Chapter 84

◎As long as I live, I will protect you for the rest of my life.◎

After the teaching assignment was finalized, Cheng Jiamo booked a flight back to Dongguan the next day. She needed to go back to the company to handle her resignation and hand over her work, and she also needed to take a class to brush up on her teaching knowledge, since she had already graduated for five years.

When Cheng Jiamo left, He Qingzhao did not show up. He may have already returned to Jingbei, or he may have been busy with his own affairs. Cheng Jiamo did not pay attention.

Since having lunch together in the county town that day, Cheng Jiamo has had no private contact with He Qingzhao.

When He Qingzhao asked her if she had a boyfriend, she replied directly, "Yes."

The plane landed in Dongguan at 8 p.m. and she got home around 10 p.m. After washing up, Cheng Jiamo lay on the bed to rest and then recalled her experiences at Kangyu Technology Company over the years.

After recalling the events, she couldn't help but sigh, "He Qingzhao's cunning is truly as deep as the sea."

He can help someone without anyone noticing, and similarly, he can scheme against someone without anyone noticing.

She worked at Kangyu Company for five years and never suspected that He Qingzhao had arranged the job for her. It's no wonder she didn't think that far ahead; He Qingzhao was just too cunning and had arranged everything so meticulously.

First of all, the company that He Qingzhao chose for her, Kangyu Technology Company, is not considered a very good company in a prosperous big city like Dongguan.

When she received the interview call, she specifically went online to check. Kangyu Company's structure and scale were not very large, but it was not the kind of small, run-down company that couldn't even afford to pay salaries.

If she had received an interview call from a large, publicly listed company, she might have been more skeptical.

However, the interview call she received was from a new technology company that's commonplace in Dongguan, so she didn't suspect anything and happily went for the interview. The interview went through the normal process without any special treatment.

When she received the offer, she was so excited that she shared the good news with Ding Qiaoqiao and the others in her roommate group.

Later, Qi Kangyu took her to discuss a project. Under the influence of alcohol, he reassured her, telling her that the reason he asked her to be his assistant was because she was gentle and considerate. He also said that the job of an assistant could be done by both graduate students and undergraduates, but graduate students would ask for more salary than undergraduates. As an undergraduate majoring in Chinese language and literature, she was perfect for being his assistant.

Cheng Jiamo had no doubts to begin with, and after hearing Qi Kangyu's words, she was even less inclined to think in that direction.

Over the past five years, Qi Kangyu never let her drink alcohol when he took her out to discuss projects, and he protected her very well. Sometimes she suspected that Qi Kangyu liked her, but she never suspected that He Qingzhao was helping her behind the scenes.

Suddenly, her phone rang, bringing Cheng Jiamo back to reality. She reached for the phone and saw that the caller ID was from Beijing. She put the phone down, neither answering nor hanging up, letting the phone ring incessantly in the quiet room.

She had actually forgotten that number.

Five years is enough time to forget a relationship, let alone a phone number.

She couldn't remember He Qingzhao's number anymore, but seeing it again brought back memories that had been lost, like spring grass.

The phone rang for a while, then stopped, and after a short time, it rang again.

And so it went, ringing and stopping, until the fifth time, when Cheng Jiamo picked up her phone and answered: "Hello."

This was the first time He Qingzhao had called her so patiently. He never used to. In the past, He Qingzhao would only call her a maximum of three times. He adhered to the principle of "no more than three times," and if she didn't answer after three times, he would stop calling. Even when she found out that he was taking wedding photos with Zhao Qingman, he only called her three times. After she hung up the third time, He Qingzhao never called her again.

"Momo."

He Qingzhao's deep and gentle voice came through the phone, but upon closer listening, one could hear a hint of drunkenness in his voice.

"Momo, I miss you."

Perhaps it was because the night was too quiet, or perhaps it was because the wind was a bit chilly, but Cheng Jiamo didn't hang up the phone. Instead, she gripped it tightly, but she didn't say anything.

