Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 16

The lingering scent of fireworks and firecrackers filled the air, somewhat suffocating but unmistakably part of the atmosphere that defined the very essence of the New Year, commonly referred to as the “New Year’s flavor.”

Especially for Zhou Ze at this moment, life seemed to have gained a bit more beauty.

It wasn’t a love filled with grand promises, nor was it an exaggerated notion of the world uniting, but rather it was akin to a child who usually had no pocket money finding a ten-yuan bill on the street, with no police officer passing by, and a small convenience store nearby.

After his journey through hell and switching to a new body, Zhou Ze still had many unresolved issues, both discovered and undiscovered. His personality had also changed significantly without him realizing it.

In his previous life, growing up in an orphanage, all he thought about was clawing his way up step by step, relying on his own skills and abilities. In retrospect, the reason he overlooked Dr. Lin back then might not have been solely because of how adorably awkward or unattractive she was five years ago. At that time, as a young girl, she must have been in the bloom of youth; otherwise, she wouldn’t have carefully cropped that photo and kept it in her wallet all these years.

Unfortunately, back then, he had neither the energy nor the inclination to appreciate the scenery along the way, too fixated on his own grievances, pretending to be aloof and cool, like a breath of fresh air. Now, after experiencing death and returning, he felt a sense of freedom, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Regardless of the complexities, the feeling of being secretly admired—even with the intensity of “love beyond death”—was undeniably flattering.

After calling Dr. Lin, she quickly came downstairs. She seemed a bit rushed as she took her purse from Zhou Ze’s hands, offering a smile but no thanks. At this point in their relationship, saying “thank you” felt more inappropriate than saying “sorry.”

Waving goodbye, Zhou Ze left with a retreating figure and headed back to sleep, awaiting tomorrow, with the hope that it would be even better.

Dr. Lin sensed that her husband’s mood seemed to have changed slightly, as if he felt a sense of relief.

Perhaps it was a good thing that both sides can come to terms with it. Rather than awkwardly remaining entangled, it was better to part ways gracefully and face life anew. One could only say that the world was unpredictable; Dr. Lin could never have imagined that within the shell of her husband resides another soul. It was the very man she had once admired as a young intern.

Zhou Ze called for a ride again and then squatted at the entrance of the community, smoking while watching his phone search for a driver. His phone screen kept displaying a search message, and Zhou Ze felt a bit regretful for letting the earlier driver go. He should have asked him to wait a bit longer so he could take the ride back to the bookstore.

Now, here he was, on New Year’s Eve, struggling to find a ride. After waiting for about ten minutes and smoking three cigarettes, Zhou Ze grew impatient. Standing up and stretching, he realized that while he didn’t particularly mind the cold, walking all the way back was still exhausting.

Just then, a black sedan drove by and slowed down as it approached Zhou Ze.

“Need a ride?” The driver, a round-faced, bearded middle-aged man in a black jacket, poked his head out of the window.

“Yeah,” Zhou Ze had no other choice.

“Get in, I won’t overcharge you,” the driver smiled.

Zhou Ze got in, gave the bookstore’s address, and they agreed on a price before the driver restarted the car. The vehicle was new, still exuding the scent of plastic and leather, and the interior was spotless. It was rare to see someone using a new car for rideshare services.

“That area’s pretty out of the way,” the driver handed Zhou Ze a cigarette, which he accepted.

“Yeah.”

“Do you live there?”

“My shop is there.”

“Oh, business must be tough, right?” That commercial center had long been dead, with little foot traffic, and many people were aware of it.

“You’re not local?” Zhou Ze asked.

The local dialect of Tongcheng was different from other regional dialects, almost like a different language compared to Mandarin, making it easy to distinguish.

“I’m from Rongcheng, but I work here,” the driver said, lighting a cigarette. “Go ahead and smoke, don’t be shy.”

Zhou Ze also lit the cigarette, took a puff, and frowned slightly. The smoke was faint and didn’t taste quite right.

“You’re not going home for New Year’s?”

“My wife and kids are fine back home. I figured I’d stay here and make some extra money,” the driver flicked ash out the window. “I’ve got four kids.”

“That’s impressive,” Zhou Ze remarked.

“It’s tough, though.” The driver smacked his lips. “My wife’s first two pregnancies were both boys. I wanted a daughter, but the third one was another boy. Luckily, the fourth was finally a girl, and now I’m satisfied.”

“That’s great,” Zhou Ze agreed, took another puff of his cigarette, and then tossed it out the window. The smoke was so mild, it felt like he was smoking paper.

“I’m not old-fashioned, and it’s not like I prefer sons over daughters. I just really love kids and wanted a bigger family, haha.” The driver became more talkative when it came to his children.

