Lu Zhou followed Xiao Yi, confidently walking to the front desk.

Xiao Yi said, "Hello, I'm Xiao Yi."

Lu Zhou: "Hello, I'm Xiao Zong's assistant."

Xiao Yi: "..."

Xiao Yi looked at Lu Zhou, who pointed to a corner, gesturing for him to stay aside. He then approached and said, "Mr. Xiao came to find his wife. Excuse me, what's the name of your girlfriend?"

Xiao Yi mentioned his girlfriend's name.

"She resigned," the receptionist said. "I remember you! You sang at our company's annual meeting last time! Your singing is so good!"

"Huh?" Xiao Yi was instantly bewildered. "When did she leave?"

The receptionist said, "It's been three months."

Xiao Yi: "..."

"Oh!" Lu Zhou exclaimed, surprised. "Mr. Xiao, did your wife resign? What should we do?"

Receptionist: "..."

Xiao Yi: "Ah, how is that possible? Why did she leave just like that?"

Xiao Yi was a bit dazed, and Lu Zhou was nearly infuriated. He roared, "Ask for her phone number!"

Receptionist: "..."

The receptionist looked at the flowers in Xiao Yi's left hand and the jewelry box in his right.

"Where did she go? Can you tell me?" Xiao Yi asked.

"She said she went back to her hometown to get married," the receptionist replied.

With a buzzing sound, Xiao Yi felt like he was struck by lightning.

"Do you have her phone number?" Xiao Yi asked.

The receptionist said, "I have her new phone number."

She wrote down the new number on a piece of paper and handed it to Xiao Yi.

Lu Zhou took off his sunglasses and said to the receptionist, "Come, look into my eyes."

The emotion reflected in Lu Zhou's eyes was gentle yet resolute, brimming with tender sentiments capable of captivating both the young and the old, males and females alike.

"I am Lu Zhou. Answer me a question, please don't deceive me," he said to the young female receptionist, who remained silent.

Lu Zhou continued, "His girlfriend didn't actually resign; she just doesn't want to see him..."

"Ah——! Ah——! Ah ah ah ah——!! Lu Zhou, Male God!!"

Lu Zhou's subsequent words were instantly drowned out by the young female receptionist's scream. The entire office building heard it, and some people rushed down. A security guard spotted Lu Zhou and immediately shouted, "Inform his girlfriend!" Lu Zhou risked it all and shouted at the young female receptionist, "Her ex-boyfriend has succeeded! Because Lu! Zhou! Is! Driving! For! Xiao! Yi!! I love you, everyone!"

Xiao Yi: "…"

Lu Zhou turned around, dragging Xiao Yi with him as they rushed away, as if they were flying to escape.

Half a minute later, Lu Zhou and Xiao Yi rushed into the garage without any direction. Lu Zhou drove, and countless people in a zombie-like state rushed down directly. Xiao Yi rolled out of the company, nearly pissing in his pants of terror.

*

That night, Baojia Street, at a large chicken noodle restaurant.

"I now realize," Xiao Yi sighed, "problems that can be solved with money are not problems."

Du Ma laughed while drinking beer. The two of them ate a large plate of chicken. Back when they were in school, they used to come here often. Today, Xiao Yi wanted to express his gratitude to Du Ma for helping him find this job. He suggested treating him to a feast at a five-star hotel, but Du Ma chose a large plate of chicken.

"Lu Zhou is indeed wealthy," Du Ma said. "But if he bullies you, don't keep quiet. Just let my aunt know."

Xiao Yi nodded appreciatively, knowing that Du Ma indeed considered him a good friend. They poured more wine, and while Du Ma was in a smart suit, driving a million-dollar car, they sat in a dirty little restaurant eating a large plate of chicken. Xiao Yi found it quite amusing.

Back in college, everyone was studying music. Du Ma studied traditional Chinese music. After graduating, he joined his father's business, leaving behind the love, passion, and ideals for music he had during his student days. Almost all their classmates followed a similar path. After graduation, those with connections found support, while those without disappeared without a trace. It seemed that after the night of their graduation dinner, they forgot everything.

Only Xiao Yi remained, still somewhat foolishly struggling in Beijing.

Du Ma asked again, "By the way, about the matter with Lu Zhou, is it true?"

Xiao Yi replied, "Ah, definitely not."

Xiao Yi knew that Du Ma also found Lu Zhou's inability to ‘perform’ quite amusing. However, Xiao Yi had seen Lu Zhou's morning erections more than once. Lu Zhou might have some psychological issues, but physically, there was no problem.

