Xiao Yufan’s butt had gone completely numb by the time he finally returned to Beijing.
As soon as he stepped off the bullet train, he realized he was completely broke. His trip to Shanghai had been like taking a short vacation for himself, but for the next two months, life would become even tighter financially.
“Brother Teng, hurry up and come pick me up! Come keep me company for a few drinks!” Xiao Yufan couldn’t go anywhere else, so he called his best friend in Beijing, Ma Teng — a close companion who had never looked down on him, even when he had nothing.
Winters in Beijing were bitterly cold, and worse still, they carried no sense of warmth. In this age of materialism, the noisy city was simply unlivable without money. Many people turned to deception or even begging to survive. Yet Xiao Yufan felt no contempt for those people. If there were other ways to survive, who would willingly lie or grovel?
“Why are you hiding here? It took me forever to find you! From now on, don’t you dare leave home without enough money to get back! Every time I have to come rescue you!”
After a while, Xiao Yufan felt a hand patting his shoulder. He stood up and gave the person a big hug. Throughout his hardest times, Ma Teng had always been there silently supporting him — a friendship Xiao Yufan valued more than anything else in Beijing.
“Who asked you to give me a lecture? Come on, brother, let’s go have a drink and celebrate my breakup!” Xiao Yufan chuckled dryly, slightly embarrassed by Ma Teng’s scolding. He felt guilty for always troubling his friend.
“This isn’t your first or second breakup, you know? Girls are like clothes — if you lose one, just change to another!” Ma Teng had already heard about Xiao Yufan’s situation through previous conversations. Not a sentimental guy, he didn’t know how to comfort his friend, but in his view of love, going with the flow was always the best approach.
“I like that! Girls are just clothes — if you lose one, just change to another! Such a simple concept!” Xiao Yufan laughed heartily, and the two walked like fools toward a nearby restaurant.
“But hey, what exactly happened with Lin Jiayao? Why did she suddenly ask you for help?” Once seated in the restaurant, the two cracked open bottles of beer and started chatting. The first topic that came up was Lin Jiayao.
“Who knows what’s going on? Maybe she thought I was the kind of guy who’s easy to manipulate!” Xiao Yufan downed half the bottle in one go, then exhaled deeply, still thinking about that ten-thousand-yuan issue.
“I think Lin Jiayao actually has a crush on you. She’s a top graduate from a Beijing performing arts college. If her family hadn’t opposed her career, she wouldn’t be in such a mess. She might even become a big star someday!”
“Whether she becomes a big star or not has nothing to do with me. I just need to cut all ties with her!” Xiao Yufan knew exactly how capable Lin Jiayao was — she was a top graduate from the Beijing Film Academy. In his view, the two of them were like two parallel lines that would never meet. Since there was no future, it was better to resolve the issue and part ways cleanly.
“Did this breakup really hit you that hard? Don’t tell me you’re going to lose interest in all women from now on — that would be terrifying!” Ma Teng made a dramatic face of fear, which made Xiao Yufan laugh, easing the tension slightly.
They chatted aimlessly for a long time, neither knowing how much they had drunk. But Xiao Yufan knew for sure that Ma Teng had paid the bill again. It seemed like every time they went out, he never had money on him. He secretly decided that once he had money, he would repay every favor.
After saying goodbye, Xiao Yufan headed directly to his rented apartment in Beijing. He had been living there for quite a while — a place far from the city center, quiet and perfectly suited to his personality.
As he approached the door, he noticed a Mercedes-Benz SLK sports car parked outside. A car worth over a million yuan was extremely rare in such a remote area, and he couldn’t help but wonder who the owner could be. He thought to himself that anyone driving such a luxurious car to such a secluded place must have had their head stuck in a door.
Opening the door, Xiao Yufan saw landlord Old Li waving at him, so he walked over. When he saw the young woman sitting on the sofa and the car keys on the table, his mind went blank. This woman was none other than the one he had met on the train. Xiao Yufan never expected someone who drove a million-yuan car to actually take the bullet train — he was convinced her brain must have been scrambled.
The two stared at each other, tension almost sparking in the air. Old Li looked confused, unsure what was happening, but he could sense some sort of conflict between them.
“Uh, Yufan, this young lady has bought the house. Looks like you’ll have to move out starting today!”
Old Li glanced at Xiao Yufan, his tone carrying an edge of apology. He had rented the place to Xiao Yufan for three years, and it was obvious they had a bond. But now the house had been sold, and what came next was out of his hands.
“It’s almost sunset! You want me to move out now? Where am I supposed to sleep!” Xiao Yufan was already annoyed seeing the woman, and now Old Li was actually trying to kick him out — he exploded instantly.
“Just find somewhere to stay for now. The house now belongs to this young lady. It doesn’t matter what you say to me. Besides, I’ve already waived your rent for the past few months — isn’t that enough?”
Old Li didn’t care about Xiao Yufan’s anger. He simply packed up and headed for the door. Since the house was sold, there was no reason for him to stay.
“Old Li, how could you act like such a pushover for a bit of money? Even if you were selling the house, you should’ve at least told me in advance! Now where am I supposed to find a hotel!” Xiao Yufan shouted toward the door, but got no response — clearly, Old Li had already left. Now, only he and the woman with whom he had tangled destinies remained in the room…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage