Chapter 88
Lin Langyi will be flying to G City within a week after her birthday party. Before that, she needs to attend the opening ceremony of the free public opening week at Yingshan Lake.
Some of the tourists were randomly selected through online sales channels, while others were invited directly by relevant guests for their guidance. The first phase of the characteristic town's construction project has already taken shape and will be opened to the public at the same time.
Lin Langyi also specially invited leaders from many universities, especially agricultural and forestry colleges, to try to establish a teaching practice base in the future, and cooperate with relevant majors in universities in the form of experimental fields.
With a solid foundation in Yingshan Lake, everything is soaring like a rocket after taking advantage of favorable policies. Although Lin Langyi is extremely busy, she is very gratified.
These past few days, her family happened to be in City A, so she also directed Meng Hui, Lin Xiangshuo, and others to go in together. Everyone was like a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed.
The morning was the busiest time, as various bureaus and offices were involved. Lin Langyi accompanied them throughout the entire process, and they were not seen off until lunchtime.
The university leaders were expected to leave in the afternoon, leaving only tourists and lucky audience members. Lin Langyi planned to leave after entertaining the university representatives. So, after arranging accommodations for everyone at noon, in order to save time, she did not go back to the office lounge for a short rest, but went directly to the lecture hall that she would be using in the afternoon to check it one last time.
This lecture hall was intended to be used as a classroom for practical classes in the future, but because it was newly built not long ago, there was an odor inside. So she opened all the windows and doors and tested the microphone, speakers and projector on the stage. Seeing that everything was fine, she returned to the first row near the door and sat for a while.
A long, narrow table was placed right next to the door, with cases of bottled water and a sign-in book on it. Lin Langyi sent a message to Meng Hui, who was in the main stadium, asking her to see who was free later and have someone move the table.
Having received an affirmative reply, she stretched and lay on the table. Having not rested for a moment all morning, and having just eaten lunch, she was even more drowsy. Within minutes, she fell asleep leaning on her arm.
Nearly half an hour had passed by the time Meng Huineng could call the person. She went upstairs first, and when she reached the opposite side of the lecture hall, she immediately saw Lin Langyi sleeping soundly on the table.
She was sleeping in a daze, her face buried in one bent arm, the other arm outstretched and hanging in the air with her wrist protruding from the table. The front door seemed to be unlocked, and it was being blown back and forth by the draft from the doors and windows.
It's autumn now, so how can you sleep in the wind without any covers?
Meng Hui took two steps closer, and suddenly a pair of hands appeared on Lin Langyi's shoulders. The person gently draped the coat that had fallen to her waist over her shoulders, and before withdrawing their hands, they carefully smoothed the long hair that was spread on her arms, trying to prevent her from having her face covered by hair and having difficulty breathing.
These hands felt familiar. Meng Hui smiled, thinking that Cheng Yanjin was more considerate than he appeared, as he had been sitting to Zhuzhu's left, keeping her company.
As they walked further, the changing distance gradually revealed the scene in the blind spot. Meng Hui's smile suddenly froze as he realized that there was another person sitting to Lin Langyi's right.
The first thing that caught her eye was the open laptop. She initially thought it was Bian Shu, but then she remembered that Bian Shu had been having a pleasant conversation with a professor in the main stadium before she came.
The door was blown forward a distance by the wind, obscuring most of the view. The door was about to close faster and faster as it swayed, and Lin Langyi's hand, which was stretched out over the table, was about to be caught.
Meng Hui quickened her pace and jogged forward a short distance, then raised her voice before uttering the first syllable: "Eh—"
Suddenly, a leg extended from under the table, blocking the door. The computer on the table was pushed aside, and the person in the blind spot finally revealed half of their face, frowning as they looked to the other side.
Meng Hui's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly slowed his pace.
It seemed as if they were mouthing something to each other. Cheng Yanjin impatiently turned his face and glared at Yuan Chuyu. He got up, walked around the table, fully opened both doors, and bent down to lock them in place.
As he stood up, he turned his head and saw Meng Hui standing outside.
