96 Mr. Xu went to Vancouver (2)
Xu Junheng couldn't bear to throw away the ring, so he put it back in his pocket and wandered aimlessly along the wooden walkway by the lake. The cold wind swept across the lake and blew the stray hairs on his forehead.
He thought that Wen Haijing's clothes this time were much better than before she went abroad, and she looked almost like a college student from an ordinary family.
Vancouver's rainy season is long and lingering, but starting that year, a glimmer of light quietly entered Wen Haijing's life. Xu Junheng's one-time payment was not stingy; Wen Haijing calculated that it should be enough for her to pay all her tuition and necessary expenses for the next four years.
Xu Junheng chose to give her the money in one lump sum because he was worried that giving it to her monthly would put a psychological burden on her and even make her worry about not being able to make the payments. So he gave her the whole amount at once.
What warmed her heart even more was that after her cousin Wen Xueyan got married to Cheng Boyan, she was much better off financially than in previous years. She often thought about her younger sister who was studying in a foreign country and would send her a lot of "pocket money" every month, telling her not to be too hard on herself, to eat better, and to buy some pretty clothes.
When Wen Haijing first arrived in China, she maintained her extremely frugal habits, knowing that her cousin, who had helped her in the past few years, was not wealthy either. The faded and outdated clothes she brought from China, many of which were bought at a supermarket for 19.9 yuan on sale, remained the mainstay of her daily wardrobe.
But the power of the environment is subtle and gradual.
After the start of the semester, walking on the UBC campus and seeing the well-dressed and confident students from all over the world, a desire to change and to fit in quietly sprouted in her heart.
For the first time, she mustered up her courage and walked into a large local shopping mall, heading straight for Uniqlo, a store known for its basic styles and good value.
Uniqlo isn't expensive for children from ordinary families, but for her, it was the most expensive clothes she had ever bought.
When she put on that soft and comfortable pure cotton T-shirt and changed into those well-tailored straight-leg jeans, and stood in front of the dressing mirror, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
The reflection in the mirror seemed to have shed its gloomy undertones, appearing fresh and vibrant. This wasn't just a change in clothing; it was more like a psychological liberation, a beginning of allowing herself the right to be "decent."
The girl who used to unconsciously lower her head because of wearing cheap clothes now seems to have straightened her back, and there is a hint of determination in her eyes.
Outer clothing is sometimes more than just covering the body and keeping warm; it is more like a tough cocoon, wrapping the fragile core and giving it time and courage to transform.
This change is subtle yet real.
She found that when she walked around campus in her new clothes, her smiles seemed more natural when responding to her classmates, and her voice was more confident when discussing topics with them.
Later, in the student council, she met Chen Ran, who took the initiative to greet her.
Chen Ran, a boy who grew up in a privileged family, did not reveal any disgrace about her family background from her clothing.
In his eyes, Wen Haijing is an outstanding girl with simple and clean taste, calm temperament, and hard work and ambition.
The moderate easing of the economy and the improvement of her external image are like a pair of complementary wings, allowing her to slightly shed her heavy defenses.
But she never expected that Xu Junheng would suddenly fly across the ocean to see her today. This man had rarely been in contact with her since she went abroad.
She was unaware that Xu Junheng had also bought a ring.
Faced with Chen Ran's pursuit, Wen Haijing hesitated and was somewhat afraid to accept. She was afraid that Chen Ran would find out about her family background and that her parents would ask Chen Ran for money.
Because she felt that since she was able to study in Vancouver, Chen Ran would most likely think that her family background was quite good.
*
As night fell, Xu Junheng didn't want to walk alone anymore, so he decided to take a taxi to T&T Supermarket to buy some things to take back to the hotel to eat.
He booked a hotel for a week before he came.
The car merged into the traffic of Vancouver's nighttime cityscape, neon lights flashing past the window. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and pictured Wen Haijing walking side by side with the boy named Chen Ran.
Then, in the car, perhaps because he hadn't adjusted to the time difference, he drifted off to sleep and had a dream.
