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墨書 Inktalez
Guo Zhiqian and Li Ruolan were working on the translation of the text for the "Foreign Sonnet Collection" with fountain pens in the office of the World Book Bureau. Both came from humble beginnings and grew up in the Newport Orphanage; they referred to each other as siblings and now worked together at the World Book Bureau. Li Ruolan currently held the position of assistant to Guo Zhiqian at the World Book Bureau.
Li Ruolan recited one of the poems word by word in both Chinese and English. It was a love poem ("If," Romania, Eminescu).
"If the branches knock against the window
The poplar sways in the wind
It only reminds me of you
Letting you quietly approach my side
"If the stars reflect their light on the lake
Illuminating the depths of the water
It is only to soothe my pain
Allowing my heart to be more expansive
"If thick clouds disperse
The moon shines brightly once more
It is only so that my longing for you
Will never fade away."
When Li Ruolan recited the poem, Guo Zhiqian couldn't help but think of Cheng Yuyao's smiling face while she worked at the café bar.
After finishing her recitation, Li Ruolan asked Guo Zhiqian, "Brother Guo, do you think it should be translated like that?"
"Yes. I need to leave a bit early this afternoon, so you can finish translating this poem and then head home too."
"Are you going to see Cheng Gu Niang again?" Li Ruolan suddenly asked.
Guo Zhiqian replied, "The café has been closed for a while; I'm worried something might have happened to them. I want to check on them."
"Cheng Gu Niang is quite beautiful, isn't she?" Li Ruolan lowered her head, making it hard to guess what she was thinking.
Guo Zhiqian asked Li Ruolan, "Why do you ask that?"
Li Ruolan slightly raised her eyes to look at Guo Zhiqian and said, "I heard from Manager Jia that you like her."
"Don't listen to him," Guo Zhiqian glanced at his watch. "It's getting late; I need to go!"
Seeing Guo Zhiqian hurriedly leave the office, Li Ruolan silently lowered her head and continued to recite the poem word by word. Then she made some revisions on the paper when suddenly tears fell onto the manuscript.
Someone knocked on the door, and Li Ruolan quickly wiped away her tears and softly said, "Come in."
Jia Guangren quietly peeked in and asked Li Ruolan, "Ruolan, did Guo Zhiqian leave early again?"
Li Ruolan didn't know how to respond.
Jia Guangren noticed Li Ruolan's emotions and saw the tear stains on the paper, so he said, "Guo Zhiqian is being really ungrateful. This is simply... simply forgetting friends for the sake of love!" Jia Guangren squinted at Li Ruolan's reaction.
Li Ruolan asked, "Manager Jia, are you looking for him for something?"
"I'm not looking for him. However, I do have something to discuss with you."
"You’re looking for me?" Li Ruolan looked at Jia Guangren, somewhat surprised.
Jia Guangren quickly said, "I want to promote you! You've been quietly working on the translation of the Foreign Sonnet Collection all by yourself, and I've noticed. As long as you can help me with one thing and finish this project, you can replace Guo Zhiqian and become a formal editor."
"Then... what about Brother Guo? He has translated a lot as well, and he was the one who took on this project with you."
"I know all that. Guo Zhiqian will be taken care of!"
Li Ruolan looked at Jia Guangren and asked, "What do you want me to help you with?"
"You must not tell anyone about this."
"Okay."
"You may not know this, but my English isn't very good. If you could quietly help me translate the second volume of the Foreign Sonnet Collection, I could recommend you and at least get you promoted to the same position as Guo Zhiqian, with the same salary. Think about it."
...
Cheng Shuhua had finished preparing dinner and was bringing the dishes to the dining table when there was a knock at the door.
Cheng Shuhua asked anxiously, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Guo Zhiqian."
Cheng Shuhua, with some suspicion, went to the door and opened it slightly. As soon as the door cracked open, Guo Zhiqian eagerly asked, "Auntie, is Cheng Yuyao at home?"
Cheng Shuhua inquired, "How did you find this place?"
"All the cafes have been closed, and I was worried something might have happened to the two sisters."
Cheng Yuyao limped out of the bedroom, saying as she walked, "Guo Zhiqian, my sister and I are fine."
"Your leg..." Guo Zhiqian looked at the limping Cheng Yuyao, hesitating to speak.
Cheng Shuhua coldly replied, "She had a car accident a few days ago."
Guo Zhiqian tried to step inside, but Cheng Shuhua blocked the doorway.
Cheng Yuyao said to her mother, "Mom, Guo Zhiqian is a good person."
However, Cheng Shuhua responded, "But he is Guo Zhuanghuai's son."
Guo Zhiqian said, "Yes, I am Guo Zhuanghuai's son. But Guo Zhuanghuai is Guo Zhuanghuai; I am me!"
Cheng Shuhua told Guo Zhiqian, "My two daughters' car accident a few days ago was caused by your father! He even injected my two daughters with a Biological Experiment toxin!"
Guo Zhiqian was taken aback. Cheng Yuyao limped toward the door, trying to persuade Mother, "Mom, this has nothing to do with Guo Zhiqian."
Cheng Shuhua still blocked the doorway.
