Chapter 290: Dispelling karma
There had actually been a similar problem as well in his previous life. While Uncle had been single when he had come to know Xiang Ning, he had not been lacking in ex-girlfriends and flirting partners then.
It was Miss Xiang who had single-handedly solved all of these problems afterwards.
Miss Xiang was a southern lady who really, really loved eating noodles. Therefore, when studying in Jiannan during her university years, she had also found a noodle store that she loved there. On their third date, Xiang Ning had brought Xu Tingsheng to that noodle store for the first time.
After entering the store, Miss Xiang had said to the Lady Boss of the restaurant in a familiar manner, "Lady Boss, give me a bowl of noodles. Give him a knife."
Xu Tingsheng had been stunned silly, "What would I want a knife for?"
A calm, relaxed expression on her face, Miss Xiang had said as if it really could not be any more obvious, "Swift blades severing haphazard bonds! Go on. Handle it well before I finish eating my noodles. Otherwise, it can only be our bond that is severed for good."
Perhaps the Lady Boss liked to joke around, for when she brought the noodles over, she really placed a vegetable knife on the table.
"Your boyfriend?" The Lady Boss asked Xiang Ning.
Xiang Ning raised her head, glancing at Xu Tingsheng, "Can't say for sure yet."
Xu Tingsheng hurriedly whipped out his phone.
Xiang Ning reached out and took Xu Tingsheng's phone, taking a photo of him along with half of the table before sending a message amongst a group of friends along with the words: Not used to eating dinner alone…
Then, she had just concentrated on eating her noodles.
Halfway through her meal, she had taken Xu Tingsheng's phone again and counted the number of responses from the opposite sex amongst that group of friends that read 'I'll come' or 'A pity I can't come', telling him, "You can start with these."
Forcing a smile, Xu Tingsheng asked, "Who taught you all these?"
Xiang Ning said happily, "It was Lu Min! Lu Min's really awesome. She's even the Chairman of our faculty's Student Association."
Xu Tingsheng asked, "But didn't you say that Lu Min's never been in a relationship before?"
Xiang Ning said, "That's right. But even though she's never been in a relationship before, she's a famous web presence on emo.tianya. She's been helping people out with their relationships ever since back in junior high, giving them love advice. The people there all take her to be an expert."
Xu Tingsheng, "…"
He pictured a bunch of young housewives in their thirties and forties looking for a junior high school student to teach them how to deal with their husbands, taking care of their mistresses…
No wonder this country's people were becoming increasingly undependable in their love affairs.
As the fifteen-year-old Xiang Ning still lacked the mighty 'Zhao Kuo-esque…expert…best friend' Lu Min, if it were only she herself, she would probably be helpless in the face of such problems.
"Should I suggest to Little Xiang Ning to get to know Lu Min on Tianya after her senior high entrance examinations are over? She should already be rather well known on the forum now."
"The chances of Xiang Ning still going to Jiannan University in the future aren't high. I've already forcibly intervened in her life. Causing her to lose her bosom friend of her previous life, formerly her 'guardian angel' for three years in university and possibly her lifetime friend on top of that? That seems a little too much."
On his way back from Xinyan Junior High, walking alone and feeling the breeze on his face, Xu Tingsheng's mind was clear and tranquil as he was prepared to face whatever fate threw at him.
This was how he was feeling.
It was as if Big Xiang Ning was giving him a deep, meaningful smile with a hint of a threat hidden by the corners of her lips as she said to him, "Sweetheart, I'm back! So, swift blades severe haphazard bonds, or it'll be the bond between us that's severed for good. Also, I'm still so little now. Could you bear to let that happen?"
Xu Tingsheng had once caused this girl to shed too many tears at the age of twenty-two. He could not bear to let the her of fifteen cry again.
……
Xu Tingsheng finalised Hucheng's upcoming arrangements with Lu Zhixin.
When Xu Tingsheng entered his office, Tang Yufei brought in a cup of coffee which she had brewed in the trademark attire of a 'secretary'. It was so classic that Xu Tingsheng who had fantasised about it many times before was momentarily stunned.
"That's…" Xu Tingsheng said.
"It's tailor-made for all the middle and higher echelon employees of the company. It's a bonus that's currently in the midst of being implemented. It was Boss Lu's decision. Mine's a bit special, though. For example, the skirt may be a little shorter…" Tang Yufei smiled.
