Since the first snow, the temperature in Sucheng has plummeted.
As long as the windows aren’t open, the glass is always covered with a thick layer of condensation, so thick that even sunlight can’t penetrate it.
Too many people know about this apartment I live in now.
Wings Star World, An Zhi and her mother, Su Xixia, and…
He Mo Ning.
Any one of them could show up at my doorstep.
I’ve thought about moving away again, but there’s still the possibility that An Zhi might come back looking for me.
Even if the chance is small, I don’t want her to return and not find me.
“Pfft! Haha.”
After hearing my story, Su Xixia covered her mouth but still laughed out loud.
“Why do you always run into such persistent women? Have you ever thought about it?”
“What’s so funny…”
Telling her feels like a mistake.
Don’t forget her bullying nature just because she helped you once…
“That little girl, she’s a bit like me! Loves the fruit that’s forcibly plucked~”
She licked her dry lips.
“But she still lacks courage. A pity, a pity!”
I glared at her half-jokingly.
“How can you empathize with that!”
“Empathize? Oh, Mingshan, you’re not even afraid of me, so why are you afraid of a little girl like her?”
She had a point.
Why was I afraid of He Mo Ning?
As she spoke, she stepped closer, her full chest almost bumping into mine.
“Me, I’m much bolder than her.”
Her fingertip brushed across my cheek.
“I know you’re joking.”
“Hmph, no fun! I… I’m finding it harder and harder to recapture the feeling of seducing you like I did at the beginning.”
She withdrew her hand, a hint of loneliness in her eyes.
“That’s for the best!”
Even as I said that, I felt her position in my life was quietly changing.
Was it because I understood her better now?
“Could it be because of that promise… That woman, even after leaving, she’s still getting in my way.”
She muttered softly.
“Tch!”
“Mingshan, you’re too easy to approach!”
She seemed to have figured it out, her black eyes fixed on me.
“You’re always alone, so talking to you isn’t a burden. Plus, every time someone takes the initiative with you, you always respond, right!”
“Uh…”
Put that way, it seemed true.
I hardly ever initiated contact with people, but when others did, I unconsciously gave feedback.
“Most girls can’t stand the cold shoulder. If you dislike her, then just ignore her! You’re always alone, and you can’t bring yourself to be harsh, so of course others can toy with you however they like.”
“I get it, Xixia, thank you. Stop poking me.”
She was poking my cheek with her index finger, pursing her lips, her eyes full of reluctance.
“That’s what I said, but you’re not allowed to ignore me! Understand!”
“I… I don’t dislike you.”
I smiled wryly, understanding the reason for her reluctance.
At this point, there was no need to be on guard against her anymore.
I knew in my heart she wouldn’t easily cross that line.
She was my…
Precious childhood friend?
Yes, but it felt strange.
“Alright, alright!”
She brushed away the blush on her cheeks.
“I asked around. The last room in this building was just rented out. I can’t live near you anymore.”
“The person who rented that room… is it He Mo Ning?”
“Don’t know. I was the one who proposed renting it first. We even agreed to sign the contract, but the landlord suddenly said he wouldn’t rent it out. People in the city really have no integrity!”
He Mo Ning really wasn’t simple…
Did she offer a price the landlord couldn’t refuse, or…
I didn’t dare think further.
“Where are you living now? Have you found a job?”
“There should still be empty rooms in this complex, I’ll ask around some more. For work… something like a receptionist. I’ll have to wear makeup, put some blush on my face.”
“Makeup? You’re already beautiful without it.”
Her thick eyelashes fluttered slightly, her eyes dark and bright.
Her fair, full cheeks held a faint blush, making her lips look even more red and alluring.
Someone this beautiful still needed makeup?
“Idiot, because you’re used to seeing me! Others get startled when they see me for the first time. Anyway, I’ll stabilize quickly, that’s it!”
She turned and hurried towards the door.
Did she come this time just to tell me about her recent situation and plans?
Ever since I promised her father to look after her, I’d unconsciously started worrying about her, and she had keenly noticed it too.
I got up to see her out, watching her retreating back in the corridor, and couldn’t help but smile.
