Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's mid-August. The few short months have gone from late spring to the hottest part of the year.

I stood on the balcony of my bedroom early this morning. It wasn't even five o'clock, and the sun was already trying to break out of the clouds, clearly signaling another hot day. Even though it was still early, I could already feel the oven-like temperature.

I'd had the air conditioning on too much these past few days and caught a bit of a cold. I wiped my nose with a tissue, feeling a little lightheaded. Then, I sneezed, tears mixing with the snot. I immediately went to the bathroom.

Around eight o'clock, I received a call from Li Jianwei. I was stunned for a moment. It had been a long time since we'd been in contact. Even though I'd been idle at home during this time, I hadn't taken the initiative to contact him. That's often how friendships are – if you don't keep in touch, they slowly fade away.

I answered quickly. Just as I was about to speak, CEO Li said, "Lin Che, are you free today?"

"Yeah, I've been idle lately."

"Your voice is so hoarse. Do you have a cold?" CEO Li asked with concern.

"Yes, it's been going on for days. What made you think of calling me today after so long?"

"I heard you broke up with Shi Yu?"

"How did you know I was with her?" I asked curiously.

"You didn't even tell me about such a big thing."

I smiled and asked, "Who did you hear it from?"

"Shi Yu's father. He mentioned it unintentionally when we were discussing a project last time."

"He didn't say anything bad about me, did he?"

"Not at all. He just inquired about your character and your past."

I frowned slightly. Why was Pei Xianglong going to all this trouble after we'd already broken up?

"When did this happen?" I paused and asked casually.

"Just a few days ago."

"Oh, it's been several months since we broke up."

"You're quite something, kid. It seems like Shi Yu's father isn't particularly opposed to it."

"Pei Shi Yu doesn't think much of me, so what anyone says is useless."

"Shi Yu doesn't think much of you? Then how did you two even date?"

"Did you call me just for this?" I asked uncertainly.

"Not at all," CEO Li replied amiably.

"If you don't explain, I'll think you were sent to be a peacemaker."

"Don't be narcissistic."

"Alright, what's the instruction?"

"My son is going to college soon. Let's have a gathering tonight."

"Congratulations," I said sincerely.

"By the way, Shi Yu will be there tonight too. You should prepare yourself and think about how to deal with her."

"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go? I really broke up with her, and it's been more than three months. I haven't contacted her in between."

"I wasn't planning on inviting you originally. I felt like Shi Yu's father was deliberately inquiring about you last time. I've been thinking about it for days. Does he want you two to reconcile?"

"Does Pei Shi Yu know I'm going tonight?"

"No."

"Then I think it's better if I don't go. It would be embarrassing for her."

"Shi Yu has the looks and the figure. Don't you have any ambition?" CEO Li asked, a little puzzled.

"You probably don't know Pei Shi Yu's personality. She's a woman of her word deep down. From what I know of her, she's not one to look back."

"How would you know if you don't try?"

"What if she leaves as soon as I arrive?"

"If she wants to leave, you leave before her. See how it goes. How old are you both?"

"Age isn't important," I said with a smile.

"What are you doing now?"

"I'm planning to go abroad. If things go smoothly, I'll be leaving by the end of the month."

"Oh? That's quite a surprise."

"Going out to recharge. Otherwise, this area will be a weakness."

"That's good, exchanging cultures. Your father also contacted me a few days ago."

"What did he want from you?" I was quite shocked.

"Isn't it for the sake of the company? Haven't you been in contact with him?"

"I just called him a few days ago. He didn't mention it."

"Then we'll talk about it when we meet. Let's get together tonight. It's also an opportunity for you."

I didn't answer directly. CEO Li assumed I agreed, so he hung up quickly. As for me, ever since I separated from Pei Shi Yu, I seemed to have a feeling of wanting to return home. I've been studying things to pay attention to after going abroad. Wang Rui gave me a whole set of materials for that.

After CEO Li's call, my heart started to stir again. The previous calm seemed to be broken all of a sudden. I had a feeling of both hoping to reconcile and being a little afraid to think about it, because Pei Shi Yu's attitude was too firm at the time.

I thought about a lot of things all morning. If I could reconcile with Pei Shi Yu before going abroad, that would be a dream come true. But if my appearance caused Pei Shi Yu to be disgusted, it would be quite embarrassing. So, many choices have two sides.

At this moment, the phone next to my leg sent a WeChat voice call. It was sent by Wang Rui. Today, she even sent a video call. Before answering, I specially smoothed my hair...

Wang Rui in the picture looked very energetic. She had recently cut her long hair short as if on a whim. The ear-length hairstyle suited her face shape even better. I smiled and asked, "Officer Wang, what are your instructions?"

"Have you read the materials I gave you?"

"I have, I'm reviewing them every day." I picked up the materials that were lying on my leg and showed them to her.

"Okay, my former teacher recommended a school that's quite suitable for you. It might still be in time for this semester, so you need to be prepared."

"I can't wait any longer. I've been preparing for more than three months," I said deliberately exaggerated.

"This school should be suitable for you."

"It's best if there are Chinese teachers who can speak both Chinese and English, so I won't have any worries."

"That's what I thought too, so I asked a lot of friends for help."

"Thank you, for going to so much trouble for me."

"Cut the act, you're better suited to your unserious self."

"How's your love life going?" I smiled and changed the subject.

"It's good."

"When are you getting engaged? Will I have a chance to attend?"

Wang Rui and Shen Yi have recently confirmed their relationship. Last time, I heard from my mother that they had already met each other's parents, and both sets of parents were very satisfied.

"It shouldn't be that soon, right?"

"No matter what, you still beat me to it."

"You brought it on yourself," Wang Rui said suddenly and mercilessly.

I gave an awkward expression and then asked, "Are Youxiang and Wang Xin back?"

"Next month, they've already registered in Germany."

"Amazing, this skill must be like your dad's," I joked.

"What about you, are you like your mom?"

"I guess so, we're both the ones who get abandoned."

At this moment, old Wang's voice suddenly came: "Wang Rui, what are you chatting about at work..."

She hung up very quickly, before old Wang's voice even finished...