Don’t Turn from Summer - Chapter 69
The sun shined brightly on the streets, and the sky was very high and very bright. Everyone was wearing cool and refreshing summer clothes while appearing to hurry about. In this bustling city that brings together the world, Mu HanXia peacefully walked.
Beside the streets were numerous small trees, and the ground was very clean. The houses on either side of the street had all stood for many years. They gave off a sense of a Western-style from a period in the past, making people feel a quality of neatness and coziness.
Mu HanXia stopped at a dark coffee-colored building on the corner of a street. She looked at the door plate number. It is here.
She pressed the doorbell.
She waited for a few minutes before the door finally opened.
She was slightly startled. Inside the door was a young man who sat in a wheelchair. He had an Asian face and seemed to be only twenty-five or six years old. He was quite skinny and had a blanket across his lap even though it clearly was the height of summer now.
“Excuse me, is there a small room here up for rent?” She asked.
The man smiled and nodded his head.
“Yes, that’s right. Hello, may I ask if you are Chinese, Japanese, or Korean?” He asked.
Mu HanXia smiled: “I’m Chinese.”
The man smiled broadly and he changed to speaking in Chinese to her: “I’m also Chinese. Please enter and take a look.”
The man’s name was Zhang Zi. Originally, Mu HanXia was a bit hesitant over renting the house of a single, unmarried man. However, after interacting for a bit, she felt that there was no need to be worried.
His house was a small suite. There was also a small loft upstairs. It was precisely this small loft that Mu HanXia wanted to rent. When the two people went upstairs, Mu HanXia saw that it was rather strenuous for him to get up from his wheelchair, and she hurriedly asked: “Do you need me to help support you?”
Zhang Zi, however, smiled and said: “No need. I’m already used to it.”
He practically stuck himself onto the stair’s handrails and slowly, bit by bit, moved up.
Mu HanXia quietly followed behind him.
The loft area was very small. Other than a single bed, there was only a small wardrobe and a table. However, there was a low transparent window from which one could see everything on the side of the street. Not to mention, the rent was very cheap. Mu HanXia already felt very satisfied.
The two people descended the stairs. Such a short length of stairs once again took several minutes to finish walking. The first floor haad a living room. It also had a small room that Zhang Zi, himself, lived in. The living room was very disorderly but it was not dirty. Unexpectedly, there were four computers and even many spare components, metal wires, and piles and piles of documents. From this one can tell that this Zhang Zhi was involved in the technology field.
At a rather prominent place on the desk were quite a few picture frames.
The two people sat down on the first floor, and Zhang Zi made her a cup of green tea that he had imported from China. A fragrant scent assailed her nose. Then, he told her: “I have very simple but very harsh requirements towards my roommates. I wish for you to be a rather quiet person that won’t disturb me too much. Be clean. Don’t randomly bring friends over to spend the night. Is that alright?”
Mu HanXia smiled while nodding: “I can fulfill all of these requests.”
Zhang Zi also smiled and continued to speak: “There is another thing. My body isn’t very healthy. Occasionally, when I need to call for the doctor, I might need your assistance.”
Mu HanXia replied: “That’s not a problem.”
At this point, the matters concerning renting were thus finalized. When Mu HanXia got up to leave, she noticed that on the desk that was not too far away, in a very conspicuous location, there were a few picture frames. All of the picture frames contained the same delicate and pretty looking girl. Some of them were group photos of Zhang Zi and her hugging together. Others were a photo of only the girl. In the photos, the two people were both smiling especially brilliantly. But, Zhang Zi had not mentioned this girl. Furthermore, it was quite evident he was living by himself.
As a result, as Mu HanXia was walking out of his house, her mind suddenly had a thought: Perhaps this handicapped and gentle youth rented out a room because living by himself was too lonely?
Mu HanXia moved in. A large half of the month had quickly passed. Despite the two people living under the same roof, they almost never interacted with one another. Mu HanXia went to school every day, and Zhang Zi , from the beginning to the end of the day, would be doing his research. Once in a while, Mu HanXia would hear him make a phone call, all in English, discussing some technology topics that she didn’t fully understand.
Mu HanXia would sometimes watch television in the living room of the first floor, watching a local American channel, and feel that it was rather novel. On the other hand, Zhang Zi doesn’t watch television at all. He would only read some books, the majority of which were in English. During the weekend, Mu HanXia would occasionally cook. During these times, Zhang Zi was always very appreciative and he would even be a bit high spirited. He would sometimes join him. He would even give her money to buy groceries. Mu HanXia would reject it while smiling to which he would one-sidedly decide to deduct it from the next month’s rent.
