After parting from Wang Cheng at the driving school entrance, Yuan Xia walked a short distance in the opposite direction. A dark-colored sedan was parked beneath a huge billboard ahead. When he reached it, he opened the door and got in, and the man in the driver’s seat handed him a packet of tissues.
“Thanks.” Yuan Xia pulled one out and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Learning to drive in the scorching heat of August was an ordeal in itself, and it was easy to get tanned. The man had objected before, but summer vacation was the only time Yuan Xia had available for lessons.
“There’s no need to thank me.” The man knew Yuan Xia disliked other people smoking, so he had put out his cigarette before Yuan Xia got in and lowered the windows to air out the car. Even so, a faint smell of smoke remained. “Was that the young man you mentioned before?”
Yuan Xia was not surprised that he had seen Wang Cheng. He had told the man about him on the very first day they met. “That’s him. Thanks to him, I’ll get a lot more time behind the wheel from now on. I should be able to take the test before long.”
“Did something happen?” The man caught the implication in his words.
Since the matter had already been resolved, Yuan Xia told him what had happened the day before. The man frowned in disapproval.
“You should have told me yesterday.”
“What was there to tell you? It’s already been taken care of.”
The man caught the smile on his face and raised an eyebrow. “You seem to be in a good mood today. Want to tell me why?”
“That Wang Cheng is pretty interesting.” Just thinking about how the woman had been rebuffed by Wang Cheng made Yuan Xia want to laugh.
Wang Cheng’s hairstyle might have been strange, but Yuan Xia had noticed from the first day that he was a very handsome young man. It was hardly surprising that a woman would approach him on her own. After Wang Cheng left ahead of him yesterday, she had even tried asking Yuan Xia about him, but Yuan Xia had told her nothing.
“Interested in him? That won’t do.”
Yuan Xia smiled and shook his head. Then, after another thought, he said, “Even if I were interested in him, someone else might not agree.”
“By the way, I have something to do tonight and won’t be home for dinner. If I get back too late, don’t wait for me. Go to sleep first.”
“All right, but remember not to drink too much.”
It was only a little after five when Wang Cheng returned to the apartment. He had practiced all day and spent most of it baking under the sun, so even he felt a little light-headed. After discussing it with Yuan Xia, the two of them had ended practice early. There had only been one small incident before they left.
The pretty woman he had rejected that morning and the rogue of a man had wanted to borrow their car key so they could practice. Wang Cheng refused. Instructor He had given the key to them, but that did not mean they could casually lend it to other students. Besides, Assistant Instructor Liu had told him that the car belonged to Instructor He personally.
Not long after he got home, Wang Cheng received a call from Chu Yifeng, who said he would not be back for dinner and told Wang Cheng to make only his own portion.
Wang Cheng was already washing vegetables. Hearing that, he fished the ribs he had put in water to thaw back out and shoved them into the refrigerator, then put the vegetables away too. Since he was eating alone, he had no intention of making anything elaborate. He simply cooked a bowl of noodles and ate while watching television. Halfway through, Mama Wang called.
“Chengcheng, are you coming home this weekend?”
“Probably not this weekend either.” Wang Cheng checked the calendar. It was already August twenty-first, and Sunday was the day after tomorrow. He had not gone home the previous weekend because of driving lessons. His family knew he was learning to drive, so they only called from time to time and had not pressured him to come back.
“Mom wants to talk to you about your sister. She has to report to Jing University in a little over a week. Your dad and I aren’t comfortable letting her go by herself, so I wanted to ask whether you or Ning’an has time.” Ziyu might already be an adult, but this would be her first trip so far from home. Mama Wang could not stop worrying, especially with the news so often reporting cases of university students being harmed.
“I already mentioned it to Eldest Brother. He only transferred to headquarters recently, so he’s very busy, and he’s at a critical point in his career. He probably doesn’t have much time. I can ask my boss for leave, though.”
“Then we won’t trouble your brother. But will your boss agree?”
“Of course he will. My boss is pretty reasonable, and it’s not like this is the first time I’ve asked for time off.”
“All right, then book a plane ticket for your sister while you’re at it. School starts September first, so make it the afternoon of August thirtieth. That’s a Sunday, so you won’t even have to take leave.”
“Whatever you say. Should I book first class too?” His mother had already decided everything, so all he had to do was nod along.
“First class? Is that expensive? If it costs too much, just buy a cheaper one.” Mama Wang had never been on an airplane in her life and had no idea what first class even was.
“All right, I’ll take a look when I book.” Wang Cheng only knew about first class because of his elder brother. He did not know exactly how much it cost, only that the service was better and you did not have to squeeze in with a crowd of people.
