Chapter 38

For a full three months, Zheng Jie’s work had settled into a stable routine. Surprisingly, this new job suited him exceptionally well—he worked at the headquarters. Zheng Jie had a deep understanding of the market and had formulated new sales regulations for each branch store.

Once the probation period ended, he quickly rose to prominence, with his monthly salary increasing to over 7,000 yuan. The female boss also held him in high regard, often taking him out for drinks and social engagements. Meanwhile, Lin Ze continued his daily routine—going to work, coming home, and keeping an eye on Zheng Jie’s home renovations.

One time, Zheng Jie got drunk and kept calling out, “Wife, wife, I love you.” A mutual acquaintance called Lin Ze to come down and carry Zheng Jie home. When Lin Ze went to pick him up, he saw that Zheng Jie had been dropped off in a Mercedes-Benz. At that moment, Lin Ze realized one thing—his best friend in this lifetime was about to make it big.

But as Zheng Jie’s work grew increasingly busy, he and Rongrong also began facing more challenges. Zheng Jie no longer had time to accompany her, only managing to meet on weekends. He tried his best to squeeze in time to pick her up after work, waiting at her office entrance every day. The two would squeeze onto the subway together, with Zheng Jie escorting her home while chatting along the way. They couldn’t even share a meal because, after dropping Rongrong off, Zheng Jie had to rush to entertain clients over dinner and drinks—every minute was accounted for.

Even then, Zheng Jie often had to travel for work. If he got stuck in traffic, he wouldn’t make it to Rongrong’s office on time. Every time Lin Ze came home and overheard Zheng Jie’s phone calls, most of the time, Zheng Jie was apologizing—lowering his voice, saying things like, “Baby, I’m sorry,” “Darling, it’s my fault,” “I really can’t help it,” “I’m swamped with work today,” “I have to meet clients for dinner at seven,” “I don’t want this either,” and so on…

One day, after hanging up the phone, Zheng Jie sat numbly at the table. The weather had grown hotter, and while Zheng Jie looked sharp outside, at home, he wore nothing but shorts and flip-flops. Lin Ze finally felt that Zheng Jie needed some emotional support, so he heated a cup of milk and asked, “What’s up?”

Zheng Jie sighed, “Ah—I have to run around ten stores every day. I’m so busy I could die. How am I supposed to spend time with her?”

Lin Ze asked, “How are things with her parents?”

Zheng Jie replied, “Same as before. They won’t even let me visit. I went over last week, and her dad was chatting with guests—he ignored me and didn’t introduce me. Rongrong told me not to come over for now and to wait a while longer.”

Lin Ze suggested, “Go pick her up from work tomorrow and talk to her.”

“I want her to wait for me for two years. In two years, I’ll definitely be able to give her a stable life,” Zheng Jie said. “But she says her family is pressuring her too much. Do her parents really hate me that much? What’s wrong with me? Tell me, what’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Lin Ze replied. “Hang in there. You can’t give up—if you do, you lose.”

“Let’s talk about something happier,” he added. “Did you get a raise?”

“I got my quarterly bonus,” Zheng Jie answered.

“How much?”

“Twenty thousand.”

Holy shit, Lin Ze thought.

“What about your salary? Did that go up?” he asked again.

“Yeah.”

“How much now?”

“Eight thousand. The boss also gave me a 5,000-yuan red envelope.”

“…”

“Give me some money…” Lin Ze muttered. “For the dog’s stuff.”

The Alaskan Malamute was playing with Lin Ze’s slippers. Zheng Jie handed him a card. “You know the PIN, right? Use it however you want.”

“How much is in it?”

“No idea. Haven’t checked.” With that, he got up to shower.

Lin Ze’s world completely collapsed in front of Zheng Jie. He yelled, “Zheng Jie! I was the one who helped you get this job! When you become a millionaire one day, you better remember me!”

“Hey, isn’t giving you my card enough?!” Zheng Jie shouted from the bathroom.

Lin Ze was genuinely happy for Zheng Jie, but seeing him like this also made his heart ache. When Zheng Jie came out of the shower, Lin Ze suggested, “Let’s go watch a movie.”

“I have to meet clients for dinner,” Zheng Jie sighed.

“Alright, don’t drink too much tonight.”

Zheng Jie grunted in acknowledgment. Before leaving, he added, “A’Ze, I think she might not want me anymore.”

Lin Ze suddenly looked up. “What?”

