Rock Sugar And Pear Stew

Tang Xue was brought to a conference room on the third floor.

Manager Wu pushed open the door and gestured her to go in. Tang Xue felt that there was something odd about the whole situation but before she could make sense of what was going on, Manager Wu suddenly gave her a gentle push. Just like that, she was pushed into the room.

“I just remembered that I still have something on. I’ll head off first. You two have a good chat.” On saying this, Manager Wu did not even give Tang Xue a chance to react before he closed the door with a thud.

“Hey……” Tang Xue was baffled.

She turned and swept her eyes across the conference room.

The room was square in shape and rather large. With its simple furnishing, the entire room felt extremely s.p.a.cious. In the middle was a conference table and at the end of this table was a French window. Its grey curtains were drawn open and through the clear window panes, one could see an open s.p.a.ce with trees and pedestrians.

In front of the French window was a black executive chair. A person was sitting on this chair.

Right now, this person sat facing the French window, leaving Tang Xue with a back view of his head.

How pretentious. Tang Xue silently scoffed in her heart.

“Hi.” Tang Xue called out.

The chair slowly, slowly turned before it finally faced her.

That person was wearing a white tracksuit and had short hair that did not reach past his ears. As he was back facing the sunlight shining in from the window, his face could not be seen that clearly. However, Tang Xue took one look and was lightly stunned for a moment. She thought, this guy is really good looking!

His face was fair with well-defined and symmetric features. He also had a piercing gaze and the way he held himself was clean, poised and confident.

He was sitting there quietly while basked in the sunlight, looking as if he was surrounded by a warm golden halo. The scene gave one the same feeling as viewing an oil painting—gentle, refined and somewhat inexplicable.

Tang Xue repeated herself, “Hi.”

He briefly acknowledged her greeting with an “mm”. In an unhurried tone, he asked, “You’re my new a.s.sistant?” His voice was deep and resonant like notes from the gently plucked strings of a qin[1]. It was exceptionally pleasant to the ears.

Tang Xue puffed out her chest. “Uh huh.”

He earnestly nodded before appraising her, “How dark.”

Tang Xue: “……”

Tang Xue was a little embarra.s.sed and hurriedly explained, “I just came back from military training. I’ll be

fairer in a while, really!”

He did not remark on this and instead rose and walked towards her.

When he stood up, Tang Xue realized that this person was extremely tall. He took slow and measured steps with his hands clasped behind his back. With every step towards her, the figure in the sun grew taller and taller. There was an almost imperceptible sense of being oppressed. It was just like a string with its two ends being pulled in opposite directions. With every tug, the string became tighter and tighter, till it was so taut that it would snap at any moment.

Tang Xue began to feel nervous. She straightened her shoulders, swallowed her saliva and gazed at him.

That person walked closer and closer. Tang Xue could already see his features clearly.

Then, she was unexpectedly disconcerted: This person looked really familiar!

That slant of his eyebrows, that nose, and that particular set of eyes that was like large round almonds with a narrow double eyelid fold. It was an eye shape that looked suave without being flamboyant. That pair of eyes were framed by long and thick lashes so dark they seemed to have been dipped in ink. It was like the feathers that one could pluck from a black Silkie baby chick…… Ah, she once described someone this way before, just who was it……

She was so, so close to recalling! Tang Xue was a little agitated. Her eyes darted and she spotted that on the right of his nose bridge, there was a teeny tiny light brown mole that was like a tiny star safeguarding his bright moon-like eyes.

Ah!

It immediately struck her and she blurted out, “Li Yubing! You’re Li Yubing?!”

Li Yubing lightly tilted his head and purposely gazed at her with a puzzled look. “You’re…?”

“I’m Tang Xue, Tang Xue! Have you forgotten?” Tang Xue completely did not expect to meet Li Yubing here. She was astonished but also delighted. After all, he was an old cla.s.smate.

“Tang Xue.” Li Yubing’s expression became somewhat preoccupied.

“Right, I’m Tang Xue. Don’t you remember me?”

“I do. My childhood trauma.”

“Eh……”

That was slightly awkward.

Li Yubing: “Thanks to your care, I didn’t get to spend a single penny of my allowance during the six years of primary school.”

Tang Xue felt even more awkward. She waved her hands. “You think way too highly of me……”

Li Yubing scrutinized Tang Xue again. He asked incredulously, “How the heck did you became so dark?”

“I’ve already said, I just came back from military training, why won’t you believe me! Eh wait……” Tang Xue’s face changed. “The two of us are in the

the same batch. You should’ve gone for military training too. Why didn’t you become darker? This doesn’t make sense[2].” Head over to teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com if translator’s notes are missing or if you simply want to read without ads.

“Oh, I skipped a grade. I’m in Year 2 this year.”

Tang Xue was envious. So it was actually possible for a person to be outstanding from young and stay this way while growing up. Li Yubing was like a prized steed that would always be galloping faster than other mules and donkeys.

“Congratulations.” Tang Xue bit her lips. Her tone was just that teeny weeny bit sour. She then probed, “You’re still playing ice hockey? I heard Manager Wu mentioned that you’re the core player of the school team?”

“Mm. They were worried that I have too much on my plate and thus hired an a.s.sistant. I didn’t expect it to be you.”

This sentence rudely reminded Tang Xue that she was here to be Li Yubing’s a.s.sistant.

Li Yubing used to be her former lackey. When she pointed to the east, he absolutely wouldn’t dare to venture west. He was even more obedient than her current lackey Liao Zhenyu.

And now, it was her turn to be his lackey……

This was the downfall of her great dynasty!

How times have changed. Tang Xue felt a wave of sorrow and was deeply despondent. She was momentarily unable to accept this fact.

