SD Chapter 10: Pay back the money

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Jing Ci spent a confusing week.


Jing Ci is actually not willing to use such words to describe his life, but at the moment, it seems that only hazy can best describe his state.


The high-intensity work originally made Jing Ci highly stressed. What was even worse was that because he could not see Tao Mingzhuo, he returned to the state of being unable to eat.


In fact, if it had always been like this, it might not be so unbearable.


But because she had briefly experienced the happiness of being able to eat normally with Tao Mingzhuo, the stark gap now made Jing Ci find it unbearable.


He is like an extremely thirsty plant that has been working hard to extend its roots to absorb water, but now it is restraining itself from growing towards the water source.


Because she can't feel hungry, Jing Ci needs to set an alarm clock to remind herself to eat.


He hung the oil painting of a hamburger that Tao Mingzhuo had painted for him in his office. When he was eating, he would always look up at it, hoping that he could work up even a little appetite.


But painting was just painting after all, and Jing Ci still couldn't eat.


Jing Ci could actually understand Tao Mingzhuo's choice. He didn't want other people's social lives to be affected because of him, let alone such an important part of their emotional lives.


He would not confess his illness to Tao Mingzhuo, because once he confessed, he would be like unilaterally kidnapping Tao Mingzhuo morally. For Tao Mingzhuo, eating together would rise to the level of "his illness". , so I have to eat with him. If I refuse, I have no sympathy."


This was actually unfair to Tao Mingzhuo. No matter what, Jing Ci felt that treating his own illness should not become a burden imposed on others.


To make matters worse, Jing Ci met an old man at the cocktail party in the evening.


"Jing Ci?" Yao Lianchen called out his name.


During the years when he was studying abroad, Jing Ci also participated in the production of some game projects, and met Yao Lianchen, who also studied computer science and was interested in game development.


The two got along well at work, and later Yao Lianchen took the initiative to ask Jing Ci to give it a try, so Jing Ci dated him briefly.


But after getting along for a while, Jing Ci felt that the two were not suitable for each other, so he chose to stop the loss in time, and in the end the relationship did not develop to the stage of dating.


Most of the people at the evening reception were people working in related fields, so although it was a coincidence that she met Yao Lianchen here, Jing Ci was not too surprised.


Probably because Jing Ci's condition was so bad that the naked eye could see, Yao Lianchen's eyes were full of inquiry: "So you rejected me and chose to follow Li Yupo just to make yourself like this?"


Although the lover did not become a lover in the end, Yao Lianchen still appreciates Jing Ci's extraordinary talent and ability. He later invited Jing Ci to develop new projects in China, but in the end Jing Ci politely refused.


The Li Yupo mentioned by Yao Lianchen is the nominal president of the game company where Jing Ci works.


But what most people don't know is that tracing back to the roots, the real founder of the company is actually Jing Ci's father, Jing Weisong, and Li Yupo is actually Jing Ci's half-brother.


Li Lan had been divorced once before. When she was thirty-five, she married Jing Weisong with nine-year-old Li Yupo, and gave birth to Jing Ci three years after the marriage.


Jing Weisong is an honest man of few words. The only things he loves most in his life are programming and Li Lan, and he treats Li Yupo as well as he treats his own son.


Li Yupo and Jing Ci also get along like brothers. Li Yupo's cheerful and generous personality is very similar to Li Lan, while Jing Ci's gentle, cautious and meticulous temper is more like that of Jing Weisong. The family has formed a perfect complementation in personality, and they get along harmoniously.


Unfortunately, Jing Weisong died of cancer when Jing Ci was thirteen years old, and his company was just getting started at that time.


Jing Ci was still young at the time, so Li Yupo, who was twelve years older than him, took over the company and ran it in an orderly manner.


Li Yupo was bold in doing things, and the small company grew rapidly in his hands. Later, a game that Jing Weisong participated in the development of during his lifetime finally became a big hit, and the entire company also became famous.


At that time, a lot of fresh blood was injected into the team, so in the eyes of outsiders, Li Yupo was the founder of the company.


