Chapter Seventy-Four: Roles

The two of them sat comfortably, sipping their drinks and chatting away, showing no trace of awkwardness over what had happened earlier. It was as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred—just two old friends catching up after a long absence.

“We could be the best of friends,” Wang Ying said, raising her glass to clink it against Yang Jiekai’s.

Yang Jiekai smiled. “Yes, the very best of friends.”

With that drink, the last shadow of unease that had lingered between them after that unexpected incident melted away completely.

“By the way, what are you up to these days? Don’t tell me you’re still making a living by catching fugitives,” Wang Ying teased, her cheeks flushed with wine, making her look even more delicate and charming.

“I work as a security guard for a company now,” Yang Jiekai replied, pouring himself another drink and downing it in one gulp.

“A security guard?” Wang Ying chuckled. “That does suit you, but surely you’re not planning to do that for the rest of your life.”

Yang Jiekai gave a wry smile. “What else can I do? I have no education, no connections, and to top it off, I’m rather lazy and easygoing by nature. I honestly can’t find anything better.”

“Have you ever thought about starting your own business?” Wang Ying asked.

“Start a business?” Yang Jiekai smiled bitterly. “First of all, I have no idea what I’d want to do. Second, I don’t have any startup capital.”

Truth be told, Yang Jiekai had never considered entrepreneurship. He just didn’t see himself as that type. After all, Han Ning, who ran her own company, was always up at the crack of dawn and working late into the night. Just watching her exhausted him, and he had the self-awareness to know he could never handle that kind of life.

Besides, given his current situation, starting a business was the least of his worries. He didn’t even know if he could make it through the next few days. The changing of the season was only a few days away, which meant the next trial was upon him. He had only a few tens of thousands left—nowhere near enough for that outrageously expensive miracle pill. Without it, he had no idea what might happen.

“Would five million be enough?” Wang Ying suddenly said, taking him by surprise.

He stared at her in disbelief, and she quickly added, “If you want to start a business, I can support you with five million as startup capital. Of course, this would be a loan. You can pay me back whenever you’ve made enough.”

Hearing that number, Yang Jiekai’s hand trembled involuntarily.

Seeing his stunned expression, Wang Ying smiled and explained, “Don’t get the wrong idea. My monthly salary is just a few thousand—I’ve never taken a penny of dirty money. This is all from my family. My parents are businesspeople. Frankly, I suppose you could call me a second-generation rich kid.”

But Yang Jiekai’s shock wasn’t over how Wang Ying could have so much money. It was that number—five million. With that sum, he could survive the next trial.

His instincts told him to accept without hesitation, but upon seeing Wang Ying’s gentle smile, the words caught in his throat. Instead, he asked a seemingly random question, “Wang Ying, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” she replied, watching him with a smile.

“If a person had only a few days left to live, how should they spend them?” Yang Jiekai asked seriously.

Wang Ying propped her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. “If it were me, I’d spend those days treating everyone around me with as much care as I could.”

“That simple?”

She let out a long breath. “In truth, we only live a small part of our lives for ourselves. Most of the time, we’re playing various roles—father, husband, child, and so on.”

She glanced at Yang Jiekai and continued, “For instance, right now, I’m playing the role of your friend. Life itself is a stage where we act out different parts. The point is to play each role well. Like us now, sitting here drinking and talking, being friends to each other—only by playing each part well does life have meaning.”

“But some people lose their way entirely; for the sake of profit, they become ruthless and heartless, cutting off all ties. In the end, all they’re left with is money, and nothing else. That kind of life is the most meaningless of all.”

Wang Ying’s words washed over Yang Jiekai like rain after a drought, seeping into his very soul and bringing a sense of sudden clarity. Yes, wasn’t the meaning of life to play each of our parts well?

The idea of accepting Wang Ying’s five million quickly faded away. Suddenly, Yang Jiekai no longer feared the trial that was soon to come.

They talked late into the night. Only after walking Wang Ying to the gate of her apartment complex did Yang Jiekai finally head home.

It was already past midnight. Han Ning, Mrs. Wang, and the others had long since gone to bed. Moving with uncharacteristic care, Yang Jiekai quietly opened the door, not wanting to disturb anyone inside.

After showering, he stepped out of the bathroom bare-chested, only to run into Han Ning coming down the stairs in nothing but a thin, gauzy nightdress for some unknown reason.

Han Ning let out a startled cry at the sight of his bare torso. Normally, Yang Jiekai would have seized the chance to tease her, but this time he hastily pulled on a bathrobe and smiled at her. “It’s late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Han Ning couldn’t say why, but she sensed something different about him tonight—though exactly what, she couldn’t put her finger on. He just didn’t seem quite as insufferable as before.

