“Alright, my mistake, let’s not talk about that anymore.”
Yan Jia changed the subject, “I’ve arranged a welcome dinner for you tonight. Once you get to the hotel, rest well. I’ll call you again after work.”
Yu Le replied, “I’m just staying in the city for one night. What’s the need for a welcome dinner?”
Yan Jia: “A welcome dinner is still a welcome dinner, whether you stay one night or more. Unless you plan to sleep through to the next morning without having dinner?”
Yu Le: “Do whatever you want. Just don’t order anything too spicy.”
The drive from the airport to the hotel took nearly an hour. Yu Le tried to nap but couldn’t, and the rapidly retreating greenery and streetlights outside made him dizzy. So, he took out his phone and replied to the messages he had ignored all day.
There were messages from family, old classmates, and studio staff.
And also from that person.
Yu Le replied to all the other messages, leaving only the last one with a red dot. He considered deleting the chat but hesitated for a long time while staring at the delete option. Eventually, he gave in and opened the message.
Cheng Xiwu: [Lele, my engagement party date has been set for the 26th. Do you want to come on the day itself or a day earlier? I’ll arrange a room for you.]
Reading this message, Yu Le felt a pang in his heart.
He hit his chest a couple of times, realizing that he was just torturing himself. He knew well that any message from this person would not be pleasant, yet he still opened it out of curiosity.
He wasn’t foolish enough to actually attend the engagement party of his crush.
Yu Le: [No need, Senior Cheng. I have some work issues and am no longer in Wucheng. I won’t be able to make it back before the 26th. I wish you and your fiancée a smooth engagement party, and the gift will be sent on time.]
Yu Le could anticipate Cheng Xiwu’s likely responses: something along the lines of “No need to be so formal,” “Take care,” or “Let me know if you need anything.”
However, he wasn’t in the mood for small talk, so he ended the chat.
Yan Jia was only partially right. While avoiding a blind date was part of Yu Le’s motivation for his trip, his main reason was not wanting to attend Cheng Xiwu’s engagement party or see him introducing his fiancée.
Yu Le was principled and had no masochistic tendencies.
Opening his Moments, the first post he saw was from Cheng Xiwu, posted ten minutes earlier, featuring a photo of the engagement invitation and a picture of the engaged couple.
In the picture, the couple was dressed formally, with expensive tailored suits and exquisite, glamorous gowns that complemented each other perfectly.
The gown had been specially designed by Yu Le, who had been asked two months in advance to help. The garments did not disappoint his effort and showcased their beauty completely, but seeing them only made Yu Le feel more heartache.
It truly fit the saying from a new perspective—everything in the end was for others’ benefit.
At the hotel, after getting out of the car, the driver helped him with his luggage while he was paying. Yu Le thanked him and dragged his suitcase toward the hotel entrance.
After presenting his ID at the front desk and receiving his room key, he followed the staff’s directions to the elevator.
Yan Jia sent a few more messages with links to several restaurants, asking him to choose one.
Yu Le clicked through the links. As he was stepping into the elevator, the wheels of his suitcase got stuck in the gap.
He wasn’t quick enough to grab the handle.
Fortunately, someone else, quicker than him, helped steady the suitcase and placed it inside the elevator.
Yu Le took the handle again, “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
The person’s voice was low and deep, with a rich resonance that was surprisingly pleasant even to Yu Le, who had a discerning ear for men’s voices.
Yu Le was momentarily stunned. By the time he looked up again, he could only see two figures in suits walking away, one in front of the other.
His phone buzzed again. Yu Le looked down and saw a new voice message from Yan Jia, “Choose quickly; two of the places need reservations, or you might not get a table.”
Yu Le selected a restaurant and sent the link back. Then he thought for a moment and typed to Yan Jia: [Are there any massage places nearby or massage therapists who provide home service?]
Yan Jia: [Massage therapist?]
Yu Le: [Yes.]
Yan Jia: [You’ve only been on the plane for a short time, and your shoulders are already stiff?]
Yu Le: [No, it’s from that suitcase of stones at the airport.]
Yu Le: [I think I might have really twisted my back.]
The driver had been waiting at the door for a while. The assistant opened the rear door, waited for Lu Yao to get in, then closed the door and moved to the front seat to drive, starting to communicate the arrangements for the rest of the day.
