Let Me Meet You chapter 58
An Old Friend
The N City prison was located on the border between the main city and the surrounding districts. Years ago, there was a cotton mill nearby, but after structural reforms, its performance had steadily declined, eventually going bankrupt a few years back. As a result, the prison became the primary source of income for local residents, with nearby restaurants and inns relying on prison staff and visiting families to stay afloat.
Li Xuan arrived a bit late that day, and a sparse group of people was already waiting outside the prison gates.
A young man had just walked out of the gate. After taking a few steps, he suddenly fell to his knees. An elderly woman, likely his mother, with graying hair, stumbled forward and angrily swung her cane at him. But before it could land, she let it drop and embraced him, both of them bursting into tears.
The prison guards, likely accustomed to such scenes, indifferently closed the iron gates again.
Li Xuan parked his car and prepared to head to the guardroom to make inquiries. As he glanced up, he noticed someone squatting against the wall, their head lowered, staring at the ground. Between their fingers glimmered a faint light — a cigarette butt.
Li Xuan opened the car door and got out, frowning as he called out, “Zhao Jizhe.”
Startled, the man flinched and looked up abruptly. His dazed gaze darted around before finally settling on Li Xuan. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly stood up. Having squatted for too long, his legs were numb, and he stumbled slightly before walking toward Li Xuan.
At first, his steps were hesitant and sluggish, but midway through, he quickened his pace. Just as he was about to reach Li Xuan, he slowed down again, almost instinctively.
“Nineteen.”
Zhao Jizhe stopped a couple of steps away from Li Xuan. He rubbed his hands against his pants, finally daring to meet Li Xuan’s eyes with a shy smile. “Have… have you gotten taller? You didn’t visit last month… I thought you weren’t coming anymore.”
His voice softened toward the end. After finishing, he glanced at Li Xuan quickly and then lowered his head.
Although they had seen each other through the glass in the prison visiting room, it had been nearly seven years since Li Xuan last saw him face-to-face like this. It felt unfamiliar.
Zhao Jizhe’s hair was cropped short, barely a layer of fuzz. Despite commenting that Li Xuan had grown taller, Zhao Jizhe himself had changed more. Though two years older than Li Xuan, he had been small and skinny during their childhood. When they first arrived in N City, people often mistook them for siblings, assuming Li Xuan was the older one. Now, after years in prison, Zhao Jizhe’s physique had toughened, and he stood tall, reaching Li Xuan’s brow.
Noticing Li Xuan’s gaze, Zhao Jizhe grew even more uneasy. He stiffened and, after a long pause, moved slightly, pulling down his sleeves to cover the faint scars snaking up his left arm.
“Traffic was bad leaving the city this morning,” Li Xuan said, breaking the silence.
“No problem, no problem,” Zhao Jizhe replied quickly. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say more, but hesitated.
After a moment of silence, Li Xuan took the slightly worn bag from Zhao Jizhe’s hands and tossed it into the back seat. “Get in the car.”
“Is this your car?” Zhao Jizhe asked softly as he got in.
“Buckle your seatbelt,” Li Xuan instructed. He punched in the GPS directions and turned onto a rural road. Looking back, he noticed Zhao Jizhe still holding the cigarette butt, now burned down to nearly nothing. “Throw the cigarette out. Can you even smoke in there?”
“The guards gave it to me.” Cigarettes were rare in prison, and Zhao Jizhe seemed reluctant to part with it. He fumbled with his seatbelt but eventually managed to fasten it.
“Throw it out,” Li Xuan repeated. He casually grabbed a box of Treasurer cigarettes from the console and tossed it to him.
“These must be expensive…” Zhao Jizhe mumbled, holding the gold cigarette box. He didn’t understand the English words printed on it. “Are you working now? What do you do? You never told me… Weren’t you supposed to still be studying? How’s the family that adopted you treating you…?” He hesitated before nervously adding, “Nineteen, how have you been these past years?”
Zhao Jizhe had asked similar questions during prison visits, but Li Xuan always gave brief answers. Today was no different. “Not bad,” he replied vaguely before changing the subject. “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat now?”
“I’m not hungry… Whatever you decide is fine,” Zhao Jizhe answered ambiguously, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.
“Then we’ll eat later,” Li Xuan replied indifferently. He pressed the accelerator and picked up speed.
The journey was over dozens of kilometers, and with traffic in the city, it was nearly noon by the time they reached their destination. The surrounding area was crowded with university students finishing classes.
“Is your home around here?” Zhao Jizhe asked. Perhaps unused to crowds after years in prison, he instinctively stayed close behind Li Xuan, looking uneasy.
Hearing the word “home,” Li Xuan’s mind unexpectedly conjured up an image of Sheng Min sitting in the living room reading a script. It had been nine days since they last saw each other. Glancing at his watch, he thought with a hint of self-mockery: nine days and seven hours.
“Nineteen.” Zhao Jizhe called him quietly, snapping him out of his thoughts. Startled, Li Xuan noticed how closely Zhao Jizhe was standing and subtly put some distance between them. “I rented a shop for you around here.”
“You rented a shop?” At the entrance of the internet café, Zhao Jizhe still seemed to be processing Li Xuan’s words.
“Xuan Ge!” Zhu Zhou greeted as he approached them, having waited early as per Li Xuan’s prior instructions.
“This is your boss, Zhao Jizhe,” Li Xuan casually gestured behind him.
