Chapter 331 - 229: It’s You I’m Cursing (2)

Chapter 331: Chapter 229: It’s You I’m Cursing (2)

"Alright. I’ll listen to you. Let’s get some sleep, I’m beat."

"Okay."

The two of them lay down on their respective beds. Accustomed to a heated kang, the soft guest house mattress felt a bit uncomfortable at first. However, Zhao Wendong quickly adapted and fell into a deep sleep. These past few days at home had been more tiring than trekking into the mountains; every day, he’d had to work overtime with Lin Zhiyin, studying various parenting positions.

Liangzi lay quietly on his bed, his entire body buried in the blankets. Only his face was visible, staring blankly at the ceiling. As his best friend, Zhao Wendong, began to snore, tears slid silently down his cheeks.

When Zhao Wendong woke up, it was already dark outside. Noticing Liangzi hadn’t moved, he got up and fumbled for the light cord beside the bed. CLICK. The orange-hued bulb cast a pale yellow glow, clearly illuminating every corner of the room.

"Liangzi, get up! Let’s go get some food!"

Zhao Wendong gave Liangzi a push. Liangzi sat up, his eyes as swollen as walnuts.

"Holy shit! Were you possessed by a ghost or something?"

Liangzi’s appearance gave Zhao Wendong a shock. After letting out a curse, he leaned in for a closer look and sighed to himself. ’I never would’ve guessed my buddy was such a hopeless romantic... a real fighter jet among simps.’

Liangzi walked over to the mirror. He felt a bit embarrassed looking at his own swollen eyes.

"I... I didn’t expect it to be this bad."

"Hahaha! It’s nothing, just make sure you keep your distance from me. Otherwise, people might think I did something to you! It looks like somebody gave you two black eyes."

Zhao Wendong teased Liangzi mercilessly. Liangzi looked back at him, on the verge of crying but with no tears left. He felt he’d made a poor choice in friends; how could this heartless guy treat him like this when he was already so miserable? And yet, for some unknown reason, his heavy heart suddenly felt much lighter.

"Come on, let’s go! Time to get some food. We don’t get many chances for a free meal, so we have to make the most of it."

Grabbing Liangzi, the two of them put on their jackets and headed to the cafeteria on the first floor. The cafeteria was huge, and it was a little chilly without their padded winter coats on.

When the guest house director saw the two of them come down, he immediately hurried over with a smile.

"Captain Zhao, did you have a good rest?"

"Yes, your beds are so comfortable I fell asleep instantly. Is dinner still being served?"

Zhao Wendong smiled back. The director had been very polite to them from the moment they arrived. Zhao Wendong was the type of person who responded to kindness, not coercion. He’d return any respect shown to him tenfold, but if you crossed him, his rugged nature meant he would never let it go.

"Yes, yes, of course we do! The head of logistics even had extra dishes specially prepared for everyone tonight."

"Is that so? Well, don’t let us keep you. We’re going to get some food."

After parting with the director, Zhao Wendong and Liangzi went straight into the cafeteria. It was exceptionally crowded tonight, with a dense mass of dozens, maybe even a hundred people. Worried they wouldn’t find a seat, Zhao Wendong told Liangzi to save them a spot at an empty table in the far corner while he went to get their food.

Liangzi noticed many of the diners were dressed in cadre-style clothing, so he didn’t think it was proper to stare. He kept his head down and headed for the empty table in the corner. Just as he was about to reach it, a person at an adjacent table happened to stand up, and the two of them collided.

"It’s you?"

"It’s you?"

The person who had collided with Liangzi was none other than the young man who had picked up Huang Xiaomei on his bicycle that afternoon. Zhao Zhitian recognized Liangzi, too. He never expected the country bumpkin he’d seen earlier to show up in the guest house cafeteria. ’Is he one of the staff here?’

"Why don’t you watch where you’re going?"

Zhao Zhitian immediately took the offensive, but Liangzi paid him no mind. Instead, his eyes went to the others at the table. Sure enough, he saw Huang Xiaomei sitting beside the young man, her head turned to stare at him in utter shock.

"I’m talking to you!"

Seeing Liangzi ignore him and keep staring at his girlfriend, Zhao Zhitian got angry. He gave Liangzi a shove, his voice much louder now, causing the surrounding diners to turn and look.

Zhao Zhitian’s mother immediately chided him, "What are you shouting for? Everyone is watching! Sit down and eat your food quietly."

After Zhao Zhitian sat down, somewhat unwillingly, his mother gave Liangzi an apologetic smile.

"Comrade, please go on with your work. I’m so sorry, we weren’t paying attention when we bumped into you."

Liangzi just shook his head and said nothing. He wanted to move, but he was afraid Zhao Wendong wouldn’t be able to find him. So, he silently sat down at the adjacent empty table. His action put Huang Xiaomei in an incredibly awkward position. She couldn’t believe Zhang Liang had actually followed her all the way to the guest house cafeteria. This wasn’t a place just anyone could enter—they checked for identification at the main gate and the cafeteria entrance.

’Wait... that’s right. How *did* he get in?’

The fragrant food on the table suddenly lost its appeal. Even though Liangzi was just sitting at the next table, Huang Xiaomei felt like she was on pins and needles, with a lump in her throat. She tugged at her Second Aunt, Huang Xiaohong, who was sitting on her other side, and leaned in to whisper.

"Second Aunt, that’s Liangzi."

Huang Xiaohong followed Huang Xiaomei’s gaze and glanced to the side, her heart sinking with unease. How had that kid followed them all the way here? Zhao Wenming hadn’t arrived yet, and if he showed up and saw this, things would get complicated. She nudged her husband, Cheng Fuhai, who was sitting next to her, and quietly explained the situation.

Cheng Fuhai was a deputy team leader in the secretariat of the regional administration office—a veteran writer. Now that his niece had unexpectedly caught the eye of Zhao Wenming’s son, he saw a potential promotion to team leader on the horizon. His wife’s words made him anxious. He thought for a moment before addressing the others at the table with a smile.