TSMLI Chapter 27

The guesthouse was quiet, and Shen Zhongxun wondered which room Old Zhang was staying in. It was as if he had carved holes in the windows facing the street, and his joyful mood gradually faded as he recalled yesterday.

On the way back Shen Hongshan called. Shen Zhongxun frowned and turned around to drive toward Xining Road.

Only a small lamp was on in the room. Shen Hongshan was sitting on the sofa watching the evening news. When he saw Shen Zhongxun enter he waved for him to sit down and asked, “What exactly is your relationship with that girl?”

Shen Zhongxun remained silent.

Shen Hongshan, with his keen eyesight, sensed something was amiss the moment the two entered the private room. Seeing Shen Zhongxun’s reaction he chuckled, took off his glasses, and pointed at him. “So you’ve got a day like this? Tired of being turned away so much that you’re resorting to force? What if that girl still doesn’t like you?”

Shen Zhongxun smiled and said, “It’s okay, as long as I like her.”

Shen Hongshan shook his head with amusement, then thought for a moment and said, “I can roughly tell that Old Zhang was being dishonest. I know your personality, so don’t do anything reckless!”

Shen Zhongxun nodded. “I’ve been quite busy with work lately. Let’s talk about it later.”

Since he already considered Lin Chu his own, he would certainly not let her suffer such injustice. Old Zhang was a cancer, greedy and lustful, and might not even know that he had been targeted by someone. Shen Zhongxun wanted to add fuel to the fire.

Shen Hongshan understood his temperament. He was stubborn and inflexible, always appearing righteous and awe-inspiring. If anyone offended him he would retaliate without hesitation. However Shen Zhongxun was always cautious in his actions, and besides, Old Zhang’s days were numbered, and Old Xue had long disliked him. It seemed that this matter was bound to happen sooner or later, so it was better to let it go.

Shen Hongshan coughed a few times, picked up the water glass on the coffee table, took a sip, and said, “You should know about Huitianbei’s situation. There are only a few months left in the city’s new appointments and removals. It’s a bit tricky that such a lawsuit has occurred at such a critical moment. I’ll take care of things on my end. You should also be careful and not let anyone find any fault with you!”

Shen Zhongxun twitched his fingers slightly and tapped them on his knee.

Personnel appointments and removals in Nanjiang City were imminent. Shen Hongshan had not yet retired. Whether he would remain with the City Investment Group or be transferred back to the government depended entirely on these next few months. The City Investment Group was a lucrative business, receiving a large number of government projects every year. Each project had countless sub-projects of varying sizes, making conflicts of interest quite obvious.

Shen Hongshan controlled assets worth tens of billions, yet he had always been diligent and honest in his work, which had blocked the path of countless people. He walked on thin ice with every step he took. Shen Zhongxun was also well aware of the connections involved, and naturally he was extra careful in his work.

Lin Chu tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. She grabbed her laptop and started watching television. It served her right for choosing an American drama. Soon the male and female leads were passionately kissing, their clothes falling off one by one, and they were rolling around on the bed. Lin Chu was completely engrossed. At a crucial moment the plot jumped to the next day. She covered her burning face, biting the blanket in frustration, her mind increasingly chaotic, unable to sleep any longer.

The next day Lin Chu groggily opened her eyes, grabbed her phone to glance at the time, yawned as she got out of bed to wash up, and her mother called to deliver the bad news. “Last night I went to square dancing, and one of our old neighbors, the chubby Aunt Wang who I argued with, do you remember her? Her son just returned from studying abroad and is now working at a Fortune 500 company, but he doesn’t have a girlfriend yet!”

Lin Chu wanted to roar to the sky, but after listening to her mother’s series of orders with no tears she drowsily dragged her bag downstairs.

But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator she immediately perked up. Before she could even escape Shen Zhongxun called out to her, “Sleeping until now? Where are you going?”

Lin Chu was at a loss, unsure whether to run up the stairs or go back to the elevator, and stammered, “You… how did you get here!”

Shen Zhongxun had slept in the city last night and rushed here early this morning, afraid of missing Lin Chu.

Over the past few days he had gradually come to understand Lin Chu’s personality. If he wanted to see her he should just go to her in person. If he called her she might make all sorts of excuses to avoid him.

Shen Zhongxun said, “Didn’t you say you were going out to run some errands yesterday? I’ll take you there!”

