Chapter 75: Farewell

The next day, Shi Shi and Duo Duo finally started school. In the morning, they took them to kindergarten together. Duo Duo hadn't been to kindergarten in ages, so impatient she got out of the car and ran. She stopped at the entrance, waiting for Shi Shi and yelling for her to hurry up. Shi Shi, held by Shi Zhenglin's hand, couldn't move her legs wide enough, looking unhappy. But she wasn't crying and making a fuss like she used to at the start of the school year, a significant change. When she reached the entrance, she was reluctant to let go and insisted she waited a moment. Her face flushed and tears welled in her eyes. Shi Zhenglin knelt down to try and comfort her, but the more he coaxed her, the more she refused to let go, her separation anxiety taking over. Long Weihe also knelt down to coax her. "Shi Shi, I'll give you a little stuffed animal to go to school with you, okay? You're sure to like it." She pulled something out of her bag. Two cute new LABUBU charms rested in her palms. "Two, pick one." Qian Duo Duo stood by, envious of her privilege to choose first. She was interested, lowering her eyes to examine it carefully. She let go of Shi Zhenglin's hand and took the one with the pink bow tied on its head. The remaining fluffy brown one belonged to Qian Duoduo, who had also liked it. She helped them hang the dolls on their backpacks, saying they were adorable and the kindergarten kids would love them. She asked Duoduo to take her hand and go in with her. Shi Shi took a step forward, silent, glancing back at the two adults with every step. Qian Duoduo pulled her, "Shi Shi, you're five years old now. Don't cry. Many children will look at you and call you a crybaby." She fought hard to hold back her tears. They went in for the morning checkup. The morning checkup teacher, perhaps too impressed by her previous exaggerated resistance, praised her for opening her mouth this time and rewarded her with a small toy. Encouraged, she turned around and waved to them. She had overcome it. Long Weihe felt a sudden sense of relief. After dragging Qian Duoduo around for over three months, she was exhausted to the point of numbness. "Have Aunt Xu take him to my place this afternoon. Don't run away. I'll come back tonight and take him back, okay?" Shi Zhenglin stood behind her, stroking her shoulder again and again. "No, I'll take him home myself." He could imagine the hardship she'd endure raising a child alone. He yearned constantly for them to start a family together, and he wanted to bring it up with her, but he kept holding it back. The two children's fleeting summer vacation was like crossing a desert, a long journey before they discovered they were each other's source of water. Zhou Chuanze called him to say he had arrived at the airport. He'd arranged for Xiao He to see him off early that morning. He'd sent Long Weihe the same divination results Zhou Chuanze had sent him last night. This time, he was here...

The next day, Shi Shi and Duo Duo finally started school. In the morning, they took them to kindergarten together.

Duoduo hadn't been to kindergarten for a long time, and he was so anxious that he got out of the car and ran away. He stopped at the entrance to the kindergarten, waiting for Shi Shi, and shouted at Shi Shi to hurry up.

Shi Shi was being held by Shi Zhenglin, and she couldn't move her feet far enough, looking unhappy. However, she didn't cry and make a fuss like she did at the beginning of the school year, which was a big change.

When she reached the entrance gate, she was reluctant to let go and said she needed to wait a while, her face flushed and tears welling in her eyes. Shi Zhenglin squatted down to comfort her, but the more he coaxed her, the more she refused to let go, her separation anxiety taking over.

Long Weihe also squatted down to coax her, "Shi Shi, I'll give you a little doll to go to school with you, okay? I'm sure you'll like it."

She took something out of her bag.

Two cute new LABUBU pendants were placed in her palms. "Two, pick one."

Qian Duoduo stood aside and envied her for being able to choose first.

She was interested. She lowered her eyes and looked carefully. She let go of Shi Zhenglin's hand and picked up the one with a pink bow tied on her head.

The remaining one with brown fluff belongs to Qian Duoduo, and he liked it very much after taking it.

She helped them hang the dolls on their schoolbags, saying they were very cute and that the kindergarten kids would definitely like them. She asked Duoduo to hold her hand and go in together.

Shi Shi took a step forward, no longer saying anything, and looked back at the two adults every step. Qian Duoduo pulled her, "Shi Shi, you are already five years old, you can't cry anymore. Many children will look at you and call you a crybaby again."

She held it back.

When she went in for the morning checkup, the teacher, perhaps too impressed by her previous exaggerated resistance, praised her for opening her mouth obediently this time and even gave her a small toy as a reward. She felt a little encouraged and turned around to wave back.

She got over it.

Long Weihe suddenly felt a sense of relief. After dragging Qian Duoduo around for over three months, she was exhausted to the point of being numb.

"Ask Aunt Xu to pick him up and take him to my place in the afternoon. Don't run away. I'll come back and send him back in the evening, okay?" Shi Zhenglin stood behind her and stroked her shoulders again and again.

"No, I'll take it home myself."

He could imagine how hard it was for her to raise a child alone. He wanted her to start a family with him all the time, and he wanted to bring it up with her, but he kept holding it in.

The fleeting summer vacation spent by the two children was like crossing a desert. After walking for a long time, they realized that they were each other's source of water.

Zhou Chuanze called him and said he had arrived at the airport.

He arranged for Xiao He to see him off to the airport early in the morning.

He sent the divination results that Zhou Chuanze sent to Long Weihe last night to him at the same time.

He came this time because he heard Qi Hui say that he was divorced and was about to quit his job. Just as the Li Gua he had predicted for him, a double separation should be a double blow. He made a special trip to see him and wanted to understand his current situation.

This student, whom he admired the most, suffered repeated setbacks, and his future should not stop here in his teacher's evaluation system.

A wise man who left university to start a great career is not superstitious about predicting the future. He has his own philosophy of looking at people and dealing with things.

