Chapter Eight, Narrow Road for Enemies.

It turns out that after leaving the city for only a few days, I actually missed such a big piece of gossip. Their various banquet and gathering photos are inseparable. Yiwei was silent, expressionless, and unconsciously ran his fingers over his lips—after spending a long time with Fei Yezhang, he even unconsciously imitated this gesture. Looking at the number of photos again, there are still many. Yiwei finally couldn't bear to look anymore, closed the window, walked to the balcony, as if to take a breath.

Actually, Yiwei is not in the office because the next issue's topic is rural China, so she has been going to the suburbs every day. She sits in the fields and chats with the old farmers. Although the spring sunshine is gentle, it can't withstand her carefree sunbathing, and she has gotten much darker all of a sudden.

Yiwei held her breath for a moment, and there was a blank in front of her eyes. After resting for a while, she finally saw the background of the photo. She remembered it very clearly. It was at that Western restaurant where Lu Shaojian maliciously said to her, "Your stockings are torn."

White water is warm, and as it approaches the lips, it seems to carry a delicate and moist breath. He took a sip, feeling somewhat desolate. The cup of tea was still beside him, with clear water and a faint tea fragrance. It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he couldn't even remember the time when they were at odds. It was truly a case of things reaching their opposite extremes. However, deep down in his heart, there was clearly more than just this, with a hidden sense of unwillingness and anger. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes slightly, and the slanting sunlight shone on his face, making it appear even more melancholy due to his handsome nose casting a shadow.

The girl in front of me was wearing a baseball cap, looking a bit disheveled with a corner of her light blue jeans stained with brownish-yellow mud, giving her a slightly distressed look. Because of the black, she seemed even thinner. He took another careful look and was truly certain that she had become even thinner. So, inexplicably, there was a hint of sourness. Her thinness should have nothing to do with him.

After sitting for a while, I took my leave because the elderly person wasn't feeling well.

The fish in the hot pot is fried to a golden color, but the inside is tender like white tofu. The fragrant and sweet fish meat is mixed with extremely spicy seasonings. Yiwei couldn't help but exclaim in satisfaction, but still showed some courtesy towards Feiye Zhang. The meal was quite elegant.

While continuing to organize the literature, she missed two parts in a row and crossed them out heavily when writing. Facing a messy piece of paper, she suddenly lost all her mood. Then she received a call from Fei Yezhang, inviting her to dinner. Yiwei was happy to have someone invite her out, which was better than being alone in the room thinking randomly, so she eagerly agreed.

Yiwei smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's nothing." Then he casually pointed to a bar and said, "The decoration is quite unique."

"Manager, you don't look well." The secretary handed him the documents and asked, "Shall I make a cup of tea for you?"

Yiwei's fingers were still gripping the car door. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, anyway, it's still early."

Yiwei has always been fearless, but now she blushes and steals a glance at Feiye Zhang.

Unable to say that the trip was fruitless. At least I obtained Mr. Wang's authorization, allowing me to compile the transcripts of his previous lectures. These speeches have not been publicly released in China and are valuable literary materials.

The man lit the lighter in his hand, illuminating the resolute contours of his face like a sculpture. He turned his gaze gently, but it was extremely soft, like the milky white mist rising with the moon on the sea.

No wonder... ... Fei Yezhang smiled knowingly, clearly seeing a girl sitting next to Lu Shaojian. He said lightly, "If you don't like it here, we can go somewhere else."

Lu Shaojian gets straight to the point, his eyes slightly narrowed, sharp like a blade: "I don't understand why your magazine rejected this advertisement."

Although she is from the south, she is never afraid of eating spicy food and has a strong taste. So she nodded and said, "I eat everything." Her manner of speaking was very serious, as if she was discussing academic matters with Fei Yezhang.

He did not ask further, remained composed, and simply said, "Oh."

With a crisp sound, Fei Yezhang lit the lighter gently and said calmly, "So, you should know that I am not short of money."

