Summer #47

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)

Chapter 47

When Lin Mochen returns to his room at night, he receives a message on the phone from Xue Ning: “Jason, congratulations on your acquisition of Lot A. Wish you best of luck with your business in Lin City. See you for a cup of coffee together sometime?”

Lin Mochen replies, “Thanks.”

Xue Ning responds with a smiley face.

And that is the end of the conversation.

Deep into the night, Lin Mochen lies in bed with hands folded behind his head. About Xue Ning’s background, he gradually learned quite some. One has to say it’s totally incredible. This woman must be one of the most expensive and precious young lady in the country. But what’s about that? Lin Mochen snickers with a slightly twitched corner of his mouth. After all, he doesn’t want to have what he doesn’t love.

He just wants his Cinderella.

Sitting quietly for a moment, Lin Mochen remembers the call he received in the afternoon.

At the same time, in another room nearby, Mu Hanxia is also searching for this name in the computer.

It has to do with the little incident this afternoon. At the time Mu Hanxia didn’t feel good about the situation and she candidly asked if it was his ex-girlfriend.

Lin Mochen chuckled and said, “No, it’s not. Take it easy, there isn’t any woman in my past who could possibly threat our relationship.” After pausing a little, he continued, “It was my mother who called.”

......

She knows that he was originally from Lin City, went abroad at a young age and grew up in America. But he has a younger sister from the same parents. So she had a vague impression that his family might not get along very well. But now, after searching for his mother’s information, she finds out why.

HE[1] Qingling used to be a famous entrepreneur in Lin City who mainly ran business in real estates, apparel and some other fields. She was born in a business family and started her own business right after graduation from college. Her husband was her college classmate, a renowned professor of physics. But they were divorced due to incompatible personalities which resulted in he taking the son abroad and she staying behind in China with the daughter.

[Note 1: HE, is a quite a common family name in Chinese. It sounds similar to HER. Here I capitalize both letters in order to avoid possible confusion with the English word ‘he’ in some cases.]

HE’s enterprise was once the top three tax payers in Lin City but later went almost bankrupt due to investment failure as a result of strategic and operational mistakes. HE herself also went to live in a health care center due to personal health problems. Her enterprise gradually faded out from the public...

After reading some of the information, Mu Hanxia feels her heart ache for him. A boy in his teens and at a rebellious phase had to experience the breakdown of the family and move overseas with his father. No doubt he is now so proud and aloof.

Suddenly she stiffens and feels her heart beat faster, because her eyes rest on a row of words: “HE Qingling...mainly ran business in real estates, apparel and other fields.”

Real estates, apparel...

In her mind, she instantly sees the cold and indifferent Lin Mochen whenever he talks about his enterprise blueprint.

When doing apparel, he said, “I’m entering the apparel industry to grab the greatest portion of the profit.”

When entering real estates, he said, “What I look at is the great industry trend and the profit. Where the greatest profit is, where I’m heading for.”

......

But, what if it’s not just because of profit?

Everybody thinks this man has a cold heart with no sympathy, and is purely interested in business profit. But it’s not that he doesn’t have a heart, he just hides it too deeply. With his ability and sharp intuition, how can he not earn money at any industry he chooses to enter? But he just happens to have chosen apparel and real estates...no matter it is out of hatred or out of love.

Mu Hanxia’s heart softens and her mind suddenly wonders. What about in the future, if she and he are deeply in love, will he hide her so deeply in his heart?

Many feelings swell and tangle in her heart, sympathy, sweetness, and a sense of loss. She can hardly keep herself from rushing to his side, holding him tight and burying her face into his arms. But she manages to stop herself. Since this is not what he would gladly admit, she better pretends that she doesn’t know.

At length, she picks up the cellphone and sends him a message: “Mochen, good night and sweet dreams.”

Just looking at the slim text “Mochen” gives a feeling of special tenderness.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, he returns, “shall I come over now?”

Mu Hanxia stiffens and her face is instantly burning.