“I think she must be really disappointed in me now,” Zheng Jie murmured. “I wanted to give her all my money, but she wouldn’t take it. I wanted to buy her things, but she refused…”

“Alright, alright, don’t overthink it,” Lin Ze tried to comfort him. “That’s not the case. If you don’t even believe in yourself, how can you love her? You have to believe that you can make her happy.”

“I do believe that,” Zheng Jie admitted. “But the happiness she wants isn’t the same as the happiness I want to give her.”

When Lin Ze heard this, he felt that Zheng Jie had matured quite a bit. He wanted to say something more, but Zheng Jie simply said, “At least I have you. I’m heading out. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Lin Ze replied.

Zheng Jie had been coming home after midnight these past few days. At first, Lin Ze would wait up to chat with him, but eventually, he couldn’t stay awake and just went to bed. The two only had brief conversations after work or in the morning before heading out. Lin Ze considered calling Rongrong to tell her how much Zheng Jie truly loved her, but then he saw the Alaskan Malamute drag a cardboard box out from under the bed, pulling out Xie Chenfeng’s soccer ball and gloves. The dog wagged its tail and carried them back to its bed.

“Darling,” Lin Ze said, “You can’t play with those.”

The Alaskan Malamute: “Woof!”

Lin Ze took the gloves from its mouth and patted its head. The dog obediently let go and returned them to Lin Ze. Seeing the gloves reminded Lin Ze of Xie Chenfeng. These past few days, while Zheng Jie was out entertaining clients, Lin Ze had been at home playing with the dog. The dog had become a part of his emotional life, so he didn’t feel as lonely anymore.

Zheng Jie simply called it “Doggy”. When it first arrived, it had been vomiting and had diarrhea, unaccustomed to its new environment. It had diarrhea for days, and Lin Ze thought it might die. He called Rongrong to ask what to do, but she didn’t know either. In the middle of the night, Lin Ze carried the dog to the vet, spending thousands on shots and medicine—almost enough to buy a new dog.

It took a full month before the dog finally recovered. The ordeal had drained Lin Ze physically and emotionally. The dog had diarrhea in its bed every day, and Lin Ze had to clean it up each time. He wondered if this dog was Xie Chenfeng reincarnated to torment him, but then he thought—no, if anyone was owed anything, it was Lin Ze who should be collecting debts from Xie Chenfeng.

The nameless dog had tested Lin Ze’s patience to the limit, but it finally got better.

Once it recovered, the little male dog turned out to be extremely gentle and obedient. It never made a fuss, and when they went out, it would follow quietly behind Lin Ze without pulling on the leash. When playing with other dogs, it would come back as soon as Lin Ze called.

After work, Lin Ze would watch TV or play with the dog at home. Sometimes, he thought—maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to spend his life like this, single with just a dog.

But a dog’s lifespan was only about ten years. When it died, Lin Ze knew he would feel even lonelier. Seeing Xie Chenfeng’s gloves, Lin Ze realized that his life still needed to change. He couldn’t go on like this forever.

“A’Ze, you need to find someone who loves you and is willing to stay with you for life.”

Xie Chenfeng’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Woof!” The Alaskan Malamute barked at Lin Ze.

Lin Ze patted it, took out his iPad, and sat on the couch with the half-grown Alaskan Malamute in his arms. He re-downloaded Jack’d and began scrolling through profiles, clicking on avatars and reading bios.

He was completely exhausted by the dating scene now. It was nighttime, and he wasn’t in a commercial district, nor did he want to find someone nearby. So he browsed the “Recently Online” section, flipping through page after page, letting his thoughts wander, hoping to find a profile that intrigued him or an avatar that caught his eye.

“Just because I took one more glance at you in the crowd…” Lin Ze softly sang Legend. After a moment, he looked around and felt the atmosphere wasn’t quite right. He got up, turned off all the lights, put on a CD, and lit a few scented candles Rongrong had given Zheng Jie.

Lin Ze poured himself a glass of red wine and noticed the dog watching him curiously. He reprimanded it, “Your dad is getting ready for a new life. Don’t touch! You can’t drink!”

He opened a can of dog food for it, then sat back on the couch, crossing his legs and swirling the wineglass on the coffee table before taking a sip. Soft music played from the speakers, creating a romantic ambiance. The dog ate while occasionally looking up at him and wagging its tail.

That feeling of noticing someone in a sea of people—even if it wasn’t for romance, just making a friend to chat with would be nice.

