Chapter 90: Look at Those People, Gathered Together Like an Urban Legend

Most men and women don’t understand love; what truly understands the patterns of love is the algorithm. It understands that like attracts like better than most people in this world, so the ignorant and those craving companionship have a chance.

Yu Zhimei and Jian Zhaowen stayed put. After speaking, Yu Zhimei felt she shouldn’t have been so rude and earnestly tried to make amends: “Right, talent shows are very popular now... With Lei Zheng’s personality, he should like a very strong contestant, right?”

“Him? His voting target is a useless one. Can’t sing in tune, so they could only arrange her to be a rapper, but she can’t even read the lyrics properly. In one song, just to give her a part, she sang ‘hey’ fifty times.”

Those who were already surprised were stunned again. Lei Zheng was completely focused on voting, with four phones in his hands, switching between them with the skill of a circus performer. The thin Xiaoxi sat cross-legged on a stool, licking the cream off her lips from a cake, completely unfazed.

Ou Jinghe laughed: “What’s so funny about voting? You know, people our age are all talking about cars, houses, kids, and money. We’re still here talking about love and ideals, how extravagant.”

Little Ma suddenly became irritable: “Sister He, can you stop being so artsy? Isn’t it just showing off that you found a well-endowed and skilled boyfriend before your divorce? Stop flaunting it, I’m still single, I’m lonely!”

Jian Zhaowen laughed heartily: “Little Ma, don’t spoil the mood. This toast is to the present.”

Yu Zhimei and a few others gathered in their usual spot. Shi Rui, bored, turned her head and asked Little Ma: “Who’s living in my old room now?”

Ou Jinghe walked in wearing the brooch on her chest and answered frankly: “Me—I’m going through a divorce.”

“Oh my god.” Shi Rui was so surprised she couldn’t speak, and after a long pause finally said, “Boss Lady, you’re something else.”

Ou Jinghe turned and went to the corner to find Zheng Zeyan. He seemed a bit lost. In the forty-square-meter space on the first floor, he sat silently on a high stool near the bar, watching her. The loneliness he had developed during university still hadn’t been broken. A room full of neighbors who were like family were all terrifying monsters in his eyes.

“Don’t you want to go chat with everyone?”

“I’m fine sitting here, I just want to look at you.”

“Why didn’t I realize your mouth was so sweet before?”

“That Shi Rui, she’s having marital problems.”

“What?” Ou Jinghe looked at Shi Rui: “How can you tell? Don’t tell me it’s a man’s intuition.”

“Just a guess, you can ask her. But she probably won’t say anything, traditional women care a lot about face.” Zheng Zeyan’s smile was hidden behind his wine glass: “Whether someone is happy or not, you can tell just by looking at them.”

Ou Jinghe smiled and just gently kissed him, turning down the music.

The people in the room gathered in twos and threes, making it lively. The sixty-square-meter space extending upwards over two floors was filled with music and laughter, enclosing the merriment within the room. Yu Zhimei said firmly that she really couldn’t believe the Miaolin dessert shop was closing. Maybe it was commonplace in other people’s eyes, like the supermarket in front of their house closing and being replaced by a deli, but it was almost our other home.

Jian Zhaowen looked into the distance and gently squeezed Yu Zhimei’s hand: “Sister He lives downstairs from us, at least the few of us are still together. Living so close in the neighborhood, and you and I are still next door, that’s already very rare.”

Before leaving, Jian Zhaowen and Yu Zhimei lay in bed for a long time, lost in each other. Jian Zhaowen was like a hibernating animal in bed, buried in Yu Zhimei’s shoulder, sleeping until the afternoon. When he woke up, he was like a hungry beast, burrowing into the covers and nibbling at Yu Zhimei’s chest, the saliva and panting tickling her. Unable to bear it any longer, she pulled Jian Zhaowen’s slightly long hair and dragged him out of the covers: “It hurts, can you not use your teeth?”

“You... your reaction was quite quick.” His hand was still under the covers.

“The cats are still in the room.”

“They don’t understand anyway.”

“Jian Zhaowen, why didn’t I realize you were such a pervert before?”

“I see you for less than five hours a week. What’s wrong with being horny? I’m a man.” Jian Zhaowen mumbled into the covers: “It’s so strange, there’s nothing between my legs.”