“Hello, boss.” Zhu Zhou grinned and greeted warmly.
“H-hello,” Zhao Jizhe stammered, glancing up at the signboard and then at Zhu Zhou, clearly unsure how to react.
Sensing Zhao Jizhe’s unease, Zhu Zhou turned to Li Xuan. “Xuan Ge, have you both eaten yet? Should I order food?”
“Order something for him,” Li Xuan replied, lifting the curtain to enter. Inside, most of the computers were occupied, and the air was filled with a mix of instant noodle aromas. The ventilation fan hummed in the background, keeping it tolerable. Grabbing a napkin from the counter, Li Xuan wiped the sweat from his neck. “Don’t mind me; I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Where are you going?” Zhao Jizhe asked, tugging lightly at Li Xuan’s sleeve.
Li Xuan frowned and pulled his arm free. Addressing Zhu Zhou again, he said, “Order the food.” Then he turned back to Zhao Jizhe, “Come upstairs with me first.”
….
“The lease for this storefront is for ten years; eight are left. The rent has already been paid in full, so you don’t need to worry about that,” Li Xuan explained as he turned on the air conditioner. “Zhu Zhou handles most of the operations, along with another staff member who alternates shifts with him. You’ll meet them later. Zhu Zhou will guide you through the basic operations of the shop.”
He pulled a bank card from his pocket. “There’s 20,000 yuan on this card. The PIN is six ones. This afternoon, Zhu Zhou can show you around the area and help you buy daily necessities. Starting this month, the shop’s profits will also be deposited into this account, which should be enough for your expenses.”
Zhao Jizhe stared at him, seemingly in a daze, without reaching for the card. His expression was far from thrilled. Li Xuan placed the card on the table.
“You can live here. Zhu Zhou’s home is nearby, so he doesn’t stay here overnight. If you find it noisy or inconvenient, you can rent an apartment nearby. It shouldn’t cost much. If you’re short on cash, let me know.”
“Do you live with your adoptive parents?” Zhao Jizhe hesitated before finally speaking. “If you’re living alone, could I… could I live with you?”
“Live with me?” Li Xuan raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised.
“Is that not okay? Or… have you started dating someone? Would it be inconvenient?” Zhao Jizhe’s voice became flustered. “Xuan, do you have a girlfriend?”
Mentioning this struck a nerve, immediately bringing thoughts of Sheng Min to Li Xuan’s mind. His expression darkened, which alarmed Zhao Jizhe.
“I live at the company,” Li Xuan eventually said, turning to fetch a glass of water.
“Oh,” Zhao Jizhe muttered awkwardly. After a pause, he picked up the bank card, hesitated, and then put it back down. “Why are you giving me this shop? I don’t want it…”
“What else would I do with it? You need a means to make a living,” Li Xuan replied bluntly. “If you don’t want it, are you planning to go back to Qingshui Alley and drift aimlessly again?”
His directness stung, and Zhao Jizhe’s face turned pale.
Li Xuan sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple. “I understand you just got out and need time to adjust. This shop gives you a buffer. If you really don’t want it, you can sell it later and keep the money. The shop is yours now. But since you’re out, you can’t go back to how things were.”
Despite Li Xuan’s efforts to sound patient, Zhao Jizhe looked more distraught. After a long pause, he finally asked in a strained voice, “Does this mean you won’t care about me anymore?”
Li Xuan was momentarily stunned by the unexpected question. “What do you mean by ‘not care’? What do you want me to do?”
“You used to stay with me all the time. You’re my brother. We’re each other’s only family,” Zhao Jizhe said, his voice tinged with desperation.
“I’m an orphan with no family. So are you,” Li Xuan cut him off firmly. “And that was seven years ago, not seven days. Even real brothers have to go their separate ways as they grow up.”
Zhao Jizhe bit his lip, silent and visibly upset.
Li Xuan exhaled in frustration. “I get it—you’re struggling to adapt. This shop is just to help you through this transition. If you don’t like it, fine. Sell it. The money’s yours. We can be friends, but we both need our own lives. I have my own things to deal with, and you’ll have yours. One day, you’ll make new friends or even start a family. Do you expect me to dictate everything you do?”
“But you’re really leaving me on my own? What if I mess up again—”
“Say that again!” Li Xuan snapped, pointing at him with narrowed eyes.
Lowering his head, Zhao Jizhe fell silent.
“You’re an adult. You know right from wrong. Don’t talk about me ‘looking after’ you. You’ve always done what you wanted, and I couldn’t control you before. I certainly won’t now.” Li Xuan lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. “But let me warn you—if you go back to prison, whether it’s life or death row, I won’t lift a finger to help you. This shop is yours if you want it. If not, then leave. I owe you nothing, so don’t try to guilt-trip me!”
“Nineteen… I… I misspoke. Please don’t be mad. That’s not what I meant,” Zhao Jizhe stammered.
Li Xuan didn’t respond, taking drag after drag on his cigarette.
“I just feel like I don’t know you anymore,” Zhao Jizhe said softly. “I don’t know what you’re doing, where your money comes from… It’s like you’ve become a stranger. But when we were kids, we—”
“You already said it: we were kids,” Li Xuan interrupted, stubbing out his cigarette. “You’ve only been out a day. We’ll talk about this later. And my life is my business, just like yours is yours.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Li Xuan said, standing up. “I have things to do this afternoon. If you need me, Zhu Zhou has my number.”