TSMLI Chapter 26

Lin Chu felt utterly aggrieved. No one could soothe her soul.

After returning home Ye Jing called, and upon learning that she was alright said, “You know, if that person were younger and better looking, I might consider it. But someone as old and disgusting as you described makes me want to vomit just thinking about it.”

Lin Chu curled up on the headboard and said angrily, “You should think about it yourself. Now you’re the one disgusting me!”

In fact Ye Jing’s words were not without reason. If the other party were a handsome young man with better manners and speech, Lin Chu would feel indignant, yet not necessarily disgusted to the point of nausea. This double standard was despicable. She was unwilling to admit it at all, but she thought of Shen Zhongxun before falling asleep.

Shen Zhongxun’s actions had been a hundred times worse than the leader’s, yet Lin Chu did not have the urge to tear him to pieces. In the end she fell asleep with resentment in her heart, her last thought being that she would rather be touched by Shen Zhongxun.

No matter how much resentment she harbored, Lin Chu still had to go back to work.

She had left the dinner early the day before and was unsure of the consequences. When her department head arrived she was filled with anxiety and even considered stabbing him with her pen to vent her anger. Fortunately her boss did not confront her, and perhaps the matter was dropped.

Lin Chu’s colleagues were unaware of the dinner party. After seeing the inspection team off they felt relaxed and continued drinking tea and reading the newspaper, discussing whether to stay home with the children or go shopping on the weekend.

Lin Chu called home and said she planned to sign up for English and accounting courses on Saturday. Her mother asked, “Why do you want to learn these?”

Lin Chu replied, “My English is terrible. I only have a CET-4 certificate. It would definitely be good to learn some English. Many people in my workplace are secretly taking all sorts of classes. I might have a chance to transfer to another position after the New Year.”

She had been too lazy during her studies and had missed many learning opportunities. It was not until she started working that she began to regret it, for her resume was always blank. Especially now, working in a state-owned enterprise where she only did routine paperwork all day, if she were to leave one day her work experience would be completely blank. She was no longer a recent graduate, and no company would let her learn from scratch. Perhaps Lin Chu was worrying unnecessarily, or perhaps she was simply being prepared. Starting to make plans now was always better than nothing.

Not being able to go home for the weekend inevitably displeased Lin’s mother, who then asked if she had been in contact with the teacher she had met on a blind date. This time Lin Chu did not hide anything. “I called him once, and he didn’t seem very satisfied.”

Lin’s mother asked, “What? He’s not satisfied with you?”

Mothers always think their own children are the best, and Lin’s mother was no exception. Lin Chu said helplessly, “From what he said, he probably thinks that my education level is too low, I’m too young, and my salary is too low, so he doesn’t like me.”

Lin’s mother shouted, “Are you kidding me? You have a low education and a low salary? These days it’s already pretty good for a recent graduate to have this salary!”

Lin Chu’s monthly salary was indeed very low. Even restaurant waiters might earn a hundred or two more than her. However her year-end bonus was quite generous. All things considered, her annual salary was not bad, not much lower than that teacher’s. It was just that the cost of living in Nanjiang City was too high, and she really did not have much savings.

As for her education, she truly had no intention of taking the postgraduate entrance exam now, so there was nothing she could do about it.

Lin’s mother was devastated and secretly blamed her friends for their unreliability in recommending someone. She decided to find a suitable candidate herself, yet she was heartbroken because Lin Chu’s department was full of women.

After a relaxing day at work it was finally time to leave. As if on cue, her phone rang at that moment.

Lin Chu stared at the name on the screen for a long time. Seeing that the other party showed no sign of hanging up, she slowly answered, “Hello.”

Shen Zhongxun asked, “Are you off work?”

Lin Chu hummed in agreement, zipped up her shoulder bag, and then heard him say, “I’m at the entrance of your workplace. Come out.”

She stood there, unsure of what Shen Zhongxun was up to now, hesitating to move forward. Suddenly the leader, who had only appeared briefly that day, came in from outside and called out to her, “Oh dear, I thought you’d left! Thank goodness!”

Lin Chu was taken aback. Before she could ask a question the leader explained, “It’s perfect timing. Let’s go have a meal together. It’s the Nanhu Hotel from yesterday.”

Her heart tightened. She let go of the phone and blurted out, “No, Director, my parents are urging me to go home. They’ve called several times already.”

The boss said, “Tell your parents you’re working overtime. Getting a meal is such a simple thing!”

Lin Chu immediately searched for an excuse, and then heard several calls coming from the phone. She frowned and held it to her ear. “I have…” Before she could finish speaking she heard Shen Zhongxun slowly speak from the other end.

“Go ahead and eat. It’s still in the same private room as yesterday, number six.”

