Life Plan

Chapter 34, Emotions

Liu Chichi never expected that yesterday would be the last time she saw Shen Shuyi before the New Year. The head of the organization came in person to handle the handover; Shen Shuyi had taken a three-month leave and transferred all her work to Liu Chichi.

It was called a long holiday, but it was actually a leave of absence without pay. Her newly prepared rebuttal was once again rendered useless. Liu Chichi was somewhat stunned, and subconsciously asked, "Does this mean they're planning to fire me?"

"No, she brought it up herself."

"Can the company really grant such a long leave?"

"She's different." The supervisor looked at Shen Shuyi as if she were a child. "Do you know who the only female lead surgeon in neurosurgery is?"

"I know, Dr. Shen... wait a minute."

"Yes, that's Shen Shuyi's mother. With her connection, it's easier for us to do anything here."

"Huh? Did we get in through connections?"

"Don't be naive. Do you think she'd give you that chance to leave?" The supervisor rolled his eyes so hard they almost popped out of his glasses. "Don't let her smiling and talkative demeanor fool you. How long have you known her? Has she ever said a word about her family? I only heard about it by chance. After all, she's a neurosurgeon, and she's her mother. If we ever have a collaboration in the future, I won't ask for much more, but at least she'll be more efficient at submitting documents."

"When will she be back?"

"I don't know. She originally said she wanted to resign, but I offered her unpaid leave." A hint of sadness finally appeared on the supervisor's face. "Three months might just be the beginning."

The supervisor said it's almost the end of the year and it's hard to recruit people, so he hopes Liu Chichi can hold on.

Before seeing the two columns of folders on Shen Shuyi's computer, Liu Chichi thought she could hold on.

In fact, she was far less adept than Shen Shuyi, and dared not take the initiative to inquire about the whereabouts of the various researchers. With five projects falling on her head, she wished she could buy a giant shopping cart and drag all the documents and supplies around the hospital.

One day, she sent out fourteen packages. The courier smiled and asked if she wanted to apply for bulk shipping for e-commerce, offering discounts for large quantities. She didn't have time to reply; she was busy checking the addresses, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

She met He Qing once. The night before the meeting, a subject experienced a severe adverse reaction, and the family members were making a scene, holding onto Liu Chichi and refusing to let her leave, as if they were about to start yelling at her at any moment. She could only report the incident and wait in the ward until the other person's condition improved, and it was already late at night when she got home.

Exhausted, she met He Qing, but before the meal was even served, she had already fallen asleep on the table. She slept for almost an hour, until the electric current from the numbness in her arm traveled to her calf, jolting her awake. She happened to meet He Qing's eyes.

The hazy eyes and dim lighting made He Qing look even more handsome. Liu Chichi noticed that the fine lines around his eyes seemed to soften with each smile, and for a moment, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Kind and benevolent!"

He Qing quickly spoke, pulling her back to reality: "You've been having a tough time lately, haven't you?"

"Well enough."

"Physical labor is the most meaningless thing, and the little reward you get for it is even more meaningless. You should prepare yourself well. Our parents will meet next month, and you won't have to work so hard after the wedding."

"It's actually not bad, I don't need to quit my job."

"Do I really have to put it so harshly?" He Qing frowned, seemingly annoyed by Liu Chichi's immaturity. "If you really think this job is respectable, why do you even lie to your family?"

Liu Chichi opened her mouth, wanting to explain why she lied, and for a moment she even wanted to reveal her entire past. But the person in front of her only made a gesture to stop her, and the thousand words on Liu Chichi's lips suddenly stopped.

They were not familiar with each other, and had spent less time together than a participant in the group. Just because the other party was her blind date, and even though the other party had already used a weakness of hers to control her, she actually wanted to reveal all the secrets she had been hiding.

Moreover, he had no chance of understanding him, and he didn't even want to listen.

It can only become another handle against him, or something he'll talk about.

Liu Chichi silently sat back down, unsure whether she should thank the other person for their indifference, which had pulled her back from the brink.

He Qing had finished his meal and put down his fork. "I will tell my parents that you will devote yourself to the family after marriage, so they won't care about your work. The investigation results are with me; I won't let them see them. You should understand what to say when we meet."

Liu Chichi saw blatant "stupidity" in the other person's eyes, directed at herself.

Despite repeated refusals, Liu Chichi, not wanting to be "educated" by a man in public, finally got into his car.

When they arrived at the entrance of the residential compound, Liu Chichi peered out the car window. Liu Chunhong hadn't come downstairs today. The typhoon was passing by, bringing with it a cold front. The old compound was chilly with drafts, and she couldn't wait any longer.

After confirming that Liu Chunhong was nowhere to be seen, Liu Chichi quickly got out of the car and faced He Qingshi with a serious expression: "I don't like you. This blind date can end now."

He Qing didn't even flinch this time: "Liu Chichi, you won't find anyone better than me. Your only advantage is your youth, and arguing is meaningless to you."

I don't like you.

"Only buyers in the market have the right to talk about liking something. The most important thing for a product is to package it and improve itself in the hope of selling it at a high price." He Qing found it funny and actually laughed out loud. The naivety of young people did bring a sense of freshness to his tired heart. Once again, he forgave Liu Chichi's childishness in his heart.

"Liu Chichi, do you consider yourself the buyer?"

The car window rolled up, and He Qing drove away. Just as he had shown, he didn't care at all about Liu Chichi's answer.

Liu Chichi suddenly realized where her discomfort had been coming from: it was the feeling of being suspended high up on a seesaw.

She thought she and the other person were sitting on equal footing in a chair, but in reality they were sitting on a seesaw, and she was on the higher end.

To onlookers, they feel they are benefiting from the other party and being elevated to a high position.

Only she knew that she couldn't budge the other party at all on this board, and could even plummet to a lower point at any moment if the other party left quickly.

When Liu Chichi was little, she was playing on a seesaw. One of the children opposite her suddenly got up from his seat, and when she fell hard, her tailbone hit her so hard that she couldn't sit down for many days. Because she didn't dare tell her mother, she could only secretly fold her legs on the chair during class and kneel on either side. She also stood in front of her desk to do her homework at home. It took her more than half a month to gradually get better.

That was the last time she played on the seesaw. The injury she sustained because she couldn't control the height left her with a slight psychological aversion to the feeling of being suspended in mid-air. Avoiding that feeling of suspension wasn't difficult, but years later, she felt a dull ache in her tailbone again.

They are not equals, and He Qing does not need an equal marriage.

Liu Chichi had never been in a relationship. She had only read a few youth novels in school. Those grand, absurd, wonderful, and bittersweet love and friendship stories had nothing to do with her.

Her youth was lonely.

She only ever fantasized about it.

She finally grew into an adult who could openly talk about love. She thought that blind dates were for cultivating feelings, and that cuteness and love were different.

It turns out that two people who want to spend their lives together don't need to love each other.