The story of Rose starts with being a brother

Chapter 347 She is different from others!
Time continues to go back, to an earlier time, in a billiard hall in Puxi.

"boom!"

With a powerful blow, the cue ball hit Black Eight hard, sending it directly into the lower left corner pocket that spanned half of the table.

When the cue ball slowly stopped at the edge of the middle pocket on the right, it also announced that the outcome of the game was decided.

"Damn, we almost won." A young man with an orange buzz cut, who looked a bit like Sakuragi Hanamichi at first glance, was staring at the white ball at the edge of the bag with a look of regret on his face.

Then he reluctantly took out two hundred yuan from his pocket and threw it on the table: "You are so unlucky today. Your white ball was just a little bit away from being pocketed."

"Why are you making so many excuses?" Xi Cheng put the two hundred dollars in his pocket, "I calculated all this."

Seeing the money being taken away by the other party, Orange Head felt even more distressed, but in the end he could only throw the club away and said with a pout: "No more playing, my touch is not good today."

Seeing this, Xi Cheng put down his golf club and took out the remaining half pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one cigarette for himself and threw the other half pack over and said with a smile, "Just tell me you lost all your money. Why are you making excuses every day?"

"Xi Cheng, why are you so stingy?" Orange-headed man took out a cigarette and lit it. "Damn, I didn't see you taking out a cigarette when we were fighting, and after we were done, you finished the cigarettes I just bought before you took them out."

After taking a sip, he said with a sigh, "You've really made a fortune. You used to smoke Double Happiness, but now you've switched to Black Liqun."

Xi Cheng smiled and didn't respond. He exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "It's just a pack of cigarettes. Are you really not going to fight anymore?"

"No more playing. I'll wait for my cousin to come back in a few days and get some money from him to change my luck before playing again." Orange Head said after looking at Xi Cheng.

Xi Cheng nodded, and his expression slightly raised when he heard this: "Your cousin? The one you mentioned twice before who went to Vietnam?"

"Yeah, he went there to make money."

"What kind of money can you make in Vietnam?" Xi Cheng flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone somewhat disdainful.

"You know shit!" The orange-headed man said in an unhappy tone, but then he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "My cousin has connections over there."

"How?" Xi Cheng asked in confusion, "What way to make money?"

"It's a secret. I can't tell you. My cousin didn't tell me much either." The orange-head laughed, and then he looked a little proud. "But I told my cousin that I will go with him next time."

"You?" Xi Cheng looked at the orange-headed man in front of him whom he had known for about half a year, his eyes full of suspicion, "You have no money and no brains, what can you do if you go there?"

"What does that matter? You're going there to make money with my cousin. All you need is courage." The orange-head patted the pocket of his jeans and said in a frivolous tone.

Xi Cheng took a look and understood what the other party was talking about making money.

He knew that the other person had a switchblade in his pocket, but he was not worried because he also had a switchblade in his pocket, which he bought after seeing the other person playing with a knife not long ago.

At this time, the orange-headed man raised his eyebrows at Xi Cheng and said, "Besides, there's a saying that if you have money, you won't go to Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, but if you're in trouble, you'll go to Fangchenggang. I don't want to stay in the billiard hall like this."

"..."

Xi Cheng slightly exerted force on his hands that were supporting the pool table; the other party's last sentence obviously stimulated him.

Because now he just hangs out in the billiard hall whenever he has time, including during the Chinese New Year. Thanks to the presence of a homeless person like him, he can also work as a cashier in the billiard hall.

After his facial expression changed slightly twice, Xi Cheng forced a smile and said, "Then do your best. I'll wait for you to make a fortune and come back."

Fortunately, I am not short of money now, especially after I unexpectedly ran into Gu Li in the hospital last time...

The orange-head smiled, threw away the cigarette butt in his hand, and put the half-pack of cigarettes on the table into his pocket: "Okay, that's all for today, I'm leaving first."

