Chu Xiaoxiao turned her head towards me with an embarra*sed look on her face, and in front of her, a tall man, about my height, was smiling and greeting Chu Xiaoxiao.
“Hello, I’m Li Ge, I’m Mayor Li’s son, you’re Zhang Chao right, we seem to have been in the same school once.”
I remembered who this man was, this was the mayor’s son who had chased after Chu Xiaoxiao in high school and then was rejected by her.
Li Liang saw his son not leaving at the door of the ward and wondered what was wrong, so he circled back to take a look, and it was at this time that he seemed to remember who Chu Xiaoxiao was, and it dawned on him.
I didn’t have the heart to say, “That’s right, but I don’t suppose you remember me.”
Li Ge didn’t even pretend and said with a smile, “Indeed I don’t remember, you weren’t from our circle in high school.” After saying this, he shifted his eyes back to Chu Xiaoxiao, owing me even one more glance, not putting me in his eyes at all.
“Xiaoxiao, how about it, after all these years, do you still have time to go for a cup of coffee with me?”
Mayor Li Liang’s face was green, he knew that Chu Xiaoxiao and I were a couple, but Li Ge didn’t know that, and was still delusional about pursuing Chu Xiaoxiao.
Chu Xiaoxiao laughed, “No, I can’t, I already have a boyfriend.”
I thought that was the end of it, but I never imagined that this Li Ge’s narcissism would reach such a level that he would ask, “Who is it? Who else would be better than me? I can’t believe I can chase you.”
Chu Xiaoxiao put her arm around me and patted my chest, “Zhang Chao.”
“Him?”
Li Ge looked me up and down, a look I was also familiar with, one of disdain and disbelief.
I didn’t need to guess what was going through his mind, he must have been thinking that even a rich and handsome gent like himself couldn’t chase after Chu Xiaoxiao, so why should a poor guy like me.
However, although Li Ge’s eyes had already written what he was thinking on his face, at least he didn’t say anything on his lips.
“Son, I didn’t introduce to you. Zhang Chao is our hero of this accident, if he hadn’t brought the boat back, this would have been a big deal. This black hat of mine, ah, might not have been saved either.”
I laughed, “The mayor is flattering.”
“It’s not too much. Zhang Chao is also a major shareholder and a member of the board of directors of the city’s largest group of companies, the Junran Group. Such a young talent, to be able to bring everyone back safely from a shipwreck like that, what is this if not a young hero?”
I didn’t know if Li Liang was deliberately trying to remind his son not to hit on Chu Xiaoxiao anymore. The more he said, the worse his son’s face looked, but he pretended not to see it.
Li Ge rubbed his nose, quite embarra*sed that the woman he liked had been snatched away from me, and his own old man was still speaking for me, I believe no one would not be depressed inside. Once a man who is calm and self-possessed gets in front of the woman he likes, he can’t help but want to show off.
“Hello, Zhang Chao.” He squeezed out a small smile and reached out to shake my hand, “Sorry, I don’t know much about Tong City. I went abroad for a few years to study and I’m not too sure about things back home anymore. I seem to remember that you didn’t finish high school.”
I shook his hand in return and felt him squeeze it hard, on purpose, just to give me a hard time, and I laughed at his childish gesture.
Seeing me laughing, Li Ge said, “Sorry, did I pinch you? I’ve been practicing boxing and sometimes I accidentally use too much force. Xiaoxiao used to think I was too rough in boxing, and she even said she liked white guys. Maybe if I didn’t box, I’d be with Xiao Xiao now. But I think a man has to be a bit masculine, right?”
Chu Xiaoxiao had a meaningful bad smile on her face, while Li Liang and a few other municipal leaders were on the verge of covering their faces, all with an expression that said: I beg you, hurry up and stop acting like a p*ssy.
I also shook Li Ge’s hand with force, not using much strength, but Li Ge immediately let out an ah, his face turned red.
I laughed and said, “It’s okay, I think you’re right, it’s better for men to be masculine. I didn’t finish high school, and I went into the military in my senior year. Haha, I was a soldier for five years, four years in the special forces, but I didn’t want to be a professional soldier, so I just retired this year.”
The look on Li Ge’s face was wonderful, holding the hand that hurt from my handshake, frozen there, unable to speak.
It was Li Liang who reacted quickly and pulled his son away, otherwise I don’t know how much longer Li Ge would have been humiliated.
I watched them go, then turned around and saw Chu Xiaoxiao smiling at me.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you jealous of me.” I’m counting how many other flings I’ve had, and I’m calling them all in one fell swoop so you can eat them all.”
“Are you like that? Are you trying to kill me?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I couldn’t blame Chu Xiaoxiao for this, she had always been the most sought-after person in school, the object of many men’s desire, and there were countless people who wanted to chase her.
I can only blame my girlfriend for being too attractive. I have such an attractive girlfriend, so it seems that I am quite powerful.
In the past two days, Yue Man Gong lived in the ward next to me and came looking for me at every turn. I knew he was worried about the Yin family coming to seek revenge on me, but he was such a big light bulb that Chu Xiao Xiao and I couldn’t even make out if we wanted to.
I had no choice but to go back to work, leaving Yue Man Gong and me staring at each other in the ward.
The receptionist who answered the phone said that Lao Mo was still performing on the third floor, so I was relieved that since he hadn’t run away, his stuff must be there.
I couldn’t wait to see what the painting, and the suicide note inside, looked like, after all, it was my mother’s last work.
I slipped out of the hospital and took a taxi to the Chai Wan Tong shop while Moon Man Bow was in the toilet.
Old Mo was indeed on the third floor. I had just gone up to the third floor and before I could make a sound, he put his erhu away, stood up and said in my direction, “Come with old man.”
I don’t know how he recognised me, but I didn’t make a sound, and I couldn’t even hear myself with my light footsteps.
Old Mo walked ahead and I followed him to the topmost room on the third floor, where he let me in, then closed the door and locked it twice.
Only, Old Mo pointed to the drawer: “Open it yourself, the stuff is inside.”
