Neon and Ruler

After the turmoil, the construction site enjoyed a rare period of calm. Liu Feng seemed to have calmed down considerably, spending most of his time in the supervisor's office processing paperwork and rarely appearing on site to interfere. Zhang Biao, after the incident, actually became close friends with the workers at the beam yard. He was forthright and hardworking, and although his skills were still relatively rudimentary, he was eager to learn, and everyone was willing to teach him. Under the careful guidance of Chief Engineer Zhang Xiao, Lan Tongtong's professional skills steadily improved, and he was now able to independently handle many technical issues.

She would occasionally see Mo Zhichi at the construction site, his serious and focused demeanor as he patrolled the site with a ruler in hand. The two of them would simply nod at each other from a distance, without much interaction. Lan Tongtong was grateful to Brother Mo, but she also remembered his advice to "focus on your work," turning that gratitude into motivation for her hard work.

That afternoon, Lan Tongtong was checking the data for the next batch of prestressed tensioning when her phone rang. "Brother Mo" appeared on the screen. Her heart warmed, and she picked up the phone immediately.

"Hey, Mo."

"Tongtong, are you free tonight?" Mo Zhichi's voice came, his tone calm as usual, "Xiao Chi's flight is back tonight, and I want to pick her up. If it's convenient for you, let's have dinner together."

Lan Tongtong was surprised and happy, but then said with embarrassment: "Brother Mo, I really want to go! But... it's not time to get off work yet, and I don't know if I can take a day off tonight." The project department has strict management, especially for their technicians. It is not easy to take temporary leave.

"Don't worry about asking for leave." Mo Zhichi's tone was unquestionable. "At five o'clock, just go to the project department gate and wait for me."

"Ah? Okay, Brother Mo!" Although she was nervous, Lan Tongtong still chose to believe Mo Zhichi.

After hanging up the phone, Lan Tongtong decided to follow the rules as it was almost time to get off work. She found the director of engineering and said she had some personal matters to attend to in the evening and wanted to take a few hours off.

The director of engineering dismissed the idea without even looking up. "No! The precast beams still need to be tensioned tonight. You're in charge of the technical briefing, so how can you not be on site? We'll talk about personal matters this weekend!"

Lan Tongtong returned to her workstation in disappointment. Just when she didn't know what to do, her cell phone rang again. It was Mo Zhichi again.

"Come out to the gate."

"Brother Mo, I didn't invite you to come down during the holiday..." Lan Tongtong lowered her voice.

"I know. Just come out." Mo Zhichi's voice was calm, as if everything was under control.

Lan Tongtong was skeptical. Just as she finished packing her things, she saw the project chief engineer Zhang Xiao coming out of the office with a frown on his face and walking straight towards her.

"Xiao Lan, Supervisor Mo just called and said there are some discrepancies in the first-article approval documents. I need you to come over immediately and explain it in person." Zhang Xiao's tone was somewhat helpless. "Go and come back quickly to find out what the problem is. Don't let it affect the subsequent evaluation."

Lan Tongtong understood instantly! This was Brother Mo's "luring the tiger away from the mountain" tactic! The project department had no reason to refuse him under the pretext of discussing technical information, and the reason was so reasonable that no one could find fault with it.

"Okay, Mr. Zhang, I'll be there right away!" Lan Tongtong suppressed the smile in her heart and agreed with a serious face.

She walked quickly toward the project office's main entrance. Mo Zhichi's half-worn black sedan was already parked quietly by the roadside. She opened the door and got in, unable to help but smile. "Brother Mo, your excuse is... too legitimate!"

As Mo Zhichi started the car, he said calmly, "There's always work to do, but I can't delay picking up my daughter for dinner." The corners of his mouth seemed to rise slightly. "Fasten your seatbelts."

The car drove smoothly toward the airport. On the way, Mo Zhichi spoke more than usual, mostly about his daughter, Mo Xiaochi, and the fun she had experienced as a child. His tone was filled with a father's love and pride, but also hinted at a subtle sense of loss at his daughter's growing distance. He also explained why he had called Lan Tongtong along, hoping that having a young person present would ease any awkwardness between them.

Lan Tongtong listened quietly, a flood of emotion filling her heart. This chief engineer, known for his unforgiving strictness on the construction site, was even willing to resort to such a small trick for her daughter. The bridge she had helped build physically connected two banks; now, she was trying to help the man who was like a mentor and a father to her, connect the somewhat distant bonds between him and her daughter. In the night, the car sped towards the airport, carrying a father's hopes and a new story of family love and understanding.

The airport arrival hall was bustling with people. Lan Tongtong followed Mo Zhichi, her eyes searching the crowds pouring out of the gate. Mo Zhichi appeared calm, but his slightly forward lean and constant glances at his watch betrayed his inner anticipation.

"It's out." Mo Zhichi suddenly whispered, his eyes fixed in one direction.

