"Three years," Tang Ze said, "He’s still young. When he returns, it’ll be just right."
However, Shi Lan smiled meaningfully and said, "That will only be true if he’s willing."
"With such a great opportunity, how could he not be willing?"
"The affairs of artists aren’t for me to decide; you should ask him yourself," Shi Lan said, and after tidying up a bit, went to have dinner with General Manager Yan at Shuangshi.
Tang Ze, not understanding, took advantage of the fact that the little rascal wasn’t scheduled at the time, and pulled him aside to inquire.
After hearing the entire offer, An Yang wiped his sweat off and smiled, saying, "Ah, really?"
Tang Ze frowned and looked at An Yang, asking, "Don’t fake your laugh. I can see right through it. Why does your reaction mirror exactly what your sister predicted? Isn’t going to Japan a good thing? Do you know how many artists in our country want to apprentice themselves to that master? And here he is, approaching you personally, and you’re acting all proud?"
"It’s not like that!" An Yang quickly waved his hands to explain, "Ze, I treasure every opportunity to make a name for myself. Of course, I also very much want to receive top-tier and systematic training, but there are more important people and things for me in the country, and I don’t want to be too far away from them."
"You’re only twenty. If you go for three years, you’ll be back by twenty-three, right when it’s time to set sail. What use is it now to cling to those people and things? You can’t protect them. The most important thing for you right now is to seize your own opportunities. I don’t care what you’re thinking, but I’m giving you another week to decide. Think it over and then give me your answer."
Having said that, Tang Ze walked away angrily, holding the documents.
The little rascal knew what he was angry about, and understood that his words made sense.
But what use was having a bunch of new fans now?
He still couldn’t protect the ones he wanted to protect, nor could he do the things he wanted to do.
But to leave for three years...
After three years, everything here would have changed.
During the afternoon tea time, Shi Lan was unusually quiet, which made General Manager Yan, busy with work, feel quite unaccustomed.
"What’s wrong today? You’re not talking much."
"Just pondering the variety of life, finding it very interesting," Miss Shi casually smiled and answered, "I’m wondering whether the little rascal will really leave Huo Zhao behind and go to Japan alone. Also thinking, whether Sun Ling would go find the senior she had a crush on before. After all, there’s almost nothing in my two lifetimes that I haven’t been able to acquire. This crazed desire to hold onto something, I haven’t really experienced it much."
After hearing Miss Shi’s words, General Manager Yan became displeased. He stood up, walked behind Shi Lan’s office chair, turned her around, leaned on her armrest, and asked, "Really nothing?"
Shi Lan lowered her head with a smile, then pinching Yan Shixiu’s tie, looked up and asked, "Is General Manager Yan abandoning proper business and just getting jealous all day?"
Shi Lan let go of the tie and moved towards his tempting Adam’s apple, and then said, "Well, the first time I saw you, I wanted you, and you gave in, didn’t you?"
"What if I had been more reserved?"
"Then..." Shi Lan slowly stood up, "some measures would’ve had to be taken, after all, it’s the first time in this life that I’ve taken a fancy to a man, how could he... not appreciate the favor?"
"What if, before we recognized each other, I had really run away?" Yan Shixiu wasn’t giving up yet.
"Then I’d have to catch you and bring you back..." Shi Lan met Yan Shixiu’s expression, her tone still carrying a playful lilt, "To the ends of the earth, wanted: Yan Shixiu."