Chapter
128: Return to the Vast Ocean
Lei Zhenzi spoke a great deal. The tea cooled, then heated,
then cooled again. The tea leaves' flavor had clearly been diluted by the swirl
of water, but Chu Qianmiao felt the tea grow increasingly bitter and astringent
with each sip. The bitterness wasn't just on her taste buds; it had penetrated
her very senses, soaking every capillary with bitterness.
She wondered how such a pitiful person could exist in this
world. And the most pitiful thing about that person was that he cloaked himself
in indifference and apathy, unwilling to let others see his pity.
Lei Zhenzi's words still rang in her ears.
"You don't know how miserable Ren Yan's life was in the
years after his uncle passed away," Lei Zhenzi said with a smile.
Chu Qianmiao felt that Lei Zhenzi today was different from
any other Lei Zhenzi. She thought that today's Lei Zhenzi was the real Lei
Zhenzi. He'd put away his unruly demeanor, his rosy cheeks, revealing a
sentimental man who felt a sense of guilt for his brother's life. It turned out
that the slight hint of frivolity on his face and body was merely the mask of a
playboy playing with the world; beneath that mask, he was a man of deep
affection.
Come to think of it, if he weren't such a sentimental man,
how could he have stayed by the cold Ren Yan's side, day in and day out, for so
many years?
For Ren Yan, perhaps Lei Zhenzi's noisy companionship was
the only ray of warmth in his otherwise detached life.
Outside the window, another summer in Beijing fell. Inside,
the air conditioner was on full blast.
Chu Qianmiao sat in the cool breeze, sipping bitter tea and
listening to Lei Zhenzi's slow voice.
Qian Miao, you see, after Ren Yan's uncle passed away, Ren
Yan and Tan Shen, two blood relatives, should have been the closest people in
the world, right? Instead, they became the most distant and mutually exclusive.
As soon as they left the house, neither of them wanted to show any connection
to the other, even treating each other as the most distant strangers they
wanted to avoid. They only acknowledged their kinship in front of their
grandmother.
After his uncle's death, Tan Shen's predatory nature
intensified. He not only exploited but also copied Ren Yan. Whatever Ren Yan
did, Tan Shen did. Whatever school Ren Yan applied to, Tan Shen applied to.
Whatever major Ren Yan chose, Tan Shen chose to study. If Ren Yan went abroad,
Tan Shen went abroad too. If Ren Yan looked at a girl a few times, or if a girl
approached him and he didn't show any rejection, Tan Shen would assume there
was potential for a relationship between them. He would immediately do
everything he could to get there first and make her his girlfriend.
Qianmiao, you know, Tan Shen is very good at showcasing his
strengths. He's well-off, generous, handsome, intelligent, and knows how to
speak the kind of heartfelt words girls love to hear. If he could hide his
surly and paranoid side and put some effort into expressing himself, he'd be a
very attractive guy indeed.
Chu Qianmiao was calm at first, but the more she listened,
the more alarmed she became.
If Ren Yan glanced at a girl a few times, or if a girl
approached him without showing any repulsion, Tan Shen would immediately do
everything he could to get ahead of her and make her his girlfriend.
So, she also became Tan Shen's girlfriend back then, was
that right?
So, what she had always thought was her ordinary,
unremarkable love life, just like any other girl's, was actually the result of
a deliberate scheme?
For the first time, looking back on the past, she felt a
chill.
She took a sip of hot tea. It was scalding, but it couldn't
warm the chill welling up in her heart.
Lei Zhenzi continued to speak slowly to her.
You see, because of Tan Shen's actions, Ren Yan didn't dare
to like anyone. If he liked anyone, Tan Shen would snatch her away. And the
most terrifying thing was that Tan Shen's snatching was revenge against Ren
Yan. Therefore, Tan Shen's motivation for being with girls wasn't love at all.
So, Ren Yan was terrified that some innocent girl would get caught between
them. To prevent this, he became even more apathetic and lived like a walking
corpse.
Once, unable to bear it any longer, I asked him, "Have
you thought about your future life goals? When will this state of life
end?"
Qian Miao, do you know how he answered me? He said he didn't
have any life goals, no particular ideas, just moving forward one step at a
time. Hungry stomach urges you to eat, and moneyless hands urge you to earn
money. Isn't that what life is all about? Your instincts lead you to meet your
basic needs. Isn't that enough? Why ask for more?