Lin Chu blurted out, “No need, I’ll go myself!”

Shen Zhongxun slowly approached her. Seeing her staring at him warily he could not help but smile. He took her hand and held it in his palm, whispering, “It’s forty degrees Celsius again today. Why did you have to go out in the middle of the day? Did you want to get sunburned?” With that he pulled her outside.

Lin Chu twisted her wrist, feeling uncomfortable all over, and her ears gradually burned. She clearly resisted in her heart, but when the time came she seemed to be somewhat involuntary.

As she groggily got into the car Lin Chu began to feel remorse again. She did not know what this situation meant. She felt embarrassed and suddenly remembered that she had clearly told Shen Zhongxun to “get lost” last night, but she could not remember it just now. She wondered if it would be okay to tell him to “get lost” again.

Her mind was a mess, her thoughts wandering far away. Shen Zhongxun glanced at her a few times, knowing that she was conflicted and wavering. After a while he asked, “Shall we go have lunch first?”

Lin Chu shivered, finally snapping out of her daze, and whispered, “I’m not hungry.”

She had just gotten out of bed and was not hungry at all, but Shen Zhongxun thought she was just being hypocritical again and wondered how long she would keep up this act.

They drove to a Chinese restaurant, where Shen Zhongxun stopped the car and took Lin Chu inside for a meal.

Lin Chu let out a breath, trying not to overthink things, and treated Shen Zhongxun as a friend. After all she had received his kindness many times, and she could not possibly dislike him.

Shen Zhongxun asked Lin Chu what she wanted to eat, and she glanced at the menu and said anything was fine. Shen Zhongxun never spent money extravagantly and stopped after ordering four dishes. Seeing that Lin Chu did not respond he asked the waiter to place the order.

Lin Chu was indeed not a picky eater. Holding a bowl of white rice she ate with her chopsticks after all four dishes had been cooked. She ate in a well-behaved manner and even picked out every last grain of rice from the porcelain bowl, saving every bit of food.

Shen Zhongxun was eating his second bowl of rice when he glanced at her bowl and chuckled. “You ate so clean? Want another bowl?”

Lin Chu waved her hand, slightly embarrassed, and said, “I’m already full. I’m used to finishing my rice.”

Shen Zhongxun raised an eyebrow. “Did you learn that from your grandparents?”

Lin Chu asked, “How did you know?”

Shen Zhongxun smiled. “Isn’t that how all older people are? When I was little my parents would make me eat every grain of rice that fell on the table. I’ve known the saying ‘Sweat drips onto the soil’ since I was old enough to understand.” After thinking for a moment he changed the subject. “You have a particularly good relationship with your grandparents?”

Lin Chu nodded. “I lived with my grandparents for a while when I was little, so we must have had a good relationship!”

Shen Zhongxun could not help but recall that photograph and asked, “How old were you?”

Lin Chu smiled and said, “Fifth or sixth grade of elementary school.” Then, as if thinking of something, she lowered her head again, seemingly unwilling to speak further.

Shen Zhongxun seemed to be deep in thought and continued to eat without asking about the topic again.

It seemed couples were everywhere on weekends. After dinner the two of them strolled along the street, and you could always see couples on both sides of the street, hugging and cuddling, not afraid of getting heat rash in the hot weather.

Actually Lin Chu was not unwilling to date. She just wanted to choose her partner carefully. Now that her previous blind date had fallen through again her mother certainly would not let it go easily. The very next day she found someone else. Rather than letting her mother keep causing trouble Lin Chu decided to find someone herself according to her mother’s criteria. As Ye Jing sometimes said, having multiple men around was like having multiple cows. At least next time she moved she would not need to spend money hiring laborers.

Lin Chu cut off her random thoughts and pointed to a place. The training institution was near Nanhu Lake, located in the most bustling central area, so the enrollment fee was naturally expensive. Lin Chu’s year-end bonus was finally gone.

Shen Zhongxun asked with some surprise, “Why do you suddenly want to learn these things?”

Lin Chu replied dismissively, “One is never too old to learn!”

She would have to come to class every Saturday from now on, and if she wanted to go home she could only do so as quickly as possible. She was spending both her money and energy on this, and hopefully her efforts would pay off.

After paying the fees the two left the training institution. Lin Chu wanted to go back, but Shen Zhongxun grabbed her hand. “Let’s go shopping and see a movie.”