The sound of a lighter grinding wheel could be heard on the other end of the phone.

He Qingzhao's voice became even hoarse: "I want to see you."

Cheng Jiamo swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice calm: "If you have nothing else, I'll hang up."

He Qingzhao: "I'm downstairs at your place. I won't leave until you come."

Cheng Jiamo hurriedly got out of bed, put on her shoes, walked to the window, and looked down through the glass. Sure enough, she saw He Qingzhao leaning against the car, looking up at her.

In the dim light of the night, he wore a black shirt and trousers, as if he had blended into the darkness.

This was the first time Cheng Jiamo had looked down at He Qingzhao. She stood on high ground, while he stood on low ground, looking up at her like an ant.

Cheng Jiamo didn't look much, quickly pulled the curtains shut, leaned against the window, took a soft breath, and said in a flat voice, "Whatever."

That night, Cheng Jiamo slept very restlessly, dreaming all night long.

She dreamt that in Taijing, on a gloomy, rainy day, He Qingzhao picked her up from the ground and gently kissed her face.

The scene shifts to northern Beijing, where snow is falling like goose feathers. He Qingzhao takes her skiing, plays a snowball fight with her in the vast snowfield, and builds two snowmen with her, one for herself and one for He Qingzhao.

But in reality, on that rainy day in Taijing, He Qingzhao didn't hug her or kiss her at all; he simply reached out a hand to her and pulled her out of the rain.

During those three years in Beijing, He Qingzhao never taught her to ski, never had a snowball fight with her, and never built a snowman with her. He said skiing was dangerous and he was afraid she would get hurt. He thought snowball fights and building snowmen were not dangerous, but he thought they were childish. In short, he never did anything for her that she wanted to do.

Actually, he is a very lazy person. Perhaps he studied too much and too many different things when he was young, and he was tired of studying. When he is not working or socializing, he just likes to stay at home leisurely. He either reads books and writes in his study, or he lies on a deck chair in the garden and does nothing. He just lies there quietly, watching the blue sky and white clouds, watching the sunset and evening glow, and watching the birds flying in the sky.

At that moment, He Qingzhao gave her the feeling that although his body was still young, his heart was already very weathered.

But Cheng Jiamo was only nineteen or twenty at that time, in the prime of her youth. How could she settle down and lie with him in a rocking chair watching the clouds drift by and the sun rise and set? She wanted to have a lively and sweet love affair with him.

However, He Qingzhao could not give her that kind of love, which is why she recited "You were born before I was born, I was born after you were old" with deep feeling, which was actually a lament about the unequal relationship between her and He Qingzhao.

Coming to her senses, Cheng Jiamo got up, washed, changed her clothes, and packed her bag before heading downstairs to her company to resign.

However, when she walked out of the apartment lobby, she saw He Qingzhao still leaning against the car.

Cheng Jiamo was stunned. She wasn't sure if He Qingzhao had rushed over early in the morning or had really been waiting here all night.

She walked up to He Qingzhao and asked him, "Did you just arrive this morning, or have you been here all night?"

He Qingzhao looked at her intently: "One night."

Cheng Jiamo's nose tingled, she pursed her lips, and said softly, "He Qingzhao, don't be like this, we've already broken up."

He Qingzhao's voice was low and hoarse: "Separation does not mean breaking up, Cheng Jiamo. I have never admitted that we broke up."

Cheng Jiamo: "Breaking up is not the same as divorce. It does not require the signatures of both parties. One party can end the relationship directly."

He Qingzhao smiled and said, "It's my fault for not marrying you sooner. If we had married earlier, I wouldn't have had to stand outside in the cold wind all night."

Cheng Jiamo didn't want to respond to his words and turned to leave.

He Qingzhao grabbed her arm: "Wait a minute."

Cheng Jiamo turned around and looked at him.

He Qingzhao opened the car door, picked up the breakfast from the seat, forcibly hung the breakfast bag on her wrist, and then took out a bunch of blue "forget-me-nots" and handed them to her.

