The place Jiang Hengshu had reserved for dinner was in Huaiping District of Pinghai City. This was Pinghai City’s central district, much more prosperous than Xiling District. Fu Zhen had not been here in a very long time.
After getting out of the car, Fu Zhen raised his head and looked around. Compared with two years ago, this place did not seem to have changed too greatly. It was only that there were more billboards endorsed by Tang Wanwan along the roadside and inside the shopping malls. The moment he lifted his eyes, he saw her smiling face. Fu Zhen felt that, for the sake of his mental state, it was better to keep his head lowered.
Jiang Hengshu held Fu Zhen’s hand and walked into the restaurant across the road.
Fu Zhen looked up at the huge sign hanging above the restaurant, then looked at Jiang Hengshu beside him. So what exactly did Jiang Hengshu do? He thought of the gunshots he had heard on his last night at the bar. Jiang Hengshu’s work could not be dangerous, could it?
Inside the restaurant, Jiang Hengshu’s two friends were already waiting in the private room.
When Jiang Hengshu pushed open the door, he saw them sitting at the table chatting.
The private room was not very large. A rectangular dining table was placed by the window.
Turning one’s head, one could overlook the city scenery. Against the north wall was a leather sofa, and beside it was a projector that could be used for watching movies, singing, and the like.
Jiang Hengshu led Fu Zhen over, raised his hand, and pulled out the chair on the inside, letting Fu Zhen sit down. Wang Tong’s eyes widened as if he had seen something unbelievable. His mouth hung open so wide it could almost fit an egg.
“This is Wang Tong, and this is Song Yize. You’ve met them both before.” After Jiang Hengshu sat down beside Fu Zhen, he introduced them. “This is Fu Zhen, my boyfriend.”
Jiang Hengshu’s tone was very calm, yet Fu Zhen heard a trace of sweetness inside it. He stretched out his hand. “Hello.”
Wang Tong quickly shook it. “Hello, Sister-in-law. Hello, Sister-in-law.”
Song Yize was Doctor Song, the one who had given Fu Zhen the IV drip that day. He behaved with a little more restraint than Wang Tong, briefly shaking Fu Zhen’s hand and saying hello.
As soon as the four of them sat down, Wang Tong cursed softly. Before coming to eat, he had imagined what kind of person Jiang Hengshu would bring, but he truly had not expected Jiang Hengshu to actually get together with this little cripple. He had thought Jiang Hengshu’s behavior had been strange from the first time they met on the bus.
He said to Jiang Hengshu, “No wonder you kept that little bear charm that day, Boss. Love at first sight, huh?”
Fu Zhen was a little confused. He turned to Jiang Hengshu, who was sitting beside him, and asked, “What bear?”
Jiang Hengshu ignored Wang Tong. By Fu Zhen’s ear, he said, “I’ll give it to you when we go back.”
Wang Tong stuck out his tongue. He did not want to be fed dog food at all. Beside him, Song Yize’s smile deepened. “Let’s order first.”
“Boss, can I order anything I want?” Wang Tong held the menu, practically drooling.
Jiang Hengshu nodded. Then he whispered to Fu Zhen beside him, “Order whatever you want.” “Mm.” Fu Zhen nodded. The tips of his ears were a little red.
Seeing this scene, Wang Tong clicked his tongue. “I was wondering why you suddenly ran off to the construction site to carry bricks, Boss. So you had ulterior motives all along.”
Jiang Hengshu did not explain anything to Wang Tong about this matter.
Wang Tong giggled, summarizing Jiang Hengshu’s behavior in two words: “Quietly flirty.”
Fu Zhen knew that Jiang Hengshu probably had not gone to the construction site for his sake. Under the table, Jiang Hengshu held Fu Zhen’s hand. Fu Zhen hooked his finger across Jiang Hengshu’s palm, and Jiang Hengshu held it even tighter.
Before long, the waitresses in red qipao brought all the dishes. Song Yize frowned as he looked at the crate of beer on the floor and asked Wang Tong, “You ordered alcohol too?”
Wang Tong had the constitution of someone who collapsed after one cup, so when they were on missions, Jiang Hengshu forbade him from drinking. Normally, Jiang Hengshu and the others also did not particularly like drinking with Wang Tong. Unfortunately, Wang Tong was a drunkard. Now that he had finally found an opportunity to drink freely, he naturally would not let it pass.
Wang Tong hugged a beer bottle, afraid that Song Yize beside him would snatch it away. He said to Jiang Hengshu, “Today is Boss’s great happy day. I can’t not drink. Come on, Boss, let’s have one!”
Jiang Hengshu glanced sideways at him. This person was already drunk without drinking, wasn’t he?
During the meal, everyone barely spoke. From time to time, Jiang Hengshu picked up one or two pieces of food and placed them into Fu Zhen’s bowl. Then he peeled shrimp for him and poured him water.
Wang Tong put down his chopsticks, rubbed his stomach, and said, “I feel like I’m full.” “You’ve only eaten a few bites,” Song Yize said.
“I’m full from eating dog food.”
Jiang Hengshu’s hand, which was peeling shrimp, paused for a moment. Then, as if nothing had happened, he placed the peeled shrimp into Fu Zhen’s bowl and looked up at Wang Tong.
Wang Tong laughed and immediately picked up his chopsticks again.
After the meal, Wang Tong was probably drunk. Holding a beer bottle in one hand and Fu Zhen’s hand in the other, he kept calling him “Sister-in-law” with every sentence, leaving Fu
Zhen completely at a loss. Fu Zhen cast a pleading look at Jiang Hengshu, who was sitting on the other side.
