Chapter 19
After a simple lunch, Chen Hui took Luo Zhengzheng to the lounge for a nap. In the afternoon,, the audition continued as usual. After Chen Hui and the others finished and got off work, Luo Zhengzheng suggested treating her and Wang Jie to dinner, which Chen Hui and Wang Jie readily agreed to.
Luo Zhengzheng remembered that Gu Shi had said he would pick her up in the afternoon before leaving that morning, so she took out her phone and sent him a text message: "I'm having dinner out tonight. Xiao Zhang has already come to pick me up, so you don't need to come."
The audition ended after six o'clock. At this time, Gu Shi was already on his way. Seeing her reply, he was silent for a few seconds before telling the driver, "Let's go home."
The driver glanced at him discreetly and turned around.
Upon arriving home, Luo Can emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of food. Seeing elder brother-in-law, he grinned, "Elder Brother-in-law, I'll go home tomorrow! I'm treating you all to a big meal today. I used the money I earned from handing out flyers these past few days to buy roast duck, braised beef, braised pig's feet, and two pounds of prawns. I had the family chef cook them for me. How long before Elder Sister is back? Shall we eat?"
Gu Shi glanced at the sumptuous dinner on the table, loosened his tie, and indifferently said, "Your elder sister is eating out tonight."
"..." Luo Can felt a few seconds of disappointment. He had finally managed to treat Elder Sister to dinner with his own money, but she wasn't coming home. Seeing Elder Brother-in-law's low spirits, he wondered if he was upset because Elder Sister wasn't coming home. He said, "Then let's eat. Chengjia went to his grandma's, so we don't need to wait for anyone else."
Inwardly, he was thinking, "Isn’t elder brother-in-law a little narrow minded? Elder sister is out working and eating out is a business engagement. How can he be upset about that?"
Gu Shi hummed in agreement, went upstairs to change into casual clothes, and came downstairs to sit on the dining chair.
Luo Can handed him a pair of chopsticks and a few cans of beer, chuckling, "Shall we have a drink today?"
Gu Shi took the chopsticks. "I have a cold."
Luo Can opened the beer cans. "The doctor said drinking a little alcohol when you have a cold will help you recover faster."
Gu Shi glanced at him dismissively. "Which quack doctor said that? You're almost in college, can't you tell right from wrong?"
Luo Can: "..."
The doctor wouldn't have said that to Luo Can. He'd only heard it mentioned when he was encouraging others to drink and he'd remembered it.
Luo Can looked at Elder Brother-in-law. "Is it because elder sister didn't come home for dinner tonight that you're upset?" So you're taking it out on me?
Of course, he wouldn't say the last part aloud.
Gu Shi's tone was calm. "No."
He was telling the truth. He wasn't angry. It was normal for her to go out to eat, and there was no reason to be angry. He was just a little disappointed when he rushed to pick her up only to be told she wasn't coming home for dinner.
Luo Can thought that even if he wasn't angry, he wasn't particularly happy either. In the end, he was Elder Brother-in-law and he comforted, "If she doesn't come back, she doesn't come back. There's such a big table of delicious food. Let's finish eating it. My college entrance exam scores will be out soon, so consider it an early celebration for me. You can't drink alcohol because you have a cold, so just drink water."
He poured him a glass of warm water.
Gu Shi picked up his glass and clinked it against his: "Wishing you success in getting into your dream university in advance."
Luo Can took a big gulp of beer: "Wishing myself success in getting into my dream university in advance."
After finishing, he clicked his tongue, secretly pleased.
Gu Shi ate his food quietly, occasionally clinking his water glass against Younger Brother-in-law's.
Luo Can had never drunk alcohol before, except for the last time he ate hotpot with Wang Zehao, when they shared a bottle of beer. After downing two cans, he looked at Gu Shi, slightly tipsy, and said, "Elder Brother-in-law, Elder Sister has a terrible temper. She used to bully me a lot when we were little, and my parents always sided with her, saying she is a girl and should give in to her. Once, we argued, and without even asking what happened, my parents gave me a good scolding. I thought, 'Why? Why only me?' I really wanted to run away from home then."
Luo Can's story sounded pitiful, but Gu Shi seemed oblivious, pressing him, "Then why didn't you run away from home?"
Luo Can loudly... "Of course I did! I was already outside the village."
