White Lotus 21
If she could choose again, Tang You would rather starve to death in bed, or eat fruit until her stomach hurt, than run to the kitchen to make this bowl of noodles.
The noodles in the pot were getting softer and softer, and small bubbles were bubbling away.
Having been caught red-handed, Tang You’s entire face was now beet-red. Originally, she had wanted to add some vegetables, but now, she couldn't care less. She just reached out for two eggs and beat them in carefully.
She glanced at Xiao Zexing out of the corner of her eye, hesitated for two seconds, then took two more eggs and cracked them.
He had probably come into the kitchen at this time in the night in search of something to eat too.
It is said that one’s appetite was directly proportional to their height; since he was so tall, he must also eat quite a lot…
Two additional eggs should be enough.
Adhering to the principle of respecting one’s elders, when the eggs were slowly done, Tang You turned off the fire, then carefully dished out a bowl of noodles for Xiao Zexing, adding three eggs in them, then served it to him respectfully, “Second Uncle, you eat first.”
Having come to look for food after waking up, Tang You was in a long nightgown; it was the sort with an attached hood. Two furry rabbit ears dangled from the back of the hood, and there was a white round ball of fur on the back of her skirt where her butt was.
Xiao Zexing had been trying to identify it for a long time, and finally understood that the ball of fur was a rabbit’s tail.
Xiao Zexing unfastened his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up, revealing honey-coloured forearms with smooth muscle lines and vague hints of veins. He smiled and said, “You don’t have to be so formal in private, just call me by my name.”
Tang You lowered her head; a small section of fluffy, disobedient hair stuck out stubbornly near her ears. “No, no, no, that’s not right.”
Xiao Zexing picked up his chopsticks; he didn’t start eating, and his expression changed as he asked her, “Why did you give me three eggs?”
Having been used to cracking lewd jokes with Miao Jiaxi, the words “whatever you eat is nourishment for the same area” 1 almost slipped out of her mouth. Tang You restrained herself and continued to scoop out her noodles, saying respectfully, “……I have to respect my elders.”
“If you put it this way, it makes it seem as though I don’t care about my juniors.” the dimples in Xiao Zexing’s cheeks flashed as he changed the subject, “Is living here okay for you so far?”
Tang You carried her own small bowl of noodles and placed it carefully on the table.
Her fingertips had turned a little red from the heat; she retracted her hands and pinched her earlobes reflexively.
Her earlobes also turned red from the pinching.
Heat curling up and filled the kitchen; Tang You washed her hands, picked up her chopsticks, sat down next to Xiao Zexing, and thanked him sincerely, “Thank you, Second Uncle, it’s all rather good.”
She thought it was necessary to change the topic to something more pleasant to forget the embarrassing situation just now. After picking a small bundle of noodles with her chopsticks, Tang You asked carefully and cautiously, “Second Uncle, did you not have dinner?”
Tang You didn’t know what Xiao Zexing did daily.
“I’ve eaten,” Xiao Zexing stared at the white, fluffy little furry ball on the back of her skirt. “I came over when I smelled the aroma.”
Tang You was sitting on a high chair as she ate her noodles; the chair was so high that her toes were just barely touching the ground. The wide hem of her skirt hung down, and that furry ball dangled loosely.
Xiao Zexing reached out without batting an eyelid and squeezed it in his hand.
He squeezed it again.
Tang You was immersed in eating her noodles and did not notice anything at all. After seriously thinking it over for a long time, she finally realised what was wrong with that sentence.
When Xiao Zexing came over, she hadn't started adding noodles to the pot yet!
How could this person have smelled any aroma?!
It was rare for them to have such a warm moment together; Xiao Zexing let go of the furry ball and asked nonchalantly, “What do you plan to do next?”
Tang You swallowed the noodles; the corners of her lips were still stained with a little soup. “What do you mean?”
“Weijing is already determined to break off the engagement,” Xiao Zexing smiled. “The first step of your plan has succeeded, what’s the next step?”
The noodles were cooked very soft; Tang You took a bite of the edge of the egg and said nothing.
