Chapter 36

Zhao Pingjin finished work close to 8 p.m. Fang Langxi had sent some good tea from Fujian through a friend, and Zhao Pingjin went to his house to sit for a while.

Fang Langxi was not the eldest son; he had an older brother who worked at the Shenyang Military Region. After graduating from Tsinghua University, Fang Langxi worked at Xinhua News Agency before becoming an independent photographer. The Fang family indulged their youngest son, and he had always lived a relatively carefree life. After getting married, he moved out of the family home and lived in a two-story duplex at Swan Bay.

The housekeeper led Zhao Pingjin inside.

Fang Langxi was in his studio, and hearing the sound, he came out. “You’re here. Just in time, have some dinner before you leave.”

Zhao Pingjin lowered his head to change his shoes. “No need. I came from Chaoyangmen, and I have to go back to the company for a meeting soon.”

Fang Langxi called upstairs, “Qingqing, Zhouzi is here!”

Qingqing responded from upstairs, “Okay!”

The sound of footsteps echoed, and Qingqing ran down the stairs.

Fang Langxi anxiously said in the living room, “Slow down! Slow down!”

Zhao Pingjin gave Fang Langxi a sideways glance. “Are you expecting one?”

Fang Langxi scratched his head. “Not yet. We’ve been trying this month, but we don’t know the result. What if my son is already in the making?”

Zhao Pingjin, too tired to speak much, helplessly looked up at the sky to express his mood.

Qingqing shifted the cushions on the sofa. “You two sit down for a while, Zhouzi, I’ll ask the maid to add another dish.”

Zhao Pingjin settled into the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No need, I’m about to leave.”

Qingqing sat beside him and asked, “Has Pin Dongjie given birth yet?”

Zhao Pingjin’s cousin, Zhao Pin Dong, was the only daughter of his father’s elder brother. After graduating from university, she moved to the United States and married a Chinese-American. She had already immigrated a couple of years ago.

Zhao Pingjin lazily responded, “Not yet, soon though, probably by the end of the month.”

Qingqing smiled. “I saw her last year for Chinese New Year, and now it’s almost been a year already.”

Zhao Pingjin’s voice was a bit hoarse. “What’s the rush? I’ve been too busy this whole year, haven’t even seen the light of day. Qingqing, did you meet her today?”

Qingqing smiled and glanced at him. “Xitang? Yes.”

Fang Langxi handed him a cup of tea. “Qingqing said she’s filming over at Houhai. Aren’t you going to see her?”

Zhao Pingjin took the tea, paused for a second, and said, “I’m busy, forget it.”

Qingqing took the cup and began brewing tea for Fang Langxi. “The thing you asked me to check, I asked her.”

Zhao Pingjin motioned for her to continue with his eyes.

Qingqing shrugged. “She said her mother was sick, and she had to go back to take care of her.”

Zhao Pingjin remained indifferent and silent.

Fang Langxi let out a sigh of relief. “Sounds reasonable. Didn’t you check before?”

Zhao Pingjin looked a little depressed. “Yes, after she was discharged, she rested in Beijing for a while and even came to your wedding. Then she went back to her hometown.”

Qingqing couldn’t help but ask, “So what Xitang told me was true?”

Zhao Pingjin replied nonchalantly, “Her mother was ill, and she did stay in her hometown for a few years.”

Zhao Pingjin had actually sent someone to investigate when Huang Xitang left Beijing. After their breakup, she cut off all contact with his side. She left Beijing quietly, without anyone knowing. Ni Kailun handled all her movie contracts at the time, and there were no financial issues with the contract terminations or compensations. He also checked on her mother’s illness, but no hospital in Xianju or Hangzhou had any records under her or her mother’s name. It appeared the only person who knew was a small local landlord who had sent a girl pretending to be Huang Xitang’s classmate to stay at his hotel. His wife had no idea. The mute girl was tight-lipped, only introducing people to her house for noodles.

Qingqing winked at Zhao Pingjin. “I asked her something you didn’t mention. Do you want to hear it?”

Zhao Pingjin paused with the teacup in his hand. “What?”

