Ambiguity

Time quickly passed into the evening. Wang Yan arrived at the restaurant he had agreed on with Gu Jia ahead of time. As the host, how could he let his guests wait?

Wang Yan told the staff that their party consisted of two men, one woman, and a child, and asked them to make the arrangements. Leave such matters to professionals, and they would handle everything clearly.

Before long, Gu Jia's family of three arrived.

Wang Yan was seated in the private room. When he saw the three of them enter, he rose to greet them. "Mr. Xu, we meet again. The two of us will have to have a good chat later."

"Of course, of course. Mr. Wang, please don't be so polite. My name is Xu Huanshan. Just call me Huanshan."

Wang Yan said, "Haha, all right. Let's all stop being so polite. I'm Wang Yan. Just call me by my name."

As he spoke, he looked toward Gu Jia. "Come on, Gu Jia. Ziyan, you should sit down too."

Wang Yan called over a waiter and ordered some tea. He had already given instructions beforehand, so the dishes began coming out as soon as the three of them arrived.

Once everyone was seated, Wang Yan said, "I heard this restaurant was pretty good and had a decent reputation."

"This is my first time here too, so I just let them make the arrangements. Don't hold it against me if anything isn't to your liking."

Xu Huanshan said, "You're too polite, Wang Yan. How could we criticize you? The food doesn't matter that much. The main thing is that we're making friends."

Gu Jia took care of the child while replying to him.

The dishes came at a reasonable pace. They had barely finished drinking tea and chatting when the food arrived.

How could a meal have food without alcohol? This spread of Chinese dishes had to be paired with liquor. Otherwise, something would always feel missing.

Wang Yan brought out two bottles of Wuliangye. He did not use the tiny liquor cups, which were no fun, but instead used stemmed glasses. He poured a glass for Xu Huanshan and himself. He had not planned to pour any for Gu Jia, since she still had to look after the child. Unexpectedly, Gu Jia was also good at keeping up appearances and insisted on having a glass. Wang Yan made a token effort to dissuade her, then poured her a smaller one.

"Come, let me propose a toast. To celebrating our gathering today, and to celebrating our acquaintance."

Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan both raised their glasses. The three clinked glasses and drained them in one go.

"Dig in, dig in. See how it tastes."

Wang Yan warmly urged them to eat.

After eating for a while, they chatted about various idle matters. After clinking glasses with Xu Huanshan, Wang Yan asked, "I still don't know what you two do for a living."

Xu Huanshan answered, "Our family makes fireworks. We take on all kinds of celebration events and the like. Gu Jia is a full-time housewife who stays home to take care of Ziyan."

"Oh, I see. I'll see if any of my friends need fireworks later and introduce them to you."

Although they had no idea whether he could actually help, the couple still thanked him repeatedly.

While looking after the child, Gu Jia asked, "Wang Yan, I heard from someone in property management that you work in finance? What exactly do you do?"

Gu Jia was fairly observant. She had only mentioned that the property-management staff told her Wang Yan worked in finance.

A development like Junyue Mansion had very strict management. If the property staff had been careless enough to gossip and Wang Yan made an issue of it, those few busybodies would all be in trouble.

Wang Yan guessed that the people from that time had probably mentioned it, and that she had later asked Zhong Xiaoqin about it.

"Nothing special. I just trade stocks and things like that. If you ever have any questions in that area, you can ask me."

Wang Yan did not spout any nonsense about how they could invest money with him. Speaking too deeply with people one barely knew had always been a major taboo. Saying such things would make him sound like a con artist, which would not be good.

He had no intention of helping Gu Jia yet.

After all, this fictional world was a real world to Wang Yan. The people here had flesh and blood, and thoughts of their own.

The conflict between Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan was partly caused by Gu Jia's domineering personality, and partly by the things she had experienced after moving to Junyue Mansion.

If he made everything go smoothly for Gu Jia and the two of them became even more loving, what would Old Wang have to do with it?

No matter what, he had to wait until Xu Huanshan met Lin Youyou before he could make his move.

For now, his main task was to ingratiate himself subtly and establish himself in Gu Jia's heart.

