Chapter 161: Professional Progress

What I said actually caused Xu Shu to calm down instead. With a helpless look in her eyes, she stared at me and said with a nonchalant attitude, "I will think about my own matters myself; there is no need for you to worry on my behalf. Don't you think your own affairs are troublesome enough right now? Do you still expect me to come and add to your chaos?"

I froze for a moment, then replied, "Xu Shu, the only thing I don't understand is that these troubles could have been completely avoided back then. You clearly had feelings for me in your heart, so why did you choose to run away from me at that time? And now that I have already grown unable to let go of Jingjing, you let me know that you actually loved me all along. Isn't this adding to my chaos? Do you really think I would feel happy knowing this? Didn't you see how many gray hairs have appeared on my head these past few days? It's all because of you."

My words caused Xu Shu to lower her head, leaving her speechless for a long time. After a while, she raised her head, her gaze having turned resolute. With a faint smile, she said, "I'm sorry for causing you distress, but I must say now that even I myself cannot figure out whether I actually like you or not. Have you ever heard me say the words 'I love you'? That day on top of Beverly Hills was merely a momentary impulse brought about by the environment and the atmosphere; that kiss doesn't mean anything. If it led to any misunderstandings on your part, then let me apologize to you."

I simply couldn't believe my ears. Could these truly be Xu Shu's sincere thoughts?

I carefully observed her expression, trying to read her mind through her eyes. I refused to believe that on that night atop Beverly Hills, she had merely acted on a momentary impulse. Every single scene and every word from that night was deeply engraved in my mind. At that time, I had profoundly felt her affection and her helplessness; that kind of complex emotional state could never be expressed under a mere impulse. Furthermore, I knew full well that Xu Shu was definitely not that kind of person—she was never someone who would rashly express feelings without even figuring out whether she loved someone or not. Perhaps she was impulsive that night, but what truly manifested beneath that impulse was her long-suppressed emotions. That should have been the most authentic version of her, and her truest feelings. Of this, I was utterly convinced.

Yet now, why was Xu Shu saying such things? I gazed at her, and under my scrutiny, she couldn't even maintain her composure for two seconds before guiltily averting her eyes.

Suddenly, I understood. The purpose of Xu Shu saying this was to make me sever all illusions—to let me peacefully and wholeheartedly commit to being with Hua Jingjing. All the past events should simply be regarded as a beautiful mistake, or perhaps just a dream.

I could even sense that the inner pain Xu Shu felt while uttering those words was no less than my own. Moreover, under the current circumstances, what else could she possibly say besides this?

My mood turned gloomy, and I offered a bitter smile. "Is that so? I understand. So it was just an impulse after all!"

Xu Shu bit her lower lip, turning her head away in silence. I had a lot to say, but upon careful thought, saying anything else would be redundant. Even if I had ten thousand choices, I could never not choose Jingjing. My destiny had long since been sealed.

Being unable to stay together with the person you love is undoubtedly an immense agony. I noticed a single tear quietly sliding down the corner of Xu Shu's eye. That tear explained everything, and I inexplicably felt a violent contraction in my chest, while the pain throughout my entire body engulfed me as deep and boundless as the ocean. For a moment, the stabbing ache was almost unbearable.

I knew in my heart that having this feeling did not mean I no longer loved Jingjing; my love for Jingjing remained profound. However, my love for her and my love for Xu Shu were fundamentally different. My love for Jingjing was more of a mature affection forged through trials and hardships, carrying a sense of responsibility and destiny. As for Xu Shu, it was an infatuation with the Goddess of Perfection—irrational, dreamlike, and tinged with a fairytale quality.

Yet this world remains ultimately realistic, and there was no turning back for Jingjing and me.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of profound sorrow, an intense urge to weep. Instead, I smiled softly, reached out a finger, and gently wiped away the tear that had just fallen from her face. "It's my fault," I said with a smile. "I shouldn't have asked that question. In fact, we both made our choices long ago, didn't we?"

Xu Shu still did not answer. Knowing her heart was aching, I didn't want to provoke her any further. With a light sigh, I said, "I'm heading back. Remember, we will always, always be the best of friends. Some things we will bury deep at the bottom of our hearts, alright?"

