CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE (65) Sincerity

It was nine o'clock when the three men exited the estate gate.

While Su Yuanqi had his hands in his trouser's pockets, Zhu Zemin and Xiong Delun were looking up into the night sky.

It was snowing heavily, so they were all dressed in thick clothings.

"Yah! Feels like we are back to being teenagers..." Xiong Delun spun around wey his hands in the air. "This really feels really great."

"The feeling is mutual." Zhu Zemin chimed in. He quickened his pace and went to put a hand over Su Yuanqi's shoulder. "Where are your thoughts, man?"

Su Yuanqi gave him a hearty smile. "I have been listening to you two..."

"We should continue to be this happy." Zhu Zemin's tone was filled with delight.

"I agree with you. Let's continue to be happy forever!" Su Yuanqi said out loud.

"Yuan, what do you say? Should we go have a drink?" Xiong Delun asked.

"Wouldn't it ruin your reputation if you're found drinking way too much?" Su Yuanqi raised his brows inquisitively.

"It's just a drink... everyone is in the season of celebration, who cares what you're doing? It's not like I'm the first to, though." Xiong Delun spoke matter-of-factly.

Su Yuanqi shrugged.

"You're absolutely right." Zhu Zemin dragged his friends close to him by putting his hands on their shoulders. "Let's go!"

"Soju?" Xiong Delun asked.

"Soju, it is then."

They got to the main road and after pondering whether to take the bus, they ended up deciding on getting to their location on foot.

*

The bar was filled with a lot of people and hard to get a table.

Loud music was playing and while the single men were dancing on their own, some couples were dancing, holding hands together.

"Look, I told you we were in festive season. No one cares. Young couples are even dancing without restrictions." Xiong Delun pointed to the people there.

"Let's take a seat at the counter," Zhu Zemin gestured to the counter with five empty seats.

They got their and picked three different spirits which they mixed with soju.

"How's work, lately?" Su Yuanqi threw the question at his friends.

"Stressful." Zhu Zemin answered first. "There's this crazy patient we got recently and she's endangering everyone's lives. Insulting the nurses for no apparent reason, and her mother? I don't know what to say about the older woman."

"Haha," Xiong Delun laughed. "I have never heard you bad mouth any of your patients..."

"She's really annoying that I can't help but say the truth." Zhu Zemin sighed. "She sprained her ankle really bad and taking it out on everyone else. To be sincere, I have never met someone like her. If it was up to me, I'd throw her out of the hospital. I can't because she's said to come from a wealthy aristocratic family."

"That's really sad to hear..." Su Yuanqi commented.

"Yes," Zhu Zemin put his glass to his mouth and gulped twice. "If I had known at first, I would have rejected the offer of being her osteopathic doctor."

"How bad is her ankle that she needs an osteopathic doctor?" Xiong Delun asked.

"Her mother wants her to be able to walk as soon as possible. She's also a socialite and being in such condition isn't right for her status."

"It's a pity then," Xiong Delun shrugged. "And what about you?" He turned to Yuanqi. "You spoke about joining hands with your enemy..." he purposely trailed off.

"Really?" Zhu Zemin was eager to hear Su Yuanqi speak about his mortal enemy.

"I did join hands with her, as the restaurant is still under construction, she offered I start making lunch for the workers. And even allowed my co-chefs to choose their salary. She's quite intelligent I must say..."

"Whoa!" Zhu Zemin and Xiong Delun was taken by surprise, that Xiong Delun even clapped.

"You deserving a standing ovation." Xiong Delun chuckled. "She's intelligent, you say?"

"I have to be sincere, at least." Su Yuanqi took sips from his glass.

"What more?" Zhu Zemin probed.

"Nothing more..."

"Aish." Xiong Delun frowned. "You're such a bore."

"Have you two met?" Zhu Zemin asked.

"Yes, twice."

Zhu Zemin: "Wow! And you say nothing more?"

Xiong Delun: "Tell us more. You met the boss herself. Nation's wife. As long as I know, she's not easy to deal with."

"She is..." Yuanqi started but went mute. How should he describe her? He took quick glances at his friends then settled his eyes on his glass. "Miss Chen is smart, plays games to get what she wants. More beautiful than I have heard Changsu describe her. Overbearing and has the aura of a king. Headstrong, I guess that's the main reason, why out of everyone she was chosen as the Chen Empire boss."

The two friends didn't interrupt Yuanqi until he was done speaking.

"Wow!" The two friends chanted.

Zhu Zemin: "I'm more shocked by the fact you've complimented her all through your sentence."

Su Yuanqi: "She deserves it."

Xiong Delun: "I think so too, the An family daughter wasn't easy to deal with either. They make the best of friends."

The three friends drank a while more, not speaking.

*

At a table inside the same bar.

Lu Jing and Fu Tang were drinking together while thinking of a way to get Zhang Wei out.

"It will be much harder now, we can't bribe our way around as she has released an official statement. No one would want to offend someone like her..." Fu Tang spoke out.

Lu Jing: "We can't just let him stay there, either."

Fu Tang: "So what do you think?"

Lu Jing: "We must find a way."

Fu Tang: "Are you trying to go against your father?"

Lu Jing thought for a while. "I can't be against my friend either, so I'll get him out of jail before his court hearing and have him leave as soon as possible."

"Then let's go with your idea. We've to be discreet. And she?"

"We can't go after her, at least for the meantime."