“Staying up late isn’t good for your health. Don’t push yourself so hard at work—try to get to bed earlier from now on.”

With a friendly word, Yang Jiekai made to head back to his room, but just then, a rumbling sound interrupted him. Glancing over at the embarrassed Han Ning, he grinned, “Hungry, aren’t you? Sit down and wait a moment—I’ll make you something to eat.”

Han Ning wondered if she’d heard him wrong. What had gotten into this guy tonight?

“No need. There’s food in the fridge,” she replied coolly, despite her confusion.

“Too much instant food isn’t good for you. Have a glass of water and rest for a minute—it’ll be ready soon.”

With that, Yang Jiekai headed for the kitchen.

Soon, he brought out a delicate pastry and set it before her. He simply smiled, said nothing more, and retreated to his room.

Staring at the fragrant, intricate pastry and thinking of Yang Jiekai’s out-of-character behavior, Han Ning felt a strange warmth rising in her chest.

Has he gone mad today?

She tried a small bite with her fork, and a rich sweetness filled her mouth.

How could something made by this oddball taste so good?

Who exactly is this man?

Han Ning found herself growing more and more curious about Yang Jiekai. Normally, he looked slovenly and acted like a complete rogue, yet he knew fine wines, spoke dozens of languages, played piano beautifully, and cooked exquisite meals.

And just now, he’d been so attentive to her...

At this, her cheeks grew hot and she cursed herself for thinking such thoughts. She quickly finished the pastry in a few bites, then went upstairs to review some documents before finally falling asleep.

The next morning, Han Ning rose early as usual, only to find the entire house spotless. Several plates of elegant breakfast dishes were also laid out on the table.

“Mrs. Wang, how come you’re up so early today? The house is so clean! You don’t need to clean every day—just do it on weekends,” Han Ning said as she walked toward the table, pausing in surprise at the sight of the breakfast. Could it be that guy’s doing?

At that moment, Mrs. Wang came over smiling. “It wasn’t me, it was the young master. He cleaned the house too.”

“He made this?” Han Ning was taken aback.

Mrs. Wang nodded with a smile. “He was up early today. By the time I was awake, he’d already finished these. Even my own breakfast was made by him.”

“Where is he?” Han Ning looked around but could not see Yang Jiekai anywhere.

“He’s gone to work. The young master really is a good man…” Mrs. Wang was obviously delighted, having fully accepted Yang Jiekai. In all her years as a housekeeper, this was the first time she’d tasted breakfast made by one of the family.

“A good man? More like a lunatic!” Han Ning muttered, pouting. She told herself he must be up to something with all this sudden kindness.

Yang Jiekai arrived at the company early, impeccably dressed in his security uniform, greeting everyone he passed with a smile.

“Hello, Mr. Zhang, good morning!”

Seeing Zhang Hua approaching from afar, Yang Jiekai greeted him in English with a bright smile.

Zhang Hua gave him a serious nod. “Not bad, your English is improving. Later, bring Old Stick, Gongsun, and Qin Feng to my office.”

“Is something up?” Yang Jiekai asked with a smile.

Zhang Hua frowned. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

With that, he strode away, head held high.

His words were overheard by Qin Feng and the others coming up behind. Scowling, Qin Feng spat in Zhang Hua’s direction, muttering, “I can’t stand that pompous jerk. He really thinks he’s something, doesn’t he? He’s probably cooking up some new scheme to mess with us.”

“Exactly!” Gongsun Tiedan chimed in. “That idiot’s just asking for a beating.”

Yang Jiekai just smiled, saying nothing, and motioned for them to follow him to Zhang Hua’s office.

Qin Feng and the others braced themselves mentally, but as soon as they entered the office, they found Zhang Hua, for once, being uncharacteristically polite—personally pouring them each a cup of tea and inviting them to sit.

“Sorry, I don’t smoke, so I can’t offer you any cigarettes,” Zhang Hua said courteously, making them all feel a bit awkward.

Yang Jiekai maintained his calm smile. “Director Zhang, what can we do for you?”

After last night’s conversation with Wang Ying by the riverside, Yang Jiekai was reminded of her words: the meaning of life is to play each role well. With that in mind, even Zhang Hua didn’t seem so unbearable anymore.

“It’s like this. I’ve called you here today for two reasons,” Zhang Hua said. “First…”

He glanced at them. “Your security department won the sales competition this time. I’m genuinely pleased, so I petitioned headquarters to double the reward. It should be approved very soon.”

At these words, Qin Feng and the others gaped in astonishment. Gongsun Tiedan’s mouth was practically watering. Was this really the same detestable Zhang Hua?

“And second,” Zhang Hua continued with a smile, “I have a personal matter I hope you brothers can help me with. Of course, you’re free to refuse.”