She only had herself to blame for letting booze numb her nerves and making a foolish move. Sober now, she wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
Qiao Ke wasn’t discouraged by the reply. She changed her address and persisted in helping her boss.
Since the boss wanted to invite her to dinner, they needed sincerity. If once didn’t work, try twice, three times.
True sincerity could move mountains. Besides, this wasn’t just about one meal.
【Qiao Ke: Xiao Mo, you said that day you’d express your “gratitude” to President Shi properly next time we meet. Considering President Shi helped out this time, can’t you at least have a meal? It doesn’t have to be today—we can schedule around your availability.】
She hadn’t recognized Cheng Xiangxiang yesterday at the event due to her altered appearance and didn’t know if Chi Yumo’s afternoon plans with her were real or not.
Nianhua had only told her about Chi Yumo’s work schedule, mentioning that she could rest for three and a half days after the press conference, but said nothing about any personal arrangements.
Cheng Xiangxiang had recorded a VCR message for her friend and made a special trip to Lingjiang City to watch the competition. As a friend, it was only natural for Chi Yumo to accompany her sightseeing.
But President Shi had also come to Lingjiang specifically to see Chi Yumo and had helped her and Shen Muxi out tremendously. At the very least, that deserved a meal in return, right? Therefore, Qiao Ke didn’t think this “request” was abrupt or excessive at all.
Chi Yumo relented and agreed: [Tomorrow it is. You decide where and what to eat.]
She did indeed owe them some gratitude.
She typed out “I’ll treat,” then deleted it.
Dining with a peak-level big shot like Shi Youwan and saying “I’ll treat” wasn’t defending her dignity—it was disrespectful and insulting to the big shot.
Three years ago, she had already lost all dignity in front of Shi Youwan. Talking about dignity now was too late and unnecessary.
[Qiao Ke: Great. I’ll check with President Shi and get back to you.]
…
The first stop after meeting up that afternoon was a forty-minute cruise with Cheng Xiangxiang. It started in the city center and ended at a new dock near where the Lingjiang River flowed into the sea.
This cruise line was developed specifically for tourism, and it was Chi Yumo’s first time on it.
“Yumo, Lingjiang City truly lives up to being our country’s top directly-administered municipality. The buildings on both riverbanks are so grand,” Cheng Xiangxiang sighed as she enjoyed the river breeze.
They were in a private second-floor booth, leisurely sipping tea and taking in the scenery.
Cheng Xiangxiang was still wearing the black-framed glasses Nianhua had given her the day before, and Chi Yumo had on a black mask.
Hearing Cheng Xiangxiang’s sigh, Chi Yumo felt her own emotions stir:
Big cities offered plenty of opportunities but came with a fast pace and fierce competition. To make it big in a place like this, one had to shed more blood, sweat, and tears than ordinary people and do far more things against their will. Over time, one’s original aspirations faded away. Whether successful or not, they were no longer the person they used to be.
Am I still the same person I used to be?
No.
[The night view is beautiful too. The restaurant I booked for tonight is right by the river.] She typed it out and turned the tablet to show Cheng Xiangxiang.
“Is it on the west side? Can we see the sunset?”
Cheng Xiangxiang had spent her first afternoon strolling the pedestrian street in the city center, snacking on street food.
The next morning had been too short to go out, and in the afternoon, she had waited for Shen Muxi’s car to pick her up. That evening, due to her allergic reaction, she went to the hospital. Feeling guilty, Shen Muxi had treated her to dinner, leaving Cheng Xiangxiang with no time to explore further.
[You can see the sunset over the sea. It’s an open-air restaurant.]
“That’s perfect!” Cheng Xiangxiang was overjoyed. She hadn’t made any requests, but Chi Yumo had done her homework.
She looked at Chi Yumo gratefully and smiled sincerely. “Actually, more than all this, seeing you living well in this city with my own eyes makes me the happiest.”
Chi Yumo smiled too.
She had lost her precious voice, but in return, she had gained many equally precious things.
There were always gains and losses.
That was the “fairness” bestowed by the heavens.
[Seeing is believing. Now you’re not worried I’ll get tricked by Mu Xi-jie into ‘entertaining clients,’ right?]
Cheng Xiangxiang’s face flushed red, embarrassed by her previous “misunderstanding” of Shen Muxi. “You’re right. Teacher Shen is a good person. It was narrow-minded of me.”
Chi Yumo noticed Cheng Xiangxiang’s blush and asked: [Mu Xi-jie is pretty witty, but her mouth can be sharp. She didn’t bully you yesterday, did she?]
“No, Teacher Shen didn’t bully me.” Cheng Xiangxiang answered quickly, her face turning even redder. Her mind filled with images of Shen Muxi pressing her shoulders and asking why she was afraid and avoiding her, and the sensation of Shen Muxi’s fingertips brushing her skin while tearing off the inhibitor patch.
—Does someone say you eat like a bunny?
—Huh?
—No other meaning. It’s pretty cute.
Where did she eat like a bunny?
It was just because she was eating face-to-face with Shen Muxi, being cautious and careful, taking tiny bites and chewing slowly… that’s what made her look like a bunny.
She almost blurted out and asked Chi Yumo if she really ate like a bunny.
[Xiangxiang, why does your denial feel like it’s only making it more obvious?]
The river breeze tousled Cheng Xiangxiang’s long hair. Sitting against the wind, strands floated forward, brushing her cheeks.
She raised a hand to tuck the stray locks behind her ear, covering her burning earlobe. “Stop teasing me. It was my first time being up close with a famous big star. I was bound to be a little nervous.”
With that, Cheng Xiangxiang averted her probing gaze and turned toward the opposite riverbank, looking a bit lost.
