Chapter 12
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Cheng Peng was actually right to speculate that Zhao Di had second-child syndrome. While studying in university, Zhao Di really was second in a million of ways; no matter what exam he took, his name was always below Xiang ChangKong"s.
Xiang ChangKong was very popular back then. Almost everyone in the school liked him, and it was if only Zhao Di felt like he was under Xiang ChangKong"s shadow.
It was only until Xiang ChangKong gave up his spot to study abroad due to an accident that the spot fell on Zhao Di. Did it make him happy? Not really. The situation only felt like Xiang ChangKong was giving him his leftovers. Did it make him unhappy, then? No. After all, it was a rare opportunity for any student in their major.
Zhao Di finished his postgraduate studies with this incompetent mindset. Then today, Xiang ChangKong suddenly shows up and asks him, "Why are you working in a financial company"?
Zhao Di looked at the sentence on his phone silently before sneering. This way of doing things was very in-line with Xiang ChangKong"s personality.
Zhao Didi: Shouldn"t you be doing your job and delivering food right now?
Xiang ChangKong: You"re different.
Zhao Di had excellent grades in university, and he even gained the opportunity to study abroad. Xiang ChangKong learned from Uncle Hou that Zhao Di managed to get a job at a flight yard when he came back to China, a great starting opportunity to show his skills in the industry.
Meeting him at a financial company today was definitely a surprise, not because they met in awkward circ.u.mstances, but because Zhao Di had changed careers.
It took a long time before Zhao Di replied to his message. Once he did, several messages came one after the other.
Zhao DiDi: I"m not like you. I"m not as enthusiastic about aviation as you are.
Zhao DiDi: Aviation majors are pits. It"s useless to study it. How many of our fellow graduates actually become chief designers?
Zhao DiDi: Even if I did a postgraduate, what does that actually amount to? The entire industry operates on a 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. work hour. If you"re not doing overtime, you"re on a business trip. And what about the income? Take a look at our cla.s.s group, show me one who lives comfortably. The aviation industry is like dedicating yourself to service the country.
Looking at Zhao Di"s messages, Xiang ChangKong was quiet for some time. He remembered what his father had told him when he was a child: "Aviation requires pa.s.sion."
He believed that every student that chose to major in aviation initially had the enthusiasm to enter the industry and contribute to their country"s aviation research. But eventually, this enthusiasm would get exhausted when faced with reality.
Aviation is a relatively new industry, and even a flight yard might not give the best treatment to its newcomers. But the fact that it was a young and new industry meant unknown territory and many opportunities to explore and be imaginative. Xiang ChangKong firmly believed that it wouldn"t be too difficult to obtain achievements as long as one sticks with it till the end.
Xiang ChangKong: I still think it"s a pity.
Zhao DiDi: What, a pity that you didn"t manage to finish your postgraduate studies?
Xiang ChangKong: No, a pity that your talents won"t be used.
Zhao DiDi: That"s enough! What"s there to pity about me?
Staring at the bright screen, Zhao Di pursed his mouth. His eyes flickered as if something in him had ignited...but only for a moment.
Zhao Di went offline soon after. Looking at the darkened icon, Xiang ChangKong"s eyes inadvertently fell to the lower right corner of his computer.
Today was October 20. Tomorrow graduate students from the academy would begin to register for work.
Xiang ChangKong sat there for a long time, then turned off the computer.
Xu Lian had a very long and strange dream that night. In her dream, she was in her candle store in Starlight Park, and was somehow being chased. Then a takeaway brother appeared. After a fierce fight, all the people chasing after her were killed by the takeaway brother. The takeaway brother then told her that the sky candle contained a mysterious power so she should watch over it carefully. After he said this, another group of people came, so a fierce fight began again. He flew towards the sky...
...and then she woke up, feeling tired as if she really had been chased.
She started the day in a very complicated mood. She never had such a dream since junior high school. Her mind went back to the takeaway brother, his face towards the sky.
She calmed her heart, then got up for a morning run.
Wei YiChen said that he would come over to clean her shop today, so after having breakfast, she drove straight to Starlight Park. By the time she arrived, Wei YiChen was already in front of her store with several of his brothers.
When Wei YiChen saw her car approaching, he waved eagerly towards her: "I haven"t seen you in a few days, miss me?"
Xu Lian got out of her car and gave him a blank look. "I want to punch your dog head."
"..." Wei YiChen coughed in embarra.s.sment, then laughed nervously. "This time was my fault you got dragged into this mess. Isn"t that why I"m here now to make amends? As for Zhu Bing..."
Wei YiChen"s eyes dimmed. "He won"t trouble you again."
Xu Lian didn"t want to know how Wei YiChen would deal with Zhu Bing, nor did she ask where the wounds on his face came from. Her eyes swept from Wei YiChen to his little brothers, then she said: "Why are you dressed like this? People might think my store"s getting hara.s.sed again."
Wei YiChen blinked. "Then should we wear suits next time?"
"......" eXu Lian silently turned around and opened her store. Wei YiChen waved his hands like some king and said to the people behind him: "Young men, get to work!"
Although Wei YiChen only brought a few random little brothers to clean up, they were still quite skillful. When Xu Lian saw their competence, she simply let them be and got them to clean her entire shop. Since her one of her showcases were damaged, Wei YiChen bought her another one and said that it should be delivered by tomorrow at the latest.