Lin Chu paused for a moment. Her superior was urging her on the phone, the voice deep and resonant. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there later. You can’t refuse a dinner like this twice. Go ahead!”

Although she was surprised, now was not the time to ask questions, yet she inexplicably trusted Shen Zhongxun, so after thinking for a moment she agreed.

Upon arriving at the Nanhu Hotel Lin Chu found it to be the same private room number six from yesterday. After looking around she realized that Xiao Zou was not there. Only two colleagues from the City Investment Group and some unfamiliar women remained. She also could not find Shen Zhongxun anywhere.

Her complexion faded slightly. Someone had already invited her to sit down, placing her next to the leader from yesterday. Lin Chu felt a desire to leave, yet she could not find an excuse to get away anytime soon. She could only force herself to remain calm and sit down awkwardly.

The boss asked her what she wanted to drink, then said, “You don’t look too good. How was your sister yesterday?”

Upon hearing this Lin Chu immediately cursed herself for being incredibly stupid. She had forgotten such a good excuse, yet then she thought that her colleagues in the department would know she had no sisters at home, and that her lie would be exposed sooner or later.

She said dryly, “The situation isn’t good. They were in critical condition for a long time yesterday. I was going to go straight to the hospital, but our director called me here.” She looked at her supervisor. “So I was wondering if I could leave a little earlier, since my sister has no one to take care of her.”

The leader laughed. “Alright, alright, we must understand this. Let’s eat first!” As he spoke he pulled his chair closer to Lin Chu.

This dinner was a private affair, reportedly hosted by one of the leaders present. The conversation did not touch on any official business, suggesting that the host simply wanted everyone to enjoy themselves.

Lin Chu felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles. The table full of delicacies could not whet her appetite. Her boss asked all sorts of questions, from work to life, and slowly he asked about her personal privacy. Her answers were ambiguous. She stared at the time passing by at an extremely slow pace. She finally understood what it meant for each day to feel like a year.

The boss put some food on her plate and said, “Try this. I’ve heard it’s good for your complexion. You’re so pretty, the more you eat, the prettier you’ll become!”

Lin Chu smiled, holding her chopsticks stiffly. Not knowing how much saliva was on the food, she simply could not put it in her mouth.

Just as things were getting tense, the door to the private room suddenly opened. The laughter and chatter of the group subsided, and everyone turned to look outside. A middle-aged man in his fifties, who was at the head of the group, smiled and said, “I just heard you were eating here. What delicious food are you having? I can smell the aroma of the dishes from outside!” With that he walked in with two men behind him.

Lin Chu gripped her chopsticks, a slight thought stirring within her. Her gaze swept over the person beside him before settling on him. She recognized him as a leader from a neighboring city. They had come to the unit for an inspection yesterday.

Everyone burst into laughter. The leader next to Lin Chu shouted, “Old Xue, we called you over a long time ago, but you said you had something to do. In the end you still came here!” He turned to the waiter. “Quick, quick, add a few more chairs!”

Old Xue waved his hand and laughed. “Alright, alright, I’m having dinner in the next private room, catching up with Old Shen.”

The leader asked, puzzled, “Old Shen?”

Old Xue explained, “Shen Hongshan, Director Shen, should be called General Manager Shen now!” He then pointed to Shen Zhongxun beside him. “Do you still recognize A-Xun? I haven’t seen him for over ten years!”

Shen Zhongxun stepped forward and nodded. “Uncle Zhang!”

The leader immediately stood up with a smile and walked over to them. “How could I not recognize you? You’ve really grown into a young man!” He called the waiter to add more seats, insisting that they stay and eat there. “Call Old Shen over too. I didn’t see him when I went to the city investment company this time. It’s so rare to catch him here!”

Old Xue pushed him back to his seat and laughed. “Don’t bother, our table of dishes has just been served!” Suddenly Shen Zhongxun whispered something in his ear, and Old Xue asked in surprise, “Oh, which one?”

Shen Zhongxun pointed in Lin Chu’s direction. Lin Chu had been staring at them, and upon seeing this she became anxious, put down her chopsticks, and sat up straight.

Old Xue laughed. “What a coincidence! I even ran into your girlfriend while having a meal!” He pointed at Old Zhang, who looked puzzled, and said, “That girl is A-Xun’s girlfriend!”

Old Zhang’s expression changed. He glanced awkwardly at Lin Chu and forced a smile. “She’s actually A-Xun’s girlfriend? What a coincidence!”

Shen Zhongxun called out “Lin Chu,” and Lin Chu immediately stood up, smiling and greeting Old Xue. “Hello, Uncle!”

Upon hearing the address Old Xue immediately beamed with joy, beckoned Lin Chu closer, and then said to Old Zhang, “Give this girl to me. I’ll take her next door for Old Shen to see!”