“I asked her about you two...” Qingqing paused, glanced at Zhao Pingjin, who remained indifferent, then looked at Fang Langxi, who subtly gestured to her to be gentle. Qingqing set down her cup, then relayed the exact words: “She said that between you and him, the choice was never hers.”

Zhao Pingjin’s eyes flickered for a moment, clearly understanding. He furrowed his brows, his face pale.

Fang Langxi glanced at him and quickly tried to lighten the mood. “I think Xitang’s doing pretty well now. She’s a lot quieter than before.”

Qingqing tugged on her husband’s arm. “What do you know? When she was with us, how could she not be quiet? Didn’t you notice? She hardly interacts with us, barely says anything, and when she can, she avoids us.”

Fang Langxi was puzzled. “I didn’t notice. Why?”

Qingqing looked a little sad. “Xitang said we’re from different worlds.”

Fang Langxi looked at Zhao Pingjin, who was leaning against the sofa. “Well, that conclusion is really something. Your mom must have given people some pretty tough treatment back then.”

Zhao Pingjin gave Fang Langxi a cold glance but didn’t respond to the teasing. He remained silent, his expression dark and unclear.

Qingqing couldn’t help but ask, “Zhouzi, what do you really want to do with her?”

Zhao Pingjin’s face remained gloomy, and he lazily replied, “What can I do with her?”

Qingqing didn’t let it go. “What about after you get married? What will she do?”

Zhao Pingjin answered, “She can do whatever she wants.”

Qingqing stood up, glaring at him angrily. “When a man turns cold, he’s truly ruthless.”

Zhao Pingjin kept a wooden expression and didn’t respond.

Qingqing turned and went upstairs.

The two men were left in the living room.

Fang Langxi quickly refilled his tea. “Hey, don’t blame her. Qingqing has always liked Xitang.”

Zhao Pingjin held the porcelain teacup, slowly spinning it. “Qingqing has a good heart. Who wouldn’t like her?”

Fang Langxi disagreed. “No, it’s not just that. Does she not understand who’s good or not? Over the years, how many of your girlfriends has she liked this much?”

Zhao Pingjin paused for a second, then casually said, “I should’ve known. She’s just too likable. Keeping her around is a disaster.”

Fang Langxi felt a chill in his heart and didn’t dare reply.

The living room fell into silence again.

Zhao Pingjin pulled out a cigarette. “Can I smoke?”

Fang Langxi, seeing the exhaustion on his face, replied, “Go ahead. When Qingqing comes down, I’ll be the one getting scolded.”

The lighter flicked, and the faint scent of smoke spread.

Fang Langxi shifted the topic. “Has your uncle been discharged yet?”

Zhao Pingjin took the ashtray and placed it nearby, still lazily leaning on the sofa. “Not yet. He needs a full check-up. He’s happy to take a break and wants to be left alone for a few days. My sister’s about to give birth, and I haven’t told her.”

Fang Langxi leisurely sipped his tea from the side. “What about that project of yours at the company?”

Zhao Pingjin took a deep drag of his cigarette, suppressing his frustration. “Still working on it.”

Fang Langxi quickly remembered and told him, “Last time we had dinner, Old Gao also asked about it. He said the military industry is under a lot of pressure, so you still need to be careful.”

Zhao Pingjin nodded. “I know. Once it’s started, there’s no turning back.”

Fang Langxi smiled. “Well, it’s good that Xitang is in Beijing. You don’t have to go to Shanghai anymore.”

Zhao Pingjin flicked off the ash. “Recently, there’s a lot going on in Beijing. Shanghai is handled by the old money. I go back once a month to meet with the family fund people.”

Fang Langxi said, “Managing so many things by yourself, you really are something.”

The smoke from the cigarette swirled in front of Zhao Pingjin, irritating his eyes.

He had smoked half the cigarette and then extinguished it.

Fang Langxi spoke again, “I went home for dinner last weekend, and my brother said your father has been making big moves lately.”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t respond directly. “I have nothing to do with his affairs.”

Fang Langxi cautiously said, “The situation is volatile. It’s not very wise to pick sides.”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t mind discussing it. “He’s the one who promoted him, so there’s no way to avoid it. If it’s about picking sides, it’s not quite like that.”

