Gentlemen's Friends

Chapter 15 Part 2: Wu ([-])
Zhuang Wei stared at him for a while: "Are you married?"

"Yeah..." Qu Tongqiu was a little confused. It's normal for a man in his thirties to get married, but it's weird if he isn't married. "Are you not married?"

Ren Ningyuan coughed.

Qu Tongqiu suddenly remembered all the ambiguous things he had seen when he was a student. Although there were some ambiguous tendencies at the time, he never thought that he would really be sure when he became an adult.

Suddenly surprised and embarrassed, the smile hardened: "Uh... no, it's fine if you don't end..."

Zhuang Wei frowned, hummed, picked up the wine glass, leaned back in the chair, and stopped talking.

Chu Mo took a sip of his wine and asked, "What about your wife? Why don't you come and have dinner together?"

Qu Tongqiu felt that the hands covering his daughter's ears were sore: "We...have been divorced for many years."

The dining table is no longer an atmosphere of relaxed conversation.

Ren Ningyuan waved to Qu Ke, beckoning her to come over, and then tore up the list on the table to her: "With this, you can go over there to win the lottery and win the first prize for Uncle Ren, huh?"

Qu Ke flicked away with her long braid, after all, she was a child at heart.Qu Tongqiu was very grateful for Ren Ningyuan's carefulness. Such a topic was too unpleasant for a child anyway.

"You raise a little girl by yourself? She is [-] years old. How old were you when you became a father? With your education, you can't find a good job. It's not easy for a single-parent family, right?"

Qu Tongqiu was also used to Chu Mo's directness, and replied: "It's okay, it's okay to save a little. Now that Xiao Ke is older and behaved, it's much easier."

"Does your wife not pay alimony?"

"Uh, no, I want to raise it by myself, and I can afford it myself."

"But it doesn't make any sense. She just left you alone?"

"Yeah, that's not the case. She also has her difficulties. Anyway, we're fine."

It took a long time for him to speak so easily.

At that time, they had only been married for three years, and when they were still loving and happy, his wife suddenly told him that he was going to divorce. That feeling, thinking about it now, still makes my eyes darken.

Yang Miao cried and said to him: "I'm sorry. I really like you. But there are other people. I can't forget him no matter what. I can't lie to myself anymore. I don't know if you can understand."

What kind of feeling is it to like someone who can be married but love another person?

The last sentence Yang Miao said to him was:

"I don't want you to forgive me either. I'm sorry for you. You can take whatever you want."

He took Qu Ke away.Leave the rest to the wife.

Although he has been unable to understand it, he has to bear it silently. Many times a person's so-called growth is so helpless.

"Forget it, it's useless to say that now, your daughter has grown up to this age. By the way, are you planning to remarry?"

"Ah," Qu Tongqiu hesitated for a moment, "I haven't thought about it... I don't want it. It's fine for me to take Xiao Ke alone. I like children and don't mind that Xiao Ke is not her own. Such a woman is not So easy to find. With my condition, I don’t have anything to criticize others, it’s more suitable to be single.”

With the half-grown Qu Ke, he didn't dare to marry casually at all, thinking that remarriage might bring harm to his young daughter, he would rather stay celibate year after year.Until now, I no longer have the enthusiasm for love and marriage.

"That's what I said, but you are a healthy man, so you always need something. Don't you think there is a way to solve it?"

The corners of Qu Tongqiu's mouth twitched for a while, his face turned red: "This, this kind of thing..."

"Even if you don't get married again, you will always have a girlfriend, right?"

"I……"

"Then what do you need to rely on to solve it?"

Qu Tongqiu was impatient: "Yeah, I don't really need it..."

Chu Mo almost couldn't help laughing, Zhuang Wei drank his wine with a strange expression, and Ren Ningyuan also smiled.

Qu Tongqiu was very embarrassed, but what he said was not a lie, full of warmth and lust.A middle-aged man who is busy with his life and has a teenage daughter to worry about, really doesn't have the time and mood to think about those things.

In embarrassment, Qu Ke bounced back again: "Dad, I didn't win the biggest champion, I was only a little short, but the one who won gave me the prize, can I take it?"

Qu Tongqiu was frightened and wanted to chase after him, but the figure Qu Ke was pointing at had gone away.Fortunately, although the prize is surprisingly huge, it is only a pastry shopping card for the restaurant. I think many children from rich families are not interested in eating desserts from this restaurant for a month.

"Next time, remember not to take things that others give you. There is no such thing as a free lunch. You need something in return, understand?"

Qu Ke said "Oh" to express her understanding, and after thinking about it, she said, "But you will accept everything that Uncle Ren gives you, Dad."

Qu Tongqiu let out an "uh", froze on the spot, and finally said in embarrassment: "Father... will repay in the future."

Ren Ningyuan smiled: "Xiao Ke, stop messing with your father."

At the dinner table, everyone reminisced about the old days and heard Zhuang Wei and Chu Mo tell some interesting stories about their study abroad. Only then did Qu Tongqiu realize that except for him, everyone seemed to be doing jobs that had nothing to do with the majors they studied back then.

There is no need to mention Ren Ningyuan who owns a nightclub under his command; Chu Mo runs a freight company on the surface, but those inside are hard to say; A personal photography exhibition.

At this age, most of the classmates who had studied together were not as prosperous as these three, and they had achieved success in their careers.

