Taming the Fierce Hound | Chapter 38 | The Banquet Encounter | Novela.app

"That's enough. Any more and I'm afraid you'll drop dead." Chen Bai confiscated Si Jiang’s game and stuffed it into the cabinet. He instructed him to go to sleep immediately, regardless of whether he actually could. Choosing to spend time with his girlfriend instead, he left Si Jiang alone. The room returned to a hollow silence, broken only by the flickering images on the television screen. Si Jiang sat where he was, head bowed, his fingers slowly tightening their grip on his knees. It was too quiet. He suddenly sprang up, ran into the bedroom to grab a pillow, placed it at the foot of the sofa, and curled into a ball. He buried his face in the grey fabric, as if searching for a scent that had long since dissipated. His temples throbbed violently. A migraine crawled along the side of his head like a centipede, gnawing away at his vitality. Si Jiang felt like a fish that couldn't swim, slowly sinking into the earth, his limbs feeling both heavy and eerily weightless. His phone chimed with a specific ringtone. He opened his eyes, his pupils shifting to stare at the glowing screen. *“Something came up. Not coming.”* The contact name was "Liar." Si Jiang typed mechanically: *“Why? You said you could come.”* *“Overtime.”* Overtime. What kind of overtime does a junior intern have? It was just a job... was it that important? He was driven nearly mad by the wait. If Zong Yan hadn't promised him that she might come tonight, he would have already started looking for his own way out. She wasn't coming. Fine. If she wasn't coming, then she wasn't coming. Who cared? "Oh." Si Jiang walked to the medical kit, pulled out a bottle of pills, and roughly poured them into his hand. Without checking the dosage, he swallowed them dry, forcing them down with a gulp of saliva. "Ugh..." He nearly gagged. But forcing down medication had become a daily routine over the past year. Si Jiang thumped his chest hard twice, finally getting the tablets down. Tossing the bottle aside, Si Jiang returned to the floor by the sofa, lay on the pillow, and closed his eyes. It wasn't as if he couldn't survive without Zong Yan. Half an hour later, he angrily hurled the pillow away. Five minutes after that, he retrieved it, clutching a corner of the pillow as if it were a mortal enemy. He hated her so much... As his consciousness blurred with the resentment in his heart, a faint, ethereal drowsiness finally took hold. However, it wasn't long before his phone rang again. "Hello." "Si Jiang, where are you right now?" It was his mother's voice. "At home. Sleeping," Si Jiang replied mechanically. "Sleeping in the middle of the day? You have no ambition at all. Hurry up and change your clothes, fix yourself up, and come to the Shenlong Hotel. There’s a banquet tonight." Mrs. Si sounded dissatisfied. "Make sure you look presentable. There’s an important guest I want to introduce to you." "I—" Si Jiang started to speak, but the message had been delivered, and she hung up briskly. He had been back in the country for a short while now. This was the first phone call his parents had made to him. There were no pleasantries, no greetings, and no concern—only the usual business. Yet, for once, Si Jiang didn't feel the disappointment he would have felt before the "earthquake." Expressionless, he set the phone aside and climbed off the floor. The sudden change in posture made his vision go black, and he nearly collapsed. But he steadied himself. Like a puppet, he moved toward the bedroom one step at a time. If one had to care about so many people, about other people's feelings... if one had to care why those who should love him never gave it, why he never had the family life that ordinary people enjoyed, or why the person he once trusted with his whole heart had cruelly abandoned him... then living would be far too exhausting. Si Jiang felt as though his mind and body had split apart. His reason floated gently into the air, looking down coldly at his own physical form. In this moment, he could no longer feel the pain or sorrow his body carried. Go, Si Jiang. This is how you were meant to be. *** Glasses clinked amidst light laughter and pleasant conversation. The grand hall on the top floor of the Shenlong Hotel was a venue reserved exclusively for the elite. This banquet had drawn people from