Lan Tongtong followed his gaze and saw a striking figure emerge, pushing a luggage cart. The girl was tall, wearing an oversized, bright yellow graffiti sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and thick-soled Martin boots. Her most striking feature was her rainbow-colored short hair, a palette of colors spilled out. Her face was painted with a slightly cool makeup, and a row of earrings gleamed in the light. This was a far cry from Lan Tongtong's image of a well-behaved girl returning from studying abroad.

This was Mo Xiaochi. She was pushing her luggage, her eyes casually scanning the crowd of people waiting to meet her at the airport. When she saw Mo Zhichi, she paused and walked over with a blank expression on her face.

"Dad." Mo Xiaochi's voice was flat, without any ups and downs, a greeting. Her eyes then fell on Lan Tongtong, who was standing beside her father, with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny.

"Xiao Chi, you've had a hard time on the road." Mo Zhichi's tone was filled with subtle caution. He leaned over and introduced, "This is Lan Tongtong, the one I mentioned to you."

Lan Tongtong quickly put on a friendly smile: "Hello, Xiaochi, welcome back."

Mo Xiaochi raised her eyebrows, and her smoky-makeup eyes flickered between Lan Tongtong and her father. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curved up, revealing a playful smile: "Oh—are you the godsister my father adopted?" She leaned closer and said in a deliberately exaggerated tone, "Then should I call you... Auntie?"

Lan Tongtong's face flushed instantly. She was at a loss for words at this sudden joke and quickly waved her hands: "No, no, no! Just call me Tongtong. I'm only a few years older than you."

"Haha, I'm just kidding!" Mo Xiaochi laughed when he saw Lan Tongtong's embarrassment. The alienation he felt just now seemed to dissipate a little. "Let's go. I'm starving. Airplane food is terrible."

On the way to the restaurant, Mo Xiaochi naturally sat in the back seat, next to Lan Tongtong, leaving the passenger seat to the wind. She seemed to be more interested in Lan Tongtong than in her father, and kept asking questions.

"Are you really a technician on the construction site? Wow, impressive! Are there a lot of muscular men on the construction site?"

"Is my dad really fierce on the construction site? He always has a stern face and measures everywhere with a ruler?"

"Has he ever made you cry?"

These questions left Lan Tongtong at a loss for words. She answered carefully while secretly observing Mo Zhichi's expression through the rearview mirror. Mo Zhichi drove intently, his face expressionless, but his knuckles, slightly white from gripping the steering wheel, showed he wasn't as calm as he appeared.

Dinner was at a stylish fusion restaurant. Mo Xiaochi, once again, took her seat next to Lan Tongtong. She ordered a slew of dishes without consulting her father or Lan Tongtong. Most of them were Western-style, and in Mo Zhichi's opinion, a bit "fancy."

During the meal, Mo Zhichi tried to find some topics to talk about: "What are your plans for coming back this time?"

Mo Xiaochi used a fork to stir the salad without raising his eyelids: "I don't have any plans, I'll play for a few days first."

"You're studying design, do you want to..."

"Dad," Mo Xiaochi interrupted him with an impatient tone, "I just got off the plane, can you not talk about this?"

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Lan Tongtong quickly smoothed things over by asking Mo Xiaochi about interesting things about her life abroad. This unleashed a fire under Mo Xiaochi, who excitedly began to talk about parties, travels, and various cutting-edge exhibitions and art forms, her words filled with disdain for the "old-fashioned" atmosphere in China.

Mo Zhichi ate in silence, barely interrupting. Lan Tongtong could sense a vast chasm between father and daughter, not just a generational gap but also a difference in lifestyle and values. Mo Xiaochi, with her trendy and rebellious nature, had built a wall between herself and her father.

"Look at my dad," Mo Xiaochi suddenly pointed his chin at his silent father and said to Lan Tongtong, "He's been living with his blueprints and rulers all his life. How boring. It's really hard for you to get along with him on the construction site."

Lan Tongtong saw Mo Zhichi pause in his steak-cutting motion. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she put down her knife and fork, looked at Mo Xiaochi, and said seriously, "Xiaochi, Brother Mo... is actually quite interesting. He can solve many complex problems on the construction site with the simplest methods. He knows so much and takes such good care of me. Without him, I probably wouldn't have been able to make it long ago."

Mo Xiaochi didn't seem to expect Lan Tongtong to refute her so seriously. She was stunned for a moment, then curled her lips: "Oh, it seems my dad has found a little fan."

But after that, she didn't resort to any more pointed remarks. The delicate dinner finally drew to a close. Lan Tongtong looked across at her silent father and her uninhibited daughter, and sighed inwardly: These next few days, I'm afraid, won't be easy for this father and daughter. As "godsister" and "little aunt," she found herself in an awkward position, yet she seemed to be the only thin thread connecting them.