In my dream, it was autumn on the UBC campus, with maple leaves ablaze and golden ginkgo leaves carpeting the paths. Wen Haijing, wearing a soft beige knit sweater and a plaid skirt, stood alone under a maple tree.
When she saw him, a bright smile bloomed on her face, her clear eyes curved into crescents, and she walked quickly toward him.
With no one else around and no distance between them, she naturally took his arm, and when she looked up at him, her eyes were full of trust and affection.
He took Wen Haijing's hand and led her through the campus into the lobby of a nearby hotel. Everything seemed natural, as if it were meant to be this way. In the elevator, he pressed her against the mirror and kissed her. Her response was passionate yet awkward; the soft touch of her knitwear burned in his palm.
Upon entering the room, Xu Junheng locked the door behind him and gently pressed her against it. The autumn sun shone in through the window.
His kiss slid from her lips to her neck, feeling her slight tremor. A hand slipped under the hem of her cardigan, slowly moving upwards along the delicate skin of her waist.
"Is it okay? I want it, I really want it," he whispered in her ear, his voice low and husky.
She nodded gently, her cheeks flushed, her eyes hazy with complete trust.
His palm finally covered that soft, warm skin completely, feeling her rapid heartbeat transmitted through the thin fabric. Her skin was incredibly delicate, possessing the suppleness and warmth unique to young girls.
Under the warmth of his palm, she let out a very soft moan, her body unconsciously moving closer to him.
The voice acted like a fuse, instantly igniting all the desires and restlessness he had suppressed deep inside.
He wanted to leave deep and shallow kiss marks on her fair shoulders and neck.
He wanted more, yearning to feel her presence more directly.
Just as he was about to go further, a ringing horn shattered his dream. The driver had just slammed on the brakes.
He opened his eyes, the lingering sensation of that dreamlike touch still present in his palm. Outside the car window lay the real Vancouver nightscape, bustling yet alienating.
The more enchanting the autumn dream, the more piercing the reality upon waking.
She missed Wen Haijing, who smiled at him under the maple leaves and let him explore the room.
As the car passed the red signboard of "Liu Yishou" hot pot restaurant, the rising steam and the hazy view through the windows felt like an invisible invitation.
He suddenly felt an unbearable emptiness in his stomach, a chill emanating from within his body, making him desperately crave something hot to fill it.
He asked the driver to stop the car and decided to skip the supermarket and go to a hot pot restaurant instead.
Stepping into this hot pot restaurant, a wave of bustling heat hits you, creating a world apart from the coolness outside.
The fine bubbles and hot steam rising from the hot pot blurred the night view outside the window, and also blurred his vision.
Not long after he sat down, his phone screen lit up with a trending news item in China: Mr. Zhang, a well-known local entrepreneur, had been sentenced to death. This news served as a wake-up call for him. Mr. Zhang was a longtime friend of Xu Junheng. He recalled that a few months ago, this man had been blackmailed for 30 million yuan by his mistress, and the affair had been exposed.
Next came a message from the assistant with more detailed information about Chen Ran, confirming that he came from a wealthy family, had a clean background, and was an excellent student.
Indeed, she was the perfect person that fate had arranged for her.
He stopped, took out his phone, found the number etched in his heart, and began to compose a message: "Chen Ran comes from a very good family. His grandfather, Chen Yiming, is a well-known entrepreneur, and his parents are professors. Their background is reliable. If you like him, you can be with him without any worries about his family background. I will prepare your dowry in advance and will make sure you don't suffer any grievances."
The thought of her walking side by side with Chen Ran, who came from a respectable family and was well-mannered, filled Xu Junheng with both heartache and relief. He felt heartache because it wasn't him by her side, but relief because she had finally reached a high enough level to see and attract someone who was truly worthy of her.
Less than a minute later, his phone vibrated; it was a video call request from Wen Haijing.
Should he answer or not? He could almost picture her expression right now; her clear eyes must be filled with confusion, grievance, and perhaps a hint of expectation that he dared not delve into.
An idea popped into his head uncontrollably: if he told her right now that he was single again and that the obstacle between them had disappeared, how would she react?
