Chapter 49
All the past events seem like yesterday's death. Lin Ting woke up from her dream with a start, realizing she was still in the hotel. Song Xiaolei in the next bed was still fast asleep. She picked up her phone and checked the time; it was already five in the morning. Unable to fall back asleep, she got up to wash up.
What should a 29-year-old woman be like? Like a rose in full bloom, every petal fully extended, exuding a rich fragrance—the prime of a woman's life.
Lin Ting gently stroked her face, which lacked the delicate vitality of a woman in her prime; instead, it was pale and lifeless.
With tear stains still clinging to the corners of her eyes, Lin Ting, who rarely cries and had barely cried in the past five years, tasted the bitterness of tears once again upon seeing Chen Zhiyi.
Others' tears may be sweet, but hers were all bitter.
Looking back, nothing earth-shattering happened during the less than a year she spent with Chen Zhiyi; it was just simple companionship and mutual warmth. She thought that with time, she would forget it, but she never expected it to be so deeply ingrained.
Looking back, there wasn't that excruciating pain, but rather a dense, persistent ache, like the stinging pain of a cut on the hand that could last a long time.
Last night, Chen Zhiyi asked himself, "How have these past few years been?"
She resisted answering. What was there to answer? Just get by. As long as she had food and shelter and her pockets weren't empty, she could survive.
In March of the second year after their separation, Lin Qin suddenly fell seriously ill. She was unable to attend her second thesis defense, and once she missed it, she would never have another chance.
Lin Ting has no regrets; nothing is more important than her mother's health.
She remembered the agreement she had made with Chen Tiansheng, but she didn't make the call. If she did, what difference would it make from taking the money from him back then?
Fortunately, fate intervened, and Lin Qin, who had been teetering on the brink of death for over a month, was pulled back from the brink. After Lin Qin's condition stabilized, Lin Ting ended her Suzhou embroidery studies early and decided to find a stable job.
After that, she frantically sent out resumes to Haishi. Haishi was very close to her home, and it was convenient to travel there and back by bus, which only took two or three hours. Moreover, there were many fashion groups there, so it was a city she had considered for work.
M Group was the first company to give Lin Ting an interview opportunity, and Lin Ting was somewhat surprised when he received the interview call. After all, having only a graduation certificate without a degree certificate is like not graduating from university. M Group is a leading menswear brand in China, and it has very high requirements for the educational qualifications of its employees. A bachelor's degree is the starting point, so Lin Ting's situation did not meet its threshold. Unexpectedly, he passed the interview.
But because of this flaw, no matter how capable she became or how many bonuses she received, she could only remain in the position of design assistant.
If you ask her if she regrets it, she could have graduated normally without meeting Chen Zhiyi, and even graduated with the title of outstanding graduate. With her excellent personal qualities, plus her talent and ability, she could have stayed at M Group and at least been a chief designer by now, with double the salary. With a little more effort, she could have even owned a small house in Shanghai with her name on it.
But she didn't regret it. Chen Zhiyi was the person who showed her the most love besides Lin Qin. Although it was short, the love was so full that she would never meet anyone like him again.
When Song Xiaolei woke up, she found Lin Ting packing her luggage, including hers.
"What time is it, Lin Ting?" The voice was languid.
Lin Ting didn't look at her. "It's eight o'clock."
"Oh! What time do we meet to leave for the high-speed rail station?" Song Xiaolei asked, rubbing her hair, still a little confused.
"8:30," Lin Ting said calmly.
"What!" Song Xiaolei hurriedly got up and changed her clothes. "Why didn't you call me?"
"You're sleeping so soundly."
"But I haven't packed my things yet, and if I'm late for the assembly, I'll get scolded by the boss again."
Lin Ting closed the suitcase, straightened it, turned around and patted the suitcase, looking calm. "Don't worry, the luggage is packed. You just need to tidy yourself up."