She really had changed.
……
That evening, I took the remaining ingredients from the fridge and made a big pot of stew.
Thinking back, the time I’d actually lived here alone wasn’t that long.
Eating the steaming hot food, I idly played with my phone.
With a vibration, a message notification appeared.
Looking at the number, my chopsticks fell from my hand.
I checked several times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.
This was…
An Zhi’s number.
“Mingshan, I’ve arrived in Vienna. I’m in a temporary single dorm arranged by the new school. It’s very quiet here, and there are fewer people than back home.”
“An Zhi? You can send texts?”
I hurriedly replied.
Right, she wasn’t being controlled by anyone this time, of course she could use a phone.
How could I not have thought of that? I could still stay in touch with her!
I stared intently at the screen, even losing interest in my food, just waiting for her reply.
After a while…
“Mm, the school arranged for me to take language classes first because I don’t speak German or English. Then I have to practice dancing. So I only have time very late. I’ll try to talk to you more. How are things on your end? Does Su Xixia still come to see you? Maybe I shouldn’t ask.”
Her words carried a faint sense of guilt.
But the way things had developed, it wasn’t her fault.
For someone who only knew how to dance and lacked understanding of the world, being willing to actively accompany me this far was already more than enough.
“Not at all. I’m doing okay, back to normal work. Su Xixia has been by. She pays more attention to my feelings than before. She even muttered something about a promise with you.”
I didn’t mention He Mo Ning, not wanting to worry her too much.
She had to adapt to life abroad on her own, handle everything herself.
Her situation couldn’t be better than mine.
“Is that so? That’s great. I was wondering if you’d be lonely without me, if you’d be so sad you wouldn’t go to work. I feel relieved now. Mingshan, do your best! I’ll study hard too, become better.”
“Mm, I will! I’ll cherish my work and try to start writing again.”
“Mingshan, I”
She sent a message that was only half-finished.
I didn’t know what happened over there, or if she deleted something she shouldn’t have said?
I didn’t understand.
“I’ve seen a lot of things here that I never came into contact with before. The people here…”
She didn’t choose to complete the previous thought, instead shifting topics to talk about what she’d seen and experienced since arriving abroad.
We chatted like that until late into the night.
After a long interval, she sent another message.
“Mingshan, I’m going to sleep.”
“Mm, after all you’ve been through, you must be very tired. Good night.”
Even though I was talking to her, not being able to see her face, not being able to touch her skin, an involuntary sense of distance grew in my heart.
“Classes officially start tomorrow. I think I won’t be able to chat this long anymore. I”
“I understand. Do your best, An Zhi.”
“Mm, good night.”
I didn’t press her about what she wanted to say.
Even if I knew, I couldn’t change anything.
All I could do was give her encouragement, just like back in university…
Encouraging each other, moving forward together.
Until the early hours of the morning, hearing the howling wind outside the window, I was still curled up under the covers, staring at my phone screen.
She didn’t send any more messages.
She was probably asleep, right?
*
In the morning, I received a private message from Mo You, asking me to come to the office half an hour early to see her.
A light rain fell.
The shops on either side seemed not yet awake.
Raindrops played a melody on the heavy rolling shutters.
This natural, light music relaxed me.
The company lights were on.
I pushed open the half-open office door and saw Mo You slumped over the desk, emitting steady breaths.
Had she worked all night?
Her ponytail was loosely draped over her back.
The overlapping cuffs of her sleeves were smudged with her light makeup.
Traces of lipstick remained on the smooth, fair skin of the back of her hand.
Her well-trimmed nails were painted with red polish.
I checked the time.
There were still ten minutes until the agreed time.
I sat in the office chair in front of her to wait, not wanting to disturb her.
Five minutes later, “Beep, beep, beep…”
A ringtone sounded from her phone.
She lifted her head, leaned back, stretched her arms out wide in a big stretch, and let out a lazy sound.
“Mmmhh—”
“Mo You… good morning.”
I said softly.
“Hm? Oh, Li Mingshan. Huh?? Morning, morning!”
Her eyes snapped open, and she answered flusteredly, quickly straightening her loose collar and sleeves, sitting up properly.
