Chapter Eighty: Each Pursues Their Own Paths

As Zhang Congwen caught sight of Song Jiawei, Song Jiawei was equally quick to notice him.

“Zhang Congwen!” Song Jiawei called out with a radiant smile, his excitement barely contained, as if he had some wonderful news he couldn’t wait to share.

What Zhang Congwen hadn’t expected was that as soon as Song Jiawei uttered his name, the girl beside him whispered hurriedly to Song Jiawei, then fled like a startled rabbit.

“Who was that just now?”

Back at the rented apartment, Zhang Congwen asked, curiosity piqued.

“Julie Xie, who else could it be?” Song Jiawei replied, sounding rather disgruntled. He hadn’t anticipated that simply greeting Zhang Congwen would scare Julie Xie off so abruptly, making him feel as though he were engaged in some clandestine affair.

“You actually managed to lure Julie Xie to our place? Are you planning to take advantage of her innocence when I’m not home?” Zhang Congwen looked at him with utter disdain. Song Jiawei’s actions were simply shameless.

Julie Xie was, after all, a pure and spotless flower. If Song Jiawei managed to win her over with such sleazy tactics, he’d be worse than an animal.

“Get lost! Am I that kind of person? You can call me sleazy, but don’t question my character,” Song Jiawei protested, indignant. “Julie Xie has to go home tonight for a family birthday dinner, so she could only drop me off here first.”

Zhang Congwen eyed Song Jiawei skeptically. “Shouldn’t you be the one escorting her home? A grown man, letting a young girl bring you back—no one would believe it, not even a dog.”

The thought left Song Jiawei somewhat depressed. “You think I didn’t want to? But Julie Xie is afraid her family might find out about us. No matter what, she wouldn’t let me take her home. Girls can be shy.”

Zhang Congwen immediately seized on the crucial point, incredulous. “So, things between you and Julie Xie are official?”

He’d been prepared for this possibility, knowing Song Jiawei had a chance with Julie Xie, but the speed of their progress was astonishing. Zhang Congwen half suspected Song Jiawei had slipped her some kind of love potion to so easily win her affections.

How else could such a beautiful, untainted flower have settled so quietly on Song Jiawei, who was like a pile of cow dung—especially the kind from a sickly cow.

At this, Song Jiawei grew solemn, patting Zhang Congwen’s shoulder. “I may not be your biological father, but Julie Xie is now my girlfriend. You’re old enough, you should start addressing her properly. Julie Xie isn’t your real mother, but she’s your honorary mother. Next time you see her, remember to change how you address her. As for Julie Xie’s father, call him whatever you like—don’t let me influence you. We’ll each keep our own...”

“Call you what? You little rascal, remember, I’m your grandfather.” Before Song Jiawei could finish, Zhang Congwen kicked him.

After a bout of playful scuffling, Zhang Congwen asked, “You haven’t been to work for ages—what about your job?”

Song Jiawei replied without hesitation, “Let them do as they please. I don’t care about being some workhorse. If need be, I’ll just quit.”

Zhang Congwen was momentarily stunned, then earnestly advised, “Don’t be rash. You’re in a relationship now, which costs money. If you don’t work, where will you get money? Without money, how can you date? I won’t support you. Others in love always find ways to make money. But you, the first thing you do after falling in love is stop working.”

Then it dawned on Zhang Congwen: Song Jiawei had recently landed a major deal with Boss Xie, earning quite a bit, so he probably wouldn’t be short of cash for a while.

Yet, on second thought, Song Jiawei was using Boss Xie’s money to court Boss Xie’s daughter. No wonder Julie Xie didn’t want her family to know about their relationship. After all, what father would pay for some rascal to woo his own daughter?

This wasn’t just a matter of the wool coming from the sheep—it was more serious, like taking both the wool and the lamb.

If Boss Xie ever found out, his expression would surely be priceless.

Sleazy! Exceptionally so!

Zhang Congwen couldn’t help but admire him. Only someone as sleazy as Song Jiawei could pull off such sleazy deeds.

“So what will you do in the future? Are you really planning to quit?” Zhang Congwen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Song Jiawei grinned, a hint of mystery in his smile. “You’ll find out in a few days.”

Over the next few days, Song Jiawei continued his early departures and late returns. Each time he came back to the apartment, he looked utterly exhausted, as if some female ghost outside was draining his life force.

During this period, Zhu Qingyan unexpectedly came to visit Zhang Congwen, bringing their family’s Bichon Frise named Tuantuan, asking Zhang Congwen to look after her.

The reason was that Zhu Qingyan’s parents planned to travel for a while. She needed to help Zhu Chang manage the company and had other matters to attend to, leaving her little time to care for Tuantuan. She didn’t trust pet boarding shops, so she could only turn to Zhang Congwen.

“Why travel after the May Day holiday instead of during it?” Zhang Congwen asked, puzzled.

Zhu Qingyan smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Because there are too many people during the holidays.”

“Oh!” Zhang Congwen paused, finally understanding.

Zhu Qingyan’s parents weren’t like him—cogs in society who only had time off during holidays. They could travel when crowds were thinner, sparing themselves the hassle of jostling with tourists.

“If I ever become a boss, I’d never choose to go sightseeing during the holidays,” Zhang Congwen thought, unable to suppress a bit of envy.

“But I should ask Song Jiawei about this. After all, we’re sharing the apartment, so his opinion matters,” Zhang Congwen said. He wasn’t making excuses to shirk responsibility; since he and Song Jiawei lived under the same roof, it was only proper to consult him.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to him. He has no objections,” Zhu Qingyan replied, her eyes bright, as if she’d anticipated his response.

Zhang Congwen agreed. He’d always liked dogs but hadn’t kept one due to limited circumstances. Now, with the chance to care for Tuantuan temporarily, he was delighted.

He keenly sensed that Zhu Qingyan and Song Jiawei had been in frequent contact lately. He’d asked Song Jiawei about it, but Song Jiawei merely acted indifferent, refusing to say a word.

This made Zhang Congwen suspect Song Jiawei might be trying to juggle two relationships. Still, he trusted Song Jiawei’s character enough not to do something so sleazy, so he didn’t press the matter.

Song Jiawei was fond of Tuantuan too. Although he preferred bigger dogs, he couldn’t resist petting the fluffy little white bundle. Once, with Zhang Congwen’s permission, he even took Tuantuan to meet Julie Xie.

According to Song Jiawei, though Tuantuan was a tyrant at home, she was especially charming outside. When Julie Xie met Tuantuan, she ignored Song Jiawei completely, cradling Tuantuan and playing with her.

Even more outrageous, Tuantuan kept burrowing into Julie Xie’s arms, making Song Jiawei jealous of the dog. If he didn’t know Tuantuan was female, he’d suspect she was a reincarnated brother.

Zhang Congwen noticed this when walking the dog as well. Outside, Tuantuan was nothing like the snarling creature he first met. Several times, pretty women passing by couldn’t resist stopping to pet her.

“Come on, let’s go for a stroll.”

Tuantuan had been staying with Zhang Congwen for several days. Every afternoon after lunch, Zhang Congwen would take her out for a walk—not just for the dog, but to help his digestion. After a few days, it had become a habit.

After getting ready and putting Tuantuan’s leash on, just as he was about to leave, the apartment door swung open.

“Weren’t you at work, fatty? Why are you back so early?” Zhang Congwen was surprised to see Song Jiawei entering.

Song Jiawei had left for the office early that morning, but now, at midday, he was already back.

“Are you free today? I want to take you somewhere fun,” Song Jiawei said excitedly as he saw Zhang Congwen preparing to head out.