Chapter 33 The Four (Thanks for the nutrient solution, bonus chapter)

Wu Ming was relieved: "That's good. What date and time did you buy your flight ticket? I'll go to the airport to see you off and watch you board the plane in person."

Jiang Xia frowned, turned his phone face down, and didn't want to reply. The more they communicated, the more disgusted he became with the other person.

A colleague passed by the workstation, glanced at it, and quickly asked, "Team Leader Jiang, you don't look well. What's wrong? Do you need any help?"

Jiang Xia shook his head: "Just a little thirsty."

He went to the tea room, brewed a strong cup of tea, and leaned against the wall to look at his phone.

He didn't want to see Wu Ming's messages on his phone, but he had to check WeChat because he had to deal with work group messages.

The translation of modern poetry is progressing well, but there hasn't been much communication in the group.

Jiang Xia's other project involved only some translation-related issues.

Those who make it into the company are not inarticulate; the challenge lies in expressing themselves more precisely while retaining the original flavor and adding a local touch.

Then I successfully passed the editor-in-chief's test.

What he's least worried about is going to Mengcheng Publishing House, a subsidiary of Yinghua, at nine o'clock tomorrow to do simultaneous interpretation work at a conference.

Just review the material when you get home.

The Mengcheng Publishing House—the Ying family's publishing house actually uses a place name as its official name, which suggests that it was once very prestigious.

Jiang Xia lamented that with the emergence of e-books and e-magazines, the traditional publishing industry began to decline.

Every industry changes, so you need to plan your future carefully.

Academic pursuits, career, and marriage—the three major obstacles for ordinary people planning their future.

Jiang Xia flipped through the message bar.

Zhan Lintian greeted everyone at eight o'clock in the morning.

He said that after Wenwen tasted the cookies, the little girl insisted on taking them to kindergarten for her classmates to try.

At 8:30, Jiang Xia answered the phone right after he finished washing up.

The little girl asked in her childish voice, "Uncle Jiang, can I share it with someone else?"

"Sure, this is for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Jiang, mua~"

"Uncle Jiang, will you come and play with me today?"

Jiang Xia declined, saying he needed to stay home to look at some documents that night, and promised to visit her in a few days.

Mr. Zhan raised Wenwen to be lively and cheerful.

Wu Zhou did not send a message.

Jiang Xia clicked to confirm, and breathed a sigh of relief. President Wu had indeed not sent it… Jiang Xia's fingers slid across the screen, her emotions becoming complicated again…

Only Wu Ming continued to chatter on and on.

—Take the island's ring road and get off near Mingyue Port. Follow a village road and you'll find a private restaurant with amazing food.

—There are many unique fruits on the island. You can try breadfruit. After it is ripened, it tastes like soft ice cream.

—And coconut milk stewed chicken, that's sure to suit your taste.

Jiang Xia swallowed hard, rubbed his temples; by noon, he was indeed hungry…

He sat back down at his workstation, took out the lotus-shaped pastry that General Manager Zhan had given him, and took a small bite. Inside was a soft red bean paste filling, not too sweet. The taste wasn't particularly amazing at first, but after a while, a sweet aftertaste lingered in his mouth. He then took a small sip of tea, which helped to smooth out the cloying feeling...

tasty!

As for the plum blossom cake that Wu Zhou gave, it has a texture similar to poria cocos rice cake, only softer, and a bit like roasted marshmallow.

As Jiang Xia ate, he sighed, resting his chin on his hand, saying that it was normal for him to gain weight.

My phone keeps receiving messages.

Jiang Xia frowned. As a worker, checking WeChat messages had become an instinct; he couldn't afford to miss important information.

Jiang Xia was getting annoyed that Wu Ming was sending messages during his work hours; he wished Wu Ming would send them in the afternoon...

Jiang Xia typed with one hand: "There's so much delicious food. I'll probably gain a lot of weight after going there, like when I was in my senior year of high school..."

