"What exactly is going on between you and Little Ying? Old Four, you didn't bully her, did you?" This past month, Granny hadn't missed any opportunities to try and matchmake the two. Yet she discovered that not only was An ZhiAng uncooperative, even Su Ying no longer seemed interested.
"Nothing happened, with you looking out for her, how could I dare bully her!" An ZhiAng's expression was equally unhappy as he said, "If she's unwilling to come then just leave it be, can't we eat by ourselves?"
Granny scolded in frustration, "You stubborn boy, if you miss your chance with Little Ying, you'll regret it one day."
An ZhiAng uncharacteristically didn't argue back and quietly ate his food.
Zhi Xia had told him to consider carefully, but from a bystander's perspective, the fourth brother didn't seem to be completely disinterested in the girl either.
So why was he being so stubborn about it?
Since Su Ying didn't come, Granny was clearly unhappy and barely touched her food.
An ZhiAng was also in low spirits and hurriedly finished eating before slipping away.
Later Zhi Xia asked him, "You really don't like Su Ying? I see she's quite eager to find a partner. Be careful or you'll miss your chance after she's gone."
"You too?" An ZhiAng rubbed his freshly cut hair in irritation and refused to acknowledge anyone as he slipped away.
The deserted streets were pitch black. Having grown so familiar with them, his feet carried him to the foot of the Su family home before he knew it.
During the day, Su Ying was usually at her tailor shop in the small alley, but because of Grandpa Su's health, she generally came home quite early in the afternoons.
Through the large iron gate, he could see the lights were on in the first floor living room, but the second floor where Su Ying lived was shrouded in darkness.
An ZhiAng couldn't tell if she was home or not for a moment. Or rather, why did he even come here and what would he do if she was home? Would he go in to find her?
He was leaving tomorrow. The short month felt like the most tangled period he had ever experienced in his life.
It seemed nothing had gone as he wished.
"What are you doing at my house entrance?"
Su Ying had returned, pushing her cart from the back alley, and immediately spotted An ZhiAng peering around the gate.
He was also given a fright, and reacted quickly to counter, "Why are you coming home so late?"
"Something held me up." Su Ying looked exhausted, also a bit distracted.
His mind immediately went to an unpleasant place, "Was someone harassing you again? Is it your auntie's nephew? Or your aunt's..."
"What does it have to do with you? You don't care anyway, right?"
Su Ying had just been stopped and subjected to harsh words. She was very upset, but also understood that she shouldn't take out her anger on An ZhiAng. "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
If he still insisted on rejecting her, then she hoped he would stay away from her.
Pushing her cart to brush past him, An ZhiAng grabbed her wrist, "Su Ying..."
Her cart crashed to the ground. An ZhiAng also didn't expect that the usually gentle-natured Su Ying would suddenly fling away the cart, hook her arms around his neck, and kiss him.
With his abilities, evading should have been easy as pie.
Yet for some reason, he just let her succeed.
The touch of her lips was soft and sweet.
An ZhiAng held her shoulders in shock, eyes wide and lips parted, which gave Su Ying a chance to act.
Her momentum wavered for a moment. The originally vengeful kiss became more fiery the moment their tongues met.
"Oh my goodness!"
The sudden cry interrupted them. Like a stealing mouse, Su Ying hurriedly hid behind An ZhiAng.
"Youngsters, have some self-restraint. At least get home first..." The woman who discovered them covered her eyes, wanting to advise but too embarrassed to utter the words. She turned and went back inside, closing the door with a loud bang, hinting that her shock was no less than theirs.
"I...I'm going home!" Su Ying also lost her nerve, didn't even dare look at An ZhiAng.
Unconsciously licking her lips, that lingering sweetness made one somewhat reluctant, still wanting...
When he turned back, Su Ying was already gone.
After entering her home, Su Ying also felt some regret.
Heavens, what was she doing?
She had forced herself onto An ZhiAng.
Although not afraid he would take revenge, still, how awkward would their future interactions be?
She must have lost her mind to do something like that.
Probably not even friends anymore in the future.
Yet An ZhiAng was stroking his lips as if savoring the memory.
Suddenly he felt that perhaps marrying a wife wasn't without benefits. For example...
The 26-year-old man's first love awakened, his ears red like a young maiden as his thoughts meandered to who knows where.
Liu Jun had just prepared for bed when he heard the knocks.
Ignoring his wife's murderous gaze, An ZhiAng succeeded in getting Liu Jun out.
"Bro, don't worry. Your wife is my wife. In the future, whoever dares make a move on him will have crossed me, Liu Jun. As long as they fall into my hands, even the King of Hell will have to peel a layer of their skin." Halfway there, Liu Jun thumped his chest and guaranteed An ZhiAng.
"F*ck, Liu Jun I'll cripple your sycophantic legs!" An ZhiAng shouted while chasing him.
Liu Jun begged for mercy, "I'm wrong, An ZhiAng, let me go. Ow ow ow, it hurts..."
Hu Zhou had just gotten off work and saw An ZhiAng and Liu Jun walking over arm in arm.
Remembering Zhi Xia told him not to let An ZhiAng know about not wanting to do business, his body reacted faster than his brain and he turned to run away.
But Liu Jun's eyes were even quicker. "Old An, look over there, isn't that Hu Zhou?"
They were brothers back in the day. Although they had grown more distant over the years, they could still recognize each other.
Especially since Hu Zhou had looked for Liu Jun's help several times recently, in order to get closer to him.
"Looks like little Hu. Why's he running? Afraid we'll eat him up?" An ZhiAng said unhappily.
"Wait here, I'll go catch him back to get things clear. Let me tell you, I don't know where he got his connections lately, but he hasn't lacked in business or money. Today we shouldn't stand on ceremony with him. We have to bleed him dry." Liu Jun said and took off running. An ZhiAng laughed and leisurely waited for his return.
Soon enough, Liu Jun brought the man back.
An ZhiAng grabbed his collar looking him up and down, "Can't argue with that, this guy's dressed better than me. What are you running for? Afraid I'd ask to borrow money?"
"Brothers An and Liu, let's not joke around. If I have money, just say the word and I'll lend it to you, no questions asked. I was just hurrying back to see my daughter. Her life's been hard, losing her mum after being born. Today I left her with the neighbor auntie before coming out." Hu Zhou wiped his tears, appealing to their sympathy. "My poor daughter, I had to entrust her to the neighbor auntie before coming out today."
"Time sure flies. To think you already have a daughter." An ZhiAng hadn't contacted those brothers for years. He only knew about the well-off situations of a few, thanks to Liu Jun's updates.
Liu Jun suggested, "It's this late already. Delaying a bit won't hurt. Bumping into each other is a rare chance. Come on, we'll go drink."
Although he couldn't openly run a business, he had quite a few side operations going on.
Su Ying's tailor shop, the small restaurant down the alley, just not formally registered, that was all. No one knew better than Liu Jun.
From Hu Zhou's words, it seemed he really struck gold.
But An ZhiAng and Liu Jun also knew boundaries. Things that shouldn't be asked, won't be asked. Drinking together posed no problems.
