Part 4
Wen Rong raised his hand and touched the center of his brow. “It’s good to keep it. In the future, everyone who sees me will deliberately try to understand the organ trafficking in the Outer District.”
The public is forgetful. Wen Rong used his own way to make the public remember the Outer District.
Zhou Xie finally understood that the events in the Outer District had affected Wen Rong deeply.
Not long after that night, Wen Rong proposed a plan to develop the Outer District. A letter was sent to Zhang Qi’s mailbox, detailing the development value of the Outer District and the plan. (PS: Zhang Qi is President Zhou’s secretary.)
When Zhou Xie met with Zhang Qi, Zhang Qi always looked emotional. “Fortunately, we saved him at the airport back then. I haven’t seen such a proactive young man in a long time.”
Zhou Xie, like a career fan overly satisfied with his idol’s growth, got excited and went with Zhang Qi to find his father’s old friends, pushing forward the development of the Outer District.
The following spring, the National Congress passed a tax reduction policy, and the Outer District development plan landed. There was nothing left in the Student Council that needed Zhou Xie’s help, so he volunteered to go to the Outer District to be in charge of the entire project.
The positions reversed. It went from him seeking Wen Rong to Wen Rong seeking him, even if Wen Rong was only asking about the Outer District development.
Zhou Xie did a good job in the Outer District. He cleaned up that dirty river, built an industrial park, and constructed a subway connecting the Outer District directly to the Inner District.
On the day the subway opened, the media proclaimed loudly: The barbed wire between the Inner and Outer Districts has finally been removed.
Wen Rong called him voluntarily again. At that time, Zhou Xie was eating out with colleagues.
“You’re eating?” Wen Rong asked.
“Mn.”
“How does it taste?”
“Not bad.”
“That’s nice. I haven’t tasted noodles from the Outer District in a long time.”
Being away for too long, one always ends up humming about hometown food memories. Zhou Xie had been working here for a while, and his colleagues loved to ramble about shops in the Inner District.
Wen Rong’s tone held a hint of wistfulness, so Zhou Xie asked, “Want to taste some? I’ll buy vacuum-packed ones and mail them to you.”
Wen Rong asked, “Can they be vacuum-packed?”
“If you want it, I’ll get it done for you.”
“Mn!”
He didn’t say “I want,” just a vague “Mn.” Zhou Xie understood. “I’ll mail it to you in a bit.”
Wen Rong was the type who understood reciprocity very well. With things being mailed from the Outer District, items were occasionally mailed back from there too—if Zhou Xie posted some updates on his Moments, Wen Rong would cater to his preferences and send some fishing gear.
How could this not count as caring about him a little?
In winter, Wang Sichen’s case finally went to trial. The result satisfied everyone: Wang Sichen was sentenced to death, family assets confiscated. Involved personnel had assets confiscated and received life imprisonment.
When Wang Sichen was executed by firing squad, Zhou Xie pulled some strings to personally send him off at the prison. In accordance with Wen Rong’s request, he specifically fired a few extra shots.
Wen Rong watched from the side and gave him a thumbs up.
This was the first time Wen Rong supported him in doing something “bad.”
The “revenge” that had lingered in his mind finally deigned to leave. What remained was only bewilderment.
After his father died, the whole world had actually turned into a mosaic; only Wen Rong and Wang Sichen were clear. The moment Wang Sichen began to blur, he looked back and found Wen Rong standing very far away. Suddenly, an inexplicable sadness welled up.
Spending the last Spring Festival at Leo’s house had been difficult. Even though the relatives tried their best not to make him feel lonely, after dinner, he inevitably realized he was all alone.
A new Spring Festival was approaching.
“Do you have plans for the New Year this year?” Zhou Xie asked Wen Rong as he walked out of the execution chamber.
“Are you going to cook?”
“…Mn.” After nodding, Zhou Xie added, afraid Wen Rong would refuse, “Call Shi Ye, Leon and the others. We’ll go to the hotel.”