Gu Shi: "Hmm?"
Luo Can said timidly, "Elder Sister pulled me back. She even bought me an ice cream at the village store—the most expensive ice cream there! I'd never had one before. I was really upset, but even when my sister and I argued, she'd be fierce. But afterwards she'd still coax me. My parents never do."
Gu Shi felt a pang of sympathy. Luo Zhengzheng often made him angry, and when she saw his expression change, she'd feign concern and try to coax him. And he always fell for it. It seemed she'd known this skill of flattery since childhood.
Gu Shi glanced at Younger Brother-in-law and said insincerely, "A boy should be more magnanimous. She's your elder sister. What's wrong with giving in?"
Just like him, he now had to give in to his wife.
Luo Can took a big gulp of beer. "You're right, I thought it through later."
Gu Shi glanced at him. He continued, "Because after Elder sister went to university, my good days began."
He then laughed triumphantly.
Seeing Gu Shi remain silent, Luo Can continued, "After Elder Sister went to university, she would work part-time and earn money to buy me clothes and shoes. She would come back during winter and summer vacations and take me out for delicious food. At that time, I thought Elder Sister was truly a celestial fairy descended to earth to save the poor."
Gu Shi frowned, finding himself somewhat naive. He didn't really want to hear Younger Brother-in-law talk about how good his elder sister was to him. He only wanted to hear about how his elder sister bullied him.
drunk and incoherent, Luo Can began to ramble, "My elder sister is beautiful, and many people pursue her..."
Gu Shi slowly raised his head to look up at him.
Luo Can, completely unaware, continued, "Those people came to fawn over me, buying me delicious food. Do you think I'm so easily bought off? That's my elder sister! Do you think I don't know her? She has a strange personality. When she was in high school, the school's heartthrob wrote her a love letter. She secretly told her best friend that she was initially planning to date him after the college entrance exam, but because of one grammatical error in his letter, she was upset and thought he was a fool. This really broke that guy’s heart."
Of course, he had overheard all of this.
Gu Shi was filled with mixed emotions. Should he be thankful that his wife's early romance had ended so abruptly?
Luo Can chuckled, "My elder sister had even more suitors in uni. I met one guy and even thought he was pretty good-looking. Guess what my elder sister said?"
Gu Shi casually asked, "What did she say?"
Luo Can said incredulously, "She said the guy had a beard. I thought my sister was being unreasonable. A guy without a beard, was he even a man? Even if we're rejecting someone, we should at least give a decent reason. But she told me she genuinely thought the guy's beard looked dirty and uncomfortable, and she couldn't stand it."
Gu Shi touched his chin. Should he be thankful he shaved every day, or would his wife find him repulsive?
Luo Can became more and more fervent, "In her third year, didn't she have a boyfriend?"
Gu Shi paused in his chopsticks.
Luo Can, completely unaware that he had inadvertently revealed Elder Sister's romantic history, said, "I always thought she'd be single forever. I never expected her to have a boyfriend, but it didn't last long. Later, my mom thought she'd bring him home to meet the parents, but she said he wanted to come back with her and even marry her after graduation. She was terrified of marriage and couldn't stand the guy anymore, so they broke up."
Hearing this, Gu Shi didn't have time to be surprised that his wife had a past boyfriend. Thinking about his wife's recent behavior, he secretly wondered what he had done for her to dislike him.
Luo Can continued, "So for my elder sister to marry Elder Brother-in-law, it must be because she really liked Elder Brother-in-law!"
He couldn't even remember who he was drinking and chatting with anymore.
Seeing that he wanted to drink more, Gu Shi took his glass away: "Alright, stop drinking." If he kept drinking, Luo Zhengzheng would have no secrets left.
Luo Can, dissatisfied, snatched the glass back: "I want to drink more."
Gu Shi said calmly, "Luo Zhengzheng is back."
Luo Can shot up: "Where, where?"
Knowing he was afraid was good enough. Gu Shi glanced at him: "You've finished eating, go to your room and rest. Your elder sister is coming back."
Luo Can staggered to his feet and Gu Shi went to help him: "You can get yourself drunk by yourself, so don't say your elder sister was strange. You're not exactly a saint either."
In a fit of temper, Luo Can didn't want him to help him, pushing and shoving: "I can walk by myself."
