With his mobile phone vibrating nonstop, He Bai parked the car without answering the call, and started texting instead.
He Bai: I parked your car at the airport hotel. Tell Assistant Wang to drive it away in a minute. Plus, remember to deal with your business with caution, and come to me when it finishes, for I have something to tell you.
After that, he tucked the phone into his pocket, got out of the car, checked in a hotel room and drifted off to sleep dizzily.
He Bai slept badly over this night when he had dreams one after another, while he could hardly recall their content the moment he woke up.
Seeing innumerable texts Di Qiuhe had sent, He Bai scanned through them, rubbing a hand across his forehead and sighing deeply. After some consideration, he sent Wang Hu a text to ask him to bring his textbook for the first class of the day.
At eight o’clock in the morning, Wang Boyi showed up with breakfast and clean clothes.
“Thank you, please wait for a minute.” He Bai took the clothes and went to bathroom to change them. After that, he called Wang Boyi in to have breakfast and asked, “When did your boss leave last night?”
Wang Boyi who sat up straight opposite him answered honestly, “At 4:50 a.m.”
He Bai paused in a real mood. Since Di Qiuhe got to the hotel at around two o’clock last night, he must have stayed at the airport for more than two hours before leaving.
He Bai somehow lost his appetite. Recalling what he dreamed last night, he shook his head and asked casually, “I heard that you once worked for Di Bian. How long has it been?”
Wang Boyi didn’t expect him to ask about this. It surprised him that Master Di should keep no secrets from He Bai, while he maintained a reserved and rigid look and replied, “It’s over seven years. I was one of the poor college students that received financial assistance from Huangdu and was specially recruited there when graduating from university. I’d been working in a branch office before Di Bian assigned me the task.”
Over seven years, almost a tenth of life… He Bai nodded in understanding and gobbled up the breakfast. As soon as Wang Boyi picked him up to Q University, he ran straight to the classroom.
In the next few days, Di Qiuhe vanished off the face of the earth, and there was no news about him, so was Huangdu and Qin family, as if what had happened that night was nothing more than a dream.
When He Bai planned to go to the hospital where Di Bian was admitted to get some updates, an obscure newspaper secretly exposed that Huangdu’s big boss had a quarrel with his wife and went on holiday alone, leaving the company in the care of its vice director.
The news sounded overly untrustworthy and soon became the object of ridicule among netizens. Before long, it was suddenly deleted. People speculated that the newspaper must have been given a warning from Huangdu about spreading rumor.
Despite scant attention among the crowd, this joke-like story gave the impression that Huangdu’s boss bore sour relation with his wife who temporarily left the company.
Logging off WeiBo, He Bai guessed that it should be a piece of fake news Di Qiuhe had made up. Concerning that there was still no response to his text, he decided not go to the hospital. Before the situation became clear, he must believe in Di Qiuhe rather than making reckless move.
As another two days passed, Di Qiuhe finally called He Bai. He said slowly in a gravelly voice, “Little Puppy, things are done. My father comes round, and I can go back to continue my work.”
He Bai who was retouching photos loosened the mouse, glanced at the time and asked, “Where are you?”
“I’m waiting outside your dormitory”.
He Bai was dumbfounded and hurriedly ran out of his dorm.
It’s only several days He Bai last saw Di Qiuhe, and he seemed a little thinner, with something indiscernible in his eyes.
He Bai strode toward Di Qiuhe and stopped, looking him up and down. He was relieved to see the guy safe and sound, and asked, “When do you come back? Are you done? What’s the result?”
Di Qiuhe’s eyes kept rolling and finally fixated on He Bai. He bent slightly, with his sight at the same level as He Bai’s, and flashed a smile, “Little Puppy, if I’m not a successor to Huangdu any more, would you keep me company?”
He Bai frowned, raised a hand to rub the corner of his mouth and said, “Your standing means nothing to me. Stop laughing. Tell me, what’s going on with you?” He was quite uneasy about Di Qiuhe’s physiological state. Happy as he looked, the guy took a serious look, laden with anxiety.
Di Qiuhe was stunned and suddenly raised his eyebrows. A big smile spread across his face. He stood up and reached out his hand, “Thank you for accepting me who have not a penny to my name… Could I use your cell phone?”
With his brows knitted even more, He Bai took out the mobile phone and handed him, “Have not a penny? You have no other things to cherish except the lifeless title? We bring nothing with us when we’re born and take nothing when we die. It’s of little value, isn’t it?”
Dumbfounded, Di Qiuhe paused for several seconds and saw the light all of the sudden, feeling relieved. He clenched the phone and nodded, “Yes, it is… Little Puppy, can I use your WeiBo account?” There was relaxation in his tone.
“Sure.” Seeing Di Qiuhe in a good mood, He Bai felt better. He looked around, held Di Qiuhe’s hand and said in a low voice, “This place is unsuitable for chatting. We need to find another site. Cover your face, in case you cause a scene. Fortunately, it’s lunch break now, and no one gets out or comes in.”
The words lifted Di Qiuhe’s spirits. He looked down at their overlapping palms, raised one hand to cover the lower half of his face, and said softly, “My face is covered. Only you can see me now.”
Just then, a batch of students walked out of the dormitory. He Bai turned around and pulled him toward a non-beaten path without catching what he said.
They booked a private room at a tea bar outside school when Di Qiuhe always held He Bai’s mobile phone without any operation.
He Bai poured him a cup of hot tea and confirmed the news stern-faced, “Di Bian drove you out the instant he woke up?”
“Yeah, he gave me some money and euphemistically told me to leave earlier.” Di Qiuhe put down the mobile phone, took a sip of his tea and added, “Actually, he behaved in a quite normal way the moment he woke up, but his attitude became strange since Qin Li met him secretly. After that, he kept insinuating that it was time I shall depart.”