Fangyuan followed behind Chen Jingming. After walking a few steps, we met. Chen Jingming, in a particularly good mood, patted my shoulder and laughed, “Zhaoyang, when did you come back to Suzhou?”
“About a week ago.”
Chen Jingming then turned to Fangyuan beside him and said, “Look at this kid, still the same as ever, doesn’t understand social niceties at all. He’s back and didn’t even invite me, his old boss, for a meal.”
I joked, “I don’t work under you anymore, why should I flatter you?”
“When you did work under me, I didn’t see you flattering me either—you only caused me a lot of trouble.”
Chen Jingming’s words made me feel guilty. I finally dropped the joking tone and said earnestly, “Let me treat you to a meal when you have time. I really appreciate all your efforts for me during these two years at Plaza.”
Chen Jingming patted my shoulder again and said, “No need to be so formal… By the way, the marketing event you planned, ‘Love Is Not a Luxury,’ was very successful. That day, eight luxury brands gave out over 200 commemorative cards. After this event, Plaza’s planning department received high praise from them!”
“That’s all thanks to your leadership,” I flattered him.
Chen Jingming looked pleased with the compliment. He then got back on topic and asked me, “So, this time you came to Suzhou, you’re not going back, right?”
“Not for now,” I gave him a vague answer.
“I think you should consider coming back to Plaza. Our planning department’s door is always open for you.”
His words made me fall silent. In fact, I did have feelings for Plaza Department Store, after all, it was my first proper job. But in the end, I couldn’t go back.
While I was talking with Chen Jingming, a white Buick Excelle GT pulled up not far from us. Soon after, we saw Zhaoli striding out confidently from the car. He had already replaced his little Alto Prince with a Buick—his life was moving forward.
It seemed like everyone around me was progressing, but I remained like a catcher in the rye, standing still, tasting the loneliness of centuries.
From afar, Zhaoli greeted me enthusiastically, walking toward me with a rather effeminate gait, then slung his arm over my shoulder and said cheerfully, “Zhaoyang, you’re back!”
I removed Zhaoli’s arm from my shoulder and, as usual, teased him, “We’re different genders, please keep a safe distance.”
Zhaoli wasn’t upset at all. He put his arm back on my shoulder and sighed, “Time takes everything, but it can’t take away your sharp and annoying temper!”
Finally, I also put my arm on Zhaoli’s shoulder and smiled, then asked, “You don’t drive that Alto Prince anymore?”
“It’s sitting at home. Want it? I can sell it to you cheap.”
Zhaoli’s words made me think of Mi Cai’s Audi Q7. If I had an Alto Prince to get around, that wouldn’t be bad either. I then said to Zhaoli, “That’s a good idea. Let’s talk more about it after dinner!”
Fangyuan, who had been silent all along, finally responded to Zhaoli. It was unclear whether he was serious or joking, “Zhaoli, I think you should just give your Alto Prince to Zhaoyang. If he hadn’t left Plaza, you wouldn’t have had such a decent position today.”
“Manager Fang is right. If Zhaoyang hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have had the chance to become the head of the copywriting and planning team. But personally, I still feel very regretful about Zhaoyang’s decision to leave Plaza,” Zhaoli said earnestly.
I believed that Zhaoli’s words were genuine, without any pretense. He had always been a straightforward person.
…
We all walked into the hotel together, and under the guidance of the service staff, arrived at the private room that Xiangchen had reserved. At that time, Xiangchen and Jianwei were already seated in the room, along with several other senior managers from different departments of Plaza Department Store. It seemed that this high-end tobacco and liquor counter set up by Xiangchen at Plaza was highly valued by the company.
After the usual greetings with everyone, I consciously chose a seat farthest from Jianwei and Xiangchen to sit down.
At that moment, Xiangchen had clearly become the center of attention, skillfully engaging in small talk with the senior managers of Plaza Department Store. The managers also politely chimed in, praising him for his youth and capability.
At times like these, I always felt the least noticeable. I sat quietly in a corner, drinking quietly, even lacking the courage to look at Jianwei. I finally understood why I always feared attending such gatherings.
Such gatherings always made me realize how wise Jianwei’s decision had been to break up with me. Because I had always been unable to manage my own life, living in hardship. Xiangchen was different—he was always the center of attention, naturally enjoying the admiration of others.
Material life would ultimately lead people to make the right choices, so now the one with Jianwei was Xiangchen, not me.
As I was lost in thought, Xiangchen and Chen Jingming clinked their glasses together. I vaguely heard Chen Jingming say to Xiangchen, “On behalf of Plaza Department Store, I’d like to have a toast with President Xiang. Your tobacco and liquor counter has brought us great help. Without exaggeration, your counter is the ninth luxury brand at Plaza.”
“Manager Chen, you flatter me. I really hope that our counter can grow steadily under the protection of Plaza, this big tree!”
Chen Jingming smiled and said, “Your counter will definitely do well. In Suzhou, yours is the first high-end tobacco and liquor counter with an investment of over ten million yuan. The positioning of having no wines priced below a thousand yuan has already created a sensation!”
“Then I’ll take your kind words.” Xiangchen said and then drank the wine in one gulp. He then looked at me and said to Chen Jingming, “Manager Chen, I’d like to have another toast with you, this time for my brother Zhaoyang. He’s always been a bit aimless. These years, I really appreciate your care for him!”
I looked at Xiangchen. His words “always been a bit aimless” pierced my soft spot like a needle. I felt as if I instantly fell into the abyss of inferiority, feeling even more that he was shining in the sky while I was rotting on the ground. Yet, I still wanted to believe that he had said it unintentionally and was genuinely thanking Chen Jingming for me.
Chen Jingming looked at me somewhat awkwardly, paused for a while, and then said, “It was my duty.”
Unexpectedly, Jianwei, who had been silent beside Xiangchen, said to him coldly, “Have you had too much to drink? Zhaoyang left Plaza so long ago, what’s the point of bringing this up now?”
The atmosphere in the room became awkward because of Jianwei’s sudden remark. Fortunately, everyone present were senior managers experienced in workplace situations, and they quickly adapted. They found another topic and began toasting Xiangchen again, gradually easing the tension.
At last, for the first time since the banquet began, I looked at Jianwei. She wasn’t looking at me, but she seemed to be in a bad mood, making me feel even more ashamed.
I knew Jianwei’s defense wasn’t because she still loved me. The reason she disliked Xiangchen mentioning my “aimless nature” in front of everyone was because of her pride—she didn’t want to admit that her past decision had been wrong. During our relationship, she had once had great expectations for me, even admiration. But now, those expectations and admiration seemed like youthful naivety.
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