Summer #24

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

Chapter 24

When Mu Hanxia gets home, it’s already past 2 in the morning. Probably because it’s a weekend, people next door haven’t gone to bed yet. Light shows through from under their door.

Mu Hanxia goes into her room very quietly and changes her clothes. Then she goes to wash herself quickly in the bathroom and finally lies down into the bed.

Out the window, the night gets even colder. The withering trees are growing old quietly. Somewhere the water tap is not completely turned off, or the pipe is leaking, making the very clear “drip, drip” sound.

Mu Hanxia turns and tosses and can’t fall asleep.

After a while, when she finally feels sleepy, the people next door suddenly begin the bed shaking sound. And it’s 3:30 in the morning. Mu Hanxia snatches the pillow and covers it on her ears, but it simply doesn’t work tonight. The annoying sound just keeps pouring into her ears and drives her sleepiness away.

She holds back for a long time and finally can’t hold any more. So she gets up, opens the door and slams it shut, so loudly that the walls seem to be shaking. It suddenly becomes quiet next door. Next, she rushes to the bathroom. With the door open, she presses down the handle of the toilet tank, making the flushing sound. After all this, she goes back to her room, locks the door, and lies back down.

It is still quiet next door.

Mu Hanxia suddenly feels very complicated, hard to tell whether she’s feeling better or even worse. She stares blankly at the little bit of frost-colored moonlight beside her bed. After some time, the squeaky sound of bed shaking from the other side of the wall comes back again.

Mu Hanxia grabs her ear buds, puts them on, and lies there completely motionless.

The next day she gets up much later than usual. When she pulls the door open, the couple are having breakfast in the living room. Before they show anything on their faces, Mu Hanxia smiles first and says very politely, “I’m so sorry. I came home very late last night. I’d drunk some alcohol for my work-related stuff and might have made quite some noise. I apologize if I disturbed you.”

Before the girl can say anything, the guy smiles, “It’s all right. We’re watching a movie and didn’t quite notice. Have you eaten yet? Would you join us?”

The girl also smiles.

Mu Hanxia shakes her hand hastily, “No, no, thank you. I have to go to the company for some extra work.”

Getting out from the apartment and closing the door behind her, Mu Hanxia lightly heaves a breath and gets into the subway station.

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Lin Mochen still feels some headache as a result of over-drinking last night. But he is in a good mood, because the two big stores have both been launched with success. The influence they have in the apparel business circle of Beijing is phenomenal. The income of each store has far exceeded other brands. Now a substantial amount of profit is flowing into his pocket on a daily basis.

He notices that Mu Hanxia hasn’t arrived when he gets to the office. In the past, she always arrived before him. Lin Mochen has been drinking his coffee for a while when, through the glass wall, he sees Mu Hanxia walk in with a cold face.

Lin Mochen gazes at her. She doesn’t look his way, but just takes her scarf off and talks with the colleague beside her, finally showing her sweet and warm smiles.

“Ah, yes, it’s way too cold outside.” Her voice can be vaguely heard.

So it’s because of the coldness. Lin Mochen turns his eyes away.

However, it’s not long before he notices that something is wrong. Although she is still highly attentive and effective and all smiles when he assigns her work several times during the day, she doesn’t meet his eyes.

It’s almost noon and there are not many people in the office now. Lin Mochen picks up the internal phone and calls her: “Come in here.”

Mu Hanxia takes her time before walking into his office. She looks up at him smilingly, “Jason, what’s the matter?”

Lin Mochen gazes at her eyes: “What did I say to you last night?”

Mu Hanxia is stunned.

They look at each other, his eyes so compelling. Mu Hanxia turns her head slowly aside and smiles with a self-mockery: “You said...I haven’t done my job well enough.”

 Although Lin Mochen can’t drink much, he behaves well after getting drunk and seldom says something inappropriate. He really doesn’t remember clearly what happened last night. He just vaguely recalls that he was in the same room with Mu Hanxia at some time. Seeing the natural look on her face with the stubborn and hurt emotion hidden in her eyes, at the moment, he believes what she says.

