After returning from the hotel, Chen An might have caught a bit of a cold. When he got home, he slept groggily for the whole day. As soon as he got up, he received a phone call from Quan Zirong calling him here.
He said a new bar had opened here last month. The atmosphere was great and the environment quiet, suitable for heart-to-heart talks.
The last two words set the theme for tonight’s meeting. Sure enough, as soon as the two sat down in their booth, Quan Zirong started rambling: “The owner here is a handsome guy.”
Chen An listlessly scanned the QR code on the table to order, responding perfunctorily: “You’re interested in handsome guys?”
Quan Zirong frowned in disgust: “Not at all. Where there are handsome guys, there are beautiful women. Don’t let one leaf block your view—look at more beautiful women outside. With your qualifications, what kind of woman couldn’t you find?”
Chen An had an unbearable headache. When the drinks were served, he quickly took a large gulp before saying: “So if my qualifications are so good, why doesn’t she like me?”
Quan Zirong looked defeated and earnestly persuaded: “Chen An, can we not be so obsessive like this? You treat Cheng Lele like the COVID virus—as soon as she appears, your immune system completely collapses. Damn, even the COVID virus doesn’t have this much destructive power. Doctors say the best way to prevent infection is physical isolation. I think during this period, you shouldn’t return to Taixi. Find a girlfriend over in the provincial capital. Whether it works out or not, just try dating around. Who knows, maybe while dating it’ll work out.”
Chen An said nothing, his eyes dim, drinking sullenly.
Quan Zirong felt he was being boring and also shut his mouth. The two drank in silence for a while. Quan Zirong suddenly jerked his chin forward: “Hey, that handsome guy is the owner here. I think his surname is Zhong.”
Chen An looked up toward the entrance. In the dim lighting of the bar, he still recognized Zhong Ming at a glance, and also saw the woman behind him wearing a face full of smiles.
Quan Zirong looked past Zhong Ming’s shoulder and also saw Cheng Lele, whom he hadn’t seen in many years.
He remembered that the Cheng Lele of those years was soft, cute, and well-behaved. Only on that day when she wore her certificate printed on her chest for show, her entire being had been full of dashing wildness and unrestrained spirit. And now she had shed her childishness, her features were more intense, confident and spirited, carrying a bit of that football babe appearance from that day, but compared to the football babe, she had more intellectuality and wisdom—like a flag printed with Sanskrit script, fluttering in the wind, causing people to admire from afar, causing people to stop and study. No wonder Chen An was beside himself.
From Chen An’s grim gaze, Quan Zirong suddenly understood who this handsome bar owner was. Even if he hadn’t understood, from the way Cheng Lele and this man interacted, he could guess the general situation.
Quan Zirong believed Chen An was the most devoted man in the world. Devotion was a synonym for loyalty, naturally a beautiful virtue. If Cheng Lele and Chen An were together, they would be an enviable couple. Unfortunately, the reality was that his brother had been one-sidedly loving someone all along, so devotion had turned into suffering. A wise and decisive business elite, after being let down for seven years, within less than a month had smoothly lain down in the same coffin again, and was unwilling to let him reach out and rescue him.
Quan Zirong felt that saying any comforting words at this moment would be futile. With that effort, he might as well adopt a treatment of scraping the bone to remove poison, to make him reborn from despair.
So Quan Zirong became a free live commentary narrator.
“Isn’t that the one she eloped with?”
“Holy shit, Cheng Lele even has tattoos!”
“Holy shit, the two of them got matching couple tattoos!”
“Holy shit, Cheng Lele drinks alcohol!”
“Holy shit, are those two about to embrace!”
“Holy shit, there’s even a gift!”
…
It wasn’t until Cheng Lele went to the bathroom that Quan Zirong’s knife-twisting behavior came to a halt.
Chen An turned to look at Quan Zirong and asked: “Done?”
Quan Zirong nodded.
At this moment, Chen An’s eyes were instead clear and bright. He nonchalantly finished the last bit of his drink, nimbly picked up the jacket beside him, stood up and said: “Then I’m leaving.”
Quan Zirong followed behind, fussing and admonishing: “If you’re feeling bad, I’ll find another place to drink with you. Get thoroughly drunk, and we’ll be done with this matter. When the sun rises tomorrow, it’ll be a new day.”
Chen An took large, steady strides: “No need, Zirong. I’m going back to the provincial capital. Didn’t you tell me to isolate?”
“No, how are you going to drive to the provincial capital in the middle of the night after drinking?”
“I’ll call a designated driver.” Chen An said rationally.
“I’ll take you.” Quan Zirong was worried.
Chen An opened his phone and ordered a designated driver, saying: “No need, I want to be alone for a while.”
Quan Zirong patted Chen An’s shoulder and waited for the designated driver to arrive.
The designated driver arrived shortly. When Quan Zirong saw Chen An into the car, he seemed to see the same look of utter despair in Chen An’s eyes from seven years ago. But the light was too dim. He wanted to confirm again, but the designated driver had already driven the car away.