A Zhong woke up in the middle of the night.
He had kicked the blanket off, feeling a chill in his daze. He reached out, only then remembering someone was beside him.
He quickly opened his eyes to look, but the space was empty.
He searched everywhere, inside and out, but couldn't find Zhou Jinbei.
Although Zhou Jinbei had cleaned up most of the scene afterward, Ah Zhong wasn't foolish. He knew what had happened.
He felt a pang of regret.
He shouldn't have drunk so much that afternoon.
Zhou Jinbei was still young and didn't usually have a boyfriend. Perhaps she knew nothing about these things.
Had his actions after drinking frightened her, or made her feel...
Unable to find her anywhere, Ah Zhong was consumed by anxiety and pulled out his phone to call her.
As soon as he dialed, a robotic voice announced, "The number you have dialed is switched off."
He was in trouble!
She must have felt violated and disappointed in Ah Zhong, leading her to leave that night.
Fearing she might do something rash, and worried about future misunderstandings, Ah Zhong frantically pulled clothes from the closet, stuffed them into his suitcase, and was about to leave.
"Dad!"
Before leaving, he knocked on his father's door.
The door opened, and seeing him packed as if for a long trip, his father was startled.
"What happened?"
Ah Zhong lied, "Nothing. Beibei suddenly wanted to go home, so I'm taking her."
"Since work is starting soon anyway, I won't be back after I drop her off."
"I'm sorry for coming back so hastily and not spending enough time with you. I'll definitely come back during the Lantern Festival to spend some time with you."
Driving alone on the highway in the dead of night, he was filled with anxiety, constantly calling Zhou Jinbei.
However, no matter how many times he called, her phone remained switched off.
As dawn broke, Ah Zhong finally arrived outside the Zhou family's villa.
Before, when accompanying Mr. Zhan, he had entered openly, with a clear conscience.
Today, despite how much he wanted to see Zhou Jinbei, after much hesitation, he didn't have the courage to step forward.
His car parked by the roadside, he watched the sky gradually lighten as he smoked several cigarettes. Finally, he mustered the courage and opened the car door.
Just then, the living room door of the Zhou residence also opened.
In groups, elegantly dressed men and women emerged, saying their goodbyes with laughter.
He spotted a particularly young-looking Zhou Jinbei in the crowd.
She hadn't changed clothes yet, still wearing the avocado-green fuzzy sweater from when she was with him yesterday.
Her smile was faint, and she appeared nonchalant.
Only Ah Zhong knew how deeply troubled she felt inside.
Ah Zhong's sense of guilt intensified. Looking at her frail and suppressed demeanor, for the first time in his life, he felt a deep hatred for his own inadequacy.
There was a popular question online once.
It asked: What are the signs that a man truly loves a woman?
The answer: He despairs at his inability to provide her with a better life.
Before, Ah Zhong had only focused on his work, diligently earning his salary to pay off his mortgage.
It was only at this moment that he realized how unmotivated he had been in the past.
Money is a man's foundation.
Without enough money, he wouldn't even have the confidence to propose to her parents.
Although Ah Zhong was driving a BMW 5 Series worth over half a million, it still stood out amidst the sea of luxury cars in the villa district.
Her parents were busy socializing, seeing off their friends.
Only Zhou Jinbei noticed the champagne-colored BMW.
As the crowd dispersed, she walked towards the car on her own.
Ah Zhong saw her approaching from a distance. He unlocked the car, and Zhou Jinbei got into the passenger seat.
After only a few hours apart, both knew their relationship was no longer the same.
Unsure of what to say, they exchanged glances, and Zhou Jinbei looked away.
Ah Zhong started the engine, turned on the heater, and activated the heated seats for her.
"Why aren't you wearing a jacket? Aren't you cold?"
Upon entering the house, Zhou Jinbei had been overwhelmed by the stuffy atmosphere and felt nauseous.
She still felt a little sick, and with her mind preoccupied, her tone was sharp.
"I'll get out in a bit. Don't bother."
"...Beibei, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have drunk so much yesterday afternoon..."
Zhou Jinbei knew what he was going to say and interrupted him.
"I drank too. There's nothing to apologize for."
"That's different."
Ah Zhong was filled with emotion. He suppressed a thought, then couldn't help but gently place his hand on hers and confessed.
"I'm not someone who plays with feelings, you know that. I wronged you yesterday, but..."
His hands were well-formed.
Although his family background was average, he was his father's precious son, who never let him do heavy work.
His hands were slender and long, with distinct knuckles, and his palms were warm.
Honestly, the moment he held her, Zhou Jinbei felt like throwing herself into his arms and agreeing without hesitation.
But she knew she couldn't.
The Zhou family before her, despite their opulent facade, was now hollow.
Her parents, desperate to survive, busied themselves with social climbing and mending relationships.
They had already spent ten million, and her happiness along with it. She had no right to be willful.
She had to heartlessly pull her hand from his: "I don't understand what you're saying."
Ah Zhong: "??"
"I slept with you last night, but is that such a big deal?"
Zhou Jinbei feigned a mature and indifferent demeanor, looking at Ah Zhong with a forced smile.
"You're not a young man anymore, so what? You came all the way to my doorstep, expecting me to be responsible for you?"
"No way, Brother Zhong. In this day and age, are you still playing such boring games? Trying to extort me? And me? Stop joking."
"Did you see all those people just now? They were introducing potential suitors to me."
"You probably don't know how picky my mother is. Out of all of them, not one met her standards, and she thought they weren't good enough for me. And you?"
"To be frank, I don't need them to introduce anyone. I already have someone in mind."
"If he hadn't angered me a few days ago, I wouldn't have gone to you as revenge."
"But now that we've made up, I'm back."
"Don't get any ideas. He has already proposed to me and said he's meeting my parents tonight. We might get married soon."
"We're all adults. Let's consider what happened last night as an accident. I won't tell anyone, and I expect you to keep your mouth shut and not cause me any trouble."
Ah Zhong didn't know how he got home.
He had lived for almost thirty years and faced countless setbacks, big and small, but he had never felt so ashamed and indignant.
He had been foolishly infatuated.
Not only infatuated, but also a toad trying to eat swan meat.
Whenever he recalled Zhou Jinbei's disdainful expression and tone as she warned him, he felt so ashamed he wanted to kill!
What kind of situation was this!
Zhong Jiaming, men who were useless, incapable, and couldn't earn big money, were not worthy of love!
Stop having illusions about women!