Chapter 46

Chapter 46 - 46 045 Some people wont straighten up until their Chapter 46: 045: Some people won’t straighten up until their memorial portrait is hung up. Chapter 46: 045: Some people won’t straighten up until their memorial portrait is hung up. After the shift change, it was almost five o’clock.

Wen Changling had just walked out of the oncology building when someone blocked his way.

“Wen Changling.”

Wen Changling detoured around them.

Zeng Zhili threw away the half-smoked cigarette in his hand and chased after him.

“Is the money ready?”

Wen Changling walked quickly, “I don’t have any money.”

Zeng Zhili persisted annoyingly, “You work in such a big hospital and have no money?” As he spoke, he reached out to rummage through Wen Changling’s bag.

Wen Changling dodged to one side.

“Keep following me, and I’ll call the police.”

Zeng Zhili crossed his arms, shaking his leg on the spot, “Calling the police to arrest me again?” He said with the shamelessness of a dead pig not afraid of scalding water, “What are you charging me with this time? Rape again?”

Seven years ago, Zeng Zhili went to prison for an attempted rape. The scar on his forehead was caused by Wen Changling, using the trophy she’d won in a national competition.

“I wasted my time in prison.” Her emotions were still stable, her gaze indifferent and cold, as if she were looking at a lifeless object, “You still haven’t learned your lesson.”

Zeng Zhili was angered by her provocation and raised his hand.

She didn’t even blink.

Zeng Zhili remembered seven years ago, she had the same expression, watching him undress without a ripple of emotion, reaching smoothly for the trophy, and thrusting its sharpest part towards him. She aimed for his eyes, but he dodged, so she missed. Then she calmly washed her hands, watching him wail on the ground as if he were dirt, waiting for enough blood to spill before finally calling the police.

Many people were fooled by Wen Changling, only heaven and earth knew who was harming whom.

Grinding his teeth, Zeng Zhili lowered his raised hand, “No money, then someone will do.” The scar on his forehead was fierce and bumpy, twitching with his volatile emotions like worms wriggling in his veins, “Wen Changling, others may not know what you’ve done, but I know it best. You’re the reason I ended up like this, if I can’t live a good life, neither can you. I’ve got nothing to lose anyway.”

Zeng Zhili was not like the weakling Sun Zheng; threats and intimidation were useless. People like Zeng Zhili could only be tamed in prison or in an obituary.

Wen Changling wondered if she had made a wrong move; she seemed to have overestimated her patience, she wanted to hit someone.

“Just wait.” Zeng Zhili sneered contemptuously, “We’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

Oh, just wait.

Tuesday, heavy rain.

Wednesday, clear skies.

Thursday was Gu Yihuan’s birthday. He loved lively occasions and had started inviting people a week in advance. He usually didn’t stay at the Flower Chamber Hall because he couldn’t stand his mother’s nagging. He was now living in one of Gu Kaiyun’s properties.

He had owned properties too, but sold them when he ran a bar. His family didn’t support his music, insisting that he study business, something he was clearly not cut out for. That was why he still hadn’t managed to graduate.

The basement floor had been turned into an entertainment room.

Xie Shang and Gu Kaiyun arrived fashionably late.

Gu Yihuan, with his unique sense of style, was dressed like a Christmas tree, “Fourth Brother, you’re late, you owe a drink.”

“I drove here, not drinking.”

“Just stay at my place tonight.” Gu Yihuan attached himself to Xie Shang, without feeling the need to save face in front of him, “I don’t care, today is my birthday star day.”

Xie Shang took the drink and drank it.

“Happy now?”

Gu Yihuan blinked like... a doe-eyed cutie, holding out his hands expectantly, “My gift.”

Xie Shang tossed him a set of car keys.

It was the dream car he had wanted for a long time, which he had badgered his mother for until she threatened him with a golf club she hadn’t used in ages, declaring she’d rather kill him and have another child, conveniently giving his dad a legitimate son.

“Fourth Brother, I love you.”

Xie Shang, “Scram.”

“Okay.”

Gu Yihuan “scrammed” over to Gu Kaiyun, “Brother, your turn.”

He couldn’t stand it.

Gu Kaiyun tossed his phone on the table, “Transfer it yourself.”

