September first was Wang Ziyu’s first day of school. Students who had not arrived yet were gradually appearing on campus. Wang Cheng visited Wang Ziyu once more that morning, and the final roommate had finally shown up as well. She wore her hair in two little braids and had large, exceptionally lively eyes. She was naturally familiar with people, and in less than two hours she had already blended in with the other three girls.
All three roommates had good personalities. Once Wang Cheng was satisfied that his sister would not be bullied, he left. He returned to the hotel, packed his luggage, checked out early at the front desk, and headed for Beili Airport.
His flight was scheduled for eleven in the morning. Wang Cheng arrived early, with another half hour before boarding began, so he found an empty seat and started staring into space.
Most young people around his age pulled out their phones the moment they had nothing to do, scrolling Taobao, Weibo, or Qzone. Someone like Wang Cheng, who simply sat there doing nothing, was in the minority, and a few older travelers occasionally glanced his way.
More than ten minutes later, someone suddenly sat down in the empty seat to Wang Cheng’s left.
The seat had already changed occupants once, so Wang Cheng paid no attention at first. Still, he glanced over instinctively. One look made his entire body stiffen. He immediately put on a cheerful smile, refusing to let his surprise show.
“Hey, Boss. I didn’t expect to see you at the airport. What a coincidence.”
“Not a coincidence.” Chu Yifeng had an unlit cigarette between his lips. Smoking was not allowed in the airport, so he took it out and held it between his fingers instead. His legs, even longer than Wang Cheng’s, were stretched out casually, and his unconcerned manner made it seem as though running into Wang Cheng here was no accident at all.
Wang Cheng sensed that too, but did not call him on it. Smiling, he changed the subject. “Boss, so you were in the capital too. No wonder you asked which hotel I was staying at.”
“You weren’t there.”
“What?” Wang Cheng heard the implication and stared at him in shock. “Boss, don’t tell me you actually went to the hotel looking for me. When?”
“Last night. I was going to take you to dinner, but the front desk told me you weren’t in your room.” Chu Yifeng spoke matter-of-factly, then gave him a faintly amused look. “Went out to eat with your sister?”
Wang Cheng figured they had probably missed each other when he left through the side door, so he answered honestly. “My sister’s roommate invited us to dinner. I had nothing else to do, so I agreed. If I’d known you were coming to find me, Boss, there’s no way I would’ve gone with them.” He did not forget to declare his loyalty at the end.
Chu Yifeng gave him a sidelong look, seemingly doubtful.
“Boss, even if we missed dinner, being on the same flight means we still have fate between us, right?” This was their first meeting since the morning after Wang Cheng got drunk. Since the mistake had been his, Wang Cheng still felt guilty whenever he saw Chu Yifeng. Fortunately, his skin was thick enough to keep talking even when there was nothing to say. “Besides, I think food outside isn’t as good as what we make ourselves. If you want a meal, once we’re back I’ll cook you a whole feast.”
“More meat.” That was clearly an acceptance.
Wang Cheng nodded vigorously. “Of course.”
When one devoted meat-eater met another equally devoted meat-eater, it was basically the meeting of kindred spirits. Resonance was inevitable.
Time flew as they talked, and before long the plane had taken off. Wang Cheng glanced at Chu Yifeng sitting beside him and suddenly thought of something.
“Boss, you’re so rich. Why didn’t you fly first class?”
“No seats left.”
Wang Cheng looked around them. This flight back to Shanhai City was not particularly full, with barely half the usual number of passengers and plenty of empty seats nearby. The capital really did have a lot of wealthy people. Economy class was not even full, yet first class had sold out first.
The plane climbed into the sky and soon disappeared above the capital. The bustling metropolis moved at a relentless pace, and its day-after-day routine seemed almost unchanging. At that same moment, a group of people were gathered as usual at the well-known Changhong Club in the capital, arms around one another’s shoulders, talking and laughing noisily. In one corner, however, sat a quiet man who seemed completely out of place among them, dressed in a crisp formal suit as though he had just come from some banquet.
Luo Sheng approached with a glass of red wine and sat down beside him. He was the man Wang Cheng had encountered in the clothing store.
“So? That old man in your family values you so much. He must’ve introduced you to plenty of useful people. But you slipped away before the banquet was even over. Isn’t the old man angry?”
The man loosened his tie and narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re unusually talkative tonight. I don’t normally see you caring about things like this. Say what you came to say.” They had been friends for years, and he could tell at a glance that Luo Sheng had another motive.