Cheng Yanjin's expression, which had seemed to be one of sulking, vanished. He raised his hand and waved to Meng Hui in greeting, without making a sound, only opening his mouth to avoid waking Lin Langyi.
Meng Hui smiled slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the laptop being pressed down by a long, slender hand, moved aside, and returned to the corner.
She walked into the lecture hall, her gaze briefly sweeping over the room. She noticed that the three people's seats were all oddly arranged. Instead of sitting in the many rows of padded chairs behind them, they had all squeezed onto this long, narrow temporary table. This table was even piled with three or four cases of mineral water, making it even more crowded. Lin Langyi was crammed into the middle, taking up most of it, with a man on each of the two ends.
Cheng Yanjin was close to her, while Yuan Chuyu was sitting far away, but his seat was right next to cases of bottled water. Didn't he feel uncomfortable in such a cramped and narrow place?
And... why didn't he sit next to Cheng Yanjin? That would be more spacious. Why did Lin Langyi have to be between them?
A flurry of thoughts rushed through Meng Hui's mind. Before she could figure out how to greet him, Yuan Chuyu had already stood up and was shutting down his computer. He gave her a polite nod and then handed a file folder from the keyboard to Cheng Yanjin, saying in a low voice, "Never mind, you can just give this to her later. I'll be going now."
Cheng Yanjin gave a blank "hmm" and took the document, placing his hand and the file bag on the table. After a couple of seconds, he remembered that he should pretend to be normal and say goodbye in front of others, so he hastily raised his hand to Yuan Chuyu and said, "See you later."
Meng Hui was about to see him off a few steps as usual, but the people who came to move the table arrived behind him and shouted from afar, "Is this the place? Ah? This is the table in the room, right?"
The voice was loud and clear. Lin Langyi's arm twitched, her shoulders shrank inward, and she paused for a while before vaguely raising her head. She was dazed for several seconds before her eyes cleared.
"Mom." She straightened up, and the coat draped over her shoulders slid down her back. She quickly pressed it back down with her hand.
Meng Hui's calf muscle suddenly twitched. She realized that Cheng Yanjin had only worn a shirt when he came today. He was afraid of the heat and always dressed more lightly than others.
This suit jacket doesn't look like his.
She didn't dare to think too much. When she saw Cheng Yanjin reach out and take her coat, she folded it up and tucked it into her arm, not intending to change.
Yuan Chuyu, however, remained silent.
Lin Langyi turned her head to look at the people on her left and right, her expression blank for a moment, but she quickly cleared her throat and greeted the "guest" Yuan Chuyu first.
Cheng Yanjin handed over a file folder with Ying Yuan's logo on it.
She glanced at Yuan Chuyu, but instead of opening it in front of him, she held it up and waved it, saying a few words: "Received, thank you."
Yuan Chuyu didn't say what was inside, as if the two of them tacitly understood what the material was and didn't need an explanation.
He stayed for two or three minutes before leaving.
"I've called someone." Meng Hui said without looking to the side. "You're moving this table, right?"
“Yes.” Lin Langyi nodded.
The afternoon session was about to begin, and she had a lot of things to do. Meng Hui knew this wasn't a convenient time to talk, but seeing Lin Langyi and Cheng Yanjin briefly separate, she couldn't resist and quickly followed. She looked back several times to make sure Cheng Yanjin wasn't following before whispering:
"Zhuzhu, is there anything you want to say to Mommy?"
Lin Langyi glanced at Meng Hui briefly and smiled, "What?"
Meng Hui wasn't sure what she was thinking, so she held back for a moment and asked directly, "Are things going well between you and Yan Jin?"
Lin Langyi nodded, then quickly shook her head.
Meng Hui's heart clenched: "What does that mean?"
She carefully chose her words: "The marriage went very smoothly."
“But it will be over soon.” Lin Langyi stopped, still holding the file bag in her hand. “We are canceling the marriage alliance. We’re letting you know in advance so you can be mentally prepared.”
Meng Hui opened her mouth, raised her hand to touch her hair bun, and remained silent for a moment.
