Chapter 47 The Bitter Summer It's Always Hard to Forget a Season
In the winter of 2019, Shen Qingli finished her first internship.
She believed everything should have a beginning and an end, so when faced with her employer's tempting offer of a permanent position, she still refused.
This decision probably wouldn't be considered a wise choice by most people, but she thought that she didn't have to follow the majority in everything; she was going to choose her own path.
-
The day I left the company was a bright and sunny day.
After finishing her last day of work, she treated Chen Nan, Lu Ning, and other colleagues who had always taken good care of her to a farewell dinner.
At the dinner table, when asked about her future plans, Shen Qingli frankly admitted that she planned to return to Nanshi to take the postgraduate entrance examination.
"Have you decided what major you want to apply for?" Compared to the surprise of the others at the table, Chen Nan didn't seem too surprised.
"I plan to switch majors and apply to Nanjing University's film studies program." She had a calm smile on her lips and spoke as if she were talking about something so ordinary.
But only she knows how many years it took her to say those words.
After all these years, she finally regained the courage to speak about her favorite major, without worrying about how anyone around her would react.
Fortunately, the group of colleagues she was having dinner with were all very nice people. Although they were a little surprised when they heard this, they all expressed their admiration for Shen Qingli's courage.
"Changing your major? That's quite difficult! Qingli, you have to do your best!"
"Qingli, Qingli, if you become famous for your movies, you must not forget me!" Lu Ning was as unreliable as ever, always focusing on the most outrageous thing.
Upon hearing her words, Shen Qingli burst out laughing right there at the dinner table.
Chen Nan sat to the side, looking at her now, and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems you've found what you want to do. You're in a much better state now than when you first joined the company."
“Yes, yes, when you first came in, you seemed really, really tired. I didn’t even dare to talk to you at first.” Lu Ning nodded vigorously, echoing Chen Nan’s words.
"So, people should do what they love to be happy." Sister Yan picked up her chopsticks and encouraged her while picking up some food, "Qingli, since you've made up your mind, just do it. Don't be afraid of anything, and don't be afraid of failure. You're still young, and you have plenty of time to learn from your mistakes."
"Yes, thank you everyone. I will work hard. When I pass the exam, I will come back and treat everyone to a meal!" Shen Qingli nodded, feeling very warm-hearted to hear everyone's support.
"Okay, then we'll be waiting for you."
"Then let's wait until our great Director Shen succeeds!"
"If we become rich and powerful, let's not forget each other!"
...
The farewell meal was finished amidst laughter and chatter. Although it was a farewell, no one showed any sadness.
In the adult world, any farewell can be silent, and all we can cherish is the present moment.
After finishing their meal, everyone headed out of the restaurant. Chen Nan walked silently at the back, and only when everyone else was walking ahead did he softly call out to Shen Qingli.
"Green pear."
"Hmm? What's wrong, senior?"
"Here, take this." She took out a business card from her bag, handed it to her, and said, "This is the contact information of a director friend of mine. You remember, right? When you were editing videos for Sister Yan, I told you that I thought you were very talented. Later, I showed my friend the videos you edited. Their crew will start filming a movie next May or June. I've already told her about your situation. If you're willing and have the time, you can contact this number to learn part-time. I don't know much about this profession, but I think practical experience is definitely more useful than theoretical knowledge. I hope this can help you."
As Chen Nan finished speaking, Shen Qingli stared at the business card in front of her, her mouth agape in surprise, and she was speechless for a moment.
She hadn't expected Chen Nan to notice what she truly liked so early on, nor had she anticipated that Chen Nan would be willing to help her so much—a favor she had done on her own behalf.
She knew that Chen Nan didn't actually need to help her at all; their interactions weren't enough to warrant such a big favor. The only reason Chen Nan was willing to help was because Chen Nan herself had always been a very kind person. Thinking of this, she became somewhat incoherent, "Thank you, thank you, senior... This is truly a precious opportunity for me, I will definitely go! And I will definitely do my best!"
"Don't be so polite. In the past six months at the company, you've always called me 'Master,' so it's only right for a master to help his apprentice. Keep it up, Qingli, I have high hopes for you."
Chen Nan smiled and stuffed the business card into her arms, saying, "But I heard that going to film sets is quite tiring, so you should be mentally prepared."
"Yes! I will, thank you, senior." She nodded repeatedly, overwhelmed with gratitude, unable to utter any other words but thanks.
"Alright, thank you again, that would be too formal." Chen Nan quickly changed the subject, jokingly saying, seeing how touched she was. "But, why are you planning to apply for graduate school at this university? Don't you want to look at other schools?"
"Well... I've actually gotten used to living in Nanshi all these years. If possible, I hope to find a suitable job in the future and settle down in Nanshi permanently." She hadn't actually told anyone about this yet, but with Chen Nan, Shen Qingli felt that she could always confide in her without any worries.
"Settling down in Nanshi...that's great." Mentioning Nanshi, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of daze crossed Chen Nan's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "But speaking of which, I haven't been to Nanshi yet. I'll visit you sometime."
"Okay," she readily agreed. "But senior, I heard from Sister Yan that you're planning to apply for an overseas assignment?"
"Yes, I might have to leave Suzhou for a few years."
"How long?"
"If I go, it will be two years."
"So long? That's so sudden... Senior, why did you suddenly make this decision?" Shen Qingli asked in surprise.
"It's alright. Actually, I've wanted to go out and see the world for a long time, but I've been hesitant. I've been staying here all these years, and it's time to go see the sights outside." She smiled slightly, not saying much more about it.