“There’s a meeting at 3 PM, and from 5 to 6 PM, you’ll meet with a business partner. Additionally, Mr. Feng, who you collaborated with last quarter, wants to invite you to dinner. After that, at 8 PM, you need to return to the hotel for an industry networking dinner.”
Closing the folder, the assistant turned to look at the back seat, “This is the current schedule, General Lu. Is there anything you need to adjust?”
“No need.”
Lu Yao pinched the bridge of his swollen nose, his brows showing signs of fatigue. Counting today, he had been working intensively for three full weeks.
“What time is it now?” he asked.
The assistant looked at the time, “It’s almost time. There are still two hours of free time. Would you like to go back and rest for a bit?”
“No need.” Lu Yao put his hand down, “Let’s go to the hospital directly.”
The hospital corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant. Lu Yao quickly found the ward located in the quietest corner and pushed the door open.
The accompanying caregiver greeted him politely and then left temporarily upon seeing a family member arrive.
The hospital wasn’t a place for healing, and the old man in the bed looked thinner since their last visit. Fortunately, he was in good spirits and smiled at Lu Yao when he saw him, waving him over, “Ah Yao, come over here and sit.”
Lu Yao pulled a chair up to the bedside and sat down. “Grandpa, how have you been recently?”
“Very well.” Grandpa Lu smiled, “The doctors are good, the caregivers are good, and the new young doctor is nice too. He chatted with me this morning while taking my blood pressure, telling me about his grandpa’s new farm.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Lu Yao removed his suit jacket and casually draped it over the back of the chair, then took an apple from the side table and began to peel it slowly.
The grandfather and grandson chatted intermittently until Grandpa Lu suddenly remembered something, “By the way, Ah Yao, what month is it now?”
Lu Yao answered, “It’s late May, and June is just around the corner.”
“Oh dear.” Grandpa Lu was worried, “How is it summer already again?”
The old man had a poor memory due to his illness, and he often repeated things he had mentioned before.
Lu Yao could tell what he was going to say next just from the beginning, but he never interrupted or discouraged his grandfather. No matter how many times he repeated himself, Lu Yao listened patiently.
“When I retired from the army, I made a promise with a few comrades to meet every summer. At that time, your grandmother was still around, and she never forgot to steam a dish of locust flowers from the yard for us each year.”
“After your grandmother passed away, the task of steaming locust flowers fell to me. I don’t have her skill, so the result was only passable. Fortunately, everyone had been through tough times and wasn’t picky about food.”
“Then, over time, fewer and fewer people came each year. The last gathering seems like it was a very long time ago. By then, only three of us, including myself, were left.”
“At that time, we had peanuts, steamed locust flowers, and drank old An’s rice wine. We promised that at least the three of us would be there the next year. But the next year, I didn’t see any of the two old men.”
Lu Yao knew it wasn’t just that year where he waited for them. Since then, he had never seen them again in subsequent years.
Despite this, the old man still made his way to the mountains every summer without fail, and always waited at the old spot. He said that as long as he was alive, the promise was still valid, and he must keep his word and not break the appointment.
“This illness came at the wrong time, and now I can’t even get out of bed. I’m going to break the appointment. If they come this year and don’t see me, won’t they… sigh.”
“I’ll go in your place.”
Lu Yao cut the apple into small pieces, put them on a plate, and inserted toothpicks. After wiping the fruit knife clean and putting it away, he looked at the old man.
“This year, I’ll go in your place. I’ll make sure someone informs you when there’s news and will help entertain guests. I’ll steam the locust flowers and won’t let you break the appointment.”
“Ah, good child.” The old man smiled, his frown lines easing.
Talking like this had exhausted him, and his eyes began to show signs of fatigue. As Lu Yao helped him adjust the blanket, the old man patted his hand with his withered hand, “Remember to look after the old locust tree in the yard.”
“Your grandmother loved it the most.”
It was just past 2 PM when Lu Yao left the hospital. The driver took the car out of the hospital’s underground parking lot and drove Lu Yao back to the company.
Lu Yao reviewed the documents handed to him by his assistant, confirming that all the tasks he needed to handle personally over the next two months had been completed in advance.
“Delegate the rest of the work to you. Email me if there are any issues, and I’ll arrange an online meeting if necessary to discuss specifics.”
“Understood, General Lu,” the assistant said. “Will you be departing early tomorrow morning?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need me to arrange a driver for you?”
“No need. I’ll drive myself.”
