Chapter 8 Promises
The two returned to the lobby from the restroom.
Jiang Xia walked up to Wu Zhou and smiled at him.
Mr. Wu originally planned to take Jiangxia out to dinner first, then send him home at 1 p.m., and then have dinner with Zhan Lintian at 3 p.m. to discuss business.
The two sides will not meet, but the three of them are together. Jiang Xia nodded to him, knowing that he should leave early.
He wanted to stay, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words of persuasion; it depended on the host's wishes.
So he picked up his backpack and said with a light laugh, "Mr. Wu, I'll be going now, I won't disturb you any longer."
Zhan Lintian stepped back, blocking Jiang Xia's path. He first checked his watch: "It's still early. Meeting is fate. Stay and have a meal."
He made an excuse: "I'm just using your flowers to thank you, Wu Zhou, what do you say?"
Wu Zhou's gaze passed over Zhan Lintian's shoulder and landed on Jiang Xia's face: "It's not easy to get a taxi here. I'll take you later."
After a few words, they had no further objections.
"Thank you, Mr. Wu and Mr. Zhan." Jiang Xia looked up at the man in front of her. This was the opportunity that Zhan Lintian had created for her.
On the way back, I will be able to talk to Mr. Wu alone.
However, what started as a meal for two became a meal for three, with Wu Zhou sitting next to him and Zhan Lintian sitting opposite him.
The Yangtze River Gorge was the most agonizing.
During this time, the waiter brought out dish after dish, but he had little appetite. His thoughts wandered, and he remembered that his colleagues were eagerly waiting for him to pack up his food and take it home...
He has no chance now.
When I used to eat with Wu Ming, we would pack up the leftovers whenever possible... Even though some wealthy people might consider this behavior a bit low-class, they would simply have someone deliver the food or hire a chef to come to their door.
But during his miserable teenage years and helpless adulthood, Wu Ming was by his side.
Wu Ming would even offer to help him pack.
But the two people in front of me were not.
A business elite and an industry upstart—I should have had no interaction with them at all. After a brief encounter, we would both return to our own life trajectories and never overlap again.
Especially since Zhan Lintian, an outsider, saw through her feelings for Wu Ming in just a few words...
It's terrifying...
Jiang Xia gripped his chopsticks tightly. He lacked confidence, and while money was a factor, it wasn't the whole story.
My salary isn't low, but the cost of living in Montreal is high, and when I'm abroad, I have to pay for currency exchange.
Besides money, the person in front of you also has countless resources that you can mobilize.
Just the 200 million yuan trust fund that Old Master Wu gave to Wu Ming... would require him to work for hundreds of years without eating or drinking.
Anxiety and helplessness, after calming down, swept over Jiang Xia like a tidal wave.
Just then, Wu Zhou's order was complete, and he asked, "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Zhan Lintian replied, "Whatever."
Jiangxia also indicated that either option was acceptable.
During the meal, no one spoke. Jiang Xia kept his head down, feeling as if the two of them were watching him.
Although the meal wasn't very pleasant, his stomach was truly satisfied afterward.
Jiang Xia hesitated, and while the two of them went to the door to get the car, he excused himself to wash his hands and took the takeout box out of his bag from the front desk.
"Could you please pack me a plate of farmhouse stir-fry? I just placed the order."
He completed all of this quickly and efficiently.
Although it was a bit embarrassing, he had promised Qiao Ciyou, and the two of them had been eating bread and tomatoes in the apartment for almost ten days.
Qiao Ciyou's eyes lit up when she heard that he wanted to eat Chinese food.
After packing, Jiang Xia took out an opaque plastic bag he had prepared in advance, put the contents of the box in his backpack, and then put the box into his backpack.
At the restaurant entrance, before parting ways, Zhan Lintian made a phone call gesture to Wu Zhou, but his gaze was fixed on himself.
Jiang Xia understood what he meant and said they would contact each other again later.
Wu Zhou looked at Jiang Xia: "Let's go."
Once back in the car, Jiang Xia calculated that it would take about half an hour to an hour to get to his apartment.
After passing a traffic light, the car suddenly accelerated, and Wu Zhou asked, "How do you and Zhan Lintian know each other?"
Jiangxia speaks the truth.
After listening, Wu Zhou remained silent for a moment and then said, "Hmm, you seem to trust him a lot, even though you've only known him for a day."
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "I have nothing worth him lying about."
The car fell silent, and then Wu Zhou suddenly called his name again.
"River Gorge."
Jiang Xia responded, "Yes, Mr. Wu."