She had certain expectations about this matter, or rather, she couldn't really imagine the scene of Lin refusing first. However, the development of Yingshan Lake has greatly elevated Lin's status. Now, when people talk about it, few people think that Lin is marrying above her station; instead, they all agree that they are a good match.
Another reason is that she has something more to worry about now.
Meng Hui asked, "Is it because of other people that you and Yan Jin can't get together?"
Lin Langyi raised an eyebrow in surprise and chuckled, "How could that be? Whether I get along with someone or not is only related to that person, how could it have anything to do with other people?"
"Mom was blunt, you and Yuan—"
"Mom!" Lin Langyi interrupted, her face showing no sign of panic or fear. "My flight is on Wednesday, and I've already rented a house in G City."
She stood with her back to the sun, the sunlight painting her face with a golden glow, obscuring her expression.
She fiddled with the file bag in her hand. She knew that once she opened it, it wouldn't contain any important confidential materials that needed to be handed over personally. It was very likely just two blank sheets of paper.
It's like wandering around during work hours with a contract in hand, pretending to be busy and working hard, when in fact that contract is just a disguise to cover up slacking off.
She said, "I broke up with Cheng Yanjin because we were in a long-distance relationship and it wasn't a good fit."
*
Lin Langyi is always quick to act. During the time Cheng Yanjin was away on a business trip, she had already rented an apartment and could move in immediately after moving her things there.
Everything was smooth and natural, like a gentle stream. As the stream flowed downhill, it didn't appear steep or dangerous at any point, but flowed and changed naturally. It wasn't until much later that people realized the water in the stream had dried up.
Lin Langyi only stayed in G City for four days on her first trip before returning to handle some business. The next trip lasted a week and a half, and she returned again because of Yingshan Lake.
The next time was three weeks later. When Cheng Yanjin returned this time and packed his bags to leave again, his mindset was completely different.
He was quite uneasy watching her pack her luggage, squatting next to her suitcase the whole time, his head stiffly moving back and forth with her movements, like a sunflower that only turns towards the sun.
"Do we really need to bring so much stuff?" Cheng Yanjin's smile was forced and awkward as he poked at the thin down jacket inside the sealed vacuum bag with his finger. "Why did you bring winter clothes too..."
"Oh, yes." Lin Langyi thought that G City was like spring all year round, so she didn't really need it. She took the compressed down jacket and put it back in the closet, and then put the remaining thin clothes in.
Cheng Yanjin saw that she had almost emptied the wardrobe of all the clothes, her face growing paler and paler, her hands and feet as cold as statues, unable to lift them.
"How many days are you going to be gone this time?" He felt a panic in his heart. The fear brought on by a complete lack of security made it hard for him to breathe. Watching her empty his belongings felt like she was ripping out his heart, leaving only an empty space with a cold draft blowing through.
"It depends, I can't really say." Lin Langyi was busy packing her things. She filled her suitcase with necessities, closed the lid, and pressed it down with her knee before zipping it up.
"I'll go with you." Cheng Yanjin couldn't take it anymore. He put his hands on his suitcase and pleaded with her, "How about I come and stay with you for a while?"
He stammered out the benefits of taking him along: "I can be your driver to and from get off work, just like on Yingshan Lake; if you want to go out to sea from there, I can help you drive the boat; and when you come back in the evening, I can cook dinner and wait for you to eat together."
Lin Langyi laughed out loud, not believing it at all: "You can cook?"
"I'll learn! I'll learn!" He grabbed the suitcase like it was a lifeline, stretching his arms out and pressing his whole body against it, as if holding onto the suitcase would prevent her from leaving.
Lin Langyi gently kicked him with her toe: "Aren't you going to work?"
The young master had never suffered in his life, and without thinking, he was about to say that love conquers all. Before he could utter a single syllable, she suddenly said, "Cherish your current job... Wasn't this the purpose of our marriage half a year ago? To the outside world, you and I are a loving and happy couple, so you've gotten everything you wanted from Old Master Cheng. No matter what happens to Aunt Feng's child in the future, it will be difficult to shake your current position."
She spoke with a gentle expression and a calm tone, and her movements as she tidied up her belongings were unhurried. Remembering that she hadn't picked up her electronic devices, she crawled a few steps on her knees on the bed and reached out to grab her tablet.