"I see..." Sensing that Chen Nan seemed to have something difficult to say, Shen Qingli tactfully refrained from asking further questions. "Then I wish you a safe and smooth journey, senior."
"Okay, you too. When you pass the postgraduate entrance exam, remember to tell me about the difficulty of the Nanjing University entrance exam."
As they walked out of the restaurant, they followed behind the others. Neither of them wanted to make the farewell too heavy, so Chen Nan chatted and joked with her.
"If I successfully get in, I'll definitely come and share the news with you, senior." Shen Qingli smiled and jokingly agreed. However, when Nanjing University was mentioned, she suddenly remembered something Chen Nan had mentioned before, and she became a little curious and asked, "By the way, senior, didn't you say before that you almost went to Nanjing University for graduate school? What was your reason for wanting to go to Nanjing University?"
Walking outside Suzhou, it was already deep winter. The cold air swept in, and the biting wind stung their faces. When Chen Nan heard the question, she blinked and after a long while, she softly said, "I don't remember."
As she finished speaking, she pulled her coat tighter around her, the wind whistling past her ears; she had probably truly forgotten.
-
After a while, they walked to the roadside, where Chen Nan's taxi had already arrived.
So she said goodbye to Shen Qingli and the others first. Before getting into the car, she called out to Shen Qingli, "Qingli, I hope that when we meet again, we will both have a brand new life."
The farewell speech was rather grand, but for some reason, Shen Qingli felt a lump in her throat after hearing it.
She nodded solemnly, waved goodbye to Chen Nan, and watched her get into the taxi as it drove away.
Watching the car disappear into the distance, for some reason, Shen Qingli suddenly remembered Chen Nan's appearance earlier. It was the day she first started working, and after introducing herself to everyone, a colleague asked her which university she graduated from.
After saying it was Nanshi University, Chen Nan was stunned for a few seconds.
Then, she joined their chat and asked what Nanshi University was like.
At the time, she didn't pay attention or notice anything amiss; she just casually said a few words.
But today, in this cold wind, she vaguely felt that her senior seemed to have some secret about Nanshi, because Nanshi was the last stop of her business trip.
Everything seemed to be becoming clearer, but Shen Qingli did not continue to think about it further.
When they talked about their unrequited love in the past, the moment they both lost their minds was perhaps the moment when a secret was revealed.
The answers to all the secrets are hidden in the countless past events, but most of the time, no one cares.
The reason a secret remains a secret is probably to conceal that joy that no one knows about. She doesn't want to delve deeper into the reason, just like the secret she has kept all these years.
No one will know anything about her and Lin Xiaqing, and no one will remember that they ever knew each other.
No one will ever know that she once liked him.
Only summer knows the truth.
She didn't know whether to feel fortunate or sad. Perhaps one day in the future, she would forget everything about Lin Xiaqing, but forgetting a season might take longer than forgetting that person.
She slowly forgot the details of her time with Lin Xiaqing, but she would never, ever forget that bitter summer.
...
The next day, having made all the necessary preparations, Shen Qingli once again left Suzhou with her meager belongings. The silver necklace remained in the lining of her suitcase, accompanying her on her continued journey south.
Just like back then, she left her homeland again, but this time with completely different feelings. Sitting on the high-speed train to Nanshi, she looked at the scenery rushing past the train window and silently took out the SIM card from her phone slot.
She changed all her contact information to prevent her parents from bombarding her with angry phone calls after they found out she had resigned. This time, no one could stop her.
-
After getting off the high-speed train, she called her grandmother with her new phone number to let her know she was safe. She walked out with the crowd while talking on the phone. But when she walked out of the high-speed train station, she saw an unexpected figure at the exit.
"Sister?" Seeing that Shen Qingyun had also noticed her, Shen Qingli waved to her and ran to her side in surprise and delight, asking in shock, "What are you doing here? And how did you know I was going back to Nanshi today? Didn't I tell you?"
"Of course I found out from Grandma." She smiled, took the luggage from her hand, and pretended to complain, "But why do you always do this? What would have happened if you had just told me? I could have come to see you off."
"Didn't you say you were very busy the other day? Besides, this isn't my first time back to Nanshi. I know the way around very well. I was thinking of not bothering you and telling you after I'm settled in."
"What's the trouble or not? I'd love for you to trouble me."
They walked out of the high-speed rail station. Shen Qingli stood by the roadside hailing a taxi while listening to her sister's words. Although she didn't show it on her face, she was actually very happy about Shen Qingyun's arrival. Having a family member with her in this unfamiliar place brought her a different kind of peace of mind.
Although she was very happy inside, she still stubbornly insisted, "Grandma, you're too talkative... I can manage on my own, but shouldn't you be at work at this time? You didn't skip work to come here, did you?"
"Am I really that unprofessional? I finished up all the work from a while ago, and I just took a few days off from school to rest."
"Why did you come all the way here to find me if you wanted to rest? Aren't you tired?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the taxi they had hailed stopped right in front of them. Shen Qingli waved to the driver, and then she and Shen Qingyun walked to the trunk of the car and put their suitcases inside.
“You can relax in Nanshi too. I’ve never been here before. Why don’t you spend a few days with your sister? Consider it your last break before studying.” Shen Qingyun said as she carried her suitcase.
"Sure, is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Nanshi? Then we definitely have to go hiking! Don't you have a really famous mountain here? How about we go there?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingli paused in closing her suitcase. She remained silent for a few seconds before answering, "Um... okay," before opening the car door and getting in.
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Author's Note: There should be two more chapters until the end!
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