Gu Shi struggled to help him to bed, watching Younger Brother-in-law fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He rubbed his temples, saw he hadn't vomited, draped a blanket over him, told Uncle Wang to keep an eye on him, and then left.
Meanwhile, the three women went to a high-end restaurant. Wang Jie had children to take care of at home, so they didn't drink. Besides, Luo Zhengzheng had been drunk a couple of days ago, so it would be at least a while before she drank again.
Chen Ze had hoped Gu Shi would pick up Luo Zhengzheng so they could go out for dinner and drinks together. However, after finishing his work, he learned that Luo Zhengzheng had invited Chen Hui and his secretary to dinner, and they had already left.
Chen Ze sighed and went home to eat alone. After dinner, he dialed Gu Shi's number and asked, "Is your wife back yet?"
After asking, he secretly slapped himself. What kind of question was that? Anyone who didn't know better would think he and Gu Shi's wife were having an affair.
Gu Shi didn't think much of it and replied lazily, "Not back yet."
Just as he finished speaking, Luo Zhengzheng's voice came from downstairs. He said, "Just got back."
Chen Ze wanted to talk to him about the movie's progress, but the other party said, "If there’s nothing else, I'm hanging up." He then hung up the phone.
Chen Ze listened to the dial tone and tossed the phone onto the bed.
Luo Zhengzheng went upstairs and saw Gu Shi lying lazily on the bed. She asked, "Is Jiajia sleeping at Mom’s side?"
Gu Shi nodded, looking at her. "You're back quite early. Didn't drink?"
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him, took out makeup remover, and replied, "Drink every day? I’m going to work. Chen Hui and Wang Jie took such good care of me and we all had a simple meal together."
Gu Shi asked her, "Are you going again tomorrow?"
Of course she was going. Luo Zhengzheng said with a smile. "I've only ever worked part-time at cafes or supermarkets before. I found this quite interesting."
Watching others experience different stories was also a kind of enjoyment.
Gu Shi looked at her and slowly said, "Any job, if you treat it as a hobby, it will be interesting."
Luo Zhengzheng disagreed, saying, "I don't treat it as a hobby. It's my hobby in itself."
After saying that, she went to the bathroom to wash up.
After a simple lunch, Chen Hui took Luo Zhengzheng to the lounge for a nap. In the afternoon,, the audition continued as usual. After Chen Hui and the others finished and got off work, Luo Zhengzheng suggested treating her and Wang Jie to dinner, which Chen Hui and Wang Jie readily agreed to.
Luo Zhengzheng remembered that Gu Shi had said he would pick her up in the afternoon before leaving that morning, so she took out her phone and sent him a text message: "I'm having dinner out tonight. Xiao Zhang has already come to pick me up, so you don't need to come."
The audition ended after six o'clock. At this time, Gu Shi was already on his way. Seeing her reply, he was silent for a few seconds before telling the driver, "Let's go home."
The driver glanced at him discreetly and turned around.
Upon arriving home, Luo Can emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of food. Seeing elder brother-in-law, he grinned, "Elder Brother-in-law, I'll go home tomorrow! I'm treating you all to a big meal today. I used the money I earned from handing out flyers these past few days to buy roast duck, braised beef, braised pig's feet, and two pounds of prawns. I had the family chef cook them for me. How long before Elder Sister is back? Shall we eat?"
Gu Shi glanced at the sumptuous dinner on the table, loosened his tie, and indifferently said, "Your elder sister is eating out tonight."
"..." Luo Can felt a few seconds of disappointment. He had finally managed to treat Elder Sister to dinner with his own money, but she wasn't coming home. Seeing Elder Brother-in-law's low spirits, he wondered if he was upset because Elder Sister wasn't coming home. He said, "Then let's eat. Chengjia went to his grandma's, so we don't need to wait for anyone else."
Inwardly, he was thinking, "Isn’t elder brother-in-law a little narrow minded? Elder sister is out working and eating out is a business engagement. How can he be upset about that?"
Gu Shi hummed in agreement, went upstairs to change into casual clothes, and came downstairs to sit on the dining chair.
Luo Can handed him a pair of chopsticks and a few cans of beer, chuckling, "Shall we have a drink today?"
Gu Shi took the chopsticks. "I have a cold."
Luo Can opened the beer cans. "The doctor said drinking a little alcohol when you have a cold will help you recover faster."