all walks of life across the city, all gathered for a single goal: the bidding for the prime suburban land. Zong Yan tugged uncomfortably at her dress and sighed. How on earth did she end up in a place like this? Yesterday, when she reported to BuildBest, the HR representative took her to the design department and pushed open the supervisor's office door. Before Zong Yan could even say hello, a folder was tossed at her. "This. Fix it." The familiar voice made her eyes widen. "Teacher?!" It was actually the grumpy old man who had been in contact with her online for the past year—the one who had trashed her work as being worse than dog shit while guiding her through revision after revision. "What are you shouting for? Don't waste time. You have one hour to find the areas that need changing." The teacher didn't even look at her. He didn't even tell her where her desk was before diving back into his work. The HR rep was clearly used to this. She smiled and settled Zong Yan at a desk near the office, telling her to reach out if she had any questions. Zong Yan nodded and thanked her. Without even getting to know the others in the office, she was forced to start revising the drawings. That was one thing. But the next day, near closing time, a familiar, haughty figure suddenly entered the design department. Before going into the office, he glanced at Zong Yan. Zong Yan greeted him, "Mr. Li." Li Zeqi nodded, showing little reaction. They had met several times before at Wang Yao’s martial arts gym. This job had been recommended by Li Zeqi; in fact, come to think of it, she had met her teacher through him as well. For some reason, Wang Yao’s mischievous face popped into Zong Yan’s mind: *“Little Zong Yan, isn't your big sister’s network impressive?”* At the thought, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "Can't you just take anyone with you?" An argument seemed to be breaking out in the office. "I'm busy. I have no interest in some banquet." Zong Yan and the other colleagues were all drawn to the commotion. "But the design department needs a representative this time. It would be best if it were you." "I told you, I don't have time!" The man in his fifties stomped out huffily. He scanned the room and finally pointed a finger at Zong Yan. "Her. She’s the idlest one here. Take her with you." Li Zeqi: "...Elder Yan, don't be difficult." Zong Yan: "Huh?" "It's settled. Stop nagging. Hurry up and haul her out of here, get her changed, and don't bother me with the rest." Li Zeqi looked at Zong Yan. Zong Yan: "...Is there overtime pay for this?" "No." Li Zeqi rolled his eyes, sighed, and accepted reality. "Come with me." Fortunately, she wasn't responsible for socializing; she only needed to be a quiet accessory. Li Zeqi appeared aloof, but his social skills were excellent, and he engaged effortlessly with the guests. "Just pay attention to any information regarding the land plot." That was Li Zeqi's only requirement for Zong Yan. Since it was still the socializing phase and the real business hadn't started, Zong Yan was happy to relax. She held a glass of champagne, having spent half an hour sipping it without finishing. Until a late arrival pushed open the doors of the hall and strode inside. His short, silver-gray hair was swept back. His tie was done up so tightly it looked as if he were trying to suffocate himself. The expensive, slim-fit suit he wore looked as though it had been molded to his frame. "Isn't that the only son of the Si family? Didn't he go abroad?" "I heard he came back recently." "No wonder. Mrs. Si has been chatting with Mrs. Lyu all evening. Looks like they're aiming for a marriage alliance." Zong Yan drained the last of her wine, watching that face from a distance—a face that couldn't hide its utter exhaustion. *Has he not slept at all?* | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 骗子 | Liar | The contact name Si Jiang has for Zong Yan. | | 神龙大酒店 | Shenlong Hotel | The venue for the banquet. | | 联姻 | Marriage alliance | A political or business-motivated marriage between families. | | BuildBest | BuildBest | The name of the company where Zong Yan is interning. | | 晏老 | Elder Yan | Zong Yan's supervisor/mentor at BuildBest. | | 李泽奇 | Li Zeqi | A character who recommended Zong Yan for her job. | | 吕夫人 | Mrs. Lyu | A lady at the banquet, potentially involved in the marriage alliance. |