Yu Zi didn’t bring any luggage with him, only his ID card tucked in the inner pocket of his suit and a mobile phone.

He quickly walked to the roadside, completely leaving Xie Dongcheng behind, and then swiftly hailed a taxi.

The spring night was as damp and dim as last autumn.

With nowhere else to go, Yu Zi had the driver take him to the nearest hotel.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi stopped. He looked up and realized it was the same motel he had stayed at last year.

The sign’s lights were still not repaired, and only the character “inn” was still lit up, like his dilapidated and unsalvageable life.

The asphalt road still reflected the cheap neon lights along the street. Everything seemed to be back to square one.

Yu Zi went straight to the front desk, where he asked the middle-aged man for a single room.

Just last year, he had come with a heavy suitcase. Now, he didn’t even have clean clothes.

He specifically requested a south-facing room, then went back to the front desk to borrow a phone charger. The man was still impatient, but when Yu Zi offered him 20 yuan for the rental fee, he readily handed one over from the drawer.

He walked into the cramped bathroom and washed his face with cold water, then took a lukewarm shower. The absurd night finally came to an end.

The night was unusually quiet, perhaps due to the off-season for the motel, with no annoying couples disturbing his sleep.

But Yu Zi still couldn’t sleep. He lay on the stark white sheets, staring at the damp ceiling, where water droplets trickled down and left dark stains on the painted surface.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that Xie Dongcheng was right. Why did he go borrow that kind of money?

Knowing he would be ridiculed, taken advantage of, he shamelessly opened his mouth anyway. He had truly become the type of person he despised the most.

Yu Zi knew it was his own greed. He had done well in the restaurant but still insisted on going back to pouring wine. He had a physical relationship but wasn’t satisfied, still seeking some nonsense love. It was all his own karma.

His life seemed to have completely collapsed at that moment.

The countdown of half a month hadn’t stopped for a second because of this argument. He still had the pressure of thirty thousand hanging over his head.

Wang Jing’s phone was still unreachable. He seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth.

Yu Zi went to the nearest police station and filed a report. But he didn’t hold any hope. If Wang Jing wanted to hide from him, he had plenty of ways to do so.

Yu Zi sadly thought, did he really have to go begging in disgrace to Sheng Chuan, who was abroad? Or should he go find a loan shark?

The next morning, he woke up early. This time, there was no sound of an electric drill or barking dogs. He simply couldn’t sleep.

But by six in the morning, he was already dressed and out the door. His suit was too conspicuous in the suburbs, so he decided to find a shop and buy some comfortable clothes.

But he forgot he was up too early, and the surrounding shops hadn’t opened yet. He walked along the street until he stopped in front of a real estate agency. There was a sign with an urgent rental advertisement for a one-bedroom apartment, 45 square meters, for 2600 yuan per month. It was nearby.

Staying in the motel was definitely not a long-term solution. He took out his phone and took a picture, planning to go see the apartment in the afternoon.

After taking the photo, Yu Zi checked his call log and saw seven missed calls from Xie Dongcheng.

Xie Dongcheng had been calling him non-stop since last night, until Yu Zi turned off his phone.

He hadn’t sent out the wine procurement contract. He couldn’t bring himself to do something so dishonest.

He took a few deep breaths and called Sister Lin, apologizing profusely. Sister Lin didn’t blame him, only saying the wine was indeed hard to find. But after the call ended, Yu Zi heard her sigh softly.

He knew he had let Sister Lin down, feeling like he had been cut by a knife.

The shop was managed by Xiao Liu for the time being, so Yu Zi had nothing to worry about. He had enough money in his account for this month’s expenses.

Perhaps Xiao Liu had heard something, as he called Yu Zi early in the morning, sounding anxious.

“Boss Yu, is our shop going to close down?”

With his question, Yu Zi’s depressed mood eased a bit.

“No, don’t worry. I’ve got some things to attend to these past few days, so I’ll trouble you with the shop.”

“Don’t mention it, don’t mention it. Boss, If you have any difficulties, just let us know. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

“It’s really nothing. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

After hanging up the phone, Yu Zi sat down on a bench by the roadside.

