I spent the entire morning in my office, lost in thought, my mind preoccupied with Liao Wen's situation. It wasn't until my wife called at noon that I snapped out of it.
"Honey, why is there no one at home? Where's Liao Wen? All his luggage is gone," my wife asked anxiously.
"I don't know. When I left, he went back to his room to sleep," I replied.
"Did you talk to him this morning? What did you say?" she pressed.
I hesitated for a moment but eventually told her everything that had happened in the morning.
"How could you tell him all that? Now look what's happened—he's drunk, and he's taken all his things and left. He just arrived in Yuncheng and doesn't know anyone here. What if something happens to him?" she said, her voice filled with worry.
"Don't panic. He's a grown man—it's not like he'll just disappear. Why don't you call him and ask?" I tried to reassure her.
"Look at the mess you've made. I shouldn't have let you have your way last night," she scolded before hanging up.
Rubbing my temples, I was filled with regret. No matter how much I'd tried to anticipate the consequences, I never imagined it would hurt Liao Wen so deeply.
What's done is done, and regret won't change anything. All I can do now is figure out a way to help him untangle this knot in his heart.
A few minutes later, my wife called again, and I answered immediately.
"Honey, I've called him so many times, but he won't pick up. What should I do? I'm really afraid something might happen to him." My wife grew increasingly anxious, her tone more urgent.
"I think he's just too embarrassed to face you right now. Let me try calling him," I said.
"Then hurry up and call. I'll wait for your news." With that, my wife hung up.
I immediately dialed Liao Wen's number. The call went through, but no one answered. I tried several times, but it was the same each time.
By then, I was starting to panic too, and my mind began to wander. That kid has an introverted and sensitive personality. What if he did something foolish in a moment of despair? I would truly become the guilty one.
Just as I was about to call again, Liao Wen sent a WeChat message: "Bro, I'm fine. Don't worry, you and sis. I'll come back later."
I quickly replied: "Are you sober now? Please be careful."
Two minutes later, Liao Wen replied: "I'm fine now. See you tonight."
Only then did my heart finally settle. I hurriedly called my wife back to let her know, telling her to go back to work first and that we could talk things over slowly when we met in the evening.
For the rest of the afternoon, I did nothing. I just sat in my office, rubbing my temples and reflecting deeply. What I did was truly thoughtless. Now, not only is my wife upset, but I've also ruined her image in Liao Wen's eyes and hurt a kid who saw her as his faith. I felt like slapping myself a few times.
Too restless to focus on work, I told Wang Di I was leaving early and clocked out ahead of time.
I drove to my wife's workplace and waited downstairs for her to finish. When she saw me, she got into the car with a stern face, not saying a word.
When we arrived home with uneasy hearts, Liao Wen was already back. My wife and I exchanged a glance and each let out a long sigh of relief.
Liao Wen was wearing an apron, standing by the kitchen door. He gave us a shy smile and said, "Bro, sis, I made a few dishes. You can try them in a bit."
Liao Wen seemed perfectly normal now, completely different from how he was in the morning. In contrast, my wife blushed nervously.
"You know how to cook? Then your sis and I must definitely try it," I quickly said.
"I learned while working part-time during school. I'm not very good, but it'll be ready soon. Just wait a moment." With a cheerful smile, Liao Wen turned and went back into the kitchen.
Liao Wen's behavior surprised me. I had been worried all day, but instead of breaking down as I had imagined, he seemed to have become a bit more cheerful. His speech was no longer as nervous and hesitant as before.
My wife was also puzzled and looked at me questioningly. I quickly signaled her not to say anything yet and to observe first. Then I hurriedly pulled her to the bathroom to wash our hands.
By the time we returned, seven or eight dishes were already laid out on the dining table, along with a bottle of red wine. Judging by the packaging, it probably cost around five or six hundred yuan. While not exactly expensive, for Liao Wen, who had just started working, it was still a significant expense.
Liao Wen brought the last dish to the table, quickly opened the wine, and poured a glass for each of us.
Without sitting down, he raised his glass and said, "I've already rented a place and will move out tonight. Thank you, brother and sis, for taking care of me. I'll drink first as a sign of respect."
With that, he tilted his head back and gulped down the entire large glass of red wine in a few swift swallows.
"What are you doing, Liao Wen? You were already drunk this morning. You really shouldn't drink anymore," his wife hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
Liao Wen wiped his mouth and chuckled cheerfully, "I'm fine, sis. Come on, try the dishes I made. I'm not much of a cook—I only know how to make a few things, so don't laugh at me."
As he spoke, he sat down and enthusiastically served food to me and my wife, urging us to taste it.
My wife shot me a worried look. I shook my head slightly at her, signaling her to observe a bit longer. I wasn't yet sure why Liao Wen had suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
Though still somewhat shy, he was now talkative and laughing, speaking to my wife without stuttering—a stark contrast to before. When something seems off, there's usually a reason. I simply couldn't believe that a person's personality could change so abruptly overnight.
I suspected he had either come to terms with things and let go completely, or he was putting on an act.
"This glass is for you, sis. Thank you for helping me with my work problem."
Before we had even taken more than a few bites, Liao Wen poured another full glass of wine and downed it in one go.
For someone who never drank, two large glasses of red wine had already flushed his face bright red—especially since he had already been drunk once that morning.
"Stop drinking, Liao Wen. You'll get drunk if you keep this up," my wife said anxiously, almost reaching out to stop him.
"I'm fine," Liao Wen wiped his mouth again and smiled at her.
Then he refilled his glass and raised it, saying with a grin, "I'll be relying on you and my brother for support in Yuncheng from now on. I want to thank you in advance."
Without hesitation, he downed the glass once more.
"Don't do this, Liao Wen," my wife whispered, her voice filled with concern.
Liao Wen set the glass down, leaned on the table, and took a few deep breaths before looking up with a smile. "Brother, sis, it's getting late. I won't disturb your rest any longer."
With that, he nodded at me and my wife, turned, and headed for the door. He was clearly drunk now, his steps unsteady.
"Liao Wen, wait!" my wife called out urgently.
But Liao Wen acted as if he hadn't heard her and walked straight out the door.
"Husband, it's too dangerous for him to go back alone in this state. Give me the car keys—I'll drive him home," my wife said to me quickly.
"Let's go together," I stood up immediately.
My wife shot me a glare and said irritably, "You stay home. If you go and end up saying something you shouldn't, you might upset him again. I'll just take him back and come right home."
I hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and handed her the car keys.
After all, Liao Wen's troubles had started because of my wife. Perhaps if she talked to him properly, they could finally resolve things.
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