Chapter Three

  It was said to be a gathering after the year, but Jian Xiu had something to do after the year and was afraid that he would not be able to get out of it, so he decided in advance.

  In a few more days it will be New Year's, after everyone gathers together, it will be easier to talk afterwards.

  I've already booked it in advance.

  Everyone at the table was a former classmate, and they were all chatting and laughing. Jiang Meiting was very much like a president's wife, flirting with this one and joking with that one. The whole table exclaimed: "President, you've really found yourself a good wife!"

  Su Lan kept a distance from Jian Xiu, smiling with her head down. She didn't dare look at him, but felt uneasy on top of her head. Even so, the two didn't say a word to each other all night, and when everyone was making rounds to toast, Su Lan excused herself and left.

  Everyone says: "Su Lan, you are so lucky! Your son is so smart and has been on TV. I heard your husband is super handsome, why don't you bring him over to show us?"

  Su Lan smiled and said: "Who told you that? He's always frowning all day long, I'm afraid of scaring you guys."

  "Some people say: 'In these times, those who don't show off are the real deal, haha.'"

  Looking at her smile, he was deeply enchanted, warm, sweet, and heart-wrenching.

  Everyone talked in a circle and didn't get anything out of it, so they started teasing others.

  In the end, everyone was cheering on Jian Xiu and Jiang Mei Ting as they drank a cross-cupped toast.

  Su Lan excused herself, saying she didn't feel well in her stomach, and went to the bathroom. When she came out of the toilet, she ran into a classmate washing his hands at the sink, and also saw Zhou Nan coming in, exchanging nods and smiles with each other.

  After Zhou Nan left, another classmate cautiously approached and said in a low voice with a look of disdain: "Do you know? She's being kept by someone."

  Su Lan smiled and said: "That's good luck, looking pretty."

  Classmate pouted: "A married man, what good fortune is there? I heard that person has a family. Why not find a better one to marry, it's really a waste of that face."

  Su Lan said, "It's great to be supported by someone, they'll take care of you when you're cold or warm. What's the point of getting married? You have to worry about your husband cheating on you, having kids, doing household chores, working... it's all so exhausting."

  Her classmate looked at her with a strange gaze: "Su Lan, are you married? Or are you dissatisfied with your husband, why would you say something like that?"

  She said: "I have been a divorce lawyer for so long and I just can't help but speak out."

  Classmate pouted: "Your three views are too scary."

  "Go back, your classmates are waiting for you."

  That classmate grasped her arm and suddenly whispered: "You and Jian Xiu, how did you separate?"

  Her face froze for a moment, then she smiled: "I said third party intervention, do you believe it?"

  Classmate pouted: "Okay, I shouldn't have asked randomly." Finally, she sighed and said: "In our class, there were two golden couples, you two broke up, and Ai Qing's couple is even more ridiculous. I heard that she gave birth to a child, but after checking, it wasn't Qin Sheng's. Recently, they got divorced. Qin Sheng doesn't have a backbone either. Alas, now she's dragging along a child and can't find a man, it's quite pitiful."

  Su Lan smiled, and it was indeed many years since she had remembered Ai Qing and Qin Sheng's wedding. She didn't know much about the absurd things that happened back then, and she hadn't expected things to turn out like this. She was too busy taking care of herself to have time to worry about others, so she said nothing.

  Two people were going past when they met Jian Xiu coming from the opposite direction, and they nodded to each other. The classmate beside them was quite tactful, smiled and said: "I'll go first." After that, he quickly ran past.

  There were only two people left on the road.

  "Want to talk for a bit?"

  She nodded.

  "Go up to Tiantai, there's no one there."

  Su Lan smiled: "It's not like it's something that can't be seen, why find such a quiet place to do it, just say a few words here."

  He rolled his palms and asked: "You, are you doing well?"

  "It's okay."

  "I have thought of you."

  "Me too."

  Jian Xiu's eyes sparkled, and she wanted to say something, but her words trembled on the tip of her tongue.

  Su Lan said straightforwardly: "Jian Xiu, if you continue like this, it's no fun."

  "I..."

  "Get down!" The voice behind was crisp.

  Su Lan raised her chin and said, "Your wife is calling you, go back."