Lin Chu was stunned for a moment and subconsciously tried to pull her hand away again, but as countless times before Shen Zhongxun only held it tighter. He said in a low voice, “Let’s just pretend we’re on a blind date. Let’s go!”

But how could people who had just gone on a blind date be so intimate? Lin Chu blushed and began to ponder her relationship with Shen Zhongxun again, wondering if she should continue to resist. But it seemed that no matter how much she resisted Shen Zhongxun regarded her as making a fool of herself.

Lin Chu stopped struggling and obediently followed Shen Zhongxun to the South Lake. However she had a serious expression on her face and did not smile. She did not look like she was there to have fun.

On a sweltering day of forty degrees Celsius Shen Zhongxun, dressed in a suit and tie, strolled along the shore of Nanhu Lake. His forehead was covered in sweat, his neck felt tight, and even the hand he was holding with Lin Chu was soaked with sweat.

Lin Chu deliberately walked into the bright sunlight. Her hand was being held so tightly that she felt uncomfortable, and she did not want Shen Zhongxun to feel comfortable either. For the first time Lin Chu said seriously, “I am very grateful to you for helping me so many times, so I don’t dislike you, but as for liking you, it’s far from that.”

Shen Zhongxun was taken aback, not expecting Lin Chu to suddenly say these things. He thought she would continue to evade the issue.

Lin Chu continued, “But I don’t mind giving it a try. Like you said, your conditions are much better than my blind date. I’ll be dating and getting married sooner or later, so it doesn’t seem like there’s any harm in starting sooner. But…” She tried to pull her hand away. Her hands were sweaty, yet she still could not get it out. “No blind date would do this. Since you said it’s a blind date, shouldn’t we avoid this kind of overly intimate physical contact?”

Shen Zhongxun immediately let go, delighted by Lin Chu’s change of heart. She had clearly given him a chance, which was better than Shen Zhongxun’s one-sided enthusiasm getting no response. He was overjoyed, and the two began a serious negotiation under the scorching sun.

“We can start dating, like people who just met on a blind date. I know a little about your family. Mine is just so-so. My grandparents retired a long time ago, my parents are laid-off workers, and I’m an only child. My maternal grandparents and two uncles live in the countryside, and I also have an aunt and an uncle.”

Shen Zhongxun carefully noted down the number of people and then asked, “Is there anyone else?”

Having already gone on three blind dates Lin Chu decided to lay out all the issues that would arise in the future. “I’ve never been in a relationship. Of course some people pursued me in college, but none of them led to a romantic relationship. My requirements for a partner are actually quite simple. I hope the other person is honest and kind, and the age difference should ideally be around three years, because a large age gap can create a generation gap.”

Shen Zhongxun felt a chill run down his spine, sweat dripping from the tip of his nose. He unbuttoned one button of his shirt to let in some fresh air and continued to listen attentively.

“Marrying someone of equal social standing is best. If the other person is too well-off there will inevitably be friction in the future. They’ll always feel superior, and I don’t like that. Besides, you know my company. After deducting social insurance and housing fund my monthly salary is only a little over two thousand, but my year-end bonus is tens of thousands. I won’t go into the exact amount. Do you have any questions?”

Shen Zhongxun immediately replied, “No. Are we officially dating yet?”

Lin Chu pursed her lips, clutching the hem of her dress, and said, “It doesn’t count.” After a long pause she blushed and said, “If it’s a blind date, let’s take it one step at a time, not like before.”

She spoke incoherently, but Shen Zhongxun understood what she meant. He was a little embarrassed and could only stare at her small mouth opening and closing.

At two in the afternoon the South Lake was bustling with people. Most of them were holding parasols and enjoying cold drinks as they strolled around. Only Lin Chu and Shen Zhongxun stood in the middle of the road, sweating profusely under the scorching sun. However the two seemed oblivious to the heat and continued their serious conversation.

By the end his mouth was dry and parched. Shen Zhongxun stared at the few strands of wet hair on Lin Chu’s cheek, trying hard to suppress the urge to peel them away for her. Lin Chu was also suppressing the questions in her heart. She really wanted to know whether Shen Zhongxun was hot or not. After holding back for a long time she swallowed the question back down her throat.

