Chen Jian couldn’t figure out for a moment what Shan Yu was thanking him for, but he smelled alcohol, and his attention was immediately diverted. Shan Yu’s glass contained Chinese hard liquor.
“Aren’t you forbidden from drinking alcohol?” He took the glass and smelled it again, confirming it was indeed white liquor.
Luckily it was a tiny shot glass. If it were that teacup Chen Erhu was holding, a single glass would have killed Shan Yu on the spot.
“I didn’t take my medicine today,” Shan Yu said.
“There should still be at least a day’s gap!” Lowering his voice, Chen Jian pulled out his phone and started searching.
Fighting on the morning of the grand opening, and then having the boss drink himself into a critical condition at night…
“I haven’t taken any medicine at all,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian’s fingers, tapping rapidly across the screen, froze. He turned to look at him. “With your leg injured like this, you aren’t taking medicine?”
“It’s been in a brace for over a month,” Shan Yu said. “Who takes anti-inflammatories for that long?”
“Then you’re just…” Before Chen Jian could finish his sentence, an arm stretched right between his and Shan Yu’s faces.
“I knew it.” Chen Erhu held his glass, his face already flushed red. “Boss Shan, you lied to me…”
Chen Jian was stunned. He could hear them even when they were speaking so quietly? Was his hearing that good?
“Were you drinking white liquor just now!” Chen Erhu pointed at the tiny glass. “Were you?!”
Turns out it was his eyesight that was good.
“Haven’t taken medicine these past few days.” Shan Yu took the glass, poured some liquor into it, and clinked it against his. “Thank you for your hard work, Boss Chen.”
Chen Erhu had clearly drunk too much, his emotions overflowing as tears welled up in his eyes: “It’s no hard work, but I took you as a brother, and you didn’t…”
“Boss Chen,” Chen Jian grabbed his arm, got up, and hauled Chen Erhu away just as he was about to collapse onto Shan Yu. He reached out, took the full glass of liquor from Shan Yu’s hand, and held it right in front of Chen Erhu. “Do you take me as a brother or not? Are you going to drink this glass?”
“I’ll drink it!” Chen Erhu nodded vigorously. “Brother!”
After drinking that glass, Chen Erhu’s legs went limp. Lao Si and Lao Wu came over and, together with Sanbing, hauled him off toward the guest rooms—specifically the room Chen Dahu had slept in for two minutes earlier. Chen Jian had instructed them to leave it uncleaned, reserving it in case anyone drank too much at night and needed to be dumped inside.
Chen Jian let out a breath of relief and sat back down in his seat.
“You sure care a lot, Manager Chen,” Shan Yu said.
Unhappy that I took your liquor away, huh?
“You still shouldn’t drink. I saw a whole pile of medicine under your coffee table,” Chen Jian said. “Even if you aren’t on anti-inflammatories, you should still drink less. Anyone with an injury shouldn’t be drinking in the first place.”
Shan Yu sighed and said nothing more, reaching for the Cola beside him and taking a sip.
Chen Jian remained quiet for a while, finally remembering their earlier topic.
“Earlier, you said thank you…” Even now, remembering that thank you made the bridge of his nose feel sore. Although the topic had helplessly drifted away, he still dragged it back, “…No need to be so… polite.”
“Chen Jian,” Shan Yu leaned against the back of his chair, turning his head to look at him. “You really are…”
“Hmm?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Never mind. Go attend to the guests.” Shan Yu raised his chin slightly. “Hu Pan is the only one bouncing around.”
“Oh.” Chen Jian stood up.
There were many people today, and since everyone knew each other well, they ate very casually. Once the children were full, they ran around playing while the adults chased after them, shouting.
Let alone Xiao Dou’er, even Chen Jian felt a festive vibe. Back when he worked at the restaurant, New Year’s was full of kids running around with adults chasing them…
After making a round to chat with people and making sure everyone was taken care of, he turned around to go back to his table to eat a few bites, only to suddenly realize Shan Yu was no longer in his seat. The wheelchair next to it was gone, too.
Just as he was about to ask Xiao Dou’er’s grandfather, Tang Rui walked over holding a drink. “I didn’t get a chance to catch up with you properly just now.”
“Rui-ge,” Chen Jian gave a small smile.
