Xie Chong kept the milk tablets in his car. Whenever he stopped at a red light, he would sometimes eat one. They were not very sweet, with only a light milky taste.
One day, his friend Qian Song rode in his car and noticed that only a few milk tablets were left. He was surprised. Xie Chong normally did not like eating things like this. He always said that food was ruined once preservatives were added.
“This isn’t ruined?” Qian Song picked up a milk tablet and looked at it. “Did Jiang Wu give them to you?”
“No. They’re a local specialty from a friend’s hometown.”
Qian Song clicked his tongue several times. “She really dared to give them to you. She didn’t even ask whether you eat this kind of thing.”
“They’re pretty good.”
As he spoke, Xie Chong put the remaining milk tablets into the storage box instead of letting Qian Song eat them.
“Who wants them anyway?”
“I’m just not giving them to you.”
That night, after parting with Mu Wen, Xie Chong handed all the renovation work over to Lin Weisen. He specifically told Lin Weisen, “Your assistant has been running around and working hard. I’ll give her a separate project bonus of 5,000 yuan. Give it to her.”
During the period when Lin Weisen’s family had welcomed a new baby, Mu Wen had been working far beyond her normal workload without a single complaint. Lin Weisen was very happy that Xie Chong wanted to pay her extra, and he told Mu Wen about it that very day, happily passing along the good news.
When Mu Wen heard, her eyes immediately lit up.
“How much? How much?”
“Five thousand!” Lin Weisen said. “Mr. Xie is pretty reliable.”
Mu Wen gave a thumbs-up to the air.
“President Xie, I’ll pray for you. May good people always have good luck.”
“Remember to thank him,” Lin Weisen said. “It’s not easy to come across a client like this.”
“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll take care of his house!”
After saying that, Mu Wen sent Xie Chong a text.
“Mr. Xie, I received the 5,000-yuan bonus! From now on, you don’t need to run around the building-materials market anymore. Just leave everything to me!”
Xie Chong replied:
“Special treatment for special circumstances. Keep up the good work.”
What an official tone.
With 5,000 yuan, Xie Chong had successfully “bought” Mu Wen’s wholehearted dedication. He completely let go of the renovation project.
He stopped visiting the construction site and stopped going to the building-materials market. He could finally focus on his own work.
He felt that this was the most worthwhile money he had ever spent since he started doing business.
As the end of the year approached, he began chasing clients for their remaining payments.
And chasing payments inevitably meant entertaining people.
That was simply how foreign trade worked. The people above were connected to those in the middle, and the people in the middle were connected to those below. No one could always be the one calling the shots.
So one meal he had to humble himself like a grandson, and at another he had to act like the boss. Every day, he dressed up like a colorful butterfly, moving through all kinds of places around Beijing.
Xie Chong did not like drinking, but he had a very high tolerance. He could keep drinking for a long time and rarely got drunk.
Sometimes, when the alcohol began to affect him, Qian Song would call Jiang Wu and ask whether she was willing to come pick Xie Chong up.
He was secretly trying to bring the two of them together.
The group had known one another since they learned horseback riding together. They had grown up together, so Qian Song understood the unclear feelings between Xie Chong and Jiang Wu very well.
Jiang Wu definitely would not come.
She would say, “You feel awful after drinking too much? Then remember that next time and don’t drink so much.”
Jiang Wu’s personality was very distinctive, almost as if she had little thorns all over her.
But Xie Chong would say, “Those are honest thorns. Haven’t you noticed? Jiang Wu is a woman ahead of her time.”
Since Jiang Wu would not come, Xie Chong had no one else he could contact.
He was a strange person.
At business gatherings, women sometimes took an interest in him and exchanged phone numbers with him. He would add them right there on the spot, then delete them as soon as he turned around.
As he put it, “Too much trouble.”
Everything was trouble this way and trouble that way.
Qian Song simply called him a complete “weirdo.”
One day, while Xie Chong was at a business dinner, Mu Wen called him.
It was time to choose the paint color for his walls.
He told her to decide for him.
