"What do you want from me?" Her slightly impatient voice came through the phone as soon as the call connected.
"It's nothing much, I just wanted to invite you to dinner to catch up." He tried to keep his voice down, afraid she would hang up like she had just done.
To Ruolin, such a voice carried a gentler tone.
Actually, his request wasn't excessive; in fact, it suited her perfectly. But if things continued like this, wouldn't things become even more complicated in the future?
Before Ruolin could refuse, Han Haoxuan continued, "I didn't expect you to be even busier than me with official duties. It's so difficult to even invite you to a meal. Do you only come if I pick you up from your school?"
"Don't come to our school!" Ruolin panicked immediately upon hearing Han Haoxuan say he was coming to pick her up. Wouldn't that give them away?
"Why won't you let me go to your school?" Han Haoxuan asked, puzzled, on the other end of the phone. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he said, "Oh, I know! Is it because I'm too handsome, and you're afraid other teachers will become your competitors?"
"Just keep admiring yourself over there!" Ruolin couldn't stand his narcissism any longer. Afraid that Han Haoxuan would actually go to D University to find her, she immediately said, "I'm free tomorrow at noon. You can tell me a place."
Han Haoxuan was a little incredulous at Ruolin's sudden change of attitude, but before she could change her mind, he gave her the restaurant's name.
Night had fallen, and all was quiet. Ruolin tossed and turned in bed.
Ruolin didn't know whether she should tell Han Haoxuan the truth, but considering that he would definitely blame Xinyu if he knew the truth, she gave up the idea of telling him.
Or, she could just tell him tomorrow that she doesn't have feelings for him and ask him to give up.
But isn't that a bit too cruel? Especially for someone like Han Haoxuan who has such a high opinion of himself.
Or, let's go for something even more ruthless! Something caused by objective factors would be less likely to hurt either side.
Ruolin had made up her mind, and then began to count sheep. When she reached eighty, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Around noon the next day, Ruolin sat at the Western restaurant where they had previously agreed to meet, waiting for Han Haoxuan.
Han Haoxuan was late in arriving, and Ruolin was getting restless; she had a lot of miscellaneous tasks waiting for her at work.
After waiting for almost half an hour, Ruolin finally saw him. Despite being busy for several days, Han Haoxuan hadn't looked haggard; he was still full of energy, and his black suit made him look exceptionally handsome and dashing. Ruolin was somewhat mesmerized by his appearance, but she knew that beautiful things were best admired; there was no need to possess them.
"You really have no sense of time at all! You're always late for our meeting. Waiting five minutes before was fine, but this time I've been waiting forever," Ruolin said to Han Haoxuan, who was pulling out a chair.
"Sorry, there was a traffic jam on the way today," Han Haoxuan explained.
"Don't you know that wasting other people's time is wasting money?" Ruolin was slightly annoyed. She knew the city's traffic was bad, yet he hadn't left earlier. Perhaps her annoyance wasn't so much because he was late, but because she was about to say goodbye to him.
"Then tell me how much per minute?" Han Haoxuan's lips curled into a smile.
"The money is waived, but this is a one-time exception." No matter what, Ruolin wasn't so vulgar as to ask someone for money. A one-time exception? She smiled inwardly, thinking, there's no next time. After this, it'll be goodbye to him forever.
"That's quite a generous statement," Han Haoxuan said as he ordered, handing the menu to the waiter. Then, he looked at Ruolin across from him with gentle eyes and smiled, "How about this, next time I'll wait for you, until the flowers wither and bloom again."
"..." Ruolin still found it difficult to say the words she had silently repeated countless times in her mind. After hesitating for a long time, she mustered her courage and said, "I'm going to Tibet to teach the day after tomorrow." As she uttered this lie, her face began to turn slightly red. She adjusted her breathing, trying to appear as natural as possible.
"Go to Tibet?" Han Haoxuan looked at Ruolin in disbelief and said, "Are you kidding me?"
"No. It's true." Ruolin could finally tell this lie without batting an eye; it was the result of her tossing and turning all night. She continued, "My lifelong dream has been to go and support the frontier, so I submitted an application. The leadership initially refused, but now it's been approved. So…"
"How long will it take?" Han Haoxuan asked. He pretended to be calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
"Maybe it will take...five years." Ruolin originally wanted to say three years, but thinking that three years might not be long enough and that Han Haoxuan might still not give up, she simply said five years.
Sure enough, this tactic worked. Anyone with common sense would understand Ruolin's implied meaning. Han Haoxuan looked disappointed and remained silent for a long time.
"I shouldn't have come to this blind date." Ruolin felt sorry for Han Haoxuan's appearance and felt a pang of guilt. She lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry." She said the three words very softly, so softly that only she could hear them.