After he finished speaking, the orange-haired guy raised his chin towards Xi Cheng, then turned around and left the billiard hall.

Xi Cheng stood beside the pool table, took a deep puff of the cigarette in his hand, threw away the cigarette butt and slowly exhaled the smoke.

In the smoke, his face was blurry for a moment.

He reached out and picked up the pool cue, weighing it. Finally, he shook his head, smiled, and threw the cue back on the table.

"Come and pack Heiliqun." Xi Cheng walked to the front desk and said casually while leaning against the cabinet.

The boss who was playing on his phone stood up and looked at it, then turned around and said, "Heiliqun is out of stock. It will be available in two days."

"No more?" Xi Cheng looked at the tobacco and alcohol cabinet on the wall, took a quick glance and then fell silent.

"What do you want? How about Yellow Crane Tower and Zhonghua?" Seeing Xi Cheng still hesitating, the boss recommended, "We also have Lotus."

"Forget it, just take the pack of Double Happiness." After hesitating for a long time, Xi Cheng spoke again.

The boss looked at him again, then took out a pack of Double Happiness and placed it in front of him and asked, "Why did you take this again?"

After placing the hundred-dollar bill he had just won on the table, Xi Cheng picked up the cigarette and said, "Nothing, I'm used to it."

"Then you can gradually adjust your habits to a higher level in the future, and I can also make some money." The boss handed him the change and said with a smile, "Looking at how proud you are recently, I guess it won't take long for you to get used to the black profit."

Xi Cheng lit up a cigarette and took a puff, then said nonchalantly, "I'll try my best. Aren't we out of stock today?"

"That's my fault. I'll leave you one later." Seeing Xi Cheng was about to leave, the owner of the billiard shop changed the subject and said, "By the way, are you free at the beginning of next month? I'll be away for a few days because of something. Can you help me look after this place?"

"Early next month?" Xi Cheng narrowed his eyes and took a puff of cigarette. He had nothing to do on weekdays, either wandering the streets, playing billiards, or sending gifts in Nan Xiang's live broadcast room. When he was about to agree, he suddenly remembered what Orange Head had said just now, and pretended to hesitate and said, "It depends on the situation. I may have something to do. I'll get back to you in a few days."

"Okay, get back to me in a few days." The boss' smile faded slightly, and then he said in an ambiguous tone, "I heard you say before that you know that big internet celebrity called 'Sister Xiang'. You're not going to find her when you have something to do, right?"

"..."

Xi Cheng, who was holding a cigarette, had a slightly stiff look in his eyes, and his throat was choked by the smoke again.

"Cough cough!"

After coughing a few times, he said to the other person in a strange look: "Why are you asking this? She's a big internet celebrity now, how can you just meet her whenever you want?"

"Didn't you say you knew her? Seeing you sitting next to her and watching her live broadcast earlier, I thought you two knew each other well?"

"Of course I know her very well, but that was in the past." Xi Cheng forced a smile, "Now she's famous and busy, so it's not easy for her to come see me."

When he talked about the latter part, the smile on Xi Cheng's face became natural, but it was more like self-mockery.

Not to mention meeting, all previous contact information has been blocked. He got a new phone card but has never dared to call. What if he is also blocked?
Sometimes, he really wanted to say in a private message to Nan Xiang that he was Xi Cheng and the person who sent you the gift was your ex-boyfriend.

But every time he was about to send a message, he hesitated. Could he really make the other party change their mind? What if he was blocked again?
The longer you are apart, the more you worry and gain when trying to get back together.

Just wait a little longer...

"So what if you're famous? You think you're great just because you're an internet celebrity and you don't recognize your old acquaintances? You're not really a star!" The owner of the billiard shop started to defend Xi Cheng, "Besides, aren't you doing better now? You're not doing badly."

Upon hearing this, Xi Cheng just pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled again. Family members know their own business, so this little bit of common sense should be observed.

