Don't regret it.
During the few days that Zhou Ji was hospitalized for recuperation, his brothers came to visit every day, so Zhou Ji had a relatively leisurely time.
Aside from feeling a bit unwell for the first few days after waking up, and needing to sleep several times a day, I recovered quite well afterwards.
No one knows the specific cause of Zhou Ji's car accident. If Xu Li hadn't happened to see Zhou Bingquan coming to see Zhou Ji, she would have really thought it was just a pure accident.
After Xu Li silently closed the door, she ran into Zhou Junchang, who had come from Mingyueye.
Zhou Jun saw Xu Li, glanced at the chicken soup beside him, and asked, "Still not awake?"
Xu Li shook her head and said, "Zhou Bingquan just arrived."
Xu Li glanced helplessly at Zhou Junchang. Zhou Junchang knew from Xu Li's eyes that things were not so simple. During the days when Zhou Ji was in a coma, everyone could feel that Zhou Bingquan was very worried about Zhou Ji. But now that the father and son had met, it seemed that this was not the case.
No one will ask, so the guesses might be wrong.
Zhou Junchang faced Xu Li, leaning against the hospital wall, staring intently at Xu Li.
Xu Li's gaze was somewhat vacant, and even her words sounded numb, as if she were lost in thought.
"There are some things I don't know how to say, but Zhou Ji really helped me."
Xu Li will always remember that he came to this city alone, without any hesitation or preparation, and that's when she met Zhou Ji.
The man in the fancy suit walked towards her, then helped her find a place to stay and asked her to do things for him.
Xu Li wouldn't say that she wouldn't be where she is today without Zhou Ji, but if she hadn't met Zhou Ji, she certainly wouldn't be living such an easy life now.
Xu Li always remembered Zhou Ji's kindness to her.
"There might be other reasons for the car accident, but I can't say more. At least in my heart, I sincerely hope that Zhou Ji can live a good life."
Zhou Junchang seemed to be carefully considering Xu Li's words, and wasn't he doing the same thing?
Every one of his men had been taken care of by Zhou Ji. Anyone with a heart could feel that. Meeting Zhou Ji was truly a blessing in some people's lives.
Zhou Junchang leaned firmly against the wall, the two of them frozen like statues.
Everyone has been a bit tired lately. Zhou Ji is the pillar of their group. He can disappear for a few days, but he can't fall down.
After an unknown amount of time, the two people knocked on the door and went in.
The chicken soup had gone cold, so Xu Li took the lunchbox and went to the nurses' station to borrow a microwave.
Only Zhou Ji and Zhou Junchang remained in the ward.
Zhou Jun often asked Zhou Ji if he wanted the bed moved, and would occasionally tuck a cup into Zhou Ji's hand.
Zhou Ji jokingly said that he could work as a nanny.
"Why don't you just skip going to Mingyue Night these next few days and come take care of me instead?"
Zhou Junchang almost actually nodded in agreement.
Then, when Xu Li returned, the nurse came over with her to help Zhou Ji with the examination.
After the inspection, Xu Li served Zhou Ji a bowl of the hot chicken soup.
The group of people seemed to have something on their minds, and soon the ward fell silent.
The only sound was the clinking of the spoon and the porcelain bowl.
After finishing her drink, Xu Li said that she had been bringing food to Zhou Ji every day for the past few days.
Zhou Ji listened and smiled slowly, then nodded and said okay.
The two left the ward and walked together on the street.
Neither of them had eaten yet, and when they saw someone selling fried noodles and fried rice at a roadside stall, they simply sat down.
While waiting for their food, Xu Li suddenly asked, "What makes you cry?"
"……have no idea."
"Then what do you think... Zhou Ji would cry about?"
It turned out that she saw Zhou Ji crying, which explained why Xu Li seemed to be acting strangely today.
"……have no idea."
The fried rice was very hot when it came out of the pan. Xu Li had to blow on it with a spoon before putting it in her mouth and blow on it again before she could eat it. Even though it was very hot, Xu Li ate it in big mouthfuls.
Zhou Jun was worried that Xu Li would choke, so he poured a cup of water into a disposable plastic cup and placed it next to Xu Li.
After the two finished their meal, before it was completely dark, Xu Li went home, while Zhou Junchang returned to Mingyueye.
For the next few days, Xu Li would go to the hospital every day to bring Zhou Ji some supplements until the day Zhou Ji was discharged.
Because he still had a lot of work to do, and as a new official, he was eager to make a name for himself, with many people watching Zhou Ji closely, so he insisted on being discharged from the hospital early despite his physical condition.
That day, a group of people gathered for a meal as usual, and a bunch of them drank more than ever before.
Zhou Ji was discharged from the hospital after his car accident, and a group of people were genuinely happy.
Zhou Ji couldn't drink alcohol, but he couldn't stop a group of people from toasting him.
When it was almost time, Zhou Ji was the only one still sitting at the table.
As usual, Zhou Ji booked a hotel nearby. After making the call, he didn't go back to the private room. Instead, he went to the front desk, got a bottle of wine by himself, and stood alone in front of the window at the end of the corridor, slowly drinking it.
A few days before his discharge, Zhou Ji began to deal with the backlog of things that had accumulated over time.
Because of his injuries from the car accident, Zhou Ji's energy is definitely not what it used to be, and he has to close his eyes and rest for a while every two hours of work.
Two hours after Zhou Ji finished his work, his assistant sent him a message saying that he had an unread message in his work email.
The other party probably didn't know Zhou Ji's private account, so they sent it directly to his work email.
Actually, Zhou Ji had a premonition at that time, so despite his exhaustion, he used his computer to open that email.
Just like the opening remarks in countless letters, seeing the words is like seeing the person.
