After returning to the apartment to put down his luggage, Xin Qi took Min Hui to a nearby restaurant. Min Hui ordered cumin mutton and a small bowl of French onion soup, and it took less than ten minutes to sweep up. And Xin Qi didn't even finish half of the lemon-flavored fish steak and vegetable salad ordered here.

He eats slowly, never speaks with food in his mouth, and must swallow it completely before opening his mouth.

She asked for a beer and slowly accompanied him.

"Have you been back to New York recently?" She remembered Zizhu's request.

"No." He cut the fish attentively, "Is something wrong?"

"I want to buy two pairs of shoes. It's called 'Dansko'. Have you heard of it?"

"Well, many medical staff like to wear this shoe."

"If you don't go back to the United States, can you ask someone to buy it for me and send it over?"

"No problem, when?"

"Just receive it before the 25th of next month. Size 9, a pair of white and black."

He responded quickly: "For Zhou Ruji?"

"Yes. His birthday is next month."

He was slightly distracted, the knife cut on the plate, making a harsh sound, and he quickly said "Sorry": "Aren't you divorced?"

"His wife asked me."

He didn't ask any further, he used a fork to fork the whole plate of vegetables together one by one, dipped it in the salad dressing, and put it in his mouth.

Min Hui's plate was already empty, and the dessert had not yet arrived, so she had no choice but to ask: "Do you have cooperation with Cheng Qirang? I think you two are talking very high."

"It's just to pass the time." He said, "I had some intentions before, but they didn't implement the agreement. His platform is well built, and I'm really interested."

Min Hui nodded: "I don't want to comment on Cheng Qirang's personality, but he is really good at technology and business, and his manipulation skills are top-notch. You have to be careful in business with him."

"Why," he raised his head and looked at her with interest, "I'm afraid I'll fall into his hands?"

"I don't know your company, Cao Mu said that you are also very good." Min Hui looked at him and smiled, "But Bencheng is neither New York nor Beijing. Guanchao was born and raised there for 20 years, although Zheng Lan was born and raised there. It was founded by one hand, and it has been a matter of the last seven or eight years to occupy the market and develop it.

Of course he knew all this.

"Especially now, Zheng Lan has suffered a severe stroke and is already in a vegetative state. She has been lying in the hospital and relying on machines to survive. Zheng Yiting's arrogance towards Cheng Qirang has suddenly become much smaller - she does not understand business and spends money like running water, but she is not stupid, she knows My father is gone, so I can't watch the tide without Cheng Qirang."

"So, you still know a lot about watching tides."

"I didn't say that the company was bad, nor did I say that Cheng Qirang was a failed operator. On the contrary, in terms of R&D and marketing, Guanchao has always been outstanding, and its achievements and reputation in the industry are obvious to all. However, the companies within Guanchao The culture - especially the discrimination against female employees - is very serious, and the rules and regulations are deliberately chosen to ignore, which makes the girls suffer, and it is the most unacceptable to me."

"Then what are your plans for the future?" he asked.

"I work at Guanchao for a maximum of two years, and as soon as the competition restriction ends, my team and I will leave immediately."

"What about your projects? Like GS1.0? 2.0?"

"I am very reluctant, so I can only choose to give up. Cao Mu and I will start anew. There are many things that can be done in AI. Our team is more experienced, and there will be new projects soon."

"Then come to BBG, I will give you enough freedom, money, and the respect you want."

She didn't answer for a long time, remembering that time when he bargained with Cao Mu, she thought about it and said, "We will see the situation at that time."

He smiled to himself: "You know, Min Hui, it's actually hard for you to please."

When the dessert arrived, there were two plates of colorful macarons arranged in a circle. Min Hui smiled and said, "Wow, I always see it in dessert shops, but I've never eaten it."

"why?"

"It's not that I can't afford it, but I think it's too small and expensive, not enough to eat, and not worth it."

"Come on, let me introduce you, there are five flavors." He pointed to the darkest one. "This is chocolate, this is vanilla, this is strawberry, this is matcha, this is coffee."

"Which is your favorite?"

