Changmo was drowning in work.
That night, after dinner, Rong Ci and Yu Moxun returned to the office to continue working.
On Wednesday morning, while Rong Ci and Yu Moxun were in the middle of a meeting, Yu Moxun's secretary came in to announce that He Changbai had arrived.
Yu Moxun was speechless. One didn't need a genius to figure out why He Changbai had shown up unannounced.
Given He Changbai's status and prestige, Yu Moxun couldn't simply ignore him. He turned to Rong Ci and said, "You continue chairing the meeting. I'll go see what he wants."
"Alright," Rong Ci replied.
When Yu Moxun entered the reception room, He Changbai was already seated. Seeing Yu Moxun arrive alone, He Changbai's deep eyes flickered. He rose and took the initiative to shake hands. "Please forgive my intrusion, President Yu."
Yu Moxun could only reply politely, "You're too kind, President He."
Once they sat down, He Changbai cut straight to the chase, handing a document to Yu Moxun. "This is my proposal for collaboration. Would you care to take a look?"
Yu Moxun took it and began to read. His expression grew increasingly serious.
Finally, he set the file down. "President He, your sincerity is indeed impressive. However, I have other factors to weigh. I suspect it will be some time before I can give you a definitive answer."
He Changbai maintained an excellent attitude. "No matter. It's only natural to compare options. If you have any objections to the terms I've provided, feel free to contact me at any time. We can negotiate and coordinate."
He Changbai didn't overstay his welcome. After a brief goodbye, he departed.
Because He Changbai had been so professional and his proposal so strong, Yu Moxun couldn't find a single thing to complain about. He even had to personally escort the man to the ground floor.
By the time he returned, Rong Ci had finished the meeting.
He couldn't help but remark to her, "This He Changbai... his execution is incredibly efficient."
He had just rejected the man over the phone the day before yesterday, and today He Changbai arrived with a flawless proposal and no wasted words.
"To be honest," Yu Moxun admitted, "the plan he offered is very tempting."
Rong Ci considered this. "We can wait and see for a bit. If it truly is the best fit, there's no harm in working with him."
Yu Moxun felt the same. It was just that this made it difficult for him to make things hard for He Changbai, leaving him with a lingering sense of frustration that he had nowhere to vent.
Around five in the evening, while Rong Ci was still busy, her phone rang. She glanced at it. It was Feng Jingxin again.
In truth, Feng Jingxin hadn't called her for the past two days. Still, Rong Ci didn't answer, continuing with her work instead.
Two days later, on Friday morning, not long after Rong Ci had woken up, Feng Jingxin called yet again.
Rong Ci looked at the screen, left the phone on the table, and went straight into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Seeing that Rong Ci still wouldn't pick up, Feng Jingxin felt so aggrieved she wanted to smash the phone. But she held back.
Her eyes welled with tears as she took small, listless bites of her breakfast. She looked across the table at Feng Tingshen. "This is the fourth time. Since last Saturday, I've called Mama four times, but she hasn't picked up once..."
"Then try again in a while," Feng Tingshen said simply.
She had lost her appetite. "What if Mama still doesn't answer?"
"Just wait. She will answer eventually."
Jingxin's mood lifted slightly. She asked expectantly, "When is 'eventually'?"
Feng Tingshen paused his meal for a second. "Within two weeks."
Jingxin was instantly unhappy again. "Two weeks? That's so long!"
Feng Tingshen nodded. "It is a bit long."
Jingxin pouted. "But I want to go out and play this weekend. Auntie Wu's injuries aren't healed yet so she can't take me. Papa, will you go with me?"
Feng Tingshen spoke to her gently. "Papa has a lot to do on Saturday, but I'm free on Sunday. If you want to go out on Saturday, how about going with Uncle He and Dandan?"
Jingxin nodded. "Okay." As long as she wasn't alone, it was fine.
Feng Tingshen called He Changbai and asked him to take care of Jingxin for the day. He Changbai agreed.
On Saturday, He Changbai took Jingxin and Dandan to Happy Valley.
There were countless attractions at Happy Valley, ranging from the whimsical to the thrilling, but Jingxin seemed disinterested. She wasn't playing with the same joy she used to; she looked like she had a heavy heart.
He Changbai bought ice cream cones and handed one to each of the girls.
Noticing the girl's face, which bore a thirty or forty percent resemblance to Rong Ci, he asked, "Is something bothering you today, Jingxin?"
Sitting on a swing and licking her cone, Jingxin whispered, "I miss Mama a little."
When they were living abroad, she sometimes wouldn't see her mother for months, but Rong Ci would call or video chat every single day. Even recently, when her mother was busy, she would pick up every few days and even rush home to cook for her.
But now, she kept calling, and her mother never answered. This had never happened before.
He Changbai knew that Rong Ci and Feng Tingshen had signed a divorce agreement and that Feng Tingshen had custody. However, he didn't know the current state of their relationship.
"Did something happen?" He Changbai asked.
Jingxin explained how Rong Ci hadn't been answering her calls lately. He Changbai knew that the child was still unaware of the impending divorce.
He wasn't sure what to say, so he simply offered, "Your mother certainly isn't ignoring you on purpose. She's probably just too busy. Things will get better soon."
Jingxin nodded. "Yeah, that's what Papa said too."
He Changbai went quiet.
Seeing Jingxin unhappy, Dandan tried to comfort her. "I want to see my aunt too, but my uncle says she's busy and can't find the time. Grown-ups are always busy. It'll be okay soon."
Jingxin nodded. "Okay."
The reason He Changbai hadn't contacted Rong Ci lately wasn't actually because she was busy. He felt the divorce would have a profound impact on her, and since she didn't have custody of Jingxin, he worried that asking her to spend time with Dandan would only make her more depressed by the reminder of her own child.
After five in the evening, once he had finished his work, Feng Tingshen called He Changbai. "Where are you guys?"
He Changbai gave him the address, and Feng Tingshen drove over to meet them.
"Papa!"
Even though He Changbai was very good to her, Jingxin was always happier to see her father.
Feng Tingshen had left his long coat in the car. Dressed in a sharp suit, he leaned down to pick her up, pinching her cheek. "Did you have fun with Uncle He and Dandan today?"
Jingxin felt much better now. She nodded. "Mm, I had fun!"
She clung to her father's neck, refusing to be put down. Feng Tingshen carried her into the restaurant and only set her on her feet once they reached their private room.
He turned to He Changbai. "Thanks for the help today."
"It was nothing," He Changbai replied. "The two of them played together mostly. I didn't have to do much, so it was actually quite relaxing."
Seeing the two children occupied with each other, He Changbai looked at Feng Tingshen. "I know you have custody of Jingxin, but what did the two of you decide regarding visitation rights?"
Feng Tingshen understood the implication immediately.
He smiled. "You think I'm the one not letting her see the child?"
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