Two Worlds

Chen Zhi turned off his phone screen.

Lin Wanwan was still munching on watermelon beside him, her cheeks bulging. Lin Jing was pouring water in the kitchen, and Lin Shuxian was watching TV with his legs crossed. The whole living room was incredibly cozy.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Chen Zhi stood up, turned into the Lin family's bathroom, and locked the door.

He leaned against the edge of the sink and unlocked his phone.

[When are you coming back?]

[So, I'm eating leftovers alone in your guest room tonight?]

[Chen Zhi, I hate you.]

He typed a line, then deleted it. Typed another line, and deleted it again.

Finally, he only sent two words: [I'm sorry.]

As soon as he sent it, he knew that these two words were worse than saying nothing at all.

Sure enough, Pei Ningxue replied in seconds.

[Oh, sorry. Okay, thank you Boss Chen.]

Chen Zhi rested his forehead against the mirror and closed his eyes for two seconds.

The cold mirror surface pressed against his skin. He stared at his own face in the mirror and felt it was unfamiliar.

Pei Ningxue didn't send any more messages.

From outside the bathroom came Lin Wanwan's voice: "Chen Zhi, did you fall into the toilet?"

"Coming."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, flushed the toilet, and opened the door.

Lin Wanwan was standing at the door, tilting her head to look at him.

"You don't look too good."

"Just a little hot."

"Then drink more water." She casually grabbed a glass of cool boiled water from the coffee table and shoved it into his hand, "Drink."

Chen Zhi took it and gulped down two mouthfuls.

Lin Wanwan leaned against him again, holding his arm and shaking it.

"I haven't been back for so long. Let's go for a walk by the river after dinner tonight, okay?"

"We'll see."

"What do you mean we'll see? Keep me company."

"Let's eat dinner first."

Lin Shuxian shouted from the sofa: "Stop being so clingy. It's already four o'clock. You two go back and rest for a while, and we'll meet at the restaurant at six-thirty."

Lin Wanwan said "Oh."

Chen Zhi's heart tightened.

Go back? Go back where?

"Let's go, let's go sit at your house for a bit." Lin Wanwan was already pulling him towards the door.

"No need, stay home and keep your mom company. You've been recording variety shows for so long, your mom misses you."

Lin Jing just happened to poke her head out of the kitchen: "Yes, Wanwan, stay home and talk with Mom. Your dad will drive you there at six."

Lin Wanwan pouted, but seeing her mom's expression, she let go of Chen Zhi's arm.

"Then you go back first, arrive early tonight."

"Yeah."

Chen Zhi changed his shoes and walked out of the Lin family's door.

The moment the hallway quieted down, his footsteps slowed.

His own door was right next door.

He stood at the door for five seconds, took out his key, and gently opened the door to go in.

The living room was empty, the TV was off, and the coffee table was wiped clean.

The guest room door was closed.

He walked over, turned his ear to listen, and heard nothing inside.

He raised his hand, his knuckles almost touching the door panel, but then put it down again.

He turned and went back to his own bedroom, closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and ran both hands through his hair.

His phone buzzed again.

He clicked on Pei Ningxue's chat box.

No new messages.

The vibration just now was a system notification.

He stared at the screen for a minute, locked it, and tossed it onto the pillow.

Five-forty in the afternoon.

Zhang Guifang came out of the bedroom, having changed into clothes for going out, her hair recombbed and pinned with a plain hair clip.

Chen Jun was already dressed neatly, sitting in the living room waiting.

"Let's go," Zhang Guifang called out to Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi came out of the bedroom, having changed into a clean T-shirt.

When passing by the guest room, he paused for a moment.

Zhang Guifang looked at him, hesitating to speak, and finally just threw out a sentence: "There's food in the fridge."

This sentence was directed towards the guest room, and her voice wasn't loud.

There was no response from the guest room.

The three of them went out the door.

Chen Jun walked in front, Zhang Guifang followed behind, and Chen Zhi brought up the rear.

As they were going downstairs, Zhang Guifang suddenly lowered her voice and said, "If you can't even say a proper sentence, don't blame her for hating you."

Chen Zhi didn't say a word.

The restaurant was booked by Lin Shuxian, and its taste was ranked high in the neighborhood.

The private room wasn't luxurious, with a round table, eight chairs, and a lazy Susan already set with melon seeds, peanuts, and a fruit platter.

The three members of the Lin family arrived first.