Xiao Zexing said, “You can’t think that Xiao Weijing alone can convince the old man successfully, right?”
Tang You, “……Mm.”
She actually did think so.
It was better to sacrifice him than herself.
Although she and Xiao Weijing were in the same boat, they both detested the sight of the other. But fortunately, they both had the same goal of breaking off the engagement. Tang You was limited in what she could do, and she wasn’t Elder Xiao's own granddaughter; she could only work hard to make Xiao Weijing take the initiative to bring up the annulment of their engagement.
Xiao Zexing smiled; he shook his head and sighed softly, “Silly child.”
She didn’t know if he was referring to her or Xiao Weijing.
“Did you think that the biggest obstacle to breaking off the engagement was Xiao Weijing?” Xiao Zexing stood up, took out a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, opened the lid, put it in the microwave, and heated it up. “It is better for the doer to undo what he has done; if you want to successfully break off the engagement, the old man has to be persuaded to do so.”
Tang You buried her head in her bowl of noodles.
She wasn’t usually a quick eater; now, in addition to the fact that the noodles were hot, she was also thinking things over, her eating pace was even slower, one bite at a time.
The noodles were a little salty; halfway through the meal, Tang You became thirsty and wanted to get some hot water.
Xiao Zexing got up, poured the warm milk into a cup and placed it gently beside her.
He said reassuringly, “Don't worry, it's not a big deal.”
Tang You did not dare to mention this incident to Miao Jia Xi.
Having been friends for several years, Tang You understood Miao Jiaxi's character all too well.
Miao Jiaxi is a typical homebody; in private and with close friends, she could shoot her mouth off so much that she almost took too the skies, and had consumed numerous media of both past and present; but when she was actually in the presence of men, she became utterly gentle and courteous.
They were all soft outside and ‘dirty’ inside, like thick, gooey, yellow salted duck eggs.
The next day, Tang You was awakened by the phone. Still half-asleep, she reached out for the phone and answered it without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?
“Tantang,” Jiang Chenting's voice didn’t sound very calm. “Come out, I'm waiting for you downstairs.”
Tang You woke up instantly. She sat up, grabbed a bunch of her messy hair, and asked incredulously, “You're here at Second Uncle’s?”
“Mm.”
Tang You hurriedly changed out of her bunny pyjamas and randomly grabbed a skirt and put it on. Fortunately, her hair was soft and smooth, so she couldn't be bothered to comb it. She washed her face, rinsed her mouth, didn't apply anything, and headed downstairs in such a plain and fresh manner.
She was running quickly. When she entered the door, a corner of her skirt accidentally caught onto a green plant next to it, revealing a flash of white; Xiao Zexing put down his cup and calmly went to block her from view.
Jiang Chenting was sitting, deep in thought; hearing the movement, he lifted his eyes to look, but could only see the tall man blocking Tang You.
Tang You didn’t care about the skirt at all; on the other hand, she was stunned to see that Xiao Zexing was here. “Second Uncle, why are you here today?”
She took a step forward, and the hem of her skirt came loose and covered her legs again.
“I took leave,” said Xiao Zexing lightly. “After all, I'm not a machine.”
Even though he was on leave, he was still wearing a shirt and a suit, looking meticulous. Tang You wasn’t bothered; she walked around him and called out to Jiang Chenting smilingly, “Brother!”
Jiang Chenting’s expression wasn’t very good; he put down the cup in his hand and looked at Xiao Zexing before he saying to Tang You, “How can we trouble Mr. Xiao? It’s not as if Brother can’t afford to raise you, so pack up your things and come home with me.”
Tang You’s eyes instantly lit up.
With Jiang Chenting speaking for her, she now had a legitimate reason.
Although living here was quite comfortable, but it still wasn’t her own home after all.
“Are you sure you want to go back now?” Xiao Zexing smiled as he asked Tang You. “Have you thought about how you will explain it to the old man? It's would be too much of a pity to abandon your work now that you’re only one step short of success.”
With that, Tang You hesitated once more.
Of course, she knew what Xiao Zexing meant; now that Xiao Weijing had already decided to break off the engagement, all that was left was for the old man to nod his head.
