According to Su Bin’s assumptions, he thought Huang Zhengming had deliberately come to work at the restaurant as an excuse to bring up the past, seek forgiveness, or pester him persistently in hopes of rekindling their friendship.
But none of the dramatic scenarios Su Bin had imagined came to pass.
Huang Zhengming didn’t try to leverage their past relationship for special treatment, nor did he bring up their history. Whenever they crossed paths, he merely nodded politely, behaving more like a distant subordinate than someone with shared history—ironically, other employees were more attentive toward Su Bin than Huang Zhengming was.
Without interfering with Su Bin, Huang Zhengming quietly performed his duties, showing humility and diligence. He was courteous to female customers, helpful when needed, and hardworking among the male staff. When he wasn’t busy, he read books or studied English, coming across as a model example of a diligent part-time student abroad.
Even Qin Chao was impressed, praising Huang Zhengming effusively. “Your friend’s great. If he wants to stay on long-term, I think he’s worth grooming.”
This left Su Bin puzzled. Could it be that Huang Zhengming’s only purpose in coming here was to use their tenuous connection to land a job?
On reflection, Su Bin realized this behavior matched Huang Zhengming’s personality. Huang Zhengming had always been the quiet type, rarely talking in social settings. When he did speak, it was often to drop a cold joke, which counted as his way of being “sociable.”
Huang Zhengming was also a man of action. Back in middle school, if they got into a fight with bullies, Huang Zhengming was always the first to throw a punch without asking questions. When they craved instant noodles, he’d boil pot after pot with Su Bin until they couldn’t eat another bite. If he wanted to see Su Bin, he’d buckle down, ace exams, and study abroad in M City.
Su Bin even suspected that Huang Zhengming’s relationship with Chen Xiaotian might have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, made without considering the consequences.
Though Huang Zhengming didn’t try to pester Su Bin, his presence lingered like an unavoidable shadow, staying just outside the bounds of what would trigger Su Bin’s temper. Still, Huang Zhengming’s proximity constantly brought back old memories, leaving Su Bin emotionally unsettled.
Shaking his head, Su Bin tried to convince himself to treat Huang Zhengming like an old classmate he hadn’t seen in years and wait to see how things played out.
Fortunately, around this time, Jin Fei returned, providing a welcome distraction. Jin rented a house in another part of M City, just a 15-minute drive from where Su Bin lived.
However, Jin’s return meant Su Bin had to return the Audi he had borrowed. After a year of driving himself, Su Bin had grown accustomed to having a car. Without it, he planned to discuss buying a second-hand vehicle with Allen.
When Allen heard about Su Bin’s plan, he sent Robert to Roland Manor to retrieve and refurbish his grandfather’s old Plymouth as a gift for Su Bin. He even asked if Su Bin had any special requests for the car.
Playfully, Su Bin said, “Could you paint an Autobot emblem on the hood?”
Allen paused. “What’s that?”
“Transformers! Haven’t you seen it?”
Allen shook his head. “No.”
Su Bin was flabbergasted. “It’s a classic! How could you have missed it?” Allen’s childhood suddenly seemed tragically incomplete.
Pulling up a picture of the Autobot logo on his computer, Su Bin showed Allen. “I’ll download the movie this weekend, and we’ll watch it together!”
Allen agreed with a smile.
After helping Jin move into his new place, Su Bin filled up the Audi’s tank and gave it a thorough cleaning before returning it to Jin. Jin was genuinely touched. This is what true friendship looks like!
“Why bother returning it? I’ll just buy a new one!” Jin declared, full of bravado.
“Can you stop being so wasteful? Why buy a new car when the old one still works fine?” Su Bin retorted.
“Alright, alright, you win, Boss Su. Wait—hold on. You gave me the car back because you’re planning to get a new one for yourself, aren’t you?”
“Not everyone’s as selfish as you!” Su Bin shot back, rolling his eyes. “I was going to buy a second-hand car, but Allen said his grandfather had an old car no one’s using, so he’s giving it to me.”
“Allen’s so stingy!” Jin scoffed. “You own a restaurant and make decent money. He could’ve just bought you a new car—B Country’s cars aren’t even that expensive.”
Midway through his complaint, Jin froze. “Wait, his grandfather’s car?”
