In order to pick up Xi Manxiang from prison, Tang Zhi rented a car. The driver was waiting outside the door, and he took his mother out.
He and his mother had been separated for too many years, and he didn't know what kind of physical distance was appropriate, so he held her hand unnaturally.
Xi Manxiang was probably too emotional and didn't know how to express it. She walked slowly forward next to Tang Zhi in silence.
When they walked to the car, the driver opened the door for them. Xi Manxiang took a small step back in surprise.
Tang Zhi hugged his mother gently: "Mom, I rented it."
"I haven't taken my driver's license test yet," Tang Zhi said a little embarrassed. "I don't know how to drive, and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get a taxi at the last minute, so I rented one."
"Oh, okay, okay." Xi Manxiang nodded suddenly.
Tang Zhi sat in the back seat with his mother.
After the car set off, the video on the back of the front seat slowly turned on. Tang Zhi noticed that his mother was looking at the screen and was stunned. She lowered her head awkwardly, as if she was afraid of damaging something in the car, and put her hands together. Between the legs, the back is curled up a bit.
"Mom." Tang Zhi's heart clenched slightly.
She immediately turned to look at Tang Zhi, as if some of her nervousness had been reduced by Tang Zhi's voice, but her eyes were still full of hesitation and uneasiness.
"Mom," Tang Zhi smiled hard and reassuringly at her, "It's okay."
"I rented a small house and will be arriving soon," Tang Zhi said to her. "It's just right for the two of us."
"I also bought you clothes. Now I will take you back to take a shower and put on new clothes."
Xi Manxiang looked at him and nodded slowly. While in prison, Xi Manxiang never let Tang Zhi see this side of her. She never flinched and was always optimistic and strong.
Tang Zhi's eyes were a little hot. He suddenly remembered the cake and milk he bought yesterday, changed the subject and asked, "By the way, Mom, are you hungry?"
He first leaned over and took out the cake for her, then unwrapped the milk, stuck the straw in, and handed it to her hand: "You must be starving."
Xi Manxiang grabbed the milk carton and looked at Tang Zhi for a few seconds. Tears gathered in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head and took a sip of milk.
Tang Zhi saw her tears dripping on the back of her hands and immediately took out a tissue to wipe them for her.
"I booked a very delicious restaurant for tonight," he raised his hand again, wiped the tears from Xi Manxiang's eyes, and said to himself, "You must like to eat."
He put his arm around Xi Manxiang, asked her to lean on his shoulder, and coaxed her, "Go home and teach you how to use your new phone."
"Don't worry," Tang Zhi said, "They are all easy to learn."
Xi Manxiang's voice was slightly hoarse and she said "Okay".
At this time, Tang Zhi's phone suddenly vibrated. He paused and took it out to see. Zhang Ziming from the real estate agency sent a text message asking him if he was satisfied with the house and if there were any problems.
There was another unread text message but it was sent half an hour ago, almost at the moment when the verdict was read out. The sender was Xu Sheng, who said to Tang Zhi: "Congratulations."
Tang Zhi did not avoid Xi Manxiang from reading the text message. Before she raised her head from Tang Zhi's shoulder, she also saw the content of the text message and whispered: "Mr. Xu."
"He's my boss." Tang Zhi said to her.
He originally wanted to tell her that Lawyer Zhong was hired by Xu Sheng, but he was afraid that she would ask more questions and think too much, so he shut up in time and replied to Xu Sheng: "Thank you."
Tang Zhi also wanted to send a message back to Zhang Ziming, but Xu Sheng's call suddenly came in.
Xi Manxiang sat up straight. Tang Zhi looked at each other and answered the phone with some guilt.
"You're welcome." Xu Sheng said to him on the other end.
Xu Sheng's voice was very low, and there seemed to be music in the background, like a restaurant or a dinner party.
Tang Zhi looked out the window, pursed his lips, and heard Xu Sheng ask himself: "Tang Zhi, are you happy?"
Xu Sheng's question was confusing and strange. It was just a simple question, but it seemed to contain a lot of unanswered information and emotions.
Tang Zhi paused for a moment and said, "Yeah."
"That's good." Xu Sheng said.
The two were quiet for a while. Although Xi Manxiang was sitting next to Tang Zhi, Tang Zhi still didn't hang up the phone. He said again: "Thank you, Mr. Xu."
After a few seconds, Xu Sheng said to Tang Zhi in a gentle tone, "You don't have to thank me, I promised you."
Xu Sheng's tone was calm and almost deliberate, more like convincing himself than chatting with Tang Zhi.
But before Tang Zhi had time to respond to him, he suddenly heard a girl's voice coming from far away from Xu Sheng. She called Xu Sheng from far to near, her voice changing from blurry to clear.
"Xu Sheng... No, why can't you even find a trash can in Bingang—"
She suddenly fell silent.
Both ends of the phone were quiet for a moment, and Xu Sheng suddenly hung up the phone.
fraud. What a business trip. Tang Zhi thought ruthlessly. come back tomorrow.
Xi Manxiang was still looking at him. He put the phone away. She smiled at Tang Zhi and said, "Baby, your boss is so kind and cares about you so much."
Tang Zhi wanted to tell Xi Manxiang that he had resigned, but he was afraid that she would worry if she thought too much, so he didn't say anything.
Not long after, their temporary home arrived.
Tang Zhi swiped the card, took Xi Manxiang upstairs, and said, "Mom, you also have an access card. I'll give it to you later."
She was in a better mood, although she was still a little winced.
Tang Zhi also temporarily forgot about Xu Sheng's phone call. He took his mother to visit the small and cozy house, opened the wardrobe in her room, and showed her the new clothes he bought for her.
