Chapter 71 Does she have another boyfriend?
Mu Yan didn't want to say anything more to him, so she turned around, walked past him, closed the door, and left.
Whether Shang Qiyue was sad or not, whether he would stay sad forever or soon go back to his glamorous life with his friends, Mu Yan didn't care anymore.
He needs to live his own life now, and whether Shang Qiyue dwells on the past is none of his business.
Mu Yan walked out of the residential area, hailed a car, and gave Zhou Yiting the hotel address she had given him.
He was actually quite happy to receive Sister Zhou's invitation. Although he didn't like such occasions, Sister Zhou seemed to value and trust him quite a bit now, which was a good thing.
Mu Yan has been with the company for two and a half years, including his senior year internship. He has the qualifications and a good education, so it's time for him to be promoted.
When Mu Yan arrived, there weren't many people around. Among the few familiar faces, there was only Xiao Chen from the next department, and the other two were leaders. He handed the perfume he had bought in advance to Sister Zhou, wished her a happy birthday, and then greeted the other leaders and colleagues.
He specifically chose the perfume; it's a very common scent, so even if Sister Zhou doesn't like it, she can easily give it away to someone else.
Zhou Yiting smiled and said, "It's enough that you've come. There's no need to bring gifts. It's too formal."
People gradually arrived. Although Mu Yan wasn't very good at drinking, seeing that everyone's glasses were filled with either red or white wine, he reluctantly poured himself a glass of red wine and offered it to Sister Zhou, saying a few words of birthday wishes that he had prepared in advance.
Although Mu Yan was there as a subordinate, there was not much restraint at the dinner table. Zhou Yiting told everyone to make themselves at home, and Mu Yan quietly sat in the corner eating his food, occasionally laughing along with everyone.
After a few rounds of drinks, the aftereffects of the red wine began to show, and Mu Yan's face started to flush, and his ears became increasingly hot.
He happened to receive a phone call, so he got up and left his seat. Taking the opportunity to go out and answer the call, he also went to the rooftop to get some fresh air and sober up.
The call was from He Fan. Mu Yan had contacted him several times before, wanting to treat him to the hot pot meal they owed each other, but He Fan seemed to be abroad on business and couldn't come back, so they hadn't been able to make an appointment.
"Xiao Fan, have you returned to China?"
He Fan smiled and said, "Yes, I just got back yesterday."
Mu Yan wasn't the type to pry into other people's private affairs. Despite being roommates for two years, she knew very little about He Fan's family.
All he knew was that He Fan had a mother living abroad, and that He Fan would skip class several times each semester to fly abroad, whether for fun or for some important reason.
"Is Xiao Fan going to N State? I remember Zhi Yuan was studying there too."
"No, but I transited through N state on my way back to China and had dinner with Zhiyuan. He asked about you guys, how you've been lately, and said he wanted the four of us to get together when you get back. He said he really couldn't get used to the food there, and the foreigners were especially xenophobic when doing group projects, ignoring them..."
It had rained a few days ago, and the temperature in City A had dropped a bit. The wind was also quite strong on the rooftop, and Mu Yan was sobered up quite a bit by the wind, so he couldn't help but sneeze.
"What's wrong? Did you catch a cold, Xiao Yan? I think I heard a bit of wind over there. Is it too windy?"
"Hmm," Mu Yan leaned against the railing, "It's my boss's birthday, I had a few drinks and I'm a little tipsy, so I came out for some fresh air. I'll go in in a bit."
"Have you been drinking?" He Fan seemed to pause for a moment. "Where are you? I'll come pick you up."
It was common knowledge in their dorm that Mu Yan couldn't drink alcohol. The only time he drank was when they went out for barbecue before graduation. Mu Yan only drank one bottle of beer and then lay on the table, his face flushed, talking nonsense.
He was probably a little drunk and confused today, otherwise, given Mu Yan's personality, he would definitely have kept his drinking a secret to avoid troubling others by saying they would come to pick him up.
"No, no, I didn't drink too much. I won't let myself drink too much. I've been working for two years now, and my alcohol tolerance is much better than before. I only had half a glass of red wine..." Mu Yan's explanation only made things worse, and finally he had no choice but to change the subject. "I'm going into Xiao Fan's room first. If there's nothing else, I'll call you back tonight and we can continue talking."
"Did you and Lu Chong break up?" He Fan suddenly asked out of the blue.
Mu Yan was taken aback, somewhat confused as to why he had suddenly jumped to this topic.
"We broke up...we broke up a long time ago."
"Why didn't you let me pick you up, brother? Do you have another boyfriend now?"
"No, no," Mu Yan was stunned by what he said, and really couldn't understand the connection between not letting He Fan pick him up and having another boyfriend. "I just felt... that it would be a bit of a hassle for you."
"If I get drunk and need my brother to pick me up, do you also think it's a hassle?"
Mu Yan had already pushed open the rooftop door to go back, but He Fan's logic confused her, and she felt her head spinning again. She thought she might as well stay out in the breeze for a while longer.
He Fan seemed angry and suddenly hung up the phone. Mu Yan hurriedly called back to explain, but a link popped up in the chat interface.
