Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Xu Kun pursed his lips and asked, “Boss, if I may say so… aren’t you afraid that the world will stand against you and vilify you even after you bring Mrs. Fu back because of your relationship with her?”

“So what if the world disapproves of us? I don’t need anybody’s approval to be with Tongrui. Besides, I have never gone against the world, so I might as well experience it once.”

Despite Lingye speaking in a nonchalant tone, Xu Kun could tell that Lingye was serious and resolute.

Xu Kun grinned and looked at the brilliance exploding in the sky before uttering, “You’re the man, Boss. You’re in a league of your own.”

“Buttering up to your boss gets you nowhere. I won’t give you a raise.”

Xu Kun smiled. “I don’t mind a slightly bigger year-end bonus though.”

Curling his lips, Lingye narrowed his eyes and took a few more puffs from the cigarette between his fingers.

Lingye put out the cigarette and threw it on the lawn when Siqi ran over. He bent over to pick Siqi up.

He said to Xu Kun, “You should head back and get some rest.”

Lingye carried Siqi into the house as Xu Kun watched his back and said, “Happy New Year, Boss.”

…

That night, Siqi shared a bed with Lingye.

It was one in the morning by the time they got ready for bed.

Siqi looked at the time on the phone and blinked. She drew close to Lingye and whispered, “Happy New Year, Daddy.”

With warmth filling Lingye’s empty and hollow heart, Lingye lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead. He said, “Wishing you a happy new year too, Sweetheart.”

Lingye’s mind flew back to the three years when Tongrui was not in the picture. This was how he and Siqi always spent their New Year and New Year’s Eve, so there was no loneliness or sadness. Now that he got used to having her around, and she suddenly faded out from his world and life, Lingye had a hard time shaking off the emptiness and loneliness.

The little girl snuggled up against him and asked, “Do you miss Mu, Daddy?”

“Yeah,” Lingye faintly replied. There was no telling whether he was paying attention.

Siqi added, “I miss Mu too.”

“Yeah.” The reply was barely audible.

Siqi then asked, “Will Mu come home, Daddy?”

Lingye paused at first before firmly looking into Siqi’s eyes. He answered, “She will, and soon.”

closed her eyes in relief. “I can relax now. Auntie Lan’s strawberry cake isn’t very tasty.

to herself for a long time, and Lingye would respond every

and drifted

“Daddy, I want KFC…”

“We’ll have KFC tomorrow.”

want to see Mu tomorrow,

gave his daughter a pat and talked as if to answer the girl and to convince himself, “I will

…

sleepless

fireworks was lenient. There were still people lighting firecrackers and fireworks to welcome

No amount of noise could wake the child

and alert, thinking about

someone could evoke such intense emotion, so intense that they eclipsed

…

was a little over nine o’clock at

for two days, but since it

leave the hotel on her own in the middle of

when

It never occurred to her that the Italians would party hard on

cars, and Tongrui

in the

crowd. She distanced herself from the bustle and people,

phone booth for a

give Lingye a call right

tell him where

truth of the matter

booth and dialed the number that was etched

her throat, not from her nerves, but from the joy and

be long before she

would be able to wish Lingye a happy

voice came on the call once it was connected. In translation, there was restricted access to the number she had dialed, and the recipient was not available to take

tower chimed as the clock

the busy tone as she looked up at the fireworks display. She murmured under her breath, “Happy New

to her sweetheart

…

a few days now. For New Year’s Eve, she watched the gala with her parents in the living room before her parents went to the kitchen to

to send Xinghe a new year greeting since Hades Jiang was her mentor. She would pass her internship with flying colors