Yonghe Road

Chapter 47: Like
The warm winter sun shines into the hotel room through the gaps in the curtains, and seems to be contaminated with the ambiguous and comfortable atmosphere in the room.

The two people on the bed had just experienced a passionate lovemaking. At this moment, Xie Anmin was lazily nestled in Zhong Ziqi's arms, his fingers gently resting on his sturdy chest, feeling his strong heartbeat. Zhong Ziqi's breathing was still a little rapid, and the warmth from his body had not yet completely dissipated. The air was still filled with a sweet fragrance.

"Anmin, are you going to leave our Baile Village?" Zhong Ziqi finally asked.

I vaguely remember that Xie Anmin came to Baile Village to live for only half a year. Counting on my fingers, the deadline has arrived.

Hearing Zhong Ziqi's question, Xie Anmin sat up suddenly. His hair, which was half dry and half wet from taking a shower, fell on his shoulders, making the scenery below his shoulders half-hidden, making him look even more charming.

Zhong Ziqi looked away in panic, but Xie Anmin reached out and held his chin with both hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

Her eyes were large and blinked playfully, and her smile, like waves, rippled out of her eyes as her eyelashes fluttered. Zhong Ziqi was powerless to resist, almost drowning in those eyes, his whole body limp.

But Xie Anmin kept asking him, "So, you can't bear to leave me? Can't bear to leave me?"

Zhong Ziqi didn't have the strength to answer, only a faint feeling of separation lingered in his heart.

"When are you going back?"

"Are you so anxious to get rid of me?"

"Can you stay in Baile Village and go back after the New Year? I want to treat you to fireworks."

It is said that fireworks are banned in big cities, which is good for environmental protection, but for the general public who love excitement, it undoubtedly takes away some of the festive atmosphere. However, fireworks are allowed in Baile Village.

"Do you want to set off a string of firecrackers to send me away? You are quite ceremonial." Xie Anmin stretched out his finger, scratched the tip of Zhong Ziqi's nose, and joked with a smile.

"You are a heartless woman." Zhong Ziqi muttered, pushed Xie Anmin away, stood up, dressed, and walked out.

The moment he opened the door, Xie Anmin jumped down from the bed like a rabbit and blocked the door: "Zhong Ziqi, why do you turn against me so easily? How did I offend you?" Xie Anmin curled his lips, his eyebrows drooped to the sides, looking pitiful.

She was also aggrieved. Zhong Ziqi felt that he was the one who deserved the most grievance. Xie Anmin was leaving Baile Village, and their love was about to come to an abrupt end.

Although he had always known that they were from two different worlds and destined to have no ending, he still started a relationship with her. Every beginning has an end, and the feeling of breaking up was painful, much more painful than breaking up with An Hongdou. Zhong Ziqi also wondered why he hadn't felt as bad when he broke up with An Hongdou as he did now.

Perhaps it was because he quickly fell into Xie Anmin's arms, and the fastest transfer of affection healed his emotional pain at that moment.

In fact, the love between him and Xie Anmin was that she took advantage of the opportunity and he was passive. He had just broken up and was in financial difficulties. She gave him money and tenderness. Ask yourself, which man can resist?
But did she really love him? She was a worldly-wise woman, she'd seen all sorts of men, so how could she possibly fall for a country boy like him? He was just a bit of a good-looking guy, and she was spending months collecting folk songs in the countryside, without the bustling nightlife of a big city, so she used him as a way to pass the time...

Because she doesn't love him, it has nothing to do with love at all. That's why she feels so relieved when she leaves, without any sadness of separation, not even a little bit. And who is he being so reluctant to leave for? He doesn't care at all.

"You're a rich man, you've seen all sorts of fireworks. And I can only afford to set off a string of firecrackers. By the way, how much do I owe you in total? Thanks to you, my eldest brother paid over a million in compensation. It's time I pay you back. Please fill out the IOU and return it to me."

As Zhong Ziqi spoke, a cold look appeared on his face.

"Zhong Ziqi, how come you change your attitude faster than turning the pages of a book?" Xie Anmin couldn't stand Zhong Ziqi's change. Just a moment ago, they were still very close, but now he had a cold and ruthless attitude. Xie Anmin really couldn't understand what was wrong with Zhong Ziqi?
"During the time you were taking care of your brother, you didn't become close to the nurses in the hospital, did you? Or did you become attracted to the female doctors, or the female patients?"

"You are sick." Zhong Ziqi's face became even uglier.