Xu Shu finally turned her head back toward me, her aggrieved gaze making it unbearable to look any longer. My heart trembled. Gritting my teeth, I walked past her and prepared to open the door and leave.

Just as I pulled the door open, I suddenly heard Xu Shu's voice behind me: "Are you just going to leave like this? What about my sister? How are you going to explain things to her?"

I paused in my tracks, thought for a moment, and replied, "Xiaoxin will understand when she grows up. Anything I do right now will only make things awkward, so let's leave it without an explanation." With those words, I stepped out of the study and hurried down the stairs.

Just as I walked out of the villa's main entrance, Xiaoxin's voice suddenly drifted down from above: "Brother Tang Qian, are you leaving?"

I looked up and saw a third-floor window wide open, with Xu Xin leaning halfway out to call out to me. I smiled, waved at her, and said, "Yes! Since you girls are fine, of course I have to go home. You aren't allowed to be so mischievous and play tricks on people like that anymore, or else I won't like you."

Xu Xin rested her chin on the palms of both hands against the windowsill and said in a melancholy tone, "Brother Tang Qian, have you ever liked me?"

I opened the car door, looked up at her, and replied, "Of course. Brother Tang Qian has always liked you."

"But the kind of like I want isn't what you're talking about."

Speechless, I simply gave another wave and, without offering any further response, climbed into the car. Just as I was about to close the door, I heard Xu Xin shout from upstairs: "Five years from now, I will definitely come find you!" Perhaps realizing that once I left this time, she might not see me for a long time, her voice was already tinged with a slight sob.

A fresh ache washed over my heart. These two sisters simply wouldn't let me leave in peace! Unable to help myself, I looked up once more and saw that Xu Shu had appeared behind her sister at some point. Xu Xin was crying, turning around to bury herself in her older sister's embrace.

"After the entire summer has passed, the sorrow hasn't faded much. Driving endlessly along the boundless highway, there is a feeling of leaving oneself behind. Unable to finish a song, fatigue leaves behind dark circles under the eyes. In the realm of emotions, hurt is unavoidable; no matter how beautiful the dusk, night must eventually fall. I still remember the absolute firmness of the farewell spoken from your lips, feeling as though I were being scorched by a blazing sun in the dim twilight. The twilight horizon carves out a sentence of parting, and love plunges into an eternal night. I still remember the heartbreaking tears sliding down from your eyes, with an illusion of burning hot tears scalding me amidst the chaos. The twilight horizon severs happiness and joy, and our love has vanished into nothingness..."

Driving my car along the mountain road, I listened to a song of unknown origin playing on the radio, its sorrow overwhelmingly heavy. As I listened, tears involuntarily streamed down my face.

I knew that I had truly, truly lost something forever.

Upon returning home, I managed to adjust my mood and regain control of my emotions. Afterward, I spoke with my parents about Jingjing. They were overjoyed and began planning to buy some fine ingredients the next day to host their future daughter-in-law. Only Tang Ning was dissatisfied. I knew that aside from her idol Xu Shu, no one else could ever make her happy as a sister-in-law.

Everything went smoothly from then on. True to her word, Jingjing came to visit my parents the next day. Upon seeing how beautiful she was, my mother happily retrieved a large gold ring that had been kept at the bottom of her chest for decades and presented it to her as a welcome gift. Of course, what was there that Hua Jingjing's family lacked? The price of any casual piece of jewelry she owned would have scared my mother half to death. Yet Jingjing was still wildly excited and happy, knowing that only my mother's daughter-in-law was qualified to wear that ring. Donning it like a precious treasure, she kept showing it off in front of me.

A week later, I booked a restaurant at Prince Hotel, a place of symbolic significance. The parents from both sides met, and we simultaneously set the wedding date, agreeing to marry as soon as Jingjing returned with her doctorate.

During this period, aside from work, I spent whole days with Jingjing. But happy times always pass quickly, and soon enough, Jingjing was scheduled to fly to the United States to continue her studies. At the same time, my sister boarded a southbound plane to study at university in Xiamen.

Before my sister left, I bought her a cell phone and a laptop. In the past, her older brother had been too poor to afford the things she liked; now that I had some money, I wanted to make up for everything I had previously failed to provide.