No matter how much Ruolin regretted coming to the blind date, someone still had to clean up the mess. Right now, all she wanted was to get rid of him as soon as possible and never have him come looking for her again. She felt that this method couldn't be better for her.
In truth, she also longed for a beautiful love to come her way, but she knew she was carrying too much on her shoulders and it wasn't the right time for romance. And a man as outstanding as Han Haoxuan was merely a dream, unattainable for her.
"I thought you liked me. The way you made things difficult for me before was just a test of my patience." Han Haoxuan looked somewhat dejected.
"..." Ruolin didn't dare to look at Han Haoxuan's expression, like a child who had done something wrong, fidgeting restlessly.
"Let's eat." Han Haoxuan looked at Ruolin, who hadn't said a word, pointed to the dishes that had already been served on the table, withdrew his sullen mood, took a breath, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. He said, "Even if we're in a bad mood, we can't let our stomachs suffer."
Han Haoxuan had never suffered such a blow before. He was always the one who looked down on others and rejected them; no one had ever willingly said they didn't want him. To him, Ruolin's support for the frontier was nothing, but the five-year wait was an agonizing ordeal. Moreover, no one could say for sure what might happen during those five years.
Ruolin looked at the tempting dishes in front of her but had no appetite at all, and just kept her head down and ate her rice.
Neither of them enjoyed the meal, and what was supposed to be a pleasant gathering turned into their last lunch together.
"We've only met three times, but it feels like we've known each other for ages," Han Haoxuan said with a wry smile as he walked out of the Western restaurant after paying the bill.
"I wish you can find an even better partner in the future." Ruolin looked at Han Haoxuan with a smile on her lips.
"You too." Han Haoxuan extended his right hand, and Ruolin hesitated for a long while before reaching out her own. Ruolin's hand was tightly grasped by Han Haoxuan's, and she could feel the warmth of his palm, a warmth she knew she would never be able to touch again.
At the fork in the road, Ruolin took the right, and Han Haoxuan took the left, thus parting ways. Han Haoxuan watched Ruolin's departing figure, a sense of loss welling up inside him. Only after Ruolin's figure disappeared into the crowd did Han Haoxuan drive away.
Ruolin walked a long way and turned to look in the direction of the Western restaurant. There were only people passing by in a hurry, but no familiar faces. A faint sense of loss lingered in her heart.
After standing there for a while, Ruolin shook her head, cleared her mind, and decided to start everything anew.
She let out a long sigh of relief, then strode towards her office, feeling a sense of peace.
Chapter Eleven
Report pornographic and reactionary information
Report score manipulation
In the days that followed, Ruolin returned to her previous lifestyle, focusing solely on work.
Everything seemed peaceful, as if Han Haoxuan had never existed in her life. As time passed, fragments about Han Haoxuan were gradually forgotten by Ruolin, becoming brief interludes in her life.
What's been bothering Ruolin lately is that, despite the editor-in-chief praising her interview, the magazine still credits her as Fang Ling. The editor-in-chief says the column is called "A Date with Fang Ling," and only if the author is Fang Ling can it be considered truly worthy of the name.
In response, Fang Ling simply thanked Ruolin and then muttered to herself, "Sigh, what a pity to have missed the opportunity to interview handsome Qin!"
After the latest issue of the magazine came out, Ruolin sent it to Qin Tianyi by express delivery. Soon after, she received a call from Qin Tianyi: "Reporter Chen, your writing is very objective. It can be said to be the best article about me. But why is your name not on the magazine cover?"
"Maybe it's a layout error?" Ruolin hesitated for a moment before answering.
"The page with the typesetting error should be reprinted! Or at the very least, a correction notice could be published!"
Ruolin hadn't expected Qin Tianyi to stand up for her, so she quickly said, "It's alright, it's a small matter." Actually, she cared a lot, after all, this was the first time her writing had been printed.
“Since you don’t mind, I won’t say any more. Actually… I called you mainly to ask if you’re free this weekend? I’d like to invite you to dinner to express my gratitude,” Qin Tianyi said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I have to move this weekend." Ruolin wasn't making excuses; she was actually moving.
A couple of days ago, Xinyu told Ruolin that her colleague's apartment had become available, and she had already rented it for Ruolin. Xinyu is reliable; the apartment was indeed great. It was conveniently located for commuting, and fully furnished with all the necessary appliances, and kept very clean.
"That's really unfortunate. Let's reschedule for another day," Qin Tianyi said with a hint of regret.
"You don't need to be so polite, writing is my job."
“I know, but there are very few employees as passionate about their work as you. Your interview is both rational and emotional, and there’s no exaggeration. I really admire that. My good friend Han Haoxuan is also quite successful. Would you like to interview him too?”
"Huh?" Ruolin was stunned upon hearing Han Haoxuan's name. He had mentioned Han Haoxuan twice already; it seemed Han Haoxuan was a very important friend to him. Was the successful man named Han Haoxuan in this city the same Han Haoxuan she knew?
