Chapter 178: Chapter 178

Le Tong was so startled by Ji Rui’s actions that she seemed like a lost soul. In a daze, she tidied up her desk, shouldered her backpack, and walked out of the Ji Family’s doors.

After leaving the Ji Family, Le Tong didn’t go home. Instead, she took several transfers and eventually got on a bus heading to the cemetery.

Mrs. Le’s grave was on the peak of the small hill, and from there, one could see the whole view of R City. The price here was more expensive than the hillside, and for Le Tong, it was a considerable amount of money, but she wanted her mother to have a better view, so she insisted on buying it.

This time of year, the cemetery was very desolate, with only the wind rustling through the surrounding dead branches, making a swishing sound. Le Tong sat silently in front of her mother’s tombstone.

She sat quietly by herself, motionless, her gaze listlessly fixed on the endless horizon.

From the warm sun in the sky to the sunset on the western hills, apart from her mother’s smiling face on the tombstone, only her shadow stretched from a tiny point into a long dark line, accompanying her all the while.

She originally thought those things could fade, be forgotten, or even disappear with time.

But the truth proved that those things, like inks tattooed on the back, the longer time passed, the more they seeped into her skin, slowly eroding the original skin color. Although she couldn’t see it, it was always engraved on her back until she aged, until she died...

Le Tong muttered, her pale fingertips stroking the photo of her mother, her face glowing red under the evening sun.

In the photo, her mother looked at her with eyes full of smiling intent.

Le Tong leaned in and kissed her mother’s face, and though it was an expression of joy, the cold, hard touch made her want to cry.

Le Tong rested her forehead against the tombstone, her fragile shoulders shaking gently.

The small, suppressed sobs mixed with the sound of the roaring wind and rustling, blowing away into the distance.

Le Tong finally released the sadness she held in all day in front of her mother’s grave. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelꜰire.net

The next day, Le Tong didn’t return to the Ji Family, but she left the house early in the morning.

The third day, she again left early, yet still did not return to the Ji Family.

Ji Rui glanced at the calendar on the desk. Today was the day she said she’d return to the Ji Family; the five days she spoke of had all passed.

He arrived particularly early today, more than half an hour before working hours. The reason was that he rose early today, but, to be precise, he hadn’t slept all night.

He wasn’t sure how Le Tong could remain so composed, saying five days and not showing up throughout. Moreover, she had completely disappeared without a trace. For five nights, Ji Baby had cried to him, saying her sister was missing and the phone was off.

Ji Rui could only tell her a lie that her sister went on a business trip and couldn’t be contacted by phone.

Hence, he was called a bad guy by Ji Baby for five days.

Ji Rui picked up the watering can and carelessly sprinkled water onto the two cacti.

After watering, he recalled that Le Tong sometimes moved the cacti to the coffee table in the reception room to sunbathe, so he got up and placed the cacti on the table.

Originally, when Ji Rui wrote that check and contract, he was very sure she would gladly accept the transaction.

But her reaction that day left him uncertain.

And as time went by, day by day, his heart grew increasingly anxious.

These were the most excruciating days for Ji Rui since he retained memory until his thirty years of age.

In fact, his thirty-year life could not be described as smooth sailing, he even experienced more tribulations than most people would in several lifetimes.

Yet, despite having gone through so many ups and downs, even life and death separations without losing sleep, he was now restless and sleepless for five days because of his little secretary, waiting for an unknown result!

"Daddy, when will sister come back?"

This question was asked by his dear son Tiantian several times every day. And each time Ji Baby asked, Ji Rui had the impulse to call Le Tong and ask, "Have you made up your mind?"

But he always maintained a sense of superiority. Not to mention that Ji Baby had already told him Le Tong’s phone was off, so calling would be futile, even if her phone was on, he couldn’t put down his pride to ask such a question.

Of course, he would never admit that he was flustered and restless for a mere little secretary.

Ji Rui placed the cacti on the coffee table, straightened himself, and paced to the window, gazing out at the clear sky. Usually, the moment he returned to the office, he worked against time, but now, he stood idly at the window taking in the view.

Ji Rui gazed blankly at the sky for a while, then raised his wrist to check the time; there were fifteen minutes before working hours. At this point, his little secretary would usually have returned, and in ten more minutes, she would hand-deliver a cup of fragrant coffee...

Five minutes remained until working hours.

Ji Rui sat in his chair, opened the file on the desk, and pretended to be busy, even though he didn’t read a word of the document.

He listened intently for sounds inside and outside the office. Five minutes, four minutes, three minutes... the work time was getting closer, but the coffee he was hoping for and the person never came in.

When the clock struck work time, Ji Rui finally couldn’t hold back and picked up the phone, dialing the internal line.

The phone rang for a long time, and through the wall, Ji Rui could faintly hear the deafening ringing of the phone outside. Meanwhile, the receiver emitted an annoying waiting tone, the dual sounds transformed into hammer strikes, pounding rhythmically on Ji Rui’s heart.

Ji Rui held the receiver in one hand, with the other hand’s fingers tapping the desk rhythmically, his brows frowning further with every delay in the ringing.

The phone on the secretary’s desk was very loud, even if she were in the pantry, she should have heard it clearly.

The ringing outside finally stopped, and the waiting tone in his receiver turned into an urgent busy signal.

Ji Rui furrowed his brows and stared at the receiver for a few seconds, hesitating whether to get up and check outside or continue dialing the internal line when there was a "knock, knock, knock" at the door.

Ji Rui’s brows relaxed, and he immediately put down the receiver, straightened his posture, reopened the documents, cleared his throat, and replied.

[Just short of two more updates, and some lovely girls said they don’t love Zhu Zi anymore... Ow ow, Zhu Zi’s heart is freezing. Can I cry a bit? Wuwu, writing is a skill, it’s not just writing whenever one wants... Tugging at sleeves, begging the beautiful girls not to abandon me...]