He recognized her from the very first sentence.
It's Meng Qinghe.
The story of Zhou Ji and her cannot be explained in a sentence or two, but it can also be explained in a single sentence.
In the letter, she learned that he had been in a car accident, though she probably didn't know how serious it was.
She said she was planning to come back to visit, but her flight that night was canceled due to weather conditions, and she also had to go on a business trip afterwards, so she didn't have time.
Zhou Ji thought that Meng Qinghe probably didn't know how serious the car accident was, so she didn't plan to return to China after the flight was canceled. But Zhou Ji was also glad that she didn't know. If she did know, she would probably blame herself and cry. He was most afraid of her crying.
I was afraid before, I'm afraid now, and I'll be even more afraid in the future. I'm afraid that when I'm no longer by her side, no one will be able to comfort her.
Even though they've been separated for so long, Zhou Ji still hopes that she will never be sad or cry again, especially not because of him.
Zhou Ji read the transoceanic email over and over again. Although they were more than 8,000 kilometers apart, Zhou Ji could still picture the letter in his mind.
Even after the hospital lights were turned off, Zhou Ji kept watching it over and over again, afraid of missing a single word.
The computer light shone on Zhou Ji's face, and tears, glistening with silver light, flowed silently.
In the letter, Meng Qinghe inquired about Zhou Ji's injuries and apologized for not being able to return to China in person. She thanked Zhou Ji for taking care of her over the years, expressed her regret for not being able to properly entertain him in Switzerland, and promised to have a meal with him next time. She also told Zhou Ji about her recent situation...
Zhou Ji smiled when he saw the end, a bittersweet smile, yet also a happy one.
Zhou Ji's mind was still replaying Meng Qinghe's letter. He looked out the window, seemingly wondering what Meng Qinghe, who was in a nearly eight-hour time difference, was doing now.
The Earth is round, and given enough time, I should be able to see her in a foreign land.
The bottle of wine was empty, and for the first time in his life, Zhou Jiping realized that having a high alcohol tolerance was actually a disadvantage.
How can this wine not make him drunk? If he can't get drunk, he won't forget her.
At this moment, Xu Li appeared and snatched the wine bottle from Zhou Ji's hand.
Xu Li almost lost her temper for a moment, and was about to yell at Zhou Ji, but she still suppressed her anger and asked, "Why are you drinking?"
“…Meng…”
Xu Li turned her head to try and hear what Zhou Ji said: "What did you say?"
Zhou Ji realized that the person in front of him was not Meng Qinghe, then shook his head helplessly and said nothing.
"Didn't the doctor say I shouldn't drink alcohol?"
Zhou Ji let out a burp and continued looking out the window.
53 degrees north latitude is the direction the window is facing.
Xu Li didn't say anything. She knew that Zhou Ji had been in a bad mood lately, so she stayed behind him silently.
The wine Zhou Ji drank had a strong aftereffect, and the more he drank, the dizzier he felt, but he stubbornly kept his eyes open.
He really missed Meng Qinghe.
Zhou Ji thought about it all the time, especially when he was drunk; he thought about it like a madman.
Xu Li couldn't stop Zhou Ji by himself. Zhou Junchang had already sent the other brothers back to the hotel. Xu Li sent a message to Zhou Junchang, telling him to come over quickly.
Zhou Ji leaned against the windowsill, his legs weak and unable to move, but he still refused to go back.
Just as Zhou Ji was about to collapse, Zhou Junchang ran over and supported him.
Zhou Ji clung tightly to the window frame, refusing to leave, muttering, "I'm not drunk, I'm not drunk..."
Finally, the two men took Zhou Ji back to his hotel. Zhou Ji probably never expected that one of these hotels was actually booked for him.
Xu Li didn't go into the room; she just stood guard at the door.
Zhou Jun often helped Zhou Ji to bed, and then he heard Zhou Ji repeating that he was no longer drunk.
“Meng...Qing...He, Xiao He…”
Zhou Jun often frowned. He and Zhou Ji went to the same school and had heard some of the things about them.
Amidst the flickering lights of the television, Zhou Junchang suddenly remembered what Zhou Ji had told him before: that he should not regret his actions.
So, is Zhou Ji saying this related to the name he's currently reciting?
Zhou Ji rarely gets drunk, but this time he got drunk when he shouldn't have been drinking. If even Zhou Ji can't be at peace with himself, then he must be really upset to need alcohol to numb himself.
Zhou Jun would always cover Zhou Ji with a blanket and leave a glass of water by the bed before leaving.
Xu Li stood at the door waiting for Zhou Junchang to come out. It was already late. Seeing that Zhou Ji was settled, Xu Li was also preparing to go home.
As Zhou Jun watched Xu Li's figure recede into the distance, he recalled Zhou Ji's words.
Like a voice-over, there was always a voice in my mind explaining and reminding me.
Don't regret it.
Zhou Junchang, don't regret it.
Will Zhou Junchang really regret it?
Will that day really come?
Will Zhou Junchang be like that when the time comes?
So, if that day really comes, will Zhou Junchang be like that in the future?
"Hello!"
The corridor was empty, and Zhou Junchang's voice hit the wall and then echoed in the corridor.
The corridor was long, the lighting dim and yellow, with chandeliers hanging overhead, casting shadows that stretched long and short on the floor. Zhou Jun often heard his own breathing spread out, intertwining with the lingering echo of that shout, slowly sinking into the shadows in the corner.
The window at the end wasn't closed properly, and the wind blowing in brought a whistling sound, like an echo of that shout, responding only a beat late.
Xu Li stood on the other side of the corridor, turned around and looked back.
The voice-activated light went out and then came on again, and then Zhou Junchang's voice could be heard.
"I'm going back too."
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