Chapter 103
Chapter 103
He Yuchuan finally got to drive Wen Tianxue’s Ferrari, and from then on, no car on the road dared to race him. Even when he stopped at red lights, the cars behind him stayed five meters back. He felt incredibly imposing.
Songtan City wasn’t that big. You could drive all over town and barely find a handful of cars more expensive than this Ferrari.
Ever since he started driving it, He Yuchuan practically wished he could live in the car.
His favorite moment was when he got out and everyone around him looked over with envy and curiosity.
That day, he drove his best buddy to the mall to eat hot pot.
It was Friday evening, and the mall’s underground parking garage was packed solid with people and cars.
He Yuchuan honked his horn and snapped irritably, “What is with everyone today? Did they all come here to fight me for hot pot?”
His buddy, sitting in the passenger seat, said, “It’s Friday night.”
He Yuchuan said, “Oh. I’ve been living so well I can’t even tell what day it is anymore.”
His buddy said, “People like you, who live every day so easily and comfortably, are the least sensitive to what day of the week it is. Because every day feels like the weekend to you.”
He Yuchuan said, “That actually sounds kind of philosophical. I’ll remember it and post it on Weibo later.”
As the car reached a corner, a black Volkswagen slowly drove toward them from the opposite direction. He Yuchuan carefully maneuvered to pass it.
The corner was extremely narrow, and He Yuchuan was terrified the paint might get scraped. If that happened, he wouldn’t know how to explain it to Wen Tianxue.
Unfortunately, the driver of the Volkswagen was clearly inexperienced. He cautiously reversed, adjusted his angle, and shuffled back and forth for nearly a minute, yet still failed to squeeze through the gap He Yuchuan had left him.
Through the window, He Yuchuan saw that the other driver was a young man.
He Yuchuan called out contemptuously, “If you suck, practice more!”
The boy driving the Volkswagen froze for a moment, then became even more nervous as he turned the steering wheel and lightly pressed the gas. As a result, the car disobeyed him even more and bumped directly against He Yuchuan’s car – not hard, but not lightly either.
The boy was scared out of his wits. He quickly reversed hard and returned to where he had been.
He Yuchuan sucked in a sharp breath and hurriedly got out to inspect the spot where the two cars had touched.
After confirming the paint hadn’t been damaged, he angrily shouted at the boy, “Are you a fucking idiot? If you want to die, just say so!”
The boy finally got angry too. His face flushed red as he rolled down the window and roared back at He Yuchuan, “You have no manners! I’m just a beginner. Of course I’m not good at it yet!”
He Yuchuan felt as if he’d been provoked. He took off the watch on his wrist and was about to charge over and hit him.
He Yuchuan’s buddy jumped out from the passenger seat and grabbed him, then turned to the boy and said, “Back up! Get out of here! Don’t just stop here! Hurry up and reverse!”
The boy pressed his lips together, rolled up the window, and began reversing.
He Yuchuan got back into the car, still cursing under his breath.
His buddy said, “What’s wrong with you? That was way too impulsive, wasn’t it?”
He Yuchuan said, “That brat was asking for a beating.”
His buddy said, “Hey… what’s he doing?”
He Yuchuan narrowed his eyes and looked ahead. The boy was holding up his phone, seemingly taking a picture of He Yuchuan’s license plate.
His buddy said, “Is he taking a photo of your car?”
He Yuchuan smiled disdainfully. “Let him. What’s he going to do? Report me on the traffic app for cursing at him?”
At around nine o’clock that night, Wen Tianxue sat on the toilet with two pregnancy tests, tearing open the packaging, while Zhao Kai washed his hands at the sink.
Zhao Kai said, “You need two of those to test for pregnancy? Is one result not accurate enough?”
Just then, Zhao Kai’s phone rang.
Wen Tianxue said, “Two is more reassuring.”
Zhao Kai nodded. “Mm, go ahead. I’ll take this call.”
He answered the phone, and Wen Tianxue heard a man’s voice come through. “Hey, Xiao Zhao.”
Zhao Kai immediately switched to an obsequious tone. “Director Guo, good evening!”
As he spoke on the phone, Zhao Kai walked out of the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Wen Tianxue came out of the bathroom and saw Zhao Kai sitting on the sofa with an expressionless face.
Zhao Kai said, “I have something to ask you.”
Wen Tianxue said, “I’m pregnant.”
Zhao Kai froze, and his expression changed instantly. He stood up, rubbing his hands together, and asked excitedly, “Really?”
Wen Tianxue nodded.
Zhao Kai hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the sofa. “Sit down first. I need to ask you something.”
Wen Tianxue sat down and looked at him.
Zhao Kai said, “Where’s that Ferrari of yours?”
Wen Tianxue said, “I lent it to an employee at the company.”
Zhao Kai stared at the spot between her brows. “What kind of employee dares borrow a car from the boss?”
Wen Tianxue said, “A kid. He said his ex-girlfriend came to Songtan, and that she dumped him because she thought he was poor. He wanted to use the car to get under her skin.”
Zhao Kai said, “Why did you agree to lend it to him?”
Wen Tianxue said, “Two thousand a day.”
