NMBJ2 - 41

When Xitang returned to the company’s hotel, Li Shu’an and her assistant Ah Kuan were waiting in the café downstairs. “Your assistant couldn’t reach you on the phone.” 

Xitang fished her phone out of her bag. “It was on silent.” 

Li Shu’an pulled out a chair for her. “Heading back to Shanghai tomorrow?” 

Xitang hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “I’ll stay here for now.” 

Ah Kuan panicked, nearly knocking over his coffee cup. “But we finally got that program booked! Miss Ni will kill me!” 

Li Shu’an said, “Ah Kuan, go upstairs first.” 

At the Western restaurant downstairs, past ten o’clock, Xitang recalled that this was the first time she and Li Shu’an had ever argued since knowing each other. Since meeting him, Xitang had always viewed this man as mature, wise, and tolerant. She felt a familial closeness toward him, admiring how he faced every challenge with calm composure. But at that moment, an uncharacteristic anger flickered across Li Shu’an’s face—not directed at her, but rather a deep disappointment tinged with frustration. 

“Xitang, I won’t force you to do anything, but you need to think about this. You can’t let the past hold you back forever. You need to move forward,” Li Shu’an said. 

He placed the coffee spoon on the saucer and stood up. “I beg you—think carefully.” 

With that, he pushed the door open and left. 

Xitang went upstairs, opened the door, and saw Ah Kuan kneeling on the floor, unpacking items from a suitcase. 

Xitang said, “Pack them back up.” 

Ah Kuan exclaimed, “What?” 

“I’m returning to Shanghai tomorrow.” 

---

After returning to Shanghai, despite Fang Langmei’s repeated assurances that everything was fine, Xitang gradually realized the situation was worsening. 

In November of that year, Xitang was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival. Ni Kailun arranged for her assistant to handle her work visa. When the assistant returned, Ni Kailun’s expression darkened. Huang Xitang could no longer leave the country. 

Ni Kailun’s face turned grim. “The trouble you’ve caused is growing bigger. You’re in too deep. Don’t ruin the entire company.” 

Xitang lowered her head, fully aware of the severity of the situation. 

Ni Kailun made a series of phone calls and returned, saying, “Thankfully, the promotional materials for the film festival haven’t been sent out yet. We’ll have to decline. What a great opportunity—an international A-list film festival. Fine, just stay at the company and photocopy documents.” 

With that, she slammed the door and stormed out. 

Xitang bit her lip, holding back tears. 

---

December, Beijing Capital International Airport. 

The sky was shrouded in haze. The plane was parked at the gate. The chief flight attendant hung up the phone, adjusted her scarf, and whispered something to the nearby flight attendant. The two quickly headed toward the cabin door. 

They had just received a call—the VIP passenger was about to board. The car drove directly to the boarding bridge. This flight didn’t have an elevator, so the chief flight attendant and another attendant waited on the ground. 

Two black business cars slowly entered the airport lane and stopped beside the aircraft stairs. First to step out were the secretary and two accompanying staff members. Then, the ground crew approached and opened the rear door of the second car. A group of people surrounded a lady as she stepped out. 

The woman who emerged from the rear seat was over sixty, exuding elegance. She wore a beige Chinese-style suit, carried a black Birkin bag, and draped herself in a military-green wool coat. Accompanying her was a tall, handsome young man in a black overcoat, radiating an imposing presence. 

The chief flight attendant recognized the man standing in the middle. 

He was a frequent first-class passenger on the Beijing-Shanghai route, often traveling between the two cities. Handsome, polite, and refusing airline meals, he was adored by all the female crew members. He had always traveled light and maintained a low profile, sometimes alone and sometimes accompanied by just one assistant. Normally, he only used the business-class VIP lounge. The chief flight attendant had flown this route for several years and had never seen him use the airline’s VIP channel until now. As she leaned forward to assist with the car door, she stole a glance at Zhao Pingjin. It had been a while since she’d seen him on flights to Shanghai. Up close, his face bore signs of illness—a pale, frost-like pallor that made her sigh inwardly. She wondered whether the increased travel arrangements were due to the special status of the accompanying lady or because of his health. 

Zhao Pingjin helped his mother out of the car, and the flight attendant stepped forward to take Teacher Zhou’s luggage. 

At that moment, his phone rang. Zhao Pingjin hesitated for a second, handed Teacher Zhou’s hand to the chief flight attendant, and quietly said, “Thank you.” 

Zhao Pingjin answered Shen Min’s call.

Zhao Pingjin slowly climbed the boarding stairs while talking on the phone. Halfway up, he began to feel out of breath. The cold air he inhaled seemed to burn with a sharp pain inside his lungs. It was around three in the afternoon, the busiest time at the company, and Shen Min had called him just before he boarded the plane.

Shen Min was worried about him but couldn’t leave his post. With Zhao Pingjin leaving, he was left to handle a massive workload. It wasn’t that Shen Min doubted his abilities—it was just that this departure meant Shen Min would have to shoulder far too much responsibility.

Because of Zhao Pingjin’s impending trip abroad, Shen Min had even postponed his wedding date.

Zhao Pingjin entered the cabin, hung up the phone, and sat down. The pain in his body made him weary, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. The doctor accompanying him was a young student of Dr. Fu from home, an expert in gastroenterology. Not daring to relax for a moment, the doctor quickly approached when he noticed Zhao Pingjin’s pale face. “Chairman Zhao, are you alright?”

Zhao Pingjin waved him away.

At Zhou family’s old residence in Shanghai, his grandparents were currently abroad. Teacher Zhou wanted him to be hospitalized, but Zhao Pingjin refused. At this point, no treatment plan had been finalized, and hospitalization would only mean conservative care. Since he wouldn’t go to the hospital, Teacher Zhou didn’t force him. In fact, she was now indulging all his wishes. Deep down, Zhao Pingjin felt even worse knowing how much his mother was sacrificing during this difficult time for the family. Teacher Zhou had displayed extraordinary maternal strength, first accompanying him to see the best specialists in Beijing, then working tirelessly with his medical team to contact authoritative doctors in the U.S., waiting for approval of his medical leave procedures. From diagnosis to now, she hadn’t shed a single tear in front of her child.

His mother had endured so much. He decided to stay at home, wanting to spend as many days as possible by her side.