That night, I seemed to have found a long-lost feeling, so I drank a bit too much. By the time I left the dinner table, I already felt like vomiting. To avoid troubling Fang Yuan and his wife, I hurried to the balcony, opened the window, and let the wind blow away this sudden nausea.
The cold breeze brought the scent of winter. My face felt numb from the piercing chill, yet I stubbornly gazed into the distance, fantasizing that besides the cold, this wind might also bring news of Mi Cai. I wanted to know what she was doing at this moment, yet we hadn’t been in contact for two days already.
Yanyan brought me a cup of tea. I took it from her hands, worried she might catch the chill from the wind, so I quickly told her to leave, but instead, she closed the window, as if she had something to say to me.
I took a sip of water, smiling inquiringly, and said, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Yanyan hesitated, then finally shook her head and asked, “Zhaoyang, do you like your current life?”
Perhaps due to the alcohol, I didn’t think too much before replying, “Of course I do. Life is pretty good now—at least I can still look forward to the future with anticipation.”
Yanyan finally smiled, then softly sighed and said, “Some things are probably destined by heaven. You have your own blessings. Although you went through a rough patch, you eventually met a woman who could truly move your heart.”
“Yeah,” I replied, once again gazing into the distant horizon, where I could not actually see her.
Yanyan’s voice grew even softer, “Consider it a blessing in disguise. You should live your future life well… Zhaoyang, you’re truly a righteous and considerate man. Even if others have done unforgivable things to you in the past, you’ve still found your own happiness, because heaven is fair!”
“Who did unforgivable things to me?”
Yanyan looked at me for a long time before replying, “I was just making a metaphor!”
I smiled and said, “That metaphor was pretty intense. It felt like I’ve been living inside a huge lie… Luckily, it was just a metaphor!”
Yanyan nodded, then said to me, “You’ve had so much to drink tonight. Why don’t you just stay over? I’ve already tidied up the guest room and put out all new bedding.”
…
It was late at night. I was lying in bed with Fang Yuan on either side. Strangely, it felt like the first time since leaving our university dormitory that we had lain in the same bed and talked.
We each lit a cigarette. As Fang Yuan searched for an ashtray, he sighed, “Time flies. It’s already been four years since we graduated… Zhaoyang, can you believe it? I haven’t smoked in bed since university. Thinking back, those were such free and unrestrained days.”
“You mean to say that I’m still the one who wears the word ‘freedom’ on my face? I still haven’t broken the habit of smoking in bed!”
Fang Yuan placed an ashtray on my side of the nightstand, flicked the ash off his cigarette, and laughed, “Of all us guys from the dorm, you’re probably the one who’s lived the most persistently true to yourself. I think you haven’t changed much at all from your university days!”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
Fang Yuan stubbed out his cigarette after only one puff, then lay back on the bed, resting his head on his arms and said, “Zhaoyang, to be honest, I really envy you… All these years, you’ve never lost that original rebelliousness and restlessness. You haven’t worked any harder than others in your career, yet your life has the most potential. Everyone can already see the signs of it. Perhaps it won’t be long before you leave us brothers far behind!”
“What do you mean by that? Think I’ve just been helped along by a few capable women? That they’ve lifted my career?”
Fang Yuan smiled and said, “Can you really deny that? Although I’ve always acknowledged your abilities, without others’ support, you wouldn’t have come this far… Zhaoyang, we’ve been brothers for so many years, so I’m not afraid to say these things to you. Besides envy, I also hope you can make good use of this stage and lay a solid foundation to deal with future risks… After all, the business world is ever-changing. Neither Jian Wei nor Yang Congrong, the general manager, can protect you forever.”
I felt a bit uncomfortable inside, yet I couldn’t deny the reasonableness of what Fang Yuan had said. Looking back on my career path, my efforts probably didn’t match what I now possess. Only a brother like Fang Yuan would directly point this out to me, awakening my sense of vigilance.
I took a deep drag of my cigarette before finally saying to Fang Yuan, “I understand… I also really want to achieve something independently in the business world, but I’m already too involved to pull out now!”
Fang Yuan shook his head and said, “Since you already have such good resources around you, why would you want to pull out? You should make rational use of these resources to build a career of your own. When you truly stand at the pinnacle of the business world, no one will care what you used to rely on, because by then, your brilliance and strength will have overshadowed everything!”