Lin Ze thought to himself: Come on, whether it’s trials or love, whether it’s giving or taking… bring it all on.

He flipped through page after page, from nearby users to recently online, then to all users, searching for someone to talk to based on intuition. It was like playing a game—finding someone, then regardless of their looks, personality, or age, getting to know them and having a conversation.

But as he scrolled, he couldn’t help but filter based on certain criteria. Too tall—no. Top—no. Versatile… this one’s okay, but he’s 45—no. This one’s a little chubby and only 15—no, no, no… Lin Ze smacked his head with the iPad a few times.

Every avatar hid countless stories. These people all had their own memories, their own lives. So many stories unfolded in corners of the world he knew nothing about…

Then, a knock at the door.

“Fuck—” Lin Ze’s carefully cultivated mood was ruined. Who the hell was it?!

It was Zheng Jie.

Lin Ze was surprised. “No drinking tonight?”

Zheng Jie: “Nope.”

Lin Ze could tell something was off. “What’s wrong?”

Zheng Jie: “Nothing.”

Zheng Jie smelled faintly of alcohol but was clearly sober. When he came in and saw the candles and the romantic atmosphere, he asked, “Power outage?”

Lin Ze replied, “No, we’re having a romantic evening.”

Zheng Jie: “With who?”

Lin Ze: “The dog.”

Zheng Jie: “…”

Lin Ze returned to the couch. Zheng Jie poured himself a drink, and Lin Ze asked, “What’s really going on?”

Zheng Jie: “We broke up.”

No way. Lin Ze frowned. “Weren’t you out drinking?”

The Alaskan Malamute came over to charm Zheng Jie, who patted its head. Holding his wineglass, Zheng Jie explained—before the dinner party had even ended, while he was chatting and drinking with clients, Rongrong called and asked him to come to her place. She said she had something to tell him. He told her he was busy with dinner, and she hung up without another word. Feeling guilty, he couldn’t eat anymore, so he left early and took a taxi to Rongrong’s place, ringing her doorbell.

“I just wanted to tell her I love her,” Zheng Jie said.

“And then?” Lin Ze asked.

When he arrived, her parents were home. Her mother said frankly, “I know you’re a good kid, but I’m just worried you two aren’t right for each other. My daughter is going abroad to study. What do you think about that?”

Zheng Jie didn’t understand and naively responded, “I can wait. I’ll wait for her no matter how long it takes.”

Rongrong started crying. Her father didn’t say much, just comforted her, saying, “There, there…” Her mother, seeing her cry, got angry and told her to go to her room.

Every time they met, Rongrong’s parents had been polite to Zheng Jie. But when her mother snapped at her, he finally understood. He nodded. “Oh, I get it.”

“Good that you understand,” Rongrong’s mother said. “You’re both young and don’t know what marriage is. Love and marriage are two different things. Look at how much you argue now—how can you be happy after marriage? Right? Marriage is about living together. You need to find someone compatible to be happy. Dragging things out like this isn’t good for anyone. You should find a girl who treats you well, and she should find a husband who cherishes her. That’s better for everyone. Life will be smoother that way.”

Zheng Jie wasn’t naturally articulate, so he could only go to Rongrong’s room and say, “Since your parents are so against it and you’re going abroad, let’s just end it here. Listen to your parents—they’ve been through this and know better. I’ve tried my best. I wanted to love you my way, but people have different capabilities. I’m sad too, but maybe breaking up is for the best. You’ll find someone better. I wish you happiness.”

Zheng Jie: “That’s it, A’Ze. Do you know why her parents don’t like me? I’ve never understood. When I went over today, I even wanted to tell Rongrong that I’d add her name to the house deed. I’d handle the mortgage—I can afford it now. But I guess they don’t care about my money.”

“Maybe Rongrong wanted to be with you, but you couldn’t spend much time with her,” Lin Ze said. “At this stage, she might have fixated on that. Honestly, these are just small conflicts. I don’t think they cared that much about you being busy with work. But since Rongrong is going abroad… just let it go.”

Lin Ze shrugged. Zheng Jie sighed and didn’t say anything else, going to shower.

Lin Ze knew the real reason, but he didn’t tell Zheng Jie: prejudice.

From the very beginning, Rongrong’s parents hadn’t liked Zheng Jie because he wasn’t the son-in-law they had imagined. Once that impression was formed, Zheng Jie would never be able to change it in his lifetime. Some people in the world just disliked others for no reason. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how well you did, it wouldn’t matter. Dislike was dislike—no explanation needed. If you demanded a reason, they could always come up with a list.

