Home/ The Selfish Gene/ Chapter 41
After Zheng Jieyuan sent me his location, his phone could no longer be reached. I checked the location and found that he was in a suburb far away from the city, near Wuyan Mountain.
It took over two hours to reach the designated location, or nearby location..
After wandering at the foot of the mountain for a long time, I couldn’t find a way to drive up, so I had to ask nearby villagers for directions. As a result, the villagers said that this mountain has no lanes, and if you want to reach the top of the mountain, you can only climb up slowly along the pedestrian hiking trail.
Looking up at the narrow climbing path with no end under the shade of the trees, I picked up the not so heavy clothes bag in my hand. Suddenly, I had an impulse to put down the bag and turn around to leave. But…
With a long sigh, I stepped onto the slippery steps with my leather shoes and resigned myself to the fate, climbing up the mountain little by little.
Zheng Jieyuan and I have been friends for more than ten years. He was now lonely, weak, and cold. Since he called me, it means that the first person he thought of who could help him was me.
Even the wild cat under the wheel has been saved before, so how could I leave such a big man alone?
The weather has been bad these days, it was wet and cold on the mountain, and there was no sun yet. But just like that, I was still panting and sweating profusely from climbing. And because I was wearing inappropriate pants and shoes, I got half the result with twice the effort, and only managed to climb to the top of the mountain in the next half hour.
Damn it, which lunatic brought Zheng Jieyuan here?
After resting on my knees for a moment, I gritted my teeth and continued climbing for another twenty minutes. Finally, I saw a bright blue building top next to the quiet mountain path.
Taking out my phone to check the location, I found that the signal in the mountains was poor, and my phone had been swaying back and forth between the weak signal and no service. I had no choice but to step on the fallen leaves and approach the villa that seemed to have been abandoned for a long time.
The blue and white walls have been mottled over the years. The courtyard was overgrown with withered weeds and has been eroded to the point where it has become a decoration. The courtyard door was tilted, opening up a path for two people to walk in without hesitation.
Each window was draped with a white curtain, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. The sky was even darker, and a few more crows were added to the courtyard. This was a typical haunted house scene in horror movies.
I raised my hand and pressed the doorbell, which seemed to be mute due to lack of maintenance. So I kicked the locked door hard with my feet and shouted Zheng Jieyuan’s name.
“I’m here!”
After a burst of hurried footsteps inside the door, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Zheng Jieyuan appeared behind the door wrapped in a white sheet, looking as if he had suffered a serious crime.
“I forgot… I just went to the bar as usual and drank a lot. I thought someone would take me home, or even give me a room. Who would have thought that I would wake up here.”
The inside of the house was more normal than outside. Although the furniture was covered with white cloth and there was thick dust accumulated on the floor and lamps, at least there were traces of people being here.
The ashes in the fireplace were still warm, indicating that someone had used it last night. This may also be the reason why I didn’t feel too cold when I stepped into the house.
“When I woke up, all my clothes were gone. I was lying naked on the carpet, covered with a white cloth…”
Looking at the dust marks on the ground, it can be judged that the sofa in the living room has been moved. After the person moved the obstructed sofa away, a huge white carpet was brought from somewhere. Judging from the wine bottles and glasses on the side, the other party even leisurely sat on this carpet and had drinks.
There were some red marks on the carpet, which looked like blood at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be some kind of paint residue.
“Do you feel anything wrong with your body?” I raised my head and asked Zheng Jieyuan, who was getting dressed at the corner, feeling something bad in my heart.
“Wrong with my body? No, it’s quite normal.” He put on his shoes and trousers, and walked out from the corner. Holding the zipper in his hand, he said angrily, “I’m telling you, don’t let me know who plotted against me like this. Otherwise I will definitely kill him.”
It is true that Zheng Jieyuan loves clubbing, but he also pays great attention to his body. He goes cycling outdoors with all the equipment. Although his muscles are not at the level of a bodybuilder, they are quite good.
While cursing, he turned his back and bent down to pick up the clothes from the bag on the floor.
I stared at his back and slowly stood up from the ground.
“Wait…” I stopped Zheng Jieyuan and asked him to look at his back in the mirror.
The red on the carpet was indeed paint, tattoo paint. Zheng Jieyuan’s originally smooth back was now tattooed with five letters – BITCH – like graffiti on his wheat-colored skin. The letter B was close to the buttocks, gradually rising upwards, and the letter H was almost reaching the ribs, as if it was not properly tattooed, with bright red color spreading across his lower back.
This was simply a great shame. Where did Zheng Jieyuan ever suffer this kind of humiliation? After a while, the sound of a mirror being smashed could be heard in the bathroom, as well as his angry cursing.