Therefore, Wang Yan did not hold back at the table. His witty remarks came one after another, keeping the atmosphere lively. There was none of the awkwardness that usually came with making conversation at a first meeting.

How could Xu Huanshan's alcohol tolerance compare with Wang Yan's? After half a jin, the alcohol was clearly going to his head. Under Wang Yan's deliberate guidance, Xu Huanshan had already thrown an arm around him and was calling him his brother.

At the same time, Wang Yan did not forget his primary target and did not neglect Gu Jia in the slightest.

He also showed extreme fondness for Xu Ziyan, giving him the right to converse as an equal. Children had little presence, so they especially wanted to show themselves and be recognized.

Children were highly sensitive, and Xu Ziyan sensed that Wang Yan was different. He called him "Uncle Wang" over and over, with exceptional warmth.

If one wanted to approach a mother who loved her child more than life, starting with the child was definitely the most efficient method. Wang Yan guaranteed that after returning home, Xu Ziyan would mention him whenever he had the chance.

Gu Jia could clearly feel how happy Xu Ziyan was. Normally, getting him to eat was difficult, but he had already eaten two bowls today.

Watching the two men with their arms around each other and spouting nonsense, Gu Jia clearly sensed the enormous difference between Xu Huanshan and Wang Yan.

She had never met anyone like Wang Yan in her life.

His looks were ordinary, but he had a pair of expressive eyes. His back was always ramrod straight, and his words made people feel as if they were bathing in a spring breeze. Sometimes, a few casual remarks from him could make people think deeply. At times, an inadvertent glance from him seemed to reveal a crouching tiger, yet when she looked carefully, everything was normal again. He gave off an extremely mysterious feeling.

By comparison, Xu Huanshan was hopeless.

He could never control his emotions. In Gu Jia's eyes, he sometimes had nothing but a child's temper. He was stubborn and obstinate, naive about the world, ignorant of human relationships, and clueless about how things worked.

Being with Xu Huanshan mostly meant Gu Jia lowering herself to accommodate him.

If only Huanshan were more like Wang Yan.

Without realizing it, she pieced the two men together into the Xu Huanshan she ideally wanted.

As she thought about it, she became absent-minded.

Xu Ziyan was eating heartily. When he failed to hear Gu Jia say anything for a long while, he tugged at her. "Mommy, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Xu Ziyan's movement brought Gu Jia back from her wandering thoughts. She saw that Xu Huanshan and Wang Yan, alerted by the noise, were both looking at her.

Meeting Wang Yan's gaze, Gu Jia remembered what she had just imagined and felt her face grow warm. However, she had drunk some alcohol, so no one could tell.

She explained, "Nothing. I just spaced out for a moment." After glancing at Wang Yan, she continued coaxing the child.

Looking at the beloved child born of her love, she remembered the sweet memories she had shared with Xu Huanshan.

No matter what he's like, he's still the person I love most in this life. I love him just as he is.

Gu Jia reaffirmed herself and gave herself a little encouragement.

Yet she could not help developing a favorable impression of this humorous, witty, well-mannered, dignified, and exceptionally intelligent man. Her favorable impression of him shot upward.

Wang Yan noticed the way Gu Jia looked at him after speaking and understood everything. As the saying went, one did not fear a lack of knowledge, only comparison. The result was obvious. What kind of person was Old Wang? Could he really be compared with just anyone?

The meal lasted several hours, and Wang Yan and Xu Huanshan had been drunk for quite some time.

Wang Yan could not claim to be unaffected, but he was still clearheaded. He put on the appearance of a hopeless drunk. An ordinary person would be done for after drinking two jin, so Gu Jia did not suspect that he was pretending.

Xu Huanshan, on the other hand, was genuinely finished. His limit was seven or eight liang, but Wang Yan had poured a jin and a half into him, and he had long since lost consciousness. Wang Yan had drunk more than Xu Huanshan. Drinking people under the table was mostly a mutual suicide attack. He had drunk about two jin.

The two men supported each other by the shoulders, muttering incoherent nonsense. They staggered toward the exit, taking three unsteady steps for every two normal ones.

