Duan Ye got on the car and sat on the rear seat. The extended car was quite spacious. After his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside, Duan Ye looked towards the man on the rear seat.
The man was dressed in a dark suit and seemed to be resting with his eyes closed. After Duan Ye got in, he put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
It was only then that Duan Ye confirmed that this person was Zhou Ji’s father, Zhou Chenglei.
Zhou Ji resembled his father a lot. Or perhaps it could be said that Zhou Ji would probably look like this in his forties. Zhou Chenglei had a plain ring on his left ring finger, presumably a wedding ring.
Noticing Duan Ye’s gaze, Zhou Chenglei extended his hand as if treating Duan Ye as a peer, “You must be Duan Ye. Let me introduce myself. I’m Zhou Chenglei, Zhou Ji’s father.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Duan Ye shook hands with Zhou Chenglei, “Hello.”
One was a teenager not yet nineteen, the other a successful businessman in his forties.
Zhou Chenglei gestured with his hand, and the assistant sitting in the front passenger seat obeyed, pressing a button. Instantly, a partition came up, creating a separate space in the rear seat.
“Zhou Ji has had a joyful year in Ningcheng,” Zhou Chenglei’s voice was clear and melodious, his words articulate and composed, resembling a scholar. “Speaking of which, I have to thank friends like you for taking care of him. I heard you all went to Yanjing together before the New Year. However, my wife and I weren’t in Yanjing at that time, or else we could have invited you to our ancestral mansion.”
Duan Ye remained silent. He was never one to speak much, and especially so to strangers.
He could sense an aura of authority and presence from Zhou Chenglei, yet it wasn’t uncomfortable. Perhaps it was Zhou Chenglei’s demeanor that didn’t make one feel uneasy.
Perhaps this was what a successful figure looked like, Duan Ye thought to himself.
Zhou Chenglei did not possess arrogance or disdain when facing his juniors. On the contrary, he treated Duan Ye as an equal adult in his words and actions.
“We both, my wife and I, are busy with work, and we have been neglecting to take care of Zhou Ji. He holds grievances against us and is unwilling to follow our arrangements,” Zhou Chenglei said absentmindedly, “Perhaps, this is the rebellious phase? My wife is deeply troubled by this. Even though we have laid out a path for him, he refuses to walk it. I don’t want to see my wife distressed, and indeed, Zhou Ji gives me a headache. Duan Ye, how about making a deal with me?”
Duan Ye raised his head, a hint of mockery fleeting across his gaze, quickly concealed.
These people seemed to enjoy making deals with others.
“While I could use a way to make Zhou Ji obedient and send him abroad, upon reflection, it’s not very cost-effective. What’s his girlfriend’s name?” Zhou Chenglei recalled for a moment, “Seems like her surname is Ning, my wife doesn’t want to trouble a young girl. She instructed me not to make things difficult for her. She appears quite impressive, the top scorer in Ningcheng this year, right? I admire diligent and serious kids. If Zhou Ji had half of her, perhaps my wife and I wouldn’t be struggling like this.”
Undoubtedly, Zhou Chenglei appreciated Ning Zhiyu. This was an elder’s appreciation for a hardworking junior.
Whether as Zhou Ji’s father or a male elder, he couldn’t bring himself to mistreat a young girl.
His wife felt the same. After reading about Ning Zhiyu’s experiences, aside from discussing with her husband in astonishment how this girl took an interest in their son, she had also warned him not to trouble Ning Zhiyu. Which elder would be willing to maliciously harm a child like that?
For Zhou Chenglei and his wife, Ning Zhiyu, who had just turned eighteen, was still just a child. They, both nearly a hundred years old combined, couldn’t bully a young girl.
Duan Ye listened quietly.
“Duan Ye, this matter is simple for you.” Zhou Chenglei casually took out a checkbook from the back of the car, signing the check while looking down, “As long as you can manage to get Zhou Ji to go abroad, this is yours.”