"Pistachio."

"Pistachio flavor?"

"Yes. My mom can make it, but unfortunately this store doesn't have it," he said. "My mom grew up in Quebec and knows a lot about French baking. She used to make it for me and my brother when I was a kid. Right now, as long as you know me When I go home, I will prepare a large plate in advance and wait for me to come back to eat.”

"Then have you eaten a lot?"

"right."

She rudely brought the two plates of desserts in front of her and smiled mischievously: "These are all mine."

He gave her a deep look: "eat it, don't rob you."

She picked up a piece and took a bite into her mouth: "Hey, how did I get the taste of almonds?"

"Almond flour is its main ingredient."

She stuffed it into her mouth one by one, and when she finished eating the last one, Xin Qi finally ate the last vegetable leaf on her plate.

It was raining lightly in the sky, and there was a rare coolness in the dry air.

They came here on foot, Min Hui didn't want to call a car, and suggested to take a walk back.

People come and go on the street, and there are square high-rise buildings on both sides. Walking in it is like walking into a group of giant building blocks. Min Hui was a little full, and wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes, she walked very slowly. Xin Qi was not in a hurry, and stayed by the side silently, occasionally saying a word or two of gossip. He always smelled of orange soda, and for some reason, it was more clearly discernible in the rain, as if it would take root and sprout and bear fruit at any moment. He didn't say why he went back to Beijing. He stayed for a few days and had something to do, as if he had made a special trip to accompany her. Min Hui didn't ask any more questions. It was a rare opportunity to walk in such a harmonious way in the rain, without quarreling, raising bar, or sarcasm - she was already very happy.

"You've gotten a lot better tempered lately." She was half compliment, half joking, realizing that they weren't close enough to talk about each other's tempers, and her face flushed again.

"When I was in New York, I had classes, AngerManagement, how do you say it in Chinese?"

"Emotion Management."

"My temper is not as bad as you think, especially at work."

"So you're only mad at me?" The words blurted out, and there was no time to stop them.

"I often persuade myself not to," he said calmly. "I should think of you as a cow."

"What?"

"When a man is angry, he doesn't get angry if he is standing next to a cow instead of another person."

"Moo-moo-" she called out from the side.

He glared at her, then smiled again.

They walked in the direction of the Life Insurance Center. When they reached the intersection, the red light was on, and a group of pedestrians were crossing the road in the rain across the cross street. Min Hui's eyes were fixed on a woman in a yellow jacket.

Her skin is very white, she has elastic curly hair, and she is carrying a bulging cloth bag across the body, and her figure is not clearly visible in the crowd. Min Hui felt that the way she was walking seemed familiar, especially the conspicuous coat.

She couldn't help chasing after the woman. Just two steps away, she grabbed her with one hand and pulled her hard. At the same time, there was a "drip" in her ear, and a minibus brushed her face. Pass. The driver stuck his head out of the car and scolded, "I'll kill you!" and walked away.

She opened her eyes and found Xin Qi hugging her tightly.

"YouOK?" He looked at her suspiciously. "The red light is still on, why did you suddenly cross the road?"

She was in shock, turned her head and saw that the woman in yellow across the street had disappeared. She looked around anxiously, and Xin Qi asked, "What's the matter? Who did you see?"

"Su Tian." Min Hui's face turned pale, "I think I saw Su Tian."

His face also changed: "Where?"

"Across the road, the one in yellow." Min Hui pointed out, and the woman in yellow reappeared in the crowd, with her back to the direction of the shopping center.

The yellow clothes were very conspicuous, and Xin Qi finally saw it: "Are you sure?"

"Not sure." She said so, but she quickened her pace, just as the green light came on, she pulled Xin Qi and chased after the woman in yellow.

Seeing that the man was about to walk into the mall, Xin Qi stopped her with a quick step: "Miss, please stay-"

The woman in yellow stood in surprise and turned around: "Is something wrong?"

When Xin Qi was about to speak, Min Hui quickly said, "I'm sorry, we recognized the wrong person."

The woman smiled softly, said "it's okay", and left slowly.