She pouted in frustration, her face clearly broadcasting her helplessness.

Li Yubing admired her expression from the side. His lips quirked, revealing a faint smile before immediately rea.s.suming his solemn countenance.

Tang Xue was willing to become anyone’s a.s.sistant. The only exception was Li Yubing. How could she wait on someone who was once her lackey? She faintly shifted her head and said, “I can’t take up this job anymore. I just remembered that I have to study well. I’m aiming to go down the academic route in the future.”

“Sure, just pay the termination fees.”

“What termination fees?”

Li Yubing pointed at the contract that she held. “See for yourself.”

There were originally two copies of the contract. After signing, Manager Wu pa.s.sed her one. Tang Xue opened her copy of the contract and scanned the termination clause. It stated that if she wished to immediately leave, she would need to pay an early termination fee of 100,000 dollars. At the same time, she was also required to compensate for any inconvenience or losses arising from her departure. Alternatively, she could avoid paying the termination fees by giving one month’s notice of her resignation.

This meant that if she raised the issue of termination now, she could

she could only leave in a month.

Alright! A month it’ll be. She’ll just grin and bear it!

“Your duties officially start tomorrow,” Li Yubing said.

“What do I have to do?”

“You’ll have to do whatever I ask you to do,” Li Yubing said. He silently continued this sentence in his heart, ‘just like how you treated me when we were young.’

Tang Xue felt that Li Yubing’s current manner of speaking was practically asking for a beating.

However, he was really tall now. It was complete 180 from the small and squishy steamed bun that he was in the past. She won’t be able to win him in a fight……

Li Yubing picked up the backpack hanging off the chair, slung it over a shoulder and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’m off.”

“Where are you going?”

“Heading to cla.s.s.”

Tang Xue looked at the clock and it was indeed time for lessons. She trailed after him and sourly said, “You athletes have lessons to attend too?”

“I’m not solely an athlete.”

“Oh? How much did you get for your university entrance exams?”

With one hand on the door, Li Yubing glanced back at her. “Sure you want to know?”

The way his face hinted at a smile caused in Tang Xue yet another urge to give him a good whack. She quickly shook her head. “Nope nope nope I don’t. Not going to give you a chance to show off.”

The two exited the room. Li Yubing stepped into the stairwell and Tang Xue followed behind closely just like his little tail. She walked and asked, “Why did you come to RCU then?”

Without turning his head, he answered, “RCU has an ice hockey team.”

This person—he was not only good looking and smart, but also excelled in his studies while managing to accomplish the things he loved…… To sum it all up, he was absolutely winning in life.

Tang Xue felt another wave of envy.

After they headed out from the ice rink, Li Yubing scanned the row of bicycles for his own bike and wheeled it out. Tang Xue asked, “What are you majoring in?”

“Astronomy. You?”

“I, I’m in the School of Agricultural Science.”

“School of Agricultural Science, what major?”

“…… veterinary science.” Tang Xue raised her head to look at the sky and softly said. Her voice was very small, like the light buzz of a mosquito.

Unfortunately, Li Yubing heard her words clearly and let out a soft chuckle. Even though the laughter was short, m.u.f.fled and had long stopped, just like his voice, his laugh lingered in the air like the notes of a gently plucked qin.

Tang Xue could feel her ears heating up.ears heating up. She was a little embarra.s.sed.

Li Yubing mounted his bicycle. With one leg on the ground and another leg on the pedal, he asked, “Do you want a lift?”

“Sure.” Tang Xue accepted his gesture of goodwill. She walked to the back seat of the bicycle and lightly bound up.

At this exact moment, Li Yubing pushed against the ground. The bicycle was like a swift swordfish and instantly rolled off with a “swoosh”. Tang Xue was caught off guard and her b.u.t.t landed on the ground.

“In your dreams,” Li Yubing said.

Li Yubing leisurely rode off on his bicycle. He thought of the b.u.g.g.e.r behind him and his eyes slightly crinkled. At the side, a girl saw him, clasped a hand to her cheek and softly exhaled, “Sooo cute.”

With indignation and a little grief, Tang Xue got up.

She watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance and thought of the small, adorable and weak boy in her memories. It was tough to think that those two figures were actually the same person.

How a perfectly fine kid grew up to be so crooked?

“b.a.s.t.a.r.d[3], you’ve changed.” Tang Xue rubbed her b.u.t.t, a look of melancholy on her face.

Author’s Bonus Content

Tang Xue: Your acting’s fantastic. The Oscars owe you a little yellow man[4].

Li Yubing: Little gold man, thanks.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Qin, more commonly known in modern times as 古琴 (gǔ qín), is a Chinese string instrument that literally translates to “ancient zither”. From ancient times, this instrument has been closely a.s.sociated with subtly and refinement by Chinese scholars and literati. Guqin players are viewed to be especially refined people of impeccable moral standing.

[2] This is one of my favourite modern Chinese slang. Instead of saying that something doesn’t make sense, people will say 这不科学 (zhè bù kē xué), which literally translates as this isn’t science/that’s not scientific even though the topic on hand might not be related to science at all. I think it’s an utterly adorable way of saying that something isn’t logical.

[3] Original phrase is 狗子 (gǒu zi). 狗 means dog while 子 is a Chinese suffix that can be used to turn something or someone’s name into a nickname. 狗子 is a vaguely insulting phrase but can also be used endearingly among close or old friends depending on the context. It’s just like how you will sometimes affectionately address your close friends by using certain insults.

[4] In Chinese, little yellow man, 小黄人 (xiǎo huáng rén), also refers to the yellow minions from Despicable Me.