"Professor Wen, you can just call me Xiao Chen from now on," Chen Jinzhao said with a smile. "I really admire you big shots in academia; I haven't even graduated from university yet."
He was telling the truth. Sometimes.
Chen Jinzhao often imagined how his life would have turned out if he hadn't enlisted in the army. The world lacked nothing, except for 'what ifs'.
Wen Fulai, being someone who had been through a lot himself, could discern the sense of regret in Chen Jinzhao's tone. It was rare to find such a feeling in a young man. He sighed at the thought.
"Then I'll take advantage of my seniority and call you Xiao Chen."
"Xiao Chen, although I don't know what you've been through, I can guess that your experiences have been rough, or perhaps you've faced some setbacks. If I recall correctly, you're only 26 this year, right? Your 26 years have encompassed more life than most people experience, and yet you're content to be a security guard in a company. I doubt this is your true intention."
"Are you running away from something?"
Chen Jinzhao's heart trembled slightly; the words struck a nerve. Wen Fulai was speaking the truth.
"It's nothing major, really. I'm just tired of the fighting and killing, and I want to return to a peaceful life," Chen Jinzhao maintained his stubborn facade, just as Yu Mengzhi had described him – his mouth was the hardest part of him.
Wen Fulai poured Chen Jinzhao a drink and then clinked glasses with him.
If he truly wanted a peaceful life, why become a security guard? Not that he looked down on security guards, but the position didn't allow Chen Jinzhao's talents to shine. Chen Jinzhao's choice to be a security guard, a position of low social standing, surely carried a sense of self-punishment. Wen Fulai saw through the facade at a glance.
"Xiao Chen, you can't fool me," Wen Fulai said. "However, since you don't wish to speak of it, I won't press you. It's your privacy, after all."
"I'd like to share my experiences. Do you mind?"
Chen Jinzhao shook his head.
Wen Fulai took a sip of his wine and began to recount events from twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, Wen Fulai was a spirited young man like Chen Jinzhao. At that time, Wen Fulai believed his future was bright, unaware of the impending danger. During a scientific experiment, Wen Fulai's teacher and senior fellow students inhaled excessive amounts of a highly toxic biochemical agent due to an experimental error. The result was watching themselves dissolve into a pool of pus.
That incident left a deep scar on Wen Fulai, causing him to fall into a period of despondency, almost leading him to leave academia. Chen Jinzhao was deeply moved and listened quietly to Wen Fulai's story.
As Wen Fulai spoke, his eyes welled up. "Just as I was about to give up my academic pursuits, my teacher's wife sent me a blood-stained letter. It was written by my teacher in his dying moments. In that letter, my teacher still cared about my research direction, urging me not to abandon it halfway. He told me I wasn't alone in this journey; I needed to carry their expectations, live for them, and conquer the academic problems he had dedicated his life to solving!"
"To make our lives meaningful!"
"Xiao Chen, whatever your reasons for despondency, I respect your choice."
"But..."
"Ask yourself, is this truly the life you want?"
Chen Jinzhao's heart was profoundly shaken. He opened his mouth but found no words to say. This time, he felt he had truly made a mistake, a mistake of being too selfish.
Wen Fulai raised his hand, stopping Chen Jinzhao who was about to speak. "You don't need to tell me your current thoughts. First and foremost, your actions must be true to yourself. I also want to tell you about a teacher who taught me. He once did something earth-shattering, yet he was met with criticism and slander. Even his colleagues didn't understand him and turned against him. Despite all this, he never gave up his noble ideals and dedicated his life to that cause!"
Chen Jinzhao became very interested in Wen Fulai's teacher and deeply respected him, even feeling a sense of familiarity.
"I'm telling you all this..."
"Because I believe you have the capability to achieve something remarkable, not to wallow in self-pity."
At this point, Wen Fulai's tone became somewhat impassioned. Chen Jinzhao's heart raced. Although his abilities were strong, his understanding of the world was far inferior to elders like Wen Fulai. First Xu Hanchen, and now Wen Fulai. Both of them had reignited the passionate heart within Chen Jinzhao's chest, that pounding heart, that heart unwilling to be ordinary!
He now understood the path he needed to take.
Chen Jinzhao's gaze was piercing. He raised his cup and said, "Professor Wen, I'll drink to your health. You do as you please."
Wen Fulai burst into hearty laughter.
They continued to drink and chat, both feeling incredibly buoyant.
Darkness had fallen. Wen Fulai was thoroughly drunk, but thankfully, his assistant took him back to his hotel. As for Chen Jinzhao, he stumbled home alone and wearily.
Halfway there, a car pulled over to the side of the road. Chen Jinzhao rubbed his eyes and looked at the driver, who turned out to be Yu Mengzhi.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Yu Mengzhi didn't tell Chen Jinzhao that she had been slowly following him after parting ways with Wen Fulai. Seeing him swaying so precariously, she had no choice but to step out. Otherwise, something truly unfortunate might have happened.
"Get in, I'll give you a ride home. It's on my way," Yu Mengzhi said. In reality, it was in the opposite direction.
Chen Jinzhao stood still, studying Yu Mengzhi carefully, and suddenly asked, "Are you worried about me?"
Yu Mengzhi's expression froze, her gaze flickered with discomfort. She looked away and said, "Why would I be worried about you? I'm just afraid you might get into an accident on the road, and then you wouldn't be able to come home with me the day after tomorrow, and I wouldn't be able to explain to the Old Master."
Chen Jinzhao simply replied with an "Oh."
Yu Mengzhi noticed Chen Jinzhao still staring at her, a strange feeling rising within her. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"
"Ms. Yu..."
"Yes?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're very beautiful?"
Yu Mengzhi's face flushed, and her ears grew hot. She coughed and said, "Stop being so flippant. Get in the car and let's go home. I'm in a hurry to get back to work on my proposal; I don't have time for your nonsense."
They returned to the residential area. Yu Mengzhi still felt uneasy and decided to follow Chen Jinzhao back to his apartment. As soon as Chen Jinzhao hit the pillow, he started to snore softly, leaving Yu Mengzhi at a loss for what to do. She hadn't encountered this situation before.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Mengzhi fetched a basin of warm water and washed Chen Jinzhao's face. After that, she was at a loss. She paced around the living room for a few minutes but didn't leave because she was still worried about the heavily inebriated Chen Jinzhao. She took out her phone and typed into the browser's search bar:
"What to do when boyfriend is drunk?"