“Yeah,” Su Bin replied.
Jin’s expression twisted. “What kind of car is it?”
Su Bin scratched his head. “Something like a… Li… Xiali?”
Jin promptly smacked the back of Su Bin’s head. “Are you serious? Xiali came out in ’97, long after Allen’s grandfather probably passed away!”
“…”
Jin started calculating. “If this car really belonged to his grandfather, it’s got to be at least 20 or 30 years old.”
Hearing this, Su Bin suddenly envisioned one of those antique luxury cars from European war films.
Su Bin’s face lit up with awkward realization, glancing at Jin for confirmation.
Jin sighed. “If it’s that kind of car, it needs constant upkeep even if it’s not being driven. Otherwise, it’s probably just a pile of rusted scrap by now.”
Su Bin reassured him, “Allen said he’d have it refurbished.”
Jin Fei frowned and muttered, “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just buy a new car? And no matter how well a car from 30 years ago is refurbished, it can’t compare to modern performance. Plus, it’s not suitable for long drives.”
Su Bin replied casually, “For long drives, there’s always Robert.”
He suddenly remembered Robert’s devastated look a few months ago when Allen told him he wouldn’t need to chauffeur anymore. After Su Bin had essentially taken Robert’s job, the poor man had been idle at home, likely cursing Su Bin’s name. This time, when Allen asked Robert to retrieve the car from Roland Manor in D City, the man had been overjoyed.
“Fair point, and Allen still has a Bentley,” Jin mused. “But if this car is from 30 years ago, there weren’t many high-end brands back then. Could it be…” Jin looked up at Su Bin curiously. “When will the car arrive? Let me check it out when it does!”
“Of course,” Su Bin promised.
It took a few days for Robert to return with the car. When Su Bin saw his “new car” in the yard, he sighed with relief. Thankfully, it looked more retro than ancient—not one of those overly ostentatious antiques.
Cautiously, Su Bin got into the car. Since it had been years since he last drove a manual, Robert patiently guided him through a couple of practice laps. Once Su Bin regained his confidence, they drove over to Jin Fei’s place, and Su Bin called him outside.
The moment Jin saw the car, his eyes widened like ping-pong balls in shock. “Holy crap! Isn’t this a ’70s Plymouth Barracuda muscle car?”
Standing nearby, Robert proudly tilted his chin and grinned. “It seems, sir, that you recognize it.”
“…It’s a sports car?” Su Bin was speechless. “Allen’s grandfather sure was stylish!”
The car’s vintage curves, shiny black hood, and deep red body made Jin Fei nearly drool. He looked as though he wanted to kneel before the car and kiss its headlights.
Then his eyes caught something odd. “Hold up—what’s this Transformers logo?”
Following Jin’s gaze, Su Bin saw the Autobot emblem on the hood and grinned. “Oh, so they really did paint it! Nice touch!”
Jin stammered, “Y-you asked for this?”
“Yep. Cool, right?” Su Bin said smugly.
Jin trembled violently for a moment before roaring, “You idiot!”
“…”
Jin looked like he was about to cry. Why? Of all things, why would Su Bin ruin a classic car by painting a Transformers emblem on it? To Jin, it was akin to drawing Hello Kitty on an antique masterpiece.
Since the car only had two seats, Su Bin used Jin’s car to drop Robert off and left the Barracuda with Jin to test drive for fun. Jin was over the moon, and after reuniting with Su Bin, he eagerly started lecturing about the car.
“This kind of vehicle can only be found at auctions nowadays,” Jin explained. “Just recently, there was news of a similar model being auctioned in the U.S. It sold for over two million dollars—more valuable than brand-new Lamborghinis and Ferraris.”
Su Bin chuckled awkwardly. “Ha… ha… Who was it again that called Allen stingy earlier?”
“Hmm? Who said that?” Jin asked with an innocent look.
Su Bin was at a loss for words at Jin’s shameless denial. Meanwhile, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, worried he might somehow damage the antique.
Fortunately, the car’s understated design meant most people wouldn’t realize its value unless they were car enthusiasts like Jin. This gave Su Bin some peace of mind.
The two drove to Su Bin’s experimental restaurant for afternoon tea, where Su Bin ordered a few Cantonese dim sum dishes.