After a while, he came out of the bathroom, put on his clothes with a dark face, then with his lips tightly pursed, he walked out without saying a word.
I only found out after leaving the door that it had snowed outside at some point.
It seems that it will be particularly cold during the Chinese New Year this time. Thinking like this, I looked up at the dark sky, and was accidentally attacked by a snowflake, kissing my eyelashes.
Blinking away the cold moisture, I looked at Zheng Jieyuan again, but he had already walked far away.
It took me an hour to climb the mountain. But perhaps because Zheng Jieyuan was too agitated, his pace unconsciously accelerated, and it only took us three-quarters of an hour to reach the foot of the mountain.
As soon as I got into the car, my phone began to vibrate crazily, pouring in many previously blocked notifications. I casually flipped through the text messages, including Tang Bian asking where I was, and Xu Xi asking how I was preparing for the engagement ceremony. There were also three missed calls from Ji Chenfeng, with a half hour gap between the first and second, and an hour gap between the second and third. Unfortunately, I was on the mountain all this time and couldn’t receive any signals.
Anyway, it’s nothing serious. He probably kept calling me because he couldn’t find me.
Although the original intention was to cultivate him to be a dodder that depends on me for everything, occasionally when I need to do my own thing, being sensible and not disturbing me is what a pet should do. Having known Zhou Jiyu for so long, didn’t he even learn the essence of this?
Besides, even if I could free my hands now, Zheng Jieyuan was right next to me with such a terrifying expression. How could I talk to Ji Chenfeng as if no one else was around?
It’s just a few hours. Thinking that the other party would call again if there was an emergency, I started the engine and drove Zheng Jieyuan back to the city.
It was already past five o’clock in the afternoon when I sent Zheng Jieyuan home. After being free, I called back everyone one by one.
Tang Bian just asked for my location as a routine basis, it was nothing serious. Xu Xi invited me to dinner and said that she would be responsible for what I wore on the day of the engagement party and asked me not to save money for her. In fact, I was already very tired, but after all, she was my elder. I tried to refuse, but when I found that I couldn’t, I agreed.
Finally, I called Ji Chenfeng back. He didn’t answer the first one, so I called again five minutes later, and this time he picked up.
“Sang Nian…” His voice was very low, and there was no sound around him, as if he was in a quiet environment.
“Sorry, I was in a meeting earlier and didn’t bring my phone.” I started the car and followed the navigation to the restaurant where I had made an appointment with Xu Xi. While driving, I used the car’s Bluetooth to talk to Ji Chenfeng, “What do you want from me?”
“I…” Ji Chenfeng hesitated, and after a moment, he only said, “It’s okay, it’s already okay.”
I didn’t ask any more questions and was about to hang up after saying a few more words. Suddenly, he asked me for leave and said that he might not be able to go to my place for the next week.
“The doctor said that my mother needs some more physical examinations. Sorry, it took me so long to ask…”
That’s just great, it’s like he handed me a pillow when I wanted to sleep. God is finally on my side this time. This week would coincide with the engagement party. When he comes back, everything will be settled, and I won’t have to worry about being discovered by him all day long.
“Auntie’s health is the most important thing. Please take good care of her. You don’t have to worry about anything else. After all, I agreed when I hired you that you can ask for leave at any time.”
I even generously gave him a few more days of leave to make up for it. A full ten days’ holiday, so that he doesn’t have to rush back to work, “I will take good care of Xiao Xue and Xiao Juzi, don’t worry.”
The white cat is called Xiao Xue, and the orange cat is called Xiao Juzi, but just like “Xiaocao”, it is a name that is called when the mood is good. Normally, I just call them “cat” in my heart.
Upon hearing this, Ji Chenfeng seemed to smile: “Thank you, Sang Nian.”
When I heard Ji Chenfeng solemnly thanking me, my heart slightly moved, and Zhou Jiyu’s words suddenly flashed through my mind. If I had never helped Ji Chenfeng, if I was not a “hero” at all, if… I was not me, would he still like me?
I pursed my lips, and the words were stuck in my mouth, but in the end, I didn’t ask.
Because I already know the answer.
“You are welcome.”
If I am no longer myself, everything would change. Not to mention Ji Chenfeng, friends, family, career, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep any of them.
So I can only be me, I can only be Sang Nian, and Ji Chenfeng, he will always be Ji Chenfeng.
As time passed, New Year’s Eve was getting closer, and the engagement party was just around the corner.
I told my parents that I didn’t want the party to be too extravagant, only inviting close relatives and friends, so there were only about forty guests.
The venue was located in an old western-style bungalow in the city center. It has a long history and many celebrities have lived there. A few years ago, it was bought by the Gu family and was turned into a private club to entertain business friends.