Wu Zhou gripped the steering wheel tightly and lowered his voice: "You and Wu Ming are close, so I'll say a few more words. You can know a person's face but not their heart. Don't trust others too easily."
Jiang Xia lowered his eyes and said, "Speaking of which, Wu Ming and Miss Xie haven't been talking for very long, have they? It should only be a few days. But Mr. Wu is already quite confident that they will get together."
Wu Zhou stopped by the roadside and looked at him: "Don't you know?"
He lowered his voice.
Jiang Xia looked at him with a smile: "What do you know?"
Wu Zhou spoke clearly, slightly closer to Jiang Xia: "Two months ago, he went to Xie Xingzhang's birthday party, and the next day, they confirmed their relationship."
Jiang Xia's heart skipped a beat. Two months ago...
Two months ago, Wu Ming did attend a friend's birthday party, but Jiang Xia didn't know whose birthday it was.
That day, before Wu Ming left, he kept pestering him, saying he didn't want to participate.
When it's a birthday, everyone will definitely drink alcohol.
Jiang Xia was lost in thought. What Wu Ming said at that time was: "Jiang Xia, I want to come back and eat the sweet wine soup you cooked to warm my stomach."
Even on his way to the party, Wu Ming was sending messages to himself.
"How boring, I'd rather go sing karaoke with you."
Wu Ming agreed, but late at night he sent another message saying it was too late and he was worried that driving to pick people up would be too tiring, so he had already stayed at a friend's house.
At that time, she had already cooked a small pot of sweet rice wine soup and was waiting for him to come over.
So while he was waiting that night, Wu Ming and Xie Xingzhang confirmed their relationship.
Jiang Xia suddenly felt like laughing, his lips twitched, but he ultimately didn't laugh.
Even from a friend's perspective, this is utterly baffling.
Although he had already lost a lot of points with Wu Ming when he learned that Wu Ming and Xie Xingzhang were dating but not with marriage in mind, he was still speechless when he found out about this now.
Jiang Xia looked out the window: "Two months is a bit short; it's hard to truly understand a person."
I've known Wu Ming for over a decade, but I still haven't seen through him. Or perhaps people do change.
Wu Zhou said, "I also hope that Wu Ming and Xie Xingzhang can get to know each other better and lay a solid foundation for their marriage."
Jiang Xia had no intention of responding, and simply nodded.
Wu Zhou started driving again.
As soon as the car stopped downstairs at the apartment building, Jiang Xia quickly got out and said, "Thank you."
Wu Zhou called out to him: "Jiang Xia."
"Mr. Wu." Jiang Xia stopped and turned around hesitantly.
He wouldn't realize that he had interfered in the Wu family's affairs and that he should be stopped and given a lecture.
Jiang Xia listened to Wu Ming complain about his older brother every day, so he naturally understood that Wu Zhou had been in power for too long and enjoyed the feeling of being in control.
He has too much of a fatherly air about him.
Wu Zhou sat in the car, half his face hidden in the shadows, his gaze fixed on Jiang Xia's face: "Regarding Wu Ming and Xie Xingzhang's relationship, I know better than you that Wu Ming is not a suitable person for marriage."
Jiang Xia stood there dumbfounded, wondering what the eldest son of the Wu family meant by those words.
Is he trying to demonstrate his power? Or is he reprimanding himself for being too talkative?
Whether Wu Ming gets married or not is up to him.
Or is the conclusion drawn simply from the topic we just discussed?
It didn't sound like a good thing, because Jiangxia felt uneasy about it.
He gave a helpless laugh, turned around and went back to his apartment, giving the packed farm-style stir-fry to his colleague.
"Team Leader Jiang, you're amazing!" Qiao Ciyou was deeply moved.
Jiang Xia chuckled and nodded, took off his coat, slipped on his slippers, and went upstairs to rest.
He sat on the bay window, staring blankly out the window.
He was still wide awake until nightfall.
He didn't return Zhan Lintian's call. Late at night, he went downstairs to get some fresh air.
After he went outside, he realized that this was not his residence in Mengcheng. There was no fruit vendor downstairs, nor were there any public chairs.
He could only stand under the streetlights.
It was cold tonight. The lights shone on him, and fallen leaves covered his feet. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself.
He had been thinking about his future, hoping that Wu Ming would stay in Mengcheng to develop his career, remain a lifelong friend, and cherish his positive and optimistic outlook on life.
I should go back to my hometown and open a small shop. Perhaps many people will introduce me to potential partners. If I'm willing to compromise, I should be able to find a lover.