Of course, she knew what he was talking about. Jian Zhaowen, when he came out again, exuded a blatant desire. He was still that man with thick and handsome hair, the kind you knew at first glance. And something she hadn’t noticed before, he had flowing eyebrows, slightly upturned corners of his eyes, and a mischievous mole at the corner of his mouth. When her tongue touched it, it was impossible not to notice his full and sensual lips, the quickly growing dark stubble. When he only looked at her, besides greed, there was also infatuation. He licked her face, like striking a match.

The moment she was ignited, Yu Zhimei suddenly thought that she had spent a lot of time reaching the summit of this mountain called “Jian Zhaowen.” His deep and sweet voice was unique to him, only those sensual lips and bones were worthy of it. Taking advantage of Jian Zhaowen’s inattention, she suddenly grabbed his hand and lightly flipped onto his body. Thinking Yu Zhimei was about to fall, Jian Zhaowen subconsciously supported her, only to realize helplessly, “Why do you always want to ride me?”

She brought her mouth close to Jian Zhaowen’s ear: “No choice, whoever is stronger has the right to speak.”

“...Don’t squeeze me.”

The sound of the old bed frame echoed in the room. Neither of them could bring themselves to say goodbye first to this viscous intimacy. Jian Zhaowen’s skills cooled down for a few minutes and then he came around again, unwilling to be constantly pinned down by Yu Zhimei. He supported her waist and placed her back on the bed, his strength not allowing her to refuse. Face to face, he mischievously kissed her calf and nudged her: “Your muscles are so soft, do you like it like this?”

The wind seemed to be changing direction. The previously well-behaved Jian Zhaowen was turning into a beast conquering a city. He unexpectedly liked watching the bewildered Yu Zhimei, mischievously finding the soft spot of her will to resist on her body, his wet fingers pinching Yu Zhimei’s face and kissing her incessantly, insisting on making her dirty and disheveled, then wickedly laughing in her ear: “What’s on your face is a sensual great flood.”

That tone made Yu Zhimei’s heart tremble. The spirited Jian Zhaowen was no longer the man she had once known. The former Jian Zhaowen was picky, gentle, willing to be her tender gentleman, while the current Jian Zhaowen was a man who had personally gone into battle, the wind and snow teaching him sharpness, and the sharp blade teaching him coldness. Both forms of him made her infatuated, but she wasn’t ready to accept the transformed Jian Zhaowen. How lucky to have known him when they were nobodies, finally giving the arrogant Jian Zhaowen a chance to calm down and look at her. She wouldn’t deceive herself like Sister He; love that came at a certain age didn’t have as much that could be called “fate.” If she accidentally encountered someone she liked, she would desperately fight for it. Even though the process could be called despicable, the get-rich-quick mentality of a superficial society, and even if the starting point of her attraction was like vanity, she knew that if she were someone who didn’t dare to fall in love easily and didn’t know how to fight for it, she wouldn’t be lying beside him now.

She opened her mouth and asked, “Jian Zhaowen.”

“Hmm.”

“I used to laugh at you for not understanding love. Do you understand now?”

“Most men and women don’t understand love; what truly understands the patterns of love is the algorithm. It understands that like attracts like better than most people in this world, so the ignorant and those craving companionship have a chance.”

She didn’t know what to do next to be worthy of him. Her fingers were still clasped in his palm. Yu Zhimei came back to her senses and leaned on Jian Zhaowen’s shoulder. The lamplight gave her a laziness to be content with the present. How wonderful it would be to enjoy Jian Zhaowen for the long time to come if she really didn’t go to Beijing and found a simple and easy job. She wasn’t a greedy person, she just couldn’t control herself when it came to Jian Zhaowen.

Little Ma finally had the interest to inquire about Shi Rui’s married life, but after only two questions, Shi Rui ended the topic with “very good.” When Little Ma walked away dejectedly, with only Yu Zhimei beside her, Shi Rui leaned closer and said, “Sister Mei, can you go out with me for a while later? I want to ask you for a favor.”

“What is it?”

“My husband has a social engagement nearby, but... I always feel like he might be seeing someone behind my back.”

