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Ying Jing was unusually silent during this meal.
The exquisite restaurant in the high-rise building of Guomao had impeccable dishes and a lively atmosphere. The client, Mr. Shen, was in his forties and had quite the bossy demeanor. His slicked-back hair was sprayed with gel, meticulously styled. Even in the scorching heat, he was particular, wearing a dark gray long-sleeved shirt and a Hong Kong-style bow tie.
Although he wasn’t without a greasy touch, he exuded an elite aura.
He brought a few subordinates. After listening to them chat for so long, it became clear that they were all good drinkers: an account manager, a vice president, and a project supervisor. Chu Ning’s team had a similar number of people. The ones who were drinking heavily were the men. She made an excuse about driving, and they didn’t make things difficult for her, giving her a glass of juice instead.
“Give this young man another glass, pour him some wine,” Mr. Shen said with a smile, referring to Ying Jing.
The conversation had been lively and engaging, but that one sentence brought the atmosphere to a halt.
All eyes turned to him.
Chu Ning’s expression was natural, and she said with a smile, “No need, he doesn’t drink.”
“How can that be? Ladies can choose not to drink, but gentlemen can’t escape!” The opposing vice president was active, dismissing the polite refusals at the table as mere courtesies and not taking them seriously. He even enthusiastically offered his own glass.
“He really doesn’t drink.” Chu Ning got up and politely blocked him.
Finally understanding the situation, the other party asked, “Oh, is this General Manager Ning’s...?”
Chu Ning’s secretary was quick-witted and helped her out, saying, “He’s General Manager Ning’s friend, still in college, General Manager Shen, please take care of the hope of our nation!”
These two sentences smoothed over the atmosphere. Attention shifted, some drank, some chatted, and the lively atmosphere returned.
Chu Ning handled these social interactions with ease. Her biggest advantage was her ability to listen well, not just listen, but listen attentively. She was already beautiful and naturally likable, and she knew how to give men face, making everyone fond of her.
She acted generously and knew how to utilize her feminine qualities. Frankly speaking, she was truly outstanding. Ying Jing watched her effortlessly chat, joke, and generously toast, glowing brightly.
Ying Jing’s gaze followed her, then he lowered his head again, silent, taciturn, and闷不吭声.
He didn’t actively pick up much food, his appetite was extremely poor, but his water glass was emptied again and again. Chu Ning noticed his discomfort, but couldn’t say anything due to the occasion. She only put the first chopstick of each new dish onto his plate.
This was a silent intimacy, and a quiet closeness.
Ying Jing ate silently, his left ear filled with their skilled social pleasantries, his right ear with the empty echo of his own heart.
He clenched his chopsticks, feeling so uncomfortable, like a robot.
Finally, the dinner party ended, and he thought he was free!
But Mr. Shen was in high spirits and reminisced about Beijing’s nightlife: “Ah, Beijing is still the best, a city that never sleeps. I feel ten years younger.”
This implied remark, if Chu Ning didn’t understand what he meant, she would have been useless.
“Alright, General Manager Shen, if you don’t mind, how about we sing a few songs? Let us youngsters enjoy ourselves.”
These words were comfortable, making the rich benefactor’s eyes curve into a smile. “Alright!” He even pointed at Chu Ning excitedly: “I’ll sing the first song with you, no escaping.”
Chu Ning replied cheerfully, “It’s an honor you think so highly of me, I’ll accompany you.”
After these polite exchanges, Chu Ning quietly retreated to Ying Jing’s side, leaning in and whispering, “I’ll settle them down, and then we’ll go. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?”
Ying Jing slightly turned his head, his brows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything.
Chu Ning felt guilty. No matter how sudden this was, it was because of her. Putting herself in his shoes, her sense of indebtedness grew stronger.
“Just for a little while, not too long. If you’re here, I’ll have a good excuse to leave.” While they were waiting for the elevator and chatting excitedly, Chu Ning quickly hooked Ying Jing’s pinky finger, her voice coquettish: “Come to my place tonight, we’ll be alone.”
Ying Jing’s expression finally softened a little, and he muttered sullenly, “Mmm.”
However, everyone thought things were simpler than they were. Once they were in that setting, they couldn’t help themselves.
Mr. Shen actually didn’t have any malicious intentions. He was just drunk, his movements a bit clumsy. When he sang, he swayed from side to side, and from a certain angle, it looked like he wasn’t being proper.
