Chapter 50
He loved openly and steadfastly, yet his love was also fraught with conflict.
Chen Zhiyu couldn't resist being provoked by Qiao Xi's sweet words. After the two had a short meeting and talked about their pent-up feelings, they drove home and spent a pleasant weekend together.
Next Monday is the last working week before the annual leave, and Chen Zhiyu hasn't been idle since returning from his business trip.
Liu Weifeng's company was nearing the end of its year-end business. On the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, before dawn, Chen Zhiyu rushed to the company, and Qiao Xi didn't see him when she woke up.
This is his fourth day of working overtime. He is always in a hurry, leaving early and returning late.
Once today ends, the Spring Festival holiday will truly begin. Josh rarely puts on a full face of makeup, and quietly sits at the dining table. After eating the breakfast that Chen Zhiyu had prepared in advance, she excitedly rushes to catch the bus to work.
The cooperation agreement with Tang Ning's cousin's company has been successfully reached, but it will not be officially implemented until after the New Year.
The workload was significantly reduced today, and the atmosphere in the group was relaxed as a result. Josh and the others only needed to complete their daily tasks, and there wasn't much else to do.
Time flies, and the morning passed in a pleasant mood.
Josh and Xiao Yao went out for lunch. The cold wind was fierce, carrying a strong chill, and swept through the empty streets.
The two went to a shopping mall not far away and ordered two bowls of hot duck blood vermicelli soup. Josh was worried that he wouldn't have enough to eat, so he also prepared a sesame seed cake.
After lunch, Josh and Xiao Yao walked side by side back to the company. The strong wind tousled her hair and dried her cheeks. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Josh pulled it out; the ringtone was faint amidst the howling wind. Seeing Chen Zhiyu's name flashing on the screen, she pressed the answer button.
"What's up?"
Having just finished eating, to avoid getting a stomachful of cold air, Josh lowered her head, zipped her coat all the way up, burying half her face in her clothes. The sounds coming from inside were muffled, so she had to raise her voice.
On the other end of the phone, Chen Zhiyu's voice, mixed with the sound of the wind, rang in her ear, "Where are you?"
Josh raised an eyebrow and then joked, "Checking up on me? I just finished eating with Xiao Yao. We had duck blood vermicelli soup at a nearby building. It was pretty good."
Recalling his tantrum that day, Chen Zhiyu was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond. However, he quickly regained his composure and said softly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "It's nothing serious, I just missed you."
Josh was taken aback by the sudden, cloying remark. She looked up at Xiao Yao, who was walking ahead, and was relieved to see that she hadn't noticed them.
Feeling like she'd been blown around by the wind, her face was so stiff she couldn't even make a face. She lowered her voice and cursed, "Are you crazy? We left our houses one after the other this morning, and we even said goodnight to each other before going to bed last night. It's only been a few hours. Besides, we'll see each other again in less than five hours."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
But Chen Zhiyu on the other end of the phone persisted in his confession, "But I just miss you." Perhaps afraid she wouldn't believe him, he suddenly became more serious.
Whether it was the wind or Chen Zhiyu's cheesy words, Qiao Xi felt goosebumps all over her body even through her thick coat.
She pretended to be angry and yelled, "Get lost!"
"Can you pick me up today?" Chen Zhiyu asked in his usual tone, afraid that Qiao Xi would refuse. He then added, "There's an internal company dinner tonight, and I'd like you to pick me up."
Josh suddenly realized, "Ah, so that's what they were waiting for me to do."
Chen Zhiyu then said to himself, "I've made all the arrangements. You can take a taxi over, and we'll drive home together."
"Send me your address in a bit." Since I had nothing to do after work anyway, and Chen Zhiyu had finally taken the initiative to make a request, there was no reason for me not to comply.
After saying that, Josh suddenly remembered something, "You reminded me, my sister-in-law messaged me this morning, asking us to go to their place on New Year's Eve."
Liu Weifeng and Yang Ling's son is abroad and can't come back. The two of them find the New Year too monotonous, so they want to invite Qiao Xi and Yang Ling over to have some fun together.
Without even thinking, Chen Zhiyu refused outright, "I'm not going."
"Why?"
"I just want to spend the New Year with you, just the two of us." Chen Zhiyu's reason was frighteningly straightforward. Afraid that he hadn't expressed himself clearly enough, he reiterated his refusal, "I'm not going."
Hearing Chen Zhiyu's emphasis, Qiao Xi smiled and said, "Alright then, I'll decline her. We'll bring gifts over on New Year's Day."
Seeing that she had agreed, Chen Zhiyu immediately became excited, "Okay, let's go buy New Year's goods tomorrow."
Buying New Year's goods is something they do every year for the past two years. But this year, Chen Zhiyu is particularly looking forward to it. Perhaps it's because his relationship with Qiao Xi has changed, giving the upcoming New Year a different meaning.
Stimulated by Chen Zhiyu's high spirits, Qiao Xi's heart also filled with anticipation. After the two finished discussing, they hung up the phone.
As Josh packed up her things to leave the company after get off work, she suddenly received a message from Chen Zhiyu: "Don't forget to pick me up tonight." Like a kindergarten child afraid of being abandoned by their parents, Josh smiled helplessly and replied, "Okay."
Josh went home and ate dinner first, and only when it was almost time did he prepare to call a car.
The address Chen Zhiyu sent was for the most famous restaurant in Hengcheng, and it was around 10 p.m. when they arrived. There were few pedestrians on the street, only occasional vehicles passing by.
The restaurant was brightly lit, with colorful lights illuminating the entrance. Coincidentally, Josh had just gotten out of the car when he saw a group of people gathered at the entrance.
The leaders of Liu Weifeng's company are all elderly, so Chen Zhiyu stands out like a crane among chickens.