Then the boss said, "I despise people who forget their old friends after becoming rich. Who knows, there might be something shameful behind their prosperity."

"..." Xi Cheng stopped smiling.

"Especially for these female internet celebrities, eight out of ten, no, nine out of ten, rely on sleeping with their sponsors to get promoted..."

"Shut up!" Xi Cheng interrupted the other person angrily. After seeing the surprise and displeasure in the other person's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "She is different from others!"

After he finished speaking, Xi Cheng clenched the half-smoked cigarette in his hand, turned around and left.

"Bitch." The boss spat with disdain.

After leaving the billiard room on the second floor, Xi Cheng came to his senses when he reached the corner of the stairs. Feeling the burning heat on his fingertips, he looked down and saw that the cigarette was almost burned out. But he still took a deep breath before flicking it away.

His fluctuating emotions gradually calmed down as he exhaled the cigarette. Xi Cheng walked downstairs slowly, but his mind kept recalling what the boss had just said.

It’s not that I haven’t thought about some things, but I’m unwilling to think about them. If I really have never thought about them this way, how could I have been so defeated just now?

Nan Xiang's career is getting better and better. While he is happy for her, he can't help but wonder if this is due to Jian Xi's... efforts?
Especially when I think about the scene when I first met Jian Xi, the other party's hypocritical and disgusting appearance is no longer the Jian Xi I remember when he was in school.

How could such a bastard not have his eyes on Nan Xiang?
But then I thought that the other party and Lin Xiao were a couple, and Lin Xiao and Nan Xiang were good friends. No matter how bold the other party was, he wouldn't dare to get together with his girlfriend's best friend, right?

If Lin Xiao knew about this, wouldn’t there be an outcry?
Besides being a little harsh on Gu Li, Nan Xiang would never do anything to let Lin Xiao down!
So Xi Cheng put his mind at ease and even had the motivation to borrow money to give gifts.

But as time went by, especially after the other party blocked me, those bad guesses began to surge in my mind again.

Is it true that Nan Xiang is not having an affair with Jian Xi?

Nan Xiang's career has developed to this point. Did Jian Xi really not have any hidden tactics against her?

This kind of emotional doubt is the most tormenting to one's heart. Once the doubt arises, the guilt will be established. In particular, this doubt arose in Xi Cheng's heart a long time ago, but he suppressed it after analysis.

Unfortunately, the longer the pressure lasts, the stronger the rebound will be.

Just when Xi Cheng was about to lose control of this backlash, he met Gu Li in the hospital.

Although the meeting was short, a lot of things happened. One of them was that he asked Gu Li if Nan Xiang had a boyfriend and if there was anything forbidden between Nan Xiang and Jian Xi.
Gu Li said no and mocked him harshly for being inferior and sensitive.

If it were in the past, he would have definitely fought back directly, but at that time he just felt that the stone hanging in his heart had finally fallen down.

It doesn’t matter if you laugh at me. Gu Li is the least qualified to laugh at me anyway. After all, I had fucked her in the first place. What qualifications does she have?
So the spring was compressed again.

During the Chinese New Year last month, he specially bought fireworks and ran to the street where Nan Xiang lived. He found a place to light the fireworks so that she could see them while sitting at home.

I couldn't tell whether it was because I felt relieved, or because I felt guilty for doubting him, or maybe I was just happy...

It turns out that I am also capable of doing romantic things.

I don’t know if she saw it?

She must be able to see it, because that was the position she had chosen specifically. All she had to do was sit at home and look forward.

But the words just now spoken by the billiard shop owner made the spring loosen again.

What the other party said was exactly what he had been thinking in his heart!

Xi Cheng walked on the road with a gloomy expression on his face, and the doubt in his mind kept appearing alternately with Nan Xiang's appearance.

I want to see Nan Xiang!
Just when Xi Cheng had made up his mind about this idea, he saw several men in suits standing in front of him.