“Don’t drink anymore. I saw you drink quite a bit earlier,” Tang Rui finished the liquor in his glass. “I’ll do the drinking.”
“Did you drive here?” Chen Jian asked.
“I’m not going back to the shop today,” Tang Rui said, patting his shoulder. “Chen Jian, you’ve really made something of yourself. I only came here once before to deliver a car and didn’t even step inside. I had no idea this place was so beautiful. Such a great shop, and it’s all yours now. You have to work hard!”
“Rui-ge, it’s not mine,” Chen Jian said with a smile.
“It’s under your management.” Tang Rui patted his back enthusiastically, feeling somewhat excited. “I knew you wouldn’t be working for others forever! Such a good kid! The two of us are genuinely happy for you.”
“Thanks, Rui-ge,” Chen Jian said.
After Tang Rui was pulled away by Chen Xiaohu, Chen Jian walked over to Xiao Dou’er’s grandfather and asked, “Grandpa, did you see where our boss went?”
“Said he was going upstairs to rest for a bit,” Grandpa said. “Probably worn out from being busy with the grand opening these past few days? Plus his leg is like that.”
Worn out, my foot.
What is he worn out from? He doesn’t even bother turning on his walkie-talkie.
The worn-out one is me.
“Mm, got it,” Chen Jian nodded. “I’ll go up and check on him. Grandpa, if you guys are leaving later, let me know, and I’ll drop you off.”
“No need.” Grandpa waved his hand. “Chen Jiali said we’re heading back together with his cousin-in-law. Today everyone’s staying in the village with the kids, so it’s on the way. Don’t worry about us.”
Chen Jian glanced over at Sanbing. The sole sober member among Boss Chen’s crew, Chen Jiali, nodded at him and even smiled as he raised his glass, looking quite dignified.
What’s that about?
…Might not actually be sober, either.
Chen Jian took another look at the people in the restaurant, then walked over to the elevator doors and glanced up. The floor indicator showed the elevator was on the fourth floor—he really had gone up.
He hesitated for a second, pressed the button, and stepped inside once the elevator arrived.
As he reached to press the floor button, he paused. Looking at the control panel reflected on the metal plate opposite him, he aimed and jabbed backward.
Missed.
He aimed again and jabbed once more.
He hit the third floor, and the elevator started going up.
Forget it, he sighed, and pressed the fourth floor button normally.
As the noise outside slowly faded, he felt he must have drunk quite a bit today; leaning against the wall, he felt slightly dizzy.
Usually, he only drank a little with Tang Rui; he almost never attended events with this much heavy drinking.
Fortunately, he could at least still talk and walk normally.
The office lights were on, and the door was standing half-open.
Chen Jian walked over and knocked on the door. Hearing no response, he poked half his head inside and saw Shan Yu lying on the sofa with an arm draped over his eyes and the stack of cushions still tucked under his leg.
“Boss Shan,” he called out softly.
Shan Yu was a poor sleeper, so it was unlikely he had fallen asleep this early, nor was he drunk—after all, that tiny glass was only about half an ounce…
Lying there motionlessly like this was truly unusual, especially considering Shan Yu hadn’t even said a word to him when he left.
“It’s me, Chen Jian.” Chen Jian walked into the office. “I’m coming in, alright? Are you okay?”
Shan Yu made no sound and didn’t move, just lying there silently.
“Shan Yu?” Chen Jian felt a surge of panic. Perhaps because he had drunk a bit of alcohol, his mind was overactive, and he inexplicably began to worry about bizarre things.
He walked up to the side of the sofa to observe, but couldn’t make out anything.
“Shan Yu?” He called out softly again, bending down to listen for his breathing.
Truth be told, Shan Yu’s breathing was almost imperceptible—even Xiao Dou’er breathed louder when asleep. Paired with the noisy racket downstairs earlier, his ears were still ringing, making it impossible to hear other subtle sounds.
Just as he was about to straighten up, Shan Yu’s arm lifted slightly, and he spoke: “Turn off the lights.”
“Ah!” Chen Jian’s breath hitched in surprise, feeling an intense and awkward sense of being caught red-handed. As he tried to step back, he tripped over the protruding corner of a cushion beside him, landing on his knees right in front of the sofa. “Okay.”
Shan Yu moved his arm away and turned his head to look at him: “For fourteen thousand, you can just stand.”
