Chapter 43 In November, Huisheng Biotechnology went public in Hong Kong...

In November, Huisheng Biotech went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, officially lifting the shackles of the performance-based agreement imposed on Tan Congxu and his son.

That same month, a batch of Wan Jing's goods was detained by Hong Kong Customs due to suspected customs document issues. Li Zhoudu rushed over to help the bewildered cargo owner negotiate a solution.

During the three-way communication process, the staff member who was initially unyielding received a phone call and his attitude softened immediately. He agreed to extend the deadline so that the cargo owner could supplement the supporting documents as soon as possible, and that they would prioritize processing the documents after submission.

As Li Zhoudu was leaving, he vaguely heard the name of a leader surnamed Qiao from his mouth.

He didn't recognize the person and could only guess that it was probably an elder from the family of Qiao Zhijie and Qiao Kaiqing, whom he had known before.

The cargo owner, having found a way out, thanked him profusely and invited him to dinner, which Li Zhoudu accepted.

The city lights were dazzling at night. Li Zhoudu estimated the time difference, left his seat midway, and made a phone call.

It was just past 8 a.m. over there. Li Zhizi was watering the lawn in the yard. She said, "Little Cat was busy late yesterday and hasn't gotten up yet."

Li Zhoudu hummed in agreement and asked, "Has she been crying lately?"

Li Zhizi thought for a moment and said, "Very few."

She was sent off by the Li family in June of that year after receiving her graduation certificate.

At that time, her parents were specially invited to visit S City, which was unprecedented. The family had many guesses in their hearts, thinking that the silk factory's performance was not good last year and the host had made other arrangements, so they were inevitably uneasy.

Unexpectedly, Wenxi treated them very warmly at the table and asked, "Zhizi is about to graduate with her master's degree. I wonder if her family has any plans for the future?"

Li Zhizi obtained her teacher's qualification certificate during her university years. She said that she is now preparing for the exam and hopes to have the opportunity to stay in S City. It would be great if she could have a permanent position.

It was rare for the Li family to express their support, so Li Zhizi naturally harbored a secret desire for their assistance and support.

At this moment, Li Zhoudu spoke up and asked, "Have you ever thought about going abroad?"

Li Zhizi asked, puzzled, "What?"

Wenxi held the long spoon handle and ladled a bowl of soup for her, handing it to her hand gently: "Little Cat is applying to schools now. Fu Jing and his wife are too busy to keep an eye on her for long periods of time."

“Gardenia, if you are interested in going abroad, we can offer you a job through the company, arrange a formal work visa, pay your insurance and salary. Whether you want to stay there long-term or come back to find a job, we can arrange it.”

Li Zhizi understood; this meant she was to be a study companion.

Her parents exchanged a glance, quite surprised. They had long considered relying on the Li family for support, which was true, but sending Li Zhizi out to take care of Li Li was far beyond their initial plans.

Li Zhoudu added, "It's not about asking you to work as a nanny. We'll hire a separate nanny. You just need to stay with the kitten and make sure she's not alone. You can make any other requests now."

Li Li's runaway from home that time also left a psychological scar on everyone.

He looked at Li Zhizi without speaking, and then said, "Or, do you need some time to go back and discuss it?"

Li Zhizi shook her head and accepted it readily: "No need, I'm willing to go."

Before Li Zhizi went there, she was unaware of what had happened to Li Li.

For the first month or two, Ling Wei and Li Zhoudu stayed with her.

The pain of heartbreak feels like being repeatedly cut with a dull knife.

Li Li accepts the status quo every day, and then tries to live her life well, repeatedly tormenting herself in a state of pain and despair.

The unfamiliar environment of a foreign country did make it less likely for her to dwell on memories; the language scores, portfolios, and recommendation letters required for school applications added a lot more things for her to do.

But sometimes, when she sees something fun, she subconsciously wants to share it with someone, or when she hears a familiar song on her playlist, or even when she wakes up from her sleep and looks at the ceiling, Li Li inexplicably bursts into tears.

She was dumped by her first love in such an unbearable situation when they were almost eight years old.

Li Li had many inexplicable doubts buried in her heart. She couldn't figure them out, didn't want to think about them, yet couldn't help but think about them repeatedly.

She felt she shouldn't be treated this way and deserved at least an apology. But then, Tan Yi and Fang Xuan silently and completely disappeared from her life.

There was no lingering attachment.

They never looked back.

Li Li seems to be eating and drinking well every day, but her weight is decreasing rapidly.

Li Zhoudu stayed with her for a month. Before leaving, he hugged her at the airport and said, "Unhealthy relationships can wear down a person's spirit and beliefs, little kitten. You need to get over this soon."

Li Li rested her chin on his shoulder and said, "I will."

After Li Zhizi left, Ling Wei saw that Li Li had recovered, so she decided to continue working in South America with her husband.

Two girls went shopping together at a nearby Chinese supermarket during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Li Zhizi was comparing the items on the shelves when, unfortunately, the background music playing in the supermarket that day was a song by Stefanie Sun, "The One I Miss".

As Li Li walked along, she suddenly squatted down beside him.

Li Zhizi quickly let go of the stroller, squatted down, hugged her, and asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell, Li Li?"

Li Li covered her ears and buried her face in her arms, tears streaming down her face. She said, feeling wronged, "Why am I the only one who has to be so sad?"