Xin Qi looked at her back and couldn't help but say, "Is she too far from Su Tian?"

Yes, the woman has a well-defined face, which looks like a Uyghur woman at first glance, with big eyes and deep eyes, and naturally shiny curly hair. She looks better than Su Tian, ​​although she is well maintained, she should be in her forties in terms of age.

"The hairstyle and body are the same, and they are wearing the exact same jacket."

——I recalled too many times, and even went to the police station to make a transcript. Until now, Min Hui can still clearly remember every detail of her meeting with Su Tian, ​​especially the yellow coat. Bright yellow, silver snap button with a hat attached to it. There is a palm-sized pocket on the left and right chests, and a beef tendon rope that can be adjusted elastically on the waist.

"Comeon, those were four years ago."

"Su Tian will not be willing to throw it away." Min Hui sighed.

Xin Qi went into the mall and bought her an iced latte, saying that it was to shock her and dilute the sweetness of macarons by the way.

"I often dream of Su Tian these days," he said. "In the dream, she was also wearing that yellow dress, her face was always blurred, and she was sitting next to me, so she couldn't see clearly."

"She didn't say anything?" Min Hui looked at him, "didn't give a hint of where she was?"

"I'm afraid she is no longer alive." He looked at the crowds and vehicles on the street, and his thoughts were full of thoughts, "or went to a parallel time and space. I and her... Maybe we can only meet in another world. ."

"No, she must still be alive. At the time of the incident, the local police searched very thoroughly. After you joined, you will do your best to dig three feet in the ground-if she is really killed, so many people will look for her, After searching for so long, advertising everywhere, offering big bounties... It's impossible to find her. She's probably still alive," Min Hui affirmed, "You will definitely be able to reunite."

"What about you?" he asked suddenly, "what do you do?"

"Well, let's continue with my life. Anyway, I have Su Quan. At most, I can find him a father."

"Good luck," he said casually.

Her eyes suddenly became sore, and suddenly tears came out, just as it was raining heavily, she raised her head and let the rain hit her face.

He didn't notice it, and continued: "When it was raining when we were young, Su Tian and I often walked backwards in the rain hand in hand - there were no computers or game consoles at that time, and I thought it was very fun."

She sucked her nose hard and said with a smile, "Won't it crash into the car?"

"On the playground. The welfare home has a large playground, where Su Tian likes to swing, jump rubber bands, and play parallel bars. She likes to wear yellow clothes because red, yellow and green are the most striking colors. Red is worn in school. There are many girls in clothes, and the campus is full of green plants. As long as she wears yellow clothes, I can always recognize her immediately, even if it is just a shadow."

Min Hui thought to herself, Su Tian didn't know that Xin Qi's eyes had been healed, and that yellow jacket might have been specially bought to wear when he was with Xin Qi.

The more he thought about it, the more active Su Tian was in his mind, and he almost came to the front from another time and space.

For a while, she didn't know whether it was happiness or sadness, but she felt so confused and her chest was so blocked that she didn't hear what Xin Qi said beside her.

Min Hui spent an afternoon in Xin Qi's apartment. She felt tired, so she took a nap, but she didn't expect to wake up at six o'clock. She hurriedly took a shower, put on light makeup, wore a white dress, and took Xin Qi's car to a club next to the hospital. Xin Qi said that he would wait for her in a nearby cafe, handle some official business by the way, and asked her to call him after dinner.

It was a private club, with a very small face from the outside, and a deep and twisty interior: there were gardens, rockeries, weeping willows, and ponds. The interior decoration is splendid, and it is the most expensive and private among the social places of doctors in Beijing. The director and assistant of the host are all from Hangzhou. The chef inside cooks beautiful Hangzhou dishes, and there is a girl playing the guzheng in the side hall. Hearing that the dean can drink quite a lot, Cheng Qirang specially brought two bottles of Maotai and tried his best to accompany him to drink. Min Hui did not drink a drop of wine, and gave a serious introduction to the GS1.0 project during the banquet.