One time when they were eating, Zhang Zi smiled all of a sudden and said; “My fiancee’s Chinese cooking is also very delicious. The flavor of her cooking is truly excellent.”
Mu HanXia asked: “Where is she right now?”
Zhang Zi paused a bit before replying: “She died in a car accident two years ago .”
Mu HanXia went silent before saying: “Sorry.”
Zhang Zi smiling said: “It’s fine.” He pointed at his chest: “She didn’t really leave because she will forever be here with me.”
Mu HanXia suddenly felt that the food in her bowl was a bit bitter and astringent.
Zhang Zi asked: “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Mu HanXia looked at her bowl and shook her head.
Zhang Zi said: “HanXia, I hope that you meet a most wonderful romance.”
Mu HanXia didn’t make a sound. After a while, she replied while smiling: “I also wish for you to meet a new happiness.”
Zhang Zi smiled slightly while shaking his head: “No. I don’t it anymore.”
This evening, Mu HanXia lied down in her loft, facing the moonlight that poured in from the window. Perhaps it was because of Zhang Zi’s words, she suddenly sensed now that this city was quite foreign to her, and she was also quite lonely. Originally, when she arrived here, everything in the past: friends, her hometown, co-workers, romance ……everything really left her. Other than the still unclear and uncertain future, she didn’t have anything else.
After lying down quietly for quite some time, she pulled out her phone. Despite knowing that she shouldn’t, she proceeded, as if possessed by an evil spirit, to swipe through her photograph folder. She swiped and swiped until she saw Lin MoChen’s photograph.
It was the night when she first met him. He was injured and lying on the ground but the side profile of his face was incomparably handsome.
There were also a few pictures that they took at the giant panda base . He was leaning against the railing and smiling while raising his head to stare at her figure.
……
Mu HanXia threw aside her phone. She lifted her hand to press on her own forehead and tightly closed her eyes.
——
The more time she associated with him, the more and more certain Mu HanXia was that Zhang Zi is precisely, from head to tail, a nerd. He only knew how to do research all day long. Mu HanXia also didn’t quite understand the things that he made. It seemed like a pair of headphones, yet it was outfitted with an exceptionally meticulous and crowded computer chip. Furthermore, she would occasionally see the Princeton PH.D diploma that he had dropped underneath the corner of the table. From this, Mu HanXia was certain that this person was not ordinary, and the things that he was researching were inevitably also very difficult topics.
Her life at school was also very busy. This is because she, in fact, had quite a few lacking qualifications (T/N qualifications-硬性条件= SAT, GPA, gaokao, etc.). As a result, she couldn’t meet the requirements of the school. It was only with the assistance of Senior Fang that she was enrolled as an exception. So, she needs to make up a lot of things and pass more tests before she could be formally enrolled. Only by this way, could she possibly earn her diploma in the future.
Every day, she earnestly attended class and seriously reviewed. However, even though she had crammed English heavily before she went abroad, she would still be unable to understand what others are saying many times. During this time, she would often light a lamp and study very late into the night. Sometimes, she would also feel that Western food was truly too unpalatable and very hard to swallow. Later, after eating and eating, she was able to tolerate it. Fortunately, her classmates all treated her very well. There were also one or two boys that treated her with extra enthusiasm. But, with practically no additional consideration, she would immediately withdraw to an absolutely safe distance.
A week after she arrived in the United States, she suddenly fell ill. The strange thing was, previously, on the day she broke up with Lin MoChen, she had been drenched from head to toe and was freezing like that, but she hadn’t fallen ill then. She hadn’t even caught a cold. Yet, after she arrived in America, when everything was slowly getting onto the right track, she suddenly fell ill without any warning.
That night, she slept until midnight when she suddenly felt unwell. She had a fever that was burning quite ferociously. Her belly also hurt and she was almost unconscious. In a daze, she wanted to get up and find some general medication. But, she remembered that after she arrived in the United States, she was still unfamiliar with her new life and has thus forgotten to go buy medicine.
She collapsed and groaned in a low voice on her bed. Afterward, not knowing when, she sank into a dark and chaotic world.
