Chapter 58: The Passing of Time

It was the dead of night.

Lying in bed, Lin Qian was closely listening the noise from the bathroom. When she heard, “click”, the door was pushed open, and she immediately closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Having freshened up, Li Zhicheng headed back to the bedroom. He instantly laid his eyes on her slightly squeezed brows, and her lightly shut eyes. As a soldier, his excellent eyesight meant he could quickly shoot moving target from hundreds of meters away, let alone right now, clearly seeing her within the confines of his bedroom, with her slightly trembling lashes, he knew she was not asleep.

Li Zhicheng kept walking towards the bed, like nothing had happened, and started to take off his clothes.

Like most men, he only wore a pair of boxer shorts to sleep. Squinting, Lin Qian blurrily saw him lifting the duvet and lie down, his strong and well-proportioned figure looked extra masculine under the light.

Quitely, Lin Qian was still pretending to be asleep.

Then she could feel his body slowly touching hers, with one of his hands on her waist, slowly rubbing, “Are you asleep?”

“Yeah.” eyes shut, Lin Qian only replied with one word.

“Has it sunk in yet?” He continued.

This was from just now, in the study, after Li Zhicheng had revealed to her his plan. Although Lin Qian was full of excitement, she only responded, “Hmm… I understand. I need to let it sink in a little bit more.”

Women were all the same. After giving him the silent treatment, or following a confrontation, regardless of the logic of his argument, it took time for her emotions to calm.

Lin Qian was a very wise woman. From the start to the end, she had known that Li Zhicheng was doing the right thing. He’d said it before, that he would never take the initiative to set someone up. He’d also said that this time, if they didn’t take the initiative to get rid of New Bori, Ning Weikai was bound to start working on a new brand, and force out Vinda, who had just established themselves. Since the entire staff from Aida were immersed in the joy of their victory, he was the only one to see the deadly threat behind all this; it was the perfect opportunity to make this move. There was no other choice but to push our way through. We would either make it or break it.

However, logic was one thing, emotions were another.

She turned around, facing against him, “No. I still need a few more days.”

Since I traded my heart with him, he has became my everything. Shouldn’t I have the right to vent however I want to? Huh…

Should she have seen through his secret plan ages ago?

After having a think, she still felt she shouldn’t have.

Even with a well-planned strategy, it was not as if he had made it through this gamble without risks and challenges. If they hadn’t found the fabric from Mind to be of high enough quality, or if Mind’s president didn’t agree to his shareholding agreement, or even if Ning Weikai didn’t fall for his trap… Li Zhicheng wouldn’t have ended up as he was, with a clearly settled victory. Now he was only waiting to rise to the top of the industry, effortlessly, in the coming year.

Due to his immense capabilities, he was also under more pressure than other. Every step he has taken was like walking on thin ice.

Having thought of this, Lin Qian became tenderhearted.

Meanwhile, she felt Li Zhicheng’s breath was slowing, and his hand on her waist also stopped moving.

Lin Qian listened carefully, she was a little speechless all of sudden. He can’t just… fall asleep?

Christ! I was just desperately looking for some grounds to forgive him, and he just fell asleep so carelessly like this?

Lin Qian listened again, he stayed quiet, with his breath slowly getting longer and smoother. She couldn’t hold it anymore, she instantly turned her head towards him.

But surprisingly, the moment she turned around, she was caught staring right into his gorgeous eyes. Li Zhicheng had been quietly gazing at her in the dark night, God knows for how long.

Surrounded by the dead silence and darkness, just the two of them quietly glaring at each other.

Lin Qian’s heart turned soft again.

Then she heard him, “During your trip, I was missing you.”

Suddenly Lin Qian could feel her eye sockets slowly getting warm, in a low voice, she replied, “Yeah, me too.”

Every day, every second.

It was unclear who started kissing first, only this night, his touch was softer than any other time before; and her reaction was more passionate. Slowly, he followed the tip of her hair, gently kissing her all over; and she was holding tightly on his neck and waist, as if her nails were pressing into his flesh. The grievance, sadness, frustration and previous loneliness, all blended in the touching, breathing, and silent gaze.

In the end when they were released after cuddling, Lin Qian had a feeling of emotional relief. She thought, it’s true, the intimacy of our bodies can really bring our souls closer. Because in a relationship, we’re being the most real and raw possible, uncovering our most naked desire in our heart, that is…

It turns out I want to have all of you so badly. That’s why I was disappointed, and upset. Because I want absolutely no gap or distance in between us.

