detour

Zhao Xiaoqi trotted into the back kitchen of the bar with a tray in her hand, and asked Huang Haitao with a look of horror, "Xu Zi quit drinking?!"

Huang Haitao was standing in front of the oven with a sponge glove waiting for the dim sum to be baked. When he heard her words, he asked her without raising his head, "Xu Zi said it himself? Are Xiao Wu and Dong Zi here?"

Zhao Xiaoqi nodded, "They're all outside, Lao Mo and Lin Zhi are also there, and that Wu Bin is also there, and they're all urging Xu Zi to invite that surnamed Chen to have a drink."

"The surname is Chen?" Huang Haitao was a little puzzled, "Where is another person surnamed Chen?"

"I don't know." Zhao Xiaoqi threw the tray into the sink, tilted her head and thought for a while, "It seems that she came with Wu Bin. Let me tell you, what happened to Wu Bin and Xu Zi. They looked good at first." , the result was inexplicably separated, and the two of them were still a little tired after being separated..."

"Xu Zi said I'm sorry for him." Huang Haitao poured the freshly baked cookies onto the plate on the counter, and said a little discouraged: "Who knows what they are up to."

"Wu Bin seems to be trying to match Xu Zi with that Chen." Zhao Xiaoqi shook Huang Haitao's arm back and forth a little annoyed, "What should I do?"

Huang Haitao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "This matter has something to do with you?!"

"I just don't like the one surnamed Chen. He's fake, and his eyes are always the same..." Zhao Xiaoqi put on a pose that she didn't know whether she was winking or rolling her eyes, and sighed, "You said, Xu Zi won't really look at it." Is it like this?"

Huang Haitao sorted out the freshly baked cookies and put them together on a plate, "Let's go."

"Why go?" Zhao Xiaoqi didn't recover.

"You don't like people with the surname Chen?" Huang Haitao said with a confident air, "Let's beat the mandarin ducks!"

When the couple returned to the front bakery with a biscuit and a beer, they found that besides Li Xiaowu, Zhao Dong, Wu Bin and Chen Ke, there was another man with green eyes. This man Huang Haitao heard from Xu You. However, he is also the young master of the dealer, a character who is not easy to mess with.

Huang Haitao and Zhao Xiaoqi huddled beside Xu You in a tacit understanding.Zhao Xiaoqi squinted at Chen Ke, who had a slightly helpless expression, and simply tilted her head and leaned on Xu You's shoulder.In fact, just looking at the appearance, this person surnamed Chen looks like a dog, but Zhao Xiaoqi just can't like this person from the bottom of her heart.She has never liked the kind of man with hooks in his eyes when looking at people.

"No sugar." Zhao Xiaoqi took a biscuit and stuffed it into Xu You's mouth.

As soon as Xu You put the biscuit in her mouth, she caught a glimpse of Chen Ke, who was sitting beside Zhao Xiaoqi, smiling at herself with a narrow air.Xu You turned his head, pretending that he didn't see anything.

Meeting Wu Bin here was purely accidental, and Xu You, the man who came with him, only recognized it after a few minutes.Although the two had a room together, Xu You obviously drank too much at that time, and didn't even remember his name.But Xu You didn't have much memory of that night.In Xu You's view, Wu Bin's attempt to introduce this person to him was more like a temptation.This made him feel that Wu Bin was becoming less and less like the person he knew back then.

This feeling made Xu You feel very uncomfortable.So he ignored Wu Bin and Chen Ke as much as possible and focused on the others.

For example, Zhuang Shaoqing.

Zhuang Shaoqing had been to "The Conqueror" before, so I didn't think it was any surprise to meet him here, but Xu You was a little unaccustomed to this person's attitude of not talking about business at all.He didn't think that he and Zhuang Shaoqing could have any personal relationship, not to mention that his surname was Zhuang, and the last thing Xu You wanted to see now was the people from the Zhuang family.