A few doors next, Lin Mochen is leaning in bed, staring at the phone screen in his hand, waiting for her response.

Mu Hanxia realizes he is serious, sending her an invitation as a mature man to a woman. She hastily responds, “No, no need! I’m already in bed. Good night!”

--------

A few days later, Lin Mochen still goes to visit HE Qingling, bringing Mu Hanxia with him.

The meeting place is a high-profile restaurant near the health care center. HE Qingling is already there when Lin Mochen and Mu Hanxia enter the reserved suite.

HE Qingling appears to be a lady who has taken good care of herself. In her fifties, she wears light and elegant make-up and is graceful and charming. She is slim and tall as Lin Mochen, who has also her facial features and is the same good-looking and proud.

The reserved suite has an inner room and an outer room and HE Qingling is seated in the inner room, seeing them through the half-closed door. Mu Hanxia whispers, “I’ll wait outside.” Lin Mochen nods and takes off his overcoat, handing it over to Mu Hanxia. He lowers his head and gives her a kiss, acting as if HE Qingling does not exist. When he’s done, he steps into the inner room and closes the door behind him.

Mu Hanxia sits down and waits quietly.

In the room, Lin Mochen relaxes himself and takes his seat opposite HE Qingling. “You wanted to see me. What’s it about?”

HE Qingling gazes at the strange yet familiar young man before her. He was twelve when he left. In her memory, the boy, hugging his younger sister Lin Qian in his arms, kept staring at her and said nothing. But there seemed to have tears in his eyes. How unyielding! How just like her!

Now he has grown into such a mature and reserved man. The graceful manners, excellent education, and proud personality, exactly the same as her when she was younger. If it’s not that he stirred up a fierce business battle in Lin City, HE Qingling won’t know he has already come back.

“hah...” HE Qingling laughs softly, “No matter what, I’m still your mother. Shouldn’t you let me know when you came back? You even told Lin Qian not to mention it to me?”

Lin Mochen also laughs a little without being agitated. He just says evenly, “Now you know I’m back. What’s it now?”

He is so calm, not exposing any of his feelings, which makes HE Qingling stiffens a little. She picks up the tea and takes a small sip. Then she suddenly changes the subject: “I heard your main business endeavors are in real estates and apparel?”

Lin Mochen’s eyes are darker. But he says nothing.

HE Qingling smiles and says, “Good choices. Why? The things I couldn’t do, you want to accomplish them for me? Get back my previous territory? How old are you now? Twenty six, right? Young and ambitious, after all.”

Lin Mochen snickers and he knocks his knuckles on the table from time to time. “Ms. HE Qingling, you seem to have thought too much and too high of yourself. I chose these two fields simply because there are great profits in them for now. Don’t regard me as your equal. I won’t get myself bankrupt. Lin City? Haa... What I’m going after is the national market. But this has nothing to do with you.”

HE Qingling is not provoked. Instead, after a short pause, she says with a faint smile, “So you came back and do this to give your mother a slap in the face? It doesn’t matter. I’ve lost my face long ago and no longer have it. But after all, you are my son. Since you’ve chosen it, better do it well. Don’t let others laugh at you.”

They are both quiet for a moment.

Then Lin Mochen stands up. There’s little for them to talk about and he has stayed too long already. But HE Qingling stands up at the same time and says, “You don’t need to go. I will go. Seems that you and your friend haven’t eaten yet. I won’t be an eyesore here.”

Lin Mochen doesn’t stop her and just stands quietly aside. HE Qingling puts on her overcoat. Then, she takes out a name card and puts it on the table before him, saying: “This is an old friend of mine, who is very influential in the banking system. Right now you are mainly doing the real estate business and want to have rapid expansion, money must be your short plate. He is really reliable. If I be your credit guarantor, he will give us some convenience. If you have any need, just give him a call.”

At these words, she pushes open the door and walks out, without waiting for Lin Mochen to respond.