บท 6: Chapter 6

Just three simple words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. Immediately, all of Hou Jie's anger disappeared. He sat in front of the computer for a while, then grabbed his hair and asked Li Si'ao incredulously, "Why did you pull him in?" Li Si'ao sent a voice message: "Hey, we were just talking about business matters earlier. When he heard that we were playing games, he said to pull him along. How dare I not agree? Manager Ding is actually a nice person and doesn't have any airs. Don't be so prejudiced against him." Hou Jie thought to himself, come on. Who knows who is prejudiced against whom between us? It's just a game. It's not worth getting really angry. He took out a lighter and lit a cigarette. After smoking it quietly, he turned off the computer and went to bed. The next morning, he arrived at the company at 7:30. From a distance, he saw Ding Qinan checking attendance at the door. A small number of people had already arrived inside. Hou Jie got up so early for the first time and couldn't help yawning. He thought to himself when this kind of early-to-rise and late-to-rest life would end. He put his hands in his pockets and lazily passed by Ding Qinan. Unexpectedly, he remembered what happened yesterday and thought this person was still as childish as before. He took half a step back and said with a half-smile, "Manager, I'm not late today." Ding Qinan had already seen him. Hearing this, he stuffed his pen into his jacket pocket. His expression was flawless, as if it wasn't him who shot Hou Jie in the head yesterday. He smiled and said, "That's good. Keep it up." When Hou Jie was in school, his highest record was not being late for two consecutive weeks. Ding Qinan was going to see how long he could keep it up. Hou Jie was relying solely on his stubbornness. He sat back at his position, tore open a bag of bread for breakfast. However, before he had taken a bite, he saw Ding Qinan hand the attendance sheet to a small clerk beside him and then went back to his office. "... " Hou Jie ate the bread expressionlessly. Damn it. Ding Qinan squatting at the door every day was indeed to catch him. Li Si'ao took Fang Qia to measure a house today. Logically speaking, it shouldn't take much time. But unexpectedly, they didn't return to the company until the afternoon. Beside them was a man in light luxury casual suit, who was Dou Xun. Dou Xun's family is in the hotel industry and has a dedicated design team. But he felt that the style was too monotonous and directly passed on it. He gave the order to Ding Qinan in the name of helping his brother get some business. The designer in charge of the project happened to be Li Si'ao. The young female staff in the office couldn't help but look at Dou Xun again and again, discreetly sizing up his clothes. Seeing him enter the manager's office, they then started chatting. After all, these days, there are really not many high-quality men with both good looks and wealth: "He's quite handsome. Designer Li, is his house big? Does he have a girlfriend?" Li Si'ao was sitting at his position and had drunk most of a glass of water. he was very tired. After taking a break, he said, "What house? His family is in the hotel business. Running up and down today almost exhausted me. He and Manager Ding are quite familiar. If you want to know if he has a girlfriend, ask Manager Ding." Hou Jie remembered Dou Xun flirting with the female waitress in the coffee shop yesterday. He let out a "tsk" and said lazily with his legs crossed, "So what if he runs a hotel? If he's a jerk, it's all in vain." Li Si'ao pushed him with a smile: "A jerk? Like you?" Fang Qia was originally sitting at her position massaging her own leg. Hearing this, she turned her head and said, "Hou Jie is not a jerk." There was a chorus of teasing hisses around. Li Si'ao glanced at her and his eyes were sour. Just as he was about to say something, Fang Qia said jokingly, "Do you know what a jerk is? A jerk has a car, a house, is gentle, considerate, and understanding. He is good in everything except that he doesn't love you. This is called a jerk. As for someone like Hou Jie, hmm..." She didn't finish speaking, but her expression had already said it all. Hou Jie raised his hands in surrender: "Grandma, it was just because I said a few words to you while playing games yesterday. Is it necessary to me like this?" Fang Qia snorted: "It's the truth anyway." Hou Jie raised his eyebrows: "These days, houses and cars are not easy to buy. I can't afford them. I'm just waiting for a rich woman to save me ten years of struggle." Li Si'ao wanted Hou Jie to be single more than anyone else so that Fang Qia would give up. Hearing this, he suddenly remembered something and slapped the table and said, "Right. I remember. I have a cousin. Her family condition is okay. She has a car and a house. She is also delicate. She is always busy with work and has no time to find a boyfriend. If you are willing, I will call her today and make an appointment to meet." Hou Jie was just saying it casually. He didn't expect him to take it seriously. Hearing this, he waved his hand and shook his head: "You are really something. You can even push your own cousin into the fire pit." At that time, Dou Xun was in the office discussing things with Ding Qinan. He was sitting casually opposite him, looking at the furnishings around and then pulling his chair closer and saying eagerly, "Hey, my girlfriend is about to graduate from college. She is also majoring in design. Let her come to your company as an intern. Help arrange it for me." Ding Qinan was staring at the computer. Hearing this, he glanced at him: "Girlfriend? Didn't you break up long ago? Where did the girlfriend come from?" Dou Xun said, "It's that female waitress in the coffee shop. I added her as a friend. We got along quite well after chatting. It turns out that she was doing a part-time job there during the summer vacation. Yesterday was just her last day of work. It's so coincidental that I met her. Don't you think it's fate." Ding Qinan smiled faintly: "In just one night, she's your girlfriend?" Dou Xun twirled his phone twice: "It's bound to happen sooner or later. I think she is also interested in me. You do a good deed by helping me. It's also a merit." People in Dou Xun's circle are willing to spend a lot to chase girls. They give away bags and luxury goods worth tens of thousands of yuan without blinking an eye. Arranging a job is really