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If you ask Zhang Songge what in this world she cannot accept, for her at the moment, the most unacceptable thing is that she is in her early thirties and she allowed others to take advantage of her because of a mistake at work.
Although no major disaster occurred, it was enough to make her feel ashamed.
Submitting her resignation was the first thing she did after arriving at her cabin. As for the second thing—
Zhang Songge took out his cell phone and deleted all contact information of Li Zhou.
Looking through their chat records, Jie Zhou was right. She was indeed a boring person. After knowing each other for so many days, the total number of their chat records did not exceed three hundred.
Without exception, they were all simple "Good morning" or "Get off work".
After doing all this, Zhang Songge calmly sat down on the sofa. She didn't need to drink to drown her sorrows. Having lived alone for so many years, she possessed a rationality that was unimaginable to ordinary people.
The small house was clean and tidy, not like a woman's residence, but more like a model home in an advertisement. Zhang Songge sat there like this for half the night, and at dawn, with light steps, he pulled open the curtains, letting in the daylight.
"What a nice weather." She murmured, and stood there blankly for a while, until the doorbell rang and she came to her senses.
Few people knew her address, so Zhang Songge did not respond out of caution.
I crept behind the door and leaned against it, the sighing outside was particularly clear. As expected, it was Jie Zhou.
Zhang Songge's hair stood on end as the image of Jie Zhou's seemingly gentle face surfaced in her mind. Previously, she had always felt she wasn't part of the game. Even though Jie Zhou was lurking around her with ulterior motives, her almost instinctive confidence made her underestimate the danger of Jie Zhou.
It was not until she reported the incident yesterday that the alarm bells started ringing in her heart.
Yes, Jie Zhou is a professional liar. Even though he is eight years younger than me, this only shows how dangerous he is.
Zhang Songge's emotions, which had been calm all night, suddenly began to waver. Someone like Jie Zhou was, in any case, not from the same world as her. She hoped it wasn't too late to withdraw now.
The knocking on the door continued, so Zhang Songge called the property management.
"Fuck!" Jie Zhou kicked the door fiercely. "Zhang Songge, I heard your voice, come out!"
There was no movement. Who the hell was Zhang Songge? He ran over eagerly, but the door was not even opened for him.
It's really ridiculous. Jie Zhou looked at the peach wood comb in his hand and thought, why return it? Just throw it into the trash can.
"Hey, what are you doing? You are the owner of the house, right?" Two security guards came around the corner with batons.
What does this mean? What does Zhang Songge think of him?
"Zhang Songge, I'm asking for trouble today." Jie Zhou threw the peach wood comb towards the door. Why pretend to be so noble? If he had the ability, he could just part ways with him completely.
As long as Zhang Songge was still at WuXi Jiansheng, she would have to visit the factory. Whenever she went to the factory, she would inevitably see herself.
Jie Zhou suddenly felt relieved. He straightened his collar and picked up the mahogany comb. "There's still a long way to go."
Jie Zhou would never know that he and Zhang Songge would not meet again for many years.
Tao Xingye had a face-to-face meeting with Zhang Songge regarding her resignation.
Sitting in a cafe opposite WuXiang Jiansheng, Zhang Songge ordered a cappuccino for Tao Xingye before he arrived.
When Tao Xingye arrived exhausted, the coffee had just been made.
"Sister Songge, that's not your mistake. Can you please not leave?" Tao Xingye had dark circles under his eyes and a layer of green beard on his chin.
The cup of cappuccino in front of him didn't even catch his eye for a second.
Seeing Tao Xingye like this, Zhang Songge inevitably recalled that he was sitting in the same position two years ago, drinking a cup of cappuccino, but was particularly high-spirited.
At that time, WuXi Pharma had just landed and she had just returned to China for her doctoral studies. Tao Xingye got her contact information from somewhere.
Through an intermediary, she and Tao Xingye agreed to meet in this cafe.
I thought I would meet a rich and arrogant young man, but I didn't expect him to be a gentle and warm-hearted younger generation.
"Sister Songge, what would you like to drink?" At that time, he was not in a hurry to talk about business. Instead, he happily handed her the menu with a smile on his face. "The coffee in this shop is authentic. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
While she was looking at the menu, Tao Xingye finished his small cup of cappuccino in a few gulps. She felt surprised and glanced at him.
Unexpectedly, Tao Xingye rubbed his head a little embarrassedly, and came over and said mysteriously, "Sister Songge, look, there are two Italians over there. I don't dare drink cappuccino in front of them at this time."
This was really a joke, but Zhang Songge was really amused.
Tao Xingye then straightened his posture and began to introduce himself.
Gentle and modest, this was Zhang Songge's first impression of Tao Xingye.