  "Add oil!" They were still shouting behind him.

  Su Lan unconsciously pulled up her sleeves, lowered her head and walked past him. A faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, Jian Xiu stood there motionless, his clenched fist finally relaxing.

  After a long time, Jiang Mei Ting came over, grabbed his hand and smiled: "Why is it so cold?"

  He withdrew his hand and said, "It's nothing, go back."

  When Su Lan returned to the private room, the atmosphere changed greatly. Just now they were still making a ruckus, but now it was a group of people with gloomy faces. She also caught a glimpse of Zhou Nan sitting in the corner, disheveled, and a classmate beside him looked furious.

  She got up and leaned over to her classmate's ear and asked in a low voice: "What's going on?"

  Classmate whispered: "Zhou Nan was showing off her boyfriend over there, but... it turned out to be Mo Yu's husband."

  Su Lan didn't seem to have anything out of the ordinary, and then she saw Mo Yu Hong's face turn red again. Then she saw Zhou Nan, this world is really small. What's the point of gathering like this for a class reunion? She stood up and said: "It's getting late, I should go first."

  Mo Yu held her breath for a while, waiting for others to relax, then she suddenly rushed towards Zhou Nan and slapped him again.

  The woman's scream filled the entire room instantly. Su Lan had just lifted her foot, but now she couldn't take another step, it didn't look right anymore.

  Two people saw each other and started fighting, everyone said they were advising, but it was all a facade, allowing Mo Yu to beat and scold Zhou Nan, yet fearing someone would get killed, they finally pulled them apart.

  Su Lan didn't think Zhou Nan was pitiful, but rather thought she had it coming. She added another sentence: "There are some things that the law can't control, and people will only take action when they're driven to desperation."

  Mo Yu angrily pointed at Zhou Nan and said: "She's still flirting with your husband, let's beat this cheap woman to death together."

  Everyone was shocked and amazed.

  Su Lan's face turned pale for a moment, then she thought, no wonder everyone didn't ask about her husband, it turned out that everyone knew, it was herself... what an irony.

  Jian Xiu stood at the door with a gloomy face. Jiang Mei Ting glanced at him and gently grasped his hand.

  Su Lan's gaze fell on Jian Xiu's body, and she suddenly felt like a clown. She took her bag and pretended not to hear, saying only: "Goodbye."

  Fled in disarray.

  She rushed down and ran onto the street, waving her hand to hail a taxi, but was caught by someone.

  She raised her face, Su Lan was taken aback, wanting to pull back her sleeve, but couldn't pull it back no matter what, furrowing her brow and saying: "Jian Xiu, what do you want to do?"

  "I'll send you back."

  Before she could respond, Jian Xiu had already pulled Su Lan onto the car.

  "Let me go down, your unmarried wife is on top."

  He grasped her shoulders with both hands: "I'll take you home."

  Before Su Lan opened the door, Jian Xiu had already started the car.

  The scenery outside the window was slowly moving backwards, she leaned against the window and thought of a long time ago, they sat on the train, agreed to elope, it was such a night, with snowflakes falling all over the sky.

  A few years have passed in a flash, and we've lost each other's way.

  "Where is your home? I'll send you back."

  Su Lan said: "Jian Xiu, let me down, okay? This is really no fun, we're not kids anymore."

  He slammed his fist on the steering wheel and roared: "You said you're doing great!"

  "There are many ways."

  "What way did he cheat? Is this what you wanted?"

  "Pull over, no matter what, this is my choice."

  He pounded his fists on the steering wheel, and after a long time, he finally stopped the car by the side of the road, muttering: "If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn't have broken up with you in the first place."

  "This proves we love each other and don't give each other a hard time."

  Jian Xiu said: "This fiery temper of mine is really going to be ground down by you."

  Su Lan opened the car door and got out.

  Jian Xiu also hurriedly came down from the side, walked around the car and anxiously asked: "Where are you going now?"

  "Home is where I can go."

  "He." He pursed his lips and couldn't help but ask: "Can I hug you?"

  "Go back, Jian Xiu, don't make things difficult for me, I..."

