For days and days, Chen Linyun had been staying up late conceptualizing his business. He was researching everything he could about the industry he would want to focus his investment on. He was making a structure, a program, a plan.He stayed late at night, and still worked on it at daylight. He took only small naps in between. Coffee became his bestfriend, and his gadgets were his peers. If he was not using his laptop, he was on the phone, talking to his business partners. Sometimes they did video conference – all four of them.
At some point the video conference was rejuvenating because the four former university roommates had been reunited. In the middle of their serious talks they came to reminisce the past and talk about their present standings. They were aware of Chen Linyun"s predicament, and were ready to support his back.
"It seems that Xue Jinxu likes you too. You said she cried for you, not being a good match for her? She likes you, Bro. That"s for sure." Si Yazu concluded.
"Didn"t you hear? She"s engaged! Chen Linyun, steal the bride! Go for it!" Zhou Xin relayed his support.
"Hey, Mo Wenbin why aren"t you saying anything?" Si Yazu noticed his silence.
"I"m thinking of a way to console him if things get awry. Don"t disturb me." Mo Wenbin was grumpy.
"You"re too negative, Wenbin. Have some faith. Thanks for the help guys." Chen Linyun was in fact extremely vexed that day.
It was the day of the engagement dinner.
He had learned from Guangxi that that Sat.u.r.day night would be the engagement dinner between the two families.
After the video conference, he went on pacing back and forth across the living room. Mo Wenbin was actually grumpy because he knew of the event as well. He thought that it was over. Game over.
"How can you fight against a betrothal?!" He thought, grimly.
Chen Linyun was biting his nails while pacing back and forth. He was so disoriented that he had not cooked their lunch. They ordered for some delivery instead.
"What if she finds him attractive right away? What if there"s a connection or a story between them that they initially did not know?"
"Who"s this sc.u.mbag?!" Chen Linyun glared piercingly. "I worked so hard to get near her!"
"If I had known his name I would have searched everything about him by now. Who is he?!"
"Jinxu, my Jinxu… Oh no, oh no!"
Those were the things that had been running inside his head. He pulled his hair out of vexation. Then he ruffled it.
"Ahhh!!! I"m going crazy!!!!"
"What should I do, Wenbin?" He turned his focus on him. "Should I crash the event? Should I, like, grab her and take her away?"
"That"s abduction. They might put you into jail." Mo Wenbin reminded him. "And, if you do that, her family will have a bad impression of you. You won"t be able to recover or gain their trust ever."
"This is hopeless." And he was helpless.
He tried to focus on his start-up business.
"I trust Jinxu."
With a perturbed mind and a wearied soul, he continued working. Once in a while he glanced up at the time on their wall clock. It was two in the afternoon.
He worked silently. He thought that he had been working for a long time already. He checked the time again. It was thirty five minutes past two. Just a couple of minutes pa.s.sed!
He ma.s.saged his temples, then continued working. He had succeeded to at least keep his calm for a few more hours.
However, he felt horrible. He felt that his woman was being taken from him forever.
At five in the afternoon, he could not take it anymore. He went up to Apartment 301.
He rang the doorbell. He waited patiently.
He rang the doorbell a second time. Still no answer.
No one"s home at Apartment 301.
He stepped back a few paces. He was in a complete state of desolation.
"She"s probably there already." His face full of anguish. He pulled his hair out of annoyance to himself. If he could have gotten there earlier, he would have met her before the engagement dinner.
"And then what?" He helplessly thought.
He sat at the ground in front of Apartment 301.
"It"s only a meet-up. It"s not the wedding yet!"
"Steal the bride!" Zhou Xin had said during their video conference.
"How can I do that, I don"t have a job, I have nothing to be proud of."
He remembered how lowly he appeared in front of her grandfather.
He folded his arms across, resting his elbows on his folded knees. He buried his face on his arms.
"Argh. Why did I leave Tiankong Investments?!" He was pulling his hair again. "Well, it"s too late to go back now. Just keep surging forward!" He thought. He was consoling himself. The fight was not over yet.
"Jinxu is against the marriage. She said so herself."
He fetched his mobile phone from his pocket. He sent a WeChat message to Xue Jinxu. "Are you there yet?"
After a few seconds, his phone lit up. "Yes." That was her only response.
"She could have said more." He unlocked and locked his phone repeatedly. He drafted a message but did not seem to finish it. In the end he had not sent another message.
He returned to Apartment 201.
It was around six in the evening.
"I"ll be out for a while. Do you want to come with me? Let"s go to a bar. It"s Sat.u.r.day night! Let"s party!" Mo Wenbin tried to lure him out of his cave.
"No, I"ll stay here."
"Are you sure?" Mo Wenbin inspected him from head to foot. "You won"t do anything harmful, would you?"
"No, silly!"
Mo Wenbin studied him for a little while longer. "He knows his limits."
"Okay, suit yourself. I"ll go ahead." He headed towards the door.
"If you need anything, just call me. If you change your mind, I"m at Orange Bar just two blocks away. You can drink your sorrows away, buddy. Just look for me there, alright?"
"Thanks Wenbin. I"ll be fine here." He declined. He was in no mood to go out.