Chapter 132 The Other Side of Time

Lin Yu specially chose the weekend before Chen Guang left to treat everyone to a meal at the same restaurant where she had celebrated her birthday last time.

After a few months apart, Cheng Shi had changed a lot. She was wearing a beige maternity dress, the loose cut of which couldn't hide her protruding belly.

Her usually meticulously styled curly hair was casually tied back, and her clean face was flushed with the rosy glow typical of late pregnancy. Cheng Yuan carefully supported her waist as she walked in.

She kept her right hand protecting her stomach and moved with extra care when she sat down. Lin Yu recalled their unpleasant parting last time, glanced between Cheng Shi and Cheng Yuan, and then, hesitantly, pushed the menu in front of her.

"I ordered plum juice, is it okay to drink?"

"She's almost due, no need for so many formalities." Cheng Shi pushed the menu back, looking somewhat awkward. "How's your aunt... lately?"

Lin Yu's eyes darkened at the mention of Lin Feng. He remained silent for a moment before speaking. "It's not good... Speaking of which, we have to thank Cheng Yuan for helping us contact the hospital."

The comprehensive assessment results from Ruijin Hospital were not optimistic. Although the hospital agreed to try one course of immunotherapy first, the attending physician also hinted to the family that they should be prepared to give up treatment at any time.

Cheng Yuan glanced at Cheng Shi beside him and smiled guiltily: "It was nothing, we're all friends, don't be so polite with me."

As he spoke, he poured Lin Yu a cup of tea and comforted him, saying, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Lin Yu nodded, and was about to speak when Chen Guang pushed open the door and walked in, looking travel-worn.

His secondment period had ended, and his schedule was packed for the next few days. He had just finished his work and rushed over without stopping. His gaze swept over the empty seat next to Lin Yu, and he walked over and sat down without making a sound.

"Would you like something to drink?" Cheng Yuan asked.

Chen Guang glanced at the water glasses in front of the three of them, then reached for the teapot. "Tea will do."

Since Cheng Shi became pregnant, Cheng Yuan seems like a different person. He not only gave up drinking, but also toned down his former carefree attitude.

Although they have no plans to get married, Lin Yu can see that the two of them are developing in an increasingly positive direction.

Cheng Yuan is clumsily trying to be a good father, serving Cheng Shi food and water at the dinner table from time to time, while Cheng Shi is also earnestly preparing to embrace his new identity.

"Is the handover of work complete?" Lin Yu turned to look at Chen Guang beside him.

Chen Guang nodded.

Cheng Yuan raised his teacup at the opportune moment. "I don't know when we'll meet again, so let's toast with tea instead of wine." Chen Guang smiled and tilted his head back to drink the tea in one gulp.

Lin Yu suddenly remembered the year she first learned of Chen Guang's engagement, when she hid in the small rented room she shared with Cheng Shi, keeping the curtains drawn day and night.

Curled up in bed wrapped in a blanket, I watched movies from "Days of Being Wild" to "In the Mood for Love," from "As Tears Go By" to "Happy Together," spending the whole day watching them.

At that time, she was a big fan of Wong Kar-wai and also liked all art films that were emotionally rich but left open to interpretation.

She still remembers the night she finished watching "Chungking Express," when she obsessively opened Taobao and ordered thirty cans of yellow peaches, intending to eat them all and completely forget about Chen Guang.

She hated the pungent, astringent taste of pineapple, but yellow peaches were different. They were the sweet comfort her father would always bring home when she had a fever as a child, carrying a kind of magic that could soothe the pain.

She hoped it would work again this time and help her get rid of her feelings for Chen Guang.

Three days later, when the deliveryman stood at the door carrying three large cardboard boxes, she belatedly realized how impulsive she had been.

The canned food piled up like a small mountain in the corner of the already cramped rented room, much like her restless obsession. She didn't finish it all before she moved out.