Elder Xiao had decided to make Tang You live with Xiao Weijing to “foster their relationship” because he saw that they weren’t getting along. According to what Xiao Weijing said last night, he had already begun to make his move; if she left now, she was afraid that might greatly upset his plan.
Tang You thought about it, then smiled up at Jiang Chenting. “Brother, I'm fine here.”
Jiang Chenting did not respond; his brow was furrowed tightly as he studied her carefully. “Don't lie.”
"Why would I be lying to you,” Tang You smiled, her eyes turning into crescents. “Okay, okay, did you bring me any gifts this time?”
She changed the subject deliberately.
Jiang Chenting’s face warmed slightly; he ruffled her hair, “I bought you a pair of dolls. I’ve come in a hurry and forgot to bring them; I’ll bring them over next time.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
Xiao Zexing did not say a word; he only smiled at the brother and sister.
Jiang Chenting had a full schedule today and had limited spare time. Before leaving, he couldn't help patting Tang You's head again, reminding her, “Take care of yourself.”
Tang You smiled and saw him off.
Only after Jiang Chenting left did Xiao Zexing speak slowly and leisurely, “You and your brother have a pretty good relationship.”
"My brother is the only one who takes care of me at home, so of course I am nice to him,” said Tang You. “Is there any problem with that?”
“No. Jiang Chenting is six years older than you, and you call him brother, so why do you call me Second Uncle?” Xiao Zexing sat back idly and smiled. “You’re making me seem old.”
Tang You harumphed and started to bring up old scores. “Then why were you not embarrassed when you asked me to treat you like a father when we were riding?”
The more she thought about it, the more she realised that this man was secretly rather scheming. When she was clueless and ignorant, he had taken quite a bit of advantage of her, both verbally and physically.
Tang You secretly rejoiced inwardly that it was a good thing this man wasn’t very lustful. Xiao Zexing had only been teasing her, and didn’t really have the intention to sleep with her.
Otherwise, she was afraid that she would already be gnawed at until there were no bones left by now.
If they had really rolled about in the sheets back then, it would truly be hell mode now.
Xiao Zexing was not annoyed by her defiant rebuttal; he smiled in surrender and apologised, “It was my fault.”
She had finally won one round; Tang You left briskly, in a good mood.
Finally, she had made Xiao Zexing unable to say anything in return!
Today was the day to post new pictures, so instead of eating here at noon, Tang You asked the chauffeur to drive her back to her previous apartment, where she would be taking photographs with Ah Mai.
This time, she wasn’t going to be promoting any brands, but rather, putting together her own outfits.
When Tang You shares her outfits, unlike other influencers, she didn’t just post pictures of photoshopped long legs and thin waists, but rather, included some tips on how to match different articles of clothing, and also gave her opinions and suggestions on how to emphasize one’s strengths and conceal one’s shortcomings. That was what separated her from the rest of the sea of cookie-cutter influencers.
It was now the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Tang You shot nine sets of clothes, from dresses to shirts, all of different styles, ranging from high-end luxury brands to affordable items.
After the shoot, Ah Mai processed the photos with his dedicated work computer. Currently, Tang You would wear a bunny mask when doing her photoshoots, so she wasn’t worried that her identity would be exposed because of the photos.
Miao Jiaxi was in a bitter rush to finish her manuscript. Tang You sat cross-legged next to her, concentrating as she typed out word for word on a document what she was going to post on Weibo today. “In order to make their brands appealing to a younger market, many are now incorporating some sporty elements in their line, such as the t-shirts put out by Gucci in recent years…”
Miao Jiaxi successfully turned in her manuscript, and was half-dead—she spread out her arms, lying on the carpet; a moment later, she got up to get some cold drinks from the refrigerator.
There were many cans of milk beer in the fridge; it was a common favourite of all three of them. She handed a can to Ah Mai, who thanked her shyly. Miao Jiaxi made nothing of it and smiled, then gently set down one down next to Tang You.
She thoughtfully pulled the tab back.
Ah Mai finished editing the photos and sent them to Tang You. She had also just finished drafting; she added the photos, then uploaded the new post.