The pressure of studying in the senior year of high school was great, and Wu Ming gained a little weight, which he often joked about.

"Won't you turn into a little fat boy?"

"If I gain weight, will you still like me?"

Wu Ming joked, "If you grow into a big fatso, I won't want you anymore."

Jiang Xia knew he was joking, but... what if? What if Wu Ming really didn't like her gaining weight...?

As a teenager, even the smallest things became huge issues, lingering in his mind.

In the past, he always wanted to eat more, fearing that if he ate this meal, he wouldn't have another one. After that conversation, Jiang Xia began to care about his weight for the first time.

Now that something truly momentous has happened, one thing after another, Jiang Xia has become numb... I don't even know which one to care about.

At that moment, Wu Ming posted an emoji: "A kitten is hiding behind the door, staring.jpg".

Wu Ming: "Then take a picture of yourself eating every day so I can keep track of whether you've gained weight?"

"I'll also keep an eye on whether you've found another dog, hehe."

Upon seeing this message, Jiang Xia felt a surge of anger and quickly typed: "Then come with me. If we can't finish, you can help me clean up the mess, and I won't gain weight."

Jiang Xia added, "I'll buy you a plane ticket right now, okay?"

He used jokes to annoy Wu Ming.

After a while, Wu Ming changed the subject, saying, "Actually, you look better if you're a little chubby. You were too thin before."

Jiang Xia scoffed. "Really? I thought you were just saying that because you didn't want to go to the island with me."

Seeing that Wu Ming hadn't replied for a long time, Jiang Xia wrapped up his work: "I have a simultaneous interpreting job tomorrow, and I need to familiarize myself with the materials today, so I'm a bit busy."

As it was nearing the end of the workday, a light drizzle fell outside. Jiang Xia got up to make himself a cup of hot tea, watching the raindrops fall.

Zhang Hui, who will be attending the meeting with him tomorrow, came over and said, "Master, I'm a little nervous."

Jiang Xia patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll go home first in a bit."

"Yes, Master!"

The company has a mentorship program to prevent experienced employees from leaving and making it difficult to find new employees who can immediately take over their work.

The company will provide a corresponding subsidy for each apprentice trained.

Zhang Hui was an intern that Jiang Xia had been mentoring for half a year, and he was just promoted to a full-time position last month. He greatly admires Jiang Xia.

He sighed, "When will I be able to be as composed as my master?"

Jiang Xia looked at him as if she were looking at herself many years ago when she had just entered the industry.

Jiang Xia lowered her eyelashes, leaned against the French windows, and looked at the rain outside. It was already dark, and the raindrops fell like silver shooting stars.

At that time, he was eager to achieve something, eager to establish himself in Mengcheng, and eager to let Wu Ming see his abilities.

I will no longer be a burden to him, and perhaps I will even become an asset to him in the future.

He walked very fast, very hurriedly.

Zhang Hui is his former self; the single character "Hui" reveals the expectations his family had for him.

Jiang Xia said gently, "No effort is ever wasted."

Zhang Hui chuckled, his mind momentarily blank, and managed to stammer, "Then I wish Master all his wishes come true."

Jiang Xia had expected him to say something like wishing her a bright future, but he simply said four words.

The hardest thing in life is... to have your wishes come true.

Jiang Xia said softly, "Thank you. It's time for me to go home now."

He went downstairs and saw the rain. He had forgotten to check the weather forecast this morning and had actually parked his car in the outdoor parking lot.

The parking space the company assigned him was in the open-air parking lot opposite the main gate.

The basement level of the building is also a parking garage, but you need to pay for a parking space. If you arrive late for work, all the good spots will be taken, and you will have to park far away. If there is a certain distance between the garage and the elevator, it is better to park outside.

Jiang Xia walked to the front desk, hoping to borrow an umbrella from a familiar-looking girl, but she had taken leave, and another receptionist had also forgotten to take her umbrella.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, Wu Ming's appearance today seems to have brought all the bad luck together.

