Сhарter 8: Thе Skу Wоn’t Fаll.
Аfter dropрing thеm off at hоme, Li Musi turnеd аrоund аnd hеаded bасk tо thе comрany.
Li Zhan didn’t return thаt night.
In fаct, hе livеd оn саmpus, but sinсе Jing Gе had cоmе, his pаrents had ordеred him tо come hоme еverу dаy until she lеft.
With him gone, Jing Ge асtuаllу felt much mоrе rеlаxed. Аfter еvery аrgument, she wаs left utterlу drained and ехhаusted.
Jing Gе skiрped dinner аgain thаt еvening but finished thе entire bаg of sugаr-rоаsted сhestnuts.
Zhang Мa was а bit wоrriеd. “Have you not eatеn аnything all day?”
Jing Gе dоdged the questiоn. “Тhere were a lot of chestnuts. They filled me up.”
“That’s not the point,” Zhang Ma coaxed. “Going a whole day without a proper meal and just eating chestnuts—you won’t get the nutrients you need.”
Jing Ge pinched her own cheek to show her. “Look at all this flesh. Do I really need more nutrients?”
Zhang Ma pretended to hit her.
Jing Ge grinned cheekily.
“What about sugarcane?” Zhang Ma asked again. “I can steam it for you, or maybe juice it.”
Mentioning sugarcane reminded Jing Ge of the previous night. “I wonder if they caught the culprit yet.”
Zhang Ma continued on her own. “I’ll juice it for you. You’ve eaten too many chestnuts—you’ll choke.”
With that, she went to the kitchen to prepare the sugarcane juice for her.
Jing Ge carefully recalled the events of the previous night, but the culprit’s face remained shrouded in a haze of white mist. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember it.
“Sis—”
A sudden voice.
Jing Ge flinched away from her chair, startled, her eyes wide with fear. Goosebumps visibly spread across her arms.
Li Ying was also frightened by her reaction. “Sis…”
“Oh, it’s you, Yingying,” Jing Ge gasped, catching her breath. “What’s up?”
Li Ying asked, “Sis, what’s wrong with you?”
Jing Ge slowly let out a sigh of relief. “It’s nothing. I was just a bit tense.”
Li Ying pressed, “What were you tense about?”
Jing Ge stammered, “…I was thinking about something, just thinking.”
“Oh, then I’ll be quieter next time,” Li Ying said. “Sis, I can’t solve this arithmetic problem.”
Jing Ge asked her to bring the question over.
They were all simple calculation problems, but Li Ying’s foundation was weak, so each problem seemed vaguely familiar yet unfamiliar.
Jing Ge outlined the key points for her and added a few knowledge points from the third and fourth grades. By the time they finished, the little girl was already yawning repeatedly.
Jing Ge pinched her cheek.
Li Ying yelped in protest, grabbed her exercise book, and fled in a hurry.
Jing Ge pursed her lips and called out to stop her. “How about sleeping with Sis again tonight?”
“…” Li Ying looked surprised. “Sis, you didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”
She had wanted to keep sleeping with her but felt too embarrassed to bring it up.
Jing Ge said, “It’s fine. I can’t sleep without you.”
Li Ying skipped away happily. “Then I’ll go take a bath first!”
Jing Ge cupped her face, quietly let out a sigh, and scolded herself for being so weak-willed.
Her phone rang.
It was a call from her boss, Anna.
As soon as the call connected, Anna exploded in anger, demanding to know why the price on a certain order was two cents higher than the supplier’s quoted price.
After listening, Jing Ge said, “I’ll open my computer now and check…”
“No need,” Anna said coldly. “Come to the company immediately!”
With that, she hung up.
Jing Ge grabbed her laptop bag, quickly called a Didi car on her phone, and told Zhang Ma she was leaving. She didn’t have time to listen to Zhang Ma’s suggestion of calling the family driver to take her.
Sitting in the back seat of the car, Jing Ge opened her phone, pulled up the supplier invoices saved on it, and checked them one by one.