Mu Yan's head was spinning, and before he could see clearly, his hand clicked the button faster than his brain could.
By the time Mu Yan realized what it was, it was too late to open it. He hurriedly clicked to exit location sharing and soon received a message from He Fan.
"Brother, you've been tricked."
"If you don't tell me what time your brother finishes, I'll leave now to pick him up."
Mu Yan was both amused and exasperated. He Fan's tone was light and cheerful, and Mu Yan could almost picture him raising his eyebrows and smiling gently on the other end of the phone.
Mu Yan returned to the dining table, estimated the end time, and sent it to He Fan.
He Fan is two years younger than him, and sometimes he is as childish as a child. Mu Yan can't get angry at him at all. He vaguely wanted to go to a night market nearby. He searched for the exact location and planned to invite He Fan to have some late-night snacks later.
There's a snack street behind A University. When they were in college, He Fan and his friends liked to stroll around there after dinner, around 10 p.m., and then sneak into the dorms just before they closed.
Mu Yan was busy with part-time jobs and experiments, so he often didn't spend time with them. Sometimes his three roommates would bring him some too, and Mu Yan always remembered their kindness.
After the dinner, Sister Zhou and some friends were going to go sing karaoke, while Mu Yan's colleagues, who weren't as close to her, said they had to go home. Mu Yan packed a plate of grilled eel from the hotel, and when he walked out of the hotel, He Fan was already waiting for him downstairs.
He Fan smiled, her eyes crinkling: "For me?"
"Hmm, this looks pretty good. Thanks for picking me up. There's a food street nearby, want to go check it out? I'll treat you to some late-night snacks."
Mu Yan's face was flushed, and her whole body was pink; she was clearly drunk.
He Fan took the takeout box from his hand, and their fingers touched briefly before parting.
“Still shopping?” He Fan looked at him and laughed. “Brother, you’ve drunk so much, your face is so red.”
Mu Yan subconsciously touched his face. It wasn't very hot, but he was probably quite drunk, which explained why they ignored him when urging him to drink at the dinner table.
"Get in the car first. I called because I have something to ask Brother Yan. Let's talk in person."
When Mu Yan heard that it was something important, he shook his head slightly, as if he could shake off the alcohol. He Fan couldn't help but chuckle when he saw him. He opened the car door for him, put him in the passenger seat, and bent down to fasten his seatbelt.
It seems that He Fan's family bought him a car when he was in college, so his family must be well-off. However, he usually wears clothes that cost only a few dozen yuan each, and he would fight with Mu Yan and the others for discounted tissues at the supermarket and eat in the cafeteria for ten yuan. So when Mu Yan later saw him in his brother's apartment building, he wasn't very surprised. It was probably for the convenience of his internship or something.
He Fan handed him a bottle of mineral water: "Have some water first. You might feel nauseous if you drink alcohol while riding in the car."
Mu Yan took the water and drank a few sips, still thinking about the important matter that He Fan wanted to ask.
He Fan pursed his lips, seemingly thinking for a moment about how to ask the question, and Mu Yan didn't want to urge him.
"I just wanted to ask if you've encountered any strange people lately?"
"Have you been staying in City A recently, or have you been to the capital?"
Seemingly realizing that the previous question was too general, He Fan immediately asked another question.
"I've been to the capital..." Mu Yan paused, sensing something was amiss. "The capital... what happened?"
"When you were in the capital, did you encounter any strange people? Did they speak to you or ask you any questions?"
After drinking, people's thoughts become very unrestrained. Mu Yan remembered that He Fan's major in college was something like international relations. He vaguely thought about the deeds of the agents he had seen online and wondered if He Fan had gone to country A to work as an agent or something, and now someone was trying to target him by targeting the people around him.
Mu Yan thought about it for a while and realized that there was nothing strange about it, no one who seemed like a spy.
No, no.
"That's good." He Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "If you feel carsick, take a nap. I'll try to drive as steadily as possible."
Mu Yan nodded and gave He Fan the address of his newly rented apartment. He Fan drove him downstairs and accompanied him upstairs, only leaving after seeing him unlock the door with his key.
Under the streetlights, he took a picture of the grilled eel that Mu Yan had bought for him and posted it on his WeChat Moments without any caption.
A short while later, the phone rang.
"Have you gone back to China? Why didn't you even call me or Aunt He?"
“Hmm,” He Fan said, his smile vanishing, and he kicked a stone by the roadside with a cold expression. “I went to see a friend and haven’t had a chance to call yet.”
"I know you've gotten used to traveling between the two countries on your own all these years, but I still need to call Aunt He to let her know, she'll be worried."
"I see."
The man on the other end of the phone gave a few more instructions, and He Fan pretended to yawn.
"Are you sleepy?" The man seemed to realize he had been rambling on. "Do you need to adjust to the time difference? I won't bother you anymore. Go to sleep after you have your midnight snack."
How considerate. He Fan sneered inwardly.
This older brother, who has had a smooth and successful life, always seems to think that as long as he puts in a little effort, everything will go smoothly.
Unfortunately, things in this world can't always go as you wish, brother.
[Author's Note]
Get a number and queue up here (Attack 3)
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