  Without waiting for her next word, Jian Xiu had already tightly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep hug. His arm muscles were tense, as if he wanted to press her into his body. He let out a long sigh and said: "I'm just doing this once, hugging you once. If I get married, it's true that I won't have the chance again, and neither will you."

  Her hands hung down at her sides as she said softly, "Alright, let go."

  Her arms on his back grew stronger, she heard the sobbing that had been going on from skin to bone, like a force, controlling her arm, slowly climbing onto his shoulder.

  During this time, Jingxiang has been indulging in wine every day and only recovered a little these two days. There is wine on the table, as usual, he pushed it away.

  Peng Qian grasped him tightly: "This time you must let me have a drink, it's not enough otherwise."

  "I'll pick someone up later, forget it for today."

  "Who's next?"

  Someone answered for him: "It's his wife, who has such a big face."

  Peng Qianting held up his wine glass, pinched his waist: "Nonsense, his wife climbed by herself and didn't need him." He bumped Jing Yang's shoulder again: "Tonight must drink."

  "Yes, let's have a drink to admire you."

  Some people don't mind being busy, knocking on the table and saying: "A wife is a thing, but a mistress is better. No matter what, at least she has some sense of shame and listens to you."

  The people at the table are mostly middle-aged, successful in their careers, and have a "tiger mother" and a "yellow-faced wife" at home. They've just married a young wife and also keep many mistresses outside. Mistresses are luxury goods, the more the better to show off one's status. They tease each other about their own wives without mercy.

  Looking up at the desktop, he said helplessly: "You don't understand, this old lady has a way with both her husband and lover. The wife hidden at home is the inside mastermind. When problems arise, she's heartbroken and lung-broken, and can only rely on them."

  Someone directly connected: "According to what you said, the mistress outside is not a table, haha, Director Jing, your words are also too damaging."

  He smiled and said nothing.

  The people on the table continued to argue endlessly.

  Peng Peng insisted on not drinking, but instead forced Jing Yang to drink. He said with a smile: "Don't use your wife as an excuse, you have to drink today." In the end, Hao Zi Xian found a little girl to substitute for him and only then did he stop.

  He finally came out of there, and now nothing's wrong with him. He flipped through his phone, but there were no calls. Just as he was about to put it in his pocket, it rang, and surprisingly, it was Jia Hang.

  He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

  "Second brother."

  "What's wrong?" Jing Yang asked as he opened the car door and got in.

  "Where are you?"

  "Outside."

  "Haven't gone home?"

  Jiahang this kid, nothing's wrong with himself calling himself, still worrying about where he is, Jingyang felt something was off and asked: "What's going on?"

  "No, I just casually asked."

  "Hmm." He paused for a moment and casually asked: "Where's Su Lan?"

  "Huh? Went back already, went back long ago. Hehe, I was just asking you, don't you have a discount card for Four Seasons Green?"

  "You guys are finishing up pretty early." He smiled wryly: "Just go report to the boss, he'll know what's going on."

  "Alright, Second Brother, nothing's wrong now, I'll hang up first, someone is looking for me."

  "Goodbye."

  Jingxiang hung up the phone, feeling that Jiahang was not quite right today. Normally he's like a thorn in his side, but today he's being unusually gentle and even knows how to save money. He didn't pay attention to it and directly hung up the phone to walk back.

  Hanging up the phone, Jia Hang walked back and forth over there, what to do? Jiang Mei Ting asked again: "Where's Jian Xiu?"

  "What? He's gone."

  "Is she out with Su Lan? Jia Hang, she's your sister-in-law now. You're still trying to set them up, you..."

  "Hey, calm down, I really don't know where he went."

  Jiang Meiting stood there and suddenly burst into tears.

  Jia Hang was helpless, and neither of their phones could be reached. He always thought that this matter had passed, and he wanted to scold his mother in his heart. If those two people really rekindled their old love, they would offend everyone in the world for him.

  Admiring nothing, he drove directly back home. Rarely, his home was pitch black. He called his son to ask where he was?

  "Still at grandma's house."

  "Where's your mom?"

  "Mom? Hasn't come back yet. Dad, if you have time, go pick her up."

  Jing Yang said: "Good."

  After hanging up the phone, he always felt uncomfortable and drove directly to Siji Xuan without thinking.