There were no errors.
Jing Ge took photos and sent them to Anna, asking in a tentative tone which one was wrong.
Anna didn’t reply.
The night was pitch black.When she left the house, she was solely focused on work, wanting to quickly correct the mistake before sending the order to the client. In reality, even if there was an error, it could be fixed on the computer. The orders sent to clients and the company stamps were all electronic versions—there was no need for her to be physically present.
But her supervisor’s attitude was unusually stern, completely different from usual. As an intern, Jing Ge didn’t dare say much.
Now, having calmed down, that indescribable fear of the darkness suddenly washed over her.
Jing Ge unconsciously tensed up.
Someone ran a red light ahead.
The driver honked sharply.
Jing Ge’s heart skipped a beat in fright, her palms damp with sweat.
The car sped through the dark night, arriving at the foot of Womei Tower.
Jing Ge’s phone chimed.
It was a reply from Anna: 【Mm.】
“……”
???
Mm??
What does “mm” mean?
Jing Ge replied: 【Sis, I’m at the company now.】
Anna: 【If you knew there was no mistake, why did you come?】
“……”
The entire building was dark, with no one in sight.
Jing Ge felt an inexplicable sadness. Hugging her laptop bag, she sat down on the steps by the entrance.
The streetlights on either side were dim, and a cold wind howled past.
When and why had she offended Anna?
Just that morning, she had been scolded by the finance manager for helping Anna clock in and had her full attendance bonus for the month deducted.
How could someone change so drastically in just a few days?
Holding her laptop bag, Jing Ge felt like a beast of burden being tempered by society.
She didn’t know how long she sat there.
A warm, bright light shone from afar.
Jing Ge looked up, shielding her forehead with her hand.
The winter night was bitterly cold, and the air seemed to mist under the car’s headlights, like a carpet of light unfurling.
It was Li Musi’s Ghost.
Seeing her sitting motionless, the car horn gave a gentle honk.
Jing Ge wiped her eyes, patted her pants as she stood up, and hurried into the car.
The car was warm, filled with the clean, fresh scent of soap from Li Musi.
“Uncle,” Jing Ge said listlessly, trying to be polite, “Why are you here?”
Li Musi started the car: “Zhang Ma called me. I was just about to get off work, and it was on the way.”
“……”
Li Corporation was not at all on the way to Womei.
After driving for a while, Li Musi said coldly, “Why didn’t you call Li Zhan?”
Jing Ge was quiet for a moment: “Why should I call him?”
“He’s your fiancé,” Li Musi said sternly, “You need to learn how to make use of him.”
Jing Ge: “”
Jing Ge: “Uncle, did I cause you trouble? I was planning to sit for a while and then take a taxi. I didn’t mean to…”
Li Musi’s tone deepened: “Jing Ge.”
“……”
“Live a little easier,” Li Musi said calmly, without anger or impatience, “The sky won’t fall.”
Jing Ge’s nose tingled with emotion.
A surge of bitterness rushed to her eyes, and she quickly blinked hard.
The lights from the long street swept into the car, illuminating the man’s handsome profile. He was just too serious, making it hard for anyone to approach him casually.
At a red light, Li Musi glanced at the passenger seat: “Who told you to come here?”
“…My supervisor.”
“And then?”
“She said there was a mistake and asked me to come fix it,” Jing Ge said, her voice slightly nasal, “So I came.”
Li Musi: “Was she deliberately targeting you?”
Jing Ge fell silent.
When the light turned green, Li Musi started the car, his gaze calm and understanding: “You thought of her as a mentor and friend, so you’re hurt?”
“……””The model at Womei is that the capable take the lead,” Li Musi stated plainly. “Employees who hold major clients can become company partners. Do you understand what that means?”
Jing Ge: “…”
Li Musi: “It’s like raising fighting insects. This model inevitably makes everyone a rival, including your superior.”
At this point, his expression softened almost imperceptibly. “You should be proud of yourself. She sees you as a rival.”