100 Days of Cohabitation (3)

Song Qingchun arrived at Su Zhinian's bungalow punctually at 7 pm. Su Zhinian was already gone. The dining room that was a mess when she left was properly cleaned, even the plates used during breakfast were washed, dried, and put back into the sterilized racks.

Song Qingchun stayed in the living room until 10 pm. Su Zhinian still showed no signs of himself, so she padded upstairs to the bedroom he had assigned. Perhaps it was because she did not have a good night sleep from the day before, after a quick shower, Song Qingchun got into a deep slumber not long after she crawled into her bed.

When she woke up, it was already 10 am the next morning. A message came to her phone when she was brushing her teeth. It was from Qin Yinan. Song Song, my plane is taking off soon. Will arrive at Beijing in two and a half hours.

Song Qingchun bit the toothbrush in her mouth and replied to him, Which gateway will you be at? I will go fetch you.

Probably because Qin Yinan had to switch his phone to airplane mode, he only sent back one number: 3.

Song Qingchun knew he meant gateway three. In total, there were only three messages, but Song Qingchun kept reading them over and over. There was a glow in her eyes when she read them, and her lips involuntarily curved into a smile. In just two and a half hours, she would be able to see her Brother Yinan in person…

Song Qingchun met Qin Yinan at the airport at 1.30 pm. The way to the city was rather congested, so it was past 2 pm when they reached the city. Most restaurants were already closed after the lunch crowd, so in the end, Song Qingchun and Qin Yinan selected a western restaurant to have afternoon tea.

…

There was a company meeting at 3 pm. The normally punctual Su Zhinian still had not left his office by 3.10 pm.

When it was 3.15 pm, his secretary reminded him through the door, but the office door remained closed.

The managers who were waiting in the meeting room would come to rush the secretary every so often. Finally succumbing to the pressure, his secretary once again stood up to knock at his door.

There was no response to her knocking. She picked up her courage and pushed the door open to see Su Zhinian standing motionlessly before the floor-length window. Perhaps she had imagined it, but she swore she saw a trace of sadness and melancholy on her usually aloof big boss.

His secretary shook her head in a quick motion to push the image which she was sure was a mirage out of her mind. She called out softly, "CEO Su?" But she still didn't get a response. Having no choice, she stepped carefully into his office.

Her big boss, who usually was very alert, did not notice her approach until she was standing right beside him. When she was close, his secretary finally got a good look of Su Zhinian's expression. He was looking out the window, but his gaze was drifting aimlessly. She was curious about what was on his mind because she saw a faded sorrow on his perfect features.

His secretary was given the shock of her life and blinked multiple times as if to check she was not dreaming. She tried her best to calm herself as she said again, "CEO Su?"

Su Zhinian was still unresponsive. His secretary waited for a minute and when she was going to open her lips once more, Su Zhinian slowly turned around and the eyes that addressed her were curiously lost. "Yes?"

 "CEO Su, you have a meeting at 3 pm and it is already 3.30 pm," his secretary reminded him, confused by his unusual demeanor.

Su Zhinian harrumphed without commitment and stood there unmoving.