The flower language of "forget-me-not" represents unwavering love and making amends for the past.

Cheng Jiamo didn't accept his flowers, but returned his breakfast to him, saying, "You can eat it yourself, I've already eaten."

He Qingzhao put the breakfast back in the car and asked her with a smile, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

Cheng Jiamo looked at him tenderly, then suddenly smiled at him, picked a small blue flower, took his left hand, and placed the flower in his palm.

"He Qingzhao, forget about it."

-

Cheng Jiamo took the subway to the company. Since she was resigning, she didn't need to clock in anymore.

After Cheng Jiamo submitted her resignation, Qi Kangyu immediately told He Qingzhao about it, and He Qingzhao told Qi Kangyu to accept Cheng Jiamo's resignation.

Qi Kangyu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he couldn't keep Cheng Jiamo, and if He Qingzhao insisted that he try to persuade her to stay, it would be putting him in a difficult position.

Cheng Jiamo's resignation handover was completed very quickly, in less than half an hour.

As she left the company, she saw He Qingzhao and others waiting outside the Kangyu Technology Company building.

He Qingzhao stepped forward and stopped her: "Take my car, and I'll charge you the taxi fare here in Dongguan."

Cheng Jiamo: "I usually take the subway because taxis are expensive."

He Qingzhao grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go: "I won't take the money."

Cheng Jiamo shook off his hand: "There's no such thing as a free lunch. I never take any free ride to avoid being scammed."

He Qingzhao suddenly raised his hand to cover his eyes, and slid down the car body with a pained expression.

Just as Cheng Jiaming was about to leave, she cried out in fright, "He Qingzhao! He Qingzhao, what's wrong with you?"

He Qingzhao didn't speak. He covered his eyes with one hand and pressed the back of his head hard with the other. He squatted on the ground with his back hunched over, breathing rapidly, looking like he was in great pain.

Cheng Jiamo squatted down, supported his body, and asked anxiously, "He Qingzhao, where do you feel unwell?"

He Qingzhao took a breath and said in a hoarse voice, "It hurts."

Cheng Jiamo: "Where does it hurt? Your head? Or your eyes? Or both your head and eyes hurt?"

He Qingzhao's trembling voice squeezed out from between his teeth: "It all hurts."

Cheng Jiamo grabbed his arms with both hands and pulled him up forcefully: "Then get in the car quickly, I'll take you to the hospital."

He Qingzhao struggled to his feet, but his body swayed as if he couldn't stand, and he stumbled and fell onto Cheng Jiamo.

Cheng Jiamo was nearly knocked over by his tackle, but without thinking, she quickly grabbed his waist and pushed him onto the car, asking, "Can you stand up?"

When Qi Kangyu came downstairs, what he saw was Cheng Jiamo hugging He Qingzhao's waist and pressing He Qingzhao against the car.

Qi Kangyu: "..."

He Qingzhao glimpsed Qi Kangyu through his fingers. Afraid that Qi Kangyu would ruin his plans, he quickly raised one hand and waved it at Qi Kangyu, then used that hand to hug Cheng Jiamo.

Cheng Jiamo stiffened, about to let go of him.

He Qingzhao hissed in pain: "It hurts, I feel dizzy, and my legs are weak."

Cheng Jiamo could only continue to hold him, afraid that he would lose his balance, and even used one leg to press down on his leg, asking worriedly, "Are you suffering from the aftereffects of the car accident, or are you sick?"

He Qingzhao reacted to her pressure, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his breathing became heavy: "Car accident."

Cheng Jiamo listened to He Qingzhao's low, hoarse voice and assumed that he was suppressing his emotions because of pain.

She hugged him for a while, then asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

He Qingzhao: "I feel better, but I can't drive anymore."

Cheng Jiamo struggled to carry him and took a breath: "Let me drive. I'll take you to the hospital. You need to get checked out again."