It turns out that forgetting someone is never something that can be done overnight. You can't forget them all at once; they will always come back to you unexpectedly in some moment.

Looking back from the other side of time, Lin Yu suddenly understands that the deepest wounds can only be healed by time. What one deliberately tries to forget only becomes fresher with age, while what one desperately tries to remember gradually fades.

At this moment, looking at Chen Guang's profile, she realized that this time it was really time to say goodbye, not in a dramatic and decisive way, but calmly accepting the natural end of a relationship.

Cheng Shi experienced severe morning sickness during her pregnancy, and due to physical discomfort, she had to get up and say goodbye after sitting for only a short while.

At the restaurant entrance, Cheng Shi held Lin Yu's hand tightly and apologized to her, saying that she was his best friend in Shanghai and that he hoped she would forgive him for his impulsive words.

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Yu gently pulled her into his arms, patted her back soothingly, and said with a light laugh, "Truth becomes clearer through debate, and feelings grow closer through arguments."

"Don't overthink it. The most important thing for you right now is to focus on your pregnancy and give birth."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shi burst into laughter through his tears, though glistening tears still clung to the corners of his eyes.

"Do you know the baby's gender yet?" Lin Yu asked curiously.

Cheng Shi shook his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing his protruding belly. "I could know, but I didn't ask."

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, he will always be the person I love most. I just hope he is healthy and happy."

Under the streetlights, Lin Yu gazed at the stubborn and resilient girl before him.

Thinking of her arduous journey from a remote mountain village to Shanghai, the lack of favoritism she received in a family that favored sons over daughters, and the hurt and betrayal she suffered from the people closest to her in her relationships.

She knew that she still carried the imprint of traditional values ​​deep down and always longed for a place to belong. However, fate played a cruel trick on her, and this unexpected encounter with Cheng Yuan led to her paradoxical redemption.

When betrayal shattered the foundation of her marriage, the child in her womb became her safe harbor. The unconditional love that her parents failed to give her is now being experienced and passed on through the new life she is nurturing.

Lin Yu suddenly understood Cheng Shi's choice. This unexpected life had given her, for the first time, a family that truly belonged to her, a definite existence connected to her by blood.

She no longer needs to rely on men for security, but rather gains the identity of being needed by becoming a mother.

Seeing the tenderness in Cheng Shi's eyes as she gently stroked her pregnant belly, Lin Yu realized that this once sharp and assertive woman was gradually transforming.

At this moment, she was enveloped in a secret happiness.

This kind of happiness may not be understood by the world, and may even carry a bit of unspeakable embarrassment, but Lin Yu vaguely felt that this might be the most correct decision Cheng Shi had ever made in his life.

She finally had the opportunity to redefine what home and love are.

After saying goodbye to them, Lin Yu and Chen Guang walked slowly along the sidewalk toward the subway station.

When asked about Lin Yu's recent situation, she admitted that after her first trial lecture, she had gradually adapted to the role of a technical consultant. However, things haven't always gone so smoothly.

When General Manager Zhang assigned her to customize a renovation plan for his company's factory control system, she encountered her first problem after leaving the company.

The situation at the factory was beyond Lin Yu's expectations; the old equipment had poor compatibility and could not match the current algorithm.

The workers on site were unwilling to change their work habits and only wanted to use the old system to get by. This predicament, both internal and external, left her helpless for a time.

To address this, she consulted her former colleagues while working through the night to optimize the algorithm. After countless sleepless nights, she finally overcame the core compatibility issue.

The system performed exceptionally well in the final test, with a significant improvement in response speed and a substantial reduction in energy consumption, completely silencing previous doubts and winning the team's trust.

Thus, she successfully removed a thorn in Mr. Zhang's side and resolved this historical issue that could have been a major or minor problem.

Thanks to his outstanding performance, Lin Yu finally earned Mr. Zhang's true appreciation.

She no longer relied solely on Jiang Chuan's influence, but used her own abilities to convince him to introduce her to more resources, helping her establish stable partnerships with several new companies.