Xie Anmin stared at him and said, "Then tell me clearly, what's wrong with you?"

Yes, we should make it clear.

"I'm not happy." In fact, he didn't need to say this, his unhappiness was clearly written on his face.

"I know you're upset. No one wants your brother to have such an accident, but the matter is done, it has already happened..."

Zhong Ziwang’s accident happened several months ago, and no matter how unhappy Zhong Ziqi was, he had already learned to accept reality.

This woman is really good at passing the buck.

"Can't it be because of you?" Zhong Ziqi lowered his head and stared at Xie Anmin.

They have been in a relationship for so long, but he has never dared to look him in the eye like this, because subconsciously he feels inferior and does not deserve her who is so brilliant.

But now, they are breaking up anyway. She is leaving Baile Village and leaving him. So what if he is brave and rebellious for once?
As expected, she felt her whole body crawl under his gaze, and asked doubtfully, "Am I making you unhappy? We've been together for so long, am I not good enough to you? Zhong Ziqi..."

Yes, she was very good to him. She helped him with money and labor. During the time when my eldest brother went to work, she was the one who supported the family's life. She even paid for his tooth filling. Not to mention that after my eldest brother got into an accident, she used her connections to help him negotiate a high compensation. She did everything she could for him. What could he have to blame her for?

She was not originally from here. She was going to leave here after finishing her work. She had her own vast world. She just came to Baile Village to rest temporarily. Could she have lied to him about this?

He had never concealed or deceived anyone, this was a fact he had known from the beginning.

Although it was short, it brought him so many benefits, didn't it?
What was there to feel wronged or unfair about? He even took his anger out on her.

Zhong Ziqi, you are so ridiculous.

Zhong Ziqi thought so and laughed at himself, but it was uglier than crying.

"You are very good, very good, very good. It's me who shouldn't be too greedy..."

Zhong Ziqi has always been a carefree person, with strong limbs and a simple mind, and he is happy. But at this moment, Zhong Ziqi feels so uncomfortable that he wants to cry.

God knows, from childhood to adulthood, every time he was naughty and got into trouble, Huifang would chase him around the village with a whip, but he never wanted to cry, but was just smiling foolishly all the way.

He grew up heartless and finally learned to feel sad.

If he were a small boat on the sea, drifting happily all the way, and his elder brother Zhong Ziwang had an accident, it was like a big wave swept him away. The sadness was only temporary, and after the violent impact, he learned to deal with it calmly. But for him, parting with Xie Anmin was like a crack in the bottom of the boat, and the sea water seeped into the planks little by little, eroded little by little, and rose little by little, eventually forming an unmanageable disaster.

When did he become so dependent on her?
In just a few months, her continuous help to him finally made him deeply dependent on her. With her around, he felt a full sense of security.

From a gender perspective, a man relying on a woman would surely make Zhong Ziqi feel inferior. However, this relationship had nothing to do with gender; it was the admiration and reliance of a weak person on a strong one.

Yes, women can also be so powerful. Her wealth, status, vision and knowledge clearly show that Xie Anmin is a successful person whom he looks up to. She is so different from the women in Baile Village who are in traditional disadvantaged positions that he has known. He should not have dreamed of spending his whole life with such a woman.

Impossible, this is simply impossible to happen.

And in his subconscious mind he actually hoped for this result.

At this moment, Zhong Ziqi finally realized that he had subconsciously thought about getting married with Xie Anmin.

How ridiculous.

Zhong Ziqi, you are so shameless.

How dare you think of letting a woman like Xie Anmin give birth to children for you?

"I only care about having it once, not how long it will last. You successful people all believe in this life creed, right? To put it nicely, it only cares about having it once, but to put it bluntly, it's just for fun. I shouldn't have taken it seriously in the first place. It's my fault."

For the first time, Xie Anmin discovered that Zhong Ziqi, who she thought was strong but simple-minded, could have such rich expressions on his face. Zhong Ziqi's ever-changing expressions were nothing more than him explaining himself.

"When will you come back to the capital? I'd better treat you to a fireworks display." Zhong Ziqi, who had come to his senses, smiled, but it was just the setting sun after the rain, spreading across his face, a weak and faint trace.

"When did I ever say I wanted to go back to the capital?"

Zhong Ziqi was stunned. Xie Anmin did not say that, but it was an indisputable fact that she wanted to go back.

"My parents went abroad for vacation, so I will stay in Baile Village this New Year. You have to treat me well. I also want to have the New Year's Eve dinner at your house." Xie Anmin raised his chin, looking both proud and cute.

