The next few days, I stayed at home, not going anywhere. The injury on my face was quite severe; it probably wouldn't fade for several months.

Xiao Wu also stayed with me. After I spoke to him last time, he was indeed a little more well-behaved. Except for going out to buy groceries, he stayed in the house surfing the internet.

The weather these days was a bit gloomy and cold, and it had been raining for days. My mood was already depressed, and the weather made it even more somber.

After lunch, I stayed in bed. Yesterday, I made several phone calls to try to find connections, but as soon as they heard it was me, they immediately made excuses to refuse, avoiding me like a venomous snake, which made me lose confidence.

After racking my brains all day, I realized that interpersonal relationships are very realistic. Once there's no benefit to be gained, I don't even have many friends to chat with. My eyes stared blankly at the light on the ceiling.

If I really can't find a job, I don't know if I can be as content as Lin Fei, going into a factory... I quickly came to the conclusion that after so many years of wandering, I can no longer settle down and live that ordinary life.

At this moment, Xiao Wu walked into my room. He was a little surprised to see me lying on the bed and asked, "You lie down after every meal. Aren't you tired of sleeping?"

"What else can I do besides sleep?"

"Call and find a way out!"

His confident attitude made me feel uncomfortable, and I retorted, "Why don't you look?"

"Do you think I have that ability? If I had that ability, would I be so pathetic? I even have to ask you for living expenses."

"Don't call me brother in the future, you should call me 'Dad,' your provider."

"It's because I'm loyal to you that I've become like this..."

I interrupted him, "Does loyalty mean you don't have to go out and work? I want to understand how you've spent these past three years?"

"A-Cheng and Xiao Hei occasionally gave me some handouts. I also hung out with other people for a while, but none of them treated me as well as you did. I felt a sense of loss, so I wholeheartedly wanted to wait for you to come out. But you just lie down."

This view really left me speechless. He made freeloading sound so justified. I was too lazy to argue with him, and said angrily, "Get out! Get out now."

Not only did Xiao Wu not leave, but he also sat on the edge of my bed and said, "Lin-ge, staying at home all the time isn't the answer. You have to go out and find opportunities. Business won't come knocking on your door if you act like an idiot."

I pointed to the wound on my face and asked, "Do you think I'm fit to go out like this? My face is ruined."

Xiao Wu carefully examined the wound in front of me...

"This woman is really ruthless. Your face is completely disfigured. Is she using Eagle Claw Iron Shirt? Luckily, you're a man; if you were a woman, you'd really be ruined."

I raised my chin and asked, "Do you think this wound will leave scars? One scar is fine, but four is really too ugly. If it doesn't heal well, I'll have to get plastic surgery."

"If it doesn't heal, go find her. She should pay for the plastic surgery."

"Forget it, don't mention her. They think we're as smelly as shit; why bother inviting their disgust?"

"What's wrong with us? We earn money through our own abilities; we don't steal or rob. What reason does she have to look down on us?"

"Because they're richer than you."

"Who is born rich?" Xiao Wu said unconvinced.

"She is! She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth."

Seeing that all his words were blocked by me, he then brought up her sore spot: "If I had the choice, I'd still choose my own path. Look how miserable her family is."

Remembering that I had said these words to her today, and that these words had set her off, I gently touched the wound on my face and stopped talking. It couldn't be said that either of us was right or wrong; it was just the grudges from the slap in the beginning.

After Xiao Wu went out, I got out of bed and stood by the balcony. Because of the rain, the glass was covered in mist, and I couldn't see the activity downstairs clearly. I reached out and wiped it casually. The rain outside was getting heavier, and the temperature was dropping quickly. It was a bit chilly in my sleeping pants indoors.

I pulled the window open a crack because I was craving a cigarette. As soon as I opened it, a gust of cold wind seeped into my body, and I instinctively shivered. The sky was approaching dusk. Another day had passed like this. Besides the cold rain and gloomy mood, all that was left was loneliness.

The crisp ringtone sounded, and the phone on the bedside table vibrated. Since I got out, no one had taken the initiative to call me except Xiao Wu.

I quickly went over and picked up the phone. It was Manager Li calling. I answered the phone with a pessimistic attitude, "Hello, Manager Li!"

"Lin Che, are you free tonight?"

"Is there something important?"

I didn't answer directly. If it was about terminating the contract, he could just say it over the phone; there was no need to waste his time.

"Yes, let's have dinner together." Manager Li's voice was very calm.

I thought for a while before answering, "Okay."

Since he invited me, I didn't think it was appropriate to refuse. Maybe he was too embarrassed to tell me about it directly and was probably considering my situation.

Despite the unsightly scars on my face, I immediately got dressed and chose a more formal outfit.

I had just opened the security door when Xiao Wu came out of the room...

"Lin-ge, where are you going?"

I held the doorknob with one hand and replied, "Manager Li called and asked me to go out for dinner. He's probably going to terminate the contract, but he can't bring himself to say it over the phone, so he's giving me a way out."

"Why don't you take me with you? I haven't had a decent meal in days."

I looked at his appearance. Not only had he dyed his hair back to black, but he had also cut it short. Compared to before, he was much cleaner and looked like a person.

"Okay, but don't talk nonsense at the dinner table," I instructed him.

"Don't worry, after following you for so many years, don't you know me?"

"I'm talking about the wound on my face. If Manager Li asks about it, don't say it was the woman Pei Shi Yu who scratched me."

"Why?"

"If this deal falls through, there might be other projects that aren't related to the Pei family that I still have a chance with. If he knows I offended that woman, he might not give me the opportunity for the sake of profit."

"I understand. You've thought it through pretty well."

Xiao Wu was afraid that I would leave him behind, so he went back to his room, grabbed his phone, and came out without even turning off the computer, let alone changing his clothes.

Actually, we weren't in a hurry. The agreed-upon location was nearby, so I looked at him and asked, "You're leaving the computer on?"

"I can't turn it off. The game is still doing a task."

I slapped him on the back of the head and said, "You're paying tonight."

"I don't have any money."

"What about the money I just gave you?"

"I bought the groceries and cigarettes for the past few days. A thousand yuan isn't enough to spend."

"Starting today, go find something to do yourself." I said, leaving for the elevator.