I Can Drink a Lot Now

Around 1 PM on the 13th, Su Yang drove back to the villa.

Song Anquan had returned to Yangcheng the day before, but Su Yang hadn’t had time to meet up with him due to recent events. Now that the construction on the house had begun, it was the workers’ job to handle things, and he didn’t need to stay there constantly.

After paying the construction team and the renovation company triple the usual rate, they agreed to speed up the process and finish the courtyard within 35 days.

With the courtyard temporarily taken care of, the next thing on his agenda was heading to Yangcheng for Song Anquan’s wedding.

Su Yang parked the car at the villa and walked inside, immediately hearing Pan Ning’s voice as he entered: "All done?"

"Yeah, they’ve started work."

"Aren’t you going to stay and supervise?"

Su Yang walked in, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold cola, cracked it open, and took a sip. "No need. I’ve got something else to take care of—I have to go to Yangcheng. I won’t be back until the evening of the 15th at the latest."

"What’s going on?" Pan Ning asked, looking at him.

"A childhood friend’s getting married. I need to be there."

"Oh, do you want me to come along?"

Su Yang turned and smiled. "No need. His wedding’s on the 15th, and I’ll be helping with driving and stuff. You’d just be sitting around bored, and it’ll be tiring. Better to stay home and rest."

Pan Ning nodded. "Alright. When are you leaving?"

"After a shower and a change of clothes."

"Got it."

Just then, Meng Qianyu came downstairs. She smiled at Su Yang. "Back already, Su Yang?"

"Yeah. How’s your foot? Better now?" Su Yang glanced up at her by the staircase.

"Pretty much healed~"

"Good. You and your sister can do whatever you want these next couple of days. I’m heading to Yangcheng soon."

"What’s in Yangcheng?"

"A friend’s wedding. Gotta go help out."

"Ohhh, got it. But that means no home-cooked meals from you for a while." Meng Qianyu plopped down beside him with an exaggerated pout.

Su Yang chuckled. "Your cooking’s not bad either. Make your own meals—less takeout."

"After tasting your food, my cooking is garbage in comparison."

"Come on, it’s not that bad. Oh, and a bunch of packages are gonna arrive over the next few days. Make sure to grab them for me."

"Don’t worry about small stuff like that."

Su Yang grinned and stood up. "Alright, I’m gonna go shower."

Half an hour later, freshly showered and changed, Su Yang packed two sets of clothes into his new Arc’teryx backpack.

After exchanging a few more words with the two in the living room, he headed out.

Soon, he drove back to Senhai Manor, swapping the Bentayga for the Cullinan.

By around 2 PM, he was on the highway toward Yangcheng.

With light traffic on a weekday, the 100-kilometer journey flew by.

Before 3:30 PM, he exited the Yangcheng toll station. Since he had time, he turned toward his parents’ neighborhood.

Twenty minutes later, he parked along the curb near the entrance of the old residential complex. The narrow roads inside were packed with cars, and since his parents’ place wasn’t far from the gate, parking outside was more convenient.

He quickly got out and called his mom.

After two rings, she picked up.

"Hey, Yangyang?"

"Mom, are you home?"

"I am. What’s up?"

"Good. I’m downstairs—coming up now."

"Huh? You’re back?"

"Yeah. Hang up—I’ll explain when I get there."

Su Yang ended the call and walked into the complex.

A few minutes later, he reached his parents’ building. It had been a while since his last visit, and stepping back into this walk-up apartment gave him a strange sense of unreality.

The contrast between his life now and before was so stark that it almost felt like a dream.

Shaking off the feeling, he muttered, "Time to buy Mom and Dad a new place. Maybe after Song Anquan’s wedding, I’ll take them house-hunting. Yeah, that’s the plan."

When he reached the fifth floor, he instinctively reached for his keys—only to realize he had no idea where they were.

With a wry smile, he knocked instead.

Knock knock knock.

"Mom, open up! Forgot my keys~"

From inside, Chen Liping’s voice called back, "Coming~"

Click.

The old security door creaked open.

Su Yang pushed inside and immediately pulled his mom into a hug. "Mom, what’ve you been up to?"

"Ugh, you’re too old for this—let go!" Chen Liping laughed, shoving him away with mock annoyance.

"Missed you, that’s all. Where’s Dad?"

"Out fishing with his buddies. But he should be on his way back."

Chen Liping shot him a look. "You should’ve told me you were coming. There’s barely any food at home."

Su Yang flopped onto the couch. "Don’t worry about it. I’m not staying long."

"Leaving already? In such a hurry?"

"You know Song Anquan, right?"

"Of course. Your good friend."

"Right. He’s getting married on the 15th. I’m heading over to his place soon, then helping him fetch the bride from Hangzhou in the early hours of the 15th."

"Hangzhou?" Chen Liping sat beside him.

"Yep. His fiancée’s from there. Bit of a trip."

"Never thought that kid would find a wife all the way in Hangzhou."

Su Yang grinned. "Yeah, he’s been working there since college. Figured I’d come early, catch up, maybe grab a drink with him."

Chen Liping immediately warned, "Drink if you must, but don’t overdo it. You’ve never been able to hold your liquor."

Su Yang scoffed. "What? I’m a tank now."

"Oh really?" She looked skeptical.

As they chatted, the door clicked open again.

Su Dagang walked in, a fishing rod bag slung over his shoulder.

Head down, he didn’t notice Su Yang at first. "I’m back~"

Su Yang grinned. "Perfect timing!"

"Huh?" Su Dagang’s head snapped up. Spotting his son on the couch, he burst out laughing. "You rascal! When’d you get here?"

Clearly thrilled, he hurriedly kicked off his shoes, set the bag down, and strode over.

"Just got here ten minutes ago," Su Yang said.

"Seriously? Should’ve given us a heads-up. We don’t even have groceries."

"Don’t need ’em. I’m leaving soon."

"What? Not even staying for a meal?"

Chen Liping quickly explained, and Su Dagang nodded. "Ah, got it. Well, go handle your business."

Su Yang looked at his dad. "After the wedding, I’m taking you guys house-hunting."

"No rush on our end—"

"Doesn’t matter if you’re in a rush or not. Let’s at least check out some places. You can move in whenever you feel like it."

"Hey, you, has everything been going smoothly with the business lately?" Su Dagang asked with concern.

Su Yang shook his head and smiled. "The business is doing great. You two don’t need to worry about a thing. From now on, your only responsibility is..."

Su Dagang and Chen Liping exchanged a glance before asking, "What?"

"Enjoying life."

......