The next song was “Tonight,” with a violin and piano mixed prelude. It was beautiful when Ying Jing rushed over, snatched the microphone from Chu Ning’s hand, and threw it onto the sofa.
“Are you done or not? Huh?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but his facial expression was extremely fierce, his eyes looking bloodshot under the colorful lights.
“Sizzle—” The microphone, bravely sacrificed on the sofa, didn’t give up, emitting a sharp noise.
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Everyone looked at each other, and then all looked at the two people involved.
General Manager Shen was confused, stammering, “Wh-what, what’s going on?”
Ying Jing glared at him, “I’ll get you a singer to accompany you, you can sing however you want, but my girlfriend, sorry, she won’t be accompanying you.”
Then, to everyone’s stunned gaze, he dragged Chu Ning out the door.
Chu Ning reacted, and even her good temper couldn’t hold. “What are you doing!”
They were already in the hallway.
Ying Jing was stunned by her shout. His eyes grew cold, and his limbs felt weak, the light in his eyes slowly dying.
“What am I doing? What else can I do?” His voice was ethereal, speaking word by word, “Today is my birthday.”
At this moment, Chu Ning had also calmed down a few degrees, feeling conflicted.
“It’s my birthday, you’re not helping me celebrate it. You’re busy, it’s fine, but don’t promise me early in the morning that you’ll celebrate my birthday. Now it’s like this, who looks like they’re celebrating their birthday, huh?”
Chu Ning was also unhappy and clarified, “I wasn’t not helping you celebrate. You saw it, something unexpected came up, what could I do?”
“Yes, you can’t do anything.” Ying Jing scoffed. “Your only solution is to sacrifice me every time.”
“What did I sacrifice you for? I also couldn’t help myself.”
“Yes, your helplessness is doing things like this!”
Chu Ning’s eyes instantly turned cold. “What kind of things am I doing?”
Ying Jing didn’t elaborate, only asking an even more chilling question: “Are you planning to always put the focus of your life on work? For work, for money, everything can be compromised—including me.”
Chu Ning laughed in anger, nodding repeatedly, as if relishing his righteous expression just now.
Suddenly, she looked up at him. “Don’t make yourself out to be the victim. I admit, I’m wrong, but don’t you have any selfish motives? Any plans? Any intentions?”
There was a hidden meaning in her words. Ying Jing asked, “What do you mean?”
“My meaning is laid bare. Good or bad, advantages or disadvantages, I’m a money-grubber. At least I’m open and honest, and I keep my word. What about you? When you secretly contacted Tang Yao, why didn’t you think of me?”
Ying Jing’s face instantly changed color.
This meant Chu Ning already knew, knew he had contacted Tang Yao, knew he deliberately said he’d take the 11 o’clock high-speed rail back to Ancheng, knew about his concealment.
Chu Ning didn’t expose him further. Her words ended there, but their power was no less than an atomic bomb. With a bang, the façade of peace between them was shattered.
Ying Jing’s full explanation, in this situation, turned into stammers.
Chu Ning, on the other hand, was experienced after all. When she got tough, she was calm and composed, dominating him by a good three points in terms of aura.
When people are impulsive, their words are like daggers, each one stabbing, leaving them with unappeased resentment.
Chu Ning didn’t know how Ying Jing left.
She also didn’t know when he left.
Was this the first time they had a fight after getting together?
No, the second time. The last time was during a team meeting. But that fight was like a spoiled tantrum; this one had far greater impact.
Chu Ning sat in the private room, listening to the decadent music. Towards the latter half of the singing, everyone’s voices weren’t very good, it was purely a chaotic release, with all sorts of strange antics coming out.
It made her head hurt.
Chu Ning walked out to get some fresh air.
There were stars in the sky, twinkling brightly in the small expanse between the towering buildings.
She leaned against a stone pillar, her fingers raking through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. Finally, with a restless heart, she pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and held it in her mouth.
Smoke drifted away with the wind. Chu Ning’s eyes were momentarily lost in thought, then she lowered her head, looking at the tips of her shoes. She remembered the chocolate cake she had made herself at a craft store during lunch today, and the Apple MacBook she had asked someone to bring back from abroad.
Her heart ached, and her eyes immediately welled up.
________________________________________
The two had completely fallen into a cold war.
What is love most afraid of? It’s most afraid of both parties believing they are right, refusing to compromise, refusing to communicate, as if the one who speaks first is the one who surrenders.
