"I get it. Cheers!" Lu Fei raised his wine bottle.
This time, he didn't drink too much, only a couple of sips before putting the bottle down and picking up skewers to eat.
"Lu Fei, what are your plans next?" Liu Yifeng asked while eating grilled skewers.
"What plans can I have? I'm planning to resign. I've worked there for three years, and dated Wu Qian for three years. That place is full of memories of her and me. But these memories only bring me shame, so I want to leave and start over! It's just that the boss of that company appreciates me, and I'm highly valued there. If I continued, I should be promoted to supervisor next year. So, I don't know what it will be like if I leave and go elsewhere."
Upon hearing about the promotion to supervisor, Qiang Zi immediately said, "Then why are you leaving? It's hard to find a job these days. You're a grown man, quitting your job because of a woman. Aren't you a bit too fragile? She wasn't worth your effort anymore, you can't ruin your future because of her!"
Lu Fei explained, "It's not that I'm fragile. Wu Qian called me today, asking for my forgiveness..."
Before he could finish, Qiang Zi became agitated. "What... she still has the nerve to call you and ask for your forgiveness? Who gave her the courage, Liang Jingru?"
Liu Yifeng also didn't expect Wu Qian to be so thick-skinned. After doing something like that, shouldn't she be too ashamed to face Lu Fei? How could she have the audacity to ask for his forgiveness? Didn't she know she was pregnant with someone else's child? What on earth was going on in that woman's head?
Lu Fei signaled for them to calm down and continued, "She said that if I marry her, she'll get an abortion and swear she'll never mess around again. She also said she'll buy a house without my name on it, and the betrothal gifts will be halved."
"I wouldn't want a woman like that even if she paid me to marry her. And halve the betrothal gifts? Where does she get off? Don't tell me you agreed, kid. This is a man's shame! If you marry her, this shame will be branded on your heart forever." Qiang Zi looked at Lu Fei, afraid he would say yes. If something like this could be forgiven, and he married Wu Qian, Qiang Zi would turn around and leave immediately because Lu Fei would be beyond saving.
Seeing the agitated man, Lu Fei signaled him to calm down. "I haven't finished speaking. Anyone who didn't know would think you were the one who was cuckolded."
"Get out of here! My wife is fine. I might be cuckolded, but not me!" Qiang Zi cursed with a laugh and playfully hit him.
Lu Fei dodged with a smile. "I was just using an analogy. Of course, I won't agree to Wu Qian's terms. I can't forgive her for something like this. If I hadn't heard today that she could have deceived me for a lifetime, I wouldn't have lived with a liar forever. But Wu Qian knows where I work. I'm afraid she won't agree to reconcile with me, so she'll block me at my company every day. If my colleagues find out, do you think I'll still have the face to stay at the company? Instead of risking being discovered and leaving in disgrace, I'd rather resign and cut ties with Wu Qian completely. I can't afford to waste any more time at my age, so I was thinking of finding a job locally and marrying a local girl."
"Your idea is sound. After what happened, Wu Qian still has the nerve to ask for your forgiveness. She'll definitely go to your company to beg for reconciliation for her own purposes. Who knows what negative repercussions that could cause. The best course of action is to never see her again." Liu Yifeng strongly agreed with Lu Fei's thoughts.
"But I'm worried I won't find a good job here and my career won't develop!" This was Lu Fei's biggest concern.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yifeng immediately said, "Why look for another job? Just work with me! I'm about to build vegetable greenhouses. Qiang Zi will handle transportation and logistics, and you can help me with sales. You have a sales background, so you're definitely capable. If you do well, I'll give you some of my personal equity. From now on, the three of us brothers will be united and unbreakable."
"How can that be? I can't accept your equity. And to be honest, no matter how good friends are, once you start a business together, conflicts arise. I don't want this to cause unhappiness among us." Lu Fei refused outright.
"That's with other people. The three of us have been inseparable since childhood. How could we have conflicts? If something comes up, we just discuss it openly and resolve it on the spot, right?"
Lu Fei still shook his head. "I don't think it's good. I know you're looking out for me and want me to make a lot of money with you, but to preserve our brotherhood in the future, I'll look for a job first. I happen to have a week's leave, so I'll look around. If I really can't find anything, then we'll talk."
"Alright, but I still hope you'll join me like Qiang Zi. I can't promise you'll get rich, but as long as the greenhouses operate normally and it's harvest season, you'll definitely make money. Within a year, you won't have to borrow money to get married." This was Liu Yifeng's promise. After all, they were good brothers, and he couldn't earn all the money alone. Why not share the wealth?
"You don't know yet, but nearly two hundred villagers have invested in Yifeng's vegetable greenhouses. I also invested 150,000 yuan. Helping Yifeng is helping myself make money. As long as our goal is to make money, how many conflicts can there be? Unless someone is out of their mind. But none of us three are like that. I believe working together will only make things better. Once I make money from Yifeng, I'll open a decoration company, and our lives will be wonderful!" Qiang Zi agreed to help at the vegetable greenhouses, but he hadn't forgotten his dream.
Hearing his words, Lu Fei was a bit tempted, but he had no money. He didn't have the nerve to accept equity directly from Liu Yifeng. "How about this, I'll look around first. If I can't find anything suitable, I'll join Yifeng. I hope the three of us can remain true to our original intentions then."
Liu Yifeng smiled and raised his wine bottle. "Then, let's toast to our future prosperity together."
After talking with Yifeng and Qiang Zi, Lu Fei felt much better. Indeed, after a breakup, drinking with friends was the best way to numb the pain.
The three of them drank until 1:30 AM. Both Lu Fei and Qiang Zi were drunk and vomited under the trees by the roadside. Liu Yifeng, on the other hand, only went to the restroom a few times and showed no signs of drunkenness. This was thanks to the hangover pills Tongtong developed for him, otherwise, these two disoriented men might have fallen asleep on the roadside.
He then helped them into his minivan, intending to get them a standard room at a hotel. Returning home so late would disturb his family's rest. Qiang Zi had two children who had school the next day, and with him drunk and rambling, he would surely keep the children awake, affecting their concentration in class. As for Lu Fei's family, they didn't know he had broken up yet, and bringing him back unexpectedly at this hour might startle them. His home only had two rooms, not enough to accommodate Lu Fei. Therefore, the best option was for them to stay at a hotel while he drove back alone, as he had to take Tongtong to kindergarten the next day.
Finding the nearest hotel, Liu Yifeng used his ID to book a standard room and paid for a week in advance. He then found hotel staff and, with considerable effort, helped Qiang Zi and Lu Fei to their room.