Chapter 78 - Why Are You So Much Like My Brother ZhouXiang? (1/2)

The place that CaiWei told ZhouXiang to go was actually the small XinJiang restaurant that they often went to when they were struggling in those few years after graduating. In his memory, this restaurant has been in existence for at least 20 years. It has always had a small entrance with antiquated decor but the business was always good. There was a fat uncle of Uighur nationality who was both the manager and chef. You can always hear his boisterous laughter from very far away.

At that time, after he and CaiWei got off work, they often came here to have a meal, drink some wine, and then talked about the kind of life they would live if they became wealthy in the future.

In the end, neither he nor CaiWei became very wealthy people but they are very content with their lives. Toward this small restaurant, they also have very sentimental feelings so they would come by every so often. However, it became lesser and lesser over time. Especially since CaiWei had gotten use to going out with various big bosses and celebrities to luxurious hotels and restaurants. Sitting in a dinky restaurant like this wearing a suit worth a few thousands seemed out of place.

ZhouXiang didn’t expect CaiWei to want to see him here.

This small restaurant is still the same as before. ZhouXiang recognized it from far away.

He went straight into a reserved room, CaiWei was already waiting for him inside and the table is full of food that they liked to eat and often ordered at the time. There are six to seven bottles of beer in the middle of the table, and two bottles of white wine.

ZhouXiang is very familiar with this setting. CaiWei wanted to get drunk.

“Wei Ge,” ZhouXiang felt a little nervous. His intuition tells him that the purpose of CaiWei looking for him is because of the matters with YanMingXiu.

CaiWei glanced at him deeply, “Sit. I’ve already ordered.”

ZhouXiang sat in a chair at a distance that he felt is safe from CaiWei. He did this subconsciously but in CaiWei’s eyes, it felt deliberate.

CaiWei opened the bottles and poured two glasses, each of beer and liquor.

ZhouXiang nodded, “Wei Ge, you are looking for me today…”

CaiWei clashed their glasses, “Bottom up.”

ZhouXiang’s lips trembled a bit. This familiar atmosphere made him feel a little helpless.

He simply grabbed the bottle and boldly poured a large glass to suppress his fears.

After drinking it, CaiWei got straight to the point, “I heard about you and YanMingXiu. Tell me the truth, is it true or false? If you really treat me as a brother(T/N), don’t hide it from me.”

T/N: CaiWei and ZhouXiang’s close friendship are almost like that of brothers so they would affectionately use brothers to address each other in this sense. This is why ZhouXiang addresses CaiWei’s wife as sister-in-law.

ZhouXiang wiped his mouth. He didn’t dare to look at CaiWei but instead at the steaming hot dishes on the table, “It’s true.”

CaiWei’s hand that was holding the bottle of wine froze, then he slammed it heavily on the table and raised his hand to fiercely slap ZhouXiang’s head, “You dumb fuck!!”

ZhouXiang lowered his head with his lips pressed, not saying anything.

“For what? What is it that you want? Money? Status? Tell me, what is it that you want?”

ZhouXiang slowly turned his face and looked at CaiWei, his eyes a little red, “Money.”

Seeing his expression, CaiWei’s entire person is stunned. Then he dropped his hand, seeming as if he is exhausted at once.

ZhouXiang’s voice trembled, “Wei Ge, sorry, I’ve let you down.”

CaiWei sighed heavily, his heart full of helplessness.

“Son of a bitch. Money is a bitch……” CaiWei murmured, “Is your mother better?”

ZhouXiang nodded.

CaiWei depressingly drank a few gulps, “You chose this path. Don’t regret it.”

ZhouXiang shook his head, “There’s nothing worth…worth regretting.”

“Then I’ll give you these words of warning, just take the money but don’t think of anything else. YanMingXiu already has someone(T/N) in his heart, no others can get in.”

T/N: CaiWei knows that the person YanMingxiu has in his heart is older ZhouXiang

ZhouXiang smiled and laughed at himself, “Okay.”

This point…nobody else can understand it better than him, who had experienced it in two lifetimes.

CaiWei swayed the wine bottle and hit it on the old table, smiling bitterly, “ZhouXiang ah ZhouXiang, ZhouXiang……tell me, is this name cursed? Why is it always planted in this person’s hand, why……fucking why?”

ZhouXiang silently poured the wine. Wine is a good thing. Once drunk, everything is forgotten.

