After Zhao Chuchu finished her makeup, everyone was almost ready and followed Fan Jiancheng out the door.
Fuqiang Real Estate wasn't particularly large. The branch where Ye Sibei worked had just over twenty employees. Some had already left after work, leaving only about seven or eight people remaining at this hour.
Fan Jiancheng and Chen Xiaoyang drove, splitting the group between two cars heading to the restaurant Fan had reserved.
For the sales department, such drinking gatherings were routine. Though Ye Sibei didn't attend often, after years in the job, she'd gained experience. Surrounded by familiar faces, she wasn't worried.
Fan Jiancheng had booked a large table. Upon arrival, he seated Chen Xiaoyang and himself in the secondary seats, arranging the others according to drinking capacity—the heavier drinkers closer to the head seat.
Zhao Chuchu was one of the main drinkers, yet Fan didn't place her near the front. Instead, he seated her beside Ye Sibei. Puzzled, Zhao whispered, "Brother Fan, what's with this arrangement?"
"You're young," Fan Jiancheng shot her a look. "Step in if Sister Tao can't handle it. Don't drink unless necessary."
"Brother Fan," Zhao Chuchu brightened, forming a heart with her hands, "love you!"
"Always fooling around."
Fan ignored her and went to arrange the others.
Ye Sibei sat quietly pouring herself tea. Zhao nudged her. "See? Brother Fan's reliable, right?"
Ye Sibei smiled without comment.
This wasn't her battlefield—she was just filling a seat. Her only thought was to quietly endure this gathering, go home, survive the night, and then face the next day.
As everyone chattered in anticipation, Ye Sibei gathered some information about the guest of honor. He was Zheng Qiang, deputy general manager of Wanfu Real Estate, reportedly deeply rooted in Nan City's real estate scene for years.
Originally, this evening's engagement was with Anjia Real Estate, but for some unknown offense, Zheng had abruptly switched to dining with Fuqiang Real Estate. Hearing he enjoyed drinking and lively company, Fan Jiancheng had brought along everyone available.
"Tonight's going to be heavy on the drinks," Zhao Chuchu predicted with seasoned insight.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside. Everyone turned to see Fan Jiancheng push the door open, ushering in three men with deferential nods.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in his early forties, dressed in a sharp suit, exuding authority.
As he entered, the entire table rose.
"Let me introduce everyone," Fan Jiancheng said respectfully, gesturing toward the man. "This is General Manager Zheng of Wanfu Real Estate. Welcome!"
Fan began applauding, and the others quickly joined. The room filled with enthusiastic clapping as Fan guided Zheng Qiang to the head seat. "Please, Manager Zheng, sit here."
Zheng's two companions remained standing by the door like bodyguards. He took the central seat, flanked by Fan Jiancheng and Chen Xiaoyang. Scanning the table, he grinned. "My, what luck tonight—a table full of beauties!"
Rising, Zheng poured himself three glasses of liquor. "Ladies, my apologies for being late. Let me punish myself with three drinks first."Before anyone could intervene, Zheng Qiang downed three glasses in quick succession.
He then turned the empty glasses upside down and showed them around with a hearty laugh. "See? Old Zheng here doesn't play games. Since we're all gathered today, everyone at this table must drink to their heart's content—no excuses about alcohol allergies or not being able to handle it. Friendship is measured in liquor. If you're not drinking until you drop, it means the friendship isn't deep enough."
"Absolutely right, President Zheng."
Chen Xiaoyang, seated beside Zheng Qiang, stood up with his glass raised. "The deeper the drink, the stronger the bond. It's an honor for Fuqiang Real Estate to host President Zheng today, and we must show our sincerity. Since President Zheng drank three glasses, let all of us toast him with three rounds. Here we go!"
With that, Chen Xiaoyang poured his first glass. "First toast—to welcoming President Zheng!"
No one could refuse after such words. Everyone raised their glasses and drank up.
Ye Sibei, lost in the crowd, took only a small sip.
In large gatherings like this, she always skimmed by like this—no one ever noticed anyway.
Chen Xiaoyang raised his second glass. "Second toast—to thanking President Zheng for gracing us with his presence!"
Again, everyone refilled their glasses and drank.
Chen Xiaoyang lifted his glass a third time. "Third toast—to wishing President Zheng thriving business!"
Glasses were raised once more. Ye Sibei took another tiny sip before setting hers down.
After finishing his last drink, Chen Xiaoyang flipped his glass upside down and showed it around. He turned to Zheng Qiang, about to speak, when he noticed the man staring in Ye Sibei’s direction.
Sensing trouble, Chen Xiaoyang stayed silent.
The room fell quiet.
"Old Fan," Zheng Qiang began, and all eyes followed his gaze as he pointed at Ye Sibei’s glass—still half-full behind her bowl and chopsticks. "Your company seems to look down on me."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted. Ye Sibei’s mind blanked as she scrambled to figure out what to do.
Zhao Chuchu reacted first, quickly standing up. "President Zheng, let me toast you three glasses."