The cultural connotations and wisdom of the I Ching transcend divination; it encompasses a system of reflection on the origins of nature, the laws of nature, and the philosophy of life. He fervently embraces this dialectical understanding of "yin and yang, the Dao," deeply cherishing the "origin"—something increasingly lacking today. When he immediately discerned the inherent benevolent power and resilient vitality of Long Weihe, he immediately affirmed that Shi Zhenglin and her were "together."

During their brief meal together, Long Weihe bravely opened up to him and sent him a question on WeChat. He appreciated her and sincerely read her fortune.

The hexagram he divined for her in the hotel room according to his own rituals was the 8th hexagram in the Book of Changes, Water and Earth Bi, also known as the "Bi hexagram", a very auspicious hexagram.

The water-earth triangle represents water, with the upper hexagram representing water and the lower hexagram representing earth. The earth becomes soft because of water, and water flows because of the earth, suggesting a close relationship of mutual support and dependence. He gifted them with the twelve characters "Water nourishes the earth, closely connected, mutually dependent"—a prediction of their future relationship and a blessing.

The few words she sent him on WeChat were "Will the current relationship last long?", probably because she cared about the longevity of her relationship with Shi Zhenglin.

It's not that she doesn't believe Shi Zhenglin's feelings for her; she can sense his deep affection for her, but she doesn't covet this intensity, because intensity means it will fade, and how can love remain strong forever? She wants to maintain a certain distance and space, not only to protect the child's space, but also to maintain the longevity of their relationship. She wants to be with him for a long time.

According to God's will, she needs a "slow and steady life", and the fortune-telling feedback gave her "Water and Earth Comparison".

After hanging up the phone with Zhou Chuanze, he told her that if he was not on a business trip the next weekend, he would like to find a hotel nearby and take her and their two children out for the weekend, and asked for her opinion.

She said yes.

After a light kiss on the roadside opposite the kindergarten, the two separated and drove back to their respective companies.

"Sister Wei, Bai Xiaoqi is here to start work today."

As soon as she entered the office, Tan Ming knocked on the door to remind her.

Bai Xiaoqi was a new partner, picked from the pool of candidates Lin Yao had rushed to meet the day he returned from his hometown. She had just started after completing her resignation procedures.

This girl, who is about 26 or 27 years old, has been working steadily in recruitment at a third-party CRO for five years since graduation. They are attracted by her ability to deal with high-end R&D personnel, and her aura is also similar to that of the existing people.

She was assigned to Lin Yao's team, a person Tan Ming had hired to work with, to partner with Tan Ming and essentially replace Li Yan. Lin Yao was supposed to be in charge of her work arrangements. Before Lin Yao arrived at the company, Long Weihe invited her over for a chat.

"I have no experience in headhunting, so I'll learn more from Mr. Long in the future." Bai Xiaoqi said as she sat down.

"We don't have a general manager here. They all call me Sister Wei. It's all about the pleasant cooperation. You've just arrived, so you should get used to it first. You can start by focusing on the client resources you have. If you can do well, there should be a position for you at Lin Yao's place."

Tan Ming's candidate for the IM position declined two offers in a row. He held onto the offer for a while and then offered to transfer it internally. Lin Yao discussed the matter with her and suggested that after she joined the company, she should be assigned to the IM position to test her abilities. Waiting for her to bring in deals on her own would be too slow, and he couldn't expect her to win over clients.

"I have some CRO resources and I will contact them as soon as possible. If there is a position for me, I would be very grateful and I will do my best." Bai Xiaoqi said.

"We're rushing to fill the IM position now. I'll assign it to you when Lin Yao comes back."

"I'm familiar with IM."

After hearing this, Long Weihe stopped and was about to take something out of her bag.

"Are you familiar with IM?"

"I'm not too familiar with them, but I know a little bit. A former colleague of mine who had a good relationship with me switched jobs and worked in R&D there."

This girl didn't hide anything. She probably wanted to give her the impression that she had some resources, so that she could gain a foothold and get orders.

"Does your colleague know about the investors behind their company?" Long Weihe asked.

She and Lin Yao checked IM's investment structure, but the official website only listed VC and PE investors, with no list of angel investors. She asked several people, including Li Xuan, but no one could explain. They still hadn't figured out who had given them the order.

"I'll ask my former colleagues later." Bai Xiaoqi agreed.

Lin Yao pushed the door open at this time, joined in the chat, and called Song Yihui to take her to complete the employment procedures.

The two took this opportunity to discuss the company's future staffing arrangements and agreed that no matter how the business expands, they will not expand the staff, but will keep the number of people within eight, focus on high-end work, and keep the scope of personnel management to a minimum.

"Are you so tired after two days of classes?" Long Weihe saw that she was not in good condition.

"I'm a little tired. I stayed up late tonight doing group work. The workload was huge."

She did stay up late doing her homework.

Long Wei laughed at her, "Did your classmate Tongya Yaziye upset you?"

She said expressionlessly, "The deposed crown prince has disappeared, and now everything is quiet."

"Don't you have a cooperation agreement he gave you? Show it to me and I'll see if I can do it."

The agreement had been in her bag the whole time. She remembered it, took it out and handed it to her, "Look at this, what kind of agreement is this?"

Long Weihe took it, looked it over carefully, and laughed, "You're taking advantage of this. He's paying you a monthly salary as a consultant, so it's obvious he wants to be your boss. Just do it. You don't have anything to lose by looking at the terms. Why bother with money? It's not your style."

"I won't cooperate anymore. I'll never see you again."

Lin Yao took the agreement back from her, tore it into two pieces and threw it into the trash can.

Remembering that person had emphasized confidentiality every day, he picked it up again, ran outside, and threw the paper into the shredder.