Xi Manxiang was very happy. While touching a skirt, she said, "I haven't worn a skirt for a long, long time."
Tang Zhi leaned against the cabinet and watched her flipping through the new clothes, chatting with her about every outfit, deftly defusing his mother's inquiries into his love status three times.
While chatting with Xi Manxiang, Tang Zhi felt extremely happy every minute.
Tang Zhi thought that he had no regrets anymore.
Xi Manxiang picked out a skirt, and Tang Zhi took her to the bathroom and taught her how to use the spray. Then he went out and sat down in the living room.
He finally remembered that Zhang Ziming had not replied to the text message he had sent him, so he replied "very satisfied, no problem".
I remembered that I hadn’t finished the nature documentary I watched before going to bed yesterday, so I opened it and watched it for a while, then received a new message.
Tang Zhi thought it was Zhang Ziming, but he didn't expect it was Xu Sheng.
Xu Sheng sent him a "See you tomorrow" message.
Next came Zhang Ziming's reply: "That's good. If you're bored, you can come to my house and sit."
He even took a photo of his collection of game discs to show Tang Zhi. The last time he came to see the house, Zhang Ziming mentioned that he had no friends in the community and was very lonely, and sincerely invited Tang Zhi to play with him.
However, Tang Zhi now has his mother at home and will not go anywhere in the near future. After thinking for a while, he replied to Zhang Ziming: "Okay, I'll see you when I'm free."
As soon as the message was sent, Xu Sheng called again.
Tang Zhi looked at the screen, wondering if he should answer it. After looking at it for a while, he still couldn't bear to let Xu Sheng's call go unanswered, so he picked up the call and asked Xu Sheng, "What's wrong?"
Xu Sheng skipped Tang Zhi's question and asked what was in the text message: "See you tomorrow?"
Tang Zhi was confused, thought for a while, and said, "If you have something to do, it's okay not to see you."
"I'm fine." Xu Sheng replied almost immediately.
After saying that, maybe he felt that the answer was too hasty, so he became quiet.
Tang Zhi grabbed the phone and felt that he had no idea what Xu Sheng was thinking.
He didn't know whether Xu Sheng wanted to see him or not, whether he wanted him to go or not.
The girl's voice he heard on the phone just now made Tang Zhi feel confused and empty.
"Mr. Xu," Tang Zhi looked at the wall unsteadily and said to Xu Sheng, "How about I stay with my mother for a few more days and then come to your house to pick up the things."
"There's nothing I need urgently anyway." He thought of an excuse.
There was deathly silence on the other side, so quiet that Tang Zhi thought Xu Sheng had gone away, until he heard Xu Sheng's voice again: "What day?"
"… I have no idea."
Xu Sheng was quiet again.
After a long time, Tang Zhi heard the movement in Xi Manxiang's room, and Xu Sheng spoke again: "You come tomorrow."
"You'd better come tomorrow," he said. "It will take you one afternoon at most. It won't take you long."
Tang Zhi said "Okay", and Xu Sheng hung up the phone first.
That night, Tang Zhi cheered up, had dinner with Xi Manxiang, went shopping in the supermarket, bought fresh food, and took her to get a new hairstyle. He didn't get home until after twelve o'clock.
The next morning, Tang Zhi woke up at eight o'clock, smelled the smell of fried eggs, and walked out. Xi Manxiang came out wearing an apron and carrying a bowl of porridge.
"Why do you sleep so late," she put down the plate and asked suspiciously, "Don't you have to go to work? Ah Hua told me that it now takes office workers two hours to catch the subway to get to the company."
"..." Tang Zhi felt a little guilty and told her, "Go right away."
He planned to tell her about his resignation when he came back from Xu Sheng's house.
After Tang Zhi went out, he took a taxi to the foot of the mountain before contacting the driver.
The driver was surprised when he received his call and said to him: "I thought you were coming in the afternoon."
"I just have time." Tang Zhi told him.
He waited at the foot of the mountain for twenty minutes before the car arrived. He got on the car and saw that the driver seemed a little nervous, but he didn't know how to ask, so he didn't say anything.
Arriving at Xu Sheng's house, Tang Zhi found that Xu Sheng was not there.
There were only the housekeeper and the maid at home, and for some reason, the housekeeper looked like he was in danger.
Tang Zhi said hello to him, and he followed him to Tang Zhi's room, saying as he walked: "Mr. Tang, do you need help?"
"No need." Tang Zhi smiled at him and said, "Stay for lunch, the chef has prepared the dishes."
"No," Tang Zhi declined, "I'll go home and eat."
Tang Zhi didn't have many things to sort out, but there was only one thing, which was the little penguin Xu Sheng gave him. He couldn't find it, so he searched around and around the room for a long time.
He didn't find it until twelve o'clock.
Tang Zhi checked all the drawers, cabinets, and places where things might be hidden, and asked the maid who cleaned his room circumstantially. There were no clues, but Tang Zhi wanted to find out.
Xu Sheng was not at home, and he did not see Xu Sheng, but he wanted his penguin, so he kept looking for it.
The housekeeper stood at his door for a few minutes. Tang Zhi couldn't bear it, so he walked over and politely closed the door, reopened the drawer where he remembered the penguins were kept, pulled out the entire drawer, and dumped the contents on the floor.
There was only a remote control and an instruction manual in the drawer, but he still took it out and read the instruction manual again and again, not wanting to put the drawer back at all.
When he put the instruction manual on the floor and wanted to stand up to pull out the drawer of the other bedside table, the door was suddenly pushed open hard.
Xu Sheng looked like he was out of breath for the first time in his life. He looked down at Tang Zhi who was sitting on the ground with a blank expression.