Chapter 1 (10)
Yu Meng spent the entire night trying to understand Bai Yuankai's "background," but she was very clever. She didn't ask directly, but instead used subtle hints and indirect tactics, taking advantage of his unpreparedness to launch a guerrilla attack.
It’s like I didn’t ask, but I already knew everything I wanted to know.
Yu Shuang was lost in thought. Yu Meng had learned about Bai Yuankai's personality, profession, and current position during their conversation. She also learned he was single. The only thing she hadn't delved into was what kind of girl he liked.
"Xiaobai, be careful and introduce someone to Yu Shuang," Yu Meng joked. The more irrelevant something is, the more it can be said openly.
Yu Shuang angrily said that it was not like buying cabbage. Bai Yuankai thought about it and said that it was a bit difficult. Yu Shuang was dissatisfied and asked, "What do you mean?" She and Yuankai were close friends and she was not shy about her temper.
"Aren't you looking for Wallace Chung?" Yuan Kai said jokingly in all seriousness.
"Ouch!" Yu Meng cried out in surprise.
Bai Yuankai added: "But that's not necessarily the case. This was the standard five years ago."
Yu Shuang corrected directly, "Now it's Wang Kai."
Yu Meng smiled and said, "Then Xiao Rui will have to see if she can get in touch with him." Yu Rui is in the entertainment industry.
Bai Yuankai, of course, knew what Yu Meng meant. After Yu Shuang's mother passed away, Yu Shuang's condition worried everyone. Yuankai had suggested to Yu Shuang, "Let's have a relationship." "I don't want to get married," Yu Shuang retorted. Yuankai sent a message, "Not marriage, but love first." Yu Shuang replied, "I don't need a man." Yuankai corrected her, "You don't need a man, you need someone, someone who can connect with you spiritually."
That’s the point.
Materially, Yu Shuang is independent. But spiritually, her mother's death has left her with a significant loss. She agreed to the blind date to see if a Nuwa could appear and mend the gap in her heart.
Yuan Kai corrected: Nuwa.
Yu Shuang then retorted: "Men are not called Wa. What should they be called?" "Male God," she replied.
Yu Rui still hadn't arrived by the time they were halfway through their meal. It was as if the show had been previewed ten times, yet it still hadn't aired. Yu Shuang offered no explanation. But Yu Meng had to speak up for Rui, saying she was busy, rushing to the crew for an audition.
Increase your wealth.
Bai Yuankai asked: "Don't you have four beauties?"
Yu Shuang replied: "There is also a sister Jia."
Yuan Kai put his hand on his arm and asked, "Is it the one with short hair?"
Yu Meng was sensitive, "How do you know?"
“I collected money that day.”
"The children are young, the family is busy, and my husband is an official, so he can't handle it. Why don't you come today?" Yu Meng explained in a few words. The meaning was, don't overthink it. The only dish that could be served was Yu Rui's.
Yu Rui arrived after they were almost done eating. Bai Yuankai felt that was not right and insisted on ordering another round. Yu Rui was reserved and said she wasn't hungry. Yu Shuang said, "Let him order. He doesn't eat much in a year." Yu Meng handed Yu Rui the menu. Yu Rui ordered two dishes that were neither too expensive nor too cheap. Bai Yuankai took it, added a fish, and asked for chicken.
Yu Shuang stopped her. Her principle was: don't waste anything. But the interesting thing was that Yu Rui had arrived. The conversation between them became a little awkward. Aside from the funeral, this was their first proper meeting.
Yu Rui wasn't sure how to behave, so she just acted like a lady, doing neither good nor bad.
With the woman being reserved, Yuan Kai couldn't afford to be too aggressive. It was a simple question-and-answer session, chatting about showbiz. Yu Rui shared some harmless gossip, which made Yu Shuang yawn. It was almost time, so Yuan Kai paid the bill. Yu Meng arranged for a group photo. They paired up, then asked the waiter for a group photo.
In the photo, except Yu Shuang, the other three looked energetic.
At the restaurant entrance, Yu Shuang had already gotten into the car.
Bai Yuankai asked how to get there.
Yu Meng stood outside the car door. She hadn't drunk alcohol and was allowed to drive. "Shuang and I have something to do. We need to go to the hospital to get something." She then deliberately asked Yu Rui how to get there. Yu Rui was stunned at first, but then she understood what Sister Meng meant.
She was giving her opportunities.
Yuan Kai, being a gentleman, offered to give it a ride. Yu Rui pushed, but Yuan Kai insisted, so she respectfully obeyed. After getting in the car, Yu Shuang asked where Rui was. Yu Meng replied, "In the car behind."
Shuang didn't ask any more questions. As soon as the car passed two red lights, a light snoring sounded from inside the car. "Hey!" Yu Meng called. Shuang didn't wake up.
"That's amazing!" Yu Meng exclaimed. She was worried about Shuang. Which man would want a woman like her?
