Chapter 227: The Past (12/18)

On a somewhat noisy and bustling street, silhouettes of people crossed paths under a cloudy, overcast sky.

The air was a bit damp, like moist eyes, but it was not nearly enough to condense into falling raindrops.

A loose black coat was tightened at the cuffs, while the white shirt underneath faintly revealed a thin frame. It was a simple look, hiding him within the crowd.

Xu Nian pushed open the shop door. The wind chimes hanging on the glass door jingled softly, acting as a greeting in place of a clerk. The ends of his wide trouser legs fluttered slightly against his shoes as he walked with uneven steps.

A sharp-eyed clerk, holding a menu, hurried over with a bright, welcoming smile full of poise and faint anticipation.

“Sir, will it be just you today?” she asked in a voice as gentle as possible, carrying the patience and kindness unique to the service industry.

“I’m meeting someone.”

In contrast to her, the guest was brief. Xu Nian’s face was devoid of expression, and he seemed to radiate a faint impatience. He was cold—so cold that he didn’t allow others to get close.

He waved his hand, and the clerk took the hint and moved away. He stood in place, glancing around as if looking for something.

The thing he was looking for was also looking for him.

A slender arm was raised high, moving back and forth like a windshield wiper. The only thing missing was a glowstick in her hand.

Xu Nian’s brow furrowed slightly; there wasn’t a hint of joy at being welcomed. Nevertheless, he forced himself to endure it and walked over. His face lacked even a trace of his usual gentle smile.

“Brother Xu, Brother Xu!” It was a playful, girlish voice. “It was such a hassle to get you out here. I heard you canceled a dinner party just to meet me today?”

The young woman before him was all smiles. Sunglasses were perched on her head, though they didn’t cover her eyes. She had used them to push her bangs back, making her look like a lively adventurer. Her short black hair paired with her playful expression was quite eye-catching.

Still, she fell short.

Xu Nian took one look and withdrew his gaze. “Since you know that, you’d better say something valuable instead of wasting my time like before.”

“Is your time really that precious?” The girl puffed out her cheeks, looking like an angry pufferfish. “I’ve been asking you out for two straight months before you finally agreed. You say you have dinner parties every day, but I’ve clearly run into you while you were just wandering around outside.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Xu Nian raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“What, did I guess right? Are you starting to feel guilty?”

“I’m just asking so I can avoid that place in the future. I don’t want to see something nauseating while I’m out for a stroll or grabbing a bite to eat,” Xu Nian said, showing no mercy in his words.

“What a heartbreaking thing to say. If you talk to a girl like that, you’ll be despised by others, you know.” As she spoke, she took out a vanity mirror to check her makeup. She looked at herself in the mirror and pursed her lips to even out her lipstick.

Her makeup was perfect, enough to capture the hearts of most adolescent boys prone to daydreaming. Combined with her proactive nature, very few men could escape her charms.

Unfortunately, Xu Nian was one of those few.

“Cut the crap. I didn’t skip a dinner party to come here and make small talk. If you want to chat, I can recommend two bars. Once you pay up, there will be plenty of men crawling all over you—it’d be right up your alley.”

Xu Nian seemed to know the girl in front of him very well, and the coldness in his eyes was incomparable to before.

“Don’t say that. Even if it’s you, Brother Xu, I’ll get angry,” she said. “How annoying. You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I can’t bring myself to be mad at you, aren’t you?”

Xu Nian didn’t say a word, only tapping the tabletop lightly. His eyes held not a shred of affection, but they were speaking. His gaze said: ‘If you keep talking nonsense and don’t get to the point, I’m leaving.’

“Actually, I just came to ask if you have any thoughts of coming back, Brother Xu. Everyone is looking forward to your return,” she said, leaning her upper body forward slightly. With the help of her hands, she squeezed out a seemingly bottomless cleavage.

“You keep calling me ‘Brother Xu,’ but you haven’t forgotten that I’m actually the youngest among everyone, have you?” Xu Nian’s expression remained unchanged. “I made it very clear back then: I’d show you a path and take some money. I won’t suffer the hardships, and I won’t enjoy the blessings.”

“There’s no way they would come looking for me. They all know very well that a balance exists here.”

“Only you would jump out at a time like this to find me, using the excuse of nostalgia as if you want me to come back and help everyone. In reality, you’re just serving yourself, aren’t you?”

Xu Nian twisted his wrist slightly. “You’re just as insatiable as before. Even though they were your partners who went through thick and thin with you, do you still feel like they’re taking too much while you’re getting too little?”

“Or rather, it’s not that you want a bigger or smaller share—you’ve wanted the whole thing from the very beginning, haven’t you?”

“They all have their reservations and keep each other in check. Only you have pushed forward regardless of the consequences. A greedy snake trying to swallow an elephant.”

Every word hit its mark.

Xu Nian finished speaking and looked at the girl, whose expression hadn’t changed at all.

“They call me ‘Brother Xu’ out of respect. You don’t respect me, and you’re six or seven years older than I am. I really should be calling you ‘Auntie’ instead.”

This was the sentence that caused the biggest emotional reaction from her so far.

But perhaps not.

Because all Xu Nian saw was her wiping a tear from the corner of her eye—whether it was real or fake, he couldn’t tell.

Then, with a sob, she said to him, “Brother Xu, isn’t that a bit too hurtful? You were the one who appeared when we were most helpless. You led us into the gray zone and guided us until we had assets and finally settled down. I’ve always admired you. You’re the Prince Charming of my heart.”

“I came here today just to express my feelings for you. That’s all. I want to be with you as lovers. I hope you can give me that chance.”

Xu Nian only watched her coldly, watching this person put on an act mixed with tears of dubious origin.

“Is that all you wanted to say? In that case, this meal seems rather unimportant. I wasn’t planning on wasting food, though.”

He adopted his most abrasive attitude, the kind that anyone would find unbearable. He knew exactly what kind of person was sitting in front of him, and he could never give her an opening.

“Brother Xu, do you really…” The falling tears seemed to smudge her eye makeup slightly. “Sorry, give me a moment. I need to go to the restroom.”