The sun was already high in the sky, casting a warm orange light.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket. Looking around, he saw more people starting to walk on the street.

In his phone, he still had the number of the manager he had dealt with when applying for the loan. He wondered if he should call and see if he could apply for an extension on the repayment. Even if he could get just one month, it would be a huge help for him.

He dialed the number, but after several rings, no one answered.

Well, it was to be expected. It was nearing the end of the quarter, and they were probably busy. Who would have time to deal with him?

As the phone rang for the fifth time, Yu Zi pressed the end button.

In the afternoon, he found the real estate agency and went to see the urgently rented apartment. Once inside, he understood why the landlord had set the price so low and was in such a hurry to rent it out.

This one-bedroom apartment was on the top floor of the building, with no elevator, facing southwest. By afternoon, the entire living room felt like a sauna.

The agent smirked, “Sir, don’t be fooled by the current warmth. It’ll be great in winter! The tenants below will be shivering, while your place will bask in sunlight!”

Yu Zi listened to his nonsense, rolling his eyes internally but maintaining a smile on his face, “Then let’s go with this one. Let’s arrange with the landlord and sign the contract.”

The agent eagerly smiled and immediately made a call in front of him.

Another top-floor apartment, and again, no elevator. Yu Zi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, wondering if he’d ever live in a place with an elevator in his lifetime. Every day was a struggle climbing those stairs.

That night, he finally had his own bedroom. It was about twelve square meters, with a large 1.8-meter bed and a bedroom with a big window facing south.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t had time to buy a mattress or a quilt, so he had to cover himself with the suit he was wearing.

Despite the apartment facing southwest, it wasn’t warm at night. Yu Zi’s suit was tailored, so covering his back left his chest exposed. There was always a part of his skin feeling the chill.

He lay on the mattress, using a towel folded into a pillow. He couldn’t quite describe his feelings at this moment; he should be grateful, after all. At least he could still find a suitable place to stay at this time.

He had clearly said he was leaving, showing no mercy, even leaving without taking his luggage, leaving behind a mess.

But why, at this moment, did he actually miss that small wooden bed a little? Perhaps because sleeping alone on a 1.8-meter bed felt a bit empty.

Yu Zi felt like he had gone crazy due to poverty, indulging in self-pity here. He tightened his coat and cursed himself silently.

Fool, there are plenty of three-legged men out there!

The day after renting the apartment, Yu Zi went to the shop as planned. He deliberately chose an early time, hoping to avoid running into Xie Dongcheng.

Sure enough, as he pushed open the door to the shop, only Xiao Liu, who lived nearby, was cleaning in the front hall.

Seeing him, Xiao Liu’s face lit up with joy as if he had seen a living Buddha, “Heavens, Boss Yu, you finally showed up. I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’m still alive, not dead yet. Follow me in.” Yu Zi quickly pushed him aside, letting him take a break.

There was a stack of bills behind the counter, accumulated over the past few days.

“I’ve sorted them by date, boss, when you have time, please check them.” Seeing him behind the counter, Xiao Liu pointed to the pile of bills.

“Got it. Thanks for your hard work.” Yu Zi said, but his hands didn’t stop. He quickly checked the accounts, seeming to be in a hurry.

Half an hour later, he neatly organized the receipts and put them back into the drawer.

Then, he said goodbye to Xiao Liu and walked out of the restaurant’s front door. The sun had just risen, and white-collar workers were rushing out of the subway entrance.

Yu Zi was walking in the opposite direction of the crowd.

At that moment, Xie Dongcheng appeared at the entrance of the restaurant. Xiao Liu greeted him, “Dongy, you’re here. Boss Yu just left, you just missed him.”

Xie Dongcheng seemed struck by lightning, asking hurriedly, “Where did he go?”

Xiao Liu pointed in a direction, “It seems like that way.”

Xie Dongcheng quickly dropped his backpack and ran towards the direction he was pointed to.

However, the morning rush hour was too crowded, with people densely packed on the streets. Xie Dongcheng ran amidst the crowd, feeling like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

He passed countless intersections and encountered numerous people. Each face wore a similar numb expression.

But he never saw that familiar face.