Although it was all fake and the ceremony was just to deal with my and Gu Ying’s parents, I still arrived at the old bungalow early that day to prepare and put on the three-piece suit Xu Xi carefully prepared for me.
The light gray fabric looks more lively, the vest can add warmth in the cold winter, the dark red tie was low-key and tasteful, and the white shirt was a necessity in every man’s wardrobe. Xu Xi tidied up the collar for me and nodded with satisfaction, “If Sister could see you get engaged today, she would be very happy.”
I don’t know whether she realizes it or not, but she always says phrases like “Sister will be very gratified/happy to see how you are doing”. It’s as if my existence is just a continuation of Xu Wanyi, and everything I say and do is just to please this woman who hasn’t been around for more than twenty years.
Although Gu Ying and I have only known each other for a few months, Xu Xi doesn’t seem to care at all whether I really like her or not.
Sang Zhengbai had contributed a lot of money to Xu Xi’s company. So even if I told her that I don’t like Gu Ying, would she still resist Sang Zhengbai for me?
That’s impossible.
People are inherently connected by various interests, with each having their own selfishness or problems. A 100% selfless person doesn’t exist at all, genetics doesn’t allow it, it’s human nature to seek their own interests. The love of parents, friends, and lover is not unconditional. As long as you understand this in your heart, you will have no expectations.
After tidying up my clothes, Xu Xi said that she was going to see Gu Ying and left in her high heels, leaving me alone in the quiet lounge.
Standing in front of the retro lattice window and looking downstairs, all I could see was white snow. The waiters were rushing in and out, making final preparations.
On my ring finger, the silver ring was like a tight curse, gripping my hand and heart, making me feel suffocated just by looking at it.
In a few more hours, it will be all over.
At this moment, the cell phone on the table suddenly rang. I turned around and walked to the table. Taking a look, I found that it was a call from Zhou Jiyu.
I frowned and asked in an unpleasant tone: “What’s the matter?”
“I am indeed a coward and a despicable person, but you are no better than me. I have already hurt him once, and there is no way I can convince myself to let another bastard hurt him again while I just stand by and watch.” Zhou Jiyu’s every word was powerful and full of confidence.
“Listen, I have not violated my medical ethics. The news of the marriage between the Sang and Gu family is not big news, but there are always one or two financial media outlets that will report it. Anyone can find it with a little effort. I have sent the news link of your engagement to Ji Chenfeng, he will never be deceived by you again, Sang Nian.”
“When he finds out that what he has been trying to hold on to is just a phantom moon in the water, he will no longer have any nostalgia. Whatever you do to me in the future, the worst is that my boyfriend and I will go back abroad.” After that, he fiercely cursed in English and then hung up the phone forcefully.
Staring blankly at the screen of my phone until it went completely dark, my brain was still processing the explosive information that Zhou Jiyu suddenly flooded in.
News about the marriage between the Sang and Gu family? How could there be such a thing? That bastard, Zhou Jiyu, even sent it to Ji Chenfeng?
If you want to be a coward, just stay a coward all your life. Why do you suddenly want to become a hero? He also said that he was tired of wearing the mask, but I think he didn’t want to take it off at all.
Okay, then let him know the consequences of being a hero and see how I deal with him…
Shocked and angry, I unlocked the phone screen again, wanting to call Ji Chenfeng quickly to confirm the authenticity of the matter, but I couldn’t even remember how to dial the number. Knowing what to do, the brain also issued the command, but there seemed to be an error in the body’s interpretation of the command, getting stuck in the most common step of making a phone call.
What Should I do? Make a phone call? But how to make a phone call? Like an idiot, it took me ten times longer than usual to dial Ji Chenfeng’s number.
After a few rings, Ji Chenfeng picked up the call.
No one spoke. The sound of his shallow breathing filled my ears. I held my breath as my brain stopped working again, and I didn’t know what to do.
At this time, there was a faint sound of car horns outside the window. The villa was located in the city center, surrounded by main roads on all sides, with dense daily traffic and frequent traffic jams. But the next second, I heard almost the same background sound on the other end of the phone.
“Where are you?” I asked with difficulty.
“…Outside the gate.” He gave a very light response, with a strong sense of self-mockery, “I wanted to see if you really lied to me.” With a sigh, he said, “Congratulations, Sang Nian.”
“Listen to my explanation…”
After not being able to make a phone call, I don’t seem to know how to speak anymore. After holding it in for a long time, I could barely spit out four words. I hurriedly grabbed my cell phone and ran out. On the way, I accidentally bumped into Tang Bian. He called out to me, but I had no intention of stopping and ran all the way to the door without looking back.
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