I took Fang Yuan’s resignation letter from my handbag and handed it to Mi Cai, saying, “This is Fang Yuan’s resignation letter for you. Once you sign it, it will take effect immediately.”
Mi Cai didn’t take it from me but just glanced at it, then sighed softly and said, “Zhaoyang, I really hope you can understand my difficulties. Would you please have Fang Yuan personally hand this resignation letter to me?”
I didn’t withdraw my hand and spoke more gently, “Mi Cai… Actually, you, me, and Fang Yuan grew up in completely different social classes. You might not really understand what a long-held job means to our class… Losing this job will force Fang Yuan to start his life all over again. Right now, he doesn’t have the resources to rebuild. You might not know yet that he already asked Yan Yan to quit her job so she could comfortably carry their baby, and also, his family’s situation back home isn’t good either—one of his uncles has uremia and relies on him for support. The pressure on him is unimaginable… Although I’m not him, thinking about all the stress he will face after resigning makes me feel really upset!”
Mi Cai was silent for a long time before she said, “I can give him a compensation payment.”
“That’s only temporary. What he really needs now isn’t a basket of fish, but a fishing rod that can provide for the long term… How can I express this to you so you can finally understand?”
Mi Cai remained firm, “You take this resignation letter back to Fang Yuan and let him hand it to me before I go to the United States.”
I felt disappointed and pained, instinctively swallowing hard, but still unwilling to give up so easily. I said to her, “Fang Yuan wrote this resignation letter itself already proves he is a reliable person. He understands better than anyone what losing the job at Zhuomei means to him personally, yet he still chose to stay by Yan Yan’s side. Doesn’t this devotion to his wife already prove his character?… I think you shouldn’t hold on to some mistakes so tightly. You should try to give others a chance. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
I looked at Mi Cai for a long time before finally gritting my teeth and saying, “Otherwise, I will be very disappointed in you… because you really lack trust between people!”
My words left Mi Cai silent again, and I also felt uneasy inside. I knew I shouldn’t have said that to her, but if I couldn’t resolve Fang Yuan’s issue satisfactorily, I would feel guilty toward all the years of friendship and support he had given me. I felt conflicted, extremely conflicted. I almost wished I could make this decision for Mi Cai so I wouldn’t have to scold her like this.
A long, long time passed before Mi Cai finally spoke softly, “Maybe I really am a woman who lacks a sense of security… I’m afraid that one day I might see the outcome I least want to face.”
“What ability does Fang Yuan have to bring you such an outcome you don’t want to face? You’re really overestimating him… On the contrary, I think the one who truly decides Zhuomei’s fate is the biggest investor behind the scenes—the ZH Investment Company!”
Mi Cai looked absentmindedly out the car window, as if reflecting whether introducing ZH Investment into Zhuomei had been the right decision back then, or perhaps worrying about Zhuomei’s current situation. But whatever she was thinking, it shouldn’t have anything to do with Fang Yuan. Personally, I firmly believed that Fang Yuan was just a small figure at Zhuomei, especially after cutting ties with Mi Lan… And the fact that Mi Cai is targeting Fang Yuan might just be a show of power before she goes to America, warning other factions to carefully consider whether it’s worth the risk before stirring up trouble!
In the end, Mi Cai didn’t say anything else. She just started the car and drove toward the old house, while I still tightly held onto the resignation letter Fang Yuan had asked me to deliver to her.
…
After the two of us returned to the old house, I reheated the two uneaten breakfasts. Then, in silence, we finished our breakfast and tidied up the somewhat messy house together. After that, because of the exhaustion from the entire night, neither of us wanted to go to work. We just leaned together on the sofa, listening to the sound of wind and rain outside the window…
I finally said to Mi Cai, “You’re leaving the day after tomorrow. While we still have some time, let me help you pack your luggage.”
Mi Cai shook her head and said to me, “My clothes are all in the other room. I’ll go back tonight and pack them myself. Right now, I just want to stay with you a little longer.”
As she said this, she linked her arm with mine and leaned closer into me. I naturally put my arm around her, feeling the softness of her hair, yet I felt even more confused. I couldn’t help but worry whether Fang Yuan had sobered up yet—he drank more and faster than me last night… I actually hoped he could sleep a little longer because he wouldn’t have to immediately face that harsh reality.
Mi Cai had already fallen asleep in my arms. I gazed at her sleeping face again. Although she was so delicate and dependent in my arms, in the ruthless business world, she was still that uncompromising and strategic CEO Mi. Sometimes, I really wanted to enter her heart and see how she, as a female leader, judged and decided things. I also wondered what was supporting her coldness and determination inside that fragile body, and whether she herself even realized that such coldness and determination could easily decide another person’s fate!
The more I thought out of curiosity, the more confused I became. I couldn’t figure out whether everything she currently possessed was a burden to her. If it was a burden, why couldn’t she just calmly put it down and live a simple, ordinary life?… Honestly, even now, I still imagined that we could forget all the troubles of chasing fame and fortune, simply run a small inn in Xitang, and live a leisurely life with enough food and clothing.
Thinking and thinking, I eventually fell asleep from fatigue…
…
Not knowing how long had passed, my phone, which was charging on the table, vibrated. I woke up before Mi Cai, somewhat drowsily picked up the phone from the table, and saw it was an unfamiliar number.
I gently laid Mi Cai down and took the phone to the balcony. I answered softly, “Hello, who is this?”
There was a long silence on the other end before someone finally said, “It’s me, Mi Lan… Are you free right now?”
I was quite surprised. This woman actually called me herself. After a moment of shock, I replied, “I’m free. By the way, I’m with your sister now. Why don’t we have lunch together?”
But Mi Lan urgently said, “Don’t call me sister, and don’t let my sister know I called you… I just want to talk to you alone.”
Only then did I realize the purpose of her call. After a moment of silence, I asked, “You’re calling me about Fang Yuan, right?”
“… Yeah, there are some things I can’t talk to my sister directly, but she absolutely needs to know. So, after serious consideration, I think talking to you is the most appropriate way.”
Right now, I was also troubled by Fang Yuan’s matter. After a brief thought, I said to her, “Alright then. Let’s meet at the Empty City Music Restaurant… Do you know where that is?”
“Yeah, I know. See you later.”
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