Xie Rong was waiting patiently for Chen Rou Jiao in her car in front of the main entrance of City B airport. She watched every entrances, afraid if she missed her.
Fortunately, she spotted Chen Rou Jiao waked out from the second entrance. She beamed happily upon seeing her and quickly waived at Chen Rou Jiao to get her attention.
Chen Rou Jiao walked casually at her car, giving a simple smile. "Thank you for coming here." she said after get in the car, sitting next to the driver seat as the cold breeze blew into her bones.
"No problem." Xie Rong grinned back. "Everything okay for Liang Shu?"
Chen Rou Jiao nodded weak. She leaned against the back of the seat.
She sighed. "He gonna be okay. Seems like he have make a new resolution for himself."
Xie Rong was glad to hear that. