Chapter 65
Bian Shu is not easily fooled.
He appears to be a poor man from a humble background, and he always behaves in a proper and orderly manner, sometimes even a bit rigid, but that doesn't mean he's naive or stupid.
On the contrary, he had seen all sorts of people since he was a child and dealt with all kinds of people, especially those who were also worried about making a living or who were cunning.
The environment he grew up in perfectly fits the saying, "The poorer and more difficult the environment, the more unruly people it produces." Because he lacked the financial resources and power to broaden his horizons, he experienced being bullied by those around him more severely and frequently than children who grew up in ordinary environments.
Therefore, he can distinguish whether the other party is well-intentioned, malicious, or hypocritical.
Lin Langyi thought that by striking while the iron was hot, she could make a request and succeed because he was in a state of tearful emotion. However, Bian Shu simply took a deep breath, closed his eyes, raised his hand and pressed it against the bridge of his nose, trying his best to control his tears.
He calmed himself down and asked, "You mean that your marriage to your fiancé... and your marriage to Cheng Yanjin are also due to circumstances, and you need to wait a while before you can break off the engagement, is that right?"
"Yes."
His tear-stained eyes were as clear as if washed clean, as if they could see through all the filth: "When?"
Lin Langyi met his eyes, with a hint of a prodigal son trying to coax his old man into marrying him after he achieved success, and sincerely replied, "After the characteristic town application is confirmed and it begins formal operation under the leadership of the government."
Bian Shu looked at her; her eyelids were slightly swollen, perhaps from crying so hard earlier.
"How long will it take?"
"As things stand, everything is progressing smoothly, but it will still take some time. Of course, if I can buy your technology and use it to promote production, then perhaps I will regain my freedom before you drink my engagement wine with Cheng Yanjin."
Bian Shu understood; these words were quite tempting. He nodded: "So, as long as I'm willing to wait for you—"
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't ask you to wait for me." Lin Lang didn't want to dig any holes for herself. She pressed the call button to invite the nurse in. "I hate waiting, and I don't need to make others wait for me. Bian Shu, I'm just chatting with you, talking about the present and the future. If you sell me, I'll be happy. If you don't, there's nothing I can do."
The nurse quickly pushed the door open and came in. Seeing the drops of blood on the sheets, the completely removed needle, and the mess of blood on Bian Shu's hand, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear!" and frowned, "What happened? How did you get like this?"
Bian Shu didn't speak, but just stared motionlessly at the bloodstains on the back of Lin Langyi's hand.
Lin Langyi smiled and begged the nurse for mercy. The nurse didn't say much, switched hands to insert the needle, and this time wrapped even more tape around it, reminding her, "Be careful, don't make any big movements."
Once outside, Bian Shucai slowly continued, his voice hollow and dejected: "If I were you, I would have said 'Yes, wait for me' just now."
"Wait for me, wait for me to break up, wait for me to get a divorce?" Lin Langyi suddenly realized, "Oh yeah, how come I can't even copy formulas to solve problems?"
Her face showed deep regret, but there was no trace of remorse in her eyes: "But didn't you say that you could tell at a glance whether I was lying or not?"
He didn't answer immediately. He just took out a few tissues, dipped them in the water in his cup, reached out and pulled her hand closer, then wiped the blood off the back of her hand little by little.
Lin Langyi didn't move, looking down at him sitting on the bed, the blanket in front of him rolled up to his waist and abdomen, the exposed part of his waist was lean and strong.
Even after wiping her hands clean, he didn't pull them away. He just held her fingers and said, "But if you lie to me emotionally, I'm willing."
After saying that, he was like a bottle of soda with its cap popped open, and all the long-suppressed desires burst forth like bubbles rising wildly.
The next sentence was much easier to say.
He said, "Before, you weren't willing to wait for me; but now I'm willing to wait for you."
Lin Langyi's breath hitched slightly. Her first reaction was to prick up her ears and pretend that she wasn't checking if anyone was listening through the wall.
It was given away for free a little too quickly.
One against three, they tricked out a pair of royal flush.
Bian Shu steadied himself, as if the wind and he himself had come back to life. He was finally able to regain his composure and promised, "Waiting is indeed agonizing... I will consider it."
"What are you considering...?"
He remained silent for a moment, then used the wet tissue he had used to wipe the blood that had congealed on the back of his own hand to wipe it away, before crumpling it into a ball in his hand.
"I'm considering whether to have nothing during the waiting period, or to create memories with you while I wait."
Lin Langyi's hands were still wet, with water that hadn't evaporated completely, and the air conditioning made them feel even colder.
Seriously... what does that mean? What do you mean by creating memories with her before she breaks off the engagement? Is this something someone like Bian Shu, who is supposed to be all about rules and etiquette, would say?
Bian Shu glanced at her and naturally noticed the shock on her face.
He tilted his head slightly to locate the trash can, then tossed the crumpled tissue inside.
Lin Langyi rubbed her hands together, feeling that Bian Shu's action of throwing away trash looked somewhat familiar.
Sure enough, the next second, he looked at her calmly, as if he were telling her before that she had answered the question wrong: "Is that President Yuan also willing to wait?"
Lin Langyi's breath hitched for a second.
Thank goodness! Talking to Bian Shu always feels like you've solved a problem and are about to win, only to find that there was a mistake in the very first step.
Engineering guys are such a hassle.
She was completely bewildered, and had to put on an exaggeratedly horrified expression while stammering at him. She had only managed to utter half a sentence: "How could this be—"
He interrupted her bluntly: "Don't lie."
Lin Langyi: ...
She insisted, "Does he seem like that kind of person?"
"It doesn't seem like it," Bian Shu denied.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "That's right, so you men just daydream all day long. Wouldn't it be better to use that time to do something productive?"
"But capitalists like him, who haven't tasted any benefit, won't be as easily appeased as I am." Bian Shu explained logically and eloquently, "So I think that since he looks down on you and covets you so much..."
He looked up, his inquisitive nature returning, staring at her intently as if he were watching a chemical reaction happening in a test tube, not wanting to miss a single second.
"Did he not end up with nothing?"
"Is he creating memories with you while he's waiting?"
No, Bian Shu is too shrewd. If we don't deal with him, he'll be a ticking time bomb sooner or later.
Lin Langyi suddenly leaned in quickly, her head almost touching Bian Shu's face, their breaths mingling together.
Bian Shu's calm and composed expression faltered for a moment. He seemed like a faulty circuit; as soon as she got close, the switch on his brainwaves malfunctioned.
Lin Langyi felt that since that was the case, maintaining this ambiguous distance during the conversation was a good strategy.
She put a finger to her lips, her brow furrowed sadly, and let out a pitiful "shh".
He stopped speaking after finishing his solemn and formal remarks, looking at Lin Langyi who was so close to him, and didn't continue.
"I refused! Don't you know he and Cheng Yanjin are good friends? What am I going to do if they find out?" She frowned, looking extremely aggrieved.
"So how could I possibly allow even the slightest possibility? Of course, I would firmly refuse and not give him even the slightest chance." She shook her head slightly in front of him, shifting all the blame onto others and absolving herself of any responsibility. "But you know, he's a partner and a major investor. Even if I state my position, it won't really lead to a complete breakdown in relations. So I spoke tactfully, and maybe he thinks there's still a chance."
Seeing Bian Shu frown again, Lin Langyi waved her hand: "But I've said what I needed to say. Anyway, there's absolutely no possibility for me. If he wants to put on a one-man show, let him play it by himself. In time, he'll give up."
Bian Shu stared at her for a long time, repeatedly asking, "He really didn't use his power to oppress you?"
Lin Langyi shook his head vigorously: "No, he is indeed a capitalist, but fortunately he's not the kind who's completely ruthless... mainly because he also has to be wary of his good brother."
"Didn't he try to tempt you with benefits?"
Lin Langyi's mind went blank. She thought to herself that this was the downside of ex-lovers: after being together for a long time, they couldn't hide their feelings at all. He had just pointed out the essence of it all.
Bian said, "I know you're more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. He's so smart, doesn't he...?"
"No, not at all." Lin Langyi denied it outright, laughing, "So you know I'm only responsive to gentle persuasion? Then why are you trying to negotiate with me using your patented technology? Interesting."
Bian Shu's face fell again, his lips moving slightly: "It was my fault, I was just too impatient, and this is all I have, I..."
“It’s normal, it’s only human nature, and you didn’t do anything wrong.” Lin Langyi was quite good-natured towards him. “But you also need to think about it. Even you would use patented technology to negotiate with me. How could Yuan Chuyu, a capitalist who can turn the world upside down, give me benefits for nothing?”
"Just for me?" she laughed. "Then what kind of capitalist are you?"
This statement was indeed very convincing, and Bian Shu fell silent.
Lin Langyi believed him, leaned back comfortably, and glanced out the window.
Under the bright sun, summer always arrives fully after the humid and misty plum rain season. Everything is as lush and vibrant as if in a final burst of energy, even if it is disorderly, unrestrained, and dazzling, it is all part of the limited summer.
Without disorder, it cannot be called summer; this was true for Yuan Chuyu, and it was true for her as well.
When Bian Shu used the patent as leverage to talk to her about getting back together, she couldn't help but recall the time she hid in Yuan Chuyu's car to discuss a business loan with him.
He could have taken this excellent opportunity to negotiate, but he didn't.
Even Bian Shu, whom she considered upright and honest, would test her with a patent, but Yuan Chuyu, the most likely treacherous capitalist to do such a thing, let it go easily.
And it happened more than once.
It's really strange. The people around her have very different personalities. Yuan Chuyu should be the most rational and decisive person. Even Bian Shu, who is very good at judging people, agrees that Yuan Chuyu is not the kind of person who would make a rash decision. But she still made the most outrageous decisions one, two, or three times.
Lin Langyi thought that perhaps the menstrual cramps made her memory of that night even more vivid, which is why she remembered every detail of that time so clearly.
She gazed at the leaves of the locust tree outside the window, watching the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and the shadows shift gently in the breeze.
Her fingers unconsciously twirled around the hem of her dress as she casually told Bian in a sweet voice, "So you have to keep this a secret for me... I'm an innocent victim."
“Okay, I’ll help you keep it a secret from your fiancé,” Bian Shu solemnly agreed. “It’s not your fault, don’t worry about it.”
She then smiled sweetly... He had never broken his promises, and she still believed in his integrity.
Several messages kept popping up on Lin Langyi's phone. She opened them and saw that Cheng Yanjin was asking her what time she would get off work that night and whether she had to work overtime today.
Lin Langyi typed rapidly, replying with: 【No overtime.】
"Stay home with your wife, don't bother me": [I'll pick you up on time tonight, take you out for a nice meal, and then do you want to try skateboarding?]
Pearl: [I don't know.]
I can take you.
If you dare make me fall, you're dead.
Don't worry, even if my leg is broken, I won't let you fall.
He sent two emojis of someone lifting something high in the air.
pearl: [1]
Cheng Yanjin happily sent out a lot of flower-themed emojis.
Lin Langyi exited WeChat, checked her email, and found a reply to the email address she had taken a screenshot of from Professor Humphrey's lecture slides.
She had previously sent the professor a sincere self-introduction and request in order to contact the person in charge of the experimental field in Country M. Besides the introduction, she also wanted to try to see if there was any turning point through the professor.
After all, according to the original plan, Bian Shu was to stay in China for only ten days with the professor. If they couldn't reach an agreement within ten days, she could change her approach and contact the experimental field.
To express her sincerity, Lin Langyi even went so far as to search for several of the professor's famous first works, intending to write a long, flattering remark as an opening.
However, since she wasn't a professional in a livelihood field, she found it even more difficult to read foreign original works and encounter some technical terms. So, to save herself the trouble, she directly asked Yuan Chuyu for help.
He was busy at the time, and only replied with a brief "Received," and that was the end of it.
When she woke up the next day, she saw the "finished product" sent at 2:57 a.m. on her phone.
First, I accurately summarized and generalized the points, then compared them one by one with the original text, especially expressing my admiration for the ingenious and innovative parts. Finally, I eagerly raised some questions about the data and models, hoping for the professor's guidance.
Standard three-piece set.
As expected, Lin Langyi received a detailed reply from the professor, which not only explained her questions but also sent her the email addresses of both Bian Shu and the experimental field.
"I received an invitation from my alma mater today to record a video of an outstanding graduate for the opening ceremony of the school's anniversary celebration." Bian Shu had been watching her type on her phone, seeing the genuine smile radiating from her face as she looked at the screen. "It'll probably be sometime soon. Are you going?"
Lin Langyi was happily replying to the professor's thank-you email when she heard this. She locked her phone and looked at the gauze on his head: "How have you been filming these past few days?"
