It was already late at night, but Chen Jingming hadn’t replied to my message immediately. However, I believed he would at least grant me an opportunity for a face-to-face conversation. I needed to convince him with sincerity to accept the “Artistic Path” project. In my heart, he had always been a professional manager with rich management experience. Otherwise, Mi Cai wouldn’t have valued him so highly. If my career was about to set sail, he would be an indispensable right-hand man by my side.
On the street, the streetlights emitted a tired glow. I walked listlessly in the middle of the road, feeling the spaciousness that belonged solely to me, yet my heart grew tighter and tighter. Once again, Mi Cai’s retreating back appeared in my mind as she walked away on Mochou Road. Her thin silhouette brought me such pain. I deeply regretted not giving her enough care when we had the chance to meet every day, always preoccupied with my coffee shop and the trivialities of life. Only now did I understand how precious the phrase “by my side” truly was… And how powerless and helpless I felt about being unable to stop her departure—how sorrowful it made me feel!
If time could turn back, I wished she hadn’t taken the civil service exam to lighten my burden, nor gone to Li Xiaoyun’s company to work as a grassroots assistant out of concern for being seen as idle in our home…
We should have had a better lifestyle, and thus wouldn’t have left so many regrets in this phase of our ending… I really wanted to water the flowers with her in the morning, and walk around the wilderness north of the coffee shop at dusk…
I couldn’t walk anymore, leaning against an old tree, observing the weather at night. It seemed the city had changed its climate again. If it rained later, the scene would be just like the day I first met Mi Cai. It had drizzled gently on that day too… It turned out that meeting and parting were truly just moments apart. Perhaps for us, it was merely a rain that had started but not yet stopped, which condensed our entire year together!
And when we meet again, it will have been after cycling through several springs, summers, autumns, and winters. They say spring has its flowers and autumn its moonlight; summer has its cool breezes and winter its snow. Then, is parting still hard to endure?
Not really hard. Just imagine it as having enjoyed a cool breeze, witnessed several flower blooms, admired the full moon a few times, and experienced a few snowfalls!
Finally, I softly exhaled, smiled slightly, and walked again toward the street hostel hundreds of meters away.
…
The next morning, I woke up early. I knew Mi Cai was already on the flight to America. Perhaps lovers truly share a subtle spiritual connection—I could sense her presence moving further and further from me. My mood became increasingly hollow on this drizzly morning. Thus, I sat motionless on the bed for a long time before getting dressed and brushing my teeth.
As usual, I arrived at the hospital. A well-dressed man was talking with Yan Yan, who had arrived before me. Seeing me, he addressed me in somewhat accented Mandarin, “Mr. Zhaoyang, my name is Tan Zhi. I am Ms. Yan Zhuomei’s special assistant. She and Mi Cai left for America this morning. She has entrusted me to handle affairs in China now. I’ve just contacted Dr. Mo Zishi. He suggests transferring the patient to a hospital in Shanghai for treatment. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic, invited by Ms. Yan Zhuomei, will go to Shanghai with Dr. Mo for consultation. Now, we need your and Ms. Yan Yan’s opinions. If you agree, I will proceed with the transfer arrangements immediately.”
My heart ached instantly, for my intuition had been correct—Mi Cai had indeed left with Yan Zhuomei this morning. I was stunned for a long while before asking Yan Yan’s opinion. At this moment, only the two of us could make decisions for Jian Wei. Yan Yan signaled me to decide, so I nodded at Tan Zhi and replied, “I accept Dr. Mo’s suggestion and appreciate your efforts in handling this matter.”
Tan Zhi’s expression was serious, as if fulfilling a mission he could not neglect. He said, “Mr. Zhaoyang, you flatter me. This is my job, and I must complete it thoroughly!”
I nodded. Without further words, Tan Zhi turned and walked toward the elevator. From him, I saw strong execution ability, which gave me an idea. If I wanted to achieve success in any commercial field, I must have capable individuals like Tan Zhi around me, who excel in execution. I should strive to build a commercial team with diverse strengths yet strong compatibility!
I felt somewhat surprised by my current thoughts. Before this, although I had been in charge of the company Lukou, I had never valued team configuration as much as I did now. It seemed my inner self was no longer as resistant to a strong commercial atmosphere as before. I was seriously doing things beyond my capabilities—learning and exploring new horizons!
Yan Yan said to me, “Zhaoyang, Wei Wei will soon be transferred to the hospital in Shanghai. Don’t worry too much. Stay here and manage the business Wei Wei left behind well. Qin Yan and I will take good care of her. You can visit Shanghai occasionally.”
I remained silent for a long time before replying, “Yes… I will definitely do well with Jian Wei’s company and the ‘Artistic Path’ project. After arriving in Shanghai, I’ll trouble you both to take extra care.”
“Zhaoyang, please don’t say that. The one truly bearing the burden is you… When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. We all know how difficult Wei Wei’s company is now, and how much pressure you’re under. You’re also alone now, so you must take care of yourself!”
“Let’s encourage each other. Everything will be fine… But before that, we all need to learn to be fearless… Fearless!”
…
Around 9 o’clock, Chen Jingming finally replied to my message. He agreed to meet me and chat. We arranged to meet at the “West of the Old City” coffee shop, a place that Lukou had carefully developed. I always had a strong affection for this coffee shop because, in a way, it represented the spiritual essence of the “Artistic Path.” I wanted to use this opportunity to help Chen Jingming understand the commercial value of the project.
Before meeting him, I called my father and mother in Xuzhou. I told them I would return to Xuzhou the day after tomorrow and give them an explanation. This incident had hurt them deeply, and Mi Cai’s departure had made them even more heartbroken. But this time, they didn’t express dissatisfaction toward Mi Cai as they had before. In their eyes, I bore full responsibility this time, while Mi Cai had already gained their approval!
My schedule for these days was packed. Tomorrow, I still had separate meetings with Zhang Yixi and Zhou Zhaokun—one regarding cooperation on the “Artistic Path” project, and the other about exploring the emerging mobile game market. Additionally, I needed to conduct financial clearance at Jian Wei’s advertising company and restructure its internal personnel. I planned to downsize the company during this difficult period, laying off some employees who lacked contracts and those with poor performance… These decisions were made in a short time, and I had little time left for further thinking. My ability to respond would be tested at every risk. From this moment on, I hoped every decision I made would avoid major mistakes—mistakes I could no longer afford.
The invisible pressure made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, but I had to grit my teeth and persevere. My courage and expectations for life absolutely couldn’t be crushed by time. I wanted to welcome Mi Cai’s return with the best version of myself, and await Jian Wei’s awakening with the best possible situation. No matter the person or the matter, I could no longer be that aimless Zhaoyang. I firmly told myself this.
It was 11 a.m. Finally, I left the hospital, drove Yan Yan’s car, and headed toward the teahouse where I had arranged to meet Chen Jingming… Whether I would gain an experienced assistant or receive a disappointed and distrustful answer from Chen Jingming would soon be revealed…
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