After a meal, the two reached a preliminary sales intention. Min Hui promised to bring the team to the hospital for installation and commissioning in person, while Cheng Qirang said that he would give a good discount. Seeing that the dinner was about to end, everyone began to say goodbye to each other. Min Hui called Xin Qi, and Xin Qi said that she would come over immediately and would wait for her in the parking lot.

"My car is also in the parking lot, let's go together." Cheng Qirang said, "I just want to talk to you about something, about work."

From the clubhouse to the parking lot, you need to cross a pond and a garden.

The rain has stopped, and the rain drips dripping from the ginkgo trees on both sides of the trail. They passed by a wisteria trellis. Cheng Qirang suddenly stopped and said to Min Hui, "The HR person told me that you complained to Ding Yifeng. I have already talked to him and put it down."

She said coldly: "What is 'pressed down'? It's over?"

"I warned him not to provoke you. You were discovered by me and pulled out with one hand. You are here to watch the tide and do big things."

Min Hui laughed "ha": "Stop dreaming, Cheng Qirang. I won't help you do anything big, let alone—"

"Don't talk too much, Min Hui." He interrupted her, his voice like a low drumbeat, "A talented person can be proud and self-willed, but don't rely on your intelligence to be lawless. I can make you stand out, too. It can make you fall into trouble. Because you and I—" he pointed to her nose, "are soul mates, and only I can understand the code you wrote. If I change your code, you will be convinced. Think Have you ever been? You and I are bright for a while, so why hate each other? If we work together, we can create a world!"

"No!"

"You need me, Min Hui. You're technically good, but you're not rational enough. You can't have the freedom you want without being rational enough."

"I do not understand what you mean."

"Watching the tide grew under my hands. I set the rules. I created its structure, its rules, and its system. If you want to be free with me, you must integrate into the system, not Can go to school. In my world, you can backstroke or snorkel, but remember you are a fish, you can only live in the water, and if you want to jump out of the water and jump to the shore, you are dead.”

She looked at him in shock.

"What you have to do is actually very simple," he stared at her face in the moonlight, his eyes like a hinge to lock her thoughts, "that is to surrender yourself, the more fully the better."

"Hand over yourself, do you think I'm stupid?" Min Hui sneered, "You think you tell me it's a fish, and I'll just stay in the pond you dug with your own hands and regard it as mine. The whole world? I am glad that I jumped out and saw a more wonderful world, a wider space, and breathed fresher air! If the world you gave me needs me to depend on you, obey you, and be at your mercy, then I would rather I have to jump out even if I die! I don’t need your system, and I won’t recite the answers you gave me. The way I choose to live is my final account to the world.”

Speaking of which, she turned her head and left, grabbed by him suddenly, and dragged her to a ginkgo tree outside the flower stand. There was a pain in her arm, as if someone had clamped it with iron pliers. Just as she was about to pull out her mobile phone to call for help, Cheng Qi let the bag that had been snatched from her slammed into the distance.

At this moment, she was hugged tightly by him.

She struggled hard, and he covered her mouth tightly. At the same time, his face fell, his tongue rolled around her neck, sucking hard on the base of her ear.

A strong smell of alcohol hit her, mixed with some animal body odor.

"You ate onions on purpose before meeting me, didn't you?" he said viciously, "I smelled it as soon as I saw you. And the smell of cumin and mutton, you ate them on purpose to disgust me. Is that right? In order to suppress this nausea, I had to drink desperately!" He pulled her hair hard, put his face on hers, and rubbed it, "You think you can jump out of me like this The palm of your hand? An ungrateful thing! I love you, that's why I pamper you, be obedient, and I'll let you go."

She was shoved violently by him, and she threw herself in the mud. His body came over and was about to push her to the ground, when she remembered the self-defense technique taught by Yin Xu, rolled on the spot, and kicked him violently at the base of his thigh.

"Ow!" he cried out in pain, shrinking into a ball.

Desperately, she pounced on him and rode on top of him, punching him hard in the nose.

He groaned, the bridge of his nose broke, and he wrapped his hands around his head in pain.

