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During this dinner, the happiest person was Cui Zhi. She drank three glasses of red wine and soon felt drowsy. Wu Youyou helped her upstairs while Tong Le and Dao Wen prepared to leave the Zong Residence.
At the entrance, Zong Jin and Zong Zeyu were getting ready to get into their car, intending to escort the two girls home together. Dao Wen pulled Tong Le close and politely declined, saying, "I haven't had any alcohol, and I drove here. I'll take Tong Le home, so you two brothers don't need to trouble yourselves."
Zong Jin looked puzzled. "You didn't drink at all?"
Dao Wen shrugged.
Tong Le chimed in, "Sister Wen owns a bar; she's the best at holding her liquor. She really didn't have a drop."
Dao Wen opened the car door and nudged Tong Le's shoulder. "Get in."
Zong Zeyu hesitated for a moment, stepping forward with a hint of concern but unsure if he should insist on following them.
Noticing his unease, Dao Wen leaned against the car door and gestured to him. "If you really want to escort us, I can let Tong Le go with you."
Zong Zeyu smiled politely. "If you hand Tong Le over to me, I’d still feel at ease."
Zong Jin then spoke up, "Are you sure you don't need us to drive you home?"
Dao Wen's gaze landed on Zong Jin for a couple of seconds. She found him quite intriguing, different from the men she usually encountered.
With a smile, she said, "Zong Boss, we've already stepped out of that door; there's no need for theatrics. It seems you're quite fond of acting."
Waving her hand casually, she added, "I'm off now. See you later."
She got into the car, and it drove away.
At the entrance, the Zong brothers stood under the streetlight, looking somewhat desolate.
Zong Jin wore a slightly aggrieved expression. "I wasn't acting! I genuinely wanted to see them off."
Zong Zeyu looked equally confused, caught in self-doubt. "Was my behavior that obvious? Did Dao Wen see right through me?"
Turning around, Zong Jin looked at his silly younger brother. "What did Dao Wen see?"
Zong Zeyu also turned around to face his older brother. "You really love to act! When have you ever taken the initiative to see a girl home? And now you're even speaking in polite terms."
He then walked into the house while Zong Jin stood rooted in place, pointing at himself. "Where did I act?"
Inside the speeding car, Dao Wen cracked the window open just a small gap, lighting a cigarette and letting the smoke curl around her fingers. She glanced sideways at Tong Le and said, "I think Zong Zeyu is quite nice. Have you considered him?"
Tong Le turned her head, pointing at herself. "Me? Consider Zong Zeyu?"
Dao Wen kept her eyes on the road ahead and replied, "Yeah, he likes you."
Tong Le frowned. "How could that be? Don’t joke around, Sister Wen. He likes me? What kind of peculiar taste does he have to be interested in someone like me? I’m a married woman, and my marriage has failed. I have no money, no career, no courage. Sometimes I think that someone like me, who’s such a loser, is just wasting air by being alive."
Dao Wen changed the subject. "How are things at home? If you're facing any difficulties in life, you must tell me. I know you're very stubborn, but that's what friends are for—to help each other out."
Tong Le reassured her, "Don’t worry, Sister Wen. Everything has been fine lately, and it’s all going according to my plan. If I ever run into trouble, I’ll definitely ask for your help."
Tong Le continued, "Are you still single? Not thinking about finding someone?"
Dao Wen flicked the cigarette butt out of the window and rolled it up again with a sigh. "Men... there are a few good ones out there, but none can compare to him."
Tong Le understood that the "him" Dao Wen referred to was Zhou Feng, her ex-boyfriend—a tough soldier. Zhou Feng was handsome and had a good character; he excelled in every aspect. Dao Wen and Zhou Feng had been together for three years and were planning to get married when he tragically lost his life during a mission.
Since Zhou Feng's death, Dao Wen hadn’t dated anyone else. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; it was just that no man could measure up to Zhou Feng or fill the void he left in her heart.
Dao Wen said, "At my age now, I've seen quite a bit of love between men and women—most of it is just fleeting indulgence. There aren’t many who can last."
Tong Le smiled wryly. "I thought I could make it last too, but look where that got me."
She turned to look out the window; the night scenery was nothing special. The night breeze was warm, yet her heart felt cold.
Dao Wen continued, "The proudest moment of my life was those three years with Zhou Feng. My only regret is him; I blame him for leaving so abruptly without giving me a title."
A smile crossed Dao Wen's face as her eyes sparkled with tears. "It’s strange; I scoff at everything men offer—what nonsense titles or marriage certificates—but I wished Zhou Feng had left me a title. If I had known he wouldn’t come back after that mission, I would have rushed to get our certificate earlier. I would have been determined to remain loyal to him for life."
Tong Le silently let the wind blow through her hair as she shouted into the warm breeze and dim light outside the car window, releasing all her grievances and regrets.
Dao Wen sighed, "Three years... time really flies."
Tong Le turned back and said, "Three years... we’ve both changed since we first met."
Dao Wen nodded in agreement. "Yes, we’ve changed; even the people around us have come and gone in waves."
As they arrived downstairs at Tong Le's home, Dao Wen took out her phone and asked with concern, "Do you have enough money in your pocket? If not, I can lend you some."
Tong Le replied, "I have enough money. You should save some too; if you’re determined to stay single for life, at least save up for retirement."
Dao Wen smiled and said, "You little brat, just a reminder. I'm worried that those two vampires at home will drain you dry. Keep an eye on things and kick Ke Jie and Zhang Huizhi out of the house!"
Tong Le chuckled, "Got it. Be safe on your way back."
As Dao Wen drove away, Tong Le turned towards the single door. Not far away, at the entrance of the building, Ke Jie stood there in his pajamas.
Tong Le was startled.
Ke Jie’s gaze followed the car as he called out to Tong Le, "Did Dao Wen give you a ride back? Did you see Dao Wen?"
Tong Le replied, "Yeah, didn’t you just see him?"
Ke Jie continued, "I called you but you didn’t answer. I thought since you were out so late, something might have happened."
Tong Le felt relieved that she hadn’t taken Zong Zeyu’s car; otherwise, she would have had a lot to explain.
Upon entering the house, Zhang Huizhi glared at Tong Le with a look of resentment and immediately began to question her. "Why are you coming back so late? Where have you been? Did you meet some other guy at work and get involved with him?"
Tong Le realized that Zhang Huizhi must have said something to Ke Jie that raised his suspicions, which was why he had come downstairs to confront her.
Ke Jie stepped in to clarify, "No, Mom. Tong Le was with Dao Wen. He brought her back."
Zhang Huizhi's eyes narrowed dangerously as she coldly retorted, "You didn’t come home after work? You really have no sense of discipline!"
Tong Le ignored Zhang Huizhi and dropped her bag in the bathroom. Just then, her phone buzzed with a WeChat message from Zong Zeyu: "I reviewed your proposal earlier. This afternoon, Tongshan Real Estate submitted it. The content is good but there’s room for improvement. We’ll discuss the improvements when we meet tomorrow."
Tong Le was overjoyed; if she weren’t at home, she would have jumped for joy.
After quickly washing her hands, she hummed a little tune as she walked out of the bathroom. In the living room, Ke Jie was on the phone, speaking very politely.
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