Chapter 12

As Ling Peng finished speaking, it was like a huge rock thrown into a deep lake, which set off huge waves in Zhao Jinglu's heart. The aftermath made her eardrums buzz and she could hardly think.

"From the beginning to the end, it's only you."

Every word was crystal clear, searing with warmth, searing into her heart. She looked at him, seeing the surging, unconcealed emotion in his eyes, and also at his cautious, even fragile, apprehension. Ling Peng, the radiant player on the court, the focused and determined professional, the man who always seemed at ease in her presence, now looked like a child waiting to be picked up by his parents.

She looked at his slightly turned profile and his tightly pursed lips. His eyes, which always seemed distant or playful, were now lowered, and were actually a little... cute?

She was about to speak, to say something, even just to call his name.

However, Ling Peng seemed to be suddenly awakened from his deep immersion in the heart-to-heart talk. He quickly turned back and spoke before her, his tone deliberately restored to his usual calmness, even with a hint of haste: "...Just you know. It's getting late, are you tired? I'll take you home quickly."

He didn't even give her time to respond, as if he was afraid of hearing any words from her that he couldn't bear, whether it was rejection or hesitation.

On the way back, the atmosphere became subtle and busy. Ling Peng, shattering his previous gloom, became unusually chatty, but his topics carefully steered clear of the earth-shattering confession and even avoided any areas that might cross the line of emotion. He began to pepper her with questions about the details of her competition tour, from the local customs and practices of each city to the technical challenges encountered during project research to the pointed questions from the judges during the roadshow... The questions came one after another, so densely packed that she barely had time to think.

"Is the data collection going smoothly in Xi'an? I heard the food there is quite spicy. Are you used to it?"

"During the Guangzhou roadshow, which part of the defense were you responsible for? Were you nervous?"

"That boy in the team who always likes to interrupt, he didn't try to trip you up anymore, did he?"

He asked with incredible earnestness, as if these questions concerned matters of national importance. Zhao Jinglu could see that he truly wanted to understand her experiences over the past three months, but at the same time, it was also a clumsy way of distracting her. In this way, he was building a safe haven, temporarily escaping the uncertain future he had opened up.

Zhao Jinglu answered along with his topic, but inwardly she felt both angry and amused. It turned out he also had moments of panic and confusion.

She watched his bony hands gripping the steering wheel, and the fleeting nervousness in his eyes when he occasionally glanced at her. A strange, slightly mischievous, vindictive thought quietly emerged in her heart—so he felt this same insecurity. So he feared rejection. Thinking back to her own long and bitter secret love, the days when his glance, his words, would make her heart beat faster and feel lost, she felt a delicate balance of "finally, it's your turn," and she suddenly didn't want to let it all settle so soon.

Well, since you don't dare to ask for an answer, I won't rush to give it to you. She smiled secretly in her heart, like a kitten who finally discovered the weakness of its prey, with a little pride and pity.

After that night, for a long time, the two of them tacitly agreed not to mention that confession. Life seemed to have returned to its previous track, yet everything seemed different.

They still communicated primarily through text messages and occasional phone calls. In Ling Peng's early days, work was hectic, and Zhao Jinglu's studies and club activities also took up a significant portion of his time. But Ling Peng's initiative had noticeably increased. His text messages were no longer just brief updates or greetings; they carried a more direct, thoughtful expression of concern. He would even make time to visit her school in the evenings and sit with her for a short while.

Zhao Jinglu had an extremely difficult sports biomechanics course that required professional simulation software. The computers in the school computer lab were always insufficient and outdated. She had only casually complained in a text message, "Getting a computer lab is harder than getting concert tickets." Unexpectedly, two days later, Ling Peng delivered a heavy cardboard box directly to the downstairs of her dormitory. Inside was a brand-new, highly specced laptop, thoughtfully installed with all the professional software and genuine licenses she needed. The attached note simply said, "Use it for now; don't let it interfere with your studies." Zhao Jinglu called him, and he simply said, "The company has a cooperative supplier, and we've got an internal price, which is very convenient. Your old computer processes data too slowly." His tone was as casual as if he had just brought her a cup of milk tea, but she knew this was no "convenience" that could be easily solved with an "internal price."

Zhao Jinglu often missed cafeteria meals due to dance practice and training. Ling Peng had somehow figured out her class schedule and training routine. He'd always receive takeout texts just when she was tired and hungry. Sometimes it was steaming hot healthy porridge and soup dumplings, sometimes it was mango pudding from that dessert shop she'd once mentioned as delicious. There was even one time, when she was in so much pain on the first day of her period, she received brown sugar ginger tea and a heat pack. He never took credit for it, only texting afterwards to ask, "Did you get the food? Eat it while it's hot." His meticulous care, as if he had a surveillance camera right next to her, made Zhao Jinglu laugh and cry, yet also felt incredibly warm inside.

Another time, Zhao Jinglu and her classmates from the club were having a dinner outside the school, and they encountered a few boys from the neighboring school who were trying to pick up on her while drunk and kept pestering her. Zhao Jinglu was talking to Ling Peng on the phone, and when he heard the noise, Ling Peng was silent for a few seconds, and then he said in a calm but unquestionable tone: "Give the phone to the person with the loudest voice next to you." Zhao Jinglu did as he was told for some unknown reason. The boy who was leading the group took the phone, and after hearing something, the playful smile on his face froze instantly. He nodded and said several times, "Okay, okay, brother, it's a misunderstanding, we'll leave right away," and then quickly returned the phone to her and left in disgrace. Afterwards, Zhao Jinglu asked Ling Peng what he had said, and he just replied lightly: "Nothing, I just talked things over with them."

This pervasive, yet perfectly balanced, care and protection permeates every aspect of Zhao Jinglu's life, woven with Ling Peng's characteristically unspoken yet pragmatic and reliable style. He no longer conceals his care, yet he carefully maintains the invisible boundary, patiently waiting and weaving a gentle web with his actions.

In a blink of an eye, Ling Peng had been working at the state-owned enterprise for half a year and was about to face the formal assessment for regularization. With his ability and attitude, everything was a sure thing.

The formalization procedures went smoothly, and the department leader even had a special talk with him, affirmed his performance in the project, and encouraged him to keep up the good work.

That afternoon, Ling Peng had just finished his work when the department director called him into his office. The director poured him a cup of tea with a kind smile.

"Ling Peng, you've performed very well over the past six months. You're hardworking and insightful, and the leaders have noticed." The director initially praised him, then changed the subject, "Well, our group has an old tradition, which is a necessary step in training young backbones. In principle, all new college graduates, after becoming full-time employees, are required to spend two years training in out-of-town branches or key projects."

Ling Peng's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and a vague premonition arose in his heart.

The director continued, "After discussions within the leadership team, considering the needs of various regions and the expertise of you new employees, we've decided to assign you to—" The director paused, then clearly stated the destination. "Shenzhen. They have a large, newly built R&D and manufacturing center there, and they're in dire need of talent. This is a great opportunity and a great training opportunity. The duration is two years."

Shenzhen.

Thousands of miles away.

Two years.

Ling Peng held the warm teacup, but his fingertips felt slightly cold. He looked at the director's expectant smile, but the first thing that flashed through his mind was Zhao Jinglu's face, either smiling or angry.

We have just confirmed our feelings and have just started to approach each other cautiously, but are we going to face a separation that lasts for two years?