Her long hair twirled behind her shoulders and fell smoothly down to her front, swaying gently on the screen.
Cheng Yanjin trembled all over at the overly solemn words. His blood began to freeze. A certain uncertain and elusive possibility made him feel as if he were walking on a rope on a precipice. Fear and panic made him feel dizzy and lightheaded, as if he would fall into eternal damnation at any moment.
There is a sense of impending separation between people.
A gentle glance before parting, a casual joke, the touch of skin against skin—all the unspoken feelings are etched into the final scene frame by frame through the infinitely magnified senses, and repeatedly brought out and polished in the long years to come, each detail painted with the colors of that time.
He could feel the last thread between them being slowly stretched, thinned, until it reached its transparent limit and was about to collapse.
How could this be? He had retreated to the very bottom line, to every possible edge of retreat.
He had thought about this day before, but the more time passed, the less he dared to think about it because of fear. Every time he thought about it, it felt like a mountain was pressing on his heart, making it difficult for him to eat or sleep.
Cheng Yanjin dared not show her fear, because Lin Langyi's goal was to go to G City. Although she was not in G City, she heard that everything was going well for her and that she had already bred 200,000 seedlings and was preparing to cultivate mussels.
At that moment, the happiness on her face was so radiant that he didn't want to become the kind of person who dragged others down and made them feel disgusted.
Perhaps not so soon... She has never expressed any desire to end the engagement, and even now that the initial purpose of their marriage has been achieved, she has never said a word about it ending.
Cheng Yanjin once again hated his foolish decision to postpone the engagement and wedding. He also regretted that if he had taken over the company's business earlier and put everything on track, he might have had the free time to go to G City with her.
After Lin Langyi finished packing, she pushed several suitcases to the entrance. Cheng Yanjin followed closely behind her, looking flustered.
"Cheng Yanjin." She placed her hand on the handle of her suitcase, lifted it up, and then put it back down, as if she was organizing her thoughts.
She was always quick-witted and outspoken, but her sudden indecisiveness at this moment made his heart pound with anxiety, like a prisoner awaiting trial.
Lin Langyi recalled the scene before she broke up with Bian Shu, wondering if she had improved since her last breakup.
She thought about it for a long time before she realized that she hadn't told him the breakup in person because she was worried that Bian Shu would disagree with the breakup and give up his government-sponsored trip abroad due to emotional distress. So she sent the breakup text message after he boarded the international flight and when his phone was in airplane mode.
This is the first time I've ever told someone I want to break up with them face-to-face.
But that's okay, you can still be dignified and polite.
Lin Langyi said, "I have a few gifts in my study. When the time is right, I may have to send them to your family through you."
Cheng Yanjin bit the soft flesh inside his mouth, his expression stiff: "What gift? Why did you suddenly think of giving them a gift? No need... Besides, since it was a gift you prepared, you should be the one to give it to them. There's no reason for me to give it to them on your behalf."
"You got everything you wanted, and so did I. We each got what we needed..." Every word she uttered was not what he wanted to hear. Every sentence was like stepping on a landmine. Cheng Yanjin felt a void in his heart. He suddenly grabbed her arm and forcibly interrupted her, his hand trembling as he held hers.
"Let me take you to the airport, you'll be late if you don't leave soon." He hurriedly tried to distract her, hoping to make her forget what he wanted to say.
He didn't give her a chance to speak at all. After he finished speaking, he grabbed a suitcase in each hand and took away most of the luggage, then had the driver speed her to the airport.
To prevent her from having time to talk to him, Cheng Yanjin was on the phone the whole way. He sat with her in the back seat, turning his head to the other side to look out the window, talking to some friend on his phone about things that would never leave a trace in his mind.
After dropping her off, Cheng Yanjin neither wanted to nor dared to get out of the car to escort her into the terminal.
He only lowered the window halfway and urged her to go through security as soon as possible.
Lin Langyi did not grant his wish. She stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "Cheng Yanjin, when I broke up with Bian Shu, it was because I didn't want to be in a long-distance relationship. Long-distance relationships can cause a lot of problems, and I also don't like dating virtual pets."
