Don't Turn from Summer Chapter 9

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)
Chapter 9

She has only dozed off for a little moment when the cell phone beeps. A text message has come in.

She lazily takes a look at it. It’s from an unknown number, and the content is also strange, with only four words: “Kick against the pricks”.

Mu Hanxia goes blank a little and enters, “Who are you?”

The other one does not reply until after a moment, “It’s me.”

Holding the phone in her hand, Mu Hanxia has some very strange instincts surfacing. Such lofty coolness reminds her of only one person....Besides, the night of the accident, she told the police her address and phone number. It is not surprising for Lin Mochen to find out her work place and phone number.

She replies, “Don’t know what you are talking about.”

Lin Mochen replies with only one word, “Faking.”

Mu Hanxia vaguely senses what he is talking about, but looking at his message, she somehow wants to laugh. So she replies, “So what, you come bite me?”

He replies no more.

Mu Hanxia waits a little longer, shoves the phone back into her pocket, and goes back to her nap.

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It is two days later when Mu Hanxia sees Meng Gang again.

The morning is clear and fog-free, the air is pleasantly cool. Mu Hanxia just arrives at the athletic field when she sees Meng Gang standing beside the same exercise equipment, practicing his arm muscle.

Mu Hanxia runs over, “Good Morning, Manager Meng.”

Meng Gang stops and turns to look at her. The busy work in the last few days has not left any trace of tiredness in his face. Beneath his straight eyebrows, the eyes sparkle with smiles, “Good morning, Hanxia.”

The sunlight gradually covers the whole field, and the sky is completely bright.

Ten circles by each of them are quickly finished. Meng Gang leads the way and sits down where they sat the previous time for a rest.

Mu Hanxia takes out a towel and wipes her sweat, with a smile at the corners of her mouth all the time. She feels not so afraid of Meng Gang now. Compared to before, she admires him a little more. She doesn’t know what to talk about with him, so she sits with him side by side, gazing in front of her with a tranquil mind.

Meng Gang watches her fair profile quietly and asks with a smile, “Why didn’t you come jogging the last few days?”

“Oh, I was too busy.” Mu Hanxia answers.

This is a powerful excuse. Meng Gang nods, with a little smile in the eye all the time. It’s unknown whether he believes it or not.

“The grand promotion we are having is done with your reminding, ” He says again, “Your credit will be remembered. But right now you just entered the sales department, and it was a special promotion It is not good for you to be too showy, so I did not reward you publicly.”

Mu Hanxia is truly touched by his remarks and says, “Thank you, Manager Meng. Reward or not, I actually don’t care. It’s good enough to learn things in the sales department.”

But Meng Gang unexpectedly changes the direction and says, “Reward doesn’t work, but treating you to a meal is totally fine.”

Mu Hanxia starts and raises her eye to look at him. He takes out a cigarette and lights it up, smile in the eyes is still light and calm, inscrutable by her.

“No need, no need. Manager Meng, you don’t need to buy me a meal. My credit...is not that much.” She hastily says.

Meng Gang is amused by her again and says after a such of the cigarette, “Not even a breakfast?”

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Ten minutes later.

The two of them are sitting at a breakfast stand by the riverside. Meng Gang drove her here.

At the moment, Sun has already shown his whole face from the clouds; the river is  shimmering with reflections of the sunlight; breeze is caressing people’s faces. The stand owner set up a few wooden tables by the riverbank, complete with a stack of plastic chairs. Meng Gang does not fuss over the condition and sits down opposite Mu Hanxia.

She orders a bowl of rice noodle, with beef, showing that she has tried to rip off the boss. Meng Gang just smiles amiably and orders a bowl of plain rice noodle.

He eats fast and soon the bowls is emptied up. He puts the chopsticks down and watches her while drinking some hot water. Mu Hanxia is still half way through. She smiles to him and goes back to eating. The sun is shining on her, making her feel warm. He lights up a cigarette again. The smell of cigarette slowly flows around them, not unpleasant to the nose.

“Mu Hanxia,” He suddenly says, with a slow and soft voice, “What dreams do you have?”

Mu Hanxia is a little shocked, puts down the chopsticks and looks at him. He is quiet and warm in his eye, obviously seriously waiting for her answer.

Mu Hanxia stays silent for a moment and replies, “Manager Meng, My dreams may sound too ambitious -- I want to re-take the college entrance exams, get in a good college, and then goes abroad.”

Meng Gang seems somewhat surprised: “Going abroad? Why?”

Mu Hanxia replies, “I don’t know. I just want to go out there and see the world.”

Meng Gang is quiet for a while, takes the teapot on the table, and pulls some water into her cup, saying word by word, “How big the heart is, how far one can go. In my opinion, this isn’t too ambitious for you. Understand? Little girl.”

Mu Hanxia is speechless and just mumble, “Mhm.” Meng Gang does not say another word either. He gazes at her with a quiet and deep look in his eye. One of his hands hangs below the table, holding the cigarette between fingers. The other hand rests on the table, not far from hers. It’s unknown what he is thinking.

Although they have been with each other alone a few times, Mu Hanxia has always regarded him as a leader, somewhat like a fatherly figure. It’s the first time she’s being gazed by him for such a long time, and she suddenly feels heat coming to her cheeks and some tangled emotions wild as weed rising one after another from her heart.

She lowers her head to avoid his gaze.

Then her hand is grabbed by his.

It is happening so abruptly so Mu Hanxia goes completely blank, just feeling her hand, still a little cold, tightly wrapped by the wide and slightly callused hand of his. Then she hears him say, “Sir, money is left on the table.”

He hold her hand and starts to leave. Mu Hanxia suddenly wakes up, heart beating violently, and tries to pull her hand back. He senses it, but holds on tighter.

He turns to look at her. Mu Hanxia starts to stammer, “Meng, Manager Meng, why do you hold my hand? Let go.”

She wants to play naive, but Meng Gang just smiles, the look in his eye still deep and impenetrable.

“Little girl, don’t be afraid.” He says only one sentence. Apparently he is not going to let go of the hand he is holding.

Mu Hanxia feels as if she is walking in flames, taut with agony with each step. She is confused, totally confused. But she can’t just ignore his dignity by pulling her hand back and falling out with him right there. So she can only let him hold her hand, walk onto the river dam toward the parking lot.

He holds her hand all the time, the big and hard tan-colored joints keeping her soft hand in the palm. It only makes Mu Hanxia shudder with fear.

Thank God the parking lot isn’t far. When they are finally there, Mu Hanxia feels greatly relieved, withdrawing her hand quickly as he fishes for the car key.

Meng Gang smiles faintly and says with a low voice, “Get in, Manager Meng drives you home.”

Mu Hanxia does not look his way, and with a very red face, she gets into the car. Neither of them says anything on the road, and Mu Hanxia is all stupefied. The moment the car stops before the building of her home, she quickly opens the door and runs off.