Wang Zihui had another argument with his childhood sweetheart girlfriend. This time the conflict escalated quite seriously, prompting Wang Zihui to gather his buddies for a drinking session at the bar.
Shen Yu initially didn’t want to go. He had grown accustomed to Wang Zihui’s frequent dramas, knowing they would reconcile quickly anyway. Shen Yu believed Wang Zihui was simply looking for an excuse to drink.
However, Wang Zihui’s dramatic wailing over the phone became unbearably annoying, forcing Shen Yu to honor the appointment.
The four of them sat around the VIP table at the bar, with three simply watching Wang Zihui drink while pouring out his grievances.
Shen Yu completely ignored the conversation, quietly savoring his red wine. He could practically recite Wang Zihui’s complaints by heart – it was always the same pattern: getting drunk one night, then eagerly apologizing the next day.
Zhao Yan and Li Jiacheng occasionally offered some comforting words.
“Come! Brothers… let’s… let’s toast to… to my fading… fading love!” Wang Zihui, already drunk, began slurring his words.
The three politely raised their glasses and drank along with Wang Zihui.
“Another! Brothers… congratulate me… for soon… escaping… this misery” The slurring Wang Zihui raised his glass again.
The three repeated their previous motion, expertly raising their glasses for the toast.
They had long grown accustomed to Wang Zihui’s constant quarrels with his childhood sweetheart girlfriend.
They drank until past 11 PM. While Wang Zihui was quite intoxicated, the other three remained relatively sober.
A phone ringtone sounded – it was Zhao Yan’s phone. Wang Zihui squinted drunkenly and asked: “Who is it?”
Zhao Yan smiled: “It’s Keke.”
Wang Zihui: “Oh.”
Zhao Yan answered the call, listening and responding with affirmative noises. After a few minutes, the call ended.
Wang Zihui glanced at his own dark phone screen, looking somewhat enviously at Zhao Yan: “What did your girlfriend want?”
Zhao Yan: “Told me to drink less, said she’s waiting for me at home, and asked me not to return too late.”
Wang Zihui clicked his tongue a few times but said nothing more. He lay back on the sofa with closed eyes, uncertain whether he was asleep or not.
Within five minutes, another phone rang. Wang Zihui’s eyes snapped open, only to see Li Jiacheng across from him answering the call. Disappointment flashed in Wang Zihui’s eyes.
After hanging up, Li Jiacheng looked up to meet Wang Zihui’s resentful gaze. Scratching his head sheepishly, he explained: “My girlfriend can be a bit clingy.”
Wang Zihui snorted. Though he wouldn’t admit it verbally, inwardly he was wildly jealous. Look at them!
While he teetered on the edge of breakup, watching his friends enjoy smooth relationships and witnessing their inadvertent displays of affection felt particularly bitter.
Just as Wang Zihui felt himself drowning in jealousy, he suddenly remembered someone who had it even worse!
“Brother Yu, what has sister-in-law been busy with lately?” Wang Zihui suddenly perked up, his speech clearing noticeably.
Shen Yu, sipping his cocktail while leaning against the sofa listening to their conversation, replied naturally: “Traveling in Europe.”
“Traveling? Is sister-in-law going alone?” Shen Yu’s answer immediately captured all three men’s interest, their ears perking up instantly.
Shen Yu: “No, she’s accompanying her younger brother. The kid just finished college entrance exams this year, going out to broaden his horizons.”
Zhao Yan truly lived up to being the male lead, his mind working quickly: “Could it be that sister-in-law went abroad directly from Shanghai?”
Shen Yu: “Mm.”
Shen Yu’s response was concise. He disliked discussing his wife excessively with others. Being highly private, Shen Yu never liked putting his personal affairs on public display, even when speaking with childhood friends.
The three men were adept at reading social cues. Sensing Shen Yu’s reluctance to elaborate, they naturally refrained from pressing further. Yet Shen Yu’s expression and brief response provided ample material for their imaginations to run wild.
From getting angry and returning to her maiden home, to skipping the capital entirely and going abroad directly from there – based on the timeline, she’d already been away from the capital for over a month. What newlywed couple with a good relationship would carry on like this!