nothing. It's just that the higher they praise when they like someone, the harder they fall when they don't like them anymore. Ding Qinan had always been too lazy to care about such things. Hearing this, he said, "Whatever you want." "Okay. Then I will send her over tomorrow." Dou Xun snapped his fingers and said, "By the way, does an intern need a mentor? Find someone with some level for her so that she can learn something." Ding Qinan raised his eyebrows and looked at him. Thinking that Dou Xun was really pushing his luck, he coldly curved his lips: "How about I let Hou Jie mentor her?" Dou Xun raised his eyes: "Who? That ex who kicked you? He's a bit too handsome to attract bees and butterflies... Oh, forget it. He'll do. After all, college students come out just to learn something. As long as she can learn something, it's fine. Besides, my girlfriend is very loyal." Ding Qinan narrowed his eyes when he heard this: "Aren't you afraid that he will take a fancy to your girlfriend?" Dou Xun waved his hand indifferently: "I'm not afraid. My girlfriend's family is very poor. He loves money, so he won't like her." Ding Qinan: "..." When Dou Xun left, Ding Qinan got up to see him off. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the office, he heard Li Si'ao making arrangements to set up a blind date for Hou Jie. As soon as they came out, he immediately stopped talking. Dou Xun was watching the show the whole time. He folded his arms and said in a low voice, "Tsk tsk. It seems that your ex is about to be in a relationship." Ding Qinan heard this. His gaze quietly fell on Hou Jie's back and then moved away silently. He said emotionlessly, "Mind your own business that has nothing to do with you." Dou Xun said, "People are getting into relationships. Why don't you hurry up." Ding Qinan was silent. He just habitually straightened his tie. His expression was unfathomable, hiding all his joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures tightly. Some people wish their exes well after breaking up. Some people wish their exes to be poor after breaking up. Undoubtedly, he belongs to the latter. Not everyone can walk out of the abyss... Hou Jie hides a indifferent and realistic heart under his joking mask. Whether it's the environment or time, it's enough for him to forget the past. But Ding Qinan can't. He is still stuck in the quagmire and unable to extricate himself. The unwillingness of the past is like a heavy chain, firmly dragging his steps. He once tried to walk out half of his body, but in the end, he was forcibly pulled back. Ding Qinan thought that he was still living such a terrible life. Why should Hou Jie live better than him? There is no such reason in the world. He toyed with his sincere heart for three whole years. In the end, he threw it on the ground and trampled it into mud. With a light sentence "You are too poor", he can erase all his past efforts. After meeting again after many years, he can still talk to him with a smile. A simple "sorry" wants to cover up the past. How is that possible? There is no such reason in the world. No... Hou Jie was sitting in front of the computer working when he suddenly felt a chill on his back. He reached out and touched the back of his neck. Looking through the frosted glass partition, he just saw Ding Qinan seeing Dou Xun off. His fingertips unconsciously tapped on the desktop. Suddenly, he remembered the past. It is said that liking cannot be hidden. In the past, Ding Qinan was really good to Hou Jie. So good that others almost saw a bit of a clue. The teasing words around them never stopped. Ding Qinan would save his pocket money to buy food and drinks for Hou Jie. When Hou Jie was playing basketball, he would silently wait for him under the scorching sun. After evening self-study, he would run three whole streets to buy the fried buns that Hou Jie liked. There were too many things to count. It was like this for one day and for three years. And Hou Jie clearly knew that he liked him and also knew what was behind all these kindnesses. In the end, he jokingly said in front of his friends that he had accepted a little brother, the kind who was very obedient. At that time, Ding Qinan was still there. Hearing this, he just looked at him quietly. His eyes were dark, reflecting the scorching sun. there was still the sharpness of a teenager, but for some reason he all his thorns. He just pursed his lips silently, leaving behind a slightly silent forbearance. Now thinking about it, that expression was so complicated that it was hard to understand. It carried a heaviness that a person of that age shouldn't have. Hou Jie didn't like Ding Qinan, but he was reluctant to give up the benefits he got from being with the other person. So this muddled farce lasted for three years before it finally ended. During those three years, he exhausted all of Ding Qinan's love. Correspondingly, there was only hate left in the other person's heart now. No one will stand still and wait forever. Now times have changed. Ding Qinan's kindness will also be for another person and has nothing to do with him. When entering the social class and becoming mentally mature, looking back on past events actually feels unnecessary. But adolescence seems to be so and impulsive. Hou Jie fell into silence for no reason. For a long time, he didn't say a word. Li Si'ao turned around to avoid Fang Qia and urged him in a low voice when he saw an opportunity: "Hurry up. Are you going or not? A big man is so indecisive about going on a blind date." Hou Jie didn't react: "Huh?" Li Si'ao said, "What are you thinking about all day? You can't even hear me talking to you." Hou Jie said, "You don't understand. I remembered my ex." Li Si'ao recalled for a moment: "... The one who drives a BMW?" Hou Jie was about to nod when he heard Li Si'ao ask, "Did you think of your ex or did you think of your ex's BMW?" Hou Jie: "..." Li Si'ao always saw problems so incisively. Hou Jie kicked his chair: "Damn you. Am I that kind of person?" After saying that, he felt that he couldn't be like this. Ding Qinan was looking for a partner. He couldn't lose either. So he leaned close to Li Si'ao and said, "Hey, didn't you say you would introduce your cousin to me? When will we make an appointment?" Li Si'ao was silent for a moment and then said, "Forget it. A man who is still thinking about his ex can't be wanted. I don't want to push my cousin into the fire pit." Hou Jie was choked: "... You are quite human."