“I still haven’t paid the fine for my youngest. I’ll have to take care of it before school starts and get the household registration sorted. By the way, what kind of store do you run?”

“A bookstore.”

“How’s business?” The driver asked bluntly, touching on a sore topic.

“Not great.”

“Figures. These days, people can just buy books online, and with discount coupons too.”

Ahead, there was a car accident, and the traffic police had set up barriers. A four-lane road had been reduced to one lane, but fortunately, there weren’t many cars on the road this late on New Year’s Eve, so the delay wouldn’t be long.

“Getting into an accident on New Year’s, that’s pretty unlucky,” the driver remarked, exhaling a puff of smoke. His tone sounded somewhat authoritative, with a hint of criticism.

Zhou Ze leaned back in his seat, finding a more comfortable position before asking, “Is this car new?”

“Yeah, my son bought it for me.”

Zhou Ze smiled, “How old are you, and how old is your son?”

“Hehe.” The driver squinted his eyes, “My son is doing well. In this day and age, ambition isn’t determined by age. As long as you have hands, feet, and a brain, and you don’t have a life full of misfortune, why shouldn’t you succeed?”

“That’s true,” Zhou Ze nodded in agreement.

Beep beep… Beep beep…

A car behind seemed to be in a hurry to get home, honking its horn frequently, urging the car in front to move along quickly.

From behind came the frequent blaring of car horns, as impatient drivers urged the line to move faster.

“Honking like crazy! What’s the rush?” the driver muttered irritably, poking his head out of the window to yell back at the cars behind them.

The honking only intensified, as if to provoke him.

“Hey!” The driver feigned getting out of the car, ready to confront the other drivers.

Just then, the traffic police signaled for their lane to move forward, and the driver, a bit sheepishly, sat back down and resumed driving.

“Business is rough today,” the driver lamented. “Should’ve just gone home to see the wife and kids.”

“It’s not too bad,” Zhou Ze muttered noncommittally. He had noticed the noodle shop next to his store was still doing decent business—competition had taken a break for the holidays, and even with lower demand, business had picked up a bit compared to usual.

Especially considering how long he had waited just to get a ride.

“It’s tough, though,” the driver shook his head. “I can’t afford to take time off. I’ve got kids’ tuition to cover, sending money home every month. I work all day and then drive at night for extra cash. Life’s dull like that—can’t even afford better cigarettes.”

These cigarettes of yours… are probably fake, Zhou Ze thought, as he pulled out one of his own cigarettes, rolling it between his fingers.

“But it’s not all bad. Now with the internet I can video call my wife and kids before bed. It’s comforting to see them.” The driver’s face showed a relaxed expression.

Zhou Ze closed his eyes slightly. He wasn’t tired, but he wasn’t in the mood to chat either.

Even without Zhou Ze’s engagement, the driver kept talking—about naming his kids, their schools, his parents, his hometown traditions—anything to fill the silence. After all, spending New Year’s alone in a strange city made for a lonely experience.

In the end, Zhou Ze just leaned his forehead against the car window and urged, “Master, please drive faster.”

The driver was going excruciatingly slow—barely 30 kilometers per hour—on an elevated expressway, no less.

Zhou Ze even wondered if the driver was just feeling lonely, which is why he was deliberately driving slowly to chat with someone, but Zhou Ze had no interest in being his listening ear.

“Hehe, it’s a new car, and I’m not too familiar with it yet, so I prefer not to drive too fast,” the driver said, fondly touching the steering wheel. “Though this car is inexpensive, it was a gift from my eldest son, and I want to treat it with respect and care.

I plan to use this car for my business for a few years, until my eldest son finds a partner. At that point, I hope to help him secure a home, even if it’s just something modest for now. I don’t want my older son to be burdened with caring for the younger ones. It wouldn’t be fair to him. After all, I was the one who decided to have more children. As long as I am able to work and earn a living, I’ll grit my teeth and carry on. I’m not someone who shirks responsibilities, and I would never just have kids without providing for them.”

Zhou Ze frowned slightly, feeling a growing sense of irritation. He lit one of his own cigarettes and took a drag.

“Master, really, I beg you, please go faster.” Zhou Ze was starting to miss the cold of his freezer and regretted not asking Dr. Lin to give him a ride home.

“Relax, young man. It’s the New Year, after all, and fate has brought us together. There’s no need to rush. I understand, I understand, I’m an experienced driver…”

Zhou Ze flicked the ash from his cigarette, but it accidentally missed the window, landing on the inside of the car door.

Immediately, the spot where the ash fell burned through, leaving a thumb-sized hole in the door, and the cool wind from outside kept blowing in through the small hole with a whoosh.