“…I might have drunk a bit too much just now.” Chen Jian pushed off the coffee table to stand up. “Were you awake, or did I wake you up?”
“I haven’t fallen asleep at nine at night a single time in my life,” Shan Yu said.
“Then why didn’t you answer when I called you?” Chen Jian was astonished. “I thought something happened to you…”
“Something happened?” Shan Yu smiled faintly. “Like dying?”
Who knows? Drinking too much makes the mind run wild.
“You rest up. I just heard Xiao Dou’er’s grandpa say you left, so I thought something was wrong and came up to check,” Chen Jian said, quickly stepping toward the doorway. “Maybe go sleep in your room—it’s getting a bit chilly at night; don’t catch a cold.”
Before Shan Yu could say anything, he had already walked out of the office and pulled the door shut behind him.
“Hey!” Shan Yu called out from inside, followed by a short whistle.
Turn off the lights.
He forgot.
Chen Jian quickly backed up, opened the door, slapped the switch beside the doorway with his hand, and closed the door again.
When he returned downstairs, many of the guests had already begun to leave. Hu Pan and Sanbing were seeing them off at the gate. The lights in the courtyard and along the road outside were all turned on, illuminating the entire area, making it look very lively.
Chen Jian stood on the small road outside for a moment, then looked back inside. Sitting at the gazebo were a few people smoking—all employees from the guesthouses further inside.
Once the guests had all left, the staff walked back into the restaurant with unsteady steps and began cleaning up.
“My ears are ringing,” Hu Pan pressed her ears repeatedly.
“A room full of people—you couldn’t talk without shouting, and music was playing too,” Zhao-jie cleared dishes efficiently. “How could your ears not be ringing?”
“Zhao-jie, we can clean up. Why don’t you go upstairs and settle your daughter in?” Hu Pan suggested.
Tonight, Zhao-jie’s daughter was staying with her in the fourth-floor staff dorm.
“No need to worry about her; she’s been taking care of herself since she was little,” Zhao-jie said with a smile. “Given our situation, my husband and I usually can’t pay much attention to her. Some bosses make you work over ten hours a day and won’t even let you take thirty minutes off.”
“I’ve met plenty of bosses like that,” Hu Pan waved her hand with a sigh. “That’s why I say Boss Shan is a good boss—it’s my first time meeting a boss like him.”
“Bosses are all about the same.” Chen Erhu, having slept enough in the room, now came out and sat on a nearby chair, leaning his head back with his legs stretched out long.
“They’re definitely not about the same,” Zhao-jie said. “Boss Shan is genuinely good. That former Boss Qian was both stingy and fierce.”
Chen Erhu chuckled softly. “Shan Yu just knows how to be a boss, knows how to win people over.”
Chen Jian, who was holding a broom sweeping the floor, shot him a look. He couldn’t tell if Chen Erhu was drunk or if his brain had been starved of oxygen when his brother choked him.
“He’s seen the world, speaks in a very sincere manner, and acts like he treats everyone as equals,” Chen Erhu curled his lip. “You guys—look at yourselves! Which one of you has ever received this kind of kindness before? Right away, you feel like this place is home; right away you become completely loyal.”
“Erhu-ge, Erhu-ge,” Sanbing went over and handed him a glass of water. “Drink some water.”
“Look at Chen Jian.” Chen Erhu pointed at Chen Jian. “What was he like before?”
“Just like this,” Sanbing glanced at Chen Jian.
“What is he like now!” Chen Erhu raised his voice.
“Just… still like this,” Sanbing said.
“He’s completely loyal to Shan Yu—completely loyal!” Chen Erhu slapped his thigh in deep pain and frustration. “Was he like this with Qian Yu?!”
“Chen Jian is the manager now,” Lao Wu couldn’t help chiming in. “He wasn’t the manager before!”
Chen Jian let out a sigh.
And he pays well.
There were indeed plenty of chores, but the pay was generous too.
Chen Jian gestured to Sanbing to get Chen Erhu back into the room.
“Shan Yu is way too good at winning people over,” Chen Erhu said in deep agony, his face twisted. “Way too good at winning people over…”
Sanbing dragged Chen Erhu back into the room. As the door closed, Chen Jian heard Chen Erhu burst into tears.
“How much did he drink?!” Hu Pan frowned. “What kind of nonsense is he spewing?”