Chen Zhiyu, wearing a long black down jacket, stood straight to the side, looking somewhat unsteady.
He had drunk quite a bit. It was all Liu Weifeng's fault for being so cunning and sly, using all sorts of excuses to get him drunk, like "Anyway, Josh will pick you up," which he actually enjoyed. Not only him, Liu Weifeng also instigated others, all of whom were senior colleagues in the company who had taken good care of him over the past six months, and Chen Zhiyu had no choice but to accept it.
Finally, he drank until his eyes were unfocused and his feet slipped.
Before leaving, he felt dizzy, and now standing at the door with the wind blowing, the effects of the alcohol were fully amplified. Chen Zhiyu's eyes were glazed over, and everything he saw looked like a tangled mess of threads.
But standing on the steps, through the messy, hazy fog, he immediately and accurately located Josh's position.
Josh wore the same long black down jacket as him, and he had a good reason for buying it: it was durable and resistant to dirt.
This ubiquitous down jacket, ironically, felt like a matching couple's outfit to him. Chen Zhiyu's lips unconsciously curled up slightly. He took unsteady steps, this distance being his limit, and when he stopped in front of Qiao Xi, he naturally fell into her arms.
The black color blends in seamlessly.
For a long time, Chen Zhiyu held her without moving.
Josh took her hand out of her pocket, steadied him by the waist, and asked with concern, "Are you cold?" Her original intention was for the two of them to go back to the car together.
To her surprise, Chen Zhiyu suddenly let go of her, and in Qiao Xi's stunned gaze, he unzipped his clothes and then pulled her into his arms.
A wave of warmth enveloped Josh instantly. Chen Zhiyu simply held her tightly, without saying a word.
Sensing the strong smell of alcohol emanating from Chen Zhiyu, Qiao Xi cursed Liu Weifeng inwardly, wondering how much he had been forced to drink.
She knew all too well that drunk people didn't think straight. Josh hugged him, half-coaxingly saying, "Shall we go to the car first?"
Fortunately, the drunkard was obedient enough, and the two of them managed to get into the car with great difficulty after some twists and turns. "Don't look at me, fasten your seatbelts," Josh reminded them.
Upon hearing the instruction, Chen Zhiyu clumsily pulled out his seatbelt, his movements slow. Qiao Xi helplessly unbuckled her seatbelt, walked over to him, and helped him adjust it.
......
After finally managing to drag him into the house, Chen Zhiyu refused to move from the living room, no matter how much she tried to persuade him, he wouldn't take off his clothes to sleep.
Looking at the drunkard sitting on the carpet, Josh took a deep breath, squatted down, and stood at eye level with him, trying to reason with him, "Chen Zhiyu, what exactly do you want to do?"
Perhaps sensing the anger in Josh's words, Chen Zhiyu finally made his move, slowly pulling a square red box from his shirt pocket.
The box was opened, and a pair of beautiful rings lay quietly on the black background.
The design features a twisted pattern, with one of the diamonds encircling a half-circle, shimmering with tiny sparkles under the soft light. "When did you buy it?" Josh's throat tightened, and his voice trembled.
"It's been several days." Chen Zhiyu lowered his head and stroked the edge of the box, his tone a little aggrieved.
"Why didn't you give it to me back then?" Josh continued to ask.
Chen Zhiyu fell silent, raising his head to gaze quietly at Qiao Xi. His dark eyes, clouded by the smell of alcohol, stared at her with a misty gaze.
"Are you afraid I won't accept it?" Josh guessed softly.
Chen Zhiyu stubbornly shook his head, still remaining silent. He had grown so much in just one year. He knew he was burdened with debt, and financially, Josh could have chosen a much easier life.
He was the one who pursued her back then, and he's still pursuing her now.
He loved openly and steadfastly, yet his love was also fraught with conflict.
Josh could have chosen a better partner instead of being tied to him. But he's selfish, and he can't let go.
So he bought the rings, maliciously wanting Josh to show them to everyone who was interested in her.
Chen Zhiyu was drunk. He covered his face, and his long-buried thoughts flowed out through his fingers: "I'm afraid you'll meet someone better and leave me, but I'm even more afraid you'll meet someone better and not leave me."
The room was so quiet that every word Chen Zhiyu uttered reached her ears clearly. It took Qiao Xi a long time to understand the meaning behind his words.
After a long while, she sighed softly, running her hand through her soft hair. Josh knew best what she wanted most.
What she wanted was companionship and encouragement, not complete dependence.
What she wanted was someone to rely on.
She wouldn't rely on Chen Zhiyu, nor on anyone else. She wouldn't depend on anyone but herself.
Unsure if the drunkard could understand the certainty in her words, she chose to extend her slender right hand directly in front of Chen Zhiyu and whispered, "Put it on for me."
These words were like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the gloom that had been weighing on Chen Zhiyu's mind. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and panic almost simultaneously.
Josh tilted his head and smiled at him, then slowly raised his right ring finger towards him, urging him with feigned anger, "Hurry up."
Chen Zhiyu wiped away the tears in his eyes, and with trembling hands, took out the women's ring from the box. He slipped the ring onto his hand, and it shimmered softly under the light.
"It's beautiful," he praised, his voice choked with emotion.
Josh took out another one from the box, returning the favor.
Their hands were clasped tightly together.
Chen Zhiyu buried his head in Qiao Xi's knees and whispered a promise, his voice muffled, "I've learned a lot from Liu Weifeng in the past six months. In two years, I'll be able to work on projects independently and get a share of the profits instead of just a fixed salary."
“I’ve calculated it. If I do this, I’ll be able to pay off all the money my brother owes in a few years.”
"Josh, please wait for me a little longer. I'll be starting from scratch then."
He started from a lower point and had to work twice as hard to catch up with her.
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