"The doctor said the gauze and stitches can be removed in about a week. I'll go get an X-ray after that."
Lin Langyi calculated the time and suddenly asked, "Hey, when are you leaving?"
Bian Shu paused, then looked up at her.
Lin Langyi quickly corrected, "Ah, no, I was just afraid you wouldn't have enough time."
“I’m injured, so I definitely won’t leave with the professor right away. Besides, I’ve already exceeded the graduation requirements, and I’m only at the university now doing extra projects with the professor.” He looked into her eyes and said softly, “So I’m not in a hurry to go back. The professor is kind and won’t rush me.”
"Therefore, I plan to wait until my injury is fully healed before considering this issue."
Lin Langyi's heart skipped a beat, and she gave a perfectly timed sweet smile: "Great! I can treat you to a meal, and once you can get out of bed, I'll show you around the campus."
"The doctor said I can walk around, and moderate walks should be fine," he replied at the opportune moment, seemingly glancing at her phone out of the corner of his eye, or perhaps not.
He asked, "Are you free tonight? If it's convenient, could you take me for a walk?"
Lin Langyi considered it for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I don't have any plans tonight."
He then smiled, just like the beautiful weather outside the window at that moment.
Lin Langyi said, "See you tonight. I need to go back and take care of some official business now." So, with his reluctant gaze, the two said goodbye.
As soon as she stepped out the door, Lin Langyi, with her bag slung over her shoulder, took out her phone and sent a message to Cheng Yanjin:
[Oh no, last-minute notice, I'm going to be busy tonight, let's reschedule the skateboarding session?]
His replies came incredibly fast, one after another:
【Huh? (crying face)】
What time will it be?
"How about I come over and have dinner with you, then you can go about your business as usual, and I'll go to the break room. I promise I won't disturb your work."
Lin Langyi continued fabricating: "No, I'm going to the client's place, and I'll have dinner with them too."
In a critical moment, his mind still worked quickly: "Need a drink? I can hold my liquor pretty well, how about I cover for you? I guarantee your client will come in standing and leave lying down, and next time they see you they'll be begging for forgiveness."
Pearl: [...Our clients aren't drinking alcohol today, so we'll have tea.]
He then sent several more memes of a dejected, listless puppy.
What time do you finish? I'll pick you up tonight.
[Not sure, let's talk about it tonight.]
Lin Langyi had just put her phone away when she looked up and saw the caregiver standing not far away.
She had been eagerly waiting, and only when she saw Lin Langyi did she break into a smile and quickly come forward to hand over the food bag in her hand.
Lin Langyi took it blankly, and looked inside. It was a fast food meal, steaming hot, and looked freshly made.
The caregiver smiled and said, "Oh, Miss Lin, right? A Mr. Yuan asked me to cook lunch for you. He said there wasn't enough food at lunchtime, and you might not have eaten enough so you wouldn't have the energy to go to work this afternoon."
Lin Langyi peered through the transparent lid of the fast food box again. It contained three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes, all home-style fare, and was very plentiful.
Most importantly, all the dishes were to her liking.
The caregiver said kindly, "Don't worry, I work as a caregiver in the hospital, and my husband works in the catering business across from the hospital. Mr. Yuan pays high prices, so we cook for you bowl by bowl according to his orders. It's not like we're serving communal dishes!"
Lin Langyi thanked the caregiver in a daze, and the caregiver quickly waved her hand, smiling from ear to ear: "Not at all, you're too kind. A few dishes couldn't possibly cost so much... Um, if you think the food is good, you can come back to us next time!"
Was it because the two-person portion ended up being eaten by three people, and she was so focused on reviewing the documents and terms at lunchtime that he didn't think she ate much?
Lin Langyi walked down the hospital stairs, the bag hanging on her wrist occasionally brushing against her leg, feeling warm.
She finished her fast food on a bench outside the hospital; it tasted pretty good.
While eating, she remembered that he probably hadn't eaten much at noon, so she sent him a WeChat message:
Pearl: [It's delicious, thanks! How about you?]
He didn't reply until she finished eating and threw the leftovers in the trash, probably because he was too busy.
I don't know what he was thinking, being so busy, that he would drive over specifically to have lunch with her at noon.
As he said, isn't it great to enjoy a leisurely meal at the company and even take a nap if you have extra time?
Y: [If it tastes good, drive carefully.]
A slight pause: [I'm full.]
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