Gu Yihuan was as ecstatic as if celebrating the New Year. Now it was clear why he had organized the birthday gathering; it was all to pave the way for his singing career.

Quite a few people came today—Gu Yihuan’s classmates, friends from the bar band, and a handful of childhood buddies who shared the same bad habits. The young crowd played as if there was no tomorrow, indulging in smoking and drinking without restraint.

By the time Xie Shang arrived, the group had already gone through a round of partying. The sofa was stained with splashes of alcohol. He picked a spot which was barely clean enough to sit on, “Go open a window, it’s so stuffy and smoky in here.”

Humming a tune, Gu Yihuan went to open a window and then started the music, calling out that they should play a game.

Xie Shang was not in high spirits, looking listless.

Gu Kaiyun sat next to him, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“Yeah.”

“Give me your hand.”

Xie Shang extended his hand.

Gu Kaiyun took his pulse; he was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

“Been bothered by something lately?”

Xie Shang said, “No.”

His sleep quality had been poor these past couple of days.

There didn’t seem to be any major issues, probably just worries on his mind. Gu Kaiyun didn’t pry further, “I’ll prescribe you some sleep aid herbs later.”

Xie Shang continued to rest, half-lying down.

A cup of water was handed to him.

“Here, drink some honey water.”

Xiao Dingzhu was the lead singer of Gu Yihuan’s bar band. Gu Yihuan loved to revel in excitement and often invited friends to the bar. Xie Shang would sometimes go, and after a while, he could exchange a few words with the band members.

It was Xiao Dingzhu who had last invited him to go surfing.

Xie Shang took the cup, “Thanks.”

He placed the water cup on the table. Last time, Wen Changling had said not to use a girl’s Fairy Stick to light cigarettes. Did that mean he also shouldn’t drink honey water that a girl had especially poured for him?

The noise here was really too much, making his thoughts even more chaotic.

He stood up, “I’m going to sleep for a bit upstairs.”

He went upstairs. The honey water on the table remained untouched.

After a round of drinks, Gu Yihuan noticed someone was missing, “Where’s Fourth Brother? Slacking off?”

Gu Kaiyun cautioned, “Play your games. Don’t go disturbing him.”

Gu Yihuan often practiced singing in the basement, howling like a banshee. Gu Kaiyun had specially soundproofed it, so no matter how noisy it was downstairs, no sound could be heard once the door was closed upstairs.

Xie Shang was a bit picky about where he slept and couldn’t sleep deeply. After dozing off for a while, he opened his eyes to find that only an hour had passed. He washed his face and went downstairs.

The noise downstairs was lively, the party in full swing.

“Call your first love and tell her you can’t forget her.”

The one proposing the game was one of Gu Yihuan’s shady friends, Wan Jiahe.

“I don’t have a first love,” Gu Yihuan asserted confidently. “I’m going to debut as a singer in the future. Can’t have any scandals, can’t afford to be in a relationship. Relationships bring down the house.”

Look at that—a pre-professional singer’s integrity.

Suddenly, He Dongzhou came out with a remark, “Six years ago, the guy holding onto my house fence and cursing a bad woman, was that a ghost?”

Six years ago, Gu Yihuan was still a minor, commonly referred to as not fully grown.

Back then, he went abroad to a summer camp. He wasn’t keen on learning good things. He picked up drinking while abroad, came back home drunk, not knowing north from south, singing sour love songs, and cursing bad women.

It was an embarrassingly adolescent phase.

Gu Yihuan glanced at He Dog Dongzhou, who had brought up the past, “That’s ancient history.” He shrugged carelessly, “Can’t do it. I don’t have the number, and I don’t even know her.”

The nosey friends chuckled, “Love at first sight?”

“Love my foot, isn’t that just cheesy?” Gu Yihuan didn’t want to bring it up, adamantly refusing to ‘bring down the house’, “Find another penalty, I can’t do this one.”

Another shady friend cheekily suggested, “Then tell us the story with your first love.”

Gu Yihuan was irritated, “I already said it wasn’t my first love!” Damn, these people are annoying, “There’s no story. We met while playing a game, only saw her once. I’ve even forgotten what she looks like.”

All he remembered was that she had beautiful eyes, and her companion called her Ling.

That was all.