Wang Zihui suddenly felt his own situation wasn’t so pitiful after all. He wasn’t the only lonely heartbroken soul here – he had a good brother sharing similar circumstances. At least he had experienced both loving and being loved, while his good brother had always been alone, his married life no different from being single.
In that moment, Wang Zihui forgot his own troubles and began sympathizing with good brother Shen Yu’s predicament.
Wang Zihui’s drunken emotional outburst hadn’t stirred any reaction in Shen Yu. Similarly, the concerned calls from the other two brothers’ girlfriends didn’t provoke any negative thoughts in him. Naturally, Shen Yu remained unaware of the three men watching him with pitying eyes.
Shen Yu’s heart was full of emotion, completely occupied with thoughts of his wife Yao Yao. He missed her, but more importantly, he respected all her choices. Even with Yao Yao not by his side, Shen Yu never felt lonely. Two hearts thinking of each other across the distance felt more real than any physical presence.
*
At 1 AM, the three men’s drinking session concluded, with their respective drivers arriving at the bar entrance to pick them up.
The time in Europe was about seven hours behind the capital. There, dusk was just approaching.
[Darling, your beloved wife has already lost three pounds! (sad emoji)] Shen Yu had just gotten into the car when he received this complaint from his dear wife across the ocean.
Loosening his tie with one hand while picking up his phone with the other, Shen Yu pressed the voice message button. His wine-mellowed voice sounded particularly charming: “Your husband has prepared all kinds of delicious food at home, awaiting whenever my wife Master wishes to grace us with her presence.”
Yao Yao looked at the bland Western food before her that stirred no appetite, collapsing weakly onto the table. Hearing her husband’s magnetic, gentle voice through the phone, Yao Yao broke down in tears. She missed her husband, and she missed all the delicious food at home!
These past few days, Yao Yao had been feeling lethargic and listless, with no appetite for food. During the daytime, she had forced herself to keep up appearances so everyone could enjoy themselves, but today she simply couldn’t pretend anymore. Hearing Shen Yu’s voice directly triggered her emotional collapse.
Shi Dan and Ji Xingyun, carrying congee and light dishes bought from a Chinese restaurant, had just pushed open the hotel room door when they heard Yao Yao’s loud crying inside. The sound startled them into a cold sweat as they rushed in to find Yao Yao sprawled across the bed, weeping heartbreakingly.
“Yao mei, Yao mei, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you? Tell me, I’ll go beat them up! How dare anyone bully my best friend – they’re asking for death!” Shi Dan said while rolling up her sleeves, ready to pick a fight.
Ji Xingyun was also frantic with worry: “Little sister, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid! Whatever’s wrong, tell us and we’ll figure it out together!”
Yao Yao’s sobs softened slightly, though her tears continued to flow uncontrollably, interspersed with hiccups: “I… hic… I miss my… husband.”
Shi Dan: “…”
Ji Xingyun: “…”
A beauty’s tears are always the most heartbreaking. Though neither fully understood, they refrained from further questioning. Shi Dan gently patted Yao Yao’s back while trying to soothe her emotional breakdown, simultaneously instructing Ji Xingyun to fetch a towel dampened with warm water from the bathroom to wipe her face.
Gradually, Yao Yao’s emotions stabilized. She sniffled and caught a whiff of an intense, savory aroma. Gurgle, gurgle—her stomach growled.
Yao Yao looked at Shi Dan with a pitiful expression: “Dan Dan, what food did you buy? It smells so delicious! I’m so hungry!”
Shi Dan affectionately tapped Yao Yao’s forehead with her index finger: “Finally feeling hungry, are you? Knowing you didn’t want to eat local food, Xingyun and I specially bought ingredients from a Chinese supermarket. We paid to use the back kitchen of a nearby Chinese restaurant—I cooked this myself! Quick, try it and tell me what you think!”
Hearing this, Yao Yao was so touched she nearly cried again. Her emotions had been particularly fragile these past few days: “Wahh~ Thank you, Dan Dan! You’re so wonderful!”
Ji Xingyun pretended to huff beside them. Yao Yao caught on immediately and said with a smile, “And thank you too, cousin!”