Zhao Kai said, “How many days has it been?”
Wen Tianxue said, “Almost a week.”
Zhao Kai said, “Do you know what kind of trouble he’s caused?”
Wen Tianxue said, “No.”
Zhao Kai lifted his phone. “He was at Wanda’s underground parking garage today and actually scolded Director Guo’s son from the Water Resources Bureau!”
Wen Tianxue blinked and said nothing.
Zhao Kai: “How many Ferraris are there in all of Songtan? Director Guo had already asked around to me within a few hours!”
Wen Tianxue: “So what do we do now?”
Zhao Kai: “Fire him.”
Wen Tianxue: “No problem.”
Zhao Kai: “Give me his phone number.”
Wen Tianxue: “Is that really necessary?”
Zhao Kai: “Do you think just firing him is enough? This has nothing to do with me? That’s your car! I still have to invite Director Guo to a meal later, butter him up with good cigarettes and good liquor, and apologize. Making him cough up a little isn’t too much to ask.”
Wen Tianxue: “Cough up a little?”
Zhao Kai: “Have him reimburse me for the cigarettes and liquor, and we’ll call it even.”
Wen Tianxue: “You won’t beat him up, will you?”
Zhao Kai: “Not that bad.”
Wen Tianxue thought it over, then gave Zhao Kai He Yuchuan’s contact info and name.
At 11 p.m., He Yuchuan drove his Ferrari back to the parking lot at his apartment complex.
As soon as he stepped out of the garage, a group of men in black sprang out and pinned him to the ground, beating him hard.
After they were done, they took a few iron bars out of a van and found He Yuchuan’s brand-new dark green BMW, smashing it until it was nothing but scrap metal.
He Yuchuan lost his job. Both of his hands were wrapped in bandages, he had multiple contusions all over his body, and he had broken two ribs.
He tried to contact Wen Tianxue, only to find that every one of his contacts had been blocked.
He wanted to go to the entrance of Wen Tianxue’s home or company and sneak a look at her, but when he looked down at his own injuries, he didn’t dare.
He Yuchuan felt like a stray dog driven from home. He canceled his lease and sheepishly moved back into the school dorms.
Then, one day, unable to hold back his longing for Wen Tianxue any longer, he borrowed a friend’s phone and called her.
Wen Tianxue: “Who is this?”
Hearing her voice, He Yuchuan broke into tears. “Have you been doing okay?”
Wen Tianxue: “Are you He Yuchuan?”
He Yuchuan gave a muffled “Mm.”
Wen Tianxue: “I’m fine. I’m already five months pregnant.”
He Yuchuan: “He hasn’t done anything to you, has he?”
Wen Tianxue: “I’m pregnant. He wouldn’t dare.”
He Yuchuan: “Can I still see you?”
Wen Tianxue: “No.”
A wave of despair washed over He Yuchuan – she was already this cold to him.
He Yuchuan: “Can I add you on WeChat with a throwaway account? I promise I won’t bother you. I just want to be able to see your Moments.”
Wen Tianxue hesitated for a moment. “Up to you.”
At last, He Yuchuan opened a tiny window back into Wen Tianxue’s world, and he wept tears of joy.
He didn’t believe Zhao Kai wouldn’t hit Wen Tianxue just because she was pregnant. That was as childish as believing a mugger couldn’t touch you because you happened to be picking your ears.
A few months later, Wen Tianxue gave birth. She posted mom – life updates on Moments almost every day, and He Yuchuan watched with rapt attention.
Little by little, the child that had looked wrinkled and scrunched up at birth became smoother, rounder, and more delicate-featured.
Then one day, He Yuchuan saw the outline of his own features on that innocent little face.
He called Wen Tianxue again.
“Is the child mine?”
Wen Tianxue answered impatiently, “What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
He Yuchuan: “She looks a lot like me.”
Wen Tianxue: “Do you want to get me killed?”
He Yuchuan: “You didn’t deny it. You know very well that’s our child.”
Wen Tianxue: “And then? What do you want to do?”
He Yuchuan was speechless.
He suddenly realized that compared with Zhao Kai, he was nothing at all – he didn’t even have a proper job.
He couldn’t even afford a house, much less raise a child, or the child’s mother.
He was only the child’s father in terms of genetics. Other than that, he had nothing to give this child.
Then he remembered what Wen Tianxue had once said.
“What would it take for you to throw away an apple with a worm in it?”
He knew the answer – when you get a brand-new apple that was perfectly intact.
Over the next few years, He Yuchuan tried every possible way to make fast money.
But making fast money required capital, too. He won some, lost some, lost some more, won some back… In the end, aside from making a bunch of acquaintances, he had nothing to show for it.
Later, his mother called him. “Xiaoyu, if it really doesn’t work out, come home. Your sister He Qian’s family has a big company. Come back and see if your brother-in-law can get you a job.”
He Yuchuan gave his mother a perfunctory reply. “Mm, we’ll see.”
After hanging up, he lit a cigarette and thought back to what his mother had just said.
After a long while, as if he had suddenly figured something out, he called back.
“Mom, during New Year’s this year… arrange for me to meet my sister and brother-in-law. Let’s have a meal together.”