Before I even reached the balcony, my phone rang again. It was from General Manager Li. I hesitated for a moment, then chose to stay on the line with Pei Shi Yu.

With my back to Lin Fei's family, I said, "I'm in my hometown. It'll take more than two hours to get there. Can you handle it yourself?"

Pei Shi Yu was silent for a moment before replying, "Forget it then. I'll find someone else."

After she hung up, I faced downstairs and stood there for a while. The distance was one reason, but mainly I didn't want to get involved in their family affairs. If Old Man Pei saw me, he'd probably get even more upset. Instead of solving the problem, I might just add fuel to the fire. Why bother during the New Year?

Just as I was about to return to the living room, General Manager Li called again. I immediately greeted him, "General Manager Li, Happy New Year!"

"Lin Che, where are you?" General Manager Li's tone was very anxious.

"Is it about the Pei Shi Yu family's matter?"

"You need to go see her right away. I suspect Shi Yu's father is having some kind of mental breakdown. I'm afraid he'll hurt her and Xiao Long."

"Impossible!" I said, a little puzzled.

"Shi Yu called me first. I'm out of town right now and can't get back immediately. With such a big change in the family, he's definitely under a lot of mental stress. And it's hard to find anyone free during the New Year."

I agreed with what he said earlier, but I immediately took issue with that last sentence. So, I said uncomfortably, "What do you mean I'm free? I'm in my hometown, and it'll take me several hours to get back."

"I can't even make it back today. And you should be more polite when you talk to Shi Yu. Your EQ is what maintains your relationships."

"When have I ever been impolite to her?"

"I know everything that's going on between you two. You were in the wrong to begin with. I can't control you collecting debts, but it's ungentlemanly to hit a woman."

I didn't want to rehash the past. If a quarrel started, it was because we were both at fault in our words.

"You're lecturing me on New Year's Day," I said, taking the opportunity to change the subject.

"You need to go over there and see how her father is doing. If he can't be controlled, you'll have to send him to the hospital."

"It's not that serious, is it?"

"If it wasn't serious, would Shi Yu call me for help?"

"She's asking you for help, and you're asking me for help, but you don't sound like you're asking for help at all. It's more like an order."

"Just consider it an order today. Go take a look."

He didn't give me a chance to refuse and hung up, leaving me feeling hesitant. It was a long trip, but if I didn't go, I'd feel bad, especially since General Manager Li had personally asked me. My conflicting feelings led me to call Pei Shi Yu again...

"What's the situation?" I asked as soon as she answered.

"It's nothing... we're out now."

I paused for a moment and asked, "Is your father having a mental breakdown?"

Perhaps my question was too direct. She didn't answer, only saying, "It's nothing. I'm hanging up."

Before she hung up, I added, "General Manager Li just called me. If anything happens, I'll drive back tomorrow..."

Before I could finish, Pei Shi Yu hung up.

I returned to the dining table. Lin Fei's grandfather looked at me and asked, "Just sleep here tonight. No need to go back. Lin Fei can take you to a hotel."

I smiled. Even if I wanted to go back tonight, it would be impossible. I had drunk two glasses of wine earlier, so I couldn't drive.

A family is always lively when there are children. The environment wasn't conducive to catching up with Lin Fei, especially since his family's house wasn't that big to begin with, and the whole family was there.

After dinner, Lin Fei suggested going straight to the hotel. We came downstairs and slowly strolled to a hotel not far across the street.

Lin Fei checked in and said he would stay with me tonight. When I tried to pay, he kept stopping me. After so many years, was it that he hadn't changed, or that I had changed too much? The answer was definitely the latter.

Even though we had only spent a few hours together, I felt like we didn't have much to talk about anymore. Our experiences and the lives we had lived were too different. A family-oriented man and someone who spent his days in the dazzling nightlife couldn't resonate with each other anymore. Only the time that had faded with the years was worth reminiscing about.

If I hadn't had a drink, I would have liked to go back to the village to visit and pay respects to my grandmother. Those childhood memories could never be erased.

We lay down on our respective beds with our clothes on. My eyes were fixed on the ceiling. This hotel was already the best in the county. The renovation was new, and the overall feel was that it was no more than two years old, because the lights were beautiful and also new models.

"Lin Che, we're both thirty years old. You must have a girlfriend by now, right?"

"If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't be running around here," I replied, still staring at the chandelier.

"Just find someone. As long as they're decent. My wife was introduced to me by someone. We hardly ever argue after we got married, and she gets along well with my parents."

I believed that. I had a feeling that his wife was not only family-oriented but also had an easygoing temperament. If I had to live such a mediocre life, I would rather stay single than compromise. That was the biggest difference between me and Lin Fei.

I sighed and said somewhat listlessly, "In this vast sea of people, there must be a woman who's right for me!"

"You don't live with your father?"

"Who wants to live with them?"

"I heard my dad mention last time that your mother came to see you once, and she almost got into a fight with your dad."

I immediately sat up from the bed and stared at Lin Fei, asking, "When was this?"

"When you were very young. The time your mom went to see you, your dad happened to be in the village too."

"Lin Hai is ruthless. Anyway, they've both started their own families. I won't go looking for them. It's much better to live freely on my own."

"Don't you miss her?"

"My mom?"

"Yeah. You probably don't have any memory of her, right?"

"What memory would I have? There's still a photo of her when she was young at home, though."

We talked a lot that night, and I told him about everything I had been through, including my grudges with Lin Hai and my fight with Lin Yang.

Speaking of Lin Hai and his son, I felt that things weren't that simple. They wouldn't let it go so easily. He was narrow-minded to begin with, and he was convinced that I had intentionally taken his business. How could he just let me off the hook?

I thought about a lot of things until Lin Fei, who was sleeping next to me, started snoring loudly. I looked at the time, and it was actually quite early, not even ten o'clock. According to my usual routine, this should be prime time. Even though I had changed a lot recently, I couldn't possibly fall asleep so early.

I heard a sound from WeChat. It was from Xiao Wu, and he had also sent a picture of Wen Wen having dinner with his whole family. I ignored it and put my phone under my pillow.