Which way to go is the road?

Chapter 32 Loving Silently

The thug who was knocked unconscious by the lucky cat was examined at the hospital and found to have a mild concussion; nothing serious, much to their unnecessary worry. In the end, the three thugs were detained for disorderly conduct, while Lao You and his friends acted in self-defense and suffered no serious consequences, so they were not punished.

The only thing that worried Qian Luomei and required some effort was what Dazhi said to her when she was leaving.

"These three thugs are no problem, but they have a big thug behind them. He's pretty notorious in this area, and he leads a bunch of thugs. I'm worried they might come and cause trouble at your internet cafe. As for us police, unless something serious happens, we really can't do anything about them!"

"What should I do? I can't just close my internet cafe, can I?" Qian Luomei was very upset.

"Of course we should open it! I'm just discussing a solution with you, don't rush!"

"Here's what we'll do. I'll have someone pass a message to that old bastard. Also, he should spend more time with you these days. If he listens, great; if he doesn't, deal with him too! Anyway, we're cracking down on organized crime right now, so we'll take down as many as we can!"

"Why are you police officers passing on messages to thugs? Are you colluding with criminals?" Qian Luomei asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow as she swayed her body with her hands in her pockets.

"What are you talking about? Didn't I tell you? We police are helpless too! Everything requires evidence. Even if we don't catch you in the act, we need a murder weapon and physical evidence! I'm only doing this because I'm worried about your safety. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with those bastards!" Dazhi said earnestly and patiently.

"Okay, I know what's good for me! But haven't you been neglecting your work by coming to my place so often lately? Maybe it's better to just forget it and call me if I need anything."

"It's alright, protecting the person involved is also our job! My visit will at least show them that we are paying attention to this matter and protecting this person! Maybe then they won't dare to act rashly!"

"Thanks a lot, Brother Dazhi! I'm always troubling you!"

"Don't mention the trouble. We're childhood friends, practically inseparable since we were little kids. That's too kind of you!"

After hearing this, Qian Luomei awkwardly put her hands behind her back and scolded, "Hey, I'm a woman! What do you mean by growing up naked! You can't even speak properly, no wonder you're still single like me!"

"Alright, stop bringing up that sore spot! Anyway, we're both single, so let's set a time, and if you're still single by then, we can just get together!"

"Okay, how about a year?"

"It's settled then. I'll buy a wall calendar later and see what day it is!"

"Take your time taking notes, I have to go, those people outside are still waiting for me!" Qian Luomei waved to Dazhi and walked out of the office!

Even after walking a long way, Dazhi was still gazing out the window until the figure disappeared at the end of the corridor!

Back at "Shuiyunjian," Qian Luomei didn't tell everyone about Dazhi's worries. Instead, she kept praising Lao You for his manliness and generosity, and also affirmed everyone's unity and solidarity in the face of adversity during the incident. The final decision was to close at 10 PM so everyone could get together—no one could be missing!

The gathering was held at "Jianghu" BBQ, but since it was winter, everyone moved into a private indoor room. Departing from her usual boisterous and unpretentious manner, Qian Luomei strictly controlled everyone's drinking, substituting red wine for beer. The slightly acidic taste didn't suit the palates of these young men and women, so even after a long time of eating, they hadn't drunk much.

Old You sat a little further inside, right next to Zhang Chu, thanks to everyone's deliberate arrangement. Although he had received treatment at the hospital, Old You's face was still covered in bruises, and he had several patches on his arms and forehead, a stark contrast to the clothes he had just bought that day. However, this disheveled and embarrassing state only served to highlight Old You's reckless and impulsive actions at that moment, deeply moving Zhang Chu.

"Hey You, I met a whole new side of you today. You're amazing! You dared to take on three people all by yourself! Before, I would never have believed you could be a hero and save a damsel in distress. Looks like the power of love really is something!"

Du Xinpeng's thoughtless and nonsensical remark left Lao You speechless, and he glared at Du Xinpeng fiercely.

"Indeed, don't let Lao You's usual carefree and easygoing nature fool you; he's very decisive when it comes to important matters. He can't just stand by and watch his sister suffer, can he? Come on, Lao You, let me toast you!"

Dong Lu eased the awkwardness among the group.

Recalling the situation, Zhang Fang pondered, "Looking at those hooligans' behavior today, I felt something was off. They didn't seem like they came to use the internet; they seemed like they came to cause trouble! Who goes online without their ID?"

"Why didn't you call the police then? That would have scared them away!" Bai Xue said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't have time. That thug came up and started bullying Zhang Chu, saying... well, it was really infuriating! I wanted to go over and kick them a few times!" Dong Lu continued.

