Cheng Yuan said, "I'm in Nancheng."
"What are you doing in Nancheng?"
"Chasing someone."
Zhou Jin asked, "You actually chased her all the way to Nancheng?"
Cheng Yuan grunted in affirmation.
"And?"
"She's on a date with another man."
"... *cough cough*."
Zhou Jin taunted him, "A Yuan, you sure are pathetic."
Cheng Yuan cursed, "Get lost."
Zhou Jin said, "You chased her all the way there, and you still let her go on a date with another man? If that's not pathetic, what is?"
Cheng Yuan didn't go into details. He cursed Zhou Jin again and hung up.
The second call was from the Cheng family's old residence.
Zhang Rong was causing trouble again, demanding that he come back.
The call was from a servant, and Cheng Yuan said, "I'm busy."
The servant timidly said, "Madam says if you don't come back, she'll go on a hunger strike."
"A hunger strike?" Cheng Yuan said coldly. "Fine. Let her starve."
When it came to ruthlessness, neither mother nor son yielded an inch.
Both were heartless in their own ways.
Zhang Rong's screeching could be heard through the receiver. "You ungrateful wretch! Have you forgotten how I raised you? Now that your wings are full, you abandon me! You want me to go on a hunger strike? Fine! I'll show you how it's done!"
Then came the sound of things crashing to the floor.
An entire table of food had been overturned.
Cheng Yuan couldn't be bothered to listen to her ranting. He ended the call.
When the servant called again later, he didn't answer.
"How much longer?" he asked Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu said, "About ten minutes."
Cheng Yuan said, "Step on it."
Those ten minutes felt like an eternity to him, each day like a year.
Jiang Xiao, on the other hand, felt quite the opposite. She thought the evening was passing quickly, and she was already halfway through her meal.
Song Xuan politely handed her a glass of juice. "Alcohol is bad for your health. Drink juice instead."
He moved the wine aside.
Jiang Xiao nodded. "Alright, I'll have juice."
Song Xuan raised his glass. "To you."
Jiang Xiao smiled. "I should be the one toasting you."
In the middle of the restaurant, someone was playing the violin. Jiang Xiao finished her juice and rested her chin on her hand to watch.
Song Xuan asked, "Do you like it?"
Jiang Xiao nodded. "I do."
"Is there anything you'd like to hear?"
"Why?"
"I'll play it for you."
"You can play too?" Jiang Xiao was surprised.
"Why is that so hard to believe?" Song Xuan took off his suit jacket. "I studied it."
"It's not that. I'm just a bit surprised." Jiang Xiao explained gently. "You don't seem like the type."
"What type do I seem like?"
"The business type." Jiang Xiao smiled.
That was true enough. Song Xuan nodded. "True, I am pretty good at business."
He wiped his mouth clean with a napkin, stood up leisurely, walked to the center of the room, exchanged a few brief words in English with the violinist, and then took the instrument from his hands.
Just now, the Englishman had been playing a piece with a rather fast, rushing rhythm.
Song Xuan's rendition was steadier, evoking a sense of flowing water that went on forever.
Melodious and lingering—it was the most beautiful piece Jiang Xiao had ever heard.