Lin Shuxian wore a polo shirt, and Lin Jing wore light makeup, adjusting Lin Wanwan's braids beside her.

Lin Wanwan had changed into a slip dress, tied her hair in a high ponytail, and wore small pearl stud earrings.

Seeing Chen Zhi come in, her eyes curved, and she waved at him.

The six of them sat down.

Lin Shuxian and Chen Jun sat together, and the two middle-aged men first clinked their tea cups.

"Long time no see."

"Isn't that right? Your son is more successful than you."

"Don't praise him, he'll get too cocky."

Lin Jing and Zhang Guifang sat on the other side. The two mothers leaned together and spoke in low voices, occasionally looking at Chen Zhi and Lin Wanwan opposite them.

Lin Wanwan sat next to Chen Zhi and pushed the menu in front of him.

"You order, I can eat anything."

Chen Zhi flipped through two pages of the menu, and for some reason, an image popped into his head: Pei Ningxue alone in the guest room, sitting on the edge of the bed with the lights off.

"What are you spacing out for?" Lin Wanwan poked him with the corner of the menu.

"Nothing, just seeing if it's spicy."

"I can eat spicy!"

"Last time you ate malatang, you were so spicy you hiccuped."

"That was because the malatang was too spicy, it's not my fault."

Chen Zhi checked off a few dishes, handed the menu to the waiter, and leaned back in his chair.

Lin Shuxian raised his glass: "Come on, come on, it's been a long time since our two families got together. We're happy today, let's cheers first."

The six of them clinked glasses.

Zhang Guifang took a sip of orange juice, put down her glass, and looked at Chen Zhi.

The content of that look was very complex.

Chen Zhi lowered his head and picked up a peanut.

"Wanwan is getting more and more popular now," Zhang Guifang smiled and said to Lin Wanwan.

Lin Wanwan smiled shyly.

"Auntie, you flatter me, I'm still far from it."

"Why be modest? Even Sister Su Man said you're the most talented singer she's ever managed," Lin Jing chimed in beside her.

"Mom—" Lin Wanwan blushed.

Chen Zhi poured Lin Wanwan a glass of beverage. His phone vibrated in his pocket again.

He didn't take it out.

"Chen Zhi is doing pretty well in Beijing too." Lin Shuxian pointed at him with his wine glass. "Lao Chen told me, some tech company, huge valuation?"

Chen Jun coughed dryly: "I don't really understand it either, anyway, he's quite busy."

"It's good for young people to have drive." Lin Shuxian patted Chen Zhi's shoulder. "But don't just focus on your career, you have to take good care of our Wanwan."

"Of course," Chen Zhi smiled slightly.

Lin Wanwan kicked him under the table.

The dishes were served one after another.

Chopped pepper fish head, stir-fried yellow beef, dry pot cauliflower—the smell of cooking oil mixed with the aroma of chili.

Lin Shuxian and Chen Jun opened a bottle of baijiu. The two men exchanged toasts and chatted about the time they moved into this residential area.

Lin Jing and Zhang Guifang were also chatting warmly, talking about how Lin Wanwan would run over to the Chen house for free meals when she was little, how Chen Zhi would do his homework at the Lin house, and how the two kids playing hide-and-seek in the hallway would be so noisy that the neighbors complained.

Everyone was laughing.

Chen Zhi was also laughing, chewing beef in his mouth.

But his hand was constantly pressing against the phone that kept vibrating in his pocket.

"Chen Zhi, your phone keeps ringing," Lin Wanwan turned her head to look at him.

"Yeah, it's just messages from the work group chat. Don't worry about it."

"Aren't you going to check?"

"I'll look after we eat."

Lin Wanwan didn't press further and picked a piece of meat from the fish head for him.

"This is delicious, try it."

Chen Zhi ate it.

It really was delicious.

But as the spicy taste in his mouth went down, his mind was filled with only one thought—

What was Pei Ningxue doing right now?

Was she sitting in the guest room?

Or had she already packed her things and left?

Probably not.

With Pei Ningxue's temper, if she said she wasn't leaving, she wouldn't leave.

But what she had said was, "I hate you."

Someone who says "I hate you" is actually more likely to stay; someone who truly wants to leave wouldn't announce it beforehand.

Chen Zhi poured himself a glass of baijiu.

"Why are you drinking? You can't even handle alcohol," Lin Wanwan tried to stop him.

"To toast Uncle Lin."