Old Zhang naturally would not refuse, yet his face showed a bit more signs of distress. He still pretended to be nonchalant and went to the next room with the others at the table.

When Old Xue came to visit them they naturally had to return the favor. In the next private room sat Shen Hongshan and some other people from the municipal party committee. Many of them looked familiar. They had all worked together to some extent, all having risen through the ranks from the grassroots level and been transferred from one city to another.

The dinner in this private room was also a private affair. Old Xue was originally from Nanjiang and had worked under Shen Hongshan thirty years ago. Since they were all close in age and shared similar interests, there was no formality between superior and subordinate. Instead they addressed each other as brothers. The people at the table had been working together since then, and their friendship was deep and their relationship very close.

Old Zhang was a little distant from their friendship, yet since they were all in the same officialdom they greeted each other like old friends. He raised his glass and said a few words loudly, and everyone became lively.

Old Xue beckoned Lin Chu to his side and gave her a serious introduction. Everyone immediately teased Shen Hongshan, and when asked what had happened they were even more surprised that yesterday’s inspection had brought Shen’s daughter-in-law with them.

Lin Chu stood awkwardly in the private room filled with middle-aged and elderly people. The more she listened the more alarmed she became. Finally Old Zhang put down his wine glass and laughed. “Then I’ll return Lin Chu to A-Xun!” The group said goodbye and left, returning to the private room next door. As soon as Old Zhang stepped out a smile appeared on his face. Everyone here was shrewd. They all knew perfectly well that he had made Shen Hongshan’s daughter-in-law accompany him for drinks. Not only had he offended Shen Hongshan, but he had also put Old Zhang in an awkward position. Old Zhang felt both regret and resentment. The hand that had touched Lin Chu yesterday suddenly felt hot.

Shen Zhongxun pulled up the dazed Lin Chu and, with a smile, introduced her to everyone again. He then pointed to the people at the table and asked Lin Chu to call them. She politely called out to each of them, and like a puppet she was led by Shen Zhongxun to her seat.

After praising her for a while everyone teased Shen Zhongxun, laughing at how he had tricked a little girl. Shen Zhongxun rarely joked. “She’s harder to fool.” He turned to look at Lin Chu and saw that her face was slightly red and she was still a little flustered. He quietly took her hand and ignored her secret attempts to pull it away.

After amusing the two young people enough, everyone started chatting about other things. Turning to Shen Hongshan they said, “This time we’ve changed the venue for our gathering. This place isn’t cheap, so you won’t have much salary left this month!”

Shen Hongshan glanced at Shen Zhongxun and laughed. “I don’t need to pay. It was Xun who found this place. Eat whatever you want. It’s rare for this brat to be so filial!”

The group ate and drank, and their conversations mostly revolved around the latest developments in the city. The content of their conversations was positive and uplifting, quite different from the atmosphere in the next private room.

Shen Zhongxun served food to Lin Chu and said in a low voice, “Don’t be shy. They are all uncles and elders. Eat more!”

Lin Chu glanced around furtively, and seeing that everyone was no longer paying attention to them she lowered her voice. “I want to go home.” This place was even more unsettling than next door. Everyone believed Shen Zhongxun’s words and treated her as the Shen family’s prospective daughter-in-law. She also noticed that Shen Hongshan’s gaze kept inadvertently sweeping over her, and she did not know what he thought of her. Lin Chu was uneasy, yet she could not sever ties with Shen Zhongxun.

Shen Zhongxun squeezed her hand again. “You can’t leave early. It’s too impolite. Just treat it as if you’re eating at your own home. Don’t worry about others.”

Lin Chu thought about it and realized she could not act recklessly here, so she gritted her teeth and ate the food as if it were tasteless.

Shen Zhongxun took care of her at all times. Everyone at the table held official positions, so Lin Chu was inevitably reserved and dared not pick up any food. Shen Zhongxun would keep an eye on her bowl and immediately put some food in it for her when it was empty. He would also ask her what she liked to eat. Lin Chu was not picky about food and could eat sweet, sour, and spicy dishes. After eating for a while she gradually began to taste the flavors and was no longer as nervous as before.

The meal did not end until eight o’clock. Lin Chu was already full and could only sit there. While answering everyone’s questions Shen Zhongxun also kept quiet so she would not get bored, occasionally leaning down to talk to her. The meal finally ended at nine o’clock, and the group left first while Shen Zhongxun stayed behind to clean up.

Lin Chu hesitated, wanting to leave first yet unsure how to begin. Shen Zhongxun seemed to sense her thoughts and casually took her hand to the front desk to sign the bill. She tried to pull her hand away, but even as she left the hotel she could not free it, her face flushed red under the moonlight.