Mu Wen tried to explain carefully, “I really want to decide for you, but do you know what? This isn’t a matter of logic anymore. It’s about taste. I can help you decide the furniture sizes, but there are just too many paint colors. They look different under different lighting, too. Even applying one extra coat or one less coat can make a difference…”
“Then what should I do?”
Xie Chong had been drinking. His voice carried a slight nasal tone, and although he sounded like he was asking a question, there was a soft, slightly lazy quality to his voice that was different from usual.
“Choose it yourself,” Mu Wen said. “Go choose tomorrow, okay? Once you’ve decided, just tell me.”
“I have something tomorrow. Something the day after tomorrow. And something the day after that…”
Mu Wen became a little troubled.
“Mr. Xie, I’m going back home for the New Year. After I come back, I’ll have to go straight back to school to finish my graduation work. You gave me such a big bonus, so I want to finish everything for you before I leave. I can’t just take your money for nothing…”
“Then what should we do?” Xie Chong asked again. “I don’t have time. Do you have color samples? Can you describe them?”
“Yes!” Mu Wen said. “I’ll have someone bring them to you tomorrow…”
“I’m near your company. I’ll go to your company later. Are you working overtime?”
This time, Mu Wen sensed that something was slightly off.
“You’ve been drinking?”
“Yes.”
“Then forget it. Don’t bother coming. Where are you? I’ll come find you after I finish my work.”
“I’ll have my driver pick you up…”
“No need.” Mu Wen quickly refused. “Really, there’s no need. I just happen to be going out for some fresh air.”
“Okay.”
After Xie Chong hung up, no matter how much anyone tried to persuade him, he stopped drinking.
Unfortunately, that day he was playing the role of the “grandson,” while the “grandfather” was unhappy.
“President Xie, it’s rare for everyone to get together. Why won’t you give us some face?”
Xie Chong covered his chest and said painfully, “My chest hurts…”
He still could not escape the drinking completely, but once he said that, no one asked him to drink anymore.
The gathering ended, and Xie Chong sat in his car waiting for Mu Wen.
Mu Wen came running toward him from a distance after working overtime.
The night was dark and freezing cold. Every time she ran, white clouds of breath came from her mouth.
By the time she reached his car, she was breathing heavily.
“Have… you… been… waiting long?”
Xie Chong simply looked at her.
How ridiculous.
The only person who came to see him after he had been drinking was Mu Wen, someone who had nothing to do with him personally.
She was carrying a backpack with her heavy computer inside, and after working overtime late at night, she had still come to bring him the paint samples.
At that moment, Xie Chong thought:
The bonus was too small.
He should have given her 10,000 yuan. Maybe even 20,000.
He should reward someone who was putting so much thought into his home.
Xie Chong leaned over and stretched out his arm to open the passenger door for her.
“Get in. We’ll talk inside.”
Before getting into the car, he rinsed his mouth and used some breath spray. Years of good manners would not allow him to meet a woman late at night smelling strongly of alcohol.
But his voice was still hoarse.
“You have a cold and you’re still drinking?” Mu Wen asked, thinking he had caught a cold.
Back in her hometown, people became lively after drinking. They sang, shouted, and made enough noise to shake the roof. No one became hoarse after drinking.
If their voices became hoarse, it was usually because they had been shouting over loud music and celebrations.
Xie Chong looked confused.
Then he understood.
“Oh. My voice is always like this after I drink.”
“Do you have a throat problem? You should go to the hospital and get it checked.”
As she chatted casually, Mu Wen opened the bag and took out the paint samples.
The car was dark. When she handed them to Xie Chong, she noticed that he was quietly looking at her.
How could she describe that look?
Mu Wen could not explain exactly how it made her feel.
An uncomfortable feeling slowly spread through her body. She pulled her arm back and held the samples tightly with both hands, leaning against the back of the seat.
“When are you leaving?” Xie Chong suddenly asked.
Mu Wen was a little surprised that he would ask.
But she answered seriously.
“Next week at the latest. I haven’t managed to buy a train ticket yet.”