"Are you trying to kill me!" Xu Tingsheng held his head, "The two of you've both got 110 on No.1 speeddial, right? Digging a pit for me to jump into and then preparing to arrest me at any time?"
Tang Yufei showed Xu Tingsheng her phone and pressed the number 1. The screen indicated that it was in the midst of dialling: 110.
"I didn't set it like this because of you. It was already this way before. Having encountered bad people before, I'm rather more conscious about safety," Quickly disconnecting the call before it went through, keeping her phone, Tang Yufei asked Xu Tingsheng with a solemn expression on her face, "I heard that Boss Xu's going to go overseas? Am I going too?"
Xu Tingsheng shook his head, "No need. What I'm going there to do is unrelated to Hucheng."
Xu Tingsheng's reason for going overseas was contacting construction materials suppliers. Many people, Huang Yaming included, felt this to be very laughable indeed. He hadn't even obtained any plot of land yet, so what was the point of moving to acquire a source of imports?
Still, Xu Tingsheng had actually been speaking the truth, just that this was not the entirety of his motives for this trip. It was simply one of them.
As word of this spread, the members of the Black Horse Club as well as their competitors were inevitably taken aback by this: Xu Tingsheng was actually this assured, this confident that he was going to succeed?
……
13th November, Hedong Airport of Shenghai City.
A sudden rainstorm had replaced the glaring sun outside, the pouring rain obscuring one's sight like a curtain. Water quickly accumulated on the wide, open ground. The other tourists were all worried that their flights might be delayed. Looking at his watch, Xu Tingsheng hoped that his flight could be delayed for as long as possible. Li Wan'er had still yet to arrive.
Finally, Li Wan'er entered, carrying a backpack and dragging along a suitcase.
Wearing a beige autumn overcoat and short black leather boots, Li Wan'er had tied her hair into a convenient ponytail with rainwater currently dripping down the remnant, dishevelled strands of hair by her brows.
As she tried to wipe it dry, her hair was plastered messily to her face and forehead.
Xu Tingsheng walked over, taking the suitcase for her, "Wipe it off first, or you'll get sick."
Li Wan'er looked at Xu Tingsheng, in a bit of a panic as she hastily adjusted her appearance.
She hoped for Xu Tingsheng to see only the best side of herself.
"No rush. Our flight might even be delayed. This rain's really too heavy," Xu Tingsheng smiled.
Li Wan'er nodded and made an affirmative noise in response.
The two found an empty spot and sat down.
Li Wan'er was silent for a while before she said, "I've troubled you. Thank you, and please also help me to thank Director Wu and your other friend who helped."
Xu Tingsheng replied, "I will."
Wu Tong and Zhang Xingke had both devoted quite a bit of time and effort to this matter. The figure that Wu Tong had reported to Xu Tingsheng in the end consisted of what remained after leaving behind the funds and material fees that were required for normal operations as well as the workers' wages. Li Wan'er had left Shenghai this time with around two million yuan in total.
She had qualifications and skills, connections and capabilities, being familiar with Italy as well. Coupled with this two million, leading a stable life over in Italy should not be a problem for her.
She could live calmly and focusedly just like during those few years she had once spent there.
The entanglements between Xu Tingsheng and Li Wan'er did not run deep.
However, if he were to watch her helplessly plunge into the bitter sea like this without doing anything, it would instead become 'karma'. Li Wan'er would become a memory that he would never be able to shake off, just like when one sees someone drowning in a pond and is able to save them yet does not.
It was not just an undoable 'vice', but also an act related to 'karma'.
Moreover, the other party was also someone who had caused his heart to flutter before.
Xu Tingsheng had indeed also made a move on her before.
It could not be denied that Xu Tingsheng had been moved by Li Wan'er, recklessness also having arisen in his heart. To a man, these two things are really the basis of loving someone.
Xu Tingsheng dubbed this action of his 'dispelling karma'.
Flying for thirteen hours from Shenghai to Milan, the timezone going from GMT+8 to GMT+1…
Time, space-these would all have changed.
Takeoff, landing, next seeing her get settled down. Xu Tingsheng would thus be able to wipe away this person from his life with an ease of mind. He mentally told Big Xiang Ning that the swift blades were currently in the midst of severing haphazard bonds.
Xu Tingsheng felt that this would not be difficult. What was difficult was…on the opposite shore of the ocean. Whether he headed east, or he headed west.