Qu Tongqiu is probably the one with the most mediocre achievements.He failed to finish college, returned to his hometown to seek a stable life, hastily found a job, and then struggled to earn money for milk powder, struggling between diapers and company documents all day long.After finally waiting for his daughter to be two years old, he won't cry night sweats and have a fever at all times, so he divorced his wife.

His most precious youth passed in haste and confusion.When he finally rested and looked up, he suddenly found that the place where he was standing was so far from where others were standing.

In fact, he doesn't think there are any shortcomings. He will be the management of a small company in a down-to-earth manner, so that he can support his family, support his daughter to go to college, and be safe and healthy.

It's just such a table of people, only he is a middle-aged man who looks a bit haggard. Hearing the topics that the three of them talked about, many of them are out of their mouths, and he is a little embarrassed in comparison.

After dinner, we enjoyed the moonlight through the glass roof on the terrace of the restaurant, tasted moon cakes and tea, and ate watermelon, and enjoyed ourselves, and it was almost time to end.

Ren Ningyuan went to pay the bill, and the group entered the elevator. It was still early, and there was a lot of excitement outside. It was the time to warm up the scene before the opening of T City's nightlife.

"It's rare to get together, let's have a drink."

As soon as Zhuang Wei suggested, Chu Mo responded immediately: "Okay, let's go to the bar to have fun."

Qu Tongqiu pulled his daughter and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I won't go."

Ren Ningyuan glanced at him and said, "Aren't you coming? You haven't had a drink for a long time. Xiao Ke, don't worry, I will send her home first."

"Uh……"

Although they are the same age, the life of a man who becomes a father is really different from that of golden bachelors.

"That's right, Xiao Ke is going back to school tomorrow afternoon, I have to get up early, go shopping, cook some vegetables and make some cakes for her to take to school."

Chu Mo laughed: "Big T is not in the wilderness. Is there anything you can't buy? You even brought it there specially. Why do you look like a woman?"

Zhuang Wei was a little disappointed, frowned and said: "This is the case for men who are married and have children. It's fine if he doesn't come. Let's go."

Qu Tongqiu was a little embarrassed, and said with a smile, "I'll buy you a drink in the future", but Zhuang Wei was still unhappy and made a long face.

"It's okay, they will stay in T City for a while, there are plenty of opportunities," Ren Ningyuan smiled, "I'll take you and Xiao Ke back first."

Today, he is still so gentle, polite and considerate, like a perfect dummy.When Qu Tongqiu was alone with him, he would always be a little apprehensive and didn't know what to say.

But with Qu Ke around, the atmosphere became much more active. The little girl refused to sit obediently in the back seat as soon as she got in the car, and forced her head between the two men in front, chattering.

Qu Tongqiu scolded her half-truthfully: "You talk so much, don't interfere with your uncle's driving."

Ren Ningyuan would smile and say, "It's okay, I like to hear her talk."

There are three people in one car, but it's fun.

"By the way," Ren Ningyuan said suddenly while waiting for the red light at the intersection, "I want to discuss something with you."

"Ah, just say it."

"I also have some business to deal with in the east of the city recently. It's sometimes inconvenient to drive too far. The apartment you live in is closer."

Qu Tongqiu immediately understood what he meant: "Oh, you are too polite. This is your house. I still have the company's dormitory. It's easy to move back. You wait for me to clean it up tomorrow."

Ren Ningyuan smiled and said, "I didn't mean that, you don't have to move."

"what?"

"I don't need to go there every day. Xiao Ke is only here on weekends, and there is always an empty bedroom on weekdays. Occasionally a squeeze is enough. Isn't it?"

Qu Tongqiu felt flattered again: "Yes, yes, as long as you don't mind."

When the father and daughter returned home, Qu Ke put on the table the beautifully carved watermelon rinds brought back from the restaurant, looked left and right, and kept saying, "Look, Dad, it's so beautiful. "

Qu Tongqiu watched her play with a smile, feeling a little distressed.At this time, I feel that I am really not a good father, and what I can give my daughter is really limited.The piece of watermelon rind that made her so happy, and the bedroom that allowed her to sleep peacefully, are all thanks to Ren Ningyuan.

"Dad, do you really want to go out to drink with them? Actually, you don't have to worry about me too much, I can take care of myself. Next time someone asks you out, just go."

"Hey, Dad doesn't like to drink, Dad likes to watch TV at home."

"really?"

"real."

Starting a family too early, of course, missed and sacrificed a lot of things.But thinking that I am still young, I will be able to see my daughter get married and have children smoothly in the future, and I am even lucky to see my grandchildren get married and have children, so I am very happy and satisfied.

Qu Ke turned over on the sofa: "Father, wouldn't it be better if you gave birth to me later? Then I can play with Uncle Ren and the others."

Qu Tongqiu said with a smile: "It's a good thing to have a baby early."

"why?"

"In this way, when you start a family and start a business, when the pressure of life and work is the greatest and the hardest, Dad is still in his prime, in good health, and has not yet retired, so he will not drag you down."

Qu Ke said, "What, Dad is not a burden", lowered the corners of her mouth, moved to his side, and hugged his arm tightly.

Qu Tongqiu patted his daughter's head.I remembered the first time I held the crying baby from the hands of the nurse, such a delicate little animal in the palm of my hand, any movement could hurt it.I didn't know what to do was right and safe, and I raised it amid all kinds of fear.

Although I am young and old now, I have exchanged for such a healthy and lively life.This is the most precious wealth left to him by time.

(End of this chapter)