Xiao Yi was quite self-aware. Even though Du Ma could easily ask about Lu Zhou's affairs, he had signed a confidentiality agreement. He tried not to reveal too much. The two chatted for a while. It had been four years since they graduated. Xiao Yi, now twenty-five, had seen his life get worse year by year. Luckily, Du Ma helped him, and life took a turn for the better.

"Hey," Du Ma said, "A-Tu, your situation doesn't seem good. What happened?"

During his school days, Xiao Yi's nickname was "Xiao Tu Si Ji." The allusion came from a book some girls in the class read, ‘Time and Space Through Syndrome’, thinking his foolish and silly appearance resembled Tu Si Ji. Someone also called him "Daxia" (NT: dà xiá : noble warrior) because he liked helping friends. A roommate started calling him A-Tu A-Tu, and it stuck till now.

Sighing, Xiao Yi said, "My wife went home to get married, became someone else's wife."

Du Ma was stunned, and Xiao Yi explained the past. Du Ma sighed and said, "It's my fault. If I had known..."

"No!" Xiao Yi replied, "How can it be your fault? I'm grateful to you."

Du Ma thought that Xiao Yi had lost contact with his girlfriend because of the job introduction. But Xiao Yi was extremely grateful to Du Ma because with one phone call, he changed his life.

Du Ma thought for a moment and said, "Find someone better in the future." Then he asked, "Are you still participating in the talent show?"

"I'm not going." Xiao Yi knew Du Ma changed the subject to avoid feeling bitter. Du Ma's girlfriend also broke up with him shortly after graduating, and since the first year after graduation, when he was rejected in the audition for the best male student while holding a guitar, he no longer had any expectations for talent shows.

Du Ma said, "Among us, you sing the best. When we were performing in Lijiang during the summer vacation, several times I thought you were going to become famous."

Xiao Yi smiled awkwardly and said, "Unfortunately, it never happened. So, sigh."

Du Ma was the drummer in their original band, and he was closest to Xiao Yi. During the summer vacation, they went to Yunnan to experience life and sing. Xiao Yi waited for Du Ma to return from his romantic encounters and then they would sleep together in a rented room, shirtless, on a steel bed. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed, but Xiao Yi felt like he was still the same person, while Du Ma had become so successful.

After finishing the wine and the large plate of chicken, the two stumbled out. Light snowflakes were falling on the streets of Beijing. Xiao Yi was drunk and stood under a street lamp for a while. His phone rang, and Xiao Yi was vomiting, so Du Ma answered the call for him.

Lu Zhou's impatient voice came through, "Where are you? Do you know what time it is!"

Du Ma, a little drunk himself, said, "Ah, Lord Lu! Hello, hello! I'm his roommate, Du Ma, living with him. He's drunk, and it will take a while. I'll have someone send him back..."

Lu Zhou said, "You're his roommate? Living with him? Then who am I? Where are you guys?"

"At Baojia Street," Du Ma said. "Not too far from your place..."

The call ended.

Xiao Yi took the water from Du Ma and drank some. The two stood on the snowy street. Xiao Yi poked Du Ma's shoulder and said, "You... shouldn't have broken up with my little sister. You said... in these years... have you found someone better than her?"

Du Ma, in the four years since graduation, had been thinking about his ex constantly. He had changed several girlfriends, but the one he knew during his school days, Xiao Di, was the best and unforgettable.

"Sigh," Xiao Yi smiled bitterly. "The next one might be better, but it's a waste. The first one is the best. It's just youthful recklessness... Ah, ah, ah—"

Xiao Yi seemed a bit crazy, shouting a few times. Du Ma leaned against a street lamp and suddenly sang emotionally.

"My love transcends the sky..." Du Ma sang loudly.

"My love flows endlessly..." Xiao Yi spread his hands and sang loudly towards the snowy night sky.

Du Ma turned around and sang to Xiao Yi, "Oh, my love—"

"My beloved, when will we meet again—" Although Xiao Yi was drunk, his singing shocked the people around. Both he and Du Ma had immersed themselves in music for many years, and the two twenty-year-old big boys, uninhibited, started a personal concert on the street.

"Even if the years pass quickly, and youth fades away—"

Du Ma swayed as if he were back on the stage of the campus singer.