She handed him a cup of tea and placed it by his side. Lu Shaojian glanced at it, pursed his lips unhappily, and said, "Get me another cup, just plain cold water." When the secretary hurried back, Lu Shaojian was almost done with his phone call. He seemed relaxed, with sparkling eyes, and greeted with a gentle smile, "You are too kind." After hanging up the phone, he turned to her and said, "Ask them to prepare a list of print media that the advertisement was placed in this time."

From Wang's expression, although amiable, he insisted and only said, "These years of teaching outside have yielded a lot of materials. If you don't mind the verbosity, you can still listen."

The director slapped his head and said with a smile, "No wonder how you guys know each other. So Xiao Li went to work for your magazine!"

Even so, after eating most of the pot, she already felt her lips tingling and swelling. It was so spicy, as if the boiling heat was rushing into her brain, but she couldn't stop, unable to put down the chopsticks. After biting into a peppercorn, her mouth instantly felt numb, as if undergoing frozen surgery in the oral cavity, losing all sensation. Holding back, even her eye sockets turned red, she coughed lightly and went to find water to drink.

Mr. Lu wasted no time and started the car, feeling even more furious, as if he wanted to punch the steering wheel.

Fei Yezhang smiled lightly: "He is different. Wang Lao, you have been outside for so many years. I always thought you were different from my grandfather."

The so-called enemies often cross paths.

Fei Yezhang naturally took over the topic, speaking in a gentle tone, as if encouraging her: "I took a few articles and gave them to Wang Lao to have a look."

She suddenly became tongue-tied, awkwardly smiled, and looked up at him. Clearly still very young, with a resolute profile and a calm demeanor, even driving seemed to exude confidence. So she laughed and said, "How could that be? Boss, you're still young."

The nanny pushed open the door to the study for them. An elderly man with silver hair was sitting at the desk. Sunlight streamed in through the large French windows, casting a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere around the old man. He looked up from above his glasses and smiled, saying, "Have you been waiting long? Xiaohong is helping me tidy up, so I didn't hear the doorbell."

Lí Yìwěi took off his baseball cap, revealing his messy hair, and deliberately looked up at him, saying, "Do you think I'm so narcissistic? Do you think you came to find me? You're a busy person, and I've wasted a few minutes of your time. You can leave now." His tone dragged on a bit before he turned around and left.

Press the doorbell, after a while, but no one came to open the door. Press again, waited for a long time, finally someone came to open the door, it was a middle-aged woman, still wearing an apron, in a hurry: "Please come in, the study room of Mr. Wang is upstairs."

On the last night, lying in the hotel, tossing and turning, I just couldn't fall asleep. Walking to the small terrace, perhaps due to the tide, the sound of the waves was particularly loud. In the night, the waves kept crashing, as if gently hitting my heart, making me almost forget the passing of time. From a distance on another terrace, I suddenly saw a crimson dot in the ink-like darkness, like a firefly, emitting a warm and bright light.

Yiwei was stunned by these words. Suddenly, she remembered that Lushaojian had said the same thing to her, but in a harsh tone, more like a sharp criticism of her ignorance. She pursed her lips and remained silent. Although she had been excited to see the new magazine, her mood suddenly became a little low. She flipped through the pages one by one, but the Chinese characters seemed to blur before her eyes, and she didn't know what she was looking at.

On the way back, the weather was pleasant, and the windows of the car were wide open, letting the cool breeze hit my face, finally slightly dissipating the faint redness on Yiwei's cheeks. She still sounded somewhat excited: "I have fulfilled my life."

Do you like strong flavors?

Mr. Lu spoke very directly: "Mr. Fei, I am very curious about your magazine."

Unfortunately, the grand ambitions in my mind were interrupted by the boss's question.

Fei Yezhang smiled: "The acquaintance is not deep."

Her evaluation is non-committal: "It's okay. She's quite serious."

Fei Yezhang arrived earlier than her and noticed her face turning slightly red as she searched for him. He greeted her and said, "I told you I would come pick you up. Did I not say this place would be hard to find?"

His demeanor became even more noble, with the suit casually draped over his wrist and the gray shirt unbuttoned at the collar, looking exceptionally handsome.

Her eyes were soft like jade in the dim light, yet stubborn: "This place is good, right here."