“Where is your school? Where will you work after graduation? Aren’t you planning to go to graduate school?”
“My school is in Tianjin. Of course I’ll come back to Beijing after graduation. I’ll come back to this company too!”
Mu Wen sounded proud.
“This company is really hard to get hired by.”
She had always carried herself with this carefree confidence, as if reality had never beaten her down. Xie Chong had already seen enough of it.
He picked up his thermos and drank noisily.
Only after finishing did he turn on the car’s interior light. Then he leaned over and took the paint samples from Mu Wen’s hands.
He flipped through them casually.
“What color do you think looks good? White? There are so many kinds of white here.”
“If it were me, I’d choose this one.”
Mu Wen leaned closer and pointed at one of the samples.
“Look at this color. It looks beautiful when the light hits it, and it won’t look too dark on cloudy days. Oh, by the way, do you like using a small night-light? Or a reading lamp? You probably like reading. If you do, imagine turning on the reading lamp before bed and looking at the wall for a moment…”
She racked her brain trying to describe how the future wall color would look under different kinds of light.
Her eyes were smiling, full of anticipation. Her voice was also softer than usual, as if she were afraid of disturbing someone.
Xie Chong leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, imagining the scene she described.
He had once had expectations for this house.
Later, Jiang Wu had clearly said that she did not like it, and he had begun to think, Whatever. It doesn’t matter.
He probably would not live there anyway after the renovation was finished.
But now, once again, he could imagine what it might feel like to have a home.
And all those images had been drawn for him by the young intern from the renovation company sitting in front of him.
He imagined a soft night-light shining beside him.
He had just taken a shower and felt completely relaxed. He was lying on his side in bed, gently turning the pages of a book.
And Mu Wen had guessed correctly.
He liked reading too.
Qian Song always said Xie Chong was too much of a loner. Even the things he liked were solitary things.
Going hiking alone.
Being a fisherman.
Feeding horses.
Reading.
Driving aimlessly without any particular destination…
“Xie Chong?”
Mu Wen called his name once.
There was no response.
“Xie Chong?”
She called again.
Still no response.
But then she heard a soft snore.
Mu Wen remembered the time he had fallen asleep in the meeting room.
She copied him and shouted loudly,
“Xie Chong!”
Xie Chong suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her.
“Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes. You were snoring.”
“Was it loud?”
He asked instinctively.
“Not loud.”
Mu Wen paused.
Thinking of Xie Chong’s pride and his strange gentlemanly attitude, she added,
“Because you weren’t actually snoring.”
“Nonsense.”
Xie Chong glanced at her and suddenly laughed for no reason.
After laughing enough, he said, “I’ll call a driver. I’ll take you home first.”
“You had a driver just now. Why are you calling another driver?”
“I sent him home. Someone in his family has trouble walking, and it’s difficult for the elderly to get up at night.”
“Oh…”
Mu Wen looked at Xie Chong seriously.
Then she said sincerely,
“You know, Mr. Xie, although we don’t know each other very well, I really think you’re a good person.”
Xie Chong became uncomfortable at the compliment and told her to stop talking.
Mu Wen immediately pretended to zip her mouth shut.
On the way back, the two of them sat in the back seat, watching the beautiful night scenery outside the window.
Mu Wen suddenly realized that this might be her last time seeing Xie Chong.
A strong feeling of reluctance rose in her heart.
During her internship in Beijing, she had truly met many good people.
She knew that an internship was only an internship. Once she entered the real workforce, things might not be so simple.
Among all the clients she had met, Xie Chong was definitely the most unusual.
As they were getting close to her destination, she began reporting everything that still needed to be done.
She would finish choosing all the necessary items before the New Year.
The workers would also take a holiday during the New Year and would not return until after the Lantern Festival. During that time, the wall paint could dry properly, but they needed to pay attention to humidity and temperature.
The furniture and appliances would be delivered in batches after the holiday. Her master would keep an eye on everything then.
And of course, if there were any problems with anything she had personally handled, he could always call her.