Only then did Yu Zhimei understand that Shi Rui, who rarely came to see everyone, was only here today to “stake out” her husband. Not wanting to spoil everyone’s mood, she asked, “Did you notice anything suspicious?”

“Someone is playing King of Glory with him. That ID looks like a girl’s at first glance.”

“Maybe there’s nothing to playing games. Be more generous.”

Shi Rui stubbornly glared at Yu Zhimei: “I want to be generous too.”

Yu Zhimei didn’t know how to answer.

“Later he might want to move to another city for development. I’d be happy to move quickly so I can break up with this one.” Shi Rui seemed to be making a bet with herself: “As long as I have a child, he will honestly return to the family.”

Yu Zhimei said seriously, “Having a child doesn’t solve everything.”

“Sister Zhimei, he’s from the Northeast, family is important to them. I have to bet on this battle. Can we go out for a while and borrow Brother Zhaowen’s car? Remember to keep it a secret for me, you’re the person I trust the most.” With that, she stood up and subconsciously supported her stomach: “The whole room is full of alcohol, everyone is already a pair of distressed lovers, yet Sister He can still laugh so happily, she’s really heartless. Is there any non-alcoholic drink in this room?”

Yu Zhimei looked at Sister He, who was chatting with Jian Zhaowen by the window. Sister He’s expression was a bit serious. Listening closer, she realized that Sister He was actually looking for a job. Yu Zhimei snatched the keys from his pocket: “I’ll go out with Shi Rui for a while, I’ll be back soon.”

“Something wrong?”

“Shi Rui asked me for a favor.”

Yu Zhimei’s back quickly disappeared behind Sister He, and her thoughts were drawn back. Sister He seemed very eager: “Can you let me work at your company? I mean, having a job now would make me feel more confident. Don’t look at me like I’m a pampered person, I’m a proper returnee from overseas.”

“I didn’t mean that.”

“You did. You’re internally assessing me, someone who hasn’t worked for so many years and only has a dessert shop that loses money every month.”

“I was thinking about what you could do. You might still need to give me a resume.”

“Don’t worry, I definitely won’t be so bad as to rely on connections.”

“What was your first job back then?”

“I was an editor. Then I became a salesperson—quite a leap, right? A street-smart girl is very suitable for tricking clients, I’m very good at communication. Being an editor is different, you need to be stuck in one place repeatedly facing a thick stack of paper. And over time, books become commodities. I grew tired of my colleagues’ lack of reverence for books—they discarded books they didn’t like. Readers are more snobbish than ordinary people because talent has levels, and hard work isn’t so equal to them.” Ou Jinghe seemed anxious to change the subject: “I really want to do something meaningful, preferably helping young girls not go astray, like me, who once lost myself for money.”

This made Jian Zhaowen laugh: “There actually is something. It’s just that the salary isn’t high, are you willing?”

Sister He vigorously patted Jian Zhaowen’s shoulder: “Of course. Even if I sell the dessert shop, I’m not someone who lacks money. Now I feel like I have everything, and I just want to be a good person next. And—” Ou Jinghe gritted her teeth: “I have to prove to Zheng Zeyan’s mother that I’m not a brainless woman who only knows how to maintain her looks. Don’t ever think I’m an incompetent rich wife, I’ve always been a female boss.”

“No need to explain, the internet is just afraid you’re not unconventional enough.” Jian Zhaowen laughed: “Let me ask Lei Zheng.”

“What exactly is your partner’s background? Every time I see him, I feel like he’s some kind of reclusive expert.”

Thinking of the nights of a hundred toasts, Jian Zhaowen sighed: “God-level product manager, and emotionally very sensitive. It’s very interesting to partner with him, especially when you realize he’s a source of coldness and strong empathy, the deeper you collaborate, the more unfathomable he becomes. Where is he?”

“He went upstairs, to my little room.”

The signal was poor in the crowded courtyard. Jian Zhaowen pushed open the door to the third-floor room, where there was independent wifi. Lei Zheng was still holding his phone, his back extremely focused on voting—to find a signal, the phone in his hand was stretched out of the window and had switched to 4G. Jian Zhaowen suddenly had the urge to scare Lei Zheng and suddenly tickled him from behind. Lei Zheng, who should have turned around and cursed, suddenly shuddered, and the phone flew out of his hand. Seeing the word “4G” at the same time, Jian Zhaowen saw the screen but didn’t have time to retract his mischievous hand.