The young man looked out the window with anticipation, where a newly built building was undergoing final finishing work. "Sister Song Ge, this will be the new economic core of Jincheng in less than ten years."
This is really a joke. Although this place is prosperous, it is far inferior to Donghua Road.
Donghua Road has the most prosperous enterprises in Jincheng and universities that countless people aspire to.
This is just a new district, and how can a small company that hasn't even gone public bring about such a big impact?
The young man across from her seemed to sense her contempt. Instead of feeling disappointed, he became even more excited, with a huge smile on his face. "Ms. Zhang Songge, I now formally invite you to join my company as the General Manager of the R&D Department of WuXi Jiansheng."
He talked for the entire afternoon that day, and Zhang Songge had to admit that he had made sufficient preparations. Putting aside his future blueprint, the conditions he proposed at the moment were enough to make him excited.
"Sister Song Ge, I told you before that my company will open many research institutes in the future, and you will be the top leader of those institutes." Tao Xingye frowned. "I know that WuXi Jiansheng's development is stagnant now, but this is only temporary. We managed to survive such a difficult time when we were first established. Don't you believe that we can't make it through this time?"
Zhang Songge was speechless and looked at the cup of cappuccino in front of him.
It's already cold, the milk foam has dispersed, and it's no longer edible.
"Xingye." Zhang Songge pushed her glasses. "I rarely call you like this." She respected this junior from the bottom of her heart and recognized him as her leader.
Tao Xingye was stunned and had a bad feeling.
"I'm ten years older than you. Even though your academic achievements aren't as good as mine, I truly admire your intelligence. But it seems that's the extent of your intelligence."
"What do you mean."
"What I mean is, if starting a company makes you unhappy, you could just become a researcher like me." Zhang Songge lowered his eyes, his face expressionless. "I'm sorry for being so talkative."
The person opposite didn't move, and Zhang Songge could feel the low pressure he exuded.
Tao Xingye is undoubtedly a proud and arrogant person. This is probably the first time he has been denied so directly.
"...Sister Songge, please order me another cappuccino." Tao Xingye smiled. "Let's part ways amicably. When we were sitting here, I said some ignorant words to you, which wasted two years of your time. It's time... to say goodbye."
The smile on Tao Xingye's face grew even bigger, and his reaction always exceeded Zhang Songge's expectations.
Just as she thought he would be discouraged at first, she also thought he would be discouraged now.
But two years later, he both had the same reaction now - a smile.
Zhang Songge couldn't understand what that smile meant.
Is it bleak? But there is clearly a sense of calmness in it.
Zhang Songge wondered if she had said something too harsh, but that was not her true intention.
"Xingye, you're married."
The two looked at each other, the sounds around them disappeared, and Lin Yu's appearance appeared in Tao Xingye's mind.
Zhang Songge's voice flowed like a stream, and he spoke slowly, "Are you still considered the eldest son of the Tao family?"
He? Of course he doesn't count now. Didn't he declare that he had severed ties with Tao Xingguo a long time ago?
"I..." Tao Xingye froze and met Zhang Songge's strange gaze.
He suddenly realized that Zhang Songge was not asking him, but reminding him.
What was he being reminded of? Remind him that he was just an ordinary person now, a married person now, and that… he no longer had the ability to fall back on his own strength.
"From its establishment to now, WuXi Pharma has only come a few months." Zhang Songge knew that Tao Xingye was a smart man, and after hearing this, Tao Xingye would no longer fail to understand.
To put it more clearly, it is——
"Stop when you see danger, retreat at the current. It's time." Zhang Songge handed Tao Xingye his new business card, which had only a phone number on it. "If I were just an employee of your company, yesterday's mistake wouldn't be serious enough to make me resign. But I'm not just an employee of your company. We can still be considered friends, right?"
Tao Xingye felt bitter. How could he answer this? Keeping her would mean they would no longer be friends. Letting her go, who would fill the vacancy she left behind? Who could quickly take on her position?
He picked up the business card, the title on it was still blank, and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"
Zhang Songge looked out the window, where the WuXi Jiansheng logo stood out. After all, this was his first stop after leaving the ivory tower, and he still felt a bit nostalgic.
"My doctoral advisor has opened a research institute in Germany, and I plan to take up a position there."
She turned to look at Tao Xingye and couldn't help but say something, "Think about it carefully. After all, technology is changing so rapidly. If WuXi Jiansheng really fails to recover after this, it will be a small waste of your youth. In the end, not only will you have nothing, but even your remaining intelligence will be useless. The academic world is full of talented people. They won't welcome back someone like you who is out of date. Can you accept becoming a burden to Lin Yu?"
Her words were indeed sharp, without any euphemism.
The waiter brought a new cup of cappuccino, and Tao Xingye tasted it and found it very bitter.