Get married and have children.
But being alone isn't so bad.
He had been attracted to men before, and he couldn't understand whether his feelings for Wu Ming were genuine attraction or simply attraction to a male body.
Regardless of the reason, he felt sorry for the girl he would marry later.
Wu Ming once laughed at his views on love.
They laughed at him, calling him an old-fashioned person.
But we can't get out of the gorge.
He only knew one thing: he couldn't let go of his feelings for Wu Ming that he had harbored for many years, but he also felt disgusted by Wu Ming's behavior.
But how noble is Wu Ming? While telling himself he wanted to come back for sweet rice wine soup, he turned around and started a relationship with someone else. Before they had even settled down, his family was already pressuring him to get married.
Jiang Xia also understood that if Wu Ming only regarded him as an ordinary friend, then were these things really such heinous crimes?
No, it's normal.
It's nothing more than a friend having a relationship, and their family thinks it's a good match, so they're urging them to get married soon.
Everything is fine; I was just too presumptuous and took this feeling of liking someone too seriously.
Jiang Xia knows better than anyone else.
When Wu Ming transferred to the school in junior high, Jiang Xia was experiencing bullying at school because of his poor family background and the early death of his parents. He desperately longed for fairness and justice.
People like him can only experience the benefits of rules when everything is done according to the rules.
The warm-colored streetlights overhead suddenly began to flicker, the buzzing of electricity breaking the stillness of the night and attracting Jiang Xia's attention. He looked up at the flashing lights, staring blankly for a long time, until the sound of a car engine came from afar, growing closer and closer.
Jiangxia didn't go to look, assuming it was just a passing vehicle.
Wu Ming stopped the car, opened the car door, and Jiang Xia was looking up at the streetlights. The warm yellow light fell into his eyes and sparkled, like a sky full of starlight.
He ran over, the wind blowing through his hair, and amidst cheers, he and Jiang Xia embraced tightly, exchanging body heat.
Wu Ming hugged him tightly, his voice filled with excitement: "What exactly did you say to my older brother? Why did he suddenly give in?" "My older brother just called me and said he won't pressure me anymore. He told me to have a good talk with Xie Xingzhang and that there's no need to rush to set a wedding date!"
As he spoke, he shook Jiang Xia's shoulder.
Wu Ming tightened his arms around his waist, then lifted him up and spun him around in place.
"Jiang Xia, I absolutely love you!"
He put Jiang Xia down, cupped his face in his hands, and sucked hard on Jiang Xia's forehead, "smack!"
Their attitude was so natural, as if this were the most common way to greet someone, without feeling anything was wrong with it.
Jiang Xia's body stiffened instantly, the warmth of Wu Ming's lips still lingering between his brows, burning him and making him panic. For a moment, he didn't even know what to do with his hands and feet.
Wu Ming, oblivious to his strange behavior, nudged him with his head and said with a grin, "Jiang Xia, I really like you so much! If it weren't for you, my older brother would definitely have driven me to my death this time!"
Jiang Xia bumped into his arms and could clearly smell the faint scent of his perfume.
It wasn't the one he usually used; instead, it was more like a floral-fruity scent that women often use.
Jiang Xia looked at the dark sky in the distance, her voice so soft it seemed to be carried away by the wind: "It's good that you're alright."
Wu Ming's words... he just blurts out whatever he likes, but how much of it is genuine?
Wu Ming shook his shoulder: "Could you please pass on a message for me? Tell him I don't want to get married so early."
His hands instinctively opened, but he hesitated to hug her back, remaining stiffly suspended in mid-air.
"If I were to go and tell them, my older brother would definitely have my grandpa force me to get the marriage certificate tomorrow." Wu Ming pretended to cry, bending down and rubbing against Jiang Xia's chest.
"If that's the case, I'd rather spend the rest of my life with you, and we could live together and grow old together~"
His head rested on Jiang Xia's shoulder, forcing Jiang Xia to bend back slightly.
The lights overhead were really too bright.
Tears welled up in his eyes, wetting his thick eyelashes. Jiang Xia listened to Wu Ming's words and gave a bitter smile.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
A note from the author:
Zhan Lintian is still happily helping Jiang Xia increase Wu Zhou's favorability, but he'll regret it later [crying].
Of course, the one crying the loudest was Wu Ming. He knew Jiang Xia liked him, and he also liked Jiang Xia's views on love. Who wouldn't like someone who is devoted to them? He hadn't even dared to introduce Jiang Xia to his friends. [Angry]
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