So he smiles lightly and says, “Why, feeling bitter because of the boss’s criticism?”

Mu Hanxia: “Can’t I?”

“No, you can’t.”

Mu Hanxia responses with a “humph” under her breath.

He looks at her seemingly still unpleasant eyes, is silent for a moment, and speaks again, “I said wrongs things after getting drunk. I must have been joking. Your work performance is rather good, but can be better. You understand?”

His voice is unusually warm and gentle. Mu Hanxia feels as if her heart is stroked lightly by something. She keeps her face straight for a while and then can’t hold back her smiles, “I understand.”

Seeing her smiling face, Lin Mochen feels somehow happy too. He says, “Go with me to Lin City next week.”

Mu Hanxia is very surprised: “Lin City?”

“Yes, Lin City in the big southwest region. We are going there to open stores.”

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Three days later.

The plane is flying through the ocean of clouds; the sun is high and bright. It’s the first time for Mu Hanxia to travel by air, not to mention traveling first-class. She leans against the broad and cozy chair, gripping the armrest with both hands, but can’t help looking outside at the sunshine, the clouds, the sky, and the far, far away ground.

“Scared?” Asks Lin Mochen, who is sitting by her side.

“How can it be possible?” Mu Hanxia replies, trying not to show anything.

Lin Mochen just smiles.

Mu Hanxia asks, “Why go to Lin City for the business?”

Lin Mochen answers, “Establish the brand in the first-tier city and then harvest profits in the second-tier cities.”

Mu Hanxia thinks for an moment and agrees it’s right.

“But why Lin City?” She asks again.

Lin Mochen puts his book down and looks at her: “Didn’t you do the regional economy analysis? Lin City is the most developed city in the whole southwest region and is the rising center of the region. Besides, I’ve found partners and funds, why shouldn’t I go?”

Mu hanxia replies with a “Oh” and says, “Lin City is good.”

After a while, she starts again, “I heard from Su Yin that you were born in Lin City?”

Glancing at her, Lin Mochen replies, “Yes.”

But Mu Hanxia pursues no further. She picks up the newspaper to flip through.

Lin Mochen reaches out and gives her a gentle pinch on the back of her neck.

“You are so appropriately smart.”

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Once they arrive in the city, they are picked up by a car arranged by the partner company and dropped off directly at a luxurious hotel in the city. Pulling the door open into the private dining room, they walk into the glamorous light. A few people already are sitting at the round table.

Lin Mochen walks over with smiles on his face and greets each of them, with Mu Hanxia at his heel.

“How are you, Chief Zhang? Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Ah, Chief Lin, please don’t mention it.” A middle-aged lanky man says smilingly, “You are doing so wonderfully in Beijing. Now you are willing to come develop with us in Lin City, how could we not welcome you with all our heart?”

Lin Mochen smiles lightly and shakes hands with another man with a big size: “Chief Xie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Looking forward to our collaboration.” Chief Xie’s eyes are almost squeezed into a thin line: “Chief Lin, we’ve come to agreement on the phone that the fabrics from my factory will be supplied to you exclusively starting next month. Let’s make money together, Haha!”

Lin Mochen replies, “That’s for sure. You are introduced to me by Chief Deng from the Ru Yi Group, and we certainly will collaborate. Besides, it’s all because you that we can have fabrics with such a low price and high quality. I appreciate it very much.”

Chief Xia laughs loudly.

“This is our marketing manager, Mu Hanxia.” Lin Mochen introduces. Mu Hanxia greets each of them with her sweetest smiles. She is honey lipped and soon the bosses all smile: “Manager Mu, you’re so charming.” “So young and so talented!”

There is also a woman who sits at the table, quietly watching them with smiles all the time. Mu Hanxia and Lin Mochen have noticed her since the moment they walk in.

So Lin Mochen inquires, “And this is?”