Chen Jingming paused, whether intentionally or not, which made me suddenly nervous. I asked in haste, “Unless what?”
Chen Jingming took another sip of tea and said, “Unless the largest investor of Zhuomei betrays, otherwise Mi Zhongde will definitely lose in this IPO battle.”
I didn’t catch on immediately and instinctively asked, “Which company is Zhuomei’s largest investor?”
“The ZH Investment Company under Blue Map Group. Their new general manager is a friend of President Mi. You must have heard of this, right?”
With a reminder from Chen Jingming, I finally understood. I realized that the largest investor of Zhuomei was indeed the Blue Map Group controlled by Weiran. I nodded and said, “I know. I’ve met Weiran a few times.”
Chen Jingming nodded and said, “That’s right, his name is Weiran. I heard he and President Mi were classmates during their overseas studies, and their relationship is quite special. I think it’s unlikely that he will side with Mi Zhongde.”
I took a sip of tea without saying anything, feeling a sense of oppression in my heart. At this moment, Mi Cai’s fate and that of Zhuomei were in Weiran’s hands, while I could only watch helplessly, unable to assist Mi Cai at all.
After a long silence, I finally asked Chen Jingming again, “President Chen, what role does Fang Yuan play in this game between you and Mi Zhongde?”
Chen Jingming asked in surprise, “Why do you ask that?”
I didn’t hide my thoughts but spoke subtly, “I’m a bit worried he might do something harmful to Mi Cai.”
Chen Jingming seemed to understand something but didn’t spell it out. After a while, he said, “Your worry is unnecessary. After all, Fang Yuan is merely an executive vice president of Zhuomei Suzhou. In a contest between President Mi and Mi Zhongde, he can’t play a significant role. The key still lies with Zhuomei’s board of directors and investors. Do you understand?”
Chen Jingming paused briefly, then added seriously, “Moreover, Fang Yuan was mentored by me personally, and he’s also your longtime close friend. For these reasons, you shouldn’t have any unnecessary doubts about him.”
I thought about it and realized he was right, so I said, “You’re right. I should trust Fang Yuan’s character.”
Chen Jingming’s expression softened a bit as he said, “You should also trust President Mi’s capability. As long as there’s no major accident this time, Zhuomei will surely succeed in its IPO.”
I nodded and said, “I hope Zhuomei succeeds in its IPO. I also hope that President Chen can continue to support Mi Cai in the future. It’s really not easy for a woman to face such a complicated situation!”
“President Mi has done me a great favor, and I will certainly do my utmost to contribute to Zhuomei!”
At three in afternoon, I left the coffee shop with Chen Jingming. My heart finally felt a bit more at ease, and I looked forward even more to Mi Cai achieving a great victory in her contest against Mi Zhongde. Broadly speaking, it would be for Zhuomei’s future; selfishly, it would resolve many troubles for our own future. Because I couldn’t imagine what kind of mood Mi Cai would have if Zhuomei’s IPO failed and she lost this battle.
After leaving the coffee shop, I didn’t linger outside but went directly back to the old house, where Mi Cai had not yet returned. So during the time I waited for Mi Cai, I started cleaning the entire house.
It was nearly five o’clock in the evening when Mi Cai finally came back. I threw away the rag in my hand and eagerly embraced her, but she pushed me away more eagerly and urged, “Zhaoyang, hurry up and drive me to the airport. My flight is at seven, and we’re almost late!”
I held her tightly and said, “We still have two hours. With my driving style, we can make it in an hour and a half. So you can spare me half an hour, can’t you?”
Mi Cai’s tone was more urgent, “No, no… It’s the rush hour now. If we get stuck in traffic, it will be all over.”
I was furious but still gave in. If we really encountered traffic congestion and she missed her flight, that would be a grave mistake. I picked up her suitcase, held her hand, and ran downstairs to the car, grumbling as I ran. She swore she hadn’t intentionally timed it so tightly, which made me even more upset. If only she had come back half an hour earlier, even twenty minutes would have been better!
Sure enough, we encountered a moderate traffic jam on the way. When we arrived at the airport, there were only ten minutes left before boarding. I had to endure the sorrow of parting immediately.
Mi Cai and I stood facing each other. I seized every second, hugging her tightly again. She hugged me tightly too, and we didn’t let go until a full minute had passed. She carefully straightened my wrinkled collar and whispered to me, “I have to go now.”
“I allow you to go, but when you come back, remember to be happy.”
“Hmm, should I wear a white dress again?”
“Even better if you wear a wedding dress!”
“You’re still joking around at a time like this!”
“I’m not joking. I really want to marry you. You know that, don’t you?”
Mi Cai was silent for a moment before saying, “Today I told my uncle that I’m considering marrying you…”
I suddenly felt nervous again and hurriedly asked, “What did he say?”
“You said you didn’t care about his opinion, right?”
“Of course I don’t care, but wouldn’t it be better if he agreed readily?”
Mi Cai nodded and said, “Yes, I thought the same way. But he didn’t give a clear response, just told me to focus on my career for now.”
“What a hypocrite! What he really doesn’t want to see is you focusing on your career!”
Mi Cai didn’t respond. She hurriedly looked at her watch. The airport announcement repeatedly reminded passengers to board. Mi Cai took out various documents from her handbag and prepared to leave. My heart suddenly felt hollow, wishing I could go with her, but that was so unrealistic. I could only watch helplessly as she left.
She took a couple of steps forward but suddenly turned back. Instinctively, I ran towards her. She hugged me again and whispered in my ear, “Please take good care of CC for me. Don’t let her be too sad!”
“Don’t worry. I will definitely take good care of her… You also have to promise me not to make me endure such partings again. This feeling is terrible, it makes me feel so down!”
“There won’t be such situations anymore. I will always be by your side, accompany you in your boredom, and share your happiness…”
I nodded heavily, brushing aside the hair from her temple, kissing her earlobe, “Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing the news about Zhuomei’s successful IPO… Have a safe trip!”
She disappeared from my reluctant gaze. Finally, I closed my eyes and etched her departure deeply into my mind, because I had heard: sometimes when you miss someone too much, you can’t even remember their appearance clearly.
I must not forget her appearance, otherwise how could I imagine her in a wedding dress? So I had to engrave it deeply into my mind.
I became bored again, recalling just how little I had to lower my head to kiss her earlobe. I couldn’t help but exclaim how tall she was! After all, I was 183 cm tall. Even if she was wearing high heels, she must be at least 168 cm tall. When she comes back next time, I should measure her height properly and tell her how perfectly matched we are in terms of height!
These boring daydreams finally helped ease some of the sorrow of parting. Then I started thinking about the unresolved romance between Roben and Wei Manwen. Presumably, this time when she returns to Xitang, Le Yao won’t have any more excuses to delay. Yet my mood suddenly became melancholy again, this time for CC… Indeed, life itself is filled with melancholy! There’s no way to escape it!
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