Jiang Xia sent a message in the work group, and someone responded quickly.

"Team Leader Jiang, our team has just finished work and is about to go downstairs together. Please wait a moment."

"Thanks."

Zhan Lintian sent a message: "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

Jiang Xia was puzzled. How did President Zhan know that he didn't bring an umbrella?

Mr. Zhan is very accurate in judging people and things, but he can't guess accurately out of thin air.

"Mr. Zhan, your strategy is brilliant."

In a car not far away, Zhan Lintian saw the message, raised an eyebrow, and whispered, "A brilliant strategist?"

He typed: "At Wenwen's request, I've specially invited Uncle Jiang to my home as a guest..."

Before he could finish typing, Jiang Xia patiently watched as the message "The other party is typing..." appeared.

"Jiangxia!"

A loud, familiar voice suddenly rang out from afar, like a thunderclap.

Jiang Xia's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly looked up at Wu Ming, who was running towards him through the rain.

He jumped out of a van and opened a large, pale yellow umbrella that could fit two people.

The slanting wind and drizzle dampened Wu Ming's clothes and hair. He stepped across the puddled ground, water droplets splashing up from his feet, and ran towards the river gorge amidst the wind and rain.

There were many people in front of the building. Jiang Xia was standing on the edge, but Wu Ming still spotted him immediately as he was typing with his head down.

"Jiangxia!"

Wu Ming is so famous in Douyin's local channel that some employees doing news interviews at the scene immediately recognized the second young master of the Wu family.

It wasn't exactly a secret that Jiang Xia and Wu Ming knew each other.

As soon as he joined the company, some of the veterans started asking about his family background, until they saw that Wu Ming or one of Jiusi Technology's assistants knew him.

Jiang Xia initially disliked Wu Ming, but seeing that face, which was almost identical to that of a teenager, and the layers of past warmth, made him feel dazed and lost in thought.

"Jiang Xia, I specially got you a meal, eat quickly."

"Jiang Xia, the student dormitories are in terrible condition. Why don't you come and live with me in the teachers' dormitory?"

"Jiangxia, I'll take you to see the meteor shower sometime."

"Jiangxia..."

"Jiangxia..."

The voices of the past overlap with the calls of the present.

Jiang Xia put down her phone and quietly looked at Wu Ming, wondering what she was really hating...

As Wu Ming approached, Jiang Xia saw the tension and worry on his face.

It turns out that even someone as carefree as him can worry.

Wu Ming is doing very well, so what is he worried about?

Jiang Xia straightened up and gave Wu Ming a bright smile that instantly dispelled Wu Ming's unease of the past few days.

"You're here. Did General Manager Wu agree to let you come out?" Jiang Xia asked.

Wu Ming walked up to him and placed the umbrella over his head: "My brother is here too. I hitched a ride with him, and he's letting me go today."

Actually, he had been acting very free lately, and for some reason, his older brother suddenly let him off the hook.

He only had one day left. He was supposed to go find Xie Xingzhang, but he felt that Jiangxia was getting out of his control, and he became uneasy.

As Jiang Xia waited alone, his heart pounded. He was so pitiful, always all alone.

It seemed as if he had no one else around him except himself.

"Come on, Jiang Xia, let's go eat. I found a really good restaurant. My older brother isn't going, just the two of us."

Jiang Xia's eyelids twitched, and he looked past Wu Ming's line of sight.

The first floor of the building is not level with the road outside, and a black car is parked quietly at the bottom of the stairs.

Wu Zhou sat in the car looking out the window, gazing at the hazy figure. The rain intensified, making Jiang Xia's figure even more indistinct.

Just like the first time, he stood beside Wu Ming and looked at himself.

Wu Zhou suddenly saw Jiang Xia seem to be waving, but it was too far away to hear if he called his name...