Xiao Yi turned around and sang leisurely, "I will always love you—"

Du Ma & Xiao Yi: "As in the past—"

Applause resounded, and people took out their phones to record. Outside Baojia Street, quite a crowd gathered, curious to see Xiao Yi and Du Ma singing a duet on the street.

"As in the past—" Xiao Yi shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness, and their singing echoed in the snowy night.

With a whoosh, a Jaguar drove by, and the car door was kicked open.

Du Ma: "Oh, my love—"

Xiao Yi: "Oh, my beloved—"

Xiao Yi's voice abruptly stopped as a hand stretched out from the side, grabbing his collar and tossing him into the back seat of the Jaguar.

Wearing sunglasses with a scarf covering his face, Lu Zhou got into the car, kicked up some dust, and drove away, leaving Du Ma covered in snow, thrown under the streetlight.

Late at night, Lu Zhou's financial advisor reported the investment income for the year at the dining table, while Xiao Yi lay on the sofa, dishevelled, his face flushed, panting. Later that night, Lu Zhou threw a blanket to Xiao Yi, who wrapped himself in it and slept on the sofa.

*

"Oh, my beloved—"

The next morning, Xiao Yi took out the diamond ring he had bought for his girlfriend for a proposal, looked at it repeatedly, and finally put it on the finger of the Q-version figurine in Lu Zhou's room. He decided to give up.

From today, let's start anew!

In the morning, he washed the dishes Lu Zhou used the night before, singing by the sink, "Even if it's the end of the world, everything is far away. My love for you is as it has always been."

"What song is this?" Lu Zhou yawned as he came downstairs. Surprisingly, he was also humming along with Xiao Yi. After listening to this melody last night, Lu Zhou was somewhat brainwashed by Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi replied, "Back when Du Ma and I, along with friends from the adjacent dorm, formed a band. I composed the music and wrote the lyrics myself."

Lu Zhou's mouth twitched, and he said, "Is that Du Ma who striped with you on Baojia Street yesterday in the heavy snow?"

Xiao Yi's mind thundered.

"Did I stripe?!" Xiao Yi said, "No way! Did I?!"

Lu Zhou said, "You were close! Embarrassing or not!"

Xiao Yi thought Lu Zhou must be messing with him again, but he didn't have the mood to argue. Lounging on the sofa, Lu Zhou continued, "If you've been dumped, just work hard, strive to improve, serve me well, and when you fly Feihuang Tengda in the future (NT: metaphor for quick rise in status. Feihuang was a legendary horse), hold a basin of water and go perform a modern version of 'knocking over spilled water' in front of her."

"Oh," Xiao Yi responded.

Xiao Yi had no energy to retort. He figured Lu Zhou must be teasing him again. However, he wasn't in the mood to care about this or that. Lu Zhou, sitting casually on the sofa, said, "If you've been dumped, pull yourself together, work hard, and make more money. Drive a million-dollar car back and treat her to dinner."

"Okay," Xiao Yi replied, thinking, Is he delusional? Where does he get the confidence that she'll worship me just because I drive a luxury car? People lead comfortable lives; they wouldn't care about such things. What if her husband drives a two-million-dollar car, then won't I look even more pathetic?"

Xiao Yi opened his girlfriend's Weibo, sent her a private message, and received a reply at 3 p.m. — recently, she started working at the job introduced by her parents. She went on a blind date with a civil servant, and both sets of parents were satisfied. The other person loved her a lot, and they planned to get married after the Chinese New Year.

What else could Xiao Yi say? He fell silent for a moment, then called his girlfriend.

"What's up?" his girlfriend said.

"Nothing much," Xiao Yi smiled and said, "Just calling to admit my mistake."

His girlfriend didn't say anything. After a moment of silence on both sides, she said, "Forget it, let's treat the past as if it never happened."

Xiao Yi said, "Treat it as if it never happened. I also want to say, can you listen to me?"

"Go ahead," his girlfriend said.

"I was wrong," Xiao Yi replied. "I'm sorry. Regardless, I must apologize to you. I don't expect your forgiveness..."

Lu Zhou, looking at the financial report in his hand, suddenly got angry and glared at Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi said, "I've wasted so many years for you, given you nothing. Made you suffer in Beijing, and in the blink of an eye, it's been four years."

"It’s nothing," his girlfriend's voice softened a bit, saying, "I didn't come to Beijing for you. At the bar in Houhai, when I saw you performing to earn extra money, I thought you would make a name for yourself."

Xiao Yi said, "But I couldn't. Actually, I have no regrets about my life in Beijing. These years have had your companionship, which is why I stayed. If I have any guilt, it's towards you."