However, it feels good to sit in such a place, drink some wine and eat some snacks, while listening to a person vividly tell anecdotes from all over the world.At least the current Zhuang Shaoqing didn't put on the gesticulating and swanky face on the construction site to make people hate him.

Well, Xu You had to admit.If it's just drinking and chatting, no one is more suitable than Zhuang Shaoqing.He has been to many places and has seen a lot of knowledge, especially... he is still good-looking. The appearance of a mixed-race child is a bit more mysterious than others, not to mention that he is quite friendly. It didn't take long , the two beauties present here, Lin Zhi and Zhao Xiaoqi, were all fascinated by him.Zhao Xiaoqi even voluntarily gave up the golden seat next to Xu You, and rushed to sit next to Zhuang Shaoqing.Seeing Xu You's attitude, she didn't have any special feelings towards Chen Ke, and Zhao Xiaoqi also felt relieved a lot.

Chen Ke came over, lowered his voice and asked Xu You, "Could it be your girlfriend?"

Xu You didn't like this kind of teasing, so he shook his head and said, "How is that possible."

Chen Ke looked at the Coke in Xu You's glass, "Why do you think of quitting drinking?"

"Even if it hurts to live soberly, I can't let myself get drunk in the smog of this world..." Xu You pursed his lips and smiled, "A friend said it."

Chen Ke was taken aback for a moment.He was just chatting casually, not trying to lead the conversation in such a philosophical direction.

Xu You seemed to have guessed what he was thinking, and added with a smile: "Actually, there is no particular reason, I just feel that my health is not very good recently."

Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief, "What about smoking? Quit it too?"

Xu You scratched her hair, "I thought about it. But let's see the situation. I can't do it all at once."

"Really?" Chen Ke's hand slowly swam to Xu You's leg, rubbed it ambiguously, and laughed in a low voice, "What else are you going to quit?"

Xu You's heart twitched slightly.

The hand has slipped away lightly.Chen Ke gave him a meaningful look, then turned around and chatted with Wu Bin.

Xu You smiled self-deprecatingly.In the past, he might have taken people to the hotel without saying a word, but now, seeing Chen Ke's full of seductiveness, he only felt it was funny.Like a lazy bystander, completely unable to arouse the interest of participating or cooperating.

Seducing and being seduced was once a life pattern he was very familiar with.Because there is no burden, he always enjoys it.He used to think that this was the most trouble-free way of life, just like the fast food box lunch on the side of the road, with a clear goal to solve his physical needs.However, at this moment, Xu You felt that he suddenly didn't have any physical needs, or that his physical needs were heavily pressed down at the bottom of all needs by something else.So Chen Ke's temptation seemed less attractive to Xu You.

Ever since Huang Haitao and Zhao Xiaoqi made a phone call, Xu You has been spending the past few days here.He found that since his mother returned to C City, he became very afraid of being alone.I don't understand what this is for. How can a person who has always been a loner suddenly be unable to adapt to the life of staying at home and reading materials?

The residence that once made Xu You feel so comfortable has become strange for no reason, and the cold air permeates everywhere, making it difficult for him to sit and sleep.It was as if a crack had appeared in his soul, sucking in all the comfort and tranquility he had created for himself, leaving only those riddled truths under the glamorous appearance—Xu You himself did not willing to face the truth.

A man in his thirties, guarding two rented houses, a pile of materials and a few potted flowers like a poor old widower, except for one hourly worker who comes to clean the house regularly, and even comes to drink tea No guests.No family, no lover, I can only huddle in a dark bar and occasionally catch a drunk who is as poor as myself to go out on April [-], and when I get up in the morning, no one will recognize anyone; I can only eat in the cafeteria, and occasionally go outside Eat something good in a restaurant to satisfy your cravings, and you have to go to the hospital on your own when you are sick... If you die in the bedroom, it will probably take many days before you are discovered by the part-time workers.

Is this what Zhuang Shijie meant by living soberly?Xu You asked himself blankly: Has he been consciously or unconsciously turning a blind eye to his real life?

It turns out... is he such a failure in life?

