Сhapter 20: Yоu’vе Suffered Fоllowing Mе.
Тhе string in Jing Gе’s mind, strеtсhed tо its limit, sееmеd to gentlу retract at this mоmеnt, allоwing it tо rеturn tо а statе thаt wаs neither tight nоr tеnse.
Тears fell аs if by sоme inexрlicаble imрulsе.
Li Musi toоk out anothеr hаndkеrсhief and hаndеd it tо hеr.
Jing Ge didn’t takе it.
Bеtter to just wiрe with her slеeve.
Li Мusi didn’t press further. “Нungrу?”
Jing Gе noddеd.
Аs she nodded, tеars соntinued to rоll down.
Li Musi оfferеd thе hаndkerсhief agаin.
Jing Ge noddеd, hеr vоice muffled. “No, thank you.”
With that, shе wiрed her facе with hеr dusty sleevе.
Li Мusi’s brow twitched.
He placed the handkerchief on her lap, then took her laptop and helped her pack up.
After everything was packed, Jing Ge remained seated on the rusty cart. Li Musi looked down at her. “Hot pot?”
“……” Jing Ge’s tears abruptly stopped. “Really?”
Li Musi: “”
“I’ve been eating fast food for seven days,” Jing Ge finally spoke up. “Three meals a day, twenty-one meals in total. Every time, I stood by the container with a lunchbox, rice mixed with dust…”
No wonder her face had grown so thin.
The baby fat was gone, the contours of her cheekbones becoming clearer, carrying a weariness different from when she had just left school.
As Jing Ge stood up, the handkerchief nearly fell to the ground.
She fumbled to catch it and handed it back. “I don’t need it…”
Before she could finish, Jing Ge saw her hands, dirtier than her tears, and silently took the handkerchief back.
Well.
She’d taken another expensive handkerchief from him.
Jing Ge asked hesitantly, “Do you like hot pot too, Uncle?”
Li Musi: “No.”
“……”
The scene felt strangely familiar.
Just like last time with the pizza.
Jing Ge called a taxi on her phone. Once in the car, she became absorbed in figuring out where the nearest hot pot restaurant was, temporarily forgetting everything else.
The taxi arrived at a bustling shopping mall.
Jing Ge snapped back to reality. After getting out of the car, she blurted out without thinking, “Uncle, you’ve suffered following me.”
“……”
“N-no, that’s not it…” Jing Ge quickly corrected herself. “I meant, you’ve probably never ridden in such a poor-quality car before, right? It smells weird and isn’t clean…”
It felt like it had sullied his white shirt.
If only she’d called a luxury car instead!!
Li Musi’s expression was unreadable as he pushed the suitcase inside. “Then you’re paying for this meal.”
Jing Ge let out an “ah” and hurried after him. “I haven’t gotten my paycheck yet, but I have a year-end bonus. Though I just became a regular employee, so my bonus is only half my salary. Do you really want me to pay? Then let’s just have spicy hot pot.”
Li Musi looked at her, puzzled. “Spicy hot pot?”
“Yeah,” Jing Ge said. “It’s kind of like hot pot, just everything boiled together… cheaper.”
Li Musi: “What if I pay?”
Jing Ge: “Hot pot.”
Li Musi: “You…”
Jing Ge quickly added, “Spicy hot pot.”
Li Musi: “”
“I don’t have the student discount anymore,” Jing Ge said, lacking confidence. “It’s really tough for us who just started working. If you insist on making me pay for hot pot, we’ll just have rice with broth. I can make sure you’re full, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be good. Plus, we’ll need some thick skin…”
This girl really could talk a lot when she got going.
Li Musi waited for her to finish, then couldn’t help but press his temples. “I’ll pay.”
Jing Ge: “Then let’s go, let’s go! Uncle, can I order whatever I want? I want meat, all kinds of meat.”
The girl dashed off, as if afraid he’d change his mind the next second.
Li Musi paused for half a second, as if he couldn’t take it anymore, a flicker of amusement flashing in his dark, cool eyes.Li Musi didn’t care for these foods, taking only a few symbolic bites before setting down his chopsticks.