When she woke up, she discovered that the sky was starting to brighten and the sunshine was particularly big. She found herself still lying in the room of the hotel in Lin city. Lin MoChen, with a cold face, was sitting by the bed. His eyebrows were slightly knitted as his hand reached out to touch her forehead.
“Why do you suddenly have a fever?” he asked.
Mu HanXia replied: “How would I know, eh? I live together with you, wouldn’t it be that you didn’t take care of me well enough?”
He smiled. Picking up a wet towel, he laid it out on her forehead. Mu HanXia suddenly felt much more comfortable. Smiling, she said: “Thanks.”
“Take good care of yourself. Otherwise, I will worry.” He softly said.
“Ok.” She said, “Why are you so gentle and considerate today. It’s not like you.”
He lightly replied: “I was always this gentle. It’s you who is too slow.”
Mu HanXia laughed. Snuggling gently against his arm, she said: “I want to eat Mr. Wang’s that is downstairs, can you go buy it.” (T/N: Mr.Wang’s [王记] is a restaurant chain.)
“Sure, Summer.”
……
“HanXia? HanXia?” There was a familiar voice by her ear calling her .
Mu HanXia tearfully opened her eyes and saw Zhang Zi’s face.
It turns out.
It turns out it was only a dream. She wanted, from the bottom of her hear, to forget all of the estrangement and separation.
The two people both paused for a while. Zhang Zi handed over an antipyretic pill and a cup of hot water to her: “You have a fever. First, eat. It’s not good if the fever burns you silly. I already called the doctor. He will arrive shortly.”
“OK.” Mu HanXia took the medicine and swallowed it, “Thank you. I really …… troubled you.”
Zhang Zhi only gently smiled.
The moonlight was quiet outside the window. The prosperous city was vast yet beautiful. Zhang Zi said: “HanXia, New York shouldn’t have tears. Don’t feel hurt anymore. If you love him, then always keep him in your heart. Every day, silently wish him happiness in your heart. This way, no matter where he is, it will be as if you guys are still together.”
“……OK.”
After she finished eating her medication, she closed her eyes once more. Seeing this, Zhang Zi got up and slowly, with much difficulty, began walking towards the door. When he was closing the door, he turned his head and looked inside the small, quiet loft. He saw the back of the lonely girl that appeared to be gazing at the moonlight outside the window sentimentally.
Zhang Zi softly closed the door for her.
——
A more distant matter, what happened on the other shore of the ocean was not known by Mu HanXia.
After she left, Sun Zhi waited for three full days until Lin MoChen finally walked out of the entrance of the hotel.
Sun Zhi hurriedly went up to greet him. But, upon looking at Lin MoChen clearly for an instant, he was startled.
Lin MoChen appeared to be skinnier than he had ever been before. A sharped chin. Deep, slender eyes. His appearance had originally been quite handsome. His nose was high. His cheekbones were strong. So, he looked refined but without lacking masculinity. But now, because his face had lost weight, his features appeared harder, sharper, and even colder.
Sun Zhi worriedly asked: “President Lin …… is anything wrong?”
“Everything’s fine. Let’s go. ” He calmly replied.
Sun Zhi followed him, got into the car, and drove towards Feng Chen.
Up until now, they just continuously faced forward and walked.
Year 2008, They met for the first time.
Year 2009, Mu HanXia went to the United States to attend college. Feng Chen company’s annual revenue exceeded one billion. (T/N: Chinese raws said one billion. They didn’t mention a currency.)
Year 2010, Feng Chen became a corporation. The annual revenue exceeded five billion.
Year 2011, Feng Chen corporation became listed.
Year 2012, Mu HanXia graduated from New York University, obtained a bachelor’s degree, and got a job at a well-known international company. Feng Chen already ranked in the top ten first-rate business corporations in China.
Year 2013, Lin MoChen abruptly resigned from all positions at Feng Chen corporation, and only served as chairman. All of the daily work was handed over to Sun Zhi and other professional managers to take care of. He went to the United States by himself and assumed the office in New York as vice president of MK investment company.
……
Year 2015.
……
How long will I wait for, you ask?
Actually, there really isn’t a time limit.
I’ll wait until she accomplishes her dream. I’ll wait for the day she finally returns, covered in splendor.
How can I be willing to let her go again?
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Hello, I’m the translator. I wanted to mention that this is the end of the third arc, “彼岸无寒夏’ (The Other Shore Lacks HanXia). The next chapter will be the start of the fourth arc, “山月惧相逢” (The Moon and Mountain are Afraid to Meet).