After a two-day weekend break, You Shulang returned to work after recovering from his illness.
After being buried in the laboratory for a whole morning, I was suddenly reminded that it was lunch time.
His stomach was delicate, so he didn't dare to be negligent. He got up, changed his clothes, and walked towards the cafeteria.
Changling Pharmaceutical was originally the tertiary industry of Changling University. It was later separated, but it still rented the university's school buildings and used the cafeteria for faculty and staff.
I turned right and took the small path. After walking a few steps, I saw a person peeking and looking around.
The white suit and shiny leather shoes were rarely seen on campus, but that was not surprising. You Shulang quickened his pace and passed the man.
"Director You?"
You Shulang paused and looked back in the direction of the voice.
The man in the white suit came up to him warmly and stepped on the shadow that You Shulang had laid out in front of him. "It's really you. Why didn't you answer my call? I've been waiting for you for a long time."
At first, You Shulang wanted to frown, but he rationally suppressed the frown and said calmly, "Vice President Xue, long time no see."
In the corner of the staff cafeteria, You Shulang and Xue Baotian were sitting.
Xue Baotian's white suit was very eye-catching, and coupled with his nouveau riche temperament, he definitely attracted a lot of attention.
You Shulang pushed the plate in front of Xue Baotian and said, "The food in school is not as good as in the restaurant. Vice President Xue, please forgive me."
"I know. I don't hold out much hope either." Xue Baotian's eyes gleamed with cunning. "I just never had a meal at school before. It's new."
He picked up the chopsticks and asked again: "No tablecloth?"
Seeing You Shulang shaking his head, he let out a "tsk" and stood up to take off his suit.
You Shulang once had dinner with Xue Baotian and was deeply impressed by his pickiness and affectation. He was very selective with all the delicacies from land and sea, and would not eat much. He would complain more than he ate.
At this time, he started to eat up the soup like a whirlwind. After the last mouthful of soup was swallowed, Xue Baotian began to dislike it: "This soup is so bland, it's really average."
"Vice President Xue, do you have something to talk to me about?"
Apart from social engagements, You Shulang was reluctant to talk about business during meals, but he didn't want to spend too much time with Xue Baotian, so he led him to talk about business.
But he still didn't understand Xue Baotian. There was nothing important that could make Xue Baotian come all the way here and keep him waiting for a long time.
"Do you know that Fan Xiao collapsed?"
You Shulang drank the juice as usual.
"Yes, yes, yes, you must know. His family's matter caused such a big fuss, and you two are in that kind of relationship, how could you not know?"
You Shulang tapped the table with his knuckles a few times. Although his tone was calm, his eyes showed a warning: "Vice President Xue, please be aware of the occasion."
Xue Baotian agreed, bent down, and lowered his voice: "Then did you know that he has returned recently? He has no money at all. He has been doing sales recently, riding a broken motorcycle to go door to door. I think the clothes he has on are not enough to pay for this meal."
He tutted his tongue a few times, and on the surface he sighed, but his eyes sparkled. "He used to be so overbearing, stepping on others everywhere, and he made countless enemies. He used to have money and connections, so everyone tolerated him and respected him. Now he is nothing, and when acquaintances meet, how can he be arrogant? He is belittled and squeezed in front of others. Oh, it's true that a fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken!"
You Shulang didn't look up and continued eating his meal.
Xue Baotian didn't seem to care about the response and continued, "He went to our pharmacy yesterday and wanted to put the medicine he had on the shelves in our store."
Xue Baotian slapped his thigh and said, "I thought this opportunity had come. Things will change over time. There will be a time when you, Fan Xiao, will fall into my hands!"
"In the past, I could only act according to his mood and flatter him. When he was in a good mood, he would call me Prince. When he was in a bad mood, he would frown faster than anyone else! Now it's his turn to look at my mood!"
When someone familiar passed by, You Shulang greeted him with a smile, but the smile disappeared quickly and when it returned to Xue Baotian's face, the smile had already disappeared.
Xue Baotian took out a cigarette and before You Shulang could say anything, he said, "I know, smoking is not allowed in this place, so I'll take it, otherwise I'll be upset."
You Shulang continued to eat, and asked casually in between chewing: "You have already stepped on Fan Xiao, what is there to be upset about?"
"I wouldn't be upset if I really stepped on him." Xue Bao was unhappy, "Yesterday... I practiced it in the office yesterday, but when I really met Fan Xiao, I... I didn't dare."
Xue Baotian moved his butt and changed his posture: "You know what? He just stood there in that ragged clothes, looking at me with a smile, I felt that he couldn't hold back his fart, who knows what else he might have in mind!"
"Fuck, you drank my good tea which cost 2,000 yuan per catty, and you still said it's not as good as Director You's tea." Xue Baotian raised his eyebrows, "Director You, please treat me to a cup of tea later, so that I can also taste what good tea tastes like."
You Shulang put down his chopsticks, finished his meal, and asked the question again: "What does Vice President Xue want to talk to me about today?"
Xue Baotian was a little surprised: "Fan Xiao is back, and he is back in such a miserable state, don't you have any thoughts?"
You Shulang smiled and said, "What do you think Vice President Xue should think of me?"
"Revenge!" Xue Baotian almost slammed the table, "Didn't he force you in the first place? You couldn't do anything about him before, now is the perfect opportunity for revenge."
Xue Baotian gritted his teeth: "If my guy gets so poor that he can be bullied by others, I will fucking kill him and make him kneel on the ground and call me grandpa."
"The one from your family?"
"Ah..." Xue Baotian wanted to slap himself, "Director You, why don't you seize such a good opportunity?"
You Shulang had no idea what to do with Xue Baotian, so he just followed his words and asked, "How do you want revenge?"
Xue Baotian pointed at You Shulang from a distance while holding a cigarette: "You are just too kind. Look at Bai Sanmiao, he is trying hard to take revenge on Fan Xiao. I wonder what grudge they have against each other?"
"Bai Yupeng?"
You Shulang thought of the man sitting in the bathroom with half of his body covered in blood. It was with him that Fan Xiao teamed up to cover up the crime. That day, Fan Xiao beat Bai Yupeng half to death and earned enough favor in front of him. It was after that incident that You Shulang really got close to Fan Xiao and allowed him to enter his life as a friend.
There were always sparrows pecking at food on the windowsill of the cafeteria. You Shulang looked at them and said calmly, "Pay back what you owe. It's fair. The worst that can happen is a beating."
"A beating?" Xue Baotian sneered, "Director You is still thinking too simply. I heard that they want to kill Fan Xiao this time."
The sparrow on the window sill fluttered away, and the slender fingers curled up and clenched into a fist...
After two classes in the afternoon, the instructor called on someone to answer a question, but You Shulang, for the first time, did not give the correct answer.
The instructor joked: "Your Uncle You finally left you some room to survive."
You Shulang was the oldest in the class. At first, everyone called him Brother You in a serious manner. Later, some girl called him "Uncle" in a coquettish way, and the name spread.
You Shulang really disliked this title as it reminded him of Lu Zhen. He corrected it many times but to little avail.
He was unhappy today, and amid the laughter of the crowd, he slowly said, "Don't call me uncle from now on. I've been called that in bed before, so it sounds awkward."
The laughter died down quickly, and the whole room was silent. However, for a moment, high and low "F*ck" were heard one after another. Even the instructor, who was in his sixties, coughed a few times and ordered: "Don't call me that anymore in the future. We are all classmates. Call me classmate You."