Seeing that Zhao Pingjin wasn’t opposed to the topic, Fang Langxi continued, “When it comes to your generation, you’re not going into politics, right? It’s better to stay out of it and protect yourself.”

Zhao Pingjin furrowed his brows slightly. “It’s not that simple. You see, when I didn’t join the military, my old man never said anything, but deep down he must have regretted it. After all, he once held a gun and fought for the country. It’s natural for him to have some lingering feelings.”

Fang Langxi nodded. “That’s true.”

Zhao Pingjin pulled another cigarette from the pack, thought about it, and then put it back. He frowned and said to Fang Langxi, “The internal factions in Central Plains are deeply entrenched. In a whole boardroom, no one’s doing real work. All their energy is spent on infighting.”

Fang Langxi was surprised. “Doesn’t the Yu family help you?”

Zhao Pingjin’s face darkened. “Help with what? As long as the marriage certificate isn’t signed, the old man from the Yu family will just watch from the sidelines. I’ve been in the engineering department for a while, but I didn’t really feel it. Today in the meeting, everything was chaos, and that old man didn’t say a word. In the end, he patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘Young man, take your time to practice.’“

Fang Langxi laughed. “That’s quite a loaded comment.”

Zhao Pingjin replied irritably, “People under my uncle’s faction are just as hard to manage. Those old-timers won’t budge unless they see a benefit. Right now, I’m just working myself to death.”

Fang Langxi could only offer some advice. “These old state-owned enterprises are like that. When your uncle gets out of the hospital, just take it slow.”

Zhao Pingjin was well aware, and he only vented to his second brother to ease his mind. Once he left, everything would be forgotten. He nodded. “I know.”

Fang Langxi said, “Not long ago, I was saying you were doing better, but now you look like a wilted eggplant after frost.”

Zhao Pingjin raised his hand and deeply pinched the middle of his brows.

Fang Langxi comforted him. “Just get married. Maybe once you’re married, things will get better.”

Zhao Pingjin’s expression remained indifferent. “Getting married doesn’t mean things will get easier.”

Fang Langxi said, “The Yu family’s daughter is nice, too. A well-bred young lady.”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t reply.

Fang Langxi said, “Don’t blame me for asking, but over the years, all the girlfriends you’ve had were terrified of you. The only one who’s been by your side all this time is Huang Xitang. Though her personality has changed a lot, she’s always been caring, like a little warm jacket.”

Zhao Pingjin involuntarily gave a light laugh. When he was tired, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes became visible. The smile quickly disappeared, and his voice lowered even more. “You haven’t seen her now. Her temper’s even worse than mine. I can’t do anything about her.”

Fang Langxi sighed. “I look at you two now, and sometimes I can’t help but think back to when you were together. It’s a real pity.”

Zhao Pingjin remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh. “After Xitang, there’s no more beauty in Jingluo.”

“That pessimistic?”

“You don’t understand.” Zhao Pingjin closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa. “Sometimes, I really envy you and Qingqing.”

Fang Langxi thought for a while, then cautiously asked, “Is there really no way?”

“You know me. I can never get over the thing with Xiaojiang.”

“Sigh.”

“If I really liked her, even getting married wouldn’t be an obstacle. I’d just keep her by my side.”

Zhao Pingjin shook his head. “Huang Xitang isn’t that kind of person.”

Fang Langxi cautioned, “If you keep going like this, it’s not fair to the Yu family. The old man from the Yu family isn’t a good person, so be careful.”

Zhao Pingjin’s expression turned cold and dark. “After we get married, Xitang and I will separate.”

Fang Langxi wasn’t surprised, but still felt a sudden jolt in his chest. “So, has the wedding date been set?”

Zhao Pingjin put the lighter and cigarette pack into his jacket pocket. “Probably soon. Shen Min told me that Teacher Zhou has already asked him about it. Xitang has been with me in Beijing for so long, they’ll find out sooner or later.”

His face grew even paler, and the frown between his brows deepened.

Fang Langxi noticed the maid had been lingering outside the hall for a while.

Zhao Pingjin stood up, put on his coat. “You two have dinner. I’m heading back to the company.”