Fei Yezhang replied respectfully: "Yes. He spends his days at home reading books and raising flowers and birds."

The address he gave was hard to find, with many twists and turns, located on an old street in a certain city. Interestingly, the street in front of it is famous for its stylish bars and cafes of various colors. This made the small alley called "Cai Xiang" even more secular, with the road appearing narrower amidst the bustling crowd. Yiwei counted the house numbers and finally found Lao Chen's Braised Fish in a Hot Pot.

Sitting in Feiye Zhang's office, the two of them faced each other, and their expressions were clear and distinct.

If we can't stay together, sooner or later we will have to part ways. Love and friendship are the same.

Pushing the door with the collected field survey data in hand, and thinking about organizing Mr. Wang's audio-visual materials, I hurried my steps and brushed past a man beside me. Suddenly, I stopped in disbelief and turned my head, as if I couldn't believe I would meet someone here.

Even the windows are old-fashioned, covered with gauze curtains, only allowing the shadows of people to be seen moving. As Fei Yezhang walked, he only showed him a room, saying, "Xiao Li's office, would you like to take a look?"

He didn't answer and continued, "I heard that Mr. Cai Yuanpei, when he was the president of Peking University, publicly stated that his job was to raise funds. As for teaching and educating students, that was the responsibility of the professors. He had to ensure the basic needs of the professors and students."

After a while, Fei Yezhang burst into laughter, and the atmosphere suddenly became harmonious: "Your words are very convincing. It seems that your old classmates have described you as someone who..." He hesitated for a moment, considered it carefully, and decided to skip it and said with a smile, "I will give you an answer tomorrow."

They arrived almost simultaneously at the private room of the hotel and met each other at the door, recognizing one another without the need for introductions. They exchanged a few words of greeting at the door before entering together.

The next day, we drove to the outskirts and stopped in front of an independent small building. Fei Yezhang checked the address and nodded, "Correct."

She sighed and pointed ahead: "The bar street ahead is quite famous. I thought it would be easy to find here."

He raised his eyebrows and asked back, "What do you think?"

The director was a little surprised to see the two people who knew each other. When they were seated, he smiled and said, "So, you two already know each other."

She clicked on the website given by Qianrong. The photo was very beautiful, with Lu Shaojian's hand casually placed around Li Zewen's waist, in a relaxed posture. His dark and shiny eyes narrowed, not looking at the camera, but focused on a point, as if peering at prey in the dark. Li Zewen was wearing a rose-red top, which looked particularly vibrant under the flash, complementing her fair and flawless complexion. They truly made a perfect couple. Li Zewen was wearing a rose-red top, which looked particularly vibrant under the flash, complementing her fair and flawless complexion. They truly made a perfect couple.

The door was open. Seeing such a complexion, Xiao Chen from the advertising department hesitated to come in for a moment, and could only knock on the door loudly.

Sir, this time, we would like to ask you to write about the past events. You can dictate and we will organize them.

He smiled when he heard the words, but his tone was somewhat solemn: "I said to give it a try, but I didn't promise anything."

From Fei Yezhang's perspective, he could clearly see the expression of another person. Although he appeared indifferent, it was obvious that he was not very interested. His beautiful female companion beside him was all smiles, but he looked lazy and disinterested.

Fei Yezhang immediately slowed down the car and glanced in the rearview mirror. A couple was walking hand in hand into a bar, so he asked her in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Mr. Lu eased his expression, let him in, looked at the list, and handed him a magazine, saying, "Go and check if we can place an advertisement."

Li Zewen did not force it either. Before hanging up the phone, she gently asked, "How do you feel after trying for this period of time?"

The old man shook his head and said, "As one grows old, it's hard to let go of this attachment. I should go back and visit my hometown first. I have to return to Chang'an. All my old friends are there." He smiled at Yiwei and said, "Little girl, come and chat with this old man whenever you have time. I've read a few of your articles, and they're very good. Well-written."

Pushing open the door, the light was dim yet luxurious. There were quite a few people, but the design was so well done that one could see the incoming guests from any corner, making it convenient for young men and women to strike up a conversation. They found a seat and sat down. Yiwei sat very upright, her body somewhat stiff. Fei Yezhang leaned over and patted her shoulder, smiling ambiguously, "Why are you so nervous?"