"Reporter Shen?" Qin Tianyi asked, unable to hear a reply from the other end of the phone.
"Yes, I'm listening. But unfortunately, 'A Date with Fang Ling' is a column written by my colleague; I only occasionally make guest appearances. If your friends need to be interviewed to increase their visibility, they might as well contact Fang Ling directly."
"Oh, I see. I won't bother you any longer, Reporter Shen. Let's meet another day. Goodbye."
"goodbye."
After hanging up the phone, Qin Tianyi chuckled to himself. Could it be that Shen Ruolin thought he was interested in her? Otherwise, why did she seem so wary of him? He asked her out for dinner on the weekend, but she said she was moving that weekend, and then she said there was no need to be so polite when they rescheduled for another day.
God is my witness, he really was just thanking her! Because she was a very good writer, her interview was excellent, and her subordinates all said that she portrayed his glorious image very vividly.
On Saturday, Ruolin got up early and called the moving company she had booked a few days earlier.
When her friend moved, Xinyu didn't sit idle; she came over to help Ruolin organize all sorts of odds and ends.
The two of them had been busy all day and had finally finished unpacking their things at their new place. They were both exhausted.
"Xinyu, let's take a break and then go out for dinner. It's my treat; you've really worked hard today," Ruolin said, wiping the sweat from her face.
"Don't be so polite, we've known each other for a long time," Xinyu said.
"That's great." Ruolin patted Xinyu's shoulder and smiled.
"Ruolin..." Xinyu suddenly frowned and asked, "Has that Han Haoxuan guy been contacting you these past few days?"
"No." Ruolin was actually quite surprised that Xinyu would ask about Han Haoxuan. This Han Haoxuan was really persistent! They hadn't been in contact for so long, yet she kept hearing his name from other people. Was fate deliberately making things difficult for her?
"Oh, my trick really works!" Xin Yu said, her brows unfurrowing and a smile playing on her lips.
"Let's go out for dinner," Ruolin changed the subject.
"Okay, my stomach has been growling for a while now. I'm going to make you suffer today." Xinyu rubbed her empty stomach.
"You can do whatever you want with me, but this opportunity won't come again." Ruolin got up to get her handbag.
After finishing her meal, Ruolin saw Xinyu off and returned to her residence alone.
Ruolin was about to take a shower when she tripped over a bag. She bent down, unzipped it, and on top was the family photo. She carefully took it out and gently brushed off the dust.
Because she's so busy every day, she rarely sees the scenes of looking at photos and falling asleep in her arms every night like she did when she was a child. Now, looking at the happy family in the photo, her heart gradually aches, and her eyes feel like they've been splashed with ginger juice, becoming sore and painful without her realizing it.
Ruolin stood there in a daze for a long time before placing the photo on the small table beside her bed. She stroked her father's smiling face again and again, and suddenly felt a chill on the back of her hand. In a daze, tears fell down her cheeks.
It was summer, and the air was still filled with sweltering heat, but Ruolin's heart felt as if it were cooling down, growing colder and colder.
She wanted to find her father, whom she hadn't seen for over a decade, but had no way to do so; she wanted to be a copy editor, but right now she was just a process editor doing odd jobs for others, and didn't even have the right to have her name credited when her articles were published.
She knew her first idea was impossible to realize, and she didn't expect a father to suddenly appear out of nowhere, but she was trying her best to make her second idea a reality. Every day after get off work, she would squeeze out time to read until her eyelids started to droop.
In this fiercely competitive society, no one can help her except herself.
Ruolin wiped the warm liquid from her face, straightened the photo, and her eyes became even darker and brighter, like mountains after the rain.
Then, she called her mother. Her mother kept coughing on the phone, which made Ruolin feel very sorry for her. She told her mother to see a doctor, but her mother said it was just a little cold and nothing serious.
After hanging up the phone, Ruolin felt a pang of sadness. Whenever her mother was sick, she would either tough it out or buy some random medicine from the pharmacy, never willing to see a doctor. That was because the family wasn't well-off, and her mother couldn't bear to spend the money.
Ruolin told herself that she must work harder and harder to earn money so that her mother could live a carefree and happy life.
Chapter Twelve
Report pornographic and reactionary information
Report score manipulation
For Ruolin right now, money is the most important thing. Her mother's workplace is not doing well and she has been forced to lay off her job and has not yet found a suitable job. Her younger sister is still in school, so the burden of household expenses and her sister's tuition fees falls on Ruolin's frail shoulders.
Ruolin's salary wasn't high, so she would do part-time jobs in her spare time. These part-time jobs were quite varied; she had handed out flyers on the street, worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and worked as a sales promoter in a music and video store...
Ruolin recently took on a part-time job distributing flyers. Her job is to distribute nearly 10,000 flyers within two weeks.