Faced with my superior’s loss of composure, I maintained a smile.
“I came too early, sorry.”
“You’re not wrong, no need to apologize. Arriving early for appointments is a good habit. It’s my fault for not paying attention to my image, letting you see a side you shouldn’t have.”
Her expression was slightly stiff, the makeup on half her face a bit smudged.
Even so, she was originally good-looking, neat, and exuded a mature aura.
“Mm, everyone has this side. In my eyes, you’ve become more real.”
“Yeah, real…”
She was briefly lost in thought.
“Alright, the reason I called you here is about work. Weren’t you wondering why your name wasn’t on yesterday’s work schedule?”
Mo You propped up a tablet, which displayed this week’s work assignments.
“Mm, both He Mo Ning and I are missing from it. Is there special work?”
“You could say that. You should know the company has been spun off as an independent subsidiary. This was to meet the other party’s requirement to cooperate with an independent company. Recently, the company has been recruiting heavily, also in preparation for future cooperation, but…”
“Going through all this trouble and calling me here… are you planning to… assign it to me?”
I couldn’t help but ask.
The company being willing to entrust work of this scale to me was a big opportunity.
If I could do the work well…
“Li Mingshan, the Party A for this project is ‘Moon Star Interactive Entertainment.’ Like ‘Wings Star World,’ it’s one of the subsidiaries of ‘Baiyangwan Mutual Entertainment.’ In other words, it’s related to your ex-girlfriend.”
She said “ex-girlfriend.”
It seemed my affairs were already known throughout the company.
That He Mo Ning…
“Mm, I admit it. My personal matters are resolved. I’m ready to devote myself to work.”
I met her gaze.
Those deep brown eyes emitted pressure but also revealed fatigue.
“The company has already received the project deposit. I don’t want any unstable factors during the cooperation process. As the General Manager, I will be directly responsible for you. Your performance and my supervision will become an important financial lifeline for the company.”
She explained solemnly, each word like a hammer striking my heart.
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.
After a few seconds, I nodded heavily.
“I understand. Thank you for your trust!”
After An Zhi paid the penalty and went abroad, I had no relationship with Wings Star World anymore.
The company had also started transferring the project earlier.
Why would this other subsidiary, “Moon Star Interactive Entertainment,” be willing to take over the project and cooperate with a small company like ours?
A faint unease stirred in my heart.
“Good, that’s the kind of resolve you should have. I’ll arrange for you and He Mo Ning to jointly be responsible for this project. However, before announcing this, I will publicly criticize you in front of everyone in the company.”
“I…”
I was taken aback, thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, I will accept the company’s criticism.”
After all, Wings Star World was previously the company’s biggest partner.
I took long personal leave and had a falling out with them.
Now, Mo You was deciding to hand the Moon Star work to me.
Not criticizing me to establish authority would be hard to justify to everyone.
As I was thinking, she stood up.
A wave of rich floral scent wafted over as a pair of warm hands gently rested on my shoulders.
“Li Mingshan, don’t blame yourself. The company’s rapid development is largely thanks to you. The transfer of the Wings Star World project should have been handled by you from the start.”
Her tone softened, seeming to carry a hazy accent.
I looked at her.
Her eyes shimmered with a soft light, warmth flowing like water into my heart.
Was this really Mo You?
This side she was showing me…
Was it her private self?
“Let me tell you a secret… having you take over was also the other party’s request. The copy you wrote halfway through was highly appreciated by Moon Star’s marketing department. It’s truly excellent.”
Her rich, sweet breath brushed past my ear.
“Thank you for the praise.”
I turned my face, only to find she had raised a finger to her red lips in a shushing gesture, immediately reverting to her strict, work demeanor.
“I need to fix my makeup. You can go. Work hours are about to start. Mo Ning’s matter is also entrusted to you.”
He Mo Ning?
What did that mean?
Probably telling me to guide her seriously.
“Alright!”
I nodded emphatically and walked out of her office.
My copywriting…
Was it really excellent enough to be appreciated by a large company’s marketing department?
I had some doubts.
But, since I could take on such important work, I’d just go all out!