Chapter 1 Refusing to Pick Him Up
When I received Chen Yanzhou's call, I had just put on my pajamas.
He seemed to have drunk quite a bit. The other end was noisy, and I vaguely heard people talking.
"Damn! I've spent seven figures on my girlfriend these past six months, but she won't even come pick me up! Fuck, it's your turn, Chen Yanzhou. Call her. I don't believe Chen Yanzhou's girlfriend won't come!"
"You've got to be kidding. Chen Yanzhou's girlfriend is famous for how much she loves him.
She chased him for years to get him. Every time we ate out, she would call to remind him not to drink too much.
No matter how late, she came to pick him up.
As long as Chen Yanzhou asked, she would definitely come! "
It sounded like they were betting again on that boring game about whether girlfriends would come pick them up.
Chen Yanzhou's voice carried a relaxed smile as it came closer.
"Keep it down a bit--Tang Ning, I drank too much. Come pick me up."
I said,
"I've already lain down. Come back by yourself."
All the voices on the other end vanished instantly. Then someone whispered in shock,
"Holy shit, Chen Yanzhou's girlfriend has changed. She used to come even in heavy rain. What's going on here..."
Chen Yanzhou was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, the smile had completely disappeared from his voice.
"Tang Ning, you--"
I cut him off. "I'm going to sleep. Hanging up."
I did not wait to hear what he said and hung up the phone.
......
After we got back together, I had not dreamed about the past much.
But maybe because of the call today, in my half-asleep state I smelled the heavy rain again.
It was the biggest rain in S City in 2023. Chen Yanzhou had gone out to meet friends. I looked at the pouring rain outside and felt worried, so I called to tell him to drink less.
On the phone, Chen Yanzhou's voice was cold and impatient.
"I know. Stop calling."
He still had not returned by past midnight. He did not reply to any of my messages.
When I called again, his phone was turned off.
I panicked. Afraid something had happened to him, I ignored the heavy rain outside, grabbed my coat, and went out to hail a taxi.
The rain was so heavy that the taxi's wipers could barely keep up. My view ahead was almost completely blurred.
The taxi nearly collided with a car that suddenly darted out at the intersection. The driver rolled down the window and cursed nonstop.
"Driving like a fucking idiot! Can't you drive properly!"
The driver kept swearing the whole way. I felt scared and gripped my phone tightly.
It took an hour and a half from the south to the north of the city. The rain was so heavy I could barely see the road. Luckily, I finally got off safely near the restaurant where Chen Yanzhou was having dinner.
The wind blew the heavy rain. Even with an umbrella, I was soaked through. When I saw Chen Yanzhou walking out of the restaurant, I breathed a sigh of relief. I jogged over and was about to call out to him.
"Chen Yanzhou--"
But when I saw the girl beside him, I slowly stopped.
Feng Linlin had Chen Yanzhou's jacket draped over her shoulders. Chen Yanzhou stood next to her.
Under the lights, she wore thin high heels. Not a drop of rain touched her. Her makeup and hair were perfect. She smiled as she talked to Chen Yanzhou.
The soft smile on Chen Yanzhou's face vanished the instant he saw me. He frowned out of habit.
"Why are you here?"
I looked up at him. "Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"I told you I was busy. Don't call anymore," Chen Yanzhou frowned. "What exactly do you want?"
Feng Linlin was his childhood sweetheart. They grew up together.
It was only after the college entrance exam that Feng Linlin went abroad, and they separated.
Recently she had returned to the country, and they reconnected. I heard from Chen Yanzhou's friends that they had almost been together before. Chen Yanzhou had liked Feng Linlin a lot back then. When she went abroad, he had chased her to the airport in the pouring rain.
Chen Yanzhou cared deeply about anything related to Feng Linlin. Not only had he hired her into his company, but he often chatted with her.
With me, he only said a few words. But with Feng Linlin, they often talked late into the night.
Every time I asked him about it, he would impatiently tell me, "We're only talking about work. She's different from you. She's excellent and independent. Unlike you, who only thinks about romance and love.
"Tang Ning, do you know how annoying you are being like this?"
Because of Feng Linlin, Chen Yanzhou and I had argued countless times.
I should have been angry. I should have questioned him. But in the end I said nothing. I just wiped the water from my face.
"... I was worried something happened to you, so I came to pick you up."
Feng Linlin laughed.
"Tang Ning, you're not checking up on him, are you? I've heard for a long time that you keep a tight rein on Chen Yanzhou. Today I finally see it for myself."
Chen Yanzhou's friends behind her all snickered.
"I'll send Linlin home. You go back first." Chen Yanzhou seemed embarrassed. His expression looked unpleasant.
As he passed me, he suddenly stopped and took my umbrella.
"Since you're already soaked, you don't need the umbrella anymore."
I stood there in a daze, watching him hold the umbrella over Feng Linlin.
Feng Linlin leaned close to Chen Yanzhou. Her red lips curved into a smile directed at me. I could not tell if it was sympathy or mockery.
"Tang Ning, sometimes a man is like sand in your hand. The tighter you grasp, the faster he slips away. Don't you agree?"
"Why are you saying that to her? She wouldn't understand anyway. Let's go."
Chen Yanzhou held the umbrella and walked away with Feng Linlin.
I watched his car drive past, splashing water all over the road. The red taillights soon disappeared into the rain.
From start to finish, Chen Yanzhou never asked how I had gotten there.
Or how I would get back.
One of his friends could not bear to watch and said sympathetically,
"How did Chen Yanzhou's girlfriend get here? I'm heading the same way. I'll give you a ride."
I stood there dazed for a moment. Then I lowered my head and wiped the water dripping from my hair with my sleeve.
"Thanks. Sorry to trouble you."