Zheng Qiang didn’t respond. He simply shook his head, his eyes locked on Ye Sibei.
"An apology isn’t an apology unless it comes from the person who messed up."
He grabbed some empty glasses from the side and began counting them out loud. "One, two, three, four, five, six."
After counting, he filled each one to the brim with liquor and gestured toward Ye Sibei.
"Little girl," Zheng Qiang chuckled. "We’ve all gathered here for a rare meal—it’d be a shame if one person ruined it for everyone, wouldn’t it? Finish this row, and I’ll believe your company still respects me. If not..." He glanced at Fan Jiancheng with a joking tone, "Then Fuqiang is snubbing me."
Hearing this, Fan Jiancheng panicked. He shot Ye Sibei a threatening look and barked, "Sibei!"
Ye Sibei stared at the row of glasses, her face paling slightly.
But with Fan Jiancheng’s stance clear, everyone else followed suit, urging her to apologize—after all, this was their biggest deal of the year, and no one wanted to lose it over six glasses of liquor.
In an instant, the entire group pressed her to make amends.
A crowd always has a way of shifting the atmosphere—so much so that it can even warp a person’s thinking.Ye Sibei didn't know what was wrong with herself. She had been warned countless times that girls shouldn't drink too much, yet that word "shouldn't" always stuck in her throat.
She didn't dare take responsibility for losing this deal, feared being ostracized by the group, and worried about losing her current job.
Everyone was drinking—Zhao Chuchu, Tao Jie, Chen Xiaoyang—all desperately trying to secure this contract. She wasn't that precious, nor was she that delicate.
Amid the urging of the crowd, she gritted her teeth and walked up to Zheng Qiang, taking the first glass of liquor. She bowed respectfully: "President Zheng, I apologize for my lack of understanding. I'm sorry."
Zheng Qiang looked her over and raised his hand, signaling her to drink quickly.
Ye Sibei closed her eyes, steeled herself, and gulped down a mouthful.
The fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. She couldn't distinguish between good or bad liquor—only the searing heat scraping down her esophagus to her stomach.
One glass, two glasses, three glasses...
Each one intensified the discomfort. By the fifth glass, she began feeling stomach pain and the urge to vomit. She covered her mouth, her face contorted in agony.
Fan Jiancheng stood up hesitantly: "President Zheng..."
"Take a breather," Zheng Qiang handed her a tissue. "Don't drink too fast. Rest a moment—there's still one more glass."
Ye Sibei didn't dare speak. She lifted her eyes pleadingly toward Fan Jiancheng standing behind Zheng Qiang. Meeting her gaze, Fan Jiancheng paused briefly before shaking his head slightly.
Regret and self-reproach washed over her.
If only she'd just drunk it properly earlier. How could she think of cutting corners in this situation?
Why was Zheng Qiang only targeting her and not the others?
It was all her fault.
Her mind was a haze as she tried convincing herself to drink the sixth glass. But when it hit her stomach, the violent churning became unbearable. Covering her mouth, she bolted for the restroom.
Inside, she retched violently. The sound of laughter outside the restroom reached her—she couldn't tell who it was coming from. Physical agony and an indescribable humiliation welled up together, making her eyes sting.
She felt something inside her snap, as if it might break at any moment.
Something churned in her heart, everything teetering on the edge.
Gasping lightly, she heard her phone ring.
She swiped to answer and immediately heard her mother's shrill voice through the receiver: "Where are you?"
The voice made her ears ache. She hauled herself onto the toilet lid, suppressing all emotion as she lied hoarsely: "I'm at home."
"Home? Now you're lying to me? I'm at your place right now—where are you really?"
Huang Guifen had a spare key to their apartment but rarely visited.
Ye Sibei struggled to process her mother's words. The alcohol made thinking impossible—too many thoughts swirled in her mind. She stayed silent.
Her mother's voice continued relentlessly: "Explain this to me—is Qin Nan divorcing you because you're always fooling around outside? What kind of woman stays out this late?"
"Mom, I'm working."
Ye Sibei felt exhausted. Something gnawed at her insides as she unconsciously dug one hand into her opposite wrist. "I'll explain when I get back.""Job? What job? Now that you're married, you don't tell the family anything, is that it? Do you still consider me your mother? If your father hadn't gone to Qin Nan's shop today and heard from his employees that he hasn't been back for a week, if I hadn't come to your place and seen the divorce papers, how long were you planning to keep this from us?! Do you have any idea how serious divorce is? Do you know what divorce means for a woman?!"
Huang Guifen's words were like worms gnawing at her brain, crawling inside, biting away with a crunching sound, both itchy and painful.
Ye Sibei buried her hands in her hair, curling up in agony as she listened to Huang Guifen's scolding: "After you get divorced, have you thought about how hard it will be to remarry? Either don't get married at all, or get married and then divorce—what kind of nonsense is that? What will people say about us? What will the neighbors think? You might not care about face, but I do. Chuchu and Nianwen are about to get married, don't you dare bring this kind of bad luck upon us. I'm telling you, I won't allow this divorce..."
"It's not like I wanted this!"