I thought for a long time before finally saying to Fang Yuan, “I remember just telling you that I don’t have such great ambitions. Living simply and comfortably, with no worries about food and clothing, is already enough for me… But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with how you think. However, a person must have principles. While achieving personal goals, one must also consider the moral standards of society and the dignity of the nation’s laws.”
Fang Yuan picked up the cigarette he had only taken one puff of from the ashtray, lit it again, took a drag, and then smiled at me and said, “These are just things I say to you. Even if I thought the same way, I wouldn’t have the conditions to do it. Actually, like you, I’m quite satisfied with my current life. After all, in this city where people bleed for survival, I have a house, a car, and a wife who loves me deeply…”
I added, “And a baby about to be born… What you now possess is truly beyond what we can aspire to. Look at me and Xiang Chen—we’re still struggling to get married!”
“You two will get married eventually… Keep going! This is probably as far as I’ll ever go in life, but you and Xiang Chen are different. You both have the potential to become leaders in society. Brother, I really look forward to seeing the day when you stand at the peak of the business world and command it all!”
I smiled, “Command the world? Don’t be ridiculous… Actually, living the life you have now already feels like I’ve achieved life’s value!”
“Don’t you believe in my judgment?”
“I don’t. If I were really a person full of ambition and vengeance in business, I wouldn’t have been immersed in music and emotions for so many years…”
Fang Yuan looked at me and smiled. He finally realized that continuing this topic with me was meaningless, and he fell silent. Suddenly, I remembered the promise he had made with Mi Cai before she left, so I asked him, “How’s your work at Zhuomei lately?”
Fang Yuan exhaled heavily, as if releasing the pressure from his body, and said to me, “Recently, I’ve been working on the Christmas event plan. I’ve already made a solemn pledge to the board of directors that this year’s Christmas sales at Zhuomei will definitely reach twice that of Baoli Department Store. Otherwise, I’ll resign… If I succeed, it’ll be a gift to General Mi before the IPO results come out, hopefully increasing the chances of a successful listing!”
“Why do you have to do this? You’ve worked at both department stores, and no one knows better than you that doubling Zhuomei’s sales compared to Baoli is an impossible task! You shouldn’t gamble your career on this!”
Fang Yuan’s expression became clearly anxious. He stubbed out his cigarette again and said to me with some difficulty, “This is a promise I made to General Mi. As a man, I should be responsible for my promises… I think only by decisively seizing the fiercely contested Christmas season in the department store industry can I truly earn General Mi’s trust. Otherwise, staying at Zhuomei while compromising myself would be meaningless!”
I looked at him with deep concern. After a long pause, I finally said, “It’s great that you have this mindset, but your current state clearly has issues. I’m worried you won’t be able to achieve this nearly impossible goal.”
Fang Yuan remained silent for a long time before patting my shoulder, smiling, and saying, “There’s still some time before Christmas. I’ll adjust my state as soon as possible. Besides, I can’t let my best brother lose face in front of his woman… For both sentiment and reason, I must accomplish this goal I set for myself!”
At that moment, I could even feel the pressure Fang Yuan was facing. I exhaled heavily and finally nodded, saying, “As your brother, I’ll definitely support you. Besides, miracles are meant to be created by people. With your current effort and determination, this goal might not be unattainable after all!”
Fang Yuan nodded. I then asked him, “So, does Mi Cai know about your pledge to the board of directors?”
“This was something I confirmed with the board during this evening’s meeting. I don’t know if it has already been reported to General Mi, but I think Chen Jingming will probably inform her. So she’ll know eventually.”
I suggested, “I think it’s better for you to personally report this to Mi Cai. After all, the main purpose is to fulfill the promise you made to her. Also, direct communication between you two will seem more natural and allow her to better sense your determination. This will help alleviate her concerns about you!”
Fang Yuan thought for a moment and replied, “You’re right. If General Mi hears about this from General Chen, it might seem like I have some resentment towards her. I should directly report this matter to her!”
“Well, then give her a call now. It’s the perfect time since she’s at work.”
Fang Yuan nodded and then took out his mobile phone from his briefcase.
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