Chapter 74.2

Li Xiao was much more straightforward. She had taken Zhou Jian to visit Chang Yong at noon.

At first, Zhou Jian didn’t understand the significance of the visit. They had a meal at Chang Yong’s place, and as soon as he entered the dirty house, a bad smell hit him. He might have tolerated it before, but now that he was accustomed to a more refined lifestyle, the sudden change was uncomfortable, especially since Li Xiao had brought him to cook in Chang Yong’s kitchen.

At noon, they had vegetables cooked with wilted leaves and a dish of roast duck that Li Xiao had bought from a roadside vendor. Chang Yong was delighted by their visit and even brought out some white wine he usually avoided drinking.

However, the wine was of poor quality and seemed to have been diluted with water.

During the meal, Li Xiao remarked bluntly, “Look at how your brother Chang is living now. If he hadn’t been fooling around, he wouldn’t be in this state.”

Zhou Jian felt embarrassed at this comment. “Brother, I didn’t do anything.”

Li Xiao sneered. “As soon as you make a move, I can tell whether you’re up to something or not. Do you have the courage to swear that you’re not interested in that woman? She’s just a woman who studied abroad. Who knows if she earned her degree or bought it? You said she’s better than your sister-in-law, but even myself, wouldn’t dare to compare my wife with anyone. If your sister-in-law were in business, she’d be far superior to you. Don’t forget how we built our fortune.”

Zhou Jian reddened slightly, aware that Zhu Qiang’s reckless ventures had led to their financial ruin. It was his brother who took over the sister-in-law’s braised pork intestines business and then guided him to earn their first money together.

It was also because of that money that the two brothers gained the confidence to move south and gradually achieve their current position.

Chang Yong, who was standing nearby, overheard the conversation between the brothers and quickly advised Zhou Jian to reflect: “You need to calm down and not follow my path. I squandered my good life and ended up like this. I regret it now. Look at my current situation—I’m just enduring and waiting for my death.”

“Think about how wealthy I was back then. I owned more than a dozen houses and had more money on my card than I could spend. I was supported wherever I went, living a fairy-tale life. Compare that to now. It’s indescribable.”

“Value your current life. You’re so fortunate. You have a brother watching over you to keep you from making mistakes. People used to say I was lucky, and now I envy your good fortune. If someone had cared for me like that, I wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

“Those women who approach you have their own agendas. If you don’t believe me, consider the past—did you ever receive so much attention from women before? Look in the mirror. What is so appealing about you? They’re only after your money. Why don’t you use your resources on your wife and children? Do you have to wait until you’re broke and friendless before you pretend to care? By then, it will be too late…”

Chang Yong wiped his tears, unsure if he was simply drunk or overwhelmed. “I regret it. The mistress I kept claimed she liked me and praised my abilities, so I believed her. But when I fell into trouble, she ran off without leaving a penny behind. Don’t be as foolish as I was.”

Zhou Jian was silent after hearing this. He looked at the disheveled Chang Yong, remembering the energetic and vibrant person he had first encountered when he came south. Now, seeing the dirty state of Chang Yong’s house, which was barely better than a factory’s refuse area, he felt a pang of sadness.

He took a sip from his wine glass and pondered.

—o—o—o—

After leaving Chang Yong’s rented house and getting into the car, Zhou Jian leaned back in his seat, gazed out the window, and suddenly said, “Brother, I was wrong.”

Zhou Jian then spoke in a low voice, “From childhood to now, all the girls I’ve met never truly liked me. Now, a girl suddenly approached me—she was beautiful, young, and a top student who studied abroad. I know I shouldn’t be swayed, but I can’t help but feel drawn to her.”

“But don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Wang Yan is my wife, and we have two children. I won’t do anything to let her down. It’s true that sometimes I struggle to control my feelings. I miss her when I’m not with her, and my heart races when I see her. Brother, do you understand this feeling?”

Li Xiao started the car and gave him a brief glance. “What’s there to not understand? I miss your sister-in-law when I can’t see her.”

As for the fast heartbeat, does sleeping together every night count?

Zhou Jian said enviously, “That’s wonderful.”

Li Xiao didn’t respond. He was indeed much luckier than Zhou Jian in his marriage. He and Jiang Rou had come together by chance, marrying first and then falling in love.

In contrast, Zhou Jian had struggled to find a partner due to his poor circumstances, and Wang Yan’s life had been challenging. Li Xiao felt sympathy for the impulsive nature of their marriage but believed that now, as they were married, he had a responsibility to see it through. What would happen to their two children otherwise?

Having experienced a childhood without parents himself, Li Xiao understood the hardships involved and didn’t want Zhou Jian to inflict any harm on his children due to personal selfishness.

Zhou Jian, having drunk too much at noon, had slept in the office for the entire afternoon. In the evening, Li Xiao drove him home after work. The car stopped in front of their villa. Zhou Jian composed himself and got out of the car. As he closed the door, he said to Li Xiao, “Brother, I’ve changed my view this afternoon. Don’t be disappointed in me.”

