Chapter 145: The Handshake

"Brother Xu, you—how did you come here? Didn't you go back to Donghai?"

Lin Fang stood up in astonishment, dropped the cloth bag she was holding onto the ground, and immediately threw herself into Xu Fei's embrace.

Sobbing...

Lin Fang actually began to cry.

Xu Fei held her, his heart filled with an indescribable complexity. On one hand, given his own status, there was simply no possibility of any future with Lin Fang. On the other hand, he truly admired her bold, passionate nature.

But Xu Fei knew he had to keep these feelings at bay, using the kind of cold-heartedness that Lin Fang would perceive as cruelty.

"When you run away like this, have you thought about your parents?" Xu Fei asked in a low voice.

Lin Fang froze slightly in his arms. When she looked up at him, she asked with a look of utter bewilderment, "My parents treat you the way they do—don't you hate them?"

Xu Fei did not answer the question. It went without saying. But he looked at Lin Fang and asked, "What I want to ask you is, do you hate them?"

Lin Fang hesitated. Even though she had been full of resentment toward her parents when she made this decision—especially her mother, Zhang Min, whose restrictions had driven her to the point of madness—when someone suddenly asked her that, she wavered.

"I..."

"I think you don't actually hate them; you just feel that they are restricting your freedom, right?"

Lin Fang nodded.

"Alright, I don't think this is enough of a reason for you to leave here and leave them behind." As he spoke, Xu Fei stepped forward and picked up her cloth bag. "Why is this so heavy? What did you pack? Did you bring all the pots and pans from your house?"

Lin Fang let out a small laugh at Xu Fei's joke. "It’s all my painting supplies, and some clothes."

Xu Fei walked to her side and put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go. I'll treat you to something good, and then you'll go home."

"I won't."

"Then go back to school."

Lin Fang shook her head. "Even less likely."

"Is it because of Fan Dongcheng?"

Lin Fang nodded.

"That guy is truly going too far." Xu Fei pulled her along as they headed outside. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him for you."

Once they were out of the train station, Xu Fei found a restaurant nearby and ordered a few of Lin Fang’s favorite dishes. She hadn't eaten since that morning, and the way she devoured the food made Xu Fei smile as he watched.

"If you keep laughing, I really can't eat anymore."

Xu Fei waved his hand. "Eat, eat. Oh, right—your family arranged a job for you; why don't you want to go?"

Lin Fang set down her chopsticks, her large eyes flickering. "My dream is to paint. I have absolutely no interest in working an office job."

Xu Fei nodded. "So, that means you still want to continue your studies?"

"Of course."

Xu Fei pondered for a moment. "How about this: I'll go talk to your father."

"You?" Lin Fang shook her head. "Forget it. If my dad sees you coming to talk to him, he’ll definitely have his people beat you up."

"Is that so?" Xu Fei seemed unimpressed. "Let's leave it at this. I'll take you back to school first, and then you can wait for my news."

"But..." Lin Fang hesitated.

"What is it?"

"My mother has already submitted an application for me to take a leave of absence to Teacher Qi."

"I see." Xu Fei nodded. "It's fine. It's only an application anyway. If your parents can have a change of heart, I think there is still room for things to turn around."

Lin Fang was persuaded by Xu Fei. She followed him back to school. After getting her settled, Xu Fei left.

Lin Chuanzhi’s company was located in a five-story western-style building from before the liberation, right in the city center. The locals called it the "Comprador Building," and it was said to have been a bank run by the French. But that was all in the past; now, it was rented out by several private companies. Lin Chuanzhi’s trading firm was on the third floor.

After a brief registration at the entrance, Xu Fei walked up the stairs to the third floor. Upon arriving, he was met with the four large gold characters: "Lin's Trading." The background was a deep, tranquil blue, looking understated yet luxurious—very much in line with Lin Chuanzhi’s character.

A young woman in a knee-length skirt walked up to him. "Hello, sir."

She spoke with a distinct Hong Kong-Taiwanese accent, which caught Xu Fei off guard. He smiled and nodded. "Hello. I’m here to see Mr. Lin Chuanzhi."

"You’re here to see Manager Lin? Do you have an appointment?"

Xu Fei shook his head. "I don't have an appointment, but I hope you can pass on a message: tell him that Xu Fei is here to talk about Lin Fang."

The receptionist glanced at Xu Fei. After all, she knew who Lin Fang was. "Please wait a moment." She turned and headed into the company.

A short while later, the receptionist returned. "Please, follow me."

Xu Fei nodded and followed her into the office. It was a workspace several hundred square meters in size, filled with busy people carrying various documents and materials.

"Is it always this busy here?"

"Yes, our business has reached several neighboring countries now."

Xu Fei nodded. A thought sparked in his mind—perhaps he should consider moving into the foreign trade business next. After all, earning foreign currency was far more profitable than collecting millet or selling televisions.

He followed the girl into a conference room large enough to hold dozens of people. "Please wait here. Manager Lin is currently in a meeting with some key staff. He will see you as soon as it's over."

Xu Fei nodded. The girl left. A moment later, she returned with a cup of tea. Xu Fei nodded in thanks, and the girl offered a polite smile. "Manager Lin has finished his meeting." She then stepped out.

About a minute later, Lin Chuanzhi pushed the door open.

"Hello, Xu Fei." He walked up, shook Xu Fei's hand, and then turned to sit in the main seat. "How is the tea?"

Xu Fei nodded.

"Jin Jun Mei. A business partner of mine from Wuyi Mountain sent it to me specifically." Lin Chuanzhi narrowed his eyes as he looked at Xu Fei. "So... you came to talk to me about Lin Fang. Tell me, what do you want to discuss?"

Xu Fei looked at Lin Chuanzhi and said calmly, "Do you know that Lin Fang is planning to run away from home?"

"What!?" Lin Chuanzhi was clearly startled by the news. "You—how do you know? She... she has been acting so strange lately. She’s never been as obedient as she has been these past few days." He looked at Xu Fei. "Wait, how do you know this?"

"There's no need to tell you that."

"You!" Lin Chuanzhi’s face darkened. "I am her father. Why is there no need for me to know?"

"Mr. Lin, I think we should get back to discussing Lin Fang."