To save money, Tang Nannan took the subway.
After transferring three times and walking a stretch, it was almost six in the evening when she got home.
Hu Jiasheng had returned home from work.
Usually, they would return together. As soon as she entered, Tang Nannan would head for the kitchen.
But when she returned today, the house was empty, the stove cold.
Honestly, it felt a little unaccustomed psychologically.
She had traveled thousands of miles to Nancheng alone, been schemed against, and made a fool of herself at the company. Hu Jiasheng was worried she might be dwelling on it.
Just as he was about to call and ask where she had gone, she returned.
Hu Jiasheng's expression was gentler than usual.
"You're back? Where did you go?"
"I went job hunting. I interviewed at two institutions, but they both minded that I hadn't graduated from university."
Tang Nannan gave a bitter smile.
"You must be hungry. I'll cook for you."
Seeing her tired face and forced smile, Hu Jiasheng reached out and gently pulled her as she passed him.
"You must be tired after being out all day. We won't cook tonight. What do you want to eat? I'll order takeout."
Tang Nannan really didn't have the mood to cook, and she had a lot she wanted to tell him. So, she complied with his wishes and sat on the sofa.
After Hu Jiasheng ordered, he put down his phone and stared at her for a couple of seconds.
"An employee's academic background is the biggest selling point for those educational institutions when they recruit externally, so they pay close attention to it. That's only natural, you don't need to take it too much to heart."
"Besides, you can find work not just in educational institutions, but elsewhere too. Some private families are more flexible with their requirements for teachers. I happen to know a family looking for a piano teacher, why don't I introduce you?"
Tang Nannan felt like a burden, repeatedly pushing Hu Jiasheng's boundaries.
Someone like him, whose work and life were usually so simple and who barely had any friends, would definitely not seek help from others for anything.
And now, for her, he was even inquiring about people's home education situations.
He was truly a very, very good person, but unfortunately, she wasn't qualified to be with him.
Her nose stung uncomfortably. In that moment, she suddenly understood that she had already made her choice in her heart.
She would leave Hu Jiasheng, leave Nancheng, and leave this place that didn't belong to her.
It was precisely because he was too outstanding that they were destined to be apart.
Hu Jiasheng, seeing her silence after he spoke, knew she had been hit hard.
He thought that given her privileged upbringing, she must have had many tutors.
A young lady who never had to worry about food or clothing, now having to become a tutor for others – that kind of psychological shift was not something ordinary people could bear.
Men seemed to possess an innate protective instinct towards gentle and submissive women, and Hu Jiasheng was no exception.
"It's alright, don't be unhappy. Compared to your life before, isn't it much better now?"
"Live here with peace of mind. If you have any work-related difficulties, you can tell me. If you have problems with your studies, I'll help you too. You're so smart, I believe you'll get back on track very soon."
Tang Nannan looked up at him, a glimmer of hope reigniting in her eyes.
"I can still live here? If I have work difficulties, I can tell you? And if I have problems with my studies, I can ask you for help?"
"Of course. Even though you're no longer at Grey Electric, you're still my friend. We're no different than before."
Tang Nannan couldn't help but waver again.
Hu Jiasheng wanted her to stay, so it wasn't imperative for her to return to Sucheng.
Liking someone didn't necessarily mean being with them. As long as one had been warmed and illuminated by their light, it could become a precious memory in one's life, couldn't it?
As she was thinking, Hu Jiasheng spoke.
"The doctor called me from the hospital today. They said your younger brother has recovered quite a bit, his mental state is stable, and he's been missing you, wanting you to visit him."
"My friend isn't in a hurry to fill the position. You rest for a couple of days, and I'll drive you back on the weekend to see him."
People's emotions were so strange; they could plummet with one sentence and soar with another.
Her brother's condition had improved significantly, and Hu Jiasheng offered to drive her back to Sucheng.
The situation wasn't as bad as she had imagined. She wanted to be by his side, to stay one more day for each day she could.
Tang Nannan's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Looking at the wonderful Hu Jiasheng, she couldn't help but ask emotionally,
"Mr. Hu, after my parents passed away, you are the first person who has been so good to me. Everyone else wants to distance themselves from me, but you don't mind my background at all?"
"Background isn't something you can choose. There's no need to blame yourself for everything."
Hu Jiasheng said meaningfully.
"And, I can't help you for too long either. In the future, you'll have to rely on yourself."
"What do you mean?"
This was the first time Hu Jiasheng spoke to her about his own background.
"My parents were gone since I was little. I heard that my grandfather took me abroad right after I was born, and he was the one who raised me abroad. He is my only relative in this world."
"My grandfather is a very capable man. My current achievements don't even reach one-tenth of his. That's why I've always told myself to work hard, to live up to his expectations and become better."
"His health is deteriorating day by day. The reason I returned to China is that I hope to achieve something he can be proud of during his lifetime, to make him feel that his years of effort in raising me were not in vain."
"If his health can stabilize and gradually improve, I think I might reach a level that satisfies him, and then I'll go abroad again."
"Nancheng is a very unfamiliar place to me. Although I have a house and a car, and many people around me, I don't feel any sense of belonging."
"Miss Tang, I understand some things, but I can only tell you that it's unlikely."
"I have no hope for marriage, and I'm not very good at handling intimate relationships. I think I'll most likely be single for the rest of my life."
"Before I leave Nancheng, being able to make a friend like you and help you with my abilities actually gives me a great sense of accomplishment."
"Let's maintain our relationship as it is, as friends who accompany each other but don't interfere with each other, okay?"
His words were very frank, without any intention of showing off his background or trying to trap Tang Nannan.
If Tang Nannan still didn't understand, or continued to pester him, it would be too undignified and a waste of his good intentions.
Despite the regret, Tang Nannan could only agree.
But reality often turns out that way; plans can't keep up with changes.
The two had just agreed to be friends when, in the middle of the night, Hu Jiasheng received news that his grandfather had been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, Zhan Beijue and his entire family, young and old, were waiting outside the door.
The children were still young, and Jiang Nanfang was pregnant. The fact that they were all mobilized showed how critical the situation was.