The journey back was solitary.
Before she was with Zhan Bei Jue, she was accustomed to being alone and didn't feel lonely.
Yet, after just two days apart, the air around her felt empty.
Her heart felt hollow and adrift.
Jiang Nan Fang didn't want to stay home alone, so she bought a dozen beers and went to find Chen Jiao Jiao.
Chen Jiao Jiao and Zhou Jin Bei hit it off, and despite it being their first meeting, they were chatting animatedly.
One had no classes that day, and the other didn't have to go to work. Both were clean and dressed in loungewear, chatting about everything under the sun.
Upon receiving Jiang Nan Fang's call and hearing she was coming, Chen Jiao Jiao jumped for joy.
"Great, great! I'll send you the address now, hurry over!"
Zhou Jin Bei was quite displeased.
Finally making a friend, and she was Jiang Nan Fang's best friend, it was such a buzzkill.
Why was she indispensable everywhere?
Soon, Jiang Nan Fang arrived.
The moment she entered, Chen Jiao Jiao pulled her into a hug.
"You're not working today, why didn't you say so earlier? Come on, come on, Bei Bei and I were just having a great chat, come join us."
"Phones off, no one is allowed to answer calls from men. Today is a girls' night, no mentioning men, let's give them a good cold shoulder."
She took the beers, placed them excitedly on the coffee table, and pushed Jiang Nan Fang to sit down.
Zhou Jin Bei turned her head and glanced at Jiang Nan Fang indifferently, "My second brother left?"
"He left."
Jiang Nan Fang casually opened a bottle of beer.
"He left, so you don't have to go to work either? That's great?"
"Nonsense, I'm his assistant. If he's gone, who am I supposed to serve?"
Chen Jiao Jiao popped open two bottles of beer opposite them and reprimanded them.
"I said no mentioning men, why are you two still bringing them up? Drink up, no more talk about them!"
"Today we're having a party, we won't stop until we're drunk!"
Jiang Nan Fang didn't mind; she wasn't working anyway, so getting drunk was fine.
But Zhou Jin Bei acted strangely.
She eagerly joined in for other things, but the moment drinking was mentioned, she immediately waved her hand.
"You guys drink, I won't."
"Why won't you drink? Are you not giving us face? Don't you like us, don't you want to party with us?"
Chen Jiao Jiao was also displeased.
"I notice you seem to have some hostility towards Sister Nan Fang, did something happen between you two before?"
"Who has hostility towards her? I'm just not feeling well and don't want to drink."
Zhou Jin Bei instinctively used a pillow to cover her stomach.
"Besides, she and I aren't related by blood or anything, we don't work in the same company, and we don't fight over men. What kind of bad blood could there be?"
Jiang Nan Fang exposed her.
"Who says there isn't? Don't you remember what you did to me before?"
She pushed a bottle of beer towards her. "Drink it. I'm not petty. Drink this bottle, and all past debts are settled between us."
"What good did I do for you? I locked you and my second brother in together, letting you two get back together for a night?"
Zhou Jin Bei retorted.
"Don't act like you're so generous. With my second brother's looks and physique, how many women want to throw themselves at him but can't get a chance? If we weren't related, would it be your turn?"
That was the honest truth.
Jiang Nan Fang was amused by her.
"Actually, I think you're quite interesting. Even though your second brother always scolds you, he actually likes you quite a bit."
"I think we can be friends, can't you give me a chance?"
The way she said it, it was as if she really was targeting her.
Zhou Jin Bei had to say,
"I haven't done anything to you, have I? Who isn't giving you a chance? If you want to be friends, be friends, it doesn't have to involve drinking."
"Don't you love drinking? I remember the first time I met you, it was because of drinking."
"What, are you reformed now?"
Zhou Jin Bei said, "I am reformed. I missed too many things and got scolded too much because of drinking before, so I don't dare anymore."
Chen Jiao Jiao glanced at her unhappily and pushed the wine towards Jiang Nan Fang.
"If she doesn't drink, we will. I dislike people who are fussy and petty the most."
"Who is fussy and petty?"
Zhou Jin Bei hated that kind of person the most. "I just..."
"Just what? Could it be that you're pregnant? Drinking would harm the child in your belly?"
Chen Jiao Jiao just said it casually.
Unexpectedly, it hit Zhou Jin Bei's soft spot, and her face instantly turned red.
Jiang Nan Fang keenly sensed that something was unusual and gasped.
"You're really pregnant? I haven't seen you dating anyone, pregnant before marriage?"
"Do you think everyone is like you? Likes getting pregnant before marriage."
Zhou Jin Bei realized she had spoken out of turn after saying that. Then, gritting her teeth, she admitted it generously.
"Fine, fine, I'm just like you, pregnant after getting divorced, alright?"
The two ladies beside her widened their mouths in surprise.
"You're divorced? When did you get married?"
Since the words were already spoken, there was no point in hiding it any longer.
Zhou Jin Bei then recounted her marriage and divorce from Jiang Si Cheng to them.
This news was truly explosive, but fortunately, Jiang Nan Fang could empathize with her.
"You did the right thing. The child is innocent, an angel sent by God to its mother. I support you doing this."
"Does your second brother know about this?"
"My second brother not only knows, but he also dealt with that scoundrel for me."
Jiang Nan Fang slapped her forehead, finally remembering Zhan Bei Jue's unusual behavior at the bar that day.
"So it was him. I've met your ex-husband."
"Met him? When did you meet him?"
Jiang Nan Fang then recounted the incident of Jiang Si Cheng being dealt with at the bar that night.
Zhou Jin Bei felt incredibly relieved listening to it.
"That's great, he truly is my second brother, so satisfying!"
"I just regret not being there at the time, otherwise, I would have poured a few bottles on his head. Why didn't you tell me earlier!"
"If I had known my second brother loved me so much, I would have argued with him less and angered him less."
Jiang Nan Fang knew she was also someone who was stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside. She reached out and patted her.
"It's not that difficult. Your second brother will be back in a couple of days. When he returns, just soften up and apologize to him."
"This person, he's stubborn, but his heart is softer than anyone's."
"You finally realized it. Your second brother hasn't had any other woman besides you all these years; all his thoughts have been on you."
"Sometimes, seeing him secretly thinking of you and doing things for you, I feel it's not worth it for him."
"But it's good that you've seen the light now and returned to the right path. My second brother's efforts will finally pay off. Live well from now on, and try to have a couple more chubby babies for him!"
Jiang Nan Fang felt a warmth in her heart from her words.
"Okay, when he comes back, I will definitely live well with him."
However, the simpler the wish, the harder it was to achieve.
As Jiang Nan Fang chatted with Chen Jiao Jiao and the others, she got drunk and ended up sleeping together at noon.
She woke up at eight in the evening.
Thinking that Zhan Bei Jue had already landed, she quickly grabbed her phone to check.
There wasn't a single message.
She took the initiative to call Zhan Bei Jue.
She called several times, but no one answered.