At the same time, Zhan Lintian tapped the send button and saw Jiang Xia looking down at his phone.

He placed his hands on the steering wheel and tapped them lightly, waiting for Jiang Xia's reply.

A ding-dong sound.

"Excuse me, I have something to do."

"Sorry, I'll come over tomorrow night, okay?"

Zhan Lintian gripped the steering wheel tightly. It was clearly not his fault, yet Jiang Xia apologized twice.

He also noticed the unlicensed taxi that Wu Zhou was in.

Zhan Lintian murmured, "Wu Ming..."

He watched as Jiang Xia and Wu Ming walked down the steps to the side of Wu Zhou's car, exchanged a few words, and then the two of them left together.

Zhan Lintian didn't watch any further and drove away.

The taillights disappeared into the rain.

As the car drove along the ring road, Wu Ming sat in the passenger seat and took out a prepared travel guide: "If you go to the island, just follow this guide, you won't go wrong."

Jiang Xia hummed in agreement and asked, "Do you need me to bring some souvenirs?"

"No need, I don't need the money."

He has no shortage of money or love, yet money and love flow to him continuously.

Jiang Xia put on his Bluetooth headset and asked, "Your relationship with Miss Xie is progressing well, isn't it?"

"It's just so-so. Actually, we both know this in private. If it weren't for the pressure from our families... sigh, so we'll just drag it out as long as we can."

The two had argued about their views on love before, and Jiang Xia didn't bring it up again.

"I wish you happiness," he said softly.

Wu Ming looked up: "Darling, you've been acting strange lately."

Jiang Xia chuckled softly.

The car stopped downstairs. Jiang Xia went home under the pretext of going upstairs to change his clothes and then called Wu Zhou.

"Mr. Wu."

Wu Zhou responded softly, "Are you eating?"

"No, I'm going home first. Let Wu Ming focus on preparing for the engagement, like trying on wedding dresses and such."

Jiang Xia lowered her eyes, took out a towel to wipe her slightly damp hair, and sat cross-legged on the sofa looking at the documents in her hands.

If he spoke directly to Wu Ming, Wu Ming would definitely make up all sorts of excuses; only Wu Zhou remained firm in his stance.

Jiang Xia couldn't find a position to speak up, after all, he and Wu Ming were just friends.

Wu Zhou agreed: "Get some rest. I'll have Xie Changye bring some things over."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Ming quickly sent a message to Jiang Xia: "Um, I have something to do. Let's go out for dinner together next time. Assistant Xie is here to pick me up."

Jiang Xia: "Okay."

The sound of an engine came from downstairs; the car seemed to have driven away, and there was no further movement. Jiang Xia was worried that catching a cold would affect her work tomorrow, so she quickly took a shower to warm herself up before making ginger soup.

While waiting, he stood in the kitchen, simmering soup and listening to a recording. Just as he was thinking of going to the window to see if Wu Ming had really left, the doorbell rang.

Wu Ming didn't leave?

He went to open the door while drying his hair.

Outside the door, Wu Zhou looked Jiang Xia up and down. Jiang Xia had changed into a loose-fitting off-white house dress. The corners of her eyes were red from the hot bath, and her lips were slightly pursed, revealing a hint of red.

Wu Zhou's voice was low: "May I come in?"

Jiang Xia quickly made way and followed Mr. Wu into the small living room.

Several stacks of documents were on the coffee table, and a tablet was playing videos of spoken English practice.

Upon noticing this, Wu Zhou looked at Jiang Xia and asked, "Have I disturbed you?"

A note from the author:

Wu Zhou: You just realized that the biggest obstacle isn't me, but my brother?

Zhan Lintian: ...

Wu Ming (passing by) [rolls eyes]: What are those two passersby whispering and plotting?

These days, any updates to this story that aren't posted at 9 AM are basically bonus chapters. That means there will be a regular update at 9 AM that day, and updates will be posted irregularly every day except at 9 AM.