Xu You felt an unprecedented sense of frustration.

Paired with frustration is a sense of emptiness.Even sitting in a noisy bar like this moment, with people all around... This feeling still lingers.It was a deep void, as if nothing could ever fill it.

This is a question Xu You can't find the answer to.

Then he became restless and restless, unable to cheer up any diversion.Even when his best friend Zhao Xiaoqi wanted to take him to choose a wedding dress, he turned her down with the excuse of having to work overtime.

Xu You asked Huang Haitao, "What's wrong with me?"

Huang Haitao patted his head sympathetically, "According to me, this symptom is either falling in love or falling out of love. Which one do you think it is?"

Xu You was dumbfounded.

Someone just said let's go, and Chen Ke put his arm on Xu You's shoulder.Xu You's hands shaking while lighting a cigarette, suddenly felt a little puzzled.He remembered that when Chen Ke opened a room together last time, Chen Ke didn't show much interest in him, and he didn't even ask for his address or phone number...

What's the matter today?

Looking over Chen Ke's shoulder, Wu Bin was leaning on the back of the chair and looking at him with dim eyes.Xu You felt that there was something wrong with him too.Could it be that he was having trouble with his little lover?So you want to play with Chen Ke and yourself to watch the fun?Xu You murmured a little in her heart: It can't be so boring, can it?

"Go back together?" Chen Ke lowered his voice, and breathed slightly alcoholic breath behind Xu You's ear ambiguously.

Xu You frowned imperceptibly.It was the first time he realized that when he didn't drink, the smell of alcohol would be so...unbearable.

Xu You was racking his brains to find a reason to refuse, when Zhuang Shaoqing greeted him across the table, "Xu You, let's go!"

Chen Ke looked at him, and then at Xu You, his face suddenly became brighter.

Xu You breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn't show it on her face, she just patted Chen Ke's hand, "Let's wait another day."

Chen Ke let go of his hand resentfully.

Xu You hastily followed Zhuang Shaoqing out of the bar. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chen Ke was whispering something to Wu Bin. Wu Bin frowned, showing a little impatient look, but the expression between his eyebrows was clearer than before many.Xu You intuitively felt that the two of them had something to hide from him.But these two people have nothing to do with my life now, so what could be involved?

Zhuang Shaoqing drank a lot of wine, but his expression still looked sober.Xu You didn't know if he just happened to yell at himself, or if he saw something on purpose to save him.It wasn't until the two walked out of the bar one after the other that Zhuang Shaoqing smiled and said, "Xu Gong, there are so many peach blossoms."

Xu You smiled wryly, "Did you see it?"

Zhuang Shaoqing shook his head and giggled, "Not only did I see it, but I also saw that you didn't mean it. Why, don't you like this type?"

Xu You shook his head, not intending to dwell on this topic any longer, "I've been seeing you lately, doesn't the dealer have anything to do for you?"

Zhuang Shaoqing smiled nonchalantly, "There's no need to worry about the dealer's affairs. Don't you have a saying that... is called hand-to-hand?"

Xu You couldn't help laughing, "You're not mean."

Zhuang Shaoqing smiled without saying a word.

This person just did him a favor, so Xu You immediately showed his face to others, but he was always on guard against Zhuang Shaoqing, even if he could chat like a friend at this moment, it was just like a friend.So, after thanking him, he didn't know what to talk to him about.

Zhuang Shaoqing asked him, "Shall I take you home?"

Xu You shook his head, "No need. I didn't drink."

Only then did Zhuang Shaoqing show a slightly surprised expression, "Are you really quit drinking? I saw you drink quite a lot in bars a few times ago."

Xu You said vaguely, "You are not in good health."

Just as Zhuang Shaoqing was about to speak, Xu You asked bluntly: "Young Master Zhuang, your sudden and friendly attitude really confuses me. If you have anything to say, please speak up."

Zhuang Shaoqing touched her nose innocently, "If I say that I just want to make friends with you, would you believe me?"