He Qingzhao: "Okay." He gave the hospital address, "Let's go to this one."

Cheng Jiamo knew that this hospital was the best private hospital in Dongguan. She assumed that He Qingzhao wanted to go to a private hospital to enjoy better services, and never thought that He Qingzhao would lie to her again.

She helped He Qingzhao into the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, then sat in the driver's seat, opened the armrest box to look for gloves, but couldn't find them, so she asked He Qingzhao, "Where are the gloves?"

She remembered clearly that He Qingzhao's driver always wore gloves while driving, since all of his cars were top-of-the-line models with genuine leather steering wheels and seats.

He Qingzhao: "You don't need to wear it."

Cheng Jiamo didn't look for it anymore and quickly drove to the hospital.

Over the past five years, she has often driven for Qi Kangyu, and now her driving skills are quite proficient.

He Qingzhao still covered his eyes, but he was actually watching her through his fingers, watching her skillfully reverse, skillfully turn, skillfully drive onto the road, skillfully so that it made his heart ache.

He felt a pang of sadness, a bitter sadness.

Memories flashed before my eyes.

Her nervousness when she first started learning to drive.

She couldn't back into the parking space, and after getting out of the car, she threw herself into his arms and cried pitifully.

When she got her driver's license, she excitedly hugged and kissed him, looking so sweet and affectionate.

The clearer the past became, the more He Qingzhao's heart ached, a sharp, stabbing pain that made him tremble.

Five years ago, he arranged everything perfectly for Cheng Jiamo. Although she wasn't under his watchful eye, it was practically the same as if she were.

He had assumed that the five years wouldn't be a significant time difference for them.

However, he was wrong. Five years, more than 1,800 days, is enough for a little girl to grow into a mature woman, and also enough to widen the distance between them.

The little girl who used to look up at him with eyes full of adoration and affection will never look at him like that again.

He Qingzhao lowered his hand, closed his eyes, and said in a calm voice, "Momo, pull over to the side of the road ahead."

Cheng Jiaming glanced at him as the light turned green: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

He Qingzhao lowered his tongue to the roof of his mouth, forcibly suppressing the bitterness in his throat, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Cheng Jiamo crossed the red light, pulled over to the side of the road, and looked at him sideways: "If you have nothing else to do, I'll be going now."

He Qingzhao opened her eyes and looked at her: "I'll take you back."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and said, "No need, I have something to do."

He Qingzhao: "Okay, be careful on the road."

Cheng Jiamo opened the car door and got out, and He Qingzhao also got out from the passenger seat.

"Momo." He Qingzhao called out to her, looking at her with reddened eyes, "I'm sorry, if I could go back eight years, I would never let you be sad, and I would love you well."

Cheng Jiamo suddenly felt as if a large wad of cotton was blocking her throat, making her feel uncomfortable. Her nose tingled, and she finally couldn't help but tear up.

"No, it's okay." She smiled at him through her tears. "He Qingzhao, it's okay. Take care of yourself and I wish you happiness."

He Qingzhao smiled and patted her head: "You too, take good care of yourself and be happy."

Cheng Jiamo pursed her lips and replied with a smile, "Yes, we're all fine."

On a snowy winter day, she secretly left him without even saying goodbye to him in person, and caused him to get into a car accident.

Now, under the bright sunshine of early summer, they escorted and offered their blessings under the phoenix tree.

Three years of relationship, spanning five years, has finally come to a perfect end.

She turned and left, tears streaming down her face.

“Cheng Jiamo,” He Qingzhao called out her full name.

Cheng Jiamo stopped, but didn't turn around.

If she turned around, she could see the tears in He Qingzhao's eyes.

He Qingzhao's eyes were bloodshot, filled with tears that looked like blood. He said in a low, hoarse voice, "Remember, as long as I live, I will protect you for the rest of my life. No matter where in Beijing or Dongguan, anywhere in China, I will protect you for the rest of your life. No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, come to me anytime."