Gu Shi glanced at him dismissively. "Which quack doctor said that? You're almost in college, can't you tell right from wrong?"
Luo Can: "..."
The doctor wouldn't have said that to Luo Can. He'd only heard it mentioned when he was encouraging others to drink and he'd remembered it.
Luo Can looked at Elder Brother-in-law. "Is it because elder sister didn't come home for dinner tonight that you're upset?" So you're taking it out on me?
Of course, he wouldn't say the last part aloud.
Gu Shi's tone was calm. "No."
He was telling the truth. He wasn't angry. It was normal for her to go out to eat, and there was no reason to be angry. He was just a little disappointed when he rushed to pick her up only to be told she wasn't coming home for dinner.
Luo Can thought that even if he wasn't angry, he wasn't particularly happy either. In the end, he was Elder Brother-in-law and he comforted, "If she doesn't come back, she doesn't come back. There's such a big table of delicious food. Let's finish eating it. My college entrance exam scores will be out soon, so consider it an early celebration for me. You can't drink alcohol because you have a cold, so just drink water."
He poured him a glass of warm water.
Gu Shi picked up his glass and clinked it against his: "Wishing you success in getting into your dream university in advance."
Luo Can took a big gulp of beer: "Wishing myself success in getting into my dream university in advance."
After finishing, he clicked his tongue, secretly pleased.
Gu Shi ate his food quietly, occasionally clinking his water glass against Younger Brother-in-law's.
Luo Can had never drunk alcohol before, except for the last time he ate hotpot with Wang Zehao, when they shared a bottle of beer. After downing two cans, he looked at Gu Shi, slightly tipsy, and said, "Elder Brother-in-law, Elder Sister has a terrible temper. She used to bully me a lot when we were little, and my parents always sided with her, saying she is a girl and should give in to her. Once, we argued, and without even asking what happened, my parents gave me a good scolding. I thought, 'Why? Why only me?' I really wanted to run away from home then."
Luo Can's story sounded pitiful, but Gu Shi seemed oblivious, pressing him, "Then why didn't you run away from home?"
Luo Can loudly... "Of course I did! I was already outside the village."
Gu Shi: "Hmm?"
Luo Can said timidly, "Elder Sister pulled me back. She even bought me an ice cream at the village store—the most expensive ice cream there! I'd never had one before. I was really upset, but even when my sister and I argued, she'd be fierce. But afterwards she'd still coax me. My parents never do."
Gu Shi felt a pang of sympathy. Luo Zhengzheng often made him angry, and when she saw his expression change, she'd feign concern and try to coax him. And he always fell for it. It seemed she'd known this skill of flattery since childhood.
Gu Shi glanced at Younger Brother-in-law and said insincerely, "A boy should be more magnanimous. She's your elder sister. What's wrong with giving in?"
Just like him, he now had to give in to his wife.
Luo Can took a big gulp of beer. "You're right, I thought it through later."
Gu Shi glanced at him. He continued, "Because after Elder sister went to university, my good days began."
He then laughed triumphantly.
Seeing Gu Shi remain silent, Luo Can continued, "After Elder Sister went to university, she would work part-time and earn money to buy me clothes and shoes. She would come back during winter and summer vacations and take me out for delicious food. At that time, I thought Elder Sister was truly a celestial fairy descended to earth to save the poor."
Gu Shi frowned, finding himself somewhat naive. He didn't really want to hear Younger Brother-in-law talk about how good his elder sister was to him. He only wanted to hear about how his elder sister bullied him.
drunk and incoherent, Luo Can began to ramble, "My elder sister is beautiful, and many people pursue her..."
Gu Shi slowly raised his head to look up at him.
Luo Can, completely unaware, continued, "Those people came to fawn over me, buying me delicious food. Do you think I'm so easily bought off? That's my elder sister! Do you think I don't know her? She has a strange personality. When she was in high school, the school's heartthrob wrote her a love letter. She secretly told her best friend that she was initially planning to date him after the college entrance exam, but because of one grammatical error in his letter, she was upset and thought he was a fool. This really broke that guy’s heart."
Of course, he had overheard all of this.
Gu Shi was filled with mixed emotions. Should he be thankful that his wife's early romance had ended so abruptly?