"Let it go," his girlfriend said. "It's all in the past. Why bring up these things?"

"When are you getting married?" Xiao Yi asked.

"After the New Year. Will you come?" his girlfriend replied.

"I won't come. I'll send you a gift," Xiao Yi said.

"Thank you, Tuzki (1)," his girlfriend said. "I believe you can still achieve success. I just don't want to drift in Beijing anymore. I'm not young anymore, and my family is urging me to get married."

"Okay," Xiao Yi smiled and said, "I wish you happiness."

"You too," his girlfriend said. "Work hard, and good luck."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhou looked at Xiao Yi as if he didn't recognize him.

Xiao Yi thought for a moment, opened a video editing software, and retrieved the videos he had taken with his girlfriend before. He had been working on this music video for a long time, envisioning that one day he could use it for a proposal. Now he could modify it a bit and send it to her as a wedding gift.

The entire video was a solo performance by her, while Xiao Yi was the one holding the camera. She laughed and cried at different moments. Xiao Yi, reviewing their love story, added music to it. As he picked up his notebook to go upstairs, Lu Zhou interrupted, "Did I tell you to go upstairs?"

Xiao Yi said, "Can I record a song here?"

"Whatever," Lu Zhou said indifferently. "You spineless fool."

Xiao Yi didn't say anything, opened the music, and recorded a song for his girlfriend. Busy until evening, he sent the music video, feeling relieved. When he opened his own Weibo, he found that he had gained a few hundred followers.

Xiao Yi, "..."

Xiao Yi was suddenly shocked. In fact, he had quite a few fans before, though not as many as Lu Zhou's tens of millions. He had a few thousand fans who liked his songs, but they were a bit too enthusiastic, and his girlfriend had strong opinions about it. So, Xiao Yi closed his Weibo account.

Now, almost no one knew his account. What happened? Xiao Yi looked at the fans, and they weren't fake accounts. Suddenly, he thought of the only possibility — he opened Lu Zhou's Weibo and found that their relationship had changed from following to mutual following.

Xiao Yi, "!!!!"

Lu Zhou was still contemplating something difficult. Xiao Yi was about to speak when Lu Zhou said, "Shut up."

Xiao Yi had to shut up. The depression caused by the breakup was somewhat diluted by Lu Zhou's mutual following. He smiled and posted a new Weibo status, roughly saying that he had turned a new leaf and would live well in the future.

As the New Year approached, Xiao Yi sorted out his emotions and gradually felt better. The next day, he tidied up Lu Zhou's messy forms and was instantly dumbfounded. Lu Zhou was quite wealthy!

A red wine estate in Penglai, Shandong, a TV series financed at the beginning of the year, and a chain of tea restaurants started by a director friend. He also invested in a high-end, classy art hotel!

These far exceeded Xiao Yi's ability to calculate money. Lu Zhou clearly had a well-planned life and knew how to plan for the future. Even if he didn't act, the money invested would make money, probably enough for him to live a lifetime. However, what shocked Xiao Yi even more was that the report also included details of a charity project. Lu Zhou sponsored some areas in Sichuan, built two schools, and provided singing and physical education as well as multimedia classrooms for many primary schools!

Xiao Yi's eyes twinkled. Lu Zhou was truly worthy of being his idol. However, all these years, he had never told anyone how much he had donated.

Xiao Yi took out his phone, took a picture of the detailed expenses for the charity project, and decided to keep the image in his phone. Whenever Lu Zhou got angry at him, and he felt disheartened and didn't want to do anything, he could take out the image to look at.

This way, Lu Zhou's image as a male god would always remain at 99999999 points and he wouldn't let him down again. (NT: 9 is a lucky number, 999 is associated to longevity and eternality)

Xiao Yi's mother called. As usual, she asked whether he would be coming home for the New Year this year. Xiao Yi thought for a moment and told his family that he would discuss it with his boss to see if he could take leave.

He wouldn't need to go to the company after the twenty-eighth day of the month. Compared to the common practice in many talent agencies and entertainment companies, where there was almost no holiday during the New Year, Lu Zhou was relatively relaxed. First, he was getting older, not like the seventeen or eighteen-year-old newcomers, and second, he was currently very popular. It didn't matter whether he went or not.

So Xiao Yi began to prepare for his annual leave and planned where to go and have some fun.

 

Translator : DarNan

 

--

Translator’s note

(1) Tuzki is a popular rabbit character in China