This left Gu Jia in a difficult position. She had to care for the child as well as Xu Huanshan and Wang Yan.

Of course, she mainly took care of Xu Huanshan. She left Wang Yan to the staff.

Since they both lived in Junyue Mansion, Gu Jia could not possibly let Wang Yan return alone. She found a designated driver, put the two drunks in the back seat, and returned to Junyue Mansion with Xu Ziyan in the passenger seat.

When the property staff on duty saw Gu Jia with two drunks and a child, two of them thoughtfully came over to support Wang Yan and Xu Huanshan.

Gu Jia first took Xu Huanshan and the child home and had the nanny look after them. She then followed the property staff as they took Wang Yan to the eighteenth floor. She was not at ease leaving him alone. If anything happened to Wang Yan, they would surely bear some responsibility, and that would be troublesome. Besides, she had a very favorable impression of this new friend.

When she reached the eighteenth floor with the property staff, she was stumped by the smart lock on the front door. Although the smart lock had a keyhole, since it was smart, who would bother carrying a key when going out?

She asked the nearby property staff if they had any solution.

They said there was nothing they could do. They could only wait for Wang Yan to wake up or call a locksmith.

Gu Jia had no better idea. She could only send the property staff away first, then support Wang Yan and ask him for the password.

Old Wang was quite crafty. Seeing that only the two of them remained while he was supposedly drunk, he could not let the opportunity pass. He smacked his lips, let his body go limp, and staggered backward until his back hit the wall. Leaning against it, he slid downward.

Gu Jia could not simply watch Wang Yan lie on the floor. She hurried over and struggled to hold him up.

With something to lean on, Wang Yan naturally wrapped an arm around Gu Jia's shoulder and half leaned against the wall, stopping himself from sliding further.

Feeling the warmth of Wang Yan's hand around her shoulder, the weight pressing against her, and the muscles brushing against her body, Gu Jia's delicate frame shuddered and stiffened.

After adjusting to it, she patted Wang Yan. "Wang Yan, wake up. We're home."

"Wake up, Wang Yan. We're home. Open the door."

Wang Yan raised his head groggily and looked at Gu Jia, then at the front door. He released Gu Jia, staggered upright, and walked to the door, trying to enter the password.

He pressed at it for a long while. Sometimes he hit the wrong key, and sometimes he pressed outside the password area altogether.

Gu Jia could only watch anxiously, utterly exasperated.

She went over to support Wang Yan and coaxed him. "Wang Yan, tell me the password. I'll open it for you."

Hearing this, Wang Yan turned and stared at Gu Jia with unfocused eyes. "Who are you?"

Before Gu Jia could answer, he immediately steadied himself, rubbed his eyes, and suddenly realized who she was. Slurring, he said, "Oh, Gu Jia."

After a pause, he said, "Since you're here, help me take a look at my front door. It keeps hiding from me and won't let me into my home." As he spoke, he did not forget to sway his body twice.

Gu Jia was both amused and exasperated by Wang Yan's childlike words. She asked again, "What's the password? Tell me, and I'll open it for you."

Wang Yan recited a string of numbers.

Gu Jia supported him to the other side so that he would not block the door.

After entering the password and opening the door, she looked back at Wang Yan and found him leaning against the wall with his head drooping again.

She shook her head helplessly, stepped forward, draped one of Wang Yan's arms over her shoulder, and struggled to support him into the apartment.

It seemed that everything became easier after the first time. At first, she had held Wang Yan by the arm. After Wang Yan had pulled this stunt, she naturally let him place his arm over her shoulders.

Once inside, Gu Jia was stunned by what she saw.

Few people would be crazy enough to leave only two rooms and demolish everything else except the kitchen. The area was over two hundred square meters, completely open and exceptionally spacious.

Paired with the understated yet distinctive, unique yet naturally harmonious decor, the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, the ornaments dividing the spaces, and various indoor landscapes, it had an entirely different kind of impact.

Gu Jia was dazzled.

She had never seen or even imagined a decorating style like this. It gave her a little more insight into Wang Yan.

The bedroom was easy to find. There were only two rooms: one study and the other a bedroom.