It was getting pretty dusty as they cleaned, so Xu Lian went out and drove to the florist to check on her Anthurium. Yesterday her plant had been withered, but it now, in the florist"s magic hands, her plant had sprung back to life and was full of vitality. Xu Lian thanked the florist, brought her plant back to her car and drove back, buying some drinks on the way.
When she came back, she pa.s.sed the drinks to the little brothers. Xu Lian then picked up her phone and walked towards a corner. She opened the takeaway app and ordered her usual chicken set from Wolong Kitchen. She left a note in the instructions: Please have Xiang ChangKong deliver the meal.
As she sent this, Wei YiChen approached her with a smile and asked: "How about having lunch together at noon?"
Xu Lian waved her phone towards him: "I"ve just ordered myself takeout."
Wei YiChen: "...." Just how much does this person like takeaway?
"What"s so good about takeout? I heard that a new barbecue shop opened in Starlight Park, how about we try it? My treat."
Xu Lian remained unmoved. "No. In the future, you better visit less so that no one else gets the idea to come and smash my store again."
Wei Yichen: "......"
When Xiang ChangKong entered Wolong Kitchen to pick up his delivery, the boss looked at him oddly. "This chicken set order had a note that asked you to deliver it personally."
Xiang ChangKong silently took the bag, embarra.s.sed, but the boss refused to let him go and continued, showing him his phone. "Yesterday she also made a comment thanking a takeaway boy for helping her. Didn"t you deliver to the same address yesterday? Did she fall for you?"
"...." Xiang ChangKong looked at the phone and told the boss: "You"ve got another order for curry rice, please hurry."
"It"s already being made, no need to worry." The owner"s interest in curry rice obviously doesn"t compare to gossip. "We"ve been in the takeout bussiness for two years now, and I"ve seen my fair share of weird notes. We"ve even gotten a note asking for the most handsome takeaway boy to deliver meals to them. I do think you"re handsome. But this girl must have taken a real liking to you, so much so that she even remembered your name."
"...." It wasn"t that he had never been confessed to, but hearing this boss comment this way made Xiang ChangKong feel way more embarra.s.sed than any of the face-to-face confession he had experienced in the past. "Boss..."
"I know, I know, the curry will be out soon."
As soon as Xiang ChangKong had the two meals, he left quickly. The boss looked at his rapidly retreating back and smiled. "This young man, still so shy, ah."
Xiang ChangKong delivered the curry first, then drove to Starlight Park.
As he parked, he saw Xu Lian through her store window, watching a group of people clean. He had wondered how Xu Lian was able to open her store today, and seeing this, he finally understood.
As he opened the door, Xu Lian noticed him. She quickly walked towards him and accepted the bag of food. She then looked him up and down and said: "How"re your injuries?"
Seeing that the wound on the corner of his mouth was still pretty conspicuous, she figured that the rest of his injuries were still tender. Xiang ChangKong"s eyes didn"t meet her"s as he said: "They"re fine. I already put medicine on them."
Wei YiChen followed Xu Lian and looked at Xiang ChangKong. "I heard some of what happened from Xu Lian. Thank you, brother, for helping her. I owe you one."
Lifting a corner of his mouth slightly, Xiang ChangKong replied: "No, no, you had nothing to do with the situation."
Wei YiChen slightly lifted an eyebrow and was about to say something when his little brothers shouted from upstairs: "Brother Chen, we"ve finished cleaning up!"
"OK! I"ll treat you all to a big lunch at noon!" Wei YiChen raised his head and smiled at the group on the second floor.
Although his face was quite colorful, his smile was still very attractive.
After everyone packed up, Wei YiChen looked at Xu Lian and asked again: "Are you sure you don"t want to come with us?"
"No. I"m planning on going home and catching up on a few orders after lunch."
Wei YiChen knew that she was swamped this month, and finally reluctantly acquiesced, promising to invite her next time. After they all left, Xiang ChangKong turned to Xu Lian and said: "Then I"ll be leaving too. Have a nice meal."
"Wait." Xu Lian grabbed his arm and asked: "Are you busy right now?"
Xiang ChangKong nodded. The lunch rush was always busy. "I have several orders that need to be delivered."
"When will you be free in the afternoon?"
Xiang ChangKong was stunned. He didn"t know what she was trying to do. A little doubtful, he asked: "What"s wrong?"
"Ah, I just have a small matter." Xu Lian showed a rare awkward posture.
Xiang ChangKong thought for a bit, then said: "I"m free from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m."
This was the break time for the day shift. It was also the times the company forbid anyone from taking orders, so this long period of idleness wasn"t really Xiang ChangKong"s choice. After all, as a takeaway boy, he gets paid on commission. The more orders he delivers, the higher his salary will be.
"Then I"ll be waiting for you." Xu Lian replied.
Xiang ChangKong candidly asked: "Didn"t you just say that you were going home after lunch?"
Xu Lian looked at him. "Then I"ll wait for you at home?"
"......" Xiang ChangKong"s face was beet red as he replied: "I"ll be here at around 2:30 p.m."
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Sorry I was a few hours late in posting this.