Perhaps, tonight she really would be willing to come to his hotel room. He could almost picture her trembling eyelashes and shy eyes. Given her grateful nature and the unspoken bond between them, the possibility was quite high.
He really wanted her; he could feel the aggressive urge within him. He even brought condoms with him on this trip abroad.
But then what?
Desire burned in his chest, but reason poured down like a handful of cool snow water. He remembered her clear eyes, eyes that were gradually regaining their luster in the sunlight. She was only twenty, her life just beginning to unfold, while he had already weathered countless storms.
A ten-year age difference is not just a number, but also a completely different stage of life and mindset.
More importantly, they also have a sordid past that began with money and hardship.
Xu Junheng couldn't bear to see her secretly saddened by the memory of their initial transaction in the future, and he didn't want her to forever carry the burden of a transaction or a debt of gratitude in this relationship.
Ultimately, reason, or rather, what he believed to be the best "accomplishment" for her, prevailed over everything.
He quickly whispered something to a passing Chinese waiter, his words fast and clear. The waiter paused, glanced at his tense expression and clearly distinguished demeanor, and nodded.
Xu Junheng took a deep breath, pressed the answer button, and selected "voice only".
“President Xu…” Wen Haijing’s voice came through the phone immediately, choked with obvious sobs, like a frightened little animal, instantly piercing through all his armor of pretense, “Where are you now? Why did you leave so quickly? It’s such a long way, is it really on your way?”
Wen Haijing didn't know how to address him properly. If he were her boyfriend, she could call him by his name, but it seemed that he wasn't her boyfriend right now.
Her voice was filled with a complex mix of emotions: confusion, grievance, and a hint of cautious probing.
She herself might not be able to explain it, but this sudden appearance and hasty departure across thousands of miles disrupted her original attempt to calm down.
Xu Junheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he tried his best to make his voice sound calm and even slightly indifferent: "It's just a business trip on the way."
He paused, forcing himself to say the following, "Did you see the message I sent you? That boy, Chen Ran, I read it. He comes from a good family, has good character, and is a trustworthy person. If you also have feelings for him, you can consider accepting him. Wen Haijing, you should completely say goodbye to the past and start your new life. As for your family's financial situation, don't worry, your cousin is your support."
But deep down he knew he was saying those words against his will.
Even the next second, he wanted to back out.
“But…” Wen Haijing’s sobs deepened. Behind that “but” lay a thousand unspoken words, an emotional dependence and reluctance that even she herself could not fully comprehend.
At that very moment, Xu Junheng quickly gestured to the waitress next to him. The waitress reacted swiftly, speaking in a voice that was just loud enough to be heard through the microphone: "Honey."
Xu Junheng immediately chimed in, deliberately keeping his voice calm: "Wife, you order first."
Then, speaking into the microphone, his tone instantly shifted from its previous indifference to a colder one, as if the brief moment of gentleness had been an illusion: "I'm having dinner with my wife. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
Without waiting for Wen Haijing's response, he quickly ended the call.
The whole world seemed to fall silent instantly. The hot pot was still bubbling away, and the surrounding laughter, conversations, and clinking of cups and plates were as if isolated by a thick glass dome.
He personally crushed all her possible expectations and cut off his own last escape route.
After hanging up the phone, he quickly booked a flight for himself for the next morning.
He knew he wasn't noble; he admitted he had selfish motives and desires. He had booked a hotel for a week before he came, and he planned to cancel the reservations for the following days when he returned tonight.
He felt that if he didn't leave soon, he might not be able to resist going to the school to see her again tomorrow.
After calming down, he realized that his concern for Wen Haijing had not been extinguished. He planned to transform this feeling into a deeper form, one more in line with his businessman nature—a commitment based on rational assessment and long-term planning.
He made an overseas call and gave new instructions to his assistant, who had been with him for many years.
"When setting up a branch office in Vancouver, you arrange for students to regularly monitor Ms. Wen's situation at UBC, including her progress with that classmate Chen Ran. Note that it's monitoring and caring, not surveillance. I need to know if she's safe, if her studies are going well, and... her final romantic relationship."