A few years later, Jing Ci graduated from college.


Li Yupo is bold and courageous, while Jing Ci is delicate and rigorous. Both brothers belong to the type of people with outstanding abilities and smart minds. Logically speaking, it should be time for the brothers to quarrel with each other and fight to the death for the family property in the traditional drama about wealthy families.


However, the real situation is that when Jingci graduated, because Li Lan had never dared to fly long distances, Li Yupo, who was busy at the time, turned down countless meetings and flew over from China to attend him as a family member. graduation ceremony.


After the graduation ceremony, the two went to a steak restaurant next to the school for dinner.


Li Yupo hesitated for a long time and said, "Xiao Ci, I want to talk to you about something."


Li Yupo talked a lot, and finally concluded: "The company originally belonged to Uncle Jing, and you also I have grown up, so I should give it back to you now." Jing Ci


shook his head: "You started the company, and you have spent a lot of energy on it in the past few years. I can't take it."


She shook her head twice as often as he did: "Your surname is Jing. Why should I be the one you want? Come on."


Jing Ci said, "You are my brother. Come on."


Finally, he pushed back and forth. , Li Yupo scratched his head and said, "How about this, let's come together for a while, you come for three years and I come for three years, what do you think?"


Jing Ci said, "Okay, but remind you, you The steak was sprinkled with cinnamon powder."


Li Yupo, holding the bottle, was dumbfounded: "Didn't you tell me earlier?"


This year is the end of the first three years agreed by the two, so Li Yupo was delighted. He took his girlfriend to another country for vacation, and Jing Ci, who had just returned home, took over the management of the company.


Although outsiders knew that Jing Ci and Li Yupo were closely related, they only thought that they had an employment relationship, and Jing Ci did not want to tell Yao Lianchen about this.


"I think I made the right choice." Jing Ci replied calmly, "Because you look relaxed now, which means your project is progressing smoothly."


"So if I had worked with you at that time, what would I do now? I can’t exercise anymore,” he said.


Yao Lianchen said helplessly: "Sometimes I really want to know, how do you manage to be thorny in your words, but at the same time still be inexplicably pleasing to the ears?"


He saw that Jing Ci was not very interested, so he changed his mind. topic, he asked half-jokingly: "How does it feel to return to China? Have you met anyone more suitable than me?"


When hearing this question, Jing Ci even wanted to laugh.


In fact, before returning to China, Jing Ci also had expectations for her future love life. But who knew that not long after returning to China, she would suffer from such a strange disease.


The biggest worry for him in life now is something as simple as eating.


Jing Ci shook his head and just touched the wine glass in Yao Lianchen's hand: "Not yet. Maybe you can recommend a few to me later."


This is actually a tactful way of telling Yao Lianchen that even if I don't meet the right one now, there's no chance for you.


Seeing that Yao Lianchen's face was about to turn stiff, Jing Ci naturally turned the topic to the new project he was developing. Talking about his proud field, Yao Lianchen's expression immediately softened a lot.


The two chatted for a long time, and Yao Lianchen deliberately drank in him, so Jing Ci ended up drinking a lot of wine.


After the cocktail party, Jing Ci was actually a little excited, but she still wanted to go back to the company to get a copy of the information, and planned to take a look at it when she got home.


But Jing Ci far overestimated his drinking capacity. He didn't eat at noon or at night, and his stomach was already empty, so the drunkenness increased much faster than expected.


He didn't expect that he would have hypoglycemia, nor did he expect that he would meet Tao Mingzhuo.


After sobering up from alcohol the next day, Jing Ci's memory became very blurry.


Drunkness and hypoglycemia made him very groggy at the time. He only vaguely remembered that Tao Mingzhuo helped him, and finally took a taxi to take him home.


He also remembered that the two of them stayed in the office for a while, and Tao Mingzhuo fed him a candy and seemed to ask himself "Why don't you eat?"


But Jing Ci didn't remember how he answered, nor what happened next. He only remembered that he was very irritable at the time because he had been very uncomfortable this week.


Jing Ci woke up late, and it was already afternoon when he arrived at the company.