“Okay.”
Wen Rong agreed. Zhou Xie was in a good mood all the way back to the Outer District.
During the Spring Festival, because prices in the Outer District were cheap, the storefronts near every subway entrance were packed with queues. Zhou Xie queued for a whole day for those local specialties. After buying everything, he drove back to the “Secret Base” through the night.
According to the agreement, everyone would arrive tomorrow. He was already vaguely looking forward to it.
Beep—
Zhou Xie used his fingerprint to verify the lock and pushed the door open.
Bang! Shiny colorful confetti showered down on his head. Zhou Xie blinked and saw a sea of red.
“You’re here so early. I thought you’d arrive tomorrow.”
The heater was on in the room, making it warm and toasty. Wen Rong wore a red long-sleeved T-shirt. It was the first time he had worn such bright clothes; surprisingly, it made his smile look radiant.
Besides his clothes, the cups on the coffee table had turned red, and the ornaments were red too. The floor-to-ceiling windows were covered with hand-cut paper decorations.
“When did you get here?” Zhou Xie entered.
“Morning. I came straight over after finishing the seminar stuff.”
Seeing the scraps of red paper on the bar counter, Zhou Xie put his things in the refrigerator and came back to ask, “Is there anything left to do? I’ll help you.”
“It’s about done.”
“Do you still need those things on the table? I’ll help you put them away.”
“I’ll put them away myself.”
Sensing a vague rejection, Zhou Xie didn’t say more. There were many dishes to cook tomorrow. He washed and chopped everything he had bought. Wen Rong also finished decorating the room. Looking around, it really had a festive New Year atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the next second, he received a message from Shi Ye saying he had a temporary secret mission and couldn’t come back.
The next morning, Leon also sent a message expressing regret that he couldn’t get away.
If only one didn’t come, that was regret. If two didn’t come, what was that called? Good news!
Zhou Xie suppressed the corners of his mouth. “Since they aren’t here, you probably don’t want to spend New Year with me. Where do you want to go? I’ll drive you.”
Sure enough, Wen Rong’s eyes widened as he asked back, “Where else can I go besides spending New Year with you?”
Zhou Xie knew Wen Rong had nowhere to go.
In this time of family reunions, only the two of them, people without families, could lean on each other.
He regretted telling Wen Rong the truth too hurriedly back then. These three years had finally allowed him to figure out that Wen Rong was the type who responded to soft tactics, not hard ones.
He should have been more patient and let things happen naturally.
“Since we’re already here.”
See, it was that simple.
Zhou Xie turned his face away to prevent Wen Rong from spotting his smile. Pretending to open the refrigerator, he asked solemnly, “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it.”
Zhou Xie cooked a table full of dishes according to Wen Rong’s preferences. The TV was on, the sound audible upstairs and downstairs, so it didn’t feel lonely.
At dinner, the TV programs were full of laughter and joy, creating a rich atmosphere.
Wen Rong received many calls. Almost everyone Zhou Xie could name called specifically to congratulate him.
Zhou Xie looked at the one-click group message New Year greetings on his own phone. Because the contrast was too obvious, he began to wonder if there was something wrong with him as a person.
Boom—
Massive fireworks were set off by the sea, occupying almost the entire sky. Wen Rong was on the balcony answering the phone, his face completely illuminated.
“It’s a bit noisy here, I’ll hang up first.”
Zhou Xie walked onto the balcony, sensing this was his only good chance to be alone with Wen Rong. His heart beat faster than the fireworks.
The fireworks exploded with a bang, then exploded again as they fell, shattering into a sky full of stars.
The sea water rippled, floating with glimmering light, stretching endlessly.
On a nearby floor, a group of relatives and friends out for the New Year ran onto the balcony, howling and shouting like crazy drunks.
Zhou Xie sat quietly on the chair next to Wen Rong. He suddenly thought of the year before last; when his dad was still around, Spring Festival was always about social engagements.
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