While the ancients said that the embraces of women were the graves of heroes, in truth, which hero was willing to be tied down by nothing, having nowhere to rest?
Every man needs a source of gentleness, whether he is a success or a failure, strong or weak...this country in this era was at a point where it only demanded and called for responsibility from men, lacking magnanimity and understanding.
Therefore, a source of gentleness, an understanding woman who knew how to support and dispense care...it was precious and hard to come by and indeed.
“Fu Cheng, you’ve got to believe in yourself. Don’t give yourself too much pressure. Niannian and I both believe in you...you’ll definitely be able to take good care of us. The two of us will be very good. We’ll also take care of you, empathise with you, always like you.”
Fang Yunyao gave Fu Cheng consolation and encouragement.
She also vaguely hit at the root of the problem. While Xu Tingsheng and Huang Yaming might not have directly exerted pressure on Fu Cheng, they had virtually changed his surrounding environment and life completely...his standards were now too high as what he asked from himself had become very high as well.
This caused Fu Cheng to be troubled, lost, tired.
Fortunately, he had such a good woman.
The next day, Fu Cheng sent resumes to a bunch of companies in Shenghai and Xihu City, seeking an internship opportunity.
“If someone really wants me, you’ve got to lend me a car so that I can go home during the weekends,” Fu Cheng told Xu Tingsheng.
“Got it,” Xu Tingsheng said.
In this aspect, Fu Cheng was actually much luckier than Huang Yaming.
……
Already nearly overlapping with the entertainment news, the latest finance news was that Zhang Xingke who had been pretty popular online recently had brought along his new troops, the elite team which had achieved splendid results in Hucheng’s southwest expansion previously, and returned to Shenghai where he had once been tragically defeated.
Some reporters said that his subordinates had been wearing matching T-shirts as they got off the plane. On the shirts were printed: Heard my boss was once defeated here.
It looked like the place where this domineering CEO, youth entrepreneur idol and arrogant guy had decided to establish his new business was Shenghai again.
Many were looking forward to how this new chapter would unfold as he staged a resurgence where he had once been defeated.
The reporters once again asked Zhang Xingke what kind of company he was intending to establish.
Zhang Xingke said, “I’ll go on TV for some matchmaking first.”
Everyone: …
Xu Tingsheng texted Huang Yaming: Zhang Xingke’s here in Shenghai. Have you met?
The reason he chose to text rather than call was that most of the time, words were better able to express things and give people more space to consider affairs than speech...what Xu Tingsheng had left unsaid was actually: Chen Jingqi’s here in Shenghai. Aren’t you planning to go see her?
A deeper meaning: Aren’t you going to try again?
More than half a year had passed. Xu Tingsheng felt that perhaps time could help smoothen some things, allowing people to be brave again. Perhaps it was possible for Chen Jingqi too.
According to Zhang Xingke, over this past half year, she had always been actively taking the initiative in things as she was very hardworking, tough and optimistic...she was a fast learner, having performed very well...she had changed a lot…
What was no different was that she was still alone, not yet having fallen in love with another person.
Huang Yaming’s reply only arrived more than an hour later. He said: I’m on the way back to Yanzhou. I’m almost halfway there already.”
Xu Tingsheng replied: Almost halfway...that means it’d still be nearer to go back.
Another twenty plus minutes later.
Huang Yaming sent: I just saw the sign. I’m more than halfway back now.
That night, Xu Tingsheng saw Huang Yaming.
Parking directly downstairs, he called them and asked, “Will you two leave your women behind and accompany me today?”
Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng settled their families and went downstairs.
The trio drove off, looking for a place to drink.
Passing a convenience store, they bought beer and snacks. Flirting with the female employee there and asking for her number, they made her so nervous. They stopped the car and yelled towards the girls walking together by the roadside: ‘Ya so beautiful, girls!’ before immediately driving off again.
Opening the car window, laughing without abandon.
Looking for a place to sit or lie down by the riverbank.
Starting to drink, starting to chat. They chatted about back in senior high, from when they had all met one another. They spoke of how suddenly, one day, one of them had asked: We should be the best kind of friends, right? The other two had then said that yeah, that should be the case.
They talked about how they had embarrassed themselves, the girls they had liked, the foolish things they had done.
They talked about how long they had not spoken to one another after clashing when.
They talked about…
They drank very quickly. Time passed very quickly as well.
Around one o’ clock, the temperature went down greatly as the cold wind permeated their chests in the summer night. The three got back into the car but did not go home. They continued to drink beer, all the way till Huang Yaming got drunk…
Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng had outlasted him for once.
Before collapsing into a drunken stupor, Huang Yaming had pulled out his phone and said, “I’ve got to work hard to forget her number...I was drunk two days back and sent her a whole load of bull again. I must forget it, I must forget it…”
This was out of Xu Tingsheng’s and Fu Cheng’s expectations. It was really too unlike Huang Yaming.
They only hesitated for a full second before deciding to peek at Huang Yaming’s message history. In the end, they discovered that he had haphazardly sent her a few dozen texts...unclear in expression, chaotic in form, with a whole bunch of mistyped words.
He must really have been drunk to the point of unconsciousness then.
Feeling pestered, Chen Jingqi had finally replied: If only there was something which could let one feel another’s pain in this world. If only you could have had a portion of it earlier, this day would never have come...your regret, my hatred.
Such a calm expression of words was actually more resolute than lovers cursing at each other after breaking up. It was when one was afraid of the other after having rationalised calmly.
In reality, women generally appear more intense at the regrettable end of a relationship. They talk, they cry...maybe it is precisely because of this that having vented, they can instead walk out from its shadow quicker most of the time.
It is different for men. Men mostly work hard to maintain their image and pride...for a long time afterwards, they are more likely to be wrecked by that pain after waking from dreams and wine.
They generally believe that if they work hard enough, when they possess enough one day, they will have the courage and the opportunity to plead that she turn back. Sadly, most of them discover that they were wrong at the end of the day.
……
One day later, two days before the various primary schools and junior highs opened.
Fang Ruli and her mother returned from Bingzhou to Yanzhou.
They were sent back by Old Jin and Little Jinshan.
Fang Ruli was definitely not returning to that school for nobility in Xihu City. As for whether she would stay in Bingzhou or return to Yanzhou to continue her studies and life, they had actually
already been debating this for a number of days.
The study materials in Bingzhou were different. They would also be lonely from residing in an unfamiliar environment far from home...in the end, mother and daughter had clenched their teeth and decided to return.
To return and face everything would actually not be easy too, especially psychologically. Although they owned a big house in Yanzhou, they already no longer had a home there.
Fang Ruli’s father was still in prison, her elder brother Fang Ruju was going to Yanjing, her cousin Fang Chen had left the country and her cousin Fang Yuqing was away working most of the time...this young girl had to be strong in facing a lot of things.
Xu Tingsheng personally cooked a meal to welcome Fang Ruli and her mother as well as Old Jin and Little Jinshan.
Halfway into this family banquet, the women who had finished eating first ran off to the study. Xiang Ning hugged Niannian as she caught up with Fang Ruli. Fang Yunyao and Mrs Fang were discussing the matter of the continuity of Fang Ruli’s lessons.
Only Fu Cheng, Xu Tingsheng, Huang Yaming as well as Old Jin and Little Jinshan remained at the table.
“Right, Tingsheng, what is CDO?” Huang Yaming suddenly asked.
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