After the patent entered the public notice period, Mr. Zhang contacted Lin Yu several times, expressing his desire to establish a small consulting company with her. Initially, he would provide resources and venue, while she would be responsible for technology, funding, and human resources.

Lin Yu was intrigued by what he said and discussed it with Lin Jianguo several times in private.

Her father acknowledged her technical skills but also reminded her that starting a business requires more thorough preparation. Opening a company is no small matter; she needed to plan carefully.

Lin Yu briefly shared his thoughts from the past few days, and after careful consideration, Chen Guang offered practical suggestions: "The direction is correct, but there are a few issues to pay attention to."

"Don't try to be all-encompassing right away. Your core strengths are technology and patents. Why not focus on that first? For example, specialize in patent commercialization training, or like you are now, do more technology optimization for other small and medium-sized enterprises to accumulate experience and connections."

Lin Yu nodded thoughtfully, listening to Chen Guang continue his analysis: "In the early stages, we can go into battle lightly equipped."

"Now that you have a partner company, why not borrow their meeting room for office space, or communicate online directly?"

Chen Guang paused for a moment, then continued, "Don't rush to build a team in terms of manpower either."

"Find an accounting firm to help you with your taxes, and find a friend with business acumen to connect you with clients. Profit from projects and minimize the cost of trial and error. If you fail, there's not much loss; at most, you'll just waste a few months."

Many people are afraid to take the first step because their plans are too perfect, repeatedly refining the details and trapping themselves firmly in a predetermined framework.

Chen Guang's advice, however, was practical and clear, hitting the nail on the head in just a few words. It opened up new avenues of thought for her, and she couldn't help but tease him, "Section Chief Chen knows quite a lot, huh?"

Chen Guang took her teasing to heart and responded half-jokingly, "After all, I'm a second-generation official, so I've been influenced by what I've seen and heard all along."

When the topic turned to Qin Fei, both of them seemed somewhat relieved, having weathered many storms. Chen Guang quickly returned to the main point. "There's another crucial point: we need to pay attention to compliance."

"When registering a company, the business scope should be precise. It's best to have Jiang Chuan help you review the contract terms to avoid disputes later."

When Jiang Chuan was mentioned, his expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of emotion.

"Finally, your project amount is not large and does not involve bidding issues, so you can try running a small closed loop first."

"You now have stable clients. Try upgrading your existing partnerships to annual services. Use three months to validate this model."

"We'll write down any problems we encounter during the process, such as pricing and service procedures, and adjust them gradually later. Once this closed loop is running smoothly, we'll consider expanding the scale."

Looking at the flashing neon lights in the distance, Lin Yu suddenly felt that the road ahead was much clearer. Her originally vague thoughts, after Chen Guang's detailed analysis, became clear and tangible.

Now that you put it that way, it doesn't seem so difficult anymore.

Chen Guang smiled gently. "During the pandemic, nothing is easy to do, but we should first establish the core principles, and then learn as we go. It's better than just talking on paper."

He no longer tries to protect Lin Yu like before, as if that would shield her from all the storms, but in the end, it is he who hurts her the most.

At this moment, he hopes to see her bravely pursue her dreams.

Lin Yu's undisguised ambition and enthusiasm radiated boundless vitality. Perhaps what initially attracted him to Lin Yu was precisely this stubborn and unyielding tenacity.

Chen Guang stopped at the subway entrance, turned around, and looked intently into Lin Yu's eyes, bidding her farewell with such solemnity for the first time.

"Banban, I hope everything goes smoothly for you in the future, and that every day is as you wish."

Lin Yu looked up, tears welling in her eyes. After a moment of silence, she softly replied, "Thank you! And I wish you... a bright future."

"We..." Chen Guang's Adam's apple bobbed. "Still friends, right?"

"Of course." Lin Yu smiled brightly, the smile reaching his eyes, just like when they first met.