Chapter 6 My Name is Song Chuxia (Revised)
The next day, Zhao Yu called her and laughed and made fun of her drunken state yesterday. Cheng Ti knew that Zhao Yu knew nothing about what happened in the bathroom last night.
During breakfast, Aunt Chen also asked Cheng Ti about Shao Mengdong. Cheng Ti responded flexibly, guessing that Aunt Chen did not doubt their brother-sister relationship, but her words and deeds made her feel that her brother was young but scheming and deep-minded, and she was afraid that he would collude with his sister to deceive Ye Siheng.
But in comparison, what Aunt Chen cared more about was that Cheng Ti came home drunk last night. She said, "It's different after you get married. You can't be so playful." From then on, whenever Cheng Ti came home a little late, Aunt Chen would come to him indirectly to ask him about it, or use the excuse of sending him things to find out what he was doing.
Cheng Ti was tired, but felt that this was not a long-term problem, so she decided to run away. She packed up a few clothes and daily necessities, and the next day, while Aunt Chen was out buying groceries, she picked up her luggage and moved to the booked hotel.
On the first night, just after midnight, she had just taken off her mask when her phone rang. Thinking it was Zhao Yu so late, she picked up the phone without looking closely. The other end asked, "Where are you?"
It was a man. She looked at her phone again and found it was Ye Siheng.
"What's up?"
"Aunt Chen called me and said you didn't go home at night."
Cheng Ti asked, "Is your mother feeling better?"
The other side was stunned: "How do you know?"
"Your boss, Mr. Ye, informed me." Cheng Ti faintly heard the sounds of mahjong playing on the other end of the line, as well as people chatting and laughing, both men and women. She couldn't help but sigh, "Did Aunt Chen complain to you? You've been staying out all night, and Aunt Chen kept telling me to be open-minded and not to bother with men... Why does she tell you when I'm a little bit unruly?"
Ye Siheng said, "I am a man."
She couldn't help laughing: "What do you mean? Attorney Ye, Lawyer Ye, aren't you still fighting for equal rights? Why are you treated differently when it's your turn? Admit it, you're just a male chauvinist seeking fame."
His voice dropped, and he seemed to have walked away to a farther, quieter place. "Does it matter what ideology I hold? We're on the same page now. What ideology are you talking about with that old lady, Aunt Chen? You're not home every day, and she's complaining to me and my mom. My mom's sick, and it's going to make a mess. I'm not coming home at night just to make room for you."
Cheng Ti was silent for a while: "I don't want to act anymore, and I don't want you to reimburse me for anything. Ye Siheng, let's end this farce."
He didn't comment and chuckled: "Have you been drinking?"
She didn't answer, but thought for a moment and said, "I just think your family situation is... a little complicated."
There was silence over there, as if waiting for her to continue, so Cheng Ti continued, "Don't you think your family is too large? On the wedding day, you had four brothers and sisters. Not only did the folks call you Young Master, but Aunt Chen kept calling me Young Madam! I originally thought your family hadn't been informed of the family planning policy, but now I realize you didn't even know about the founding of New China."
Ye Siheng sneered.
She was furious: "What are you laughing at? Is your father some kind of feudal landlord?"
"Not really a landlord," he replied calmly, "but the old man made his fortune in the coal mines twenty years ago. Even though he's a director and a shareholder now, the coal dust still lingers on him, and his mindset is pretty much that of a local tycoon."
When Cheng Ti heard the word "coal mine", she was stunned.
Qizhen, where she grew up, was a dull little place, its sole industry the coal mine. Like the bloody maw of some beast, that mine had devoured Shao Mengdong's parents and, inextricably linked to her father's death, too. Those two words were her most familiar, yet also her nightmare.
Cheng Ti forced herself not to think any further and continued to say to Ye Siheng, "I'm afraid I can't handle it. What's true can't be false, and what's false can't be true. If I stay for another two days, I don't think I can even fool Aunt Chen."
He said casually, "Aunt Chen used to take care of my mother. The old lady and I get together every day. I guess she watched "The Mansion Gate" and she likes to think about things. Just think of it as the old lady entertaining herself. Wait a few days and I'll see if I can send the old lady back. Cheng Ti,"
He went back to his hometown and followed the local customs, no longer calling himself Chelsea, and he told his story.
"We've agreed on a three-month deadline. We need to stick to the contract and see things through, right? Coders like you, once you sign on for a project, you have to complete it. You can't just burn the team database and run away halfway through if you realize it's not meeting expectations, right?"
I'm not afraid of making unreasonable arguments, I'm just afraid of empathy. After hearing what Cheng Ti said, he was speechless for a moment.
Anyway, the end result of debating with a lawyer is that you will definitely be convinced. It feels a bit frustrating, but I am convinced.
Unlike Shao Mengdong, he completely crushed her and didn't even bother to talk to her about reason.
Seeing that she was somewhat convinced, Ye Siheng said lightly, "This Saturday, the old man will have a family dinner at Cuiyuan for his birthday. If you don't go, how will I report it to him? Cheng Ti, you wouldn't be so unkind, would you?"
"? Isn't Saturday the day after tomorrow? Why did you just tell me this?!"
… …
Cui Yuan is a modern Chinese restaurant with dim lighting, ebony furniture, wall paintings, and incense burning in the pavilion, embodying a Song Dynasty aesthetic. Opening mid-last year, it has garnered significant attention since its opening, thanks to its location on two floors within the Four Seasons Hotel and its unique style.
One of the bosses is named Hu, and he is also a legendary figure who has been featured in newspapers.