Li Xiao nodded. “Okay, go inside quickly. I’m heading home too.”

“Yeah.”

Zhou Jian watched as the people departed and then turned his gaze back to the villa. He knew that the villa housed his most important people: his mother, his two children, and Wang Yan.

In Zhou Jian’s heart, he understood that regardless of whom he might like, he would never divorce Wang Yan.

When he returned home and saw the joyful faces of his family, he relaxed and asked with a smile, “What’s going on? Did something good happen today?”

At that moment, Wang Yan emerged from the kitchen carrying dishes. Zhou Jian didn’t immediately recognize her. When Wang Yan smiled at him, he was taken aback. “You…”

Wang Yan touched her head and said with a hint of embarrassment, “I went shopping with my sister-in-law today. She helped me pick this out and said it looked good.”

Zhou Jian hadn’t expected Wang Yan to look so beautiful dressed up. He nodded and said earnestly, “It does look good. Let’s dress like this more often.” Wang Yan smiled and hummed in agreement.

That night, Zhou Jian was particularly excited. After they finished, the two lay on the bed. Wang Yan suddenly said, “I don’t want to work in the cafeteria anymore. I’d like to join Sister Qin in sales instead.”

Zhou Jian looked at her in surprise.

Wang Yan pressed her lips together and insisted, “I don’t like working in the cafeteria. I want to try something new.”

Zhou Jian hesitated, “But working outside can be exhausting.”

Wang Yan sensed his agreement and said, “It’s okay; I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Zhou Jian nodded. “I’ll talk to Qin Xiuxiu tomorrow and ask her to guide you. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll help you find something else.”

Wang Yan had initially been assigned to the kitchen because she thought it suited her well. The aunts in the canteen were aware of her connection to Zhou Jian and wouldn’t mistreat her, allowing her to be more relaxed.

However, Wang Yan was too straightforward. She ended up taking on more work than necessary, exhausting herself and not receiving the assistance she needed.

Wang Yan felt a sense of relief upon hearing this and replied with an “OK.”

After turning off the lights, she lay in bed for a while. Noticing that Zhou Jian’s breathing had become steady, she turned her head to look and then turned her back to him.

—o—o—o—

Whether she had taken Jiang Rou and Zhou Jian’s advice to heart, Wang Yan began to dress stylishly every day, donning the outfits that Jiang Rou had selected for her. On days when she lacked sufficient clothes, she would shop alone at the mall, seeking help from clerks to coordinate her outfits. Her makeup also became increasingly refined.

A few days later, as she bid farewell to the cafeteria staff, they remarked, “This should have been done a long time ago. You’re a boss lady; why stay in the cafeteria all day? You were getting covered in oil smoke—this look suits you much better.”

—o—o—o—

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao were not concerned with the aftermath; their main focus was on preserving their good lives and relationships, especially since Li Xiao and Zhou Jian were on good terms.

However, the situation with Zhou Jian and Wang Yan reminded Jiang Rou of her own circumstances. She had been so focused on preparing for her exams that she hadn’t paid much attention to Li Xiao and had never visited his office when it relocated to Yinshan.

Now that the interview was over, Jiang Rou wanted a break but couldn’t sit still. The next day, she drove An An to the mall, purchasing numerous beautiful skirts and shoes. After dressing up exquisitely, she went directly to Li Xiao’s company.

Wearing a pair of ten-centimeter high heels, she made her way to the top floor. Although there were attempts to stop her downstairs, Jiang Rou called Li Xiao, and soon his assistant came to escort her.

Taking An An’s hand, she walked past the curious gazes of others and took the elevator to the top floor. Upon arriving at the office, An An immediately rushed to Li Xiao and complained, “Daddy, An An is so tired.”

Li Xiao put down his pen with a smile and asked, “What’s wrong?”

An An puffed out her cheeks and said, “Mom keeps walking and buying so many clothes. My legs are almost broken. I don’t want to be a girl anymore; it’s too scary.”

Li Xiao chuckled, “Dad can’t help you with this.”

An An sighed dramatically, appearing quite troubled.

Jiang Rou kicked off her high heels and reclined on the sofa to rest, feeling the fatigue from a morning of shopping. As she listened to the playful exchange between Li Xiao and An An, she couldn’t help but laugh.

—o—o—o—

At noon, Jiang Rou and An An took a nap in the rest area of Li Xiao’s office. Halfway through their nap, Li Xiao entered quietly, gently carried the sleeping An An to the sofa outside with a blanket, and then lay down next to Jiang Rou.

The couple slept affectionately together. When Li Xiao got up around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, he took the still-sleeping An An back inside.

The little one was unaware of what had happened. When she woke up and saw her mother beside her, she hugged Jiang Rou tightly and said, “Mom, I love you so much. I just dreamed about you. You bought me a lot of candies but only gave them to me and not to Dad.”

Jiang Rou patted her head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and thought to herself that in reality, it was the other way around.