Chapter 70: The Unpredictable Gathering and Separation

Originally, Tang Zhixu was the right person for her. He knew it the moment he saw them for the first time; they would end up together sooner or later. But when did he forget? He had seen them being intimate, chatting and laughing; he had heard rumors about them; from graduation until now, they had been friends, comrades-in-arms, and soul mates. She had ideals and he supported her; she loved adventure and he had money. She was innocent, beautiful, and capable; he was straightforward, reliable, and talented. Who else could be more suitable for her than him? Him?

Compared to Tang Zhixu, what did he do for her? He and her were together for a total of three months. In the first month, he ignored her and let her adapt to life in England on her own. In the remaining two months, at least half of the time they were fighting and arguing with each other.

He liked her, but so what? Did he want a relationship with her with a clear end date, lasting only a little over a month? Or did he want a long-distance relationship over 10,000 kilometers apart, with occasional text messages and weekly video calls, that ended within six months without even a formal notice?

He wouldn't stay in China just because he loved Qin Tian. It wasn't that she wasn't good enough, but there was no woman in the world he could sacrifice so much for. His work, career, relationships, and family were all in England; he had his ideal life. Coming to China would mean giving it all up, an impossible feat. Sacrifice doesn't bring happiness; the sacrificer always remembers their efforts. In his thirty years, he'd never made a meaningless sacrifice for anyone, and he wouldn't in the future. He had a clear plan for his life, but love was a dynamic process, and he wouldn't do anything impulsively that his future self would regret.

As for Qin Tian, ​​not to mention that she probably had no feelings for him yet, even if she was deeply in love with him, given her personality, she would never leave Shanghai Museum and go to England for him. Besides, he was not the first priority in her emotional balance.

From Friday till now, she had been moving things and searching for clues by herself, all because Tang Zhixu was not in China. The past few days of getting along with her were completely one-sided, he had come uninvited and didn't even realize it.

Even her request to go to Niya together was probably because the person she really wanted to go with was temporarily away. And he was just her second best choice.

"Settling for second best"—perhaps the five most humiliating words in Chinese—had never imagined that one day he would feel this way as that "second best." It was a complete collapse, a desperate escape. Shame prevented him from staying even a second longer in her presence, and he fled the Shanghai Museum without a second's thought.

He bought a bag of corn and scattered it among the pigeons, watching them scramble for the food excitedly.

Whether you are attracted to it or like it, don’t start something that is destined to have no result.

Don't say that there are no friends on the road ahead, everyone in the world knows you, so go ahead without any worries.

He doesn't deserve the first two sentences.

He can do the last two sentences.

Song Suiyang thought Tong Zhongyuan had just shown up and disappeared, and that there was no way he would be able to enter the museum again today. But just before leaving work, Tong Zhongyuan returned.

He looked a little different than he had this morning, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what. She said Qin Tian had come to see him. He replied noncommittally.

He walked over to her restoration table and said calmly, "Tell Tang Zhixu that I received the painting. Thank you for your trouble."

Song Suiyang responded, took out his cell phone and started typing.

"And..." Tong Zhongyuan's voice sounded again.

Song Suiyang had already typed the first few sentences, and when she heard that he had something else to say, she stopped and waited for him. However, she waited for a long time, but he didn't say anything else. She looked at him in confusion and whispered, "Teacher Tong, is there anything else?"

Another thing: once he said it, it was a promise. He couldn't go back on his word.

"Also," he finally raised his eyes, his heart as calm as water, "tell him that the painting is wonderful, and I will hang it in my office when I return to England."

One afternoon, Qin Tian contacted colleagues from the carving and photography departments and asked them to perform photo restoration work on the gilded plate. The photography department said it wasn't a major problem, while the carving department needed a few days to research and compare contemporary designs. Qin Tian wasn't in a rush. Niya is located in Xinjiang, a multi-ethnic region. Ming Yuanxing had previously asked her to collect artifacts, clothing, and culture from ethnic minorities. She had originally planned to go to Hunan, but Niya seemed like a good fit. Niya is remote, with diverse ethnic groups, and the trip would take a long time. A travel report would still need to be prepared, and Ming Yuanxing, while abroad, expected a delay in approval.