Before he could react, he was dragged into the alley next to him.

"Xi Cheng, isn't it time to pay back the money?" The crew-haired man in the lead asked with a smile.

Xi Cheng subconsciously lowered his hand to his trouser pocket, but looked at the people surrounding him staring at him, and after hesitating for a moment, he moved his hand away.

"No... isn't it time to pay back the money yet?"

In order to buy gifts for Nan Xiang, he did borrow a loan with high interest. Fortunately, he borrowed the money and was able to go to the hospital in time to save his second brother.

The crew-haired man smiled and said, "I'm sorry, we loan sharks also follow policy changes. The stock market plummeted last year, and the stock market circuit breaker occurred in January this year. The policy also changed. We lost a lot of money. The boss asked us to recover the debts before this year to make up for the loss. So please understand that the economy is not doing well, but we are also trying our best to survive."

"..."

After listening to what the debt collector said, Xi Cheng felt like vomiting blood. Who is really living so hard?

Seeing that Xi Cheng didn't respond, the crew-haired man smiled and said, "What do you mean? I know you've been living a carefree life lately. If you don't pay today, you'll have to play billiards with your mouth in the future."

After saying this, he raised both hands and made a billiard putting gesture.

"boom!"

"By the way, you'd better not put your hands near the little toy in your pocket, otherwise it may become the tool we use later."

Xi Cheng's face was extremely ugly. He didn't dare to put his hands close to his trouser pockets. Looking at the postures of the people in front of him, his lips trembled for a long time before he spoke:

"I still."

……

Xi Cheng walked in the streets of Puxi in a daze, with vehicles speeding past him, the music from the street shops, the aroma of snacks, and the shouting of passers-by unable to cause him any reaction at all.

He was no longer surrounded by the people who came to collect debts, and he no longer had the money left from previous debts and the money extorted from Gu Li that would allow him to live a carefree life for a long time.

There was a rumbling sound in his stomach, and the feeling of hunger brought Xi Cheng back to his senses.

He reached into his shirt pocket, but only felt a pack of Double Happiness cigarettes worth less than ten yuan.

He stood there, staring blankly at the cigarette in his hand. After an unknown amount of time, Xi Cheng suddenly laughed, and his laughter got louder and louder, until he was laughing like a lunatic on the streets of Magic City, causing passers-by to look at him with strange eyes.

After a while, Xi Cheng, perhaps because he was tired of laughing, stopped his convulsive behavior, reached out to wipe the seemingly non-existent horse urine from his face, tremblingly took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then tremblingly took out a lighter.

"Bah."

Strangely enough, when the flame was lit, his trembling hands actually stabilized, allowing him to light the cigarette smoothly.

"call!"

Xi Cheng's face was calm, his eyes were looking forward and he took slow steps.

He didn't know where he should go, he only knew that some of his previously unsteady thoughts had now become firm, even more than what he had thought just now.

He wanted to see Nan Xiang, and...

So he took out his cell phone with a new card number and dialed a phone number that he had memorized by heart.

When the sound of waiting to answer appeared on the phone, Xi Cheng subconsciously exerted force on the fingers holding the cigarette, until the voice of the person he was thinking about came from the other end of the phone, and then he continued to take a puff of the cigarette calmly.

"Nanxiang."

……

"Cousin, now that I've got the money, do I really need to continue looking for Xi Cheng?"

In the passenger seat of a parked black second-hand BMW, the man with the orange hair, who had played a round of pool with Xi Cheng before, was now puffing out a cigarette, while the person in the driver's seat was the man with a crew cut who had just demanded a debt from Xi Cheng.

By the way, the cigarettes they were smoking at this moment were the same pack of Black Liqun that Xi Cheng had smoked before.

"Of course, it's still the same rhetoric as before."

"What's the point? He has no money on him again."

"That's a lot of nonsense. My boss asked me to do that. How should I know?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)