Wanting to salvage the situation, Jian Zhaowen quickly reached out and grabbed the phone that was about to fall in an arc, and also managed to catch Lei Zheng in his arms. Lei Zheng, who was half a head shorter than Jian Zhaowen, fell into Jian Zhaowen’s embrace like a clumsy girl. Jian Zhaowen was about to make fun of him but met his eyes. Lei Zheng’s gaze lingered on Jian Zhaowen’s face for a second, then was filled with shock and embarrassment. Jian Zhaowen felt the temperature of sadness in his eyes next, and Lei Zheng also realized it. Pushing Jian Zhaowen away, Lei Zheng took back his phone, turned off the screen, and the Day and Night interface went black, the words on the screen remaining in Jian Zhaowen’s heart like a gentle slap.

Yu Zhimei stopped on a street near the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, the car facing an old five-star hotel. The first floor of the hotel was private dining rooms. Shi Rui sat in the passenger seat, staring at the exit like an owl, seemingly waiting for Jiang Lei to appear with a woman in his arms. But Shi Rui wouldn’t rush over to confront him; at most, she would take a few photos as evidence. Besides, she had now resigned and was waiting at home every day to receive baby supplies, with no source of income. Shi Rui leaned back in the car and said, “I used to like Brother Zhaowen, Sister Zhimei, you knew that, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know why I gave up on him later? It wasn’t because he didn’t like me, but because I felt he needed a woman who would give him her whole heart, and he was hard to move. Even if I went all out, I couldn’t win him over.”

“...”

“Maybe I’m superficial, I wanted to find someone reliable to spend my life with. As long as we got the marriage certificate and settled down, I could love him for a lifetime. If he was outstanding, I could admire him out of pride.”

“Didn’t you care that he didn’t love you?”

“Sister Mei, no man will love someone forever, isn’t that a truth you’ve long understood?” Shi Rui changed her posture: “When you’re with Brother Zhaowen, you didn’t think he would be with you for the rest of your life either, did you?”

Yu Zhimei smiled and didn’t speak.

“Have you ever thought about marrying him? You’ve been together for a year now, right?”

Her tone was exactly like those eager relatives at home. Yu Zhimei feigned the tone of talking back to an elder: “Auntie, why the rush to get married? I’m still young.”

“If you don’t get married soon, it will really be too late. While you’re still under thirty, wait until you’re thirty, and see who will still think you’re worthy of Jian Zhaowen? Still raising cats and not having children, I can see you’re anxious.”

“That idea is simply feudal remnants.”

“Sister Zhimei, in fact, society hasn’t changed. Understanding this truth sooner will make your life better. Don’t always try to go against the tide.”

“Okay, okay, I got it. Hurry up and watch your husband.”

The pregnant woman was still quietly staking out outside the hotel. The expression of waiting for a lover before marriage became one of defense after marriage, as if marriage was like a gold mine for them. Yu Zhimei found Jian Zhaowen’s clothes in the car and draped them over Shi Rui, turning on the warm air conditioning and spacing out. She hadn’t yet talked to Jian Zhaowen about Xing Ge’s upcoming move to Beijing and had also inquired among friends about other car media companies in Shanghai. It was difficult to find a suitable position by sending resumes to recruitment websites. The quality of car media varied greatly, and established advertising companies needed professional TVC directors more and wanted the clients Yu Zhimei had in hand; some were directly in very far suburban areas, requiring four hours of commuting back and forth, and Yu Zhimei would need to move. After searching around, Yu Zhimei found that finding a job wasn’t easy for her. After much deliberation, following Xing Ge to Beijing seemed to be the best option after all.

Although age wouldn’t become a limiting factor for Yu Zhimei, she had to admit that for a specialist in a niche field, simply changing direction didn’t offer many suitable opportunities. It wasn’t that people could do less and less as they went from young to old, but rather that the choices people were naturally able to make were very narrow.

There were words on the fogged-up windshield on the passenger side. Facing the night light, the sleepy Yu Zhimei saw crooked handwriting and suddenly woke up. In the car she hadn’t been in for a long time, someone had written “Jian Zhaowen & Vicky forever.”