Zhang Songge left, and Tao Xingye couldn't finish the half cup left. He had a fire burning inside him, and it was burning his internal organs.
He was inspecting the factory as he did yesterday, but Zhang Songge's words kept echoing in his mind.
"Can you really accept becoming a burden to Lin Yu?"
The temperature in the factory was even lower. Tao Xingye's hands and feet were cold, and a feeling of emptiness like a walking corpse filled his heart. He almost relied on instinct to finish the remaining things.
He originally thought that it would be good to just have some free time, but when he did, the fire in his heart burned even more fiercely, and he could hardly suppress it.
"Mr. Tao, you..." An employee pushed the door open and walked in.
"You still can't knock on the door even if you don't have hands!" Tao Xingye blurted out. Looking at the stunned employees, he realized belatedly that he had taken his anger out on innocent people.
He opened his mouth and was about to apologize when a snow-white figure walked out from behind the employee.
The man didn't smile yet, but the smile in his eyes could no longer be hidden.
"Xiaoyu, why are you here?" Tao Xingye stood up and pulled her in. "Sorry, I lost my composure just now." The employee gladly accepted his apology and tactfully closed the door to leave private space for the two of them.
He carefully untied Lin Yu's scarf and said, "Put on your coat first. I'll turn on the air conditioner now."
This is strange, the air conditioner is not turned on.
"Want to save money?" Lin Yu tilted his head.
"Yes, look how frugal your husband is." Tao Xingye poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Lin Yu, "Warm your hands first, then drink it when it's warm."
After he finished speaking, he squatted in front of the cabinet in the corner and rummaged through the drawers, not knowing what he was looking for. It was rare to see him like this.
Lin Yu always felt that Tao Xingye had changed recently. There was a bit more life in him for no reason. This was too... old-fashioned husband.
Lin Yu was amused by the idea.
"What are you laughing at?" Tao Xingye took out two books from the cabinet. "We use the internal network here for confidentiality. Your phone probably has no signal right now. Read a book to relieve your boredom. I'll take you home when the snow stops outside."
The room was filled with heat, and Tao Xingye's face turned pink. He unzipped his down jacket and threw it off, leaving only a black chunky sweater on.
He sat on the sofa with his arms and legs spread out, his sleeves pulled up as he moved, revealing a part of his wrist. Lin Yu couldn't help but put her hand over, and her two wrists were placed side by side, one white, one black, one thick, one thin.
"Why are your wrists so thick?" Lin Yu wondered. He looked very thin, so why were his wrists bigger than hers?
"Wow!" Tao Xingye felt insulted. He slapped his chest extra hard. The force was so great that Lin Yu felt that the skin under his sweater was bruised.
Lin Yu was laughing so hard that she couldn't stand up. He took the opportunity to hug Lin Yu, put his arm on her shoulder, crossed his legs and shook, and approached Lin Yu like a scoundrel, "Little girl, do you want Brother Tao to take you home?" He deliberately rubbed Lin Yu's cheek with his beard, as if he was afraid that Lin Yu would not notice his tiredness.
Lin Yu seemed to have something to say. Tao Xingye recalled the question he had asked her before leaving yesterday. Was it the secret she had hidden? Tao Xingye's expression unconsciously grew serious, but he was afraid of putting pressure on Lin Yu, so he forced a smile.
However, Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, looking out the window in a daze, "Let's go home now. Let's walk home in the snow."
Her tone was solemn, as if she was about to perform some sacred ceremony.
But it was snowing so heavily outside that if he walked back he would only end up covered in snow, which would increase Lin Yu's risk of catching a cold, which was definitely not a good thing.
But……
Tao Xingye looked at the people around him.
"Go ahead." Lin Yu's tone was soft, even with a hint of request, and her eyes were full of desire.
Tao Xingye sighed, "Then you don't even know how to wear gloves." He put the scarf around Lin Yu.
This was considered an agreement, and Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
"but--"
But what? Lin Yu looked up at him. Tao Xingye was putting on his coat. "We have to go buy a pair of gloves first. If we can't find gloves, we'll drive home."
Lin Yu was afraid that he would change his mind, so she nodded quickly and said, "I'll go out and buy it now." As she said that, she opened the door and ran out.
Why rush? Tao Xingye pulled her back and said, "Let's go together!" He was afraid that Lin Yu would run away again, so he held her hand and interlocked their fingers. Even afraid that the grip was not deep enough, he pushed in with extra force.
"What you're doing would be considered torture in ancient times!" Lin Yu was hurt and reached out to pinch Tao Xingye's waist.
Tao Xingye turned a deaf ear to him, turned off the air conditioner and held Lin Yu tightly in his arms, his tone still vulgar, "My wife will take the initiative to touch me, happy."