Supporting Wang Yan to the bedroom, she tried to lay him on the bed.

Taking advantage of the moment, Wang Yan pulled Gu Jia down with him. With a cry of "Ah!", Gu Jia fell onto him.

Lying on Wang Yan's chest, hearing his strong heartbeat, feeling the contours of his muscles, and seeing his face so close, she felt her body grow somewhat weak.

After lying there for a while and regaining her composure, she braced herself against Wang Yan's powerful chest and stood up.

She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and brought it over to feed Wang Yan. Then she laboriously adjusted his posture, laid him down properly, and covered him with a blanket.

She did not undress Wang Yan. As another man's wife, doing so would clearly be inappropriate. Besides, her heart was filled with her husband and son. She could not do anything that betrayed them.

Gu Jia looked around Wang Yan's home, taking a general look at the layout and decor. She was genuinely curious.

Afterward, she returned to the bedroom and stood by the bed, watching the sleeping Wang Yan for a while. No one knew what she was thinking.

After coming back to herself, she confirmed that Wang Yan was fine and turned to leave.

She had to go back and take care of her husband and son.

When he heard the door close, Wang Yan opened his eyes and sat up.

He walked to the balcony, lit a cigarette, looked out at the night view, and thought about what had happened that evening.

Whether anyone wanted to admit it or not, he was rather impressed by his acting. He had played a drunk remarkably well.

This was mainly thanks to his experience. Before he had acquired the system, his body had not been as strong as it was now. Whenever he drank heavily, he had gotten completely wasted. He knew that state intimately and had the drunk act down perfectly. There was nothing more to say—life had put him through it.

After the ambiguity just now, he did not know about anything else, but there was absolutely no problem with the physical aspect. Wang Yan had clearly felt Gu Jia tremble when she lay on his chest, along with a faint excitement.

Wang Yan was certain that Gu Jia would not sleep well tonight. So what if married women were not lustful?

This time, Wang Yan had established himself in Gu Jia's heart. From now on, he only needed to show his face in front of her more often.

Xu Huanshan had been led around by the nose by Wang Yan, yet the fool was still calling him his brother. He had no idea that Wang Yan's objective had been clear from beginning to end: to play Old Wang, who loved married women and intended to pursue his wife.

Wang Yan still had some principles and was afraid of affecting his future prospects. If he had taken advantage of the opportunity just now, then he would have done so. Gu Jia would only have struggled symbolically a couple of times.

After finishing his cigarette, Wang Yan stopped thinking about useless things. He drank a glass of water, returned to bed, and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Gu Jia returned home.

Xu Ziyan was already asleep. Children became drowsy easily. If he had not been sensible and unwilling to trouble Gu Jia, he would have fallen asleep at the restaurant.

The nanny was taking care of Xu Huanshan. He had just finished vomiting and was throwing a drunken tantrum, rambling incessantly.

Gu Jia told the nanny to go to bed, took off Xu Huanshan's clothes, wrung out a wet towel, and wiped his body, hoping to sober him up a little.

After a great deal of fuss, she settled Xu Huanshan in bed, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

Just as Wang Yan had expected.

Listening to the snoring beside her, Gu Jia could not sleep because thoughts of that evening left her restless and confused. She tossed and turned, unable to quell the agitation in her heart.

Gu Jia simply stopped thinking about matters between men and women and began pondering Wang Yan instead.

People were afraid of overthinking. Once she started, she unconsciously began comparing him with Xu Huanshan.

The result was obvious. The more she compared them, the more hopeless Xu Huanshan seemed. He fell short in every way.

Women loved to let their imaginations run wild. Gu Jia began to feel that everything about Xu Huanshan was a problem. Many of his usual minor faults became magnified, and old arguments began resurfacing. The more she thought, the more unbearable Xu Huanshan seemed.

Fortunately, Gu Jia was a strong woman who could accommodate Xu Huanshan.

Gu Jia got up and took a cold shower, suppressing the resentment in her heart. Rationally, she told herself not to think about useless things, but after tossing and turning for a long while, she eventually fell asleep.

And that was marriage.