The novelty of the new semester had worn off, and the freshmen’s military training also ended under the scorching autumn sun.
The campus was once again full of vitality. Boys discussed which freshman was pretty, and who was the top science student. For Ying Jing and his friends, the slight difference was that after winning first place in the Aerospace Science and Technology Competition, they had become famous, practically idols in the eyes of younger students.
When they went to the cafeteria to eat, freshmen would chatter: “Look, he’s Ying Jing! Number one nationwide, super awesome!”
“He must be on the college’s honor roll. I heard that before, only students from the Aircraft Design major got recommendations, and the best result was second place in the university’s science and technology competition a few years ago.”
“Senior Ying Jing is so handsome! Don’t you think he looks a bit like a celebrity, like, like...”
“I think Senior Ying Jing is just himself, his looks can totally crush everyone, hahaha.”
The early autumn evening breeze, bringing long-awaited coolness, dispersed the little gossip.
Two weeks had passed.
A full two weeks, without a single contact.
When Ying Jing drank water, he would pour it down his shirt collar. When he ate, he would hold his chopsticks the wrong way. Once, he even made a fool of himself putting on clothes. Before going out, luckily Qi Yu caught a glimpse. “Oh my god! Don’t you know you’re wearing your shirt inside out?!”
Ying Jing only then realized, and blankly changed it back.
“What’s wrong with you lately?” Qi Yu noticed something amiss and asked with concern.
Ying Jing shook his head. “Nothing.”
Qi Yu hummed, wanting to ask more, but not quite daring to.
On the way to the lab together, Ying Jing’s phone rang. His phone was in his bag, and his immediate reaction was one of eagerness and anticipation.
Qi Yu witnessed his full range of emotional changes, from excitement to disappointment, then indifferently answering the call.
After a few sentences, Ying Jing stopped walking. “Now?”
Qi Yu tilted his head to look at him, curious.
Ying Jing took a deep breath, already turning to walk in the opposite direction. “Okay, I’ll be right there, about five minutes.”
“What’s wrong?” After hanging up, Qi Yu was puzzled.
Ying Jing frowned, a little dizzy himself. “Dean Xu wants us to go to the Academic Affairs building.”
“Us?”
“Yes.” Ying Jing nodded. “Us.”
________________________________________
Guan Yu rushed to Chu Ning’s company before closing time to pick her up for dinner.
When she arrived, Chu Ning was still in a meeting. Looking through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, she saw a group of young men and women in uniform business attire, all with serious expressions. Chu Ning was the presenter, currently standing in front of a PPT, giving a lecture.
She was dressed simply today: a white shirt, a dark plaid mini-skirt, and high heels. Her hair was tied up, and she exuded an exceptional aura.
After watching for a while, Guan Yu went to her office to wait. Soon after, Chu Ning’s meeting ended. As she entered, Guan Yu exclaimed, “Ning’er, you’re getting more and more beautiful, I even want to marry you!”
Chu Ning chuckled, unscrewing her thermos to drink water.
“You asked me to dinner again today, this is the third time this week,” Guan Yu asked. “You seem to have a lot of free time.”
“I’m treating, and you’re still so verbose. Eat or don’t eat.” Chu Ning rolled her eyes at her.
“Eat, eat, eat.” Guan Yu’s tone was particularly subservient. She leaned forward, casually picked up a handbook from the table, covered her nose and mouth with it, and winked wildly at her: “Did you fight with your little boyfriend?”
Chu Ning’s expression didn’t change, but the swallowing motion of her throat while drinking water paused for two seconds.
Guan Yu had wanted to ask for a long time. She raised an eyebrow. “Definitely.”
Chu Ning put down her water cup, sank into the leather chair, and wearily pinched the space between her eyebrows.
“Why did you fight? Tell me, sis.”
“Can you not be so gossipy?”
“No, I want to hear, I want to hear.” Guan Yu walked over and shook her arm vigorously.
Chu Ning was dizzy from being shaken. “I’m scared of you, I’m scared of you.”
She took a breath, her expression still troubled, and the moment she decided to confide, disappointment immediately showed on her face.
After straightforwardly narrating the ins and outs, Chu Ning looked at Guan Yu in confusion. “...I know it was his birthday, but I can’t just abandon my work, can I?”
Guan Yu sighed. She thought it was something serious. “That’s perfectly normal. One person only wants love, while the other’s life is more than just love. The weighting isn’t equal, and problems will arise sooner or later.”
