Chapter Eighty-Four – Resolving Conflict

He waited until half past nine in the evening.

Cheng Shuguang finished his work at Wisdom Tea Restaurant and called Su Yihui. He wanted to spend the night at his place.

The longer the days of reunion, the deeper the torment of separation. If one cannot share every morning and evening, even a wall between them feels like the ends of the earth.

Su Yihui considered the request. Yishu still hadn’t returned; by the time they finished talking, it would probably be well past midnight. After much hesitation, he declined.

He stood outside until his legs were numb, the tailbone pressed against the wall aching with pins and needles.

After yawning four or five times, drowsiness swept over him.

Perhaps it was better to go home tonight, come again tomorrow.

He blamed himself for not calling ahead—had he done so, he wouldn’t have waited in vain. Whether to stay or leave was a dilemma. Yet, truth be told, it was precisely his reluctance to call that led him to come quietly, unannounced.

Was it really braver to speak face-to-face than over the phone?

“Yihui, why are you standing outside the door?” Xu Shixi stepped out of the elevator, dressed in suit and tie—the Windsor knot on his tie bore a subtle dotted pattern, exuding the aura of a mature, elite gentleman. “Is my sister not home?”

Su Yihui nodded. “I knocked twice, but there was no answer.” His nature was such that, after two knocks and no response, he took it as a sign the owner was not inside. He wouldn’t consider knocking a third or fourth time.

“She didn’t come home after work today?” Xu Shixi muttered quietly. “Come in first.” He shifted his briefcase to his left hand, entered the password, and turned the key.

Xu Shixi noticed the shoulder bag hanging from the hook in the entryway and was sure Yishu was at home. She never left without her bag. That not-too-small, not-too-large bag held many essentials.

She had once told him that when walking, having something hanging from her shoulder gave her restless hands somewhere to rest.

“Come in and sit, don’t be shy.” Seeing Su Yihui lingering uncertainly at the doorway, Xu Shixi walked over and gently tugged him inside.

Su Yihui straightened his sweater, which had slipped backwards, and stepped over the threshold.

The floor, reflecting the light, cast dazzling white beams. The sight made him dizzy.

“Wear these,” Xu Shixi opened the shoe cabinet and handed him a pair of spare cotton slippers.

Su Yihui took off his shoes, revealing indigo socks, washed so often they’d faded to pale, matching his sweater. He caught Xu Shixi’s gaze lingering on his feet, and, embarrassed, slid them into the slippers. The size forty-three slippers were far too big for his size thirty-eight feet, leaving an inch of space at the heel.

It looked like a child sneaking into adult shoes.

Yishu was awakened by the commotion outside, groggily getting up to use the bathroom.

After switching off the master bedroom light, she saw illumination streaming in through the crack beneath the door. She opened it and was met with the brilliant glow of the living room, dazzling her eyes.

“You’re home, Shixi?” Yishu’s voice, weary and sulky.

After finishing work at the Textile City, Yishu had gone straight home. Yun City was vast, yet so small that only one bedroom could contain her sorrow.

Yesterday, Yan Lu had called, proposing another dinner gathering. After the previous mishap, everyone had left disappointed, so this time, compensation was needed. For Yan Lu, who proudly wore the title of foodie, chatting at the dinner table was more romantic than any other occasion. She loved the flower-shaped chocolates and spicy snack bouquets Lu Xugao gifted her, but disliked heavy bunches of red roses—they could neither be eaten nor drunk, and after a few days would wilt and depress her mood.

As for regrets, after Fengche Logistics became regularized, orders poured in like snowflakes. Lately, Lu Xugao had been busy posting recruitment ads online and at bus stops, seeking transport and warehouse staff.

With Double Eleven approaching, logistics would multiply exponentially. If manpower was lacking, lost orders were like severing the main artery—the blood would gush like a fountain.

Yan Lu, during her lunch break, called Yishu to inform her the dinner was canceled. It was a unilateral notice.