Regardless of your loyalty or cunning, determination or persistence, that’s part of you that I love. I want to become the person that knows you the best, side by side, rather than looking up to you in the mist.

So there won’t be avoidance or fear from me anymore.

From now on, I need to see the real you all the time, so that I won’t feel upset anymore.

Outside the window, the stars were shining.

With great exhaustion, Lin Qian leaned on Li Zhicheng’s shoulder, dozing, “From now on, all your master plans… they need to be open to me beforehand.

“Sure.”

“If you failed… don’t get embarrassed in front of me.”

He smiled, “I won’t.”

“But the defeat of Aito this time, others are getting upset too…”

“For now. I’ll make it up.” he whispered, “you forgot the last lesson, the rising of a new force. Next year this time, New Bori will withdraw from the casual bag and outdoor bag market, and our Aito will expand to a more comprehensive brand, starting all over again.”

Lin Qian stayed quiet.

It turned out… Aito wouldn’t just get abandoned, but was also a counter move. It was just not time yet.

After some silence, Lin Qian suddenly asked again, “Last time you said, the first time you saw me… you were already interested in me?”

Li Zhicheng was quiet for a little while, “Yeah.”

“Me too.”

The silence lasted for a few seconds, then he lowered his head, kissing her.

The next morning, dawn was just breaking, but Lin Qian was already up. Over the years she had gotten used to sleeping alone. Now, suddenly, there was someone else. She hadn’t gotten used to it yet.

But men clearly adapted faster compared to women. From a short distance, Lin Qian was staring at Li Zhicheng as he slept. He lightly breathed on her forehead, making her excited.

It was like having a dream, recalling their conversation and intimacy. Once, when she would awake, she would feel an emptiness in her heart, but looking at the hazy sunshine outside, a new day was just about to begin. She seemed to feel full of motivation and hope again.

Does it mean it’s love?

The love that had a mixture of both sadness and happiness, but also made people lose control?

She stared at him quietly for a while, ready to get up. Surprisingly, although Li Zhicheng was deep asleep, he still stayed alert. The moment she moved, his eyes opened, steadily gazing at her.

“Morning…” She sounded quiet as a mosquito.

“Morning.” He turned around, lying on top of her.

Very heavy. When a man completely shifted his weight on you, it was very heavy.

No matter how many times, it would still feel heavy.

Sticking her hand in his dark hair, Lin Qian quietly asked, “You… want to do it again?” She had already gotten used to it every morning, but after what happened last night, she was asking in a very soft and gentle tone.

Li Zhicheng didn’t respond, only lifted her pajamas, and started kissing her breasts.

Lin Qian was used to sleeping in pajamas, so every time they finished, she would put her pajamas back on. Even though they had only spent five or six nights together, every morning, her pajamas would still be taken off by him.

In the later days, after a long time, when Lin Qian recalled that night again, their honest heart to heart conversations were still making her feelings billow.

She felt fortunate that neither of them were hiding problems to themselves when there was a disagreement. Instead, they would communicate in honest ways, treasuring and comforting each other.

She would recall, that night Li Zhicheng actually said something wrong.

Instead of overestimating him, she actually underestimated him.

Just like he said himself, because of how determined he was, how sophisticated and subtle he had been, he could see through life better than ordinary people. Behind the benefits and scheming, having seen through the temptations and flashiness in this world, he didn’t ask for a lot. Only wishing for one love in his life, and that she could stay with him till the end.

At that point, after they had resolved their disagreement and ended their cold war, their relationship kept moving forward. Aida’s grand prospect also took a turn at this stage, based on Li Zhicheng’s plan, heading in a new direction.

The next working day, a heated discussion occurred among the company’s management group. Many of them had suggested battling against Sha Ying head to head, but many other had concerns that declaring a war against New Bori was no different than throwing an egg against a rock. However, the senior managers who were aware of the master plan had mostly kept silent. In the end, Li Zhicheng prevailed over all the dissenting views, and chose the strategy of “keeping the current marketing shares, and avoiding confrontation against Sha Ying.” As a fact, it was about governing by doing nothing against their nature.

By the end of that year, Aida remained profitable. Vinda maintained steady revenues, Aito continued to bring in some sales, and the contract-break penalty from Mind had kept them afloat. During this period, Li Zhicheng and others’ attention was focused on the improvement of the internal management as well as their research-and-development group. By the end of December, Aida’s sale volume had matched the revenue levels from before the decline, and also risen back to second position in the market. The employees and workers had received their biggest bonus yet. The layout of the entire baggage industry had also been slowly changing with the passing of time.