“Are you done talking?” Duan Ye finally spoke, not even glancing at the check, his hand already on the bike’s handlebars, “Then I’ll be heading back.”
Zhou Chenglei chuckled, “Don’t you want to see the amount on the check?”
Duan Ye shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
Interesting. That’s what Zhou Chenglei thought.
“You’re short on money,” he said with a confident tone, “With this sum of money, you can buy a house in any city within the country. Well, you’ll even have some left to start a business. With your capabilities, you can do anything. If luck is on your side, you might even become a somewhat wealthy boss. You and your girlfriend will have smooth sailing ahead, without encountering any obstacles.”
Zhou Chenglei seemed to be pondering, “Your life will also go smoothly, it all depends on one decision. It’s not difficult either. Their relationship foundation isn’t solid. As long as someone stirs the pot, it’s easy to separate them.”
Regarding their only son, Zhou Chenglei and his wife weren’t as indifferent as Zhou Ji had thought.
How could they be? He was their child, but indeed, they were busy too. Yet, for every friend Zhou Ji associated with, they would instruct their subordinates to investigate thoroughly. Like their family background, personality, experiences, they couldn’t just let their son befriend these people without knowing their origins. That would be too risky. It could be said that every person Zhou Ji came into contact with was approved by Zhou Chenglei and his wife after careful consideration.
This time, Zhou Ji’s reaction was intense, and Zhou Chenglei and his wife finally realized their son had grown up; they weren’t young anymore either.
So, relatively speaking, their approach this time was unprecedentedly gentle.
They truly appreciated Ning Zhiyu, and not wanting to make things difficult for her was genuine as well. All of this was built on the foundation that Ning Zhiyu was just one of Zhou Ji’s girlfriends. They both believed that this was just a phase in Zhou Ji’s life, but they wouldn’t allow it to impact his future and life.
Duan Ye nodded slightly but in Zhou Chenglei’s gaze, he softly said, “I understand, but Zhou Ji is my friend.”
Zhou Chenglei was slightly taken aback.
Duan Ye had already opened the car door, “If you’re done, I’m going.”
Zhou Chenglei waved his hand, “Go ahead.”
He was indeed surprised.
After the car door closed, Zhou Chenglei pressed a button, and the partition slid down. He casually put away the written check and asked his assistant sitting in the passenger seat, “What do you think of him?”
The assistant understood the situation just from the expression and wasn’t without admiration. He honestly replied, “Full of youthful vigor.”
Indeed.
He didn’t even glance at the amount on the check, which was something that many people couldn’t earn in a lifetime without eating or drinking. Of course, for the Zhou family, this amount wasn’t even worth mentioning.
Too young, he doesn’t understand the weight of money, nor does he know how smoothly life can go with such a sum of money.
Even the assistants felt pity for Duan Ye, for missing out on such an opportunity.
Zhou Chenglei chuckled, “Youth is a good thing. I like seeing young people full of drive.”
“Go back,” Zhou Chenglei said.
There was a document in the car, containing information about all of Zhou Ji’s friends in Ningcheng, with Duan Ye’s portion being the thickest.
Almost no one knew that during the New Year, Duan Ye’s biological father actually paid him a visit.
Duan Ye’s biological father wasn’t young anymore. In recent years, he had also considered having a child with his remarried wife. However, his wife wasn’t an easy person to deal with either. Both husband and wife were guarded against each other. As people grow older, they start to long for their own flesh and blood. Duan Ye’s birth father believed that with his wealth, his son would definitely be willing to follow him. His ex-wife had nothing, after all, people are realistic by nature, seeking gain and avoiding harm is instinctual. But Duan Ye didn’t comply. Zhou Chenglei also didn’t quite understand why Duan Ye acted this way. In his perspective, people shouldn’t have trouble with anything as long as it’s not money. It’s just a matter of putting on a show… to deal with his biological father for a moment, what’s important is one’s own interests and future, isn’t it?
Zhou Chenglei’s confusion was finally answered after meeting Duan Ye today.
Yes, it’s because of youth.