Yishu hadn’t been enthusiastic about the dinner anyway, but the sudden cancellation still left her uneasy.

In the morning, Liu Hanzhang came to the store to announce the overall sales figures for National Day.

The results were disappointing.

Fortunately, they had picked up online customer service work again, filling the deficit from September.

Sometimes, walking through the corridors of the Textile City building, Yishu would look at the rows of shops and wonder: their business couldn’t be much better, so how did they persist for a year, two years, ten, even thirty? Was there a giant corporation backing them, or had they been spared the tens of thousands in annual rent?

The shop across the street, also a curtain store, had its factory in a Yunxi industrial park, she’d heard. Its scale was half that of Kaisheng. Sometimes, they’d go days without a single order, yet their expressions were relaxed, more content than lonely.

One could never imagine the joys and sorrows of others.

“I’m home,” she called from the living room.

Yishu glanced through the partition glass and saw two figures overlapping on the sofa. She walked around to see.

One tall and one short, one sturdy and one thin, stood up.

“Sis—” Su Yihui, listless, stood behind Xu Shixi, like a child facing scolding or punishment, timid and afraid.

“Yihui waited outside for a long time. Why didn’t you open the door for him?” Xu Shixi turned and pushed Su Yihui forward. “I think he has something to say to you. I’ll go freshen up; you two take your time.”

Xu Shixi knew that with him present, Su Yihui would only voice what floated on the surface of his heart. The secrets buried deep would not come out easily. Besides, acting as a mediator was foolish.

Lessons learned in business were just as useful in life—endlessly so.

Yishu waited until Xu Shixi left, then pressed her dry lips together and spoke softly, “So many days have passed, why did you suddenly decide to come see me today?” She looked at Su Yihui’s face, nearly hidden in his sweater collar, and sighed, “Sit down, we’ll talk.”

Su Yihui tugged at the hem of his sweater and sat on the sofa. The sweater was seventy-five centimeters long, just enough to cover his hips. His clothes were always mid-length, unlike most guys who preferred shorter cuts.

He felt that the longer the garment, the greater the sense of security. As if, in some way, his clothes served as protection.

“I... I don’t know how to face this,” Su Yihui stared at the rug under the coffee table.

“Have you made up your mind?” Yishu looked up and saw his chestnut hair. She remembered, as a child, her brother’s hair was like mist and clouds—more beautiful than a girl’s, making the poetic phrase for a woman’s hair apt for him.

“Not certain—” he said, “I suppose I’ve made my decision.”

“What is your decision?” Yishu had already guessed most of his intentions. After a month’s grace, returning to university was no longer possible. He must have come today to plead for approval. Still, she couldn’t help but ask.

“My decision was made more than a month ago…” In fact, perhaps even earlier, during his junior and senior years in high school, he’d already given up the idea of going to university. But then, it hadn’t felt so strong—just a mistaken illusion. Su Yihui wandered through his memories, “My decision was made over a month ago. I’m sorry, I hid it from you, never told you.” His voice choked, tears welling in his eyes. “I didn’t have the courage, I was afraid you wouldn’t understand, that you’d be hurt, sad.”

“Can you give me a reason for not going?” Yishu set aside childish questions and asked something with real weight. “There must be a reason?” She paused, “Is it a matter, or a person?”

At the mention of a person, Yishu noticed Su Yihui’s body involuntarily tremble.

“Is it for someone?” Her voice was calm and clear.

“I don’t know how to say it.” Su Yihui finally lifted his head. “Sis, will you forgive me?”

His evasive answer only made Yishu more certain there was something more.

He lacked the ability to lie or keep secrets—perhaps, when he was born, he forgot to ask God for that skill.

“What does forgiveness matter?” Yishu stood up, walked over, and sat beside him, placing her hand on his. “If you long for this life, then move forward bravely.” If life is destined not to succeed, at least let there be no regrets. “Life is your own; I can only be your adviser, not make choices for you.”