With something in her stomach, Jing Ge gradually regained her spirits, and the questions that had been buried under her low mood began to surface.
“Uncle, why are you here?”
Li Musi replied, “Your second aunt asked me to come check on you.”
“…Oh,” Jing Ge’s mood dampened at the mention of people from Haishi. “I’m busy, so I won’t be going back. I’ll take you to the airport later.”
She told him to go ahead without waiting for her.
Li Musi set down his water glass, his expression obscured by the rising steam. “The factories are all on holiday. What are you busy with?”
Jing Ge hesitated for a moment before offering an excuse, “I’m just busy. You wouldn’t understand…”
Li Musi gave a faint smile. “I know a thing or two about foreign trade. Tell me about it.”
“……”
The hotpot bubbled softly.
After a long pause, Jing Ge looked at the man across from her, his features blurred by the steam. “I’m not going back, Uncle. Please don’t tell anyone, or I’ll have to count you among the enemy.”
Li Musi laughed in exasperation.
Truly laughed in exasperation.
It was rare, almost the first time.
“So you plan to hole up here?”
“It’s nice here,” Jing Ge said quietly. “Quiet, no one bothers me.”
Li Musi asked, “Are you sure you can handle it?”
An unfamiliar city.
Without even a friend to talk to or celebrate the New Year with. A girl her age might talk tough, but when the day actually came, she might not be able to bear the loneliness and sense of drifting.
She’d probably end up crying in secret again.
Jing Ge insisted, “I just want to spend a New Year that makes me happy.”
Li Musi fell silent.
After more than ten seconds, he lowered his gaze, using a strainer to scoop meat for her, and said calmly, “Li Corporation’s year-end benefits for executives this year include a company-funded trip. I’m backing out last minute. Do you want it?”
“……” Jing Ge had thought he was going to force her back to Haishi, so his sudden offer caught her off guard. “What?”
“A cruise to Antarctica. You can see glaciers, penguins, and the aurora,” Li Musi explained. “It’s a half-month trip. I don’t have the time, but if you’re willing, you can go in my place.”
Jing Ge sat frozen in her seat.
Li Musi glanced at her indifferently. “Dare to travel so far on your own?”
“…I dare,” Jing Ge replied as if in a dream. “Uncle, are you really not going?”
“No, I’m very busy.”
“Can I really go?”
“Yes.”
“Uncle.”
“Hmm?”
Jing Ge’s dried-up tears welled up again. “Why aren’t you my dad?”
Li Musi’s strainer froze mid-air.
If not for his habitual restraint, the strainer wouldn’t have stopped above the hotpot—it would have landed on her head.
It took a long while for Li Musi to catch his breath. “Keep it a secret. Don’t post about it on social media. If we’re found out, we’ll both be reborn as grandsons.”
Jing Ge burst into unexpected laughter.
Li Musi actually knew how to joke.
“What kind of ticket is it?” Jing Ge asked excitedly. “I want to see it.”
Li Musi’s expression was unreadable. “It’s in the lining of my suitcase. I’ll get it for you when we’re back at the hotel. Now hurry up and eat. If you waste more than 100 grams, you’re paying.”
“……”
While Jing Ge cleaned up the battlefield, Li Musi was busy sending messages.
Just as he had said, he really was very busy.
After paying the bill, the two made their way through the mall.
Jing Ge watched in surprise as Li Musi entered an extreme cold-weather clothing store.
He told the approaching salesperson, “Help her pick out two full sets of gear for an Antarctic trip, head to toe.”
Extreme cold-weather gear was the most expensive of all winter clothing.
Jing Ge felt she had already taken too much from him and grew flustered. “Uncle, I’ll pay for it myself…”Li Musi interrupted her with a single sentence: “This year’s red envelopes are canceled and will be exchanged for physical gifts.”
The Li family elders would give Jing Ge large red envelopes every year.
Naturally, Li Musi was no exception.
“Uncle,” Jing Ge was deeply moved, “When I make big money, I will definitely take good care of you in your old age.”
Li Musi’s young and handsome face showed a moment of restraint before he lost his composure for the first time: “Shut up.”