After the negotiations ended both of them were dizzy from the heat. Lin Chu insisted on going home. Although Shen Zhongxun was reluctant he thought that they had made rapid progress today and he could not let Lin Chu dislike him, so he did not force her to stay and sent her back to Guanjin Garden.

Lin Chu returned to her room and immediately dialed Ye Jing’s number. She paced back and forth in the room like a headless fly, recounting the previous situation in detail, and exclaimed, “I actually gave in! What should I do? What should I do?”

Ye Jing said seriously, “It’s too hot. It’s bound to mess with your brain!” She could not help but burst into laughter. “You still won’t admit you like him? If you didn’t like him, would you suddenly admit it?”

Lin Chu sat on the bed and denied it. “It was all my mom’s fault. She found me another blind date last night and asked me to meet him next week. I acted impulsively and that’s how it happened.”

Ye Jing laughed at her for making excuses for herself, and then said earnestly, “Actually this is good. I used to think you were mentally abnormal. Dating is not like slitting your throat with a knife. No one is as meticulous as you. You are just nitpicking. There were quite a few people who pursued you in school. You could find fault with even the best guys!”

Lin Chu sighed, feeling somewhat lost. She did not know if taking this step today was the right or wrong thing, and she felt that love was a bit out of reach.

Meanwhile Shen Zhongxun drove around the streets, pondering Lin Chu’s words repeatedly. Faced with the age gap he was helpless. His only option now was to try his best to be a good match for Lin Chu.

The twenty-three-year-old girl still retained the innocence of her school days, while Shen Zhongxun was already thirty years old, worn down by society and looking old.

But a man’s thirties are not old at all. On the contrary they are the most attractive age. He drove to Nanjiang Building, found the men’s clothing department on the fourth floor, and went straight to several big brands, asking the sales assistants to help him choose clothes.

He could not abandon his suits and shirts. He had to dress like that for work. He could dress more casually in his free time so that Lin Chu would not feel embarrassed when they went out on dates.

How to make a seven-year age gap appear as a three-year gap is also a skill. Shen Zhongxun’s appearance is not actually old, but he usually presents himself in a serious manner, which inevitably makes him look mature. Even when he takes off his suit and puts on casual clothes his every move still reveals an imposing severity.

Shen Zhongxun was not satisfied, but the sales assistant beside him was smitten. The original one-on-one service turned into a two-on-one session, with two young women holding up clothes hangers and talking softly. These days handsome men are not hard to find, but masculinity is becoming increasingly rare. When Shen Zhongxun was silent his eyes were sharp, his features were upright, tall, and imposing, exuding an aura of righteousness. In a world full of roguish grins these days he was one of the few “good guy faces.” In ancient times he would have been a chivalrous knight-errant, a national hero.

Unaware of his surroundings Shen Zhongxun bought a large pile of clothes and walked away amidst the sales assistant’s reluctant gaze.

After returning home he applied for a QQ account and called Lin Chu to ask for a QQ number.

Lin Chu was memorizing English words when he was interrupted. After giving out the number the computer coughed twice. Just as the application was approved Shen Zhongxun sent a video request. Lin Chu twitched her lips, adjusted the strap of her camisole nightgown, and said, “It’s not very convenient.”

Shen Zhongxun frowned. “Is someone in your room?”

Lin Chu replied, “No one’s here. I’m going to rest now, so it’s not convenient to video chat.”

Shen Zhongxun was somewhat disappointed and could only stare at Lin Chu’s penguin avatar. The avatar was a sunflower, with a ray of sunlight shining down from the side, exuding warmth.

Lin Chu remained somewhat aloof, offering only perfunctory answers to Shen Zhongxun’s questions, her gaze fixed on English words as she lay on the headboard, multitasking. Shen Zhongxun did not mind, occasionally correcting Lin Chu’s pronunciation as she occasionally uttered a few words. Seeing a hint of joy in Lin Chu’s tone he also taught her some slang. In the end their conversation consisted solely of English, continuing until Lin Chu hung up the phone when her phone battery died.

Shen Zhongxun was preoccupied with official business and did not really have the concept of weekends. If it were not for Lin Chu he would not have gone shopping for clothes on Saturday. So no matter how much he wanted to see Lin Chu the next day he had to return to Chuqian to make arrangements for the next week’s project.