Lin Yu didn't have time to chat with him because they stepped into the snow together.
The snow fell on their heads.
Lin Yu was a little scared. She looked up at a piece of snow slowly falling. She felt dizzy. The snowflake grew bigger and bigger. Just as it was about to fall into her eyes, a slender and broad hand covered her eyes.
Lin Yu saw Tao Xingye through her fingers. He lowered his head and frowned, "Let's play in the snow together next year."
Did he think he was going there to play in the snow?
Lin Yu felt bitter. It wasn't true. Without saying a word, she took Tao Xingye's arm and said, "Go buy some gloves! Otherwise, what will you do when the snow stops?"
But, after talking outside for so long, I need to buy some gloves for Lin Yu to keep her warm. Tao Xingye trotted to the small shop across the street. The roof was low, so he bent down and walked into the narrow space with some awkward movements.
The shop owner was drowsy, stoking the stove. He was too lazy to get up when he saw someone coming. "The gloves are right there, just go get them."
Lin Yu watched Tao Xingye squeeze into a small aisle. Shelves on both sides were filled with all sorts of small items. With such a large frame squeezed into such a small space, Tao Xingye still had the energy to choose a pattern for his gloves.
Lin Yu couldn't bear to watch it anymore and ran to the other side, "Just pick one."
"That won't do." Tao Xingye finally chose a pair of white gloves. They were furry and had no decorations, but each finger had a linear smiley face embroidered on it with powder thread.
"Hold out your hand." He put the glove on Lin Yu's hand and finally childishly flicked a smiley face, "It's quite cute."
"It's really cute." Perhaps the snow fell into her eyes, and Lin Yu blinked.
On the way back, the snow was falling heavily. The two people, each with their own thoughts, finally reached an agreement and chose to remain silent.
Tao Xingye was so impatient that he was covered in snow. While taking pictures of himself, he also reached out to take pictures of Lin Yu. Unexpectedly, Lin Yu reacted strongly, "No! You are not allowed to take pictures either."
She held her hands tightly, and now it was Lin Yu's turn to hold Tao Xingye.
There's nothing special about getting drenched in snow, right? Tao Xingye wondered. Passing by a supermarket, the constant clamor of salespeople hawked their wares, their brightly lit posters announcing various discounts, most of which were related to dumplings.
Tao Xingye remembered that the winter solstice was approaching.
It is said that eating dumplings during the winter solstice will prevent your ears from freezing, and some even say it can bless you with good health in the coming year.
It's really a weird and superstitious statement.
The busier the supermarket entrance was, the quieter it was between him and Lin Yu.
Tao Xingye thought about it and said, "Sister Songge resigned, and she also suggested that I switch to research. Tell me, am I really not suitable for business?"
How could it be! Lin Yu anxiously held his hand, "With so many open and secret attacks, if it weren't for their plan, you would definitely..."
"But business is always full of twists and turns," Tao Xingye stopped and said, "Xiaoyu, I don't want you to comfort me. I'm really starting to doubt whether I'm cut out for business. It's not so much doubt as it is that I should stop and re-evaluate whether I should continue to work hard."
His expression was solemn, and although his tone was calm, the struggle in his eyes was so obvious.
He was unwilling to accept this, Lin Yu concluded.
He wasn't one to doubt himself. He must have some concerns. But what could he be worried about? "Are you afraid that if you fail, I'll abandon you?"
Tao Xingye's face flushed red, and he was so anxious that he almost cried, as if his company had really gone bankrupt. He wanted to say something, but when the words came to his lips, his mouth twitched and a choked sob completely announced his fear.
Tao Xingye squatted on the side of the road and said, "I'm serious. Lin Yu, I want to live a good life with you." He didn't want to fail in the future and let Lin Yu bear the family pressure alone.
"I'm serious too." Lin Yu squatted down and held Tao Xingye's chin. "Do you think I love money more than you?"
This was truly a love story, but Tao Xingye had no time to be happy. He bit his lip and said, "I just think you shouldn't suffer anymore."
"But I'm not afraid of suffering!"
"But I'm afraid!" Tao Xingye choked, "I'm afraid that I'll make you suffer."
At the beginning, it was his wishful thinking to tie Lin Yu to himself.
A burst of laughter suddenly came from above, followed by an exceptionally cheerful tone. Tao Xingye heard Lin Yu say, "I'm going to your company. I want to fill the gap left by Sister Song Ge."
Her voice seemed to have been scorched by the sun. Even though it was a snowy winter day, he felt warm just by listening to it.
"You are Tao Xingye!"
Her tone was firm, as if Tao Xingye was a noun synonymous with genius.
He looked at her infatuatedly, "You are Lin Yu."
But it is an existence equal to the sun.
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