Guo Zhiqian continued to defend himself, "Aunt, I know my father has done many bad things, even impersonating you to snatch children and kidnapping Uncle. But I am not him. Please don't treat me like that kind of bad person, okay?"
Cheng Yuyao linked her arm with Cheng Shuhua's and said, "Mom, just let him in!"
Cheng Shuhua looked at her daughter, Cheng Yuyao. "Yuyao, we are Thorned Rose!"
"I know," Cheng Yuyao replied. "If Guo Zhiqian were a bad person, our identities would have been exposed long ago. Besides, he helped us rescue Dad. Mom, didn't you say that if he goes to the café again, he can come over to our house for a visit? Just let Guo Zhiqian in."
Guo Zhiqian also pleaded at the door, "Aunt..."
Under the persuasion of Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian, Cheng Shuhua finally set aside her prejudices. "Alright, I'll trust you for now."
Cheng Shuhua let Guo Zhiqian into the room.
As Cheng Yuyao turned to go back inside, Guo Zhiqian stepped forward just in time to support her. "Calm down. Where is your sister?"
Cheng Yuyao replied, "She is still unconscious. But she will wake up soon."
Cheng Shuhua closed the door behind them and followed Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian into the room, her face shadowed with worry.
That evening, Cheng Shuhua and Cheng Yuyao invited Guo Zhiqian to stay for dinner at their home. On the surface, Cheng Shuhua accepted Guo Zhiqian, but the knot in her heart remained unresolved.
In the stillness of the night, Cheng Shuhua gently stroked her daughter Cheng Yuwan, who lay quietly on the bed. Cheng Yuyao sat beside her sister's bed.
Cheng Shuhua murmured, "Both of you are my daughters, and I would be happy for you to find someone you love. But one of you likes a police officer, and the other likes the son of an enemy. I can't help but worry about you."
She then looked at her other daughter, Cheng Yuyao, who was sitting nearby.
"Mom, you don't need to worry," Cheng Yuyao replied.
However, Cheng Shuhua continued, "Yuwan has already broken up with the police officer. Now I'm worried about you. If we end up in a deadly confrontation with Guo Zhuanghuai, will Guo Zhiqian stand by our side or his father's? Even if he stands with us, after we kill Guo Zhuanghuai, will he still be as close to you as he is now?"
Cheng Yuyao's expression turned serious, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "That's just a one in a million chance; it won't happen, right?"
"We're looking for Guo Zhuanghuai to eliminate him."
"We can hand him over to the police."
"The police and Dow Pharmaceuticals are in cahoots. As long as Dow Pharmaceuticals pays a little money, Guo Zhuanghuai can walk out of the police station unscathed and continue to wreak havoc."
"I don't care about that; I like Guo Zhiqian, and I want to be with him!" Cheng Yuyao said sorrowfully as she looked at Cheng Shuhua.
Cheng Shuhua sighed deeply. "You're like a moth drawn to a flame!"
"Even if I'm a moth drawn to a flame, even if I ultimately pay a painful price for this relationship, as long as I can be with him now, I will be satisfied."
After returning from the Cheng Family home, Guo Zhiqian once again arrived at the top floor of Newport Orphanage. Leaning against the railing, he gazed at the full moon in the sky.
Li Ruolan walked up behind him and said, "Brother Guo!"
Guo Zhiqian turned around and asked, "Lan, what brings you here?"
Li Ruolan replied, "I was passing by on my way home and thought I would come see you. I heard you stay here every weekend?"
"Yeah."
"From now on, I'll come by every weekend too."
Li Ruolan walked over to Guo Zhiqian's side and leaned against the railing, gazing at the full moon in the sky.
Li Ruolan sighed, "The moon is really round tonight! If only every moon were as round as this one."
Guo Zhiqian sensed that there was more to Li Ruolan's words and asked, "Do you have something to say to me?"
Li Ruolan shyly lowered her head and replied, "Yes."
"Just say it directly."
Li Ruolan released the railing, turned away, and dared not look at Guo Zhiqian. "I heard from Manager Jia that you like Cheng Gu Niang."
Guo Zhiqian looked at Lan's back, confused about what she meant.
Li Ruolan continued, "I... I've never told you this before, but..." She bit her lip, finally gathering her courage. "Actually, I've liked you for a long time. When you introduced me to the World Book Bureau and let me work with you, I thought you liked me too."
"Lan..." Guo Zhiqian looked at Li Ruolan in confusion.
"You don't need to, I already know!" Li Ruolan turned around, looking indifferent. "Cheng Gu Niang comes from a wealthy family, while both you and I are orphans without parents. If we consider social status, you and I are the most likely to be together."
Guo Zhiqian stared at her in shock. "Lan, who taught you this? Was it Jia Guangren?"
Li Ruolan replied, "I thought of this myself."
Guo Zhiqian said, "With your background, it's impossible for you to come up with such thoughts."
Li Ruolan blinked, and tears of grievance instantly fell from her eyes.
Guo Zhiqian continued, "I've always seen you as a sister, and I thought you saw me as an older brother. You're so beautiful and gentle; you'll definitely find someone better than me in the future."
Li Ruolan wiped her tears, her face shrouded in disappointment.
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