Li Zhizi then realized that even girls from the best families can't escape setbacks in love.

——

Li Zhoudu stood there, listening to Li Zhizi's rambling on the phone about Li Li's every little detail, when he suddenly looked up and saw a figure through the French windows.

I don't know how long I stood there.

He hung up the phone.

Tan Yi called out from behind, "Brother Zhoudu."

He remained respectful and composed as always.

Li Zhoudu slowly put his phone into his pocket and said, "I heard that you and your father are quite influential in Hong Kong now. If you're in a hurry, you don't need to come and say hello to me."

Tan Yi asked, "How is everything at home? How's the kitten doing lately?"

Li Zhoudu sneered: "People need face, trees need bark, Tan Yi. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

Tan Yimo then took a step back: "Okay, Brother Zhoudu."

In December of that year, Li Li received an offer from her dream school. Knowing that she would be busy and would have few opportunities to go home, she brought gifts and happily returned with Li Zhizi.

Grandma noticed how much thinner she had become, and she looked at her face again and again, feeling extremely distressed.

Li Li said, "That's what they mean by 'no pain, no gain'!"

Su Mi meowed and jumped onto her lap. Li Li hugged her tightly, took two deep breaths, and kissed her head.

In her absence, Su Mi became the new tyrant of the house, even the dog that Li Zhoudu had adopted had to give way to her.

Li Li originally wanted to take Su Mi abroad, but Su Mi was in poor health. She contracted feline rhinotracheitis as soon as she arrived in S City and had to be on IV drips at the hospital for several days before she recovered.

Li Zhoudu then said that he was worried the kitten might not be able to handle the long journey, so he asked Li Li to keep it to avoid the hassle of traveling back and forth when they returned to China.

When Li Zhoudu saw Li Li return this time, although she was still very thin, her spirits were obviously much better, and her complexion was rosy.

He asked about the promise they made at the airport: "Are you feeling better?"

Li Li rubbed against the cat, her big eyes darting around above Su Mi's head. She grinned and said, "I'm fine, brother!"

——

As the year draws to a close, everyone is busy with their own things. Li Li, a very idle person, spends her free time driving around the neighborhood in her coupe, shopping and eating delicious food.

She took a big bite of the cold, crisp candied hawthorn shell and suddenly realized that time had unknowingly moved forward for a long time.

She couldn't quite remember what she was doing last December. Had she resigned from Yanqi at that time?

Speaking of Yan Qi, when she was preparing to apply to schools, You Chang, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, asked her about her recent situation.

She was just being polite at the time, saying that she was preparing for her graduate school application and that she was in a hurry to leave without telling you, but that she would treat you to a meal when she had the chance.

You Chang replied with "Okay, okay".

Thinking of that somewhat naive little girl, Li Li leisurely tossed the bamboo skewer from the candied hawthorn into the trash can, made a phone call to You Chang, and then turned and drove towards the IFC.

She jogged to the entrance of Yanqi's underground parking garage, successfully raised the barrier, and went down to find that the A88's parking lock was still lying obediently on the ground, with no car parked on it.

She happily backed the car in, then sent You Chang a voice message: "I'm here!"

Previously, when they were in Yanqi, Li Li was always the one charging ahead. Now that they've changed identities, it should be You Chang who receives her.

You Chang was really happy to see her. He led Li Li to swipe her card and enter the restaurant. After they joined the queue, he remembered to say, "I haven't told you yet! I've become a full-time employee!"

That's great.

Li Li recalled her suggestion, which she had made to stand up for her but was suppressed by Tan Su, and said with satisfaction, "Tan Su has finally done something decent."

You Chang looked down as he picked through the vegetables, his face showing embarrassment. He said, "Um... every time I hear you talk about leaders, I feel like it's incredibly disrespectful."

“It’s alright,” Li Li patted her shoulder casually and said, “Tan Su doesn’t have super hearing, what are you afraid of? I often scold him.”

"Let me tell you, people like him are all a bit perverted, maybe even a masochist. The more you scold him, the more he likes it."

She didn't notice that You Chang looked up after taking the groceries, then froze on the spot, urging, "Why aren't you moving forward?"

Just then, a soft chuckle came from beside me, and someone said, "So what do you usually call me?"

Li Li calmly finished taking the food before turning around and greeting him innocently, "What a coincidence, Brother Tan Su."

Tan Su said, "It's no coincidence that you've come to my territory to take advantage of me."

Li Li tilted her head, seemingly confused: "So, Yan Qi's cafeteria is no longer open to visitors?"

“Okay,” Tan Su nodded, “but I’ll charge you for insulting me.”

Li Li rolled her eyes: "I'll take you in, my foot!"

Tan Su thought that he probably really had some of the problems she mentioned, how could he not stop laughing when he was being criticized in public?

For the past six months, he had been helping Gu Weihua with the listing of Huisheng, and the Li family had kept Li Li's movements very secret, making it impossible to find a clue. Their sudden reunion was a delightful surprise.

Most of the people in the restaurant were dressed in formal attire, but Li Li was wearing a light green sweater, looking as pretty as a little ornament.

I really want to grab him by the neck and secretly stuff him into my pocket.

Tan Su cut in line directly after them.

Li Li was very dissatisfied with this, saying, "Tan Su, you are truly a steadfast double standard and plagiarist from beginning to end."

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Author's Note: [Laughing out loud] Update!