Qian Miao, listen, what's the difference between his current
state and that of a living dead person?
But for so many years, he's been living like a living dead
person. But one day, I noticed something different about him. He became more
emotional, breaking many rules. He started attending parties, something he
never did before, and even celebrated his birthday. You know, he never refuses
to drink for any woman at the table, but I heard he's done it for you countless
times. He also never sends any woman home, not even giving them a ride. But I
also heard that you just reunited on the project, and after a dinner, he not
only sent you home, but also gave you his Mercedes-Benz to drive.
Qian Miao, look at your eyes widening. Did you never imagine
that you could change him so much? Yes, you're amazing. You've changed him,
made him flesh and blood, full of emotions and desires. Qian Miao, Ren Yan
holds you dear to his heart. But for so many years, he'd been wrapped in a
protective shell. He no longer knew how to love, nor how to communicate with
his partner.
He also told me that you were too independent, that you
didn't fully trust him. He blamed himself for this, thinking that his initial
rejection of your confession had fostered your inherent insecurity, leading to
your extreme independence.
Chu Qianmiao's heart ached when she heard this. She suddenly
had a new, enlightened understanding of her own independence.
Lei Zhenzi looked at her, smiled, and said, "But I
later realized that the person who was even more insecure was Ren Yan."
Qianmiao, after all these years because of Tan Shen, Ren Yan
no longer knew how to love. He believed that as long as he didn't want
something too much, he wouldn't lose anything, nor would he hurt anyone.
But this isn't a normal life, after all. I hope you can make
him a normal person. When you were dating, he did become more and more like a
normal person. He had his worries, his joys, his. But he still didn't know how
to express his love. For so many years, he'd lived without desire or ambition.
While decisive and decisive at work, he no longer knew how to effectively
communicate with his partner in private, in his relationships. To put it
bluntly, he never dared to love, and gradually, he couldn't. He had you in his
heart, cared about you, and prioritized you over everything else, but he kept
everything to himself and wouldn't say anything.
Furthermore, he was the one most insecure in love. If you
didn't give him your full trust, he wouldn't feel safe sharing his secrets. He
wanted to tell you everything, but if you didn't fully trust him, if you were
too independent and self-respecting, he feared embarrassing and hurting you by
revealing his relationship with Tan Shen and the fact that both of his brothers
had dated you.
Do you know what Tan Shen did? He threatened Ren Yan that if
he ever fell in love with you and was with you, he'd write a book about every
intimate detail of your relationship. He'd detail every mole on your body, the
expression you made when you screamed, where you'd done anything together—he'd
write it all down, publish it, and embarrass the three of you in front of the
whole world.
Qian Miao, your face is awful. Can I continue? If you're
really okay, then I'll continue.
By the way, these are the words Tan Shen said the night you
were nearly bullied by Qiao Zhixin. That night, Tan Shen actually ran over and
said these words to Ren Yan, and then they had a huge fight.
Ren Yan later told me that you can't forgive deception, but
he'd been with you from the beginning, carrying a huge deception. The longer he
waited, the less he dared to tell you the truth. He was afraid you'd be so
humiliated that you'd turn and leave.
You see, Murphy is not a good guy. His theorems always come
true: what people fear will always come true. By the time you knew everything,
you had truly turned around and walked away, without hesitation.
Ren Yan said that before I came back, he mustered up the
courage to ask you if you could still be together. But you rejected him, and
every word you said in your rejection was evidence of his hurt. He felt he
couldn't find you again. If he persisted, it would be no different from Tan
Shen's obsession, and it would be a double wound to you.
But Qian Miao, he doesn't understand love. He doesn't
understand that the difference between him and Tan Shen is that you love him,
but you don't love Tan Shen. So, he doesn't understand that at this moment, he
should cling to you, lying at your feet, hugging your legs, and refusing to let
go no matter what. But you see, you rejected him, and he obeyed you and
retreated.
But this retreat will cost him his life. He will retreat
into his ascetic shell forever, becoming a complete living dead.