After getting out of the elevator, Jing Ci walked towards the office and immediately saw Tao Mingzhuo standing in the corridor.


Tao Mingzhuo was looking into his office.


In fact, from the first time she met Tao Mingzhuo, Jing Ci felt a unique vitality in him. Jing Ci felt that he was like a sunflower growing very tall with dew hanging on it.


He is not tactful and loves to blush, and from the seriousness with which he eats, it can be seen that he is a simple and transparent big boy.


Thinking of how stupid Tao Mingzhuo was when he described his sweetheart to himself, Jing Ci felt that it would be a very happy thing to be cautiously liked by such a person.


Getting along with Tao Mingzhuo made Jing Ci very relaxed, so even if he didn't have the function of cooking, Jing Ci was willing to become friends with such a person.


However, Jing Ci felt that maybe because the gap between positions was destined to be irreversible, Tao Mingzhuo was always in a slightly hasty state when getting along with him. Although it was a pity, he also understood that he should not force it anymore.


Jing Ci stopped and asked softly, "Are you looking for me?"


Tao Mingzhuo paused and turned around. Jing Ci found that his expression was hesitant to speak.


Jing Ci thought for a while and felt that maybe she was in a bad mood when she was drunk last night and said some disrespectful words to Tao Mingzhuo.


"Sorry." Jing Ci said, "My drinking capacity has never been very good. If I said something inappropriate last night, I hope you won't take it to heart."


"Also," he smiled at Tao Mingzhuo. "Thank you for helping me last night."


Tao Mingzhuo looked at him and said "um" vaguely.


Jing Ci felt that something was wrong with Tao Mingzhuo's face. He looked at her as if he was brewing something but couldn't say it out loud.


Jing Ci asked: "Is there anything else?"


Tao Mingzhuo paused and said: "Nothing, I just came... to make sure you are okay."


Jing Ci said "hmm" and said gently: " I'm fine now, thank you."


Tao Mingzhuo looked at him, and after being silent for a while, he suddenly said something vaguely: "Actually, life is not always going to be smooth sailing, but no matter what happens, everything will be fine. You shouldn't...shouldn't hurt your body."


Jing Ci looked at him in confusion: "...What?"


Tao Mingzhuo's Adam's apple moved and he changed the subject abruptly: "Have you eaten yet? "


It's two o'clock in the afternoon. Jing Ci woke up and rushed to the company. Since he didn't feel hungry, he naturally didn't have lunch.


Jing Ci didn't know why Tao Mingzhuo asked, but he still told the truth: "Not yet."


Then he saw Tao Mingzhuo's heartbroken expression.


Jing Ci saw Tao Mingzhuo's gaze shift and fall on the oil painting on the wall. Then he looked at himself again and took a deep breath, as if he had made a very important decision.


"Jing Ci," Tao Mingzhuo said, "You treated me to many meals before, and I knew they were all bought from some very good and expensive restaurants, so I felt... always very sorry. "


Tao Mingzhuo's expression looked heavy. Jing Ci was startled for a moment, and then felt a little unable to help laughing.


Only Jing Ci knew that there was no concept of who owed whom. In fact, the experience Tao Mingzhuo had brought to him during this period could not be measured in terms of money.


Jing Ci shook his head and said, "You don't have to bear any burden, it doesn't matter-"


"So starting from today, I can... continue to have lunch with you." He heard Tao Mingzhuo say stiffly, "It's just this time , I must treat you."


Jing Ci swallowed back the "it doesn't matter" almost instantly.


For a moment, he even suspected that he had heard wrongly. He looked at Tao Mingzhuo's face blankly and asked after a while: "But you...don't you want to have lunch with the person you like?"


Tao Mingzhuo seemed stunned for a moment. .


Then Jing Ci saw that he seemed to have realized something, and quickly changed his words in a panic: "Yes, yes, so lunch is not possible, I mean... it's dinner."


Jing Ci blinked and he saw Tao Mingzhuo lowered his head and coughed slightly.


"I don't mean anything else, I... I just want to return the meal money to you." He said this.




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