Song Xiaolei walked barefoot to Lin Ting with a smile, and put her arm around her shoulder in a very manly way, saying, "If I were a man, I would marry you right now."
"A woman is fine too."
Song Xiaolei exaggeratedly, "With such heavy tastes, I'm a little worried about my innocence."
Lin Ting laughed, thinking that life wasn't so bad after all, and thankfully she had such a carefree friend by her side.
Song Xiaolei then noticed that Lin Ting's eyes were a little red and swollen, and recalling her unusual state when she returned to the hotel last night, she couldn't help but feel worried.
"What happened last night? You seemed strange when you came back. Did Sister Xiao say something to you again after we all left?"
Song Xiaolei knew Lin Ting's personality all too well: she was never argumentative or quarrelsome, and she always completed tasks assigned to her on time and excellently. Sometimes, even when she was bullied, she would just laugh it off.
If people like this are constantly getting tripped up in the workplace, are the leaders even human?
Lin Ting made an excuse, "No, it's just that I received a call from my mom yesterday saying she misses me. Ever since she had a stroke and was hospitalized, her health hasn't been as good as before, and she's been very clingy to me."
"Why don't you just bring her to live with you?"
“I wanted to, but she didn’t want to; she just wanted to stay in her hometown.”
Back then, Lin Ting originally planned to use the demolition compensation to take out a loan to buy a house in Nancheng. She calculated that after deducting the housing provident fund, the monthly loan repayment would not be much, which was within her means.
Two years later, the high-speed rail construction plan was shelved, the demolition was temporarily halted, and everyone moved back to their hometown.
“It’s okay. I’ll find some time to rest in a couple of days and drive back to see Mom.”
Song Xiaolei really liked Lin Qin, or more accurately, she liked her cooking. Every time Lin Qin went back to her hometown, she would bring her lots of food. Buckwheat rolls, shepherd's purse pancakes, locust flower buns, and homemade eight-treasure sauce that was especially good with rice. These were all country foods, which were very novel to a city girl like her, and she loved eating them.
"Okay, I'll definitely ask Mom to make you lots of food then." Lin Ting hit the nail on the head.
"Yes, yes," Song Xiaolei said without hesitation.
...
It was past 1 p.m. when the two returned to the company. As soon as they sat down, Lu Fan leaned out from across the table and asked Lin Ting with a smile, "So, did you see the big star? Did you get a chance to get up close?"
Upon hearing Lu Fan's question, the other gossipy female colleagues rushed over and surrounded her and Song Xiaolei, bombarding them with questions.
Lin Ting really did get to experience being the center of attention thanks to Chen Zhiyi. In all her years at M Group, apart from work-related interactions, her workstation was practically deserted and quiet.
Is he really as handsome in real life as he appears on TV?
"Is he really 188cm tall? It's said that the height listed on Baidu Baike (a Chinese encyclopedia) is at least 10cm taller."
"It's said that these celebrities are all like flower fairies reincarnated, smelling wonderful. Can you smell what they smell like? I'll buy the same for my husband later."
"Did you catch a glimpse of his physique while he was changing clothes? Does he have abs or anything? Everyone says some male celebrities look quite well-built when they're dressed, but when you take their clothes off, what? Even a monkey is more fit than him."
Young and handsome younger brothers are definitely more appealing, making older sisters the center of attention.
Lin Ting didn't want to answer these tedious and boring questions, so she could only give an awkward laugh. Just because you know these answers doesn't mean you understand him better. It doesn't mean you can get close to him.
Ultimately, they're completely unrelated; some people are just meant to be admired from afar.
But Song Xiaolei was different. She recounted the filming process with great enthusiasm and answered their questions with great care. Her face was full of pride, and her voice was much louder than usual at work. This close encounter with a top star was something she could boast about for a long time.
To borrow a famous saying from a disapproving male colleague next to me, "Her ancestors' graves must be shining with golden light now."