Right after posting it, Tang You refreshed the page reflexively for comments, and received an influx of four or five of them instantly.
One of the comments was particularly conspicuous—it was only a lone heart emoji.
This emoji was very common, but what really caught her attention was the handle of this account.
Xi Xing Gan Tang2.
The profile picture was a sketch of a grapefruit.
Her hand shook and she accidentally clicked elsewhere. When she switched back, the post was immediately flooded with other comments.
Miao Jiaxi asked, “Do you have anything else to do today? If not, let's order hot pot delivery. I happen to have just attained the Black Sea membership level3.”
Because of Ah Mai's serious social anxiety, he couldn’t withstand the passionate service of the service staff, so they always ordered hot pot delivery.
“Nah, you guys go ahead, don’t worry about me.” Tang You shook her head and put her phone away. “It’s my high school homeroom teacher's birthday today, my classmates have planned to celebrate it with him.”
Miao Jiaxi was envious, “I envy you guys, our high school homeroom teacher was my nightmare.”
As she spoke, she jumped up again, went to Ah Mai’s side and asked, “Ah Mai, Ah Mai, what do you want to eat today? Let's have hot pot together…”
Tang You packed up her computer and mobile phone, then bade the pair goodbye.
As she didn’t drink at night, she decided to drive there herself, which was also more convenient.
Tang You's junior high school and high school were both top in the city. Those who could study there could be roughly categorised into two groups—one was those whose families were rich, the other was those who were excellent in their studies.
Tang You belonged to the former, while Wen Ling just barely passed off as the latter—her grades were not too bad, and most importantly, she had swimming as a plus.
Tang You’s homeroom teacher was surnamed Ma. He had just retired this year, and truly had pupils all over the country. The students who had come to celebrate his birthday were not only from Tang You’s class, but also from previous years. It was a grand affair; they had booked an entire banquet hall to celebrate their teacher's birthday.
Tang You arrived a little late.
As soon as he saw her approach, the class monitor’s eyes lit up; he waved her, calling out, “Little Soft Candy!”
Tang You smiled and answered.
She didn’t know who gave her the nickname “Little Soft Candy”; it had been in use for three whole years. But after thinking about it, Tang You thought that it wasn’t a bad nickname. At least, it sounded much better than “Big Head”, “Cauliflower”, “Monkey Bro”, and the like.
The class monitor smiled and said, “You’re finally here. Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time, and were worrying that you had gotten lost…”
While talking, he pulled her to the table where her classmates were and announced with a beam, “Our Class Pet is here!”
As Tang You approached, many classmates set down the cups they were holding and greeted her with smiles.
‘Class Pet’ was also part of the class’s banter. Tang You was not only beautiful, but was also loyal and had a strong sense of justice. She was bold, candid and lovely, and was popular with both male and female. Everyone in the class agreed that the title of “Class Flower” was too clichéd, and finally decided to call her “Class Pet”.
She was a goddess who was loved and doted on by the whole class.
Although they haven't seen each other for nearly four years, most of them were still studying, and had not changed much.
The only thing that Tang You did not expect was that she would meet Wen Ling here.
She was wearing a white dress, smiling gracefully with an air of detachment.
It had been a good gathering, but because of Wen Ling’s appearance, Tang You suddenly felt uncomfortable.
The first one to pick a fight would be in the wrong; Tang You didn’t want to spoil this hard-to-come-by gathering because of personal grudges, and treated Wen Ling like air the entire time.
Wen Ling had dropped out of school early and did not have any close friends in the class. However, as she was a classmate after all, and they hadn’t seen her in a long time, there were still two or three people who exchanged pleasantries with her.
Soon, they ran out of common topics and the conversation went cold.
Wen Ling was very calm; even if no one spoke to her, she didn’t care.
Teacher Ma was getting on in age and couldn’t drink too much. Everyone was being considerate and use fruit juice to toast him instead. When he arrived at their table, Teacher Ma smiled when he saw Tang You and teased, “Xiao Tangtang, have you found yourself a mature and stable boyfriend already?”