Mama Wang gave him a few more reminders about everyday matters before hanging up.
Wang Cheng put down his phone and quickly finished the big bowl of noodles that was already going soggy. After washing the bowl in the kitchen, he watched television in the living room for a while, then took some clothes and went to shower. It was only a little after eight when he came back out. He tossed his towel onto the sofa, took a laptop from his brother’s study, and prepared to look up how to buy plane tickets online.
Wang Cheng vaguely remembered hearing his brother mention the website he used to buy airline tickets. Apparently, that was the reliable one, while some other sites might be scams. He searched around, found the site, then followed the steps until he reached the flights for August thirtieth.
There were plenty of flights from Shanhai City to the capital. The cheapest fare was only 460 yuan, but airport construction fees and fuel surcharges pushed the total to more than 600.
Wang Cheng registered an account. He had wanted to choose a cheaper flight with a good on-time record, but every one he tried was sold out. A lot of people were heading to the capital at this time of year. The remaining flights were more expensive and less punctual. After searching for ages, he finally managed to book two economy-class seats, paying through his elder brother’s online banking account. A booking confirmation arrived on his phone soon afterward.
Wang Cheng forwarded the information to his sister and reminded her to prepare early. He had barely put his phone down when Wang Ziyu called.
“Second Brother, Mom only just told you. Aren’t you way too fast?” Wang Ziyu’s voice carried a trace of excitement. The thought of traveling far from home filled her with a small thrill of anticipation.
“If I weren’t fast, somebody else would’ve booked the tickets first.” Wang Cheng sprawled crookedly across the sofa without the slightest concern for appearances.
“Then what do I need to prepare?”
“It’s not like you’ve never left the house before.” She was asking him about everything as though he were some seasoned traveler himself. Still, Wang Cheng said, “Pack your clothes first. We can buy the rest of your daily necessities once we get there.”
“That’s what Mom said too,” Wang Ziyu muttered. She had originally wanted to bring the things she had used while boarding in high school, but Mama Wang said she had already used them for three years, and since they would be flying this time, carrying all of it would be a hassle, so she refused to let her bring them.
“Then just listen to Mom.” Wang Cheng completely agreed with his mother’s decision.
“Got it. Mom’s calling me. Second Brother, go to bed early.”
After hanging up, Wang Cheng tossed his phone onto the other end of the sofa. The television was still playing a family melodrama so absurdly overwrought that goosebumps seemed to be fighting to rise all over him. Unable to take it anymore, he switched it off, and the apartment instantly fell silent.
Wang Cheng suddenly felt bored. When Chu Yifeng came home for dinner, Wang Cheng sometimes stayed at his place until nearly bedtime and never felt bored then. Apparently, once a person gradually adapted to the bustle of city life, it was difficult to return to his old rhythm. He wondered what his boss was doing.
Wang Cheng hooked the phone toward himself with his foot and pulled up Chu Yifeng’s number in his contacts. At the moment, pestering his boss seemed to be his only way to relieve the boredom, so he sent him a message.
City nightlife was always abundant. Night owls lingered beneath neon lights, and bars, KTV lounges, and similar places were among the liveliest destinations. The largest and most famous bar in Shanhai City was RedSun. Rumor had it that the person behind RedSun came from the capital and was both formidable and extremely well-connected, so no one had ever dared cause trouble there.
Shen Yuan had recently been making frequent trips to Shanhai City to avoid the blind dates his family arranged for him. Not long ago, he had also met a business partner around his own age. They arranged to meet at RedSun, and on the principle that more people made things livelier, Shen Yuan invited Chu Yifeng as well. He had deliberately made the arrangement two days in advance so Chu Yifeng could not duck out at the last minute.
When Wang Cheng sent Chu Yifeng the message, Chu Yifeng was already at the bar.
It was no small feat to notice a phone vibrating in a bar loud enough to shake the roof. Chu Yifeng tipped back his head and drained the drink in his glass, then took out his phone.
〈Boss, what are you doing this late at night? Care to share?〉 Chu Yifeng raised an eyebrow. A message at this hour meant Wang Cheng was probably bored out of his mind. He tapped a few times on the screen and sent a reply.
〈At a bar. Want to come over?〉
Wang Cheng had not expected his boss to reply so quickly. He sat up from the sofa and stared at the message. A bar? It was not as though he had never been to one. He had gone once with classmates in high school, and his main impression was that the place had been far too noisy. Now his boss was actually inviting him. Should he go or not? He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only eight-forty. He had thought it must be at least nine-thirty already, and there was no way he could sleep this early anyway.
Three minutes later, Chu Yifeng received another message.
〈Which bar?〉