He paused, then added, "All information should be reported directly to me to ensure absolute confidentiality. Also, be especially careful not to reveal that I'm single. If she dates other guys, as long as she's happy, I'll support her."
After hanging up the phone, he knew perfectly well that his actions, while seemingly letting go, were not truly letting go. But this was the maximum restraint and respect he could muster.
Chen Ran's appearance was like a mirror, reflecting another possibility: a simple, clean love that belonged to her age and was free from historical burdens.
However, he was also unable to truly give up completely. That girl, like a tenacious plant growing in a crack in the rock, had already taken root in the hardened walls of his heart.
In his blueprint, there are two distinct paths: if Wen Haijing and Chen Ran are still together by graduation, their relationship is stable, and it truly makes her happy, then he will keep the promise he made in the message.
He hoped that she would not return to China after graduation to avoid being exploited by those parents again.
He would prepare a generous dowry for her as her "cousin," enough to give her confidence even in a wealthy family, ensuring her future life would be worry-free.
Then, he will completely withdraw from the stage of her life, like an actor taking his final bow, preserving only that untold deep affection in the corner of his memory. The ultimate expression of love is letting go, hoping that she can still shine brightly in a world without him.
However, if fate takes a turn and she and Chen Ran separate for some reason by graduation, and if she remains single afterward, then he will regard this as a second chance given by fate.
At that time, he will approach her again with a freer and clearer attitude, and earnestly and equally strive for a chance to truly begin a relationship with her.
*
At this moment, in her UBC dorm room, Wen Haijing listened to the busy tone on her phone, feeling completely frozen. Outside the window was the unfamiliar Vancouver night view, and inside was her lonely figure.
Large, glistening tears, without warning, rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the cold phone screen, blurring the water droplets.
Xu Junheng traveled thousands of miles to come, and she could sense that he cared about her.
That subtle concern, that unintentional protection, that outstretched hand when she was most helpless... those were the people who were once the best to her. When she was abandoned by the whole world, besides her cousin, they were the only people who gave her a glimmer of light and warmth.
However, the thought of his clear and indifferent words on the phone, "I'm having dinner with my wife," made her afraid to say anything more.
After all, she was the mistress.
Wen Haijing had originally wanted to call again to get to the bottom of things, even if it was just to hear his voice. But now, she had lost all courage and the will to do so. What right did she have to disturb his "family's" dinner?
Her initial suspicion and wariness of Xu Junheng were completely erased the day she landed in Vancouver; she even deleted the recording.
At that moment, she put down her phone and buried her face in her arms. Loneliness and confusion overwhelmed her like a tide.
Just as she was immersed in boundless sorrow, about ten minutes later, the screen of her phone on the table lit up again, emitting a faint glow.
Thinking it was Xu Junheng looking for her, she almost reflexively picked it up quickly.
However, the name that appeared on the screen was "Chen Ran".
The message was simple: "Haijing, I have two movie tickets for this Saturday afternoon. It's a well-received art film. I see you've been working really hard on your final exams lately. How about we go see a movie together and relax?"
Wen Haijing was stunned when she saw the message. Chen Ran's smile was sunny, clean, and open, which contrasted sharply with Xu Junheng's somewhat indifferent figure this time.
Xu Junheng's words echoed in her ears: "You should start a new life."
Tears welled up in her eyes again. She gently wiped away the tear stains on the screen with her fingertips, and then slowly replied to Chen Ran under that message.
Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
I hope tomorrow's final chapter will be just as long.
Thank you so much for your flowers, votes, and comments. It's so heartwarming.
Is there no more Haijing side story?
I really love the side stories about President Xu and Hai Jing, could you write more? I'm looking forward to an even more heartwarming and beautiful ending for them.
Thank you for your comments and reading. According to the outline, their side stories were originally planned to end here.
Thank you for your comment. As outlined, this concludes the side story for these two characters. If there's enough reader demand, we might add another one!
I want to see it!
Thank you for your message! ^_^
1. Want to see more
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
