The rooftop of Building 9 was spacious and refreshing. Moonlight spilled across the landscape, and the myriad lights of homes twinkled. Standing on the rooftop and gazing up at the starry sky gave one a sense of boundless serenity.
At this moment, Han Xiaoxiao, sitting on the rooftop with her legs dangling in the air, was looking at the stars. In Ling Feng's eyes, the scene was so harmonious. The breeze fluttered through her hair, giving her an aura of transcendence.
Ling Feng slowly approached Han Xiaoxiao without saying a word.
"Ever since I was little, my grandmother used to tell me that every star in the sky corresponds to an ordinary person on Earth! When that person dies, their star will fall!" Han Xiaoxiao said softly, "I used to believe it without a doubt and even tried to find out which one was mine!"
"Now that you've grown up, have you also lost the naivety and childishness of those years?" Ling Feng said softly. Follow current novels on ɴoᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt
Han Xiaoxiao, without turning her head, said lightly, "Yes, growing up comes at a cost. One has to shed their innocence and don a cloak of pretense, wear a mask, and conform to the world. It's only when one thinks they're mature that they realize the price they've paid for growth is far too high, with childhood innocence and family affection lost to time."
"That's reality," Ling Feng said softly, "People cannot avoid growing up, nor can they live forever in a fairytale world of their own imagination. It's just that some people manage to stay true to themselves, being upright on the inside and flexible on the outside. Others simply drift with the tide, losing their true nature. Even if you refuse to grow up, those meant to leave you will still go."
Han Xiaoxiao turned to glance at Ling Feng, "It's easy to say, hard to do."
"Precisely because it's difficult, those who persist in being themselves are all the more precious," Ling Feng replied with a smile. "Okay, if you're done reflecting, you should go down. If you continue to stay here, you might really attract unnecessary trouble."
Only then did Han Xiaoxiao realize that a crowd had already gathered below.
"What's going on with them?" Han Xiaoxiao asked, somewhat baffled.
"Of course, they're worried that someone might jump off the building!" Ling Feng said with a smile. "Didn't you realize you've been in that pose for over half an hour already? And since you locked the rooftop door, that caused quite the stir!"
Han Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue, "I wasn't feeling good today and just wanted to be alone... Did you come to rescue me?"
"Rescue you?" Ling Feng shrugged and said, "Not really. I just came up to tell you, if you really want to die, just don't do it on Building 9."
"Eh? Why?" Han Xiaoxiao asked curiously.
Ling Feng said, "Because I believe you can't wake someone who is pretending to sleep, nor can you persuade someone who sincerely wants to die. So, I wouldn't rescue someone attempting suicide even if I saw them! As for me, I'm just the manager of Building 9, responsible for its protection, that's all."
Han Xiaoxiao smiled faintly, "Interesting!"
She stood up and jumped down, "I wouldn't think of suicide. Life is so beautiful; I haven't lived enough yet!"
"Then let's go," Ling Feng said.
Han Xiaoxiao followed Ling Feng downstairs, where she was soon surrounded by other students.
Facing the concern of her classmates and the inquiries of her teachers, Han Xiaoxiao explained with a wry smile that she just wanted some quiet time on the rooftop. She apologized for causing such a commotion!
Seeing that Han Xiaoxiao had no intention of jumping off the building, the teachers and classmates finally breathed a sigh of relief. After a round of criticism and education, the matter was dropped.
However, after this incident, Ling Feng began to make a name for himself in Building 9. The resistance from the occupants toward this male manager lessened somewhat.
"Xiaoxiao, why did you go to the rooftop?" Back in the dorm, Liu Yuwei asked, "We were really scared!"
Han Xiaoxiao replied apologetically, "Sorry, today is the anniversary of my grandmother's death, and I wasn't in the best mood, so I went up there to have some quiet time. I didn't expect to cause such a scene!"
"It's okay, as long as you're fine!" Liu Yuwei patted her chest and said, "You can't go to such dangerous places anymore, that was really scary!"
"Don't worry, I won't do it again!"
In the days that followed, Ling Feng's university life was quite comfortable, checking security and sanitation when bored or just playing games in the duty room.
After a few days of acquaintance, the girls in Building 9 gradually accepted Ling Feng's presence. And with Ling Feng's handsome face, passing girls would occasionally flirt with him, making him feel that even ladies can turn into rowdies when in groups!
Just as Ling Feng was getting used to his work as a manager in Building 9, the exchange meeting co-hosted by Yanjing City and the National Institutes of Health finally began.
Early in the morning, Yun Hanrui and Liu Tingyu headed towards the venue with their materials.
Upon arriving at the venue, Yun Hanrui heard a smug voice, "President Yun, long time no see. I heard Chaoyang Group has been having some trouble recently? Need any help from us?"
The voice belonged to a slick young man looking at Yun Hanrui with a mix of greed and resentment.
Yun Hanrui turned to look at the young man and said calmly, "Yang Rui, I didn't expect to see you here. I heard your father grounded you? How did you get out so quickly?"
Yang Rui's face darkened, "Yun Hanrui, don't get cocky. Everyone knows that Chaoyang Group is in dire straits now. I advise you to keep a low profile, or else the real pain is yet to come."
Yun Hanrui smiled faintly, "Young Master Yang needn't worry about us. You'd better take care of yourself. Oh, and thanks for your great support last time. I've always remembered it, and haven't had the chance to express my gratitude!"
"Hmph! I'll see how long you can keep this up!" Yang Rui glared coldly at Yun Hanrui before turning to leave.
After Yang Rui left, Yun Hanrui let out a sigh of relief and a hint of helplessness crossed her face.
Liu Tingyu looked worried, "President Yun, this..."
"It's okay. Yang Rui is from Jiangnan Jiuchong Pharmaceutical. They developed a new drug for treating organ transplant rejection. At that time, Chaoyang Biotech also developed a similar product, so we were competitors. However, our product eventually came out on top and gained the lead," Yun Hanrui explained.
Liu Tingyu nodded, knowing that despite Yun Hanrui's words, Yang Rui's reaction indicated the matter was not so simple; there might be more to it, perhaps old grievances. But Liu Tingyu also knew very well that in the business battlefield, there would always be winners and losers, as Chaoyang Group was currently experiencing.