Lin Chu did not seem disappointed by his departure. She went to the Nanhu Cinema with great enthusiasm to watch a movie and then invited Ye Jing to have dinner with her.

Nanjiang City is so big it is not easy to run into someone you know. The two had just entered a restaurant when Lin Chu saw Jiang Jin and Yang Chunbei sitting at the middle table. Yang Chunbei was gesturing excitedly and talking, clinging to Jiang Jin’s arm and getting closer and closer. Before Lin Chu could even see Jiang Jin’s expression clearly she quickly pulled Ye Jing out. Ye Jing asked curiously, “What’s going on? Weren’t you going to eat?”

Lin Chu whispered, “We’ve run into someone we know. Don’t bother them!”

She dragged Ye Jing to a restaurant across the street, but unexpectedly Nanjiang City was so small that as soon as they entered Xue Quan walked toward them, looking annoyed and completely ignoring the pretty girl chasing after him.

Upon seeing Lin Chu Xue Quan raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, asking, “Did you two really need to come looking for me together?”

Lin Chu and Ye Jing were completely bewildered, only to hear the girl point at them and ask, “Who are these two?”

Xue Quan frowned. “Didn’t you just ask me who that person in my phone was? It’s them!”

The girl immediately shook her head and cried out, “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!”

Lin Chu and Ye Jing trembled in unison, watching the girl run out. Xue Quan smiled at them, waved, and walked silently toward the door. Ye Jing could not help but ask, “What kind of weirdo is this? Do you know him?”

Hearing the question Xue Quan turned to look at Ye Jing, then paused at the doorway. He only came to his senses when someone walked by and went out on his own.

Lin Chu could not help but describe Xue Quan, and Ye Jing exclaimed in astonishment, “Are there really people like this in real life? Cheating like that, aren’t they afraid of retribution!”

Lin Chu nodded, her dislike for Xue Quan growing even stronger.

The weekend was over, and the dreaded Monday arrived once again. Two days later Lin Chu’s mindset at work had changed again. She became even more cautious. She did not know if her supervisor knew about Friday’s events, as they did not seem to treat Lin Chu any differently. However Lin Chu felt a constant, almost imperceptible gaze as her supervisor passed by her seat, making her increasingly alert and vigilant.

At lunchtime in the cafeteria Xue Quan sat down in front of her with his lunchbox in hand. “What’s the name of the woman you were with yesterday?”

Lin Chu frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Xue Quan smiled. “I want her phone number!”

Lin Chu was somewhat surprised and made an excuse not to give out the number.

In the afternoon Xue Quan took advantage of her inattention and secretly went to her desk to search through her phone’s contact list. A moment later he got the information he wanted. Lin Chu was completely unaware of all this. After work she squeezed onto the bus to go home, buy groceries, and cook. At night she studied English and watched American dramas. After sleeping for seven hours she got up again to go to work. She was so busy until Thursday, and she had almost forgotten about Shen Zhongxun’s existence.

When Yang Chunbei found Lin Chu after work she asked her to go shopping on the weekend. Lin Chu walked out with a parasol, making an excuse that she had something to do on the weekend. When she arrived at the gate of her workplace Lin Chu suddenly stopped and stared in astonishment at Shen Zhongxun, who was getting out of his car.

Shen Zhongxun wore a V-neck short-sleeved shirt and casual black pants. His muscular physique, which used to be hidden under a suit, was now fully exposed. His outfit was completely new, and even Yang Chunbei stared at him for a long time before recognizing him.

Lin Chu stared in disbelief. Shen Zhongxun opened the car door, nodded to Yang Chunbei, and looked at Lin Chu. “Get in the car!”

Lin Chu closed her mouth tightly, got into the car with a lot of doubts, and kept turning her head to look at Shen Zhongxun, keeping all her curiosity and questions stuck in her throat.

On the other end of the line Yang Chunbei excitedly dialed Jiang Jin’s cell phone and said mysteriously, “Guess whose car Lin Chu got into just now?”

Jiang Jin was busy at the newspaper office and replied casually, “Who?”

Yang Chunbei laughed and said, “Do you remember the performance by Nanhu Lake last time? The guy who played the hero who saved the beauty, a manager from Min’an, named Shen Zhongxun, that’s him. He just picked up Lin Chu. Their relationship must be quite special!”

Jiang Jin paused, staring at the computer screen with a serious expression as he listened intently.