Three days after my sister left, Jingjing also boarded an international flight back to America. Though we were once again reluctant to part, our state of mind was vastly different from before. Even though we had to separate this time, we could keep in touch every single day. The advancement of modern technology had turned the earth into a small village, and as long as we wished, we could see each other again very soon.

The weather remained hot, but the season had already shifted into golden autumn. The company's board of directors rejected Hua Qiming's cooperation proposal. Given Hua Qiming's vast wealth and sprawling influence, he didn't mind.

In late September, the "Leaf Tip Fragrance Refreshing Tea," managed by Cheng Gong, was officially launched and rapidly introduced to the market. Three other distinct beverages were also nearing completion of development. The company was gradually transforming from a small enterprise with a single product into a large-scale corporation characterized by multiple products and diversified development.

The company's growth accelerated by the day, and its workforce expanded accordingly. The three rented floors were no longer sufficient. The ambitious Fan Yunting planned to purchase land in the suburbs to construct an office building and centralize all production facilities. Although this required substantial capital, backed by the second installment of thirty million from Xu Shu and the company's currently favorable standing, banks were more than willing to provide loan support.

As for me, I was busy handling the upcoming harvest of the Leaf Tip tea. We reached an agreement with the local government granting our company exclusive rights to develop and cultivate the tea trees, while naturally providing generous compensation to the local residents.

Xu Shu's movie premiered worldwide and, as expected, caused a sensation. With her exceptional acting skills and breathtaking beauty, Xu Shu rapidly conquered the hearts of men all over the globe. The October issue of the American magazine *Time* featured a still photograph of Xu Shu on its cover, marking her official entry into the ranks of international superstars.

In November, Xu Shu launched her pan-Asian concert tour. In Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul—for a time, men across all of Asia went wild over Xu Shu. Wherever she went, a veritable "Xu Shu whirlwind" swept through, propelling her entertainment career to unprecedented new heights.

By late December, Xu Shu released her new album, *Wild Love*, which quickly climbed to the top of the record sales charts, selling three million copies worldwide while challenging new records. Three songs from the album squeezed into the top ten of the weekly singles charts, and the title track *Wild Love* reigned supreme at the number one spot for ten consecutive weeks without dropping.

The year 2002 swiftly passed, and people stepped into a brand-new year. Over the past year, everyone had made considerable progress, including myself.

First, I purchased a high-end apartment for my parents in Willow Lake Garden, spending three hundred thousand on the down payment and interior decoration. The two elders had endured hardship all their lives; it was finally time for them to enjoy some peace and comfort.

Second, the site for the new company premises had already been selected, awaiting only the passing of the New Year to break ground. General Manager Fan finally replaced her Santana, purchasing a BMW sports car, while her old Santana was symbolically sold to the company's financial director, Qian Xiaolei.

For reasons unknown, Qian Xiaolei had divorced her husband. They always say men turn bad once they have money—could it be that women change once they have money too?

Regardless, the past year had been a successful one. From nothing, we grew from small to large, personally building our own company and career. My romantic life had also found its harbor; over the past half-year, my relationship with her remained steady, featuring regular phone calls where we shared updates on each other's work and studies.

Thus, such a successful year called for celebration. On the evening of the first day of 2003, amidst heavy snow, the company hosted a grand banquet at Huibin Tower, inviting all of its full-time employees.

That night, unable to withstand the endless rounds of toasts from so many employees—despite resorting to deceit and switching drinks behind the scenes—and after vomiting three times in the restroom, I ended up dead drunk by the end of the evening. Prior to that, Fan Yunting had also drunk herself completely unconscious.

When I woke up again, I was astonished to find General Manager Fan lying right beside me, and what's more, it was in my own home, on my own bed. This gave me a massive scare. When had I come home? And why on earth was General Manager Fan in my house?

Fortunately, her clothes were intact, save for some vomit stains around the chest area, and she was sleeping soundly beside me, which allowed me to let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, my head was splitting with pain, my mouth was parched, and my temples were still throbbing vigorously. Staggering and struggling as I got out of bed to pour a glass of water, my weak limbs and unsteady hands caused me to lose my grip on the thermos, accidentally spilling boiling water all over my hand.

The scalding water made me let out a yell as the thermos slipped from my hand, hitting the floor and shattering. At that moment, a voice from the bathroom startled me: "What's wrong? Tang Qian, what happened to you?"