Coincidentally, Huang Zhengming was on duty that day. Jin Fei’s sharp eyes recognized him immediately. “Why does that guy look so familiar?” After a closer look, he exclaimed, “No way! Isn’t that the guy you decked in front of the Hyatt back then?”
Su Bin sighed. “Your memory is too good for my liking.”
“What’s he doing here?” Jin Fei asked, still staring.
Su Bin briefly explained the situation, and Jin was impressed. “This guy’s got guts. After everything that happened, he still dared to show up and work for you—and he’s handling it all calmly without losing face. Most people would’ve cracked ages ago. So, what’s the deal? You still holding a grudge?”
Su Bin frowned. “Do I look like such a petty person to you?”
“Then why do you look so worried?” Jin asked, confused.
Su Bin hesitated before muttering, “I haven’t told Allen about this yet. He’s going to lose it when he finds out…”
Jin Fei shrugged. “If you’re not bothered, why should Allen care?”
“That’s… not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?” Jin pressed.
Su Bin sighed deeply. “Huang Zhengming hurt me in the past, and I have a feeling Allen really doesn’t like him. If he finds out I’m still in contact with this guy, he’ll be furious.”
Jin raised an eyebrow. “Why would he care? It’s not like you and Huang Zhengming have anything going on.” After a moment of thought, Jin added, “Wait, don’t tell me he’s jealous! See? I told you Allen’s petty!”
Taking a deep breath, Su Bin finally confided, “Aside from you, Cheng-ge, and a couple of others, Allen doesn’t let me make friends. He even limits my social life.”
“What?” Jin was stunned. “You’re kidding me—Allen’s that controlling?”
Su Bin said, “Do you remember last time when you asked me why the Hua Zhi Xin property turned into Boss Su’s restaurant?”
Jin Fei nodded. “Yeah, you didn’t explain it back then. Come on, tell me what happened!”
Su Bin sighed. “At Cheng Ang’s graduation party, I met the young master of Hua Zhi Xin here. It was nothing at the time, but we ran into each other again later. He seemed like a decent guy and worked in the same industry, so I thought it would be nice to make friends. But when I mentioned it to Allen, he got very angry…”
Su Bin recounted the events to Jin Fei, though he tweaked the part about the bar incident. He downplayed the tension and omitted details about William’s ulterior motives targeting Allen, fearing Jin Fei might overreact.
When Jin heard about how Hua Zhi Xin’s property eventually changed hands, he sighed. “Allen sure knows how to hold a grudge. No wonder you’re scared of telling him about your old classmate. If Allen finds out, he’ll probably tear the guy apart.”
“…” Su Bin stayed silent.
Although William’s intentions were revealed later as malicious, Allen hadn’t known this when he first forbade Su Bin from befriending him. His abruptness, coupled with a lack of explanation, had left Su Bin feeling frustrated at the time.
But over the years, Su Bin had come to understand Allen’s behavior.
“Allen doesn’t like me talking to strangers or making new friends,” Su Bin said matter-of-factly. “No matter where I go or what I do, I have to report everything to him…”
He didn’t sound like he was complaining—it was more like he’d resigned himself to the reality.
Jin Fei set down his chopsticks and gave Su Bin an incredulous look. “Why doesn’t he just lock you up somewhere and forbid you from seeing anyone altogether?”
“…” Su Bin froze, his internal monologue screaming, QAQ—That’s literally what it feels like he wants to do! How do I fix this?!
After a moment, Su Bin changed the subject. “You remember Allen has hemophilia, right?”
“Of course I remember. He even fainted at my house in Beijing a couple of years ago,” Jin Fei replied.
Su Bin nodded. “He once told me that if his condition isn’t treated, he won’t live long. Whenever his emotions get out of control, his arm starts trembling involuntarily—kind of like the way someone shakes when they’re barely holding back their anger. Afterward, he’ll lose his appetite for several days, and it takes a lot of medication before he can recover. So now that we’re together, I try to keep him happy and avoid making him upset.”
Jin Fei gave Su Bin a look full of pity. “Being with someone like Allen must feel like living in purgatory!”
“…” Su Bin’s expression darkened. Somehow, that line sounded all too familiar.