Jiang Hengshu and Song Yize sat on the sofa without moving. The corners of Jiang Hengshu’s mouth held a smile, and his gaze as he looked at Fu Zhen was gentle.
Wang Tong made a retching sound, as if he was about to throw up. Afraid he really would vomit, Fu Zhen hurriedly took him to the bathroom.
While Fu Zhen was out, Song Yize moved closer to Jiang Hengshu and asked him, “Are you really going to be with him?”
Jiang Hengshu glanced at him without speaking.
“Will your parents agree?” Song Yize paused, pressed his lips together, then continued, “I’m guessing they’ve probably never imagined you bringing a man home.”
“So what?” Jiang Hengshu asked.
Male or female—what difference was there? As long as two people loved each other and could support each other through life, they were the best partner.
Did parents give birth to children only so that their children could continue the next generation? Was their love for their children built only upon whether those children could carry on their genes?
“I’ve never been able to talk you out of anything anyway. Forget it.” Song Yize sighed softly. “Have you investigated his background clearly?”
Jiang Hengshu did not respond. He had indeed had someone investigate Fu Zhen’s background. He knew Fu Zhen was Fu Jianchen’s youngest son, but he had never mentioned this to anyone. He was waiting for the day Fu Zhen would be willing to tell him himself.
Song Yize misunderstood Jiang Hengshu’s silence. He said, “You don’t even know what his family does, and you already want to spend your life with him?”
Jiang Hengshu did not explain. He gave Song Yize only four words. “I like him.”
I like him. That was already enough.
Song Yize was still nagging endlessly, analyzing all the ways he and Fu Zhen were unsuitable for each other. But Jiang Hengshu’s mind had long since wandered elsewhere. Before long, Fu Zhen came limping out of the bathroom. Jiang Hengshu’s gaze fell on his left leg. He needed to find time to take Fu Zhen to the hospital and have it looked at. Perhaps there was still a way to salvage it.
Seeing Jiang Hengshu looking completely impervious to persuasion, and with Fu Zhen walking toward them, Song Yize could not say anything else.
It was already very late. Ten thousand lights had lit up across the city, neon flashing like blooming trees of fire and silver flowers.
“I’ll send this drunk back,” Song Yize said, standing and lifting Wang Tong, who had collapsed onto a chair.
When they came out of the private room, Fu Zhen saw a figure flash past at the end of the corridor. He blinked and stopped in place.
Jiang Hengshu asked him, “What is it?”
Fu Zhen came back to himself and shook his head. “Nothing.”
Just now, he seemed to have seen Fu Ting. But after he blinked, that person had disappeared.
Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. It should not be such a coincidence.
After leaving the hotel, they needed to go to East Square to get a taxi. Hand in hand, they walked slowly east along the pedestrian path. Even the usual noisy car horns had turned into beautiful music.
Jiang Hengshu asked, “What do you want to do in the future?”
Fu Zhen thought for a moment, then answered Jiang Hengshu, “I want to save some money and buy a small apartment. If I have enough money in the future, I’d like to make a documentary or something.”
As he spoke, Fu Zhen laughed. He could no longer make a proper theatrical film, but shooting one or two films to upload online should still be possible, right?
He had so many, so many stories he wanted to turn into movies. It was only that after that kind of thing happened, there had been no way to realize them anymore.
Jiang Hengshu pulled Fu Zhen into his arms and comforted him. “You’ll have all of that.”
Moonlight spilled across the ground. The shadows of the trees spread over the pavement. In the evening wind, the branches swayed and rustled, like seeds reviving in spring and breaking through the soil.
When they crossed the road, Fu Zhen fell into a slight daze. He seemed to see Fu Ting again.
There was a musical fountain in the center of East Square. Many young people had gathered around the fountain to dance. Under the multicolored lights, countless tiny fluorescent particles flew through the air.
“Is it snowing?” Fu Zhen stretched out his hand. A white speck landed on his fingertip. He turned his head to look at Jiang Hengshu. “Are you still going to the construction site
tomorrow?”
“No. I’ve already quit the construction-site job.”
Fu Zhen was silent for a moment. In a low voice, he asked Jiang Hengshu, “Are you going home?”
“In a few days.”
Fu Zhen turned his head to look at Jiang Hengshu standing beside him. This was the best gift Heaven had given him after he was driven out of the Fu family. He asked Jiang Hengshu, “Then what do you plan to do next year?”
Jiang Hengshu said with a smile, “Support you.”
Under the streetlight, their shadows overlapped. Behind them was the grand fountain, jets of water rising from the ground and shooting into the sky. The crystal-clear droplets, refracted by the lights, fell like colorful candies. Jiang Hengshu pressed a kiss to Fu Zhen’s forehead.
A silver car stopped beside them. Not long after, the window rolled down, and Fu Ting’s face appeared in Fu Zhen’s line of sight.
“Fu Zhen, this is how you’ve been living after leaving the Fu family? Fooling around with a man?” The moment Fu Ting opened his mouth, his tone was full of mockery and ridicule.
Perhaps even he himself did not know why he was so angry at this moment.
Fu Zhen had not expected Fu Ting to suddenly appear. He was very afraid Jiang Hengshu would be hurt the same way he had been. His lips could not help trembling, yet every word he spoke was clear. He said to Fu Ting, “Mr. Fu, I remember we agreed before that even if we met on the road in the future, we would treat each other as strangers.”
Chapter complete.