Tang You had been good-looking since young; when she was in high school, her bare face was beautiful to behold, and was publicly recognised as their school’s goddess.
In the first year of high school, two boys in the class next door ended fighting over her out of jealousy. The headteacher called all three to deal with them together, and finally suspended them for a week as punishment.
Tang You was unwilling to take this lying down and asked the headteacher, “I had nothing to do with this, so why are you chastising me? Is this considered an instance of ‘an innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth’?”
It was the first time that the headteacher met a female student who dared to rebut him. “If you hadn't deliberately enticed these two male students, how would they have fought because of you?”
Tang You lifted her head and said proudly, “I have very high demands of my future partner; he has to be mature and stable— there is no way I will have a teenage romance at this stage, let alone take the initiative to entice them.”
This remark made her homeroom teacher, who had just rushed in, laugh in amusement.
In the end, under the guarantee of Mr. Ma, the headteacher waived Tang You’s punishment. Then, the Class Pet’s criteria for her future partner began to spread like wildfire.
Their homeroom teacher was obviously making fun of her by bringing this up.
Before Tang You could answer, Wen Ling laughed from the corner she was sitting, her voice bright, “Teacher Ma, Youyou has gotten engaged a long time ago, have you forgotten?”
Tang You's smile tightened slightly.
Teacher Ma remembered it now, “It seems that there was something like that…”
The table, which had been full of cheer and laughter just a moment ago suddenly plunged into an awkward silence for a few seconds.
Her close friends in the class all knew that Tang You didn’t have a very good relationship with her fiancé, and that he had some kind of unclear involvement with Wen Ling.
The fact that both Tang You and Wen Ling were here together tonight had already made many of the classmates secretly break out in a sweat, and now Wen Ling was saying such things outright, in a manner that was full of sarcasm.
However, Tang You wasn’t angry. She smiled calmly at Wen Ling, “I don’t think Teacher Ma has forgotten. On the other hand, you seem to have cleanly forgotten it.”
The class monitor couldn't hold back a burst of laughter, then immediately reached up and covered his mouth.
But wasn’t that exactly right? Wen Ling had long known that Xiao Weijing was her fiancé, yet, she had been entangled with him for so many years.
Teacher Ma smiled and looked at Wen Ling amiably, “Wen Ling, right? I remember that you dropped out of school suddenly and didn't take the college entrance exam, didn’t you? What are you doing now? I seem to remember that you were a good swimmer back then, it's a pity you didn't continue your studies…”
These words were like knives stabbing into Wen Ling's heart; she tried her best to control herself to not get angry, and barely managed to plaster on a stiff smile, “Thank you, Teacher Ma, for your concern.”
Teacher Ma patted Tang You's hand and said sincerely, “Little Soft Candy, you've always been a good kid; don't stick to just one path for everything, turn back once in a while, there are many worlds out there.”
Tang You was touched; she stepped forward and hugged him gently. “Thank you, teacher.”
Teacher Ma didn’t stay at their table for too long, and soon went to the next table.
Because of Wen Ling stirring the pot, the atmosphere at the table had subtly changed; without prior agreement, the few who had been talking to Wen Ling just now all moved slightly away from her.
There were also some who stood up, and used the excuse of touching up their make-up to go out hand in hand, quietly discussing and clarifying what Wen Ling had done.
Tang You went to the ladies’ in the middle of it, and unexpectedly, Wen Ling followed.
Wen Ling looked in the mirror as she washed her hands, and smiled. “Tang You, do you hate me very much now?”
Tang You dried her hands at the hand-dryer, lowered her lids and smiled sarcastically, “Are you worthy?”
Wen Ling wasn’t too bothered when she heard these words.
The wet hands took out a tissue and wiped them dry. She took out her compact and touched up her makeup carefully in the mirror. “It's a pity, you spent so much effort to marry Xiao Weijing, but he doesn't like you at all, to the point where he’d endure being taught a lesson by the old man just to break off your engagement. Speaking of which, you’re really a failure of a fiancée.”
Tang You said resentfully, “It’s none of your business.”