"Then Lao You slammed his fist on the table and stood up, right? He had the same heroic air about him. But Lao You, take it easy next time. Be careful and wait for us to come over before we start fighting! We definitely won't let you suffer!" Xiang Fei said, looking like a chivalrous knight.

"Yeah, Xiang Fei is amazing! He can kick a thief face-first into the shit with one kick! But speaking of which, Xiang Fei, if you're so good, didn't you suffer quite a bit in your fight with Tian Hai last time? What happened?"

Du Xinpeng's ill-timed remark sparked a collective outcry.

"Why bring up something you shouldn't say! Du Xinpeng, I'm really surprised you haven't been beaten to death in your life!"

"Exactly, we're supposed to be united against outsiders, can't you use your brain a little? Is your head made of mush?"

"Let's team up and beat him up, and show him what it means to stand united against a common enemy!"

"..."

Seeing everyone rubbing their hands together in anticipation, Du Xinpeng quickly explained, "Don't you have any sense of humor? Seriously, I'm just trying to lighten the mood! Don't act like a shrewd judge over a meal. There's no Chen Shimei here for you to interrogate! Even if there were, who would Qin Xianglian be? Dong Lu? Bai Xue? Or Sister Luo Mei?...

"Du Xinpeng, if you say another word, I'll strangle you before they even lay a hand on you!"

When Du Xinpeng saw that Bai Xue, who was usually gentle and sweet, was also frowning, he quickly covered his annoying mouth. His weasel-like appearance caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Qian Luomei felt that Du Xinpeng's disruption was just right and timely. It wasn't appropriate for the dinner to be so serious all the time. Feeling that it was about time, she stood up with her wine glass in hand.

"Let me say a few words. Everyone here today, whether you work at 'Shuiyunjian' internet cafe or not, I consider you all my younger brothers and sisters. We may have different personalities, different looks, and different educational backgrounds—some have high school, some have university degrees—but what transcends all that is our pure friendship. Fighting and calling each other brothers in games is nothing special; true friends are those who share joys and sorrows and support each other in real life. I see that in you all today, especially Lao You. Come on, let's have a drink!"

Qian Luomei's emotionally charged speech stirred everyone's hearts, and afterwards, they stopped talking about the fight that day and took turns performing. During the performance, many people wanted to sing, but without music, they weren't satisfied. Seeing everyone's lack of enjoyment, Qian Luomei decisively announced: Let's move to a karaoke bar.

Upon entering the KTV room, Qian Luomei first assigned Xiang Fei a task: write a poem and recite it to everyone in half an hour. Xiang Fei reluctantly agreed, but he couldn't find any inspiration. At that moment, he really wished he could learn to sing right away!

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Dong Lu suddenly realized something—no one was vying for the microphone with her. Looking around, she discovered that Lao You was nowhere to be seen, and Zhang Chu was also missing. It seemed that the moment that would decide Lao You's fate had arrived, and Dong Lu silently cheered for Lao You in her heart.

Outside the private room, at the end of the corridor, a man and a woman stood by the window, one fat and one thin, one tall and one short, engaged in a simple and effective conversation!

"you love me?"

"like!"

"Why love!"

Do I need a reason?

"Don't you need it?"

"You're beautiful!"

There are many beautiful people!

"You're the only one who's beautiful and simple!"

"I attempted suicide!"

"Know!"

"I'm not a virgin!"

"There aren't many virgins cleaner than you!"

Are you sure you want to love me?

"Sure!"

"But I'm not sure!"

"Then let's wait!"

"How long can you wait?"

"It'll take longer than you expected!"

"Why don't you find someone else?"

"I'm looking for you!"

"I'm not sure I'll choose you in the end!"

"As long as the probability isn't zero!"

Why are you doing this to yourself?

"The absence of expectation and hope is even more painful!"

……

Lao You and Zhang Chu returned to the private room, just as the poetry recitation was about to begin. However, this time they divided the work: Xiang Fei only wrote the poem, while Bai Xue recited it, giving the not-so-singer Bai Xue a sense of presence in the room. The couple's partnership instantly made the poetry recitation even more anticipated.

The background music is a piano piece called "The Maiden's Prayer." The piece is lively yet gentle, tender yet tinged with sadness. One can almost hear the girl's sighs and whispers, and almost see her slightly furrowed brows and shallow dimples. As the tremolo begins, boundless pity rises from the depths of one's heart, and tears involuntarily well up in one's eyes.

To this melody, the recitation begins—"What is Love?"

A glimmer of light in the night,

Slowly approaching,

I was afraid it would go out on the way.

Not afraid of falling back into darkness,

But they worried that the ashes would extinguish their hope.

--------------

A withered leaf on a cold branch.

Observe from afar, appreciate in detail

I worry about its sudden fall.

Winter is coming.

At least preserve a specimen of spring.