“Panpan, mind your tongue too,” Lao Si looked at her. “We’re still sitting right here.”
“What if you’re sitting here? I’d say the same even if you were standing!” Hu Pan snapped. “What, is it a bad thing that the boss doesn’t put on airs?”
He puts on airs, alright. And plenty of them.
“Is it a bad thing for a boss to be sincere?” Hu Pan said. “Just because you haven’t seen a boss like this, does that make him a bad guy?”
“That’s true,” Lao Wu said.
Lao Si shot Lao Wu a look.
“None of us really know what Erhu-ge meant anyway,” Lao Wu said. “I couldn’t even tell if he was praising or cursing.”
“He was praising, definitely not cursing,” Sanbing pulled Chen Jian to the backyard and whispered, “I’ve hung out with him for so many years, I feel like he’s impressed, but at the same time deeply unwilling to accept it.”
Chen Jian looked at Sanbing. “You dropped out after middle school, right?”
“What are you saying?” Sanbing said. “I dropped out in eleventh grade.”
Chen Jian didn’t respond.
“What I mean is, he’s deeply unwilling to accept the fact that he himself is impressed by Boss Shan,” Sanbing explained, letting out a sigh. “He just wishes he could be a boss like that—one who knows how to speak, knows how to handle things, with subordinates who are completely loyal…”
“Go get some rest.” Chen Jian patted Sanbing’s shoulder. “Everyone’s tired today.”
“I still need to do a patrol round,” Sanbing said.
“I’ll patrol the courtyard,” Chen Jian said. “I could use it to sober up anyway.”
After Sanbing returned to his room, Chen Jian took a flashlight, walked a round on the road outside, made another round after returning to the courtyard, and finally stopped at the stone table in the northeast corner of the courtyard.
Leaning against the stone table, he zoned out for a moment, then lay down on the long bench beside it.
Looking up from this position, he could see the fourth-floor office, as well as the huge moon hanging in the night sky.
Completely loyal.
When Chen Erhu blurted out those words, Chen Jian’s heart had suddenly jolted with a wave of discomfort.
A sharp thump.
What the hell does he mean by ‘completely loyal’?
Where did ‘completely loyal’ even come from?
He was indeed working hard—to make Dayin’s grand opening smooth, to keep operations running smoothly, because he wanted to keep working here, for a stable and very good income…
Before hearing Chen Erhu say those four words, that was exactly what he thought.
But now, he suddenly felt a bit shaken again.
“I don’t care what his reasons are.” Shan Yu paced slowly around the office, holding his phone. “I’ll give him a month to deal with Chen Dahu, or I’ll deal with him.”
“How are you going to deal with him?” Yue Lang said over the phone. “Snap an arm or a leg?”
“Big bro, we live in a society ruled by law,” Shan Yu said.
“Alright, alright, a society ruled by law,” Yue Lang chuckled. “So how are you going to handle it?”
“Do you think he can’t handle Chen Dahu?” Shan Yu leaned against the window, opening a crack in the curtains to look outside.
“There’s no way he’d actively seek out these troubles. His way of ‘dealing’ with Chen Dahu is just making himself unfindable,” Yue Lang said. “That guy is just a small-time thug—would he dare look for trouble again?”
“Not for now, but as long as this place can make money, he won’t give up. It’s annoying,” Shan Yu said. “First, you…”
“What?” Yue Lang asked.
Shan Yu didn’t say anything. He pushed the window open a crack and saw clearly that the person lying on the long bench below was Chen Jian. He clicked his tongue.
“Finish your sentence before clicking your tongue,” Yue Lang said.
“Help me find some kind of bottle, jar, or ornament—nothing too small, the kind that’s hard to hide,” Shan Yu said. “Clearly price it around ten thousand yuan, issue a proper invoice, and send it over.”
“What for?” Yue Lang asked.
“To eat,” Shan Yu said.
“Damn it, you eat ornaments?” Yue Lang said.
“You knew it was an ornament, yet you still asked,” Shan Yu retorted.
Yue Lang burst out laughing: “Alright, I’ll gift you one.”
“I’ll buy it,” Shan Yu said, grabbing the handle on the window and shoving it open outward.
Below, Chen Jian, lying on the bench, sprang up like he’d been kicked by a donkey and vanished in an instant.
Whoa, look at that speed.
Loyalty…or maybe something else…?