Chapter 3
Chapter 3
By the time I finished packing in the late afternoon, I had drifted into a heavy, groggy sleep on the sofa.
When I woke up again, the world outside was pitch black.
My phone screen glowed with a cold, ghostly light in the darkness, displaying two missed calls from Secretary Qin.
Just as I was about to call back, the phone began to vibrate again.
Once I answered, Secretary Qin asked, “Ms. Li, when would be a convenient time for you? I’d like to schedule an appointment at the 4S dealership for you to pick out the customizations.”
I rubbed my temples and replied instinctively, “Next month. I’ll be back in Beijing once more next month.”
The words had barely left my mouth before I snapped fully awake.
Sure enough, the voice on the other end was laced with bewilderment.
“…What do you mean by ‘back in Beijing’?”
My hand tightened slightly around the phone.
After a long silence, I said softly, “I’ve been transferred to Shanghai. I’ll be back next month for a meeting.”
Silence fell over the line.
I took a deep breath and said calmly, “It’s alright, Secretary Qin. You don’t need to feel pressured. If President Liang asks, just tell him the truth.”
Because the Liang Qiezhao I knew never wasted his thoughts on matters that were already settled.
So, when I saw a call from Liang Qiezhao half an hour later, I was somewhat surprised.
When I picked up, the other side was silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
“You’re going to Shanghai?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to arrange for someone to help you pack?”
“No need. Yu Lili came over this afternoon; it’s already done.”
His breath hitched for a fraction of a second. He gave a low “Mhm” before adding, “As for the Shanghai side, I’ll put in a word for you in advance-”
“No need,” I interrupted him gently. “The process is almost complete. I can handle it myself.”
“Right.” He paused, then asked, “Then… is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No.” I answered quickly and softly.
The conversation came to a dead halt.
The line was so quiet that all we could hear was each other’s breathing.
After a moment, Liang Qiezhao said, “Then I’ll have someone book your flight for you.”
“No need, I’ve already booked it.”
His voice sounded a bit hoarse. “When are you leaving?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“I see.”
Another long stretch of silence followed.
He didn’t speak, but he didn’t hang up either.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up now.”
Still silence.
There was no response from the other end.
Just as I was about to end the call, I caught a very faint, “Okay.”
I thought that was the end of it-a typical Liang Qiezhao-style farewell.
Until seven o’clock that evening, when the sound of a lock turning echoed from the empty entryway.