She didn't give up, punched to death with punch after punch, grabbed the mud on the ground and smeared it in his face, stuffed it into his mouth, saw that he didn't move, then stood up, took two steps and then retreated He came back and kicked him hard in the stomach.

The high heels kicked away and she didn't bother to look for it, so she ran forward barefoot, picked up the small bag on the ground, walked through a bush, stumbled to the parking lot, and a figure quickly ran to her and hugged her .

"Min Hui?"

With blood on her hands and mud all over her body, she was shivering and weeping in his arms. He thought she was seriously injured, so he picked her up in fright, put her in the back seat, turned on the heater, and checked her injuries up and down.

"FXXK!" he scolded, "is it Cheng Qirang?"

She wept and nodded.

"Your arms are full of his fingerprints," he roared. "Sit here and don't move, I'll beat him to death!"

After speaking, he opened the car door and rushed out, but Min Hui held him tightly: "Don't go, Xin Qi! I wasn't injured. I beat him hard, kept beating, and then he Don't move... I'm afraid... dead."

She cried in fear.

"Xin Qi, if I go to jail, you have to take care of my son."

"No, you won't go to jail, it's just self-defense at best. Don't worry, I'll hire the best lawyer for you." He put his arms around her and comforted her softly, "Where are the others? I'll go take a look."

She pointed him in the direction, he locked the door, walked deep into the garden, returned shortly after, got into the car, and started to reverse.

"How? Is he dead or alive?"

"He's gone. I asked the security guard, and the security guard said he drank too much, fell, broke the bridge of his nose, lost a front tooth, and the rest were just some flesh wounds. They're arranging a car to take him to the hospital. "

People aren't dead yet, which is nice. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"You really beat him up enough." Xin Qi handed her a box of tissues while steering the steering wheel, "The security guard said that he had blood all over his face, mud in his mouth, and he drank a lot of alcohol and vomited on the ground for a long time. …”

In order to prevent Cheng Qirang from filing a lawsuit, he took her to a nearby hospital for an injury appraisal. It was almost twelve when we got back to the apartment.

Her body was still shaking.

He put the water in the bathtub, poured some bath salts, adjusted the water temperature, helped her take off her clothes and let her sit in.

She hugged her legs tightly and sat in the water, thinking of what had just happened, she couldn't help but feel scared for a while, her teeth rattling.

He wanted to leave, but when he saw that she was motionless in the water, he turned back and said, "I'll wash it for you."

She bit her lip and nodded.

Her hair was covered in mud, clumps stuck together. He squeezed the shampoo into his hands, dabbing and rubbing it over and over.

He stroked her back gently, trying to relax the tense muscles.

However, her whole body was as stiff as iron, curled up into a ball, difficult to break apart.

He had to hold her forehead with his left hand, spread his fingers with his right hand, and gently rake and comb along the back of her neck.

The water soon became cloudy, and he let the dirty water out and started again.

Her fingernails were also dark mud, and he carefully brushed each fingertip with soap and a toothbrush until they all turned transparent white.

He was silent during the whole process, and there was not a word of conversation between the two.

After washing it three times seriously, he wiped her body, dried her hair, put on her own pajamas and sent her to the guest room: "It's late, go to sleep."

She tossed and turned on the bed, obviously tired, but couldn't sleep, staring at the night light outside the window.

At two o'clock, she ran to the balcony and smoked a cigarette.

At three o'clock, she went to the living room to watch an episode of TV.

At four o'clock, she passed Xin Qi's bedroom, saw the door ajar, she walked in quietly, sat on the carpet beside the bed, and looked at him silently in the dark.

He was breathing lightly and slept peacefully.

She couldn't help but reached out and touched his face.

She felt a strange softness as her fingertips ran across his lips, and couldn't help leaning down and kissing her gently.

He coughed immediately.

"Xin Qi, I can't sleep." She whispered in his ear, "Do you want to play chess?"

"Sleep next to me." He said confusedly, then turned over to make room for her.

She slipped into the blanket, hugged him tightly, pressed her face to his chest, and fell asleep within a minute.