Shen Zhongxun escorted her back to Guanjin Garden and then asked, “Are you going back to Chuqian tomorrow?”

Lin Chu replied, “I’m not going back.”

The two remained silent for a while, until Shen Zhongxun finally spoke while waiting at a red light. “I don’t think anyone will ask you to dinner parties anymore.”

Lin Chu then whispered, “Thank you!”

Shen Zhongxun glanced at her, squeezed the steering wheel to control his emotions, and said, “You should know that you are good-looking, so you should learn to protect yourself. Wear longer pants and thicker fabric for your clothes.”

Lin Chu felt increasingly uneasy. Running around in the sweltering heat she could not possibly dress like Shen Zhongxun, layered upon layer. She was dressed simply and not at all revealing, yet Shen Zhongxun implied it was her own fault. She felt indignant, but considering Shen Zhongxun’s efforts to protect her she swallowed her anger and listened to his patient lecture until they finally arrived at Guanjin Garden. Lin Chu interrupted him. “How did you know about this?”

Shen Zhongxun slowly drove into the residential area and replied, “I happened to be eating there yesterday and saw you crying.”

Lin Chu blushed, feeling embarrassed. Then she suddenly remembered that Shen Hongshan had said the place for dinner was arranged by Shen Zhongxun. She did not know if it was a coincidence or a plan. She did not dare to ask, yet she felt a little strange.

The car stopped downstairs, and Shen Zhongxun turned to ask her, “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

Lin Chu answered truthfully, “I didn’t have any plans. I just went out to take care of some errands.”

Shen Zhongxun asked, “What time? I’ll come pick you up.”

Lin Chu chuckled awkwardly. “No need.”

Shen Zhongxun paused for a moment, then remained silent. He opened the car door for her and escorted her to the bottom of the building. Lin Chu sincerely thanked him again and turned to leave, but Shen Zhongxun suddenly grabbed her wrist. Before she could react she felt a heat on her lips. She cried out in surprise and took a step back, only to find herself on the stairs behind her. She bumped her head on the stairs, hitting the back of her head hard, and cried out in pain again.

Shen Zhongxun quickly supported the back of her head and carefully rubbed it. “Does it hurt?”

Lin Chu was in so much pain that she could not speak, her face contorted. She grunted and touched the back of her head, bumping into Shen Zhongxun’s hand. She quickly put her hand down and forced herself to say, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Shen Zhongxun gently rubbed her face a few more times, then lowered his eyes to stare at Lin Chu’s flushed face. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her freckles hid in the dim light. He could not help but lean closer, firmly supporting the back of her head, and the moment Lin Chu looked up he quickly covered her lips with his.

Lin Chu groaned and stumbled backward, but Shen Zhongxun had already pinned her head down, rendering her immobile. His lips and tongue were as hot as the midday sun, the burning sensation spreading from her lips to the gap between them. She tried to close her mouth tightly, yet the unfamiliar tongue still invaded her little by little. Finally she surrendered when Shen Zhongxun pinched her cheeks, and he successfully conquered her.

Lin Chu pressed against his chest and punched him a few times. In her panic his tongue touched her teeth and lingered around as if lost, searching left and right. But in the next second he found the exit and sucked hard, drawing Lin Chu’s tongue in as well. She let out a muffled cry and suddenly heard rustling sounds outside the iron gate. Her heart skipped a beat, and she pushed Shen Zhongxun away forcefully. He also reacted and immediately withdrew his lips and tongue the moment the person entered the door.

But it was too late for the two to separate. The resident exclaimed in surprise, then immediately covered his mouth, pretending not to see. Lin Chu instinctively lowered her head, hiding against Shen Zhongxun’s chest, her whole body burning up. Shen Zhongxun pressed her head against his chest, his face also flushed red as he turned away from the resident. Both of their hearts were pounding in their chests, and they could even hear the thumping.

Only when the elevator doors closed did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief. Lin Chu pushed him away forcefully, but Shen Zhongxun pretended to be calm and casually patted her head. “Go up!” He ignored her angry glare.

Lin Chu forcefully shoved his arm away, her face flushed red as she gritted her teeth and said, “Get out!” With that she immediately went around to the stairwell and ran up the stairs, wanting nothing more than to escape, not even wanting to wait for the elevator.

Shen Zhongxun chased her to the top of the stairs, looked up, and watched her disappear like a rabbit. For some reason his heart fluttered, and he desperately wanted to catch her and bring her back.

As he drove away from Guanjin Garden Shen Zhongxun could not help but smile and reminisce. After a long while he arrived at the guesthouse where the temporary inspection team was staying. He sat in the car and looked up at the building, quietly squinting as he pondered.