Ye Sibei finally snapped, her voice erupting in a furious shout.
In that instant, it felt as if a floodgate had burst open. Trembling uncontrollably, she lashed out: "He's the one who wants the divorce! He found out I lent money to Nianwen for his house and now he wants a divorce. What am I supposed to do?! Should I demand Ye Nianwen pay me back? Tell Zhao Chuchu to call off the wedding?!"
"What's the point of yelling at me? Did I ask for this?"
Ye Sibei raised her voice in accusation: "Do you think I wanted my life to turn out like this?!"
Huang Guifen fell silent, seemingly startled by Ye Sibei's outburst. Realizing she had lost control, Ye Sibei pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to steady herself, and said nothing more.
After a long pause, there was a knock at the door—Zhao Chuchu's voice called out softly.
"Big sis?"
"I'm fine!" Ye Sibei replied hoarsely, forcing a calm tone.
Then, lowering her voice, she hastily ended the conversation with Huang Guifen. "Let's talk tomorrow after work."
"Well..." Huang Guifen hesitated. "Come home early."
"Mm."
Ye Sibei answered quickly and hung up without another thought.
She sat on the toilet lid, head bowed, taking a moment to compose herself. Only when Zhao Chuchu knocked again did she draw a deep breath, straighten up, and open the door.
Zhao Chuchu exhaled in relief when she saw her, giving her a once-over before asking with concern, "Are you okay?"
"Just needed to throw up. I'm fine now."
Ye Sibei leaned against the doorframe and shook her head. "It's nothing serious."
"Good."
Reassured, Zhao Chuchu helped her back to the private dining room.
By now, the atmosphere was in full swing—glasses clinking, everyone drinking and toasting.
The first drink was always the hardest to swallow, but once it was down, refusing the next became nearly impossible.
Ye Sibei did her best to decline the drinks pushed her way, but whenever she refused, Zhao Chuchu had to cover for her. Guilt gnawed at her, so she forced herself to down two more glasses.
By the end, while Zhao Chuchu was still sober, Ye Sibei was noticeably tipsy. Yet she felt her mind was clear—she knew what she was doing. She even made a point to grab Fan Jiancheng's arm and plead, "Brother Fan, you have to make sure Chuchu and I get home safe."
"Don't worry," Fan Jiancheng nodded. "I'll get you both back safely. Chuchu, take care of her—how did she end up like this? I'll go get her some water."Zhao Chuchu agreed and sat beside Ye Sibei under the pretext of taking care of her. Ye Sibei had never been this drunk before. She felt like she had a bellyful of words to say—words she knew she shouldn’t voice but couldn’t hold back, pulling at someone to keep talking.
“My mom pressures me, Qin Nan pressures me, life pressures me—everyone pressures me. I don’t want anything anymore. I’ll give it all up. I just want everyone to live well. What did I do wrong?”
“Qin Nan says I shouldn’t have ended up like this, but I can’t control myself. I’m useless. I can’t do anything right. What else can I do?”
“Last night, I dreamed about high school. Back then, I thought I was really something. I gave a speech during the flag-raising ceremony, with so many people watching. But I’ve never felt that way again in my life.”
“I really wanted to spend my whole life with him,” Ye Sibei sobbed. “I don’t know about love or not—I can’t feel it. But I really wanted to spend my life with him. Why is it so hard?”
“Drink some water. It’s time to go.”
Someone handed her water.
After drinking, Zheng Qiang’s voice was no longer around. The drinking party seemed to have ended. She and Zhao Chuchu supported each other as they walked out.
Fan Jiancheng was waiting for them at the door. Ye Sibei pulled open the car door and climbed in with Zhao Chuchu.
Once inside, her drunken rambling grew worse. She started thanking everyone endlessly.
“Chuchu, thank you. You’ve always taken care of me. You and Nian Wen should be happy. My life is over. I don’t know how to live well anymore. But you know how. As long as you’re happy, that’s enough.”
“Brother Fan, I’ve always wanted to thank you. Last year, if you hadn’t spoken up for me with HR, I’d still be unemployed. People say I’m 26—time to get married, have kids. I have no work experience, failed the civil service exam twice, awkward with words, just a college graduate with airs. No one likes me. Brother Fan, thank you. Thank you for giving me a way to survive. I’m really, really grateful to you.”
As she spoke, exhaustion crept in, and she couldn’t help leaning against Zhao Chuchu.
Dizzy and dazed, she murmured against Zhao Chuchu’s shoulder, “Why is it so bitter? When does it end? When does a person’s life finally reach its end?”
“Sis,” she faintly heard Zhao Chuchu’s voice, “the suffering in life has no end. All we can do is keep moving forward.”
“Just keep going.”
The words left her dazed. She vaguely felt Zhao Chuchu shift, and she numbly lifted her head to watch as Zhao Chuchu got out of the car and Fan Jiancheng closed the door.
In her memory, the last image was of her leaning against the car window, eyes open, watching the dim yellow streetlights flicker through the glass, scattering intermittently into her vision.
Surreal and fragmented, like a fleeting dream.
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