After the New Year, Beijing returned to its usual bustle and crowds, and Xiao Zhu went back to work.
Just before getting out of the car, Jian Suiying smiled and said,
"You must be quite popular at this school, huh?"
Xiao Zhu smiled sheepishly but said nothing.
The moment he pulled open the door to step out, a girl dashed beside him, calling excitedly, "Brother Minmin!" Startled, Xiao Zhu slammed the door shut.
Her cheeks, slightly reddened by the cold, resembled a blooming winter plum blossom in the frosty air. Xiao Zhu replied awkwardly, "You should call me 'teacher' at school."
Jian Suiying rolled down her window, raising an eyebrow at the pair.
The girl showed no shyness whatsoever. She crouched down to glance at Jian Suiying, then gasped, " " "Brother Minmin's friend is so
handsome! He looks like a celebrity!"
Xiao Zhu emphasized, "Call me Teacher."
Xiao Zhu, whether intentionally or not, blocked the car window with his body. He whispered: "I'll come tomorrow. Just bring your books to school."
school."
Jian Suiying chuckled softly. "What did she call you? Minmin?"
"Yeah, she's a distant relative's kid. She came to Beijing for school this year, and my family asked me to look after her."
Jian Suiying had a strange suspicion in his mind, but he didn't voice it. He ruffled Xiao Zhu's hair. "You're quite the teacher.
like a teacher. Go on in, don't be late."
Xiao Zhu gently grasped his hand, unconsciously rubbing his knuckles. "Jian... Sui, Suiying."
Reflecting carefully, he realized that when he first tried to take care of Xiao Zhu, the other had been reluctant.
He'd never considered whether Xiao Zhu was actually gay, but he could sense Xiao Zhu's feelings for him
—whether it was affection or gratitude.
But he forgot to consider that Xiao Zhu was more likely a normal man who needed to marry and have children. Jian Suiying sighed.
If Xiao Zhu were to marry someday, he would definitely give a generous red envelope.
Jian Suiying drifted through Beijing alone in his car, with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
He knew he should follow the city's rhythm, wake up quickly after the Spring Festival holiday, and do something meaningful instead of wasting his life like this.
He'd never considered himself lazy in his life, yet now he couldn't even be bothered to go downstairs to buy groceries.
What should he do next? Continue running his company? Keep making money? He already had enough to get by. What was the point of earning more?
Jian Suiying thought that if his self from half a year ago saw him now, the two versions of himself would probably come to blows.
Back then, he'd been fiercely driven, brimming with ambition, never knowing when to pause or feel satisfied. Now, his body and mind were utterly exhausted,
exhausted, stuck in place, unsure where to go next.
How had he become this person? How had he turned into the very type he despised most—some pathetic loser who crumbled at the first sign of heartbreak,
a pathetic coward who couldn't muster the energy for anything?
Jian Suiying, isn't this embarrassing? Can you really keep going like this?
The car seemed to have a mind of its own. Before Jian Suiying could even register it, he'd already driven back to Xiao Zhu's place.
.
He needed to prepare himself, get ready to strike back at Jian Suilin.
Today was the day to seriously consider what tomorrow would bring.
The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor. A "ding" sounded as the doors slid open to reveal a figure before him.
A figure flashed before his eyes. Before he could make out who it was, he was yanked out of the elevator and shoved against the wall.
against the wall. Then a mouth pressed against his.
The memory of that perpetually fresh, clean scent was replaced by a strong, pungent smell of alcohol, making Jian Suiying's blood boil.
His lips were savagely ravaged as Li Yu's slurred voice echoed in his ear, "I miss you, I miss you."
Jian Suiying cursed Li Yu inwardly, wrenching his arms free and shoving him out.
Li Yu staggered slightly, clearly having drunk quite a lot. He leaned against the wall, his fair face looking somewhat disheveled, and he had
noticeably thinner.
Jian Suiying wanted to shove him into the large trash bin in the stairwell—it suited his behavior perfectly.
Jian Suiying sneered coldly, "That won't work on me. That club you visited last time? There's a crowd of people thinking about me there every single day."
Li Yu bowed his head as if crushed under the weight of it all. He raised the bulging file folder in his hands toward Jian Suiying.
"Brother Jian, this is thirty percent of the company's shares. The rest, I will definitely compensate you for. I'll pay you double for all the losses you've suffered.
"I beg you, Brother Jian, give me a chance."