Chapter 111 Escaping with Her They were face to face, their breathing ragged...
The study and master bedroom were He Ming's "private territory," and Zhu Liushuang had only peeked inside from outside the door when he was not home. Now, stepping inside for the first time, she naturally couldn't help but take a closer look.
The study has a simple layout. Upon entering, there's a row of walnut-colored bookshelves, with a rocking chair in front of them. A large wooden desk occupies the window area, next to which stands a narrow-necked vase containing a sprig of wintersweet…
"Liu Shuang?"
Perhaps because her gaze lingered on that winter plum blossom for too long, the man with his back to her couldn't help but call out to her.
"Oh, here it comes."
A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air as she walked hesitantly to He Ming's side.
The man in the light gray sweater looked up and said, "Give me the workbook."
Despite their significant height difference, the two figures appeared almost identical, one standing and the other sitting.
Their eyes met, and Zhu Liushuang couldn't look away.
The warm yellow lamplight outlined his superior facial features, his nose bridge was high and prominent, and the frameless glasses perched on it were not the first time she had seen them, but she was still captivated by them.
"Liu Shuang, give me the book." The man noticed her distraction and raised his voice.
Realizing her lapse in composure, Zhu Liushuang lowered her head shyly and quickly handed over the book she was holding.
He Ming silently took the textbook, laid it flat on the table, and turned the pages one by one.
"Swish—swish—swish—" The pages flipped rapidly, revealing his casual question.
Why isn't your hair dry?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Liushuang was taken aback.
"Should you go dry your hair first before coming over?" The sound of turning pages abruptly stopped, precisely on the chapter she didn't understand.
Touching her damp hair with her fingers, Zhu Liushuang whispered, "No need, it's warm in the room, it'll dry quickly."
"Hmm." He Ming changed the subject, picked up his pen, and asked her, "What part don't you understand?"
“Here…” Zhu Liushuang moved slightly closer, leaning down to point at the textbook with her fingertip, “Why are there rolling bars for the income statement items?”
She was used to the smell of shower gel and shampoo, so she didn't notice anything amiss. But the man sitting in the chair was momentarily stunned by the sweet scent wafting towards him. His fingers tightened around the pen, and He Ming quickly composed himself, beginning to explain to the person whose head was full of questions.
"To understand this, we need to first understand the process of preparing the consolidation financial statement adjustment and elimination entries..." He spoke in a low voice, tearing off a piece of scrap paper as he listed the key points, "Assuming the parent company and subsidiary complete the merger this year..." To match her thinking speed, he deliberately slowed down his speech, breaking down the knowledge points into detailed explanations for her.
Zhu Liushuang listened intently, unconsciously moving closer, her gaze following the slender hand. Amazingly, the hand would wait for her. Whenever she hesitated over a particular point, it would stop writing, waiting until she understood it before resuming.
All of this, of course, is thanks to the owner of that hand.
He Ming is a very patient "teacher". He can explain these profound and complex textbook knowledge in the most simple and easy-to-understand language. He can also draw inferences from one instance to another, expand her thinking, and help her consolidate her knowledge in a timely manner.
"Did you understand?" The man suddenly turned his head to look at her as the pen tip lightly touched the paper.
Zhu Liushuang then realized that she had unknowingly gotten so close to him.
At such close range, she could easily count the number of his eyelashes hidden behind his glasses.
"I...I understand." Her tongue almost tied itself in knots, but she forced herself to stay focused.
"How about you try doing a question?" The black pen was held up in the air, and before she could take it, He Ming had already turned to search for past exam questions in his notebook.
"Teacher He, could you please find an easy one first? I might not be able to handle the comprehensive questions..." Zhu Liushuang said, her gaze shifting to the densely filled notebook screen, sounding a little unsure of herself.
Her soft, downcast eyes were vaguely reflected in the window. That timid "Teacher He" sounded like a coquettish plea, breaking down the defenses He Ming had painstakingly built up.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he clenched his back teeth. He said calmly, "It's alright. If you encounter anything you don't understand, I can teach you again."
The warmth of the indoor heating dried her hair, making her cheeks feel hot. While waiting for him to find the questions, Zhu Liushuang intentionally turned her head away, subtly increasing the distance between them.
My gaze wandered aimlessly around the study, finally settling on a wall lamp. It was one of only two light sources in the room, with a long, twisted cord extending from a wooden swing arm, from which hung a square, stained-glass lamp—quite unique and beautiful.
She held her breath and stared at it, the long line swaying slightly beneath her eyes, and the lamp swaying along with it.
"Crunch—crunch—" The soft, grating sound was melodious.
Is it the wind? Zhu Liushuang subconsciously looked at the window, but the glass window was closed tightly, and not a breath of wind could get in.
Why is that wall lamp swaying? Is she seeing things?
Her gaze returned to the wall, where she stared intently at the wall lamp, trying to figure out whether the swaying she had just experienced was an illusion.
Suddenly, the wall lamp started swaying faster.
A dazzling light flashed, and Zhu Liushuang suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous.
Could it be low blood sugar?
But she clearly ate a lot for dinner!
"Senior, I'm not feeling well." She pressed her temples, unable to explain why, "I suddenly feel dizzy..."