Just as everyone was chatting happily, a dignified voice rang out from behind, "Is everyone stopping working? Hurry back to your seats, I have something important to tell you all." The boss, Zhang Ying, stood in the center of the office with her arms crossed in front of her chest, wearing 10-centimeter high heels, looking down at the employees in the office.
Upon hearing this sound, everyone quickly returned to their posts.
Zhang Ying continued, "Next Friday is the tenth anniversary of the brand's founding. The company is holding a grand anniversary celebration, which all employees will attend. We will also invite many long-term partner companies to get together, so everyone must dress up and attend on that day. Don't embarrass our company."
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the office, mixed with the sounds of notebooks, sketchbooks, and pens being thrown and falling onto the table and the floor.
Those who frequent the fashion world have a deep love for these events and galas. They enjoy the atmosphere of clinking glasses and glittering lights, which can spark a lot of inspiration.
After Zhang Ying returned to her office, the company experienced another mini-boom as everyone enthusiastically discussed what kind of evening gown they should wear and what outfit would make them shine on the day.
They even made plans to go shopping at the mall after get off work.
Song Xiaolei nudged me with her elbow and looked at me with a grin, saying, "Should we go shopping for some new clothes after get off work? I don't think I have any decent evening gowns to wear."
"I wore the same outfit I wore to the annual party next year."
Song Xiaolei looked at her with a hint of disdain. "It's not like last time. You wear that dress to the annual party almost every year. This year is different; everyone here is a top performer in the industry. The boss said we have to take this seriously." Then she lifted her chin. "Such a beautiful, first-love face, yet you don't make the most of it."
Lin Ting laughed and said, "I'm almost thirty, so I'm not related to my first love anymore. Besides, there are so many beautiful women in the company, so no one will pay attention to me. It doesn't matter if I dress up or not, I'll just wear that outfit."
"What a great opportunity! You're sure to meet many outstanding individuals, and if you meet someone promising, you might even be able to develop a relationship with them."
Song Xiaolei has a wealth of dating experience, but since she met Lin Ting, she has never seen a single male friend of hers, and there isn't even a male mosquito around her.
It's such a waste to spend your best years working and making money. Men and women should work together to enjoy life and have fun.
She hoped that Lin Ting could live a freer and more relaxed life.
So she needs someone who can help her get through this.
With a little makeup, her face would be absolutely stunning, not the kind of flamboyant and bright beauty, but a fresh and refined elegance, fitting the image of a white moonlight in a boy's heart.
If you put in a little effort, people will come knocking on your door one after another.
But she refused.
Lin Ting gave a wry smile, "Develop what? With my qualifications, who would even consider me?"
"What do you mean, 'no'? Several guys in the company have deliberately tried to get close to you, but you ignored them all. Are you really oblivious or just pretending?"
Lin Ting pursed her lips and didn't say anything.
Song Xiaolei suspected, "Is there someone you can't forget in your heart?"
Lin Ting was startled, and the image of Chen Zhiyi at nineteen years old immediately flashed into her mind.
It's strange. I saw him just last night, but I still remember what he looked like when he was nineteen, not what he looks like now when he's twenty-four.
Eighteen-year-old Chen Zhiyi brought me so much warmth and touched me deeply; it's hard to forget him.
Song Xiaolei looked at Lin Ting's deep and dreamy eyes, clearly recalling something. She was right; Lin Ting's calm and collected demeanor suggested that she was someone with a story to tell.
"Could it be that I'm right? There's a white moonlight that I can't forget?"
Lin Ting remained calm. "Even if there was any, it was a long time ago, and I've long since let it go. My mother's illness is my biggest concern right now. Every time she has an attack, it comes on fiercely. I consulted an expert who said that surgery can effectively alleviate the symptoms, and I want to save up money to try it."
She knew Xiaolei meant well. "Okay, once my mother's condition stabilizes, I will attend any gatherings you organize or recommend, and I will also meet with the people you ask me to meet."
"good!"
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