Joy in good times brings a cheerful spirit, and Zhou You was very happy. These past few months had been incredibly exciting, far more comfortable than before. This was what life was all about—eating, drinking, having fun, and chasing dreams. The only thing missing might be a girlfriend right now. But he wasn’t eager to find one just yet. He’d dated a few before, and they all ended in breakups. Now, he didn’t want to be tied down at all. There were so many things he wanted to experience.
After talking with Zhao Yun, Zhou You’s mind opened up, and he felt energized. So he called Da Tou, Wang Ping, and Wang Fangfang to drink together. They were all young, with little distance between them, and the conversation flowed easily. Tonight, Zhou You got completely carried away, listening to Da Tou and Wang Ping vent about their struggles at work, laughing heartily. Whether you were happy or not, he didn’t know, but Zhou You was happy now. Life’s pleasures should be seized, so he kept toasting with them. Only Wang Fangfang stayed sober, keeping her wits about her. By the end, he didn’t even remember how he got home.
Waking up in the morning, he reached out and touched someone beside him. Zhou You jolted in shock—please don’t let it be Da Tou. He’d shared a bed with Da Tou before, but that was in winter when they wore lots of clothes. In summer, that would be unbearable. His movement woke the person next to him. “Brother You, what are you doing? Let me sleep a bit more. I was so tired last night,” Wang Fangfang said, not even opening her eyes, probably exhausted from the night before. Thank goodness, as long as it wasn’t Da Tou. “Fangfang, did you take me home last night?” Zhou You asked knowingly. Judging by the situation, he must have drunk too much. He’d blacked out once before from heavy drinking, and now it happened again. No, no, he couldn’t drink heavily anymore. It hurt his health and could easily cause trouble. Luckily, he’d been spending a lot of time with Fangfang lately, and they had mutual feelings, though they hadn’t reached the boyfriend-girlfriend stage yet. This was probably just going with the flow.
“Brother You, last night you drank too much and wouldn’t let me leave. What do we do now?” Wang Fangfang hugged him and looked up. Cough, cough. Zhou You felt a bit awkward. “It’s mainly because Fangfang is so beautiful. I drank too much last night and couldn’t control myself.” Wang Fangfang was a little pleased—what girl doesn’t like being called pretty? “What about this morning, then? You’re sober now.” Startled, Wang Fangfang immediately jumped out of bed, but stumbled and nearly fell. He quickly stood up to steady her. “I really drank too much last night and don’t remember anything. This morning, I didn’t realize it was you either.” Zhou You just chuckled foolishly. Silence was the best response now.
Wang Fangfang grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom. As she showered, she thought to herself, this was really too sudden. She wasn’t mentally prepared. Even if she hadn’t cooperated last night, it wouldn’t have happened, but she didn’t know what had come over her. Now she didn’t know how to face him. As she washed, she heard the bathroom door open. Zhou You had come to check on her since she’d been in there so long. And then—
“How are your procedures going? Are they done?” “Almost done. I don’t know what to do next,” Wang Fangfang said, a bit downcast. She’d been on the swim team for so many years, and now that she’d suddenly retired, she felt lost, unsure of her future. Zhou You felt a pang of sympathy. “If you’re not sure, just take a break, travel around, and think about working later.” “No, my family won’t agree. I need to earn money now. They never gave me much before, and now I have no income. What do I do?” Hearing this, Zhou You laughed cheerfully. “What are you afraid of? I can support you if it comes to that.” “But I can’t just sit around and do nothing. Besides, without a job and no contact with people, I’ll slowly become dull. My circle was already closed off before. If I don’t work, it’ll be even worse.” Children of the poor grow up early. Zhou You used to think the same way. It was only now that he had money that his mindset was slowly changing. “Alright, it’s up to you. Stick with what you know. If you want, we can find a swimming pool early and get it started.” Zhou You had originally planned to wait until after the New Year to discuss this, but now it didn’t matter. Negotiating in the off-season had its advantages. If they could get all the paperwork done before the New Year, they could start operations afterward. That way, they wouldn’t be scrambling when the busy season hit. “I’ll have Wang Ping handle the paperwork. I’ll cover the investment for your 20% share.” Wang Fangfang felt conflicted hearing this. Part of her was happy, but another part felt like she was selling herself. Her emotions were complicated. Seeing her mood drop, Zhou You understood why. When it came to relationships, going with the flow was fine, but something like this—drunken indiscretion—left both of them awkward. Especially for him, bringing up money now made things a bit uncomfortable. “Don’t overthink it. I’m giving you that many shares so you’ll take on more responsibility and work harder. You’ve seen these past couple of days—my focus isn’t on this. I’ll be traveling around, so you’ll need to keep an eye on our assets and make sure that kid Wang Ping doesn’t skim anything off,” Zhou You said half-jokingly. Her unhappiness only lasted a moment. Wang Fangfang was still young and simple-minded. After thinking it over, she felt pretty lucky—she’d met Zhou You right after graduation, and work had gone smoothly. Suddenly, she leaned over and gave Zhou You a smack on the cheek, then sat there giggling to herself. Zhou You watched her laugh and couldn’t help but burst out laughing too. For now, happiness was all that mattered. The worries of the future could wait.
At noon, they grabbed a quick bite at a small shop downstairs, then went back to nap in the afternoon. It was a good thing Zhou You had been swimming and exercising lately, getting his body in shape, or he wouldn’t have been able to handle all this. It was so tough—he’d revised it several times before posting. Nothing below the neck was allowed to be written.