Do you know how he's been lately? He's been incredibly
self-disciplined, just as disciplined as he ever was. But he used to have some
soul, and he knew the importance of career advancement. Now he's like a
complete zombie, living for the sake of living, eating for the sake of eating,
breathing for the sake of breathing, and sleeping for the sake of sleeping.
Qian Miao, Ren Yan is truly a pitiful person, someone who
needs love and redemption. So, can you give him another chance? Teach him how
to love truly, how to open his heart, how to emotionally connect with his loved
ones, how to be human again and trust in human nature?
Now I've finished. So, Qian Miao, can you give him another
chance? Give him another chance, and listen to his explanation.
Chu Qian Miao told Lei Zhenzi to think it over.
Her heart was in turmoil. She felt bad for him, and for
herself. He was swept into that mess by fate, but she was swept into it by the
two brothers.
She held the teacup, staring down at the tea inside for a
long moment.
The tea had been brewed so many times that its color had
faded. When she drank it again, it no longer had the bitterness and difficulty
it had initially possessed.
A week had passed since the incident. She thought it was
strange that the anger, sadness, and unbearable emotions, like this tea,
filtered through it over and over again, were no longer as difficult to face as
they had been at the beginning.
After a while, she raised her head and said to Lei Zhenzi,
"If Ren Yan and I could be together again in the future, and Tan Shen
writes a book, what will happen? Wouldn't Ren Yan feel embarrassed? Does he
really not mind?"
Lei Zhenzi smiled and said, "You underestimate this
ascetic monk. He only cares about you. What's the point of prestige?"
After a pause, he asked, "So, Qianmiao, are you willing to give him
another chance and listen to his explanation?"
Chu Qianmiao put down her teacup and nodded slowly.
Lei Zhenzi pointed at her phone and smiled. It was his usual
Lei smile, uninhibited and captivating. "Then remember to take him off the
blacklist."
Back home that night, Chu Qianmiao pulled Gu Miaoyu to sleep
with her. Under the moonlight, they lay side by side on the bed, facing each
other. With the moonlight as her pillow, Chu Qianmiao recounted Ren Yan's
family affairs to Gu Miaoyu.
Gu Miaoyu was moved and sighed.
"Oh my god, Ren Yan is so miserable!"
"Really, if you look at it that way, Ren Yan is pretty
pathetic."
"But I still can't forgive him and Tan Shen for
treating you like a toy just because he's so miserable."
"But maybe we should listen to what he has to say, just
like after hearing what Immortal Lei said today. Before, I hated those two
brothers to the core, but after hearing what Immortal Lei said, everything
seemed so justified and reasonable. Everything made sense."
"How about," Gu Miaoyu said finally, "Shui
Shui, give Ren Yan a chance to hear what he has to say."
Chu Qianmiao smiled faintly in the moonlight, nodded slowly,
and said, "Okay."
After the faint smile faded from her lips, Gu Miaoyu heard
her mutter, "That year, I was with Tan Shen. He took me out to dinner, and
we drank. You know I can drink quite well. But that day, he gave me a
delicious, fruity wine, and it made me dizzy. When I woke up, I found myself
lying on Tan Shen's bed at his house, my clothes disheveled. Tan Shen was
sitting beside me, looking quite annoyed.
When he saw I was awake, he asked me why I wasn't crying or
making a fuss. He'd already taken advantage of my drunken stupor and slept with
me. My mind was dazed, and I couldn't speak for a moment. My thoughts were all
over the place. It's over! He raped me. Should I kill him first or sue him
first? Which law applies in this situation? This damned man is still my
boyfriend. Should I keep him over for the summer if I don't break up?
Perhaps noticing my change of expression, he told me he
really wanted to kill himself, but he was afraid I'd wake up, angry, and ignore
him, so he didn't have the heart to do it.
I told him it was a good thing he didn't do it, saving his
own life.
He immediately said he'd been lying, saying he'd brought me
home because I was drunk, and that he'd helped me change my clothes after I
vomited.
Later, I got up and got dressed. Strangely, a button was
missing from my sleeve. My shirt had large cuffs, and with the button off, the
sleeves looked sloppy. With one sleeve buttoned and the other unbuttoned, I
left the room somewhat awkwardly, only to run into Tan Shen's grandmother in
the living room. She thought we'd spent the night there, and she was actually
delighted, saying that Tan Shen had never brought a girl home before and that
he'd finally grown up and become serious.