Luo Can chuckled, "My elder sister had even more suitors in uni. I met one guy and even thought he was pretty good-looking. Guess what my elder sister said?"
Gu Shi casually asked, "What did she say?"
Luo Can said incredulously, "She said the guy had a beard. I thought my sister was being unreasonable. A guy without a beard, was he even a man? Even if we're rejecting someone, we should at least give a decent reason. But she told me she genuinely thought the guy's beard looked dirty and uncomfortable, and she couldn't stand it."
Gu Shi touched his chin. Should he be thankful he shaved every day, or would his wife find him repulsive?
Luo Can became more and more fervent, "In her third year, didn't she have a boyfriend?"
Gu Shi paused in his chopsticks.
Luo Can, completely unaware that he had inadvertently revealed Elder Sister's romantic history, said, "I always thought she'd be single forever. I never expected her to have a boyfriend, but it didn't last long. Later, my mom thought she'd bring him home to meet the parents, but she said he wanted to come back with her and even marry her after graduation. She was terrified of marriage and couldn't stand the guy anymore, so they broke up."
Hearing this, Gu Shi didn't have time to be surprised that his wife had a past boyfriend. Thinking about his wife's recent behavior, he secretly wondered what he had done for her to dislike him.
Luo Can continued, "So for my elder sister to marry Elder Brother-in-law, it must be because she really liked Elder Brother-in-law!"
He couldn't even remember who he was drinking and chatting with anymore.
Seeing that he wanted to drink more, Gu Shi took his glass away: "Alright, stop drinking." If he kept drinking, Luo Zhengzheng would have no secrets left.
Luo Can, dissatisfied, snatched the glass back: "I want to drink more."
Gu Shi said calmly, "Luo Zhengzheng is back."
Luo Can shot up: "Where, where?"
Knowing he was afraid was good enough. Gu Shi glanced at him: "You've finished eating, go to your room and rest. Your elder sister is coming back."
Luo Can staggered to his feet and Gu Shi went to help him: "You can get yourself drunk by yourself, so don't say your elder sister was strange. You're not exactly a saint either."
In a fit of temper, Luo Can didn't want him to help him, pushing and shoving: "I can walk by myself."
Gu Shi struggled to help him to bed, watching Younger Brother-in-law fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He rubbed his temples, saw he hadn't vomited, draped a blanket over him, told Uncle Wang to keep an eye on him, and then left.
Meanwhile, the three women went to a high-end restaurant. Wang Jie had children to take care of at home, so they didn't drink. Besides, Luo Zhengzheng had been drunk a couple of days ago, so it would be at least a while before she drank again.
Chen Ze had hoped Gu Shi would pick up Luo Zhengzheng so they could go out for dinner and drinks together. However, after finishing his work, he learned that Luo Zhengzheng had invited Chen Hui and his secretary to dinner, and they had already left.
Chen Ze sighed and went home to eat alone. After dinner, he dialed Gu Shi's number and asked, "Is your wife back yet?"
After asking, he secretly slapped himself. What kind of question was that? Anyone who didn't know better would think he and Gu Shi's wife were having an affair.
Gu Shi didn't think much of it and replied lazily, "Not back yet."
Just as he finished speaking, Luo Zhengzheng's voice came from downstairs. He said, "Just got back."
Chen Ze wanted to talk to him about the movie's progress, but the other party said, "If there’s nothing else, I'm hanging up." He then hung up the phone.
Chen Ze listened to the dial tone and tossed the phone onto the bed.
Luo Zhengzheng went upstairs and saw Gu Shi lying lazily on the bed. She asked, "Is Jiajia sleeping at Mom’s side?"
Gu Shi nodded, looking at her. "You're back quite early. Didn't drink?"
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him, took out makeup remover, and replied, "Drink every day? I’m going to work. Chen Hui and Wang Jie took such good care of me and we all had a simple meal together."
Gu Shi asked her, "Are you going again tomorrow?"
Of course she was going. Luo Zhengzheng said with a smile. "I've only ever worked part-time at cafes or supermarkets before. I found this quite interesting."
Watching others experience different stories was also a kind of enjoyment.
Gu Shi looked at her and slowly said, "Any job, if you treat it as a hobby, it will be interesting."
Luo Zhengzheng disagreed, saying, "I don't treat it as a hobby. It's my hobby in itself."
After saying that, she went to the bathroom to wash up.