminding him that it was past midnight.
He has grown another year older.
He heard someone saying "Happy Birthday" in his ear, the voices overlapping, and he tried to open his eyes wide to see.
Then she whispered, "Thank you..."
Jiang Xia looked at the wine glass and said, "It would be nice to celebrate my birthday like this next year, but I'll pass."
Some people around me said that next year's event could be more grand, or it could be more intimate, depending on his ideas.
Jiang Xia smiled bitterly and told the truth, which could be considered a confession: "I'm leaving. There won't be a chance next year."
Jiang Xia said earnestly, "I can't harm you... I can sneak away."
Zhan Lintian coaxed, "Tell me about it, and I'll help you plan it out?"
He began to talk about his plans, and by the end, he seemed more composed and proud.
“I want to go to Cainan, where it’s spring-like all year round. I can buy a courtyard there and turn it into a guesthouse, where I can live there myself or let some travelers stay and listen to their stories…”
I shouldn't be that lonely...
As Zhan Lintian listened slowly, the smile on his face gradually faded. Looking at Jiang Xia's slightly tilted head, he praised through gritted teeth, "What a thorough plan!"
I was both angry and happy.
Because I like myself too much, that's why I want to leave.
It's both a farewell and a confession.
Wu Zhou said calmly, "He can't leave."
What are you saying?
Jiang Xia tried hard to hear clearly, pricking up his ears and leaning closer, his ear almost touching Wu Zhou's lips.
Seeing that he was almost lying in his arms, Wu Zhou couldn't help but laugh and teased softly, "Are you eavesdropping?"
Jiang Xia glanced up. Had he been discovered?
Wu Zhou lowered his head and kissed Jiang Xia's earlobe.
Jiang Xia still couldn't hear clearly; he hadn't realized it because his mind was in a mess.
He felt that everything was glowing with golden light.
Someone handed him another glass of wine, held it for him, and carefully fed him.
"Jiangxia..."
Feeling light as a feather, Jiang Xia was suddenly lifted up in someone's arms. Afraid of falling, she clung to the man's neck.
He squinted, trying to see clearly whether the person in front of him was Zhan Lintian or Wu Zhou...
I can't see it clearly, I can't recognize it...
Jiang Xia asked softly, "Where...are we going?"
The man holding him lowered his voice, which came from all around, and said vaguely, "Birthday present..."
A note from the author:
Wu Ming: Big brother, you can't stop me, I'm definitely going to celebrate Jiang Xia's birthday. [doge emoji] (various twists and turns)
Wu Zhou: It's alright, it's good that you're back. Say happy birthday to your sister-in-law.
*
Jiangxia didn't recognize some of the people.
Actually, the first time he saw Zhan Lintian next to Ying Hua on the cruise ship, he only saw a blurry figure.
But when I met President Zhan again in the foggy country.
I have absolutely no recollection of Jiangxia.
When he's drunk, he starts to get confused even with people he knows.
Jiang Xia looked at the man in front of her. He looked so familiar, but who was he...?
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