…
She was afraid she might forget something, so she kept talking to Xie Chong.
“Did you remember everything?”
“No.”
Xie Chong said, “I drank today. I can’t remember anything. I feel really sick. I think I’m going to throw up.”
The designated driver asked, “Should I pull over?”
“Pull over for a moment. I’ll get out and be sick. No rush. I’ll pay for the extra time.”
Xie Chong stood by the roadside in the middle of the night.
Mu Wen stood beside him.
Seeing that he wasn’t doing anything, she said,
“Go ahead and throw up.”
“I can’t.”
Xie Chong said, “What should I do? I feel sick, but I can’t throw up.”
“Drink some more water? Maybe try to clear your throat?”
Mu Wen genuinely tried to think of a solution for him. She even demonstrated.
“Here, like this. Gag, and then you can get it out.”
Xie Chong leaned against a tree and looked at her.
Thinking about how she was leaving Beijing, he felt a little unhappy.
After she left, there would be no one around who was so easy for him to tease.
“I need to eat a bowl of hot noodles,” Xie Chong said. “Eating something hot after drinking makes the nausea go away.”
Mu Wen looked at the time.
It was two in the morning.
She was hungry too.
“Um…”
She carefully watched Xie Chong’s expression.
“Should we go… to the back alley?”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Xie Chong looked around.
“Is there still anything open this late in this cold weather?”
“There is.”
They went to the back alley again.
Even at this hour, there were still people there.
People who had just finished night shifts or had returned home late huddled against the cold wind while eating.
“This time, I’ll treat you,” Mu Wen said. “Let’s have fried rice from that place. We can just stand beside the wok and eat. It’ll be hot. Is that okay?”
“Okay.”
Mu Wen took fourteen yuan from her little wallet and handed it to the owner.
“Two portions of fried rice.”
Xie Chong glanced at her wallet.
It was really thin.
For once, he did not complain or act particular.
He stood beside her near the wok and ate a portion of fried rice with distinct, separate grains.
Mu Wen scooped up a small spoonful of pickled vegetables and placed them on top of his rice.
“Eat one little piece of pickled vegetable with each mouthful of rice. It tastes better this way.”
Xie Chong copied her.
It wasn’t bad.
Mu Wen had finally treated Xie Chong to a meal.
Of course, she knew this meal could not compare with the expensive Shanghai-style dinner he had treated her to.
But in her heart, she finally felt that she had repaid what she owed him.
After that, she devoted herself completely to wrapping up her internship.
Because she knew she would come back later, she did not feel especially sad.
She left her books in a small locker at the company and sent the rest of her belongings home or back to school.
Overall, she thought her internship had been wonderful.
Every day, when she finished her work, she would hum a little song.
One day, Lin Weisen asked her,
“Do you want to go take another look at Xie Chong’s house before you leave?”
She waved her hands.
“No, no, no! You said it yourself, Master. Once the renovation is finished, all that’s left is after-sales service. If there are no more problems, then my work with that house is over. So I’ll just say goodbye to it early!”
“Then I’ll tell you one more thing,” Lin Weisen said. “Don’t get too excited when you hear it.”
“What is it?”
“When Mr. Xie paid the final price difference, he added another 5,000 yuan as a bonus. It’s for you.”
“Wow! Wow! Wow!”
Mu Wen was overjoyed.
“I deserve that, Master! You don’t know how hard I’ve worked on his house. I practically ran my legs off…”
But she knew that Xie Chong could have chosen not to give her any extra bonus, just like other clients.
After all, this was her job.
He could be unpredictable, extremely picky, and unbearably arrogant.
But deep down, he was actually a good person.
Mu Wen called Xie Chong to thank him.
Xie Chong told her to stop with her fake politeness and wished her a smooth graduation.
“Then I guess this is goodbye!” Mu Wen said happily.
Xie Chong was silent for a moment.
“Goodbye.”
It was nothing more than an ordinary phone call.
But when the call ended, Mu Wen touched her face and felt a tiny tear.
How strange.
Why do my eyes feel so hot?
She wondered.