Lin Ze constantly reminded himself not to hold prejudices against others. When faced with someone else’s prejudice toward him, he would try to navigate and ease the tension. But when Zheng Jie was rejected, it stung Lin Ze even more than if it had happened to him. It instantly triggered his rebellious side—Fine, if no one else wants him, I’ll take him back and rebuild him myself. He couldn’t bear to watch Zheng Jie keep running into walls.

This was the first time Lin Ze didn’t encourage Zheng Jie to keep fighting. He just said, Let it go.

After a moment of silence, Lin Ze saw a message pop up on his iPad and picked it up. The house was still lit by candlelight with soft music playing. He wanted to text Rongrong but decided against it—this wasn’t something a simple conversation could fix.

On the iPad, someone had sent him a message:

[I saw you again. Hi.]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Have we talked before?]

Hong: [No, but I’ve noticed you. I even saw you in person once. You’re really handsome. A lot of people must message you.]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Oh? Where?]

Hong: [Bei Cheng Tian Street. Your photos are really good-looking.]

Lin Ze wasn’t in the mood for socializing anymore. He thought he should change his photos—they were too eye-catching.

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Those were from college. I’m old now. Not many people message me.]

Hong: [Do you have a lover?]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Of course not. If I did, why would I be on Jack’d? For hookups? I’m almost too scared to date now.]

The other person didn’t reply. Lin Ze wondered if this was fate. He sent another message.

Dreamcloud Marsh: [What are you up to?]

Hong: [Reading. You?]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Spacing out, trying to find a mom for my dog. What book are you reading?]

Hong: [Love in the Time of Cholera.]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Any thoughts?]

Hong: [Thought one: Everyone is obsessed with the happiness love brings but terrified of the potential hurt that comes with it. Without enough courage, you’ll just end up a leftover gay. Thought two: Pirated copies are way cheaper than the real ones.]

Lin Ze lay on the couch laughing for a while, then checked the other person’s profile. The location wasn’t set, only showing “0.5.”

Dreamcloud Marsh: [Are you talking about me?]

Hong: [No, just myself.]

Dreamcloud Marsh: [What’s wrong with you?]

Zheng Jie came out of the shower. Lin Ze tossed the iPad aside and patted the couch. “Come here. Laozi will comfort you.”

“Ugh!” Zheng Jie didn’t say anything else, just sighed heavily. Shirtless, he sat next to Lin Ze, drinking and smoking. He’d take a sip, sigh, take another sip, sigh again—on and on.

“Focus on making money. Forget about her,” Lin Ze told him.

Zheng Jie: “Ugh!”

Lin Ze ruffled Zheng Jie’s damp, spiky hair, getting his hand wet, then patted his back. Zheng Jie lay on the couch, closing his eyes wearily. The Alaskan Malamute, seeing Lin Ze pat Zheng Jie’s head, trotted over and nudged its head toward Lin Ze, asking for pets too. Lin Ze patted its head, and the dog wagged its tail and walked away.

“When’s the class reunion?” Lin Ze asked.

“No idea,” Zheng Jie replied blankly.

“Remember that girl who sat next to me in high school?”

Zheng Jie thought for a moment. “The class belle, right? She had a crush on you.”

“Later, a lot of people said she started liking you instead…”

Zheng Jie remembered. “Yeah, yeah!”

Lin Ze started reminiscing about their school days. Zheng Jie recalled many things, his attention diverted as he chattered on. They talked until midnight, and this time, Zheng Jie got completely drunk.

“Let’s learn how to drive,” he slurred.

“Okay,” Lin Ze agreed. “I’ll ask a friend. We won’t have to wait in line—we can start whenever.”

That night, after putting out the candles, Lin Ze opened his iPad and saw another message from that person:

[Dreamcloud Marsh, I’ve actually noticed you for a long time. I saw you once at the Starbucks on Bei Cheng Tian Street but didn’t have the courage to talk to you. Later, you stopped using Jack’d because you found a boyfriend. After that, I rarely saw you. I’m average-looking and a bit insecure, so I didn’t dare to date you. I just wanted to chat. Today, I suddenly saw your avatar light up, so I messaged you.]

The person had already gone offline. Lin Ze stared at the message for a while, then put the iPad away and went to bed.