Yu Rui sat in the passenger seat. Aside from occasionally giving directions, she remained silent. Time and space shifted so quickly. Just a moment ago, she was at Liangcai's, and in the blink of an eye, she was in Yuankai's car. Yu Rui was nervous. From the moment she entered the restaurant, she was anxious about losing. She couldn't be herself in front of Bai Yuankai—and no wonder, after all, what kind of person was she? Realistic, direct, and although she had a literary side, life didn't allow her to be pretentious. Beautiful on the surface, she was actually tough on the inside. She had a bad fate. She wasn't born into a good family.
But he wasn't. Compared to her, he was truly fresh and innocent. Yu Rui was even a little afraid of contaminating him. She adhered to a principle: she tried not to tell lies. She was afraid that too many lies would affect their subsequent interactions.
"How did the audition go?" Bai Yuankai talked about something that was not discussed at the dinner table.
"Sister Meng said that?"
"Hmm?"
"I didn't tell them."
Yuan Kai smiled.
"I just went to meet a friend." She admitted.
Yuan Kai didn't know how to respond. He just kept driving.
"I'm sorry to be late," she continued.
"It doesn't matter."
"Ask a friend to do this for me, and go to work."
Bai Yuankai said "oh" again.
"I'm not very good at acting." Another blunt statement.
"I can see that." Yuan Kai smiled. Yu Rui also smiled. Yuan Kai glanced at Yu Rui in the rearview mirror. "The earrings are very beautiful."
Yu Rui was startled. Then she said, "Thank you."
Liangcai's gift was praised by Bai Yuankai. Yu Rui felt strange. He only saw the beauty before him. She feared that one day he would learn the rich history behind this beauty and be intimidated.
After "dealing" with two kinds of men in one day, Yu Rui felt a little tired.
After the implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations, civil servants had fewer drinking parties. Yu Jia was happy for Li Ren. At least it was good for his health. Li Ren used to drink a lot, getting bloated and fat. After arriving at the provincial government, he forced himself to lose weight.
The higher up the ladder, the more important one's health and image become. He couldn't help but consider his career. Yu Jia's only annoyance was that Li Ren didn't drink, but he didn't come home early either. During the days she'd been here, sometimes even on weekends, Li Ren would work overtime until eleven or twelve, even staying in the dorms. He'd call to let Yu Jia know he was safe, and then he'd tell her to go to bed early. But Yu Jia couldn't sleep well until Li Ren came home.
Having learned her lesson from the previous incident at Fengyi Pavilion, she declined Yu Shuang's invitation to dinner. She didn't like going out at night, always worried about getting into trouble. Furthermore, she and Li Ren were currently having a major disagreement. Sisi had already excitedly begun preparing her documents, diligently studying English for the IELTS. She had even received her documents today, and over dinner, she'd explained the application process to her, saying that with her talents, she had a good chance of getting into a good school.
Yu Jia couldn't stand it any longer and had to summon her motherly authority: "Don't talk while eating, and don't talk while sleeping." Sisi shut up. She now liked her father more than her mother. She felt that her father was Jupiter, bringing luck, while her mother was Saturn, oppressive. At eleven o'clock that evening, Sisi went to bed. Yu Jia couldn't help but call Li Ren.
No one answered the phone.
I called the office phone again, and after two calls, it went through and then became busy.
Could something have happened? Yu Jia's mind raced. He'd said he'd be working overtime that evening, but the office was clearly empty. A light drizzle was falling outside, so Yu Jia grabbed an umbrella and drove to Liren's office. Rain was even better. No matter what happened, at least he had a way out, an excuse—the pretense of delivering an umbrella, a legitimate excuse.
The road was clear, and they'd arrive in no time. Unable to drive straight in, Yu Jia found a spot on the side of the road to park. The rain continued to fall, and she held an umbrella in her right hand and another in her left as she headed towards the Liren office. It was her first time there. Following Liren's promotion, the office had become a fortified, upscale place.
Yu Jia is proud of her husband.
Liren always advised her to be cautious. It's lonely at the top, and she couldn't afford to make even the slightest mistake. "Looking for Di Liren," she said. The receptionist said, "Sorry, it's not working hours now."
No one will be allowed in.
Yu Jia identified herself, hoping someone at the reception desk would let her in to check. She said her husband might be working overtime. "The child is sick," she said, sounding incredibly urgent. As they were talking, a young man emerged. Hearing the name "Di Liren," he hurriedly asked Yu Jia what she was up to. Yu Jia identified herself, and the man told her to wait.
Yu Jia sat in the reception room for twenty minutes before the young man returned and took her to a guesthouse run by a bureau employee. There, Yu Jia met Di Liren.
He and two colleagues had booked a hotel room and were currently working on some materials. Yu Jia, feeling she had disturbed her husband, offered him an umbrella as soon as he emerged, explaining that it was raining and she hadn't seen him come home for a long time, so she was worried the roads would be difficult and the rain would be too heavy.
Li Ren's face was gloomy. She took the umbrella and just said, "You go back first." As if she was not in the presence of others.
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