Yuan Junruo had already begun separating the doses of alpha and beta thermoluminescent radiation. She didn't want to leave it all to him alone; he was still young. If his sperm quality declined and he couldn't conceive, and she was blamed, she would be deeply guilty. She needed to focus on generating the first batch of data over the next few days. Xinjiang was vast and sparsely populated, so travel would be time-consuming. With the data, she could write her paper while traveling.

And then there was Tong Zhongyuan. She invited him to go to Niya with her. Since he wasn't on a business trip and couldn't get his expenses reimbursed, it was natural that she should pay for the expenses. He wasn't one to compromise himself, and his accommodation and transportation had to suit his preferences. This was a significant expense. She knew he had money, and it had nothing to do with her. He had come to China urgently in July, originally for a three-week stay, and had brought only a few pieces of clothing. She saw him tossing and turning the same few clothes over and over. This trip to Niya would have a significant temperature difference between day and night, so he needed some thicker clothes, even winter clothes. She just didn't know...if she should pay for the clothes.

Thinking of Tong Zhongyuan, she wondered where he had gone that afternoon. They had been together day and night these past few days, and she had gotten used to the feeling of being able to see him at any time. She took out her phone, hesitated for a moment, then clicked on his profile picture and typed, "Where have you been?"

Just as she pressed send, she heard a slight beep from the door. She looked up and saw Tong Zhongyuan standing at the office door, staring at her with an obscure look in his eyes.

"You're here." Qin Tian stood up happily. "Where have you been? I went to look for you, but you weren't there."

"I went out for a while," he replied. It was as if he hadn't said anything.

Qin Tian didn't care at all. She was eager to tell him about Wang Yijian. She excitedly told him the whole story of Wang Yijian's brave fight against Zhou Qiang.

"Isn't this little boy super awesome?!" She said thirstily and drank some water.

"Well, brave and resourceful."

"By the way, as for the trip to Niya, I estimate we'll have to leave at the earliest this weekend."

He stared at her, wondering how to tell her that he wasn't going. Since he became an adult, he had never broken a promise.

She didn't notice his unusual behavior and enthusiastically told him about the sculpture department's response. Then she explained that the temperature difference between day and night in Niya was large, and he needed to buy some thick clothes. She said a little embarrassedly, "Do you want me to buy them for you? I'm afraid what I buy might not suit your taste."

"Qin Tian." It can't be delayed any longer. It's not his style to hesitate when he should make a decision.

"Um?"

"I'm sorry, Niya, I can't go," he said calmly.

"Why?" she blurted out in surprise.

"I want to finish the restoration work as soon as possible and return to the UK."

She was stunned. She knew, she had always known, that he wanted to finish his work quickly and get home early. But he hadn't said that when she had asked him that morning. Why, in just a few hours, had he changed his mind?

"That's right..." She stammered, "But..."

But you promised me, but I need you. I can't do it without you.

Every word welled up in her mouth, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't be so selfish. He had already done so much. He had given her everything she had ever wished for. He had restored artifacts for the Shanghai Museum, taught Song Suiyang his craft, preserved the Buddha statue in China, and stripped away the rust without a scratch. He had done things she hadn't asked for. He had accompanied her to see Lao Yu, to stop the plum vase from leaving the country, to find clues to the gilded plate.

One by one, it was because of him that she became more and more dependent on him. She became so dependent on him that without him, she couldn't even go to Niya alone.

"I understand." These were the words she finally said. "It's okay. Then...just fix it."

"Um."

As he turned to leave, a thought flashed through his mind: she wouldn't go alone. No, Tang Zhixu wouldn't let her go to such a far place alone.

Tong Zhongyuan left. Qin Tian paused for a moment, then typed out her business trip application and sent it to Ming Yuanxing. The email had been successfully delivered. She leaned back in her chair, suddenly feeling very tired. The passionate yearning that had excited and thrilled her these past few days had turned into an unspeakable, vast emptiness.