Chen Zhi picked up his glass and stood up.

"Uncle Lin, thank you and Aunt Lin for taking care of me all these years."

Lin Shuxian waved his big hand. "We're family, no need for such polite words. Sit down, sit down, and drink less."

Chen Zhi downed the glass of liquor, squinting his eyes at the spicy burn.

He thought that if Pei Ningxue knew he was here toasting Uncle Lin, she would probably kick the guest room door down.

The dinner lasted for nearly two hours.

Lin Shuxian and Chen Jun drank until their faces were red, arms around each other's shoulders, talking about things from "back in the day," their voices growing louder and louder.

Lin Jing started clearing the table, and Zhang Guifang helped pack up the leftovers.

Lin Wanwan leaned back in her chair, stuffed, rubbing her belly.

"I ate too much..."

Chen Zhi handed her a glass of warm water.

"Chen Zhi, take a walk with me tonight, okay?"

Her voice was soft.

Just as Chen Zhi was about to answer, the phone in his pocket vibrated again.

He pulled it out and took a peek.

A message from Pei Ningxue.

[Your dad's fishing rod next door fell and hit my foot.]

[The lightbulb in your guest room isn't very bright. I thought it was my eyes, but then I realized the bulb is about to break.]

That was Pei Ningxue for you: the angrier she was, the less she lost her temper, and the worse she felt, the more nonsense she spouted.

These messages essentially meant one thing.

I am staying here all alone, and I am very sad.

"Chen Zhi?" Lin Wanwan tilted her head to look at him.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"So, will you take a walk with me tonight?"

Chen Zhi glanced at her, then looked at Zhang Guifang, who was putting on her shoes at the door.

Zhang Guifang didn't look back, but her back stiffened for a moment.

"Let's go," Chen Zhi stood up.

Lin Wanwan cheered up.

It was almost nine o'clock when the two families walked out of the hotel.

Lin Shuxian had been drinking and couldn't drive, so Lin Jing called a designated driver.

"Then Chen Zhi and I will go for a walk. You guys head back first," Lin Wanwan said, tugging at Chen Zhi's sleeve.

"Don't go too far, and come back early," Lin Jing reminded them.

"Got it, Mom."

The two of them headed toward the riverside.

Chen Jun and Zhang Guifang stood at the hotel entrance, watching the backs of the two young people.

Zhang Guifang remained silent for quite a while.

"That Xiao Pei..."

"Stop talking," Chen Jun interrupted her. "It's his own business."

Zhang Guifang gripped the leftover bags in her hand and suddenly turned a corner.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Why are you walking home carrying the leftovers?"

Zhang Guifang turned back and glared at him. "That girl in the guest room hasn't had a hot bite to eat all night. I'm going to heat up a couple of dishes for her, what's wrong with that?"

Chen Jun opened his mouth.

Zhang Guifang headed toward their residential compound without looking back.

Chen Jun stood there stunned for two seconds, shook his head, and followed her.

By the river.

In the summer in Jiangcheng, even the night breeze was muggy.

Lin Wanwan linked her arm through Chen Zhi's, walking slowly along the riverbank. The streetlights stretched their shadows out long.

"Chen Zhi."

"Yeah."

"Is something on your mind today?"

Chen Zhi turned his head to look at her.

Lin Wanwan lifted her face, her bangs slightly blown apart by the wind.

"You've been so quiet today, and you kept looking at your phone during dinner."

"It's work. There was a hiccup with a project."

"Oh," Lin Wanwan nodded and didn't press further.

After walking for a while, she suddenly stopped.

"Chen Zhi, are you unhappy that I came back?"

"What are you talking about."

"Then give me a smile."

Chen Zhi forced the corners of his mouth up.

"So fake," Lin Wanwan let go of his arm and put her hands on her hips.

Chen Zhi sighed and reached out to pull her back.

"I really am glad you're back."

"Really?"

"Really."

Lin Wanwan hooked her arm around his again and rested her face on his shoulder.

"That's good."

The two continued walking forward.

A boat passed by on the river, sounding its horn.

Chen Zhi's phone rang in his pocket again.

He didn't dare to take it out and look.

But Lin Wanwan felt it.

"Your phone rang again."

"It's not important."

"Just take a look. What if it's an emergency?"

Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment before taking out his phone.

It wasn't Pei Ningxue.

It was from Zhang Guifang.

There was only one sentence.

[Xiao Pei is crying, you better get back here right now.]