Chi Yumo didn’t press further.
She only hoped that Cheng Xiangxiang had truly let go of her feelings and that, as friends, she wouldn’t feel any more loss or sadness.
After watching the sunset, having dinner, and enjoying the night view, the accompanying driver took Chi Yumo and Cheng Xiangxiang to the airport.
“Yumo, thank you for spending the day with me, eating and playing. The words I wanted to say to you, you already heard in the VCR, so I won’t repeat them.”
Once the car stopped, Cheng Xiangxiang stopped Chi Yumo from getting out. “Don’t see me into the airport. We’ll say goodbye here. Goodbye, my good friend.”
Chi Yumo waved and mouthed silently: Goodbye, good friend.
“Here, this is for you—blue, your favorite color.” Cheng Xiangxiang pulled a gift from her small bag, something she had bought for Chi Yumo on the pedestrian street the day before yesterday. “Don’t always wear black. It makes you look old and lifeless.”
It was just daily necessities. Chi Yumo accepted it: Thank you.
“I’m off. Next time you’re back in Jinhuai, let me know.”
She opened the door and got out.
This time, Cheng Xiangxiang truly bid farewell to her past—to her first crush and her first open love. There were no tears this time. No heartache from unrequited love, no lingering worries.
In this vast city, she had stood at the end of her youth, at the corner of a crossroads, wandering alone for a full year.
Finally, today, she had said a proper goodbye, closed the door on yesterday, let the past go, and set sail anew for a fresh start.
The driver had already retrieved the luggage from the trunk. Cheng Xiangxiang waved once more: “Goodbye.”
Goodbye.
On the airport expressway, Chi Yumo received a text from Qiao Ke: [Tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., we’ll pick you up at the residential complex entrance and head to XXX Dock.]
Dinner required such an early start?
Lingjiang City had several new and old ports and docks, large and small. The one Qiao Ke mentioned was unfamiliar—not the one she and Cheng Xiangxiang had visited today.
She looked it up online.
Oh.
It turned out to be a yacht marina—the only port in Lingjiang City for international yachts and the largest private yacht club in the country.
Shi Youwan was nobility. Shi Youwan’s world was one of nobility.
What was she in comparison? What was her world?
For those two years, she had strived to overcome her inferiority complex, but the vast gulf between her and Shi Youwan—could she really ignore it with mere self-deceptive mental tricks?
Just as she hesitated over whether to suggest meeting later or somewhere else, another message came from Qiao Ke.
[Qiao Ke: Peak Group is considering establishing the ‘Shi Peak Charity Foundation—Special Program for the Hearing Impaired.’ President Shi wants to hear any good suggestions or ideas from Miss Mo, so the meeting time was moved earlier.]
[Chi Yumo: Okay.]
See? Even without meeting face-to-face, even without looking into her eyes, Shi Youwan could always “peer into” her heart and know what mattered to her.
If it meant welfare for the children at the deaf school and the broader hearing-impaired community, why would she say no? Peak Group had plenty of money; spending more on public welfare was a great thing.
Over the past year and more, having become part of the disabled community herself, she understood even better the hardships they faced in merely surviving.
For that, she was willing to act as a bridge to promote more disability aid projects.
…
The relentless busyness had left Chi Yumo physically and mentally exhausted. On her first day of freedom, she turned off her alarm and slept until the sun was high.
She combined breakfast and lunch, but with no fresh ingredients at home, she made do with frozen dumplings from the fridge.
After polishing off a plate of dumplings, Chi Yumo went to the balcony to zone out. The high-intensity work pace of the past few days had taught even her, someone who didn’t consider herself lazy, just how precious quiet leisure time was.
It also reminded her of a quote she had read somewhere, sometime: Resting wasn’t for walking farther down the road. Resting was simply not wanting to walk anymore.
With her laid-back nature, once work pushed her along in the future, it would be hard to slow down again.
The early autumn sunlight was warm and cozy, especially soothing and stress-relieving.
While basking, Chi Yumo video-called the director of the deaf school, chatting about recent school updates and even seeing some of her former students on the call.
“Little Chi, perfect timing—I’ve got good news. Yesterday, some people claiming to be from the Shi Peak Charity Foundation visited the school. They said they’d followed your competition online and learned about our school, and they wanted to do something for the kids.”
“After understanding their intentions, the principal received them. They promised to fund renovations for the teaching building and dorms during winter break, and update all the teaching facilities and equipment.”
“By next spring, it’ll be a brand-new school. But the principal didn’t announce it, fearing it might fall through.”
“I watched your final match. I believe in you and Teacher Shen’s influence and inspiration. Anyone passionate about charity who visits the school must be genuine do-gooders, just like you two.”
[Director, it won’t fall through. Their top executive is a kind person, and she’s already mentioned it to me.]
Shi Youwan was making good on the promise.
“You’ve met her?” The director’s excitement was palpable. “Then seize any chance to thank her on our behalf—and thank you too, Little Chi, and Teacher Shen. It’s all thanks to you all.”
[Got it, Director. I’ll pass on your thanks to her.] Today, even.
At 2:15 p.m., Chi Yumo shouldered her bag and headed downstairs.
She strolled leisurely along the complex’s paths. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden spots on the ground like a golden avenue leading to the world of nobility.
But this golden path wasn’t the road home—it was the road to repayment. Where there was going, there would be returning.
From afar, Chi Yumo heard chaotic arguing in the complex square ahead. She always steered clear of such disputes and had no curiosity about them, so she planned to take a detour this time too.
A message from Qiao Ke: [Miss Mo, we’re here, waiting outside the complex gate.]
She replied: [Three minutes.]
After sending it, Chi Yumo quickened her pace but, nearing the square, overheard a woman’s pleas.
