Lin Yusen… seemed very calm.
Several days had passed. We went about our usual routine – working, eating, shopping, watching movies… everything felt natural as if nothing had happened. Several times I wanted to ask Lin Yusen if he wasn’t curious about what happened during my university days, but each time the words reached my lips, they stopped.
Until one day, Lin Yusen suddenly invited me to look at houses.?
What kind of development was this?
And wasn’t this location too remote?
As we drove along, the surroundings became increasingly deserted. I pulled out the property information to check: “Where exactly is this house you’re taking me to see?”
“We’re almost there.”
Sure enough, after turning a corner and driving several kilometers along a brand new, straight road, we saw a villa complex that appeared to be a newly completed development. The complex was built along a lake, with beautiful surroundings and an impressive exterior. Lin Yusen must have contacted someone beforehand because as soon as we parked, a sales representative came to greet us and enthusiastically led us to the sales center.
Inside the sales center, the representative brought us to the model display and detailed the property information. After listening for a while, I tugged at Lin Yusen’s sleeve and whispered, “Are you sure you want to buy here?”
Our company was already at the edge of the industrial park, yet this place was even more remote. Why would Lin Yusen come out here when there were good houses in the center of the industrial park?
“Are you investing? But will the value increase here?” I continued in a low voice.
“Not for investment, for living,” Lin Yusen bent down to answer, matching my hushed tone.
“For living?”
“Yes. Though it’s remote, I just drove you here from the company – how long did it take?”
I checked the time on my phone: “Twenty minutes.”
“About that. I mentioned to you the other day that I’ll likely be working at the new neurosurgery research center in Shanghai by the end of the year.”
“Right.” In May, Lin Yusen made two solo trips to Shanghai and finally confirmed his career direction at this newly established neurosurgery research center, reportedly the largest in East China, with several academicians at the helm and impressive resources.
“The research center is in Songjiang, fifty minutes by car from here,” Lin Yusen smiled at me. “So even though I’ll be working in Shanghai, I can live in Suzhou and commute daily. It won’t be too far for you to commute to the company either.”
I froze. Convenient for my work commute and his commute – so the place he was showing me was… our future home?
The sales representative had been eavesdropping and quickly jumped in to promote: “Then this house is perfect for you as a couple, right in between both your workplaces. I guarantee there’s no better house on this road!”
He excitedly pulled out his phone to show us the map, “Let me show you on the map.”
“We’re not married yet, but she makes all the decisions,” Lin Yusen gestured to me. “Just show her.”
The sales representative immediately abandoned Lin Yusen and darted in front of me: “Then miss, please look, our location is the best in Suzhou. There are other developments closer to Shanghai with good locations, but they’d be further from your workplace. It would take longer for you to drive to work, and your fiancé wouldn’t want that.”
I couldn’t help looking at my “fiancé.” He was standing leisurely to the side with his hands behind his back, listening to our conversation. Meeting my gaze, he smiled slightly, nodded, and said definitively: “He’s right.”
He’s right.
He wouldn’t want that…
Suddenly my face felt hot. How strange – even though we’d been together for so long, sometimes I still found myself enchanted by his unconsciously reserved and elegant manner.
Lin Yusen added, “But today we’re just here to look. Don’t feel any pressure.”
“Mm.” I collected myself and turned to the expectant sales representative. “Could you show us around the actual property?”
The sales representative enthusiastically took us on a tour of the complex. The house and community environment unexpectedly matched my preferences perfectly, with the Suzhou garden style I had long admired. And due to the remote location, the total price wasn’t high, so Lin Yusen paid a deposit on the spot…
On the way back, I started to reflect on whether I had been too impulsive – how had I agreed so easily with the sales representative’s encouragement? Lin Yusen’s response was: “Not impulsive, after all, it’s an unfurnished house. Renovations will take a year or two, time is very tight.”
…So, what exactly are you counting down to?
Are there plans I don’t know about that you haven’t told me yet?
Anyway, we had committed to a house. A few days later, after discussing some work with him in his office, he handed me a stack of resumes.
“What’s this?”
“The company has been adjusting management positions lately. Some people have left, so naturally we need to bring in new people. These are their resumes, take a look.”
I sat across from his desk browsing the resumes, first scanning the photos. Several people looked familiar. “I feel like I’ve seen some of these people before?”
“You ran into them at my house last year.”
Oh~ That time I went to “question” him when Little Dai was there too.
Since they were all people he knew well, what was there to worry about? I closed the resumes and said casually, “If you think they’re suitable, that’s fine.”
“No.”
Huh?
My hand stopped mid-air returning the resumes.
“Don’t be lazy, you’ll be working with them in the future.”
…Alright.
I pulled my hand back and started looking through them seriously.
As I read, Lin Yusen told me about things beyond the resumes. “Some I know from university, others I met after joining Sheng Yuan. At Sheng Yuan, they weren’t very successful then, but they’re very capable with different strengths. After I started considering returning to medicine, I discussed it with them and made arrangements – I have some other investments, and after several years in medicine, I have some connections, so it wasn’t difficult. But I didn’t expect Grandfather would give me the Guangyu shares, so everyone’s thoughts changed. You can meet them first, and we can decide whether to use them later.”
I nodded as I listened. After finishing the resumes, I asked Lin Yusen: “They all seem good, but are they willing to come to Suzhou? After all, big companies in Shanghai sound much more prestigious. Even if not at Sheng Yuan, the companies you introduced them to in Shanghai must be quite good, right?”
“The ones I showed you are more interested in Guangyu. Of course, I painted them a picture of the future.”
…I see.
“Then let’s set up a time for them to come to Suzhou for interviews. I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Lin Yusen smiled slightly. “But Xiguang, these are all mid-level management talents. Even Little Dai can’t handle things independently yet. We still need someone to oversee everything.”
“I’m not ready yet!” I immediately raised my hand, showing self-awareness.
Lin Yusen: “…Then why did you raise your hand?”
I quietly lowered my hand: “Just emphasizing the point.”
Lin Yusen was speechless for a moment, then continued: “I have an excellent candidate in mind, someone with both experience and prestige, an expert in production operations and capital operations, and as far as I know, currently taking a break at home.”
“Who?” I immediately asked.
“Your mother.” In our back-and-forth, he cleanly delivered these two words.
While I stared in shock, Lin Yusen very composedly asked me: “Xiguang, when would be a good time for me to pay a visit to General Manager Jiang?”
I: “…”
Who could have imagined that Lin Yusen’s first visit to meet my mother would be for recruitment?