Zhong Ziqi felt a little happier. Although Xie Anmin would eventually leave Baile Village, it would be fine for her to leave after the New Year. He could then treat her to a New Year's Eve dinner and watch fireworks to thank her for her help during this period.

The eldest brother's compensation money cannot be touched casually. He used it to pay back the betrothal money he borrowed from Wang Zian for marrying Lin Yingying, and deposited the rest in a current account in the bank. He paid the interest every month, which was enough for the living expenses of the eldest brother's family of three. Then, when he got the dividends from the tea factory at the end of the year, he could pay back the money Xie Anmin had borrowed from him before, and also treat Xie Anmin to good food, drinks and fun.

As a boyfriend, he never spent money on Xie Anmin, and Zhong Ziqi felt guilty about it.

"Okay, I will definitely prepare the most sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner to treat you, Miss Xie." Zhong Ziqi expressed his opinion.

"There are also beautiful fireworks." Seeing that Zhong Ziqi's mood had improved, Xie Anmin stretched out his finger, pointed at his nose, and acted mischievously.

It's a pity that she always disliked Zhong Ziqi for being simple-minded and heartless in the past. Now that Zhong Ziqi's mind has become more complicated, she is so careless that she can't see through it at all, and still thinks that his emotional fluctuations are because of Zhong Ziwang.

After leaving the Rural Revitalization Hotel, Zhong Ziqi returned home, but saw Lin Yingying with a sad face, bringing the broken amber silver bracelet to him.

The amber silver bracelet was broken once by An Hongdou last time. Xie Anmin accompanied him to drive more than 100 kilometers to find an old man who inherited the intangible cultural heritage of She ethnic group's silver making skills to repair it, but it was broken again by Zhong Ziwang.

Huifang told Zhong Ziqi about how Zhong Ziwang almost hit someone, but fortunately the neighbors helped to subdue him.

Zhong Ziqi's sadness about leaving Xie Anmin was soon replaced by the mess at home. He couldn't help but think that with his family being so complicated now, not to mention Xie Anmin, even girls from ordinary families wouldn't want to marry him, right?
Young men and women in big cities have long fallen into the trend of not getting married or having children, and are even too lazy to talk about love, but Zhong Ziqi, who was born in a small village, still regards getting married and continuing the family line as his life mission.

He had to explain to his mother.

My eldest brother's fate is like this. If he ends up living alone in this life, my mother Huifang will feel that there is no hope in life.

But he has already met a top woman like Xie Anmin, so how can he accept other ordinary women from the bottom of his heart in the future?

He knew that he was an ordinary man and should be matched with an ordinary woman. However, in love, he had reached above his level. How could he accept it from the bottom of his heart?
After New Year's Eve, Xie Anmin and he had dinner and set off fireworks before it was time to return to the capital. New Year's Eve was like the end of the world for Zhong Ziqi, the day of his death.

New Year’s Eve is very close, and it is finally here.

The New Year's Eve dinner was extremely sumptuous. In order to prepare this dinner for Xie Anmin, Zhong Ziqi tried his best. The Zhong family had not been so extravagant in food for decades.

In order to thank Xie Anmin, Huifang could not blame Zhong Ziqi for his extravagance.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, we watch the Spring Festival Gala.

The whole family gathered around the TV, watching the festive and lively programs one after another.

Although the Spring Festival Gala has been criticized by people today on the Internet, for Huifang, it is still the most grand holiday feast. What's more, Zhong Ziwang, who has the intelligence of a child, also watches it with great interest.

It was rare for him to concentrate and sit quietly watching TV, but there was no guarantee he would suddenly stand up at any moment. Huifang had to watch over him.

Lin Yingying took the child back to the room to coax him to sleep, while Zhong Ziqi took Xie Anmin out.

He promised her that he would take her to set off fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Xie Anmin said that besides setting off fireworks, she also wanted to set off firecrackers. He would satisfy all of them. Their lives were about to part ways, so what else could not satisfy her?

Without Zhong Ziqi and Lin Yingying by her side, Huifang couldn't find anyone to ask questions.

She wanted to ask them: "Does the girl singing on the TV look like Chunshui?"

Huifang pulled the arm of the person next to her, but was arrogantly pushed away.

Huifang turned around and saw the mentally disturbed Zhong Ziwang sitting next to her. Not only was he unable to answer her, he also gave her a dreadful look, then turned his head back to watch the Spring Festival Gala without saying anything.

(End of this chapter)