Afterwards, we parted ways quickly. I certainly didn't keep
him around until after summer vacation.
She paused and said, "Little Daogu, I've never had s*x
with Tan Shen. Ren Yan is the only man I've ever been with."
Gu Miaoyu also laughed. "What era are we in these days?
I believe Ren Yan doesn't care about this."
Chu Qianmiao closed her eyes and murmured before falling
asleep.
"I'm afraid he did care."
The next day was Monday. Chu Qianmiao began to work with her
team at Rong University to prepare materials. After enduring the darkest days,
the materials for the Jieheng Group's IPO were finally ready and submitted.
Although it was tough, thankfully everything went smoothly.
She hadn't received any harassing calls in the past few
days; the world seemed very quiet to her. But it was so quiet that it felt a
bit suspenseful, a bit irritating.
The day after she submitted her application, a harassing
call came in.
Looking at the caller ID, the tingling anger she'd felt
gradually faded.
He truly was a shrewd, straight man who didn't understand
women. If she hadn't been incredibly clever, how could she have figured out
that he hadn't contacted her in the days since Lei Zhenzi had contacted her? It
wasn't to seduce her, it wasn't anything else, but simply to avoid disturbing
her and allow her to focus on completing the project application first.
What a self-righteous, naive, straight man who doesn't know
how to communicate.
She answered the phone and called out, "Mr. Ren,"
in a rather unpleasant tone.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line,
and then a deep, male voice came back, almost pleading, "Do you have to be
so distant?"
She sighed inwardly and called him "Senior." She
then told herself that she was giving him some face, despite his miserable
life.
His voice, from its deep depth, became noticeably lighter.
If voices had color, Chu Qianmiao felt like the seven rays
of light that flashed before her eyes when he called her "Qianmiao"
were the clearing sky after the rain.
After hanging up, Chu Qianmiao asked Hou Lin to inform
everyone that a regular department meeting would be held the next day, and no
one was allowed to be absent.
At the meeting the next day, Chu Qianmiao first had everyone
summarize and report on their respective work.
There were some new developments regarding Lei Zhenzi's
relative's project, and it was once again on hold. Several people in Chu
Qianmiao's team have already submitted their projects.
So, the entire department is currently in a relatively
relaxed state, ready to take on new projects at any time.
After listening to everyone's reports, Chu Qianmiao
announced, "I currently have two projects in reserve. One, which I
recently contracted, is a backdoor listing project. The other is a merger and
acquisition project for a listed company."
She first introduced the backdoor listing project. The
project was large, which meant a larger bonus. Everyone in the audience was
eager to participate.
After the introduction, Chu Qianmiao asked, "Is there
anyone who specifically wants to work on this project?"
Except Hou Lin, everyone raised their hands to express their
willingness.
Hou Lin made it clear that she was Chu Qianmiao's
subordinate and would work on any project Chu Qianmiao worked on. Qin Qianyu
teased her, "Hey, Hou Lin, you've really learned the essence of your
boss's flattery."
Hou Lin chuckled.
Chu Qianmiao knocked on the table, signaling silence.
Then, without first discussing the M&A project, she
asked, "I'll be pursuing both the backdoor listing and the M&A
project. But I might start with the M&A project. Does anyone want to work
with me on the M&A project first?"
Everyone was on edge. If they had a choice, they still
wanted to work on the backdoor listing.
Qin Qianyu spoke appropriately on behalf of everyone,
"Qian Miao, you're the boss. Just give us your orders as to which project
to take."
Chu Qian Miao raised her lip and smiled. "Now, let me
explain the basics of the listed company's merger and acquisition project. The
listed company has been public for over three years, and its performance has
declined significantly. We hope to consolidate profits by acquiring another
company with strong performance." She paused, glanced around, and smiled
again. "The listed company is Hanhai Home Textiles. The boss is Zhou
Hanhai. The person in charge of coordinating with the project team is the
company's vice president, Ren Yan."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone stood up
excitedly, raised their hands, and shouted, "I, I ... She walked away from
the conference room, laughing.
If possible, she'd take them all with her. She knew they
missed him.
Who wouldn't miss him at work? That's so hard. Maybe it's
more than just work.
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