“I’ll come see you whenever I have time,” he said firmly. “It’s not a problem at all.”
Lin Langyi smiled and said, "But we can treat it as a problem."
She said, "You know, and I know."
Upon hearing that seemingly random sentence, Cheng Yanjin's face turned deathly pale.
He said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Lin Langyi didn't say anything, only leaving the sentence "Long-distance relationship is a good excuse" before entering the terminal.
This time, Cheng Yanjin was counting down the days; she had already been in G City for a full month.
This past month felt like an eternity. Every day when Cheng Yanjin returned home, he was met with a desolate silence as soon as he opened the door. Even with the lights on, the house remained eerily quiet.
He has never been able to stand being alone and lost since he was a child. In the past, he would have called a large group of friends, the more the better, just to wear down these heart-wrenching lonelinesses.
But he didn't go out even once during that month.
After work, he would go home alone, go to bed early by himself, and practice cooking those unpalatable dishes by himself. He wanted to improve his cooking skills so that she could taste his cooking in the future.
He would video call Lin Langyi every night. Sometimes Lin Langyi would answer, but most of the time she would ignore him because she was busy with important matters.
During those few times when she didn't consider it a complete break in contact, Cheng Yanjin came over several times, but he would only look up from downstairs at the company and count the number of floors in her office, watching how late her lights stayed on.
He had considered going up to her, but Lin Langyi was always surrounded by other teams when she was working overtime at the company, and he knew she didn't have time to deal with him.
He had always thought that there might be a big fight between the two of them, but he didn't expect that they would just gradually drift apart without saying a word.
Just like drying a flower, it doesn't turn into a hard, dry specimen all at once, but rather gradually evaporates its moisture through wind and sun.
He recalled her words, "Long-distance relationship is a good reason," and every time he thought of them, he felt uncomfortable.
Cheng Yanjin knew she was decisive and efficient at work, but this was the first time he had experienced the pain of a broken heart. He couldn't accept it at all. She was fine before she left for G City, and even at her birthday party, she was fine. Was this sudden cold violence because he had done something wrong?
Unable to resist any longer, he heard that Lin Xiangshuo was supposed to return to City A on Tuesday, so he asked Lin Langyi on WeChat if she was coming back, and received a negative answer.
Cheng Yanjin placed his phone face down on the table, remained lost in thought for a long time, then picked it up again, turned it on, and began typing word by word.
Did you know? Chu Guanqian had an accident the day before yesterday. He and Yuan Pingran went to the terraced fields to enjoy the autumn scenery. He was stabbed several times. Because the signal was not good there, the rescue was delayed. When he came down, he was already in bad shape. Although the news is still being kept from them, this time...
I heard your brother is coming back on Tuesday, most likely because of this.
Lin Langyi was still at the company when she received the news.
She didn't reply immediately after reading the message. Her mind, which was overwhelmed with work, barely managed to spare a thought. She remembered that her recent communications with Yuan Chuyu had all been work-related, and he didn't seem to have mentioned this matter.
He did call her a few nights, but Lin Langyi was sometimes too busy to call back. When she tried to call back later, it was too late, so she could only send a WeChat message to inquire. Surprisingly, she found that he didn't have anything urgent to do.
Y: [Did you just finish work this late? You must be tired. Typing is too much trouble; you could have just sent a voice message.]
Lin Langyi was indeed on his way home. Hearing him say that, sometimes she would send him a few voice messages to ask what was wrong, but he never mentioned any important official business. Once, he even repeated the matters that had already been finalized.
She sent a voice message, partly a reminder to repeat, and partly because she found it funny.
He sent a message later: "Sorry, but the withdrawal symptoms of the light turning red immediately after the green light without a yellow transition are a bit tough."
It wasn't until she finished work, left the company, got into the driver's seat, fastened her seatbelt, started the car, turned the steering wheel, and drove about ten meters before braking again.
The bright car headlights shone into the distance. Lin Langyi took out her phone from her bag and sent a message to Cheng Yanjin:
I might not be able to make it, but I'll try my best to squeeze in these next few days.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