CaiWei touched the table, “Do you know what this place is?” He asked but answered it himself, “This is the place where my brother (older ZhouXiang) and I often hang out at. I really want to drink with him again.”

ZhouXiang sniffed his nose. He had an impulse in wanting to tell CaiWei the truth, “Wei Ge, I…”

Unexpectedly, CaiWei turned to look at him at this time. His expression is very deep and heavy, as if he is speculating something.

“ZhouXiang, sometimes I feel that I really can’t understand you.”

ZhouXiang is startled, “Wei Ge?”

ZhouXiang don’t know what CaiWei wanted to say.

“You make me feel……you’re too much like him. So much that sometimes XiRong and I suspect that you two are one person.”

ZhouXiang is shocked.

CaiWei patted ZhouXiang’s shoulder, “There are a few things I’ve never asked but holding it in has been suffocating. First, I never told you about me going to Lao Zhou’s place to eat, how did you know that his wife made sweet and sour pork ribs? You even told Lao Zhou that I told you that. ZhouXiang, why did you tell this lie?”

Having beer combined with wine, CaiWei’s timely alcohol tolerance is astonishing. At this time, he is already drunk; ZhouXiang is also the same. The two didn’t even eat a bite of food. They came to drink and now both are drunk.

Maybe because ZhouXiang is drunk that he dared to say these words.

ZhouXiang subconsciously lied and vaguely responded, “I… I heard from others.”

“Heard from whom?”

ZhouXiang shook his head, “I don’t remember.”

“This… you don’t remember, then what about my daughter? You remember that? Nobody in the entire company knew that my wife was initially pregnant with twins because only one child was born. Except for ZhouXiang, except for my brother ZhouXiang, no one knew. How did you know? Huh? How did you fucking know?”

CaiWei moved closer and closer, finally he grabbed onto ZhouXiang’s collar. Half of his body slammed onto ZhouXiang’s chest as he shouted at him, “ZhouXiang! ZhouXiang, brother, which ZhouXiang are you!? Why are you so much like my brother!? What fucking right do you have to be so much like my brother!? Who are you, ZhouXiang?!”

“Wei Ge, Wei Ge, you drank too much. I’ll take you home okay?”

CaiWei gripped his collar, pulling him closer and closer, finally he showed a look that made ZhouXiang felt intense pain and guilt. He hoarsely muttered, “Wei Ge, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry toward me? Tell me, how did you know about these things?” CaiWei clutched tightly onto ZhouXiang’s arm and stared into his eyes.

ZhouXiang took a deep breath, “Wei Ge, I’ll take you back first, I…”

CaiWei refused to let him go, his voice hoarse, “These things… I didn’t intend on saying or asking but I didn’t expect you to be with YanMingXiu. How can there be so many coincidences in the world? One after another…” CaiWei’s expressions are a little perplexed, his pupil gradually lost focus.

The two men drank too fast and now they were all dizzy. ZhouXiang’s emotions are also riled up as he sobbed over and over again, “Wei Ge, sorry, so sorry.”

“Sorry my ass…..” CaiWei carelessly cursed, leaning onto ZhouXiang.

ZhouXiang paid the bill and supported him out of the restaurant to hail for a cab.

CaiWei was still mumbling in the car. He probably didn’t know what he is talking about or what he wanted to asked as he momentarily mentioned his and ZhouXiang’s past, and then moved on to say ZhouXiang was not a good friend.

ZhouXiang suppressed his urge to tell CaiWei everything as he took him home. He didn’t dare to stay. After getting CaiWei settled, he said a few words to his sister-in-law (CaiWei’s wife) and left.

Getting down to the street, the cold winter breeze made him more awake from the alcohol. He walked toward the direction of his home and started to seriously ponder over whether or not to confess to CaiWei.

Initially, he didn’t dare to tell anyone because he was afraid that no one would believe him. Instead, they would treat him like an alien. After all, how could he ask others to believe something so improbable and far-fetched? Later, it was because he had financial difficulties and didn’t want to ‘force’ CaiWei to help him. Now, all these concerns have been alleviated. No matter how he thought about it, CaiWei has always been his most trusted buddy. Whether it was before or in the present, CaiWei has continuously helped him with everything. When he thought of CaiWei feeling guilty and pained over his death, ZhouXiang also felt tormented.