“Yes!” Ye Zhengchen insisted, eager to prove he wasn’t out of his mind. “Do you know the Seagull watch manufacturer?”
I want to customize a pair of couple watches as soon as possible.”
“Seagull?” Zheng Wei thought for a while before recalling the outdated brand. “Does it still exist?”
“Yes, but I didn’t find a style I liked at the mall today.”
Someone asked, “Young Master Ye, are you joking with us?”
Ye Zhengchen answered seriously, “I’m very serious.”
After a moment of silence, everyone burst into laughter, as if they had heard an incredibly funny joke. Zheng Wei found it hilarious.
Who was Ye Zhengchen? A man who had walked through countless flowers without a petal sticking to him. To him, women were just women, nothing more. Even if he were cornered with a beautiful woman at a gynecological clinic, he would calmly say they had no relationship.
In Yun Qin’s words: Ye Zhengchen had swept away the love of countless women but had never loved any woman.
He had agreed with that at the time. Thinking of Yu Yin, Zheng Wei couldn’t help but sigh. They were considered a golden couple, with many anticipating their union. Unfortunately, Ye Zhengchen had seduced most of the beautiful women in the medical school. Apart from Yu Yin, no one knew his true thoughts, but Yu Yin always believed: “I am his final destination.”
At midnight, Zheng Wei drove Ye Zhengchen home.
The car sped past, wind almost piercing through the eardrums. Ye Zhengchen, eight-tenths drunk, took out his wallet, a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth. Zheng Wei, deep in thought, spoke, “Duoyue Bridge, made of reinforced concrete with a wooden surface, stands overlooking Lanshan’s red leaves. I’ve been there and it left a deep impression.” Ye Zhengchen tensed at his words. Zheng Wei sighed, “Beautiful women are indeed calamitous!”
The sky darkened as street lights illuminated the roads. In Osaka, despite the lights and cars, the city felt cold in its quietness. The small shop we owned was lively. It was only abroad that I realized: where there are Chinese people, there are laughter and warmth. The shop’s cold blue-green lights shone on Qin Xue’s rosy cheeks. After several Asahi beers, she laughed charmingly, stunning everyone.
Since Ye Zhengchen left, Qin Xue seemed to have transformed, laughing and chatting with the men around her, much to their delight. Previously, she preferred to remain reserved, laughing softly at jokes rather than engaging in conversation.
I glanced at the empty seat beside her and the untouched food in my bowl, realizing that I had changed too. Picking up my chopsticks, I chewed on the cold dish. The cola I had consumed left me feeling cold.
Before I could swallow, Brother Feng, slightly drunk, joined me, pouring a can of beer into my glass without asking. “Sister-in-law, let me toast you,” he said, a term that sent a shiver down my spine.
Before I could respond, Lin Rui, who was closest to Brother Feng, joked, “Old Feng, you’re flirting again while your wife isn’t around! Wait till she sees!”
Brother Feng answered, “At worst, I’ll kneel on the washboard at home. I’m used to it.”
Lin Rui’s girlfriend laughed and asked, “Brother Feng, where did you buy your washboard?”
I can’t find one.” Brother Feng said, “My wife brought over a dozen from China. Want some? I’ll give you two!” Lin Rui immediately replied, “I appreciate your kindness, but you keep them for yourself.” I was amused by them, especially hearing Brother Feng repeatedly say “my wife.” Brother Feng and his wife had an excellent relationship. They were college classmates who got married right after graduation in a “bare marriage” without car, house, or wedding dress, but were full of happiness. His wife understood love and giving. After Brother Feng finished his master’s and wanted to pursue a PhD abroad, she resigned from her well-paying job in China to accompany him to Japan. She took care of his daily life without complaint while working in a factory to save money for a house down payment. Their apartment had no luxurious furniture—cute dolls filled the bedside and a wedding photo adorned the wall. His wife wore a simple T-shirt, and Brother Feng, in an ill-fitting suit, looked adorable in front of the national emblem during their wedding photo. Whenever Brother Feng mentioned his wife, he’d beam: “My wife… my wife…” The love contained in this term was profound.
For Brother Feng, for Ye Zhengchen, for the simplest and most direct love of men! You may not have encountered eternal love, but don’t deny that such love exists in this world.
You can choose to cry in a BMW or sit on his bicycle with rice, oil, and salt, laughing together and dreaming of the future. You can choose a man who takes you to seafood feasts every day or one who peels the last shrimp and puts it in your bowl. Believe in life or love; it depends on your choice and whether you stick to it.
Everyone chatted about their topics, but Brother Feng only talked to me. He said, “Being lustful is a man’s nature. Men like beautiful women; who doesn’t? But even Zhang Baizhi is just a fleeting sight. The one I really want to marry is the woman who has cried and laughed with me. Give me ten beautiful women, and I won’t exchange her for anything. Beautiful women are everywhere, but she is one of a kind. Once lost, she’s gone forever.”
I nodded. “You’ll never find a woman better than Sister Feng!” He continued, “Many say Ye Zhengchen is fickle, falling in love one after another. I’ve known him for over two years. I often see him helping beautiful women fix appliances, treating them to meals, and driving them around.”
I nodded again. Brother Feng shook his head. “There’s more you don’t know. When I first came to Osaka, it was winter, I couldn’t speak a word of Japanese, couldn’t tell east from west.”
A Japanese student brought me to this apartment. That day, I met Ye Zhengchen, who gave me an old phone and told me to call him if I had any difficulties. He helped me carry my luggage inside, saw me spreading sheets on the mattress, and returned with an old blanket. Ye Zhengchen assisted me in buying daily necessities and food. He drove me around, showing where to buy cheap electronics and food, as well as where Carrefour is. He helped me get an ID card and apply for a visa for my wife.
When my wife arrived, he treated us to dinner and would often eat at our place. When I injured my leg while cycling, he carried me to school every day and took me to the hospital for check-ups.
I held a beer can, feeling an inexplicable warmth spreading through me. Brother Feng mockingly glanced towards Qin Xue and asked if he liked me.
“Sometimes, don’t judge a man by his surface or believe what others say,” he said. “He might not care how others see him; he just hopes you know what kind of person he is.”
I got drunk, drowning myself in beer but managed to keep my behavior in check. I didn’t cry or make a scene, just smiled stupidly at Brother Feng and nodded repeatedly.
When Ye Zhengchen returned, I was smiling, holding up my glass: “Brother Feng, come! Let’s have another!” Ye Zhengchen waved his hand, snatching my glass: “I’ll drink for you!” I blinked with blurry eyes, Ye Zhengchen’s slightly angry face swaying before me, making me dizzy. I grabbed his collar, thinking this would stop the swaying. “You’re back?” Ye Zhengchen ignored me, speaking to the server in Japanese. “Five more bottles of sake, ten cans of beer!” Lin Rui laughed, pointing at Brother Feng: “You’re done for!”
