Chapter 026　 Have a thorn in your heart.

  *

  The project was completed in mid-June. According to schedule, Zhao Nanfeng was supposed to attend the completion ceremony, but he said his office work was too busy for him to come.

  Su Xian figured he had already completed many more impressive buildings, so he probably didn't care much, but the project was very meaningful to her. Looking up at her accomplishment, her eyes welled up with tears; she felt happy and proud.

  Liang Wenya also transferred the final bonus payment right on time, adding to her joy. "Oh, I'm just too kind. By rights, since you're leaving, I shouldn't give you this money."

  "Your perspective is so broad, you wouldn't bother with such a thing!" After the flattery, Su Xian realized that Liang Wenya might indeed have hired her because she was good at kissing up all those years ago.

  "KTV tonight?"

  "No, I have a Japanese class tonight." In reality, there was no Japanese class; she planned to hole up in her study and cram for six hours straight. Moreover, once she realized she wanted a proper, committed relationship, she lost interest in playing around with hosts.

  **

  The N1 Japanese Language Proficiency Test was held on the first Sunday of July as scheduled. Su Xian hadn't told anyone she was taking the exam; everyone thought she was just studying for conversation. After the online answers were released around 7 or 8 PM, she immediately checked and confirmed that she had passed.

  Oh yeah! Half a year of hard work was not wasted.

  After celebrating her success, she started to worry about Li Chengshi's score, but hesitated to ask in case he hadn't passed. Just then, he sent a WeChat message saying his score exceeded the estimated passing line.

  "That's great! Congratulations! I will inform Engineer Zhao immediately. Now you can confidently prepare to go abroad."

  "Team Leader, if it weren't for your encouragement, I definitely wouldn't have had the motivation to pass. Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  "Well, you must be busy. I won't disturb you."

  Su Xian sent a smiling emoji and put her phone aside.

  What a depressing conversation, so polite it was like they had just met.

  **

  In late July, both of their visas were approved. Zhao Nanfeng booked their tickets for mid-August. Those days coincided with Japan's Natsu Yasumi (summer vacation), allowing them to arrange their lives before starting work.

  Li Chengshi resigned from Anliang at the end of July, giving himself over ten days to spend quality time with his mother. Su Xian planned to work until the day before she left. After all, her current task was just training her apprentices—it was easy, fun, and she was getting paid. Why not?

  **

  On the day of their departure, Liang Wenya, Lao Zhang, and Wang Jing came to see off Su Xian, while Li Xiao came to see off Li Chengshi.

  Liang Wenya introduced everyone.

  Li Xiao heard Li Chengshi say that Su Xian helped him get this opportunity because he had saved her during the stream rafting contest and didn't suspect anything. She sincerely thanked Su Xian and asked her to look after Li Chengshi in Japan.

  "Sister Li, don't worry. I'm his boss, so I will certainly take good care of him."

  Li Chengshi rolled his eyes at Su Xian. "Don't just randomly call her 'Sister'."

  "Little bear, why are you speaking like that? Even though Engineer Su is young, a leader is a leader. You need to show respect."

  "Don't call me Little bear in front of outsiders."

  "Alright, alright, my bad. But why is your temper so bad today? Engineer Su, please don't take it personally."

  "It's nothing, nothing at all. He's probably having separation anxiety. I don't mind in the least." Su Xian was even a little happy because she felt that compared to his recent polite distance, his angry, argumentative behavior was somewhat familiar and endearing.

  Li Chengshi, however, grumbled internally: What separation anxiety? I get anxiety when I see you, okay?

  *

  Running out of time, Li Xiao held Li Chengshi's arm and gave him a few more words of advice, then watched him and Su Xian walk through security with Liang Wenya and the others.

  Li Chengshi turned back and waved to her. She fought hard to hold back her tears, but burst into tears the moment he turned the corner.

  Liang Wenya quickly stepped forward to comfort her.

  "Little bear wouldn't even apply to universities far from home, but now he's going so far away."

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  "That means he's growing up and becoming successful. You should be happy."

  "You're right." As a single mother, her child was her most important relative, but even though it pained her to let him go, she knew she couldn't hold on too tightly. She wiped her tears and asked, "Why didn't Engineer Su's parents come to see her off?"

  "Oh, well, her parents are gone," she pointed to Lao Zhang and Wang Jing. "These are her older brother and sister-in-law."

  **

  The departure lounge.

  Seeing that Li Chengshi had deliberately left an empty seat between them, Su Xian was tactful and didn't strike up a conversation. Since Zhao Nanfeng happened to send a message detailing the pick-up arrangements, she kept looking at her phone, pretending to be busy.

  Li Chengshi felt a bit awkward. Work hadn't intersected much in the past few months, so maintaining courtesy and distance wasn't difficult. But now he was her assistant again, and this opportunity was one she had secured for him. Continuing to adopt a stance of "you broke my heart, so I'm being cautious" seemed unprofessional. He decided to initiate a conversation: "Team Leader, why didn't your parents come to see you off?"

  "They died," she replied calmly.

  Li Chengshi paused. "I'm sorry."

  "It's okay." Su Xian put her phone away, turned, and met his sympathetic gaze. She smiled and asked, "Do you think I'm pitiful? Please don't. Money, freedom, no burden—you can't envy my life."

  Despite her words, he couldn't help but feel a little apologetic. He had asked Lao Zhang and knew she came from a small town, so he had taken it for granted that, like many first-generation city dwellers, she communicated with her parents by phone and only visited home for the New Year. But if she didn't have parents, "...then where do you go for New Year?" Children without parents were the loneliest then, right?

  "I have plenty of activities. Sometimes I stay at General Manager Liang's house for a few days, sometimes at Lao Zhang and Wang Jing's, and sometimes I travel with them."

  "Is that what you do this year too?" Children from single-parent homes often deeply envy those with two parents and feel profound sympathy and pity for those who have lost both. He was almost tempted to invite her to his home for the New Year.

  "This year's New Year will probably be spent with you, because the office over there doesn't take time off for the Lunar New Year. After work, we can go explore and eat in Yokohama Chinatown—I hear they even have lion dances and acrobatics. Of course, if you have other friends, you don't have to join me. I know you have a thorn in your heart(心存芥蒂) toward me. By the way, did Xiao Huang pass her Japanese test?"

  "Team Leader, you even know four-character idioms! What do you mean by 'have a thorn in my heart'?"

  Su Xian recognized his sarcasm and smiled, saying, "You said my thinking was 'advanced,' which is a veiled denial. Although you are forced to be linked with me again for work, I guess you are constantly keeping your guard up, right? That's what I mean by 'have a thorn in your heart.'"

  "Hey!" He became agitated, precisely because she was right! "I am not keeping my guard up against you! That's a mean way to think!"

  "Oh really? Thank you. So, did Xiao Huang pass her Japanese test?"

  "She took the N2, and she passed it. She says she's aiming to get the company's dispatch opportunity next year."

  "Mmm. Zhao Nanfeng rented us two single apartments in the same building: you're 103, and I'm 203. He said after we settle down, we should look for new places ourselves. I'm definitely going to switch to a bigger place, but you can stay there for a while longer. When Xiao Huang comes, you two can look for a place to live together. That would be more economical."

  "We're not a couple; it wouldn't be appropriate to live together." He really hated how she constantly ignored his explanations.

  "You went to the library together every day for several months. How are you not a couple yet?"

  "You know we went to the library together! We didn't go to a hotel! I don't think your thinking is so 'advanced'; in fact, it's quite old-fashioned."

  Su Xian smiled, "My mistake. I won't tease you about it again."

  "Good, at least you're sensible."

  *