Chu Ning stared at her with wide eyes, her mood gloomy.
“When you decided to accept him, you should have thought these things through. When you gain something, you’ll inevitably have to give up something else, that’s fair. If you want both, and you’re lucky enough to think the other person will always accommodate you, I ask you, why? Huh? Why should you get all the good things?”
Guan Yu had a rich romantic history and an optimistic nature. Her life’s pleasure was to circulate among various men. She once shamelessly said, “I’m experiencing the true beauty of human nature!”
True beauty my ass, it was purely male temptation.
However, Chu Ning really took her words to heart this time.
“Actually, I’m not really in favor of you playing the older-woman-younger-man game. A man who’s still in school, hasn’t graduated, has no social experience, no stable income, in other words, no common language.”
Chu Ning wasn’t convinced and immediately corrected her: “When we were together, we had endless topics to talk about.”
Guan Yu stopped talking, clicked her tongue, propped her elbows on the table, and leaned her head closer with a smile. “Oh, our Ning’er really fell for him.”
“If I didn’t like him, I wouldn’t have made this decision.”
The decision to be together.
Chu Ning had an innate drive about her, whether it was in work or in life. She was clever, resourceful, had her methods, and also her principles.
She didn’t envy the carefree attitude of those who played with life; she just wanted to protect her own sanctuary.
Guan Yu sighed, “When women reach our age, they tend to be a bit afraid of loss. What started as a small matter often gets exaggerated and overthought. This is, this is... right, it’s called ‘early signs of aging syndrome’.”
These words struck a chord with Chu Ning.
Her expression became unnatural, and she turned her head, lightly coughing twice.
“Alright, relax. If you two are really meant to be, you can’t be separated by fighting or scolding. After all the twists and turns, what’s yours will still be yours.” Guan Yu said, “Ning’er, I hope you can truly enjoy love, let it be a lubricant for your life, not a burden or a tool.”
Suddenly enlightened!
Chu Ning pursed her lips and nodded sincerely. “I’ll remember that.”
After their heart-to-heart session ended, the two chatted about some household matters. Speaking of Feng Ziyang, Guan Yu asked, “It’s been so long since we heard from him, what’s he been up to lately?”
“Don’t even mention it,” Chu Ning leaned back in her chair and sighed. “He and his childhood sweetheart are having a big fight, it seems quite serious. He called me yesterday and said he went to France.”
“Why go to France?”
“To hide from someone.”
“...My god, they’re fighting so badly?” Guan Yu was incredulous. “Last year they were madly in love, even enduring a secret relationship. How can they be so foolish now?”
“It seems his girlfriend made too many demands, and I didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask for details.”
That’s true.
Chu Ning remembered a line she had once read: “In this world, everyone has their own falling snow, their own obscurities and brilliance.”
Love is no exception.
“I see the stock market has been good lately. Your last margin call operation was correct,” Chu Ning chatted casually.
Guan Yu hummed, calmly, “Yeah, it’s alright.”
During the evening rush hour, Beijing traffic was a mess.
Neither of them wanted to get caught in the chaos, so they simply took the subway to Houhai Jiumen, ate heartily there, and then parted ways.
Chu Ning returned to the company to pick up her car at 8 PM.
She sat in the driver’s seat, thought for a long time, and finally, with a determined heart, gripped the steering wheel and drove south.
________________________________________
The greenery around the main gate of C Aeronautics University was well-maintained, the streetlights were bright, and the trees were lush, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Chu Ning parked her car and watched the students coming and going for a while, then inexplicably lowered her head and smiled.
How foolish, she really thought she could run into him, didn’t she?
She took out her phone and called him—
“Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off.”
He’s already asleep?
Surely not.
Chu Ning called again, but it was still the same message.
She was naturally a worrier and liked to overthink everything. After thinking for a while, she became inexplicably restless. She picked up her phone again and found Qi Yu’s number.
“Hello, Sister Ning?” He answered quickly.
“I’m sorry to bother you so late,” Chu Ning said politely, yet unable to hide her anxiety, and asked directly, “Is Ying Jing in the dorm? His phone is off.”
Qi Yu was surprised. “Didn’t he tell you? The school notified us yesterday that the Aerospace Department invited our team to Danba for follow-up studies on a project. He left at noon. That place is quite remote, so there’s probably no signal.”
Chu Ning was stunned: “...Ah.”
Ah?!
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