It suited her that he didn’t want to marry her; she too, didn’t want to marry him.
This attack didn’t hurt her at all; Tang You turned to leave.
Wen Ling hurriedly followed, like a vengeful ghost that couldn’t be shaken off. She lowered her voice, “But all that is still fine. The only thing that saddens me is the mermaid of the past has now become a landlubber, it’s just too——”
Before she had finished speaking, Tang You's expression had changed instantly; she conveniently took an uncorked bottle of red wine from a table next to her and emptied it over Wen Ling's head, drenching her entire face and body.
Shaaaaa——
No one had expected her to do something like this in full view of everyone.
Wen Ling was also stunned.
She was wearing a white dress today, and the wine stains were very obvious. Her hair was completely drenched with red wine, which flowed down her cheeks and her jaw hung wide open in shock.
After all the wine was poured out, Tang You set the empty bottle heavily on the table, looked coldly at Wen Ling, and finally spat out an expletive, “Bit—ch.”
She turned around and left.
Her hands were still out of control, and trembling violently.
She only managed to inform the class monitor on WeChat; Tang You gritted her teeth— she couldn't stand to look at Wen Ling anymore.
Her words evoked those dark memories.
Tang You left the banquet hall and went straight to the parking lot. She sat in the car for a long time to let her emotions settle, waiting to make sure her heartbeat had calmed down before driving away.
Not long after leaving the parking lot, she was just about to speed up when the car in front of her suddenly braked sharply, stopping without warning. The startled Tang You slammed her foot down on the emergency brake.
But she couldn’t avoid bumping into the car’s rear.
Although the seat belt kept her tightly in place, she still swung violently; her stomach couldn’t help wrenching with nausea from the impact.
With shaking hands, Tang You first called the traffic police; her voice was calm as she reported the current situation truthfully. After that, she trembled hard, unable to unfasten her seat belt.
Only then did Tang You realize that her hands and legs were limp with fear.
There seemed to be a huge machine roaring in her ears, making an uncomfortable noise, booming non-stop. It reverberated in her ears, making her feel rather unwell.
While struggling hard fighting the seat belt, she suddenly heard someone knocking on the car window.
At first, she thought it was an auditory hallucination.
Tang You looked towards the sound and saw Xiao Zexing's face through the water-stained glass.
Frowning, he made some hand gestures, signalling for her to open the car door.
With quivering hands, Tang You released the security lock.
The moment the lock was released, Xiao Zexing pulled the car door open forcefully.
He leaned over, and the light and pleasant fragrance of cedar and vetiver filled the entire car.
Xiao Zexing wasn’t smiling, and there was no trace of the dimples in his cheeks. He asked, “Youyou, are you alright?”
It took her a few second before being able to respond.
Tang You nodded. “I’m fine.”
Seeing his gaze, she added honestly, “I’m not hurt, only my limbs have grown weak from fright.”
She was genuinely scared this time.
Tang You had seen so many cautionary videos of car accidents in the past, warning people to drive safely; many used security footages of actual scenes of car accidents to maximise their effectiveness.
She was a little fearful and had always been a cautious driver, complying with traffic laws and regulations, never overstepping.
But she hadn’t expected that despite all that, she would still encounter this kind of situation.
Xiao Zexing unbuckled the seat belt effortlessly, turned on the lights, and after carefully ascertaining that there were no injuries on her body, he apologised, then carried her out of the driver's seat.
When she landed, Tang You's legs were still weak, and she had to lean on Xiao Zexing to keep from falling to the ground.
It was only drizzling when she had arrived, but the rain was now pouring heavily.
Xiao Zexing unbuttoned his trench coat and pulled her into his arms to temporarily shield her from the rain.
His assistant hurried over with a large black umbrella to block the two from the rain.
“It's alright, Youyou,” Xiao Zexing's held her arm in an appropriate manner, not touching anywhere else, comforting her in a low voice. “It's just a small accident.”
She looked very bad; her face and lips were pale, her eyes unfocused, and when talking to her, it took her a while before she could slowly respond.
Tang You's heart was beating violently.
She was very flustered.