Youth leads to this.
The world would be dull if everyone was only driven by personal gain.
There will always be some people who stick to their principles.
His son’s luck was good this time, as he found true friends.
Duan Ye took a shower after returning home, hesitated and struggled, but eventually dialed Zhou Ji’s number, inviting him to come over, watch a match together.
Zhou Ji had been feeling down lately, and he readily agreed to Duan Ye’s call, bringing some beer along.
Duan Ye : “I’m not drinking. I have to get up early tomorrow to buy beef noodles.”
Zhou Ji : “…Lao Duan, why do you have to stab my heart like this??”
Both of them have girlfriends, so why is it that he’s the one suffering like this?
Zhou Ji could only open a can of beverage by himself, and drank a sip of it with a gloomy expression. The alcohol content of the beer wasn’t high, but it still added to his annoyance.
Duan Ye sat next to him, absentmindedly watching TV for a while, and then decided to talk to Zhou Ji about what happened today.
“Be careful lately,” Duan Ye’s gaze was on the television, “Your father came to see me. He probably will approach others too, well, I mean, he might go to Ning Zhiyu.”
Zhou Ji was bewildered. When he came back to his senses, he suddenly sat up, trembling with anger. He was so furious that he couldn’t control himself. He knew exactly what his Dad would say even without Duan Ye’s words! It felt like a raging fire burning within him. He was so enraged that he just wanted to confront his Dad. What was this all about? How dare his Dad come to his friend like this? Why did his Dad always interfere in his matters? He was a person, not a canary they kept in the ancestral mansion. Why did they treat him like this?
Duan Ye knew what he was about to do and stopped him, calmly saying, “Stay calm. Instead of getting into a fight like this out of anger, think about how to resolve this. At least, prevent your Dad from finding Ning Zhiyu. If he does go to her…” Duan Ye rarely spoke like this, he paused for a moment, “You and Ning Zhiyu will never have a chance again.”
Given Ning Zhiyu’s personality, once Zhou Ji’s parents visited her like today and handed her a check, she would never be with Zhou Ji again. Her self-esteem wouldn’t allow it.
Zhou Ji’s jaw tightened, his fists clenched, and he was filled with anger and a sense of injustice.
He didn’t understand why his parents, who gave birth to him, treated him like this.
“Zhou Ji, we’re only eighteen or nineteen years old. The future is long,” Duan Ye said in a deep voice, “Are you asking me if I’m willing to let go? I don’t want to leave her either. I want to be with her every day. But, I have to think about the future more than she does. I want to eliminate these obstacles before they even arise, before she even notices them.”
He would rather not leave Jiang Yumo, even if it’s just right after they confirmed their relationship.
However, he cannot ignore the future; he needs to think ahead even more than she does.
“It’s different,” Zhou Ji shook his head expressionlessly, “Jiang Yumo really likes you a lot. Anyone can see that. We all know you’ll have a future together. But I’m not so sure and I can’t dare to gamble. I don’t even know if Zhiyu is moved by me or…
“Lao Duan, I’ll tell you the truth today. Even if I go, I won’t feel at ease. I’ll be thinking about how to come back every day over there. If that’s the case, why should I go? I don’t understand why one after another, they all want me to go. Can’t I make my own decisions? Will I die if I don’t go abroad?”
Duan Ye remained silent for almost a minute.
He looked at Zhou Ji with a faint gaze, “In reality, you just want to prove two things. First, that you’ve come of age and don’t want your parents to arrange things for you. This is a struggle between you and your parents. You want to win and show them that they can’t control you anymore. Second, you’re only upset about going because you know Ning Zhiyu wants you to go, and you’d only get angry if she actually likes you. But whether she likes you or not, you don’t really know deep down, do you?”
Zhou Ji was exposed, took a deep breath, and said, “You’re all lovey-dovey, of course, you wouldn’t understand me!”
After saying that, he stormed off angrily.
Duan Ye shook his head, lowered his gaze to the beer on the coffee table, and thought, my words were all in vain.