Xu Yining’s voice came through the phone, and Shi Zhi instinctively glanced at the man beside him.
Fu Yuchu let out a subtle, cold snort. Hearing the noise, Xu Yining asked, “Is someone with you? Are you outside?”
At this point, switching off the speakerphone would only make things more awkward, so Shi Zhi bit the bullet and spoke: “Yeah. Are you home?”
“Why are you still out so late? Is it…” As if remembering something, Xu Yining didn’t finish the question, instead replying: “The company is busy, I haven’t had time to go back lately.”
Shi Zhi gave an “oh.” “Is there a reason you called?”
Fu Yuchu glanced at Shi Zhi, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel.
“Mom called and said we should go see Grandpa.” After some rustling on the other end, Xu Yining said, “The old man misses you; he’s been talking about you for a long time.”
Shi Zhi thought of the kind old man, bit his lip, and remained silent.
“Shi Zhi.” Xu Yining’s voice sounded a bit exhausted, carrying an undetectable hint of pleading: “Grandpa is old and has a weak heart. It finally took a turn for the better recently; he can’t handle a big shock.”
“He likes you the most.” Seeing that Shi Zhi didn’t argue, Xu Yining pushed his luck: “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, and we’ll go see him together, okay?”
When no answer came for a long time, Xu Yining spoke up urgently: “Wifey…”
“I know.” Shi Zhi took a deep breath. “What time tomorrow?”
“I’ll be there at eight.” Xu Yining’s mood instantly brightened. “Wifey, what do you want for breakfast? I’ll bring some over.”
Shi Zhi said, “No need. Also, stop calling me that. We’ve already bro—”
“I have a very important work call coming in, I’ve got to go. I’m hanging up.” Xu Yining interrupted Shi Zhi’s reminder and hurriedly ended the call.
Shi Zhi stared blankly at the disconnected phone.
“Is this how he always makes you go soft-hearted?”
“What?” Shi Zhi looked at the man who had suddenly spoken.
Fu Yuchu: “Nothing.”
“You seem to get along well with his family.”
Just as Shi Zhi was about to speak, Fu Yuchu spoke again: “Since you were getting married, it’s natural you’d get along harmoniously.”
Fu Yuchu had said it all, so what was there left for Shi Zhi to say?
Shi Zhi grumbled inwardly. He didn’t know why this Attorney Fu was pulling a long face again. Was he afraid that if Shi Zhi didn’t end up suing, he wouldn’t get his legal fee?
It was possible.
After all, during their first meeting, he had hinted that Shi Zhi shouldn’t “shop around” for free consultations. To get on good terms with a client like him, he had driven him home and sent cakes just to build a presence. He was definitely afraid he wouldn’t earn the legal fee.
Everyone is just a worker; it’s not easy for anyone.
Having reached this conclusion, Shi Zhi said considerately, “What are your rates? I can pay the consultation fee first.”
“What?” This time, the one confused was Fu Yuchu.
“As you saw, my fiancé doesn’t want to discuss the engagement cancellation right now. I can’t be sure for the moment if I’ll end up filing a lawsuit.” Shi Zhi spoke with a serious face: “I can pay the legal consultation fee first, and when I decide to sue, I’ll sign the representation agreement.” He added another sentence: “No need to give me a discount on the fee.”
Fu Yuchu looked at Shi Zhi with a complex expression. He truly wanted to crack open Shi Zhi’s head to see what kind of internal structure could produce such a train of thought.
Did he, Fu Yuchu, look like someone who was desperate for Shi Zhi’s legal fee?
That wasn’t the point.
The point was: how did Shi Zhi reach that conclusion?
He had been “accidentally” made a third party, yet he ignored his grievances to drive Shi Zhi home, treat him to dinner to cheer him up, and comfort him when he noticed his bad mood—and Shi Zhi came to this conclusion?
“No need.” Fu Yuchu’s tone was very foul. “Talk to me after you win the case. If you don’t sue, wait until you’ve finished breaking off the engagement.”
“Oh.” Shi Zhi didn’t know why Fu Yuchu was angry again. He didn’t want to stay in the car any longer. “Thanks for the ride. I’m heading in.”
He gestured for Fu Yuchu to unlock the door.
“Shi Zhi.” Fu Yuchu looked at the dim yellow streetlights outside, his voice devoid of emotion: “Have you ever been to the Yuzhi Building at An University?”
“Huh?”
“Forget it, you can go now.” Fu Yuchu took a deep breath and pressed the car lock release.
Shi Zhi: “…”
Nerve-wracking!
Shi Zhi got out of the car and walked back slowly with his head down. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. Why on earth did he feel guilty in front of Fu Yuchu?
Ultimately, they were just in a client relationship where the legal representation hadn’t even taken effect; they were almost like strangers.
Okay, they were strangers who had slept together once.
But Fu Yuchu didn’t look like the type to stubbornly cling to him or threaten suicide to make him take responsibility. Besides, hadn’t they already tacitly agreed to move past that incident?
So why was Fu Yuchu always so temperamental and pulling a face at him?
It must be that Fu Yuchu simply had a bad temper; it had nothing to do with anyone else. Shi Zhi thought.
Once he confirmed it wasn’t his fault and there was no need for guilt, Shi Zhi stopped hanging his head, straightened his back, and walked into the apartment building with a light step.
In the half-lit car, Fu Yuchu watched Shi Zhi transition from guilt-ridden self-reflection to being completely self-righteous. He let out a self-deprecating laugh.
He waited for the light in a room on the 11th floor to turn on, then drove away.
The next morning at eight o’clock, Shi Zhi received a message from Xu Yining as promised: I’m downstairs waiting for you.
“Have you had breakfast?” Xu Yining asked after Shi Zhi got into the car. “If you’re hungry, I’ll go buy something for you to eat on the way?”
Shi Zhi: “No need. Let’s head over early.”
Xu Yining gave him a deep look, his eyes filled with longing. He studied Shi Zhi from top to bottom. When he saw Shi Zhi’s hands resting on his lap, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Where’s your ring? Why aren’t you wearing it?”
Shi Zhi instinctively looked at his left ring finger. That was where the ring Xu Yining had put on him during the proposal used to be. At the time, Xu Yining had acted shamelessly, saying: “Accepting the proposal means accepting being my wifey. I don’t care—the ring must be worn on the ring finger.”
“Took it off.” The ring had been taken off before he met Yu Chongyao, and there had been no need to put it back on afterward.
Xu Yining’s tone was strained: “…Why?”
“It’s not necessary,” Shi Zhi said. “We’ve already broken up.”
Xu Yining grit his teeth, his jawline tensed. He didn’t speak again, started the car, and drove in silence.
Shi Zhi didn’t say a word either.
They drove in silence all the way until the car stopped at the entrance of the nursing home where Xu’s grandfather resided.
“Shi Zhi.” Xu Yining finally faced the reality of Shi Zhi’s demand for a breakup. His voice betrayed an unspeakable exhaustion: “Grandpa’s heart can’t take a shock. Let’s not tell him about our situation yet, okay? And regarding my mom… give me time. I’ve been really tired lately. Give me some time to have a buffer so I can slowly talk to them, okay?”
Shi Zhi looked at Xu Yining. He realized he hadn’t looked at him properly for a long time.
Xu Yining’s looks were of the gentle and easy-going variety; undoubtedly, he was handsome. He had standard “peach blossom” eyes—deep, wide double eyelids and large eyes.
Shi Zhi had once seen a clear-eyed Xu Yining. He just didn’t know when those clear eyes had become clouded.
Looking at the man before him who had only recently celebrated his 25th birthday, seeing the bloodshot whites of his eyes and his expression stained by wine and lust, Shi Zhi’s chest felt inexplicably stifled.
Xu Yining had always had excellent grades and a great character; he was the “good student” in teachers’ words and the “ideal child” in parents’ eyes. He was a famous talent at An University and the heartthrob on the school’s confession wall.
Shi Zhi didn’t know if everyone eventually had their edges smoothed by society and became unrecognizable, but he knew the youth who had carried him on his back through the late nights at An University was dead.
Shi Zhi’s heart gradually calmed. At this moment, he reached a state of complete closure.
“What are you looking at?” Xu Yining asked when he saw Shi Zhi staring blankly at nothing.
“Nothing.” Shi Zhi shook his head. Knowing Xu Yining was waiting for an answer, he said, “I know. Let’s go in.”
The nursing home where Grandpa Xu resided was top-tier in An City, equipped with professional medical staff and a private courtyard. When Shi Zhi and the others arrived, Wang Suzhen and her husband, Xu Zhenchao, were talking about something in the yard. Seeing them come in, she only gave a faint glance and didn’t speak.
The Xu parents were a standard “woman-led, man-supported” household. Xu Zhenchao had been an elementary school Chinese teacher; after the Xu family became wealthy, he quit his teaching job to take care of the home. Wang Suzhen was a typical strongwoman who managed the family business alone. Starting from a small town supermarket, she now had chain supermarkets across the country, and the business had flourished even more with the rise of livestream e-commerce in the past couple of years.
For a woman from a small town with only a vocational secondary education to achieve what she had was truly not easy. Though she was shrewd and forceful, Shi Zhi admired her ability.
She had always been cold toward him, but since she was an elder after all, Shi Zhi took the initiative to greet them: “Auntie, Uncle.”
Wang Suzhen ignored him. Xu Zhenchao looked at his wife, then at Shi Zhi, and finally gave an awkward smile without saying anything. Shi Zhi was long used to this and didn’t find it particularly painful.
“Brother Shi Zhi, you’re here!” Xu Yining’s younger sister, Xu Yijing, who was still in university, heard the commotion and came out of the room. She said with a smile, “Why are you so much thinner than the last time I saw you? Brother Shi Zhi, did you skip meals again?”
Seeing Xu Yijing, Shi Zhi’s tensed nerves relaxed. He gave a small smile and said, “Yijing, long time no see.”
Xu Yijing giggled. “It really has been a long time. It’s all Xu Yining’s fault for not letting me go to your place. Brother Shi Zhi, you don’t look well. Did Xu Yining bully you? Tell me, and I’ll teach him a lesson for you!”
“Yijing, don’t be disrespectful,” Xu Yining interrupted. “Call him ‘sister-in-law’.”
Xu Yijing rolled her eyes. “Brother Shi Zhi isn’t a girl, why call him sister-in-law? Calling him ‘brother’ feels more affectionate.”
“Wifey, don’t mind Yijing, she’s been spoiled by the family.” Xu Yining spoke in a helpless tone. “Let’s just humor her.”
“Don’t just stand around here.” A flash of loathing crossed Wang Suzhen’s eyes, her gaze landing on Xu Yining. “Go in; your grandfather is waiting for you.”
Xu Yijing made a face at Xu Yining’s retreating back and muttered something.
If someone understood lip-reading, they would find that what Xu Yijing said was—
“Fake.”