Before he could finish speaking, the curtains by the wall began to tremble, and then the wall lamp began to swing violently as if out of control, the crisp clanging sound cutting sharp slits in the air.
Zhu Liushuang lost her footing and stumbled, grabbing the armrest of the chair. Even now, she didn't think about an "earthquake," only that something was wrong with her body.
After all, Komo City is not located in an earthquake zone, and the last earthquake there occurred hundreds of years ago.
But the reality was staring me in the face: an overwhelming wave of dizziness washed over me, and the floorboards creaked and groaned.
"Earthquake!" The person sitting in the chair also felt the abnormality, and suddenly stood up, grabbed her hand, and said decisively, "Liu Shuang, squat down."
Her brain sounded an alarm, and Zhu Liushuang crouched down amidst a buzzing sound, covering her head with her hands.
"Come in and hide under the table."
The man exerted force, pulling her close to him. The space under the desk was cramped, and they were pressed face to face, their breathing erratic.
"How could there be an earthquake in Gucheng? Especially in winter..." Zhu Liushuang murmured in disbelief.
Seeing that her complexion was slightly better than before, He Ming calmly instructed, "Once this wave stops, let's hurry downstairs and take the emergency exit."
The word "good" was swallowed up by a sudden, heavy thud. The exquisite wall lamp on the wall couldn't withstand the tremor and fell to the ground, its stained glass shattering and scattering across the floor.
Zhu Liushuang was so frightened that she gritted her teeth and stopped talking.
"It's okay, the fifth floor isn't high, we can run down."
The strength in her palm tightened, as if someone was silently soothing her anxious nerves. Even feeling He Ming's burning body heat, Zhu Liushuang remained in turmoil. Faced with such a catastrophe, her first thought was of her mother.
Is your mother home at this time?
You must have been terrified!
She has bad knees, will she be able to run...?
Tears streamed down her face. Zhu Liushuang felt both guilty and afraid, and dared not even imagine what would happen next.
"Liu Shuang, let's go!" A tremendous force pulled her up from the ground.
Her mind was blank; he practically dragged her out the door.
They rushed from the entrance to the emergency exit, then down the long, dark stairwell. They didn't have time to change their shoes or clothes; they just ran with all their might. The winter night was cold, the air thick with white smoke, their bodies stiff and numb, yet their feet seemed to be pressed the "escape button," never daring to stop for a moment.
More and more people were fleeing in panic, and the corridor was filled with cries, shouts and heavy breathing.
As she descended the concrete steps, the powerful force made Zhu Liushuang think that she could fall and get a head injury at any moment due to inertia.
But she didn't.
With each landing, He Ming firmly steadied her.
Their palms, pressed tightly together, were covered in cold sweat. His long, strong arms became her lifeline, unwavering and relentlessly leading her forward.
The resident at the front slammed open the unit door twice, followed closely by the others. No one gave directions, no one spoke, and no one pushed or shoved; everyone seemed to have agreed beforehand, rushing together towards the small soccer field at the back of the complex.
The moment they arrived at the football field, all their fear found an outlet. Zhu Liushuang broke free from He Ming's grasp, collapsed to the ground, and sat motionless.
The earth trembled slightly, but soon returned to calm.
Was there really an earthquake?
"I was so scared... my chandelier is broken!"
"When I ran downstairs, I felt the stairs were shaking, and I felt really dizzy..."
A cacophony of voices surged forth, but Zhu Liushuang paid it no heed. Her hand trembled as she reached for her pajama pocket, wanting to call her mother, Gu Chunling.
The phone screen lit up with a white light, but no one answered the phone.
She was unwilling to give up and dialed again and again, but all she got in response was a cold, mechanical female voice.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later."
Growing increasingly anxious, she opened WeChat and continued making voice calls to her mother.
The ringtone kept repeating, and the words "No response from the other party" in the chat box deeply stung her eyes.
The unknown fear made her heart sink, and Zhu Liushuang bit her lip desperately to keep herself from sobbing out loud.
"Is it still impossible to get through to Auntie?"
The moment her tears silently burst forth, the person standing beside her knelt down quietly, placed his hands on her slightly trembling shoulders, and gazed at her tenderly.
Zhu Liushuang shook her head haphazardly, lowering her face very low, letting her tears soak her trouser legs.
“Liu Shuang, it was a major earthquake that occurred in the sea near Butterfly Island, not Gucheng.” He Ming’s heart suddenly clenched because of her crying. He paused and said, “So, Auntie will be alright.”
"Butterfly Island?" Zhu Liushuang looked up, her face streaked with tears, and murmured, "The tremors were so strong..."
“Yes, Butterfly Island is only separated from us by a strait, and it was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.” He Ming, afraid she wouldn’t believe him, pulled up his Weibo account and handed her his phone. “This is a message just released by the China Earthquake Networks Center.”
The blurry double image gradually faded, and Zhu Liushuang finally saw the message clearly.
It's not Gucheng at all, it's the uninhabited Butterfly Island!
She stopped crying and smiled, repeatedly murmuring, "It's okay, it's okay..."
"Hmm, it's alright, just a false alarm." The man squatting on the ground slowly reached out and gently patted her head, revealing a relieved smile.
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The author notes: The earthquake scene serves the plot and is fictional; it does not involve any real location.
The knowledge about consolidated financial statements in this chapter is sourced from the internet.
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