“Nothing gets past you.” Luo Sheng admitted it readily. Leaning back against the sofa, he said casually, “Yesterday I went shopping with my companion and ran into someone who looked a lot like you. At first glance, even I mistook him for you.” He clicked his tongue after saying it.
“Oh?” Zheng Jingen raised an eyebrow. He was, in fact, the person Luo Sheng had mistaken Wang Cheng for.
“Aren’t you curious?” Luo Sheng could not help asking when Zheng Jingen barely reacted.
“Then tell me what happened.” Zheng Jingen shifted position. His expression remained mild, revealing no particular thoughts about the matter.
Luo Sheng immediately lost interest. He had expected to see at least some surprise. “Nothing happened. The guy who looked like you was shopping for clothes with a girl around eighteen or nineteen. She called him Second Brother, so they were probably siblings. They left after buying their clothes.”
“Who else have you told about this?”
“No one. I’m not some blabbermouth. Your Eldest Uncle and Fourth Uncle are the way they are. They’d love nothing more than to find one of your weaknesses and use it against you. Of course I wouldn’t casually spread anything connected to you.” At that, Luo Sheng suddenly grinned wickedly. “If they found out there was someone who looked like you and tried some switched-heir stunt, that would be ridiculously melodramatic.”
Zheng Jingen shot him a look. “They’ve spent ten or twenty years in official circles. If they were as brainless as you make them sound, their opponents would have crushed them long ago.”
Luo Sheng shrugged. Apparently, a joke was too much to ask.
Back in Shanhai City, Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng returned together. The next day, they went to work together again. Wang Cheng still had not received his driver’s license, so as usual, he bummed a ride in Chu Yifeng’s car.
The two had both “disappeared” for several days and then returned at the same time, so their coworkers began looking at them with a certain curiosity, as though the pair shared some unspeakable secret. The only person who did not overthink it was Cheng Cheng, whose youthful energy remained as boundless as ever.
They got off work early that day. Since Wang Cheng had promised to cook Chu Yifeng a feast, he decided to make good on it immediately. There was no need to shop for ingredients either. It was Tuesday, so Aunt Liu would certainly have stocked Chu Yifeng’s refrigerator with all kinds of food.
Using the key Chu Yifeng had given him, Wang Cheng opened the apartment door and looked around. Aunt Liu had indeed already left. Ever since the two men started eating together, her working hours had decreased considerably. By this time each day, she would have finished her tasks and left the apartment early.
When Chu Yifeng came in, the apartment was filled with the rich aroma of roasting meat, enough to make the mouth water instantly. Crackling sounds came from the kitchen, where Wang Cheng was busy grilling.
Chu Yifeng’s kitchen was much better equipped than Wang Ning’an’s, though most of the equipment had never been used. Wang Cheng had only recently discovered there was even a grill. He had taken a piece of lamb and a piece of beef from his own refrigerator, marinated them, sliced them, and prepared them for grilling.
Chu Yifeng walked in just as Wang Cheng arranged the finished meat on a large platter, twenty or thirty slices in all. Wang Cheng knew he was back and told him to carry the platter out.
Several finished dishes were already set on the dining table. With the grilled meat in Chu Yifeng’s hands, there were five meat dishes and one vegetable dish, plus a soup that had not yet been brought out. Wang Cheng had pulled out every trick he knew. The meal would satisfy their appetites without sacrificing nutrition or harming their health, far better than those hotel feasts with impressive names and beautiful presentation but hardly any food.
Two grown men polished off enough food for four or five people in less than an hour.
Chu Yifeng did not particularly like vegetables, so Wang Cheng finished the vegetable dish in the name of avoiding waste. A proper balance of meat and vegetables was healthier.
“Are you going to driving school tomorrow?” The two sat on the living-room sofa watching the news while digesting their meal when Chu Yifeng suddenly brought up the subject.
Wang Cheng shook his head. “No.”
He had taken two days off, so work had piled up. He did not plan to go to the driving school for the next couple of days. Yuan Xia had also stopped going because classes had started. In any case, both of them had access to cars, so they could practice near home whenever they had time.
“Then come out with me tomorrow. I have something to take care of.”
“Work?” Wang Cheng looked at him.
Chu Yifeng answered with a question. “What else?”
“Nothing.” Wang Cheng chuckled and tested the waters. “Boss, can I ask what it is?”
“You can.”
Wang Cheng’s eyes lit up, only for Chu Yifeng to add another sentence.
“But I might not tell you.”
“…” Fuck you!