Yi Wei was originally a little nervous, but when she saw the real person, she suddenly felt familiar. The old gentleman's eyes were still very clear, not like many people whose eyes become dull and cloudy after aging. She smiled and said, "In ancient times, people used to wait outside the gate in the snow, and besides, we didn't wait for long."

He reached out his hand to Fei Ye Zhang and said, "So, I look forward to your response."

Fei Yezhang could no longer hold back, and with one hand, he touched the corner of his lips. This handsome man seemed to have painted a brilliant smile at the corner of his lips with a Western brush.

When I went out, I was covered in the unique smoky smell of the hot pot restaurant. Yiwei smiled satisfiedly, saying, "It was worth running such a long way to come here." Full of fighting spirit, he added, "Only when you are full can you work better. Let's go back and continue organizing."

Yi Wei frowned, put on a serious look, but there was still a playful teasing in his eyes: "Even the big intellectuals go to bars? That's rare."

At that moment, I felt a strange coincidence and a mixed feeling of laughter and tears. Then I pointed to the website we were collaborating on and said to Fei Yezhang, "Our collaborative website?"

He couldn't help but laugh: "Girl, have you always thought that I am over the hill or gray-haired?"

Mr. Wang held a magazine in his hand and greeted Yiwei, "The little girl is very careful, she even corrected my punctuation." He smiled and said, "I am a person who is most sensitive to words. Whether it's books or things I write myself, I remember them clearly and won't forget even the punctuation." He nodded again and said, "This magazine is very good, just like its name, it has a sharpness."

Lu Shaojian also stopped in his tracks, slightly raised his chin, seemingly full of astonishment.

Don't worry, I'm not here to see you," he said casually, "Let's go."

There were also quite a few people together, some of whom were Yawei's former colleagues. Because she is enthusiastic and willing to help others, everyone likes her, so they all started asking.

As expected, he was politely declined. During the banquet, when Lu Shaojian mentioned it to the director of the government website, a slight smile curved up at the corners of his mouth. The director, who was red-faced from drinking, uncommonly generous, patted Lu Shaojian's shoulder and said, "Mr. Lu, are you talking about 'Rui'? Let me help you make a connection. Let's all have a meal together. Once we get to know each other, it will be easier to talk." Lu Shaojian nodded slightly, a glint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Okay, thank you."

A white puppy is chasing its own tail on the lawn, while the old lady holds her grandson and chats with someone, creating a peaceful and beautiful scene. However, she can't help but notice the restlessness in her heart. Is she marveling at the puppy's speed and determination, or is she surprised by her own emotions, as they momentarily sink into the dust?

Since the goal has been achieved, Lu Shaojian does not intend to stay for long. He stands up, with unclear emotions in his eyes: "My old classmate, has always been biased against me." He can even imagine that if she were here and heard what he had just said, she would probably sneer and look disdainful: "Oh, you still remember Cai Yuanpei?"

Little Chen "Oh"ed, suddenly enlightened. He flipped to the end of a magazine, but became more hesitant: "Mr. Lu, it might be difficult to place an advertisement in a magazine like this."

He focused his attention on the scenery outside the window and said lightly, "I'm sorry, I have a social engagement tonight."

Mr. Wang laughed heartily, his silver-white eyebrows trembling, waving his hand repeatedly: "Just a mere scholar, back then I couldn't even find a way to serve the country. What's the point of writing memoirs?" The old and the young, both surprisingly persistent.

The old man suddenly smiled and said, "The little girl speaks well." After the three of them sat down, he turned to ask Fei Yezhang, "How is your health, Mr. Fei? Are you still strong?"

The old man pushed his glasses and continued to smile as if nothing had happened: "Did your grandfather write it?"

Yi Wei continued, Fei Ye Zhang shook his head slightly in response, and asked the old gentleman, "Are you settling here?"

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent, as if the outer coat of mutual concealment had been torn off. Fei Yezhang leaned over and took a pack of cigarettes from the table, asking him, "Do you smoke?"