Chapter 230 Parting

Su Tianyu looked at the name on his phone and felt a sense of resistance. He didn't really want to answer the call, or rather, he didn't want to face a certain showdown, a certain break.

Family can influence relationships, that's for sure, especially since Gou Liuzi and "An Qizi's" relationship was also mixed with a certain commercial and political element.

Whether these two were willing to admit it or not, their relationship would be affected by external forces.

"Gudong!"

Su Tianyu tilted his head back and took a swig of baijiu (white liquor), his eyes sharply fixed on the phone screen. In the end, he chose to press the answer button.

Gou Liuzi's approach to relationships had always been very proactive and decisive. If he liked someone, he would love them. If he had an idea, he would say it. Avoiding problems like a coward was not his style at all.

"Hello?" Su Tianyu put the phone to his ear and answered with a hoarse voice.

"I've arrived in The Dragon City."

"...!" Su Tianyu was silent for a moment, then said very directly, "I talked to Mingyuan and decided to split up the family business."

An Qiqi didn't seem too surprised to hear this, and replied calmly, "I know. I heard about it this morning. Are you free? Can you pick me up?"

"Okay, I'll pick you up."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the airport. Come alone."

"Okay!"

The two ended the call. Su Tianyu got up and said to the others, "You guys continue drinking."

"Where are you going?" Da Bai asked drunkenly.

"To end things. The sooner it's over, the better!" Su Tianyu waved his hand to the others with a nonchalant air. "Don't end the party. We brothers will drink until we drop tonight!"

"Come on, drink!" Fei Pingsheng said with a sorrowful expression, hoarsely shouting, "To my brother A Shui!! He followed me for six or seven years, and I couldn't give him anything... and he even lost his life... Damn it, I'm useless! After all these years, I haven't accomplished anything! I've made a bunch of brothers suffer with me, and my wife run around with me... What else can I do? I'm really nothing."

Lao Fei was also drunk. He was releasing the sadness he felt from the tragic death of his brother, and also releasing the pressure that he couldn't usually talk about with outsiders.

"If you're talking about useless, I'm even more useless." Da Bai stared blankly at the street scene. "For the first half of my life, I relied on my old man and my family property. After starting a business, I relied on my brothers and friends... I just don't want to compete, and I don't have the wolfishness. I'm just muddling along, in my thirties...!"

"If you two are saying that, then I should just die." Hou Guoyu hiccuped and shook his head. "I'm even more useless! My ambitions are higher than the sky, but my life is thinner than paper. I caused trouble in the army and went home. My old man finally found me a stable job, and I almost lost it. If it weren't for meeting Liuzi... I might not even know where to go to farm now."

"If we're talking about useless people, I have something to say..." Su Tianbei also started.

When Lao Hei saw that these guys had already reached the stage of self-criticism, and if they continued, they could easily collectively hang themselves, the atmosphere was really too depressing, so he immediately waved his hand. "Don't do that self-attack thing, it doesn't go well with alcohol. You're all grown men, isn't life supposed to have some bumps in the road?! Ups and downs, that's what makes life exciting! What's that saying? Only those who have experienced great storms are called men, those who have a smooth life are called boys! Brothers, compared to you, I'm probably the lowest grassroots, right? Starting a business without any foundation, relying entirely on my life, having to take care of the old above and the young below. When I leave home in the morning, I don't even know if I can come back at night. If I was a little fragile, I wouldn't be able to survive!"

Everyone collectively looked at Lao Hei, feeling inexplicably more cheerful.

"Just enjoy the wine today! No matter how depressed you are tonight, you still have to live tomorrow, right?" Lao Hei raised his glass. "If we get drunk, we'll just lie down. When we wake up tomorrow morning, our eyes will still be looking forward! I'll finish it, you guys do as you please!"

"A toast to Lao Hei!"

"A real man!"

"Cheers, cheers!"

"...!"

Everyone freely expressed the pressure in their hearts, clinked glasses, and drank it all down.

...

A little after nine o'clock.

Su Tianyu took a taxi to the airport and picked up An Qiqi at the exit.

Her beautiful hair hung down over her shoulders. She was wearing simple sportswear and only carried a shoulder bag, without even bringing luggage.

The two looked at each other. Su Tianyu, reeking of alcohol, asked, "Where do you want to go? I'll take you."

"I came to find you." An Qiqi's pretty face had no expression. "Let's find a place to take a walk, shall we?"

"Then let's go to Longkou Pedestrian Street?"

"Okay, whatever you say." An Qiqi nodded slowly.

Su Tianyu looked at her and instinctively reached out his right hand, wanting to hold her small hand.

An Qiqi blinked her big eyes and just stared at him blankly, standing still.

Su Tianyu looked at her face, which didn't reveal any emotion. His hand paused in mid-air and then dropped it. "Let's go!"

...

Late at night.

On Longkou District Pedestrian Street, brightly lit, a couple walked on the stone road.

Su Tianyu's heart was pounding. Although he seemed very carefree when he left the drinking party, at this moment, his heart was still full of apprehension and unease.

He knew what was going to happen next, and his heart was filled with complex emotions, including reluctance, regret, and many memories surging in his mind.

An Qiqi lowered her head and was silent for a long time. "If you don't speak, then I'll speak?"

"...!" Su Tianyu didn't say a word.

"I... haven't been calling you much lately because my family has been stricter." An Qiqi turned her head, her beautiful eyes looking at Su Tianyu. "My dad talked to me once, and my mom talked to me twice... both about you and me."

"Okay." Su Tianyu nodded.

"My parents raised me, and I don't want to cause trouble for my family." An Qiqi said very calmly.

Su Tianyu was silent for a moment. "I understand."

"Do you resent my parents?" An Qiqi asked directly.

"I wouldn't say resent. It's not their fault." Su Tianyu put his hands in his pockets. "The association is splitting up, and Lao Li is cutting ties with your father. These are all decisions made by both sides standing on their own ground. No one owes anyone anything."

"It's good that you understand." An Qiqi smoothed her hair. "To be honest, before I came today... I was quite conflicted."

At this point, the two stopped walking. Under the dim streetlights, Su Tianyu turned around and stared deeply at An Qiqi, knowing that what was coming was inevitable.

And An Qiqi was also staring at Su Tianyu, she pursed her lips, seemingly expecting something.

The two were silent for a long time, and almost said at the same time.

"Why don't we break up?" Su Tianyu said.

"You wouldn't want to break up with me, would you?" An Qiqi asked proactively.

As soon as the words fell, the two were stunned. Su Tianyu felt a little dazed in his heart. He felt like he had misjudged An Qizi's love strategy!