Chapter 44: Side Story II

After the Chinese New Year, Cen Mo officially resigned from Achart. Since they had been colleagues, she treated a few girls she was closer with to a meal before leaving, serving as a formal farewell.

Everyone's attitude was very warm. Although there had been misunderstandings when she first joined, after a series of events, Cen Mo successfully reversed people's impressions of her through her character and work ability.

Therefore, the employees felt a great deal of regret regarding her resignation.

Cen Mo was deeply touched. On the other hand, there were naturally those who spoke unpleasantly—a completely normal phenomenon that she couldn't be bothered to listen to, yet these individuals insisted on approaching her anyway.

An employee from the personnel department downstairs, whom she was barely acquainted with, ran into her waiting for the elevator and spoke with sarcastic insinuation: "Secretary Cen, after resigning, you'll be focusing entirely on becoming a wealthy tycoon's wife, won't you? Congratulations, congratulations. Do try to give birth to a little young master next year."

The implication was that her resignation was solely for the purpose of marriage and becoming a full-time housewife.

Once would have been enough, but to repeat it two or three times was more than Cen Mo could tolerate. "If you don't know how to speak properly, then don't speak at all. Can't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"I was only offering my kind blessings," the person complained with a grievance.

Seeing that there were quite a few people nearby, Cen Mo took a deep breath, deciding it was a good opportunity to clear the air once and for all: "Perhaps everyone assumes I am resigning to get married, but that is truly not the case. I am simply planning for my own future and wish to continue my advanced studies. As a woman, the homemaker's path is not the only one available to us; our future development can take many forms."

Only then did the colleague shut her mouth and slink away in embarrassment.

That evening while Cen Mo was organizing her things at home, Su Xingzhi happened to return from work. After changing out of his suit, the man walked over and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Did you have a conflict with someone at the company today?"

Knowing that this man was always well-informed, Cen Mo nodded and let out a gentle sigh. "I originally intended to keep a good temper on my final day and leave behind a good impression."

"It seems you've never had a good temper to begin with. You say whatever is on your mind, and such straightforwardness is for the best anyway." Remembering her past records of arguing at the office, Su Xingzhi couldn't help laughing. "Now that your work is finally finished, you can focus on your studies at home."

"Mmm," Cen Mo nodded.

Reflecting on her days at Achart, she felt a wave of emotion. The secretarial position was her first formal job after graduation, one that had allowed her to learn and grow immensely. She truly cherished this experience.

Though the process had its flaws, she firmly believed that her work during this period was entirely competent. If she had argued with colleagues a few times, it was only out of necessity—she refused to let herself be treated as a soft persimmon for anyone to knead.

Su Xingzhi naturally shared this view. He was a man who strictly separated public and private matters, and his evaluation of her was entirely free of bias.

Pulling her to an upright position, the man gave her a supportive pat on top of the head. "You did exceptionally well. You are driven, willing to take feedback, and diligent and responsible throughout your tenure. Now that you've resigned, it feels as uncomfortable as losing my left and right arms."

Hearing him say this, Cen Mo felt a pang of guilt, sensing that her resignation had been too hasty without proper consideration for his feelings.

Reaching out to pull her into his embrace, the man continued, "Every coin has two sides, however. I may have lost a conscientious Secretary Cen, but I have gained a lifelong partner. Isn't that equally blissful?"

Ever since they began dating, this man's sweet words had only grown smoother. Cen Mo felt her ears grow warm, and lifting her head, she took the initiative to stand on tiptoe and press a kiss to his lips.

Having just returned from outside, the man's face still carried the chill of winter, yet his lips were warm. His large hand stroked the back of her head as he banded his arm around her waist, deepening the kiss.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the last snow of winter fell in a flurry, while inside the room it was as warm as spring, two people in love holding each other tight.

***

With the resignation matter settled, Cen Mo officially immersed herself in her review. She still had plenty of time—a full year, in fact.

Even so, the task ahead was quite heavy. After all, the university she wished to apply to was a renowned institution—the very same one where, during her first college entrance examination, her scores had been sufficient, only for her acceptance letter to be burned.

It wasn't due to some lingering trauma; she simply felt that the school's academic atmosphere suited her best. The only difficulty was that the university was not located in their current city, but in a neighboring one instead.

This meant that if she truly passed the exams, she would have to separate from Su Xingzhi and endure a period of long-distance relationship. The man had always been averse to parting from her, and she had no idea whether he would be willing.

Feeling somewhat conflicted, Cen Mo took the time to discuss the matter with him.

Inside the spacious study, the atmosphere between the two was unusually serious as they sat facing each other in separate armchairs.

"Momo, even if I disagreed, you wouldn't change your mind, would you? I know you; you've always been a person with strong independent judgment," the man said after a moment of contemplative silence.

Cen Mo did not speak, merely giving a slight nod.

He truly understood her. Though her heart had been in extreme turmoil these past few days, she had not once entertained the thought of changing her target university to a local one.

The reason was simple: postgraduate studies at this university had been her obsession ever since high school. She had even sneaked out of school to internet cafes to look up information on the professors there. It could truly be called her dream institution.

Now that she finally had an opportunity to return to campus, she would always harbor regret if she didn't at least try.