Twenty years ago, the first restaurant was opened on the back street of the old west gate of S University. It was a simple but clean little shop with the front hall and the kitchen run by Lao Hu and his wife. After running it for more than ten years and making some money, they moved the business to the main street.
The area wasn't originally a busy one, but with the road and subway construction of those years, it flourished. Lao Hu, "the first to arrive in Xianyang," became a long-standing fixture among the restaurants on that street. He was also a skilled businessman and a skilled socialite, and his inherited cooking skills quickly gained widespread fame. His business had its ups and downs, but he eventually expanded to several locations, eventually partnering with several others to open this high-end restaurant.
Many students of S University had tasted Lao Hu’s cooking back then, but times have changed and Lao Hu rarely cooks himself anymore.
The exception was when a guest came.
On Saturday evening, the guests had already arrived. Lao Hu made a few dishes at the right time as a bonus, which were not on the menu - sesame oil stewed eggs, fried eggs with black fungus, stir-fried beef, etc.
It was too simple and homely to be on Cuiyuan's menu, but it was the dish this customer ordered most often.
Lao Hu came in and greeted the guests. The private room was small, with four people sitting at a round table. He first glanced at the guest. He saw that he was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, no tie, and one button missing, revealing half of his collarbone. He leaned lazily against the back of the chair and smoked. He knew that he was not in a good mood, so he became more enthusiastic and said with a smile, "Mr. Shao has made a lot of money recently. It's rare that you have time to relax today?"
The businessman's warmth revealed a genuine concern.
Shao Mengdong was also quite polite: "I'm sorry to have alarmed you again. I think the business is on the right track, and there are people keeping an eye on it. Why don't you go and have a rest and enjoy your peace and quiet."
"No matter what, I have to treat Mr. Shao to the 200,000 yuan before I retire."
Shao Mengdong smiled and said, "You are too polite."
The four people present, besides Shao Mengdong, also included Xun Mei and two other men. They were all close comrades who had eaten together at a small restaurant during college. Naturally, they knew the story behind Lao Hu's words:
Two years ago, there was a funding gap in Lao Hu's accounts. Several restaurants were like dominoes, and one after another collapsed. It seemed that most of his life's work was about to go to waste.
In the difficult time when he had to rob Peter to pay Paul, Shao Mengdong gave him 200,000 yuan privately. It was nominally a pre-deposit here, saving him the trouble of scrambling for bills every time.
Not more, not less, what is rare is the friendship.
Just like these stir-fries made by Lao Hu himself.
They are all nostalgic people.
Later, they followed Lao Hu whenever they had a meal together. They were all busy with their own things and only got together once every two or three months. The 200,000 yuan would probably take forever to spend.
Just as he finished speaking, a man and a woman came in. The man laughed as he entered, giggling: "Sorry, sorry, I'm late again today. Lao Hu, business is good." He walked over, took a look at the tray, and said, "Wow, it's those same three things again."
He turned around and smiled at the young woman, "Our Mr. Shao is very loyal. No matter what time or status he has, he only likes to eat these few things."
The young woman looked at Shao Mengdong and smiled.
Lao Hu called him "Doctor Lu" and said with a smile, "This girl is really pretty. Xiao Lu, why don't you introduce her to everyone?"
Lu Cheng waved his hand. "No, no, you've got the wrong idea. I'm here to protect you. This is Dr. Song from the physical examination center of our hospital. He's here to deliver the physical examination report to Meng Dong."
Doctor Song was very pretty, with short hair and cat-like eyes. She wore a denim skirt and long boots under a long, light-colored coat. She looked a few years younger than the others, but her attitude was charming and generous. She looked at Shao Mengdong and smiled, "Mr. Shao, my name is Song Chuxia, and I'm the doctor who assisted you with your physical examination. The physical examination report came out last month, but you haven't come to pick it up yet."
Everyone smiled without saying anything and looked at Shao Mengdong.
"Thank you very much."
Shao Mengdong stood up, bowed, took it and put it next to him.
Xunmei asked, "Why did you think of going for a physical examination?"
Lu Cheng said, "I was the one who escorted him there." He brought a bottle of wine and handed it to the waiter, giving him instructions on how to add soda water. He then turned around and continued, "Our Doctor Xiao Song is very dedicated. I said I would just give it to him, but Xiao Song said she was worried and that it involved personal privacy, so she had to deliver it herself."
Doctor Song smiled and said, "Of course you should. Then you guys chat slowly. I'll be leaving first."
Lu Cheng asked, "How are you going back?"
"Let's take a taxi."
"There's a traffic jam at this hour, and the CBD is right next to it, so it's hard to get a taxi."
Having said that, no one spoke anymore, just waiting for the person who should speak. Shao Mengdong said calmly, "Thank you for coming all this way, Dr. Song. If you're not busy, let's go together. I'll let Old Lu take you back later."
"Okay, excuse me for interrupting you then."
Dr. Song didn't shy away. She smiled brightly, took off her coat, and went to the bathroom without sitting down. Xunmei caught a glimpse of her taking a compact from her handbag and putting it in her skirt pocket.
Doctor Xiao Song walked out of the room, and Shao Mengdong glanced at Lu Cheng with his long eyes.
"Hey! What are you doing? Stop trying to scare me with that expression you use to scare your subordinates. It's like I owe you performance." Lu Cheng took a sip of red wine, shook his head and sighed, "I'm just unlucky and always get bullied. Do you know who this girl's father is? The princess has ordered it, how dare I disobey? Besides, I'm thinking about your future life. You're not a child anymore, and your sister is married. Don't turn around and end up alone."
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