Xiao Zexing squeezed her hand, trying to test her body temperature. “Good Youyou, don't be afraid.”
Tang You's hands, which hadn’t stopped trembling, finally made Xiao Zexing realize that something was wrong. “Are you cold?”
Tang You nodded.
The cold she was feeling now wasn’t just physical cold, but more of the chill that seeped out bit by bit from the aftershock.
What would’ve happened if she hadn’t braked in time and crashed hard?
Xiao Zexing took off his trench coat and carefully wrapped Tang You in it.
She was so small that the coat was almost dragging on the ground, so Xiao Zexing had no choice but to lean down and hug her through the coat; he asked in a low voice, “Are you still cold now?”
Tang You blinked, lifted her face, and finally was able to see him clearly.
Xiao Zexing's expression was more serious than she had ever seen before.
The fear just now had turned Tang You's lips deathly pale; she didn't cry or scream, but she was actually scared out of her wits.
Tang You nodded and thanked him in a small voice, “Thank you, Second Uncle.”
The roaring noise in her ears gradually began to fade; the rain fell on the umbrella, pitter-pattering, clear and sharp.
Xiao Zexing's body temperature was on the high side, and his trench coat blocked her from the cold wind and rain.
She felt herself being dragged out of that deep fear back into the human world.
Fortunately, she hadn’t been driving at a fast speed just now, and had managed to brake in time. The rear of the car in front had a huge dent in it from the impact.
Tang You calmed down slowly and finally began to observe the surrounding situation. She felt that the car looked familiar, and realised in the next moment——
This was Xiao Weijing's car.
Wen Ling opened the door of the driver's seat and got out.
Her white dress was still covered in wine stains. From a short distance away, she brushed away the hair by her cheek and wiped off the rainwater that had mixed with the wine stains.
Wen Ling couldn’t see Xiao Zexing's face clearly; she took a few more steps in the direction of the pair.
Presently, the night was too dark, and coupled with the heavy rain, she could only make out a tall man holding Tang You, who was wrapped in that man's coat.
Wen Ling narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but smile mockingly.
Turning her face, she adjusted her emotions and started making a phone call. She hadn’t deliberately lowered her voice, and was just loud enough for Tang You to hear, “Weijing, are you still busy now? ……Mm, I've had an accident, can you come over now——”
She hadn’t finished speaking when the phone was taken away.
Wen Ling's hand was left empty; when she looked up, she saw Xiao Zexing, and her eyes widened in surprise.
Xiao Zexing had been living overseas for a long time, and she did not recognise him.
What had shocked and made Wen Ling dumbfounded were the eyes that were so similar to Xiao Weijing’s.
His eyes looked like they were carved out of the same mould, but the temperament was completely different.
They were clearly similar in appearance, but Xiao Weijing was always smiling, and wasn’t scary even when he was angry. But now, although the man before her hadn’t said a single word to her, Wen Ling could not help but shudder.
Who was… this person?
Xiao Zexing didn’t even spare her a glance. With a dark face, he spoke into the phone, “Weijing, it’s Second Uncle.”
Not waiting for the person on the other to respond, he added in a low voice, his eyes cold, and anger barely suppressed, “Get over here immediately”
“Right now.”
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Footnotes:
1 whatever you eat is nourishment for the same area: A Chinese saying that what you eat nourishes the same part of your own body, e.g. pigs brains nourishes one’s brains. In this case, eggs in Chinese is 蛋 dan, which is slang for male testes because of their “egg-shape”, which explains the lewd pun about eating eggs to nourish the male’s “eggs”.
2 Xi Xing Gan Tang: 西行甘棠part of the title of a Chinese poem in the late 1800s. The character for ‘Tang’ is the same as Tang You’s name.
3 Black Sea membership level: The highest membership level for Haidilao in China, a very popular hot pot chain.
4 Little Soft Candy: a direct TL of the nickname, 小软糖 xiao ruan tang; the last character for candy (tang) is a homonym for Tang You’s surname. (As a reminder, when Jiang Chenting calls her Tangtang, he also uses the character for candy instead of the one for her surname.)