"Then my opposition holds no meaning, and would only serve to cause you unnecessary worry." The man's deep, dark eyes looked straight at her, his expression carrying a trace of helpless compromise.

It was precisely this expression that struck the softest part of Cen Mo's heart.

In the past, she had always assumed this man had no vulnerable spots. Managing such a large company single-handedly, his image had always been unyielding and indestructible, as if nothing could ever shake him.

Yet ever since they began dating, he had constantly compromised and accommodated her—whether in trivial matters of daily life or in decisive moments like this. Ultimately, it was because he respected her.

No matter how reluctant he might feel, he refused to impose his own will upon her.

That was enough. Above all else, what Cen Mo cherished most was this tacit understanding: two minds attuned to one another, walking hand in hand while still granting each other sufficient personal space.

This was precisely the reason they were able to love each other so deeply.

A wave of intense guilt welled up inside her, prompting her to scurry over and wrap her arms around the man's sleeve, speaking in a coquettish tone, "Actually, it's not that far away! If I really get accepted into that school, you can take the highway and drive there in two hours. We can still see each other once a week."

"Two to three times a week," the man replied, looking at her after a brief moment of thought. "I have a place there. You can move right in when you arrive, and I'll go over whenever I have time."

"Two to three times?" Cen Mo repeated, sensing some underlying meaning in his words. After pondering it for a moment, it dawned on her: "You don't mean... *that*, do you? With such a distance between us, you don't need to be so... impatient, do you?"

Their conversation sounded like riddles, yet Su Xingzhi understood her perfectly. Bending down to kiss her, he replied, "I'm only seeing you a few times a week, and I'm already exercising immense restraint. This is my ultimate compromise."

With her ears turning red, Cen Mo hurriedly scrambled out of his embrace. To think she had been touched just moments ago, only for this man to tie every three sentences back to *that*. Such a heartwarming topic had instantly turned colorful.

***

Following this conversation, Cen Mo officially threw herself into her studies. Various reference materials purchased online and from bookstores gradually piled up over her desk, so she simply cleared out her original bedroom to use exclusively as a study room.

Every morning when Su Xingzhi went to work, she would wake up bleary-eyed, prepare a bento box, tie his tie for him, and send him off out the door before beginning her day of study.

During the day, she was the only one in the massive residence. The surroundings were completely quiet, making it ideal for deep contemplation and problem-solving.

Never in her life had Cen Mo experienced such an optimal studying environment.

This was no exaggeration; previously, lacking the proper conditions, she had to juggle part-time jobs with household chores, only stealing moments of leisure to work out math problems on a low stool. Yet precisely because of those hardships, she had gradually developed an extraordinary level of focus.

Although the sea of test papers was vast and the endless study materials would have annoyed others, Cen Mo relished it, knowing this was a hard-won opportunity.

During her time working at Achart, Su Xingzhi had paid her a generous salary. Combined, it was more than enough to cover her graduate studies and even future advanced education. These funds were not charity from him, but rather rewards she had earned through hard-earned labor.

Spending money earned this way brought Cen Mo absolute peace of mind.

After about a week of such single-minded studying, her momentum reached its peak, and she simply stopped returning to the bedroom at night, sleeping directly in the study so she could wake up early the next morning and resume memorizing her materials the moment she opened her eyes.

She was in a state of complete absorption, forgetting both food and sleep.

While it was certainly a good thing for his girlfriend to be so dedicated to her studies, Su Xingzhi worried she would exhaust herself, so he relieved her of cooking duties. He hired a neat and efficient housekeeper to visit during the day and take charge of three nutritious meals a day.

He could tolerate all of that and had made many accommodations, but refusing to return to the bedroom at night was crossing the line. The two of them were already about to face a long-distance separation, yet for this final year and a half, the woman was deliberately hiding from him?

Though deeply unsatisfied, he didn't voice it immediately. Once Cen Mo fell asleep that night, he walked straight into the study and carried her back to bed.

When Cen Mo woke up punctually the next morning, her hand reaching out for the study materials by her pillow, she realized the scenery before her was not quite right. Moreover, what was that resting across her waist? A large, domineering male hand was holding her firmly around the waist.

What was the meaning of this? Suspicious, she sat up and turned her head to look behind her.

The man had also woken up by now, his dark hair slightly messy across his forehead. Reaching out to pull her back into his embrace, he settled her down to sleep again, his voice raspy and magnetic: "Go back to sleep for a bit. Today is Saturday, I don't have to go to work."

Dazed and pulled back into his arms, Cen Mo processed this for a moment before indignantly slapping the arm resting over her. "Did you carry me back here in the middle of the night? This is going to disrupt my studying!"

"I did not," he murmured, lightly nipping her earlobe with a voice sounding entirely natural. "You were sleepwalking and came over here all by yourself."

Cen Mo grew even angrier. "Nonsense! I've lived for so many years and have never once had a habit of sleepwalking."

After struggling to get up for a long time, she found that with a single reach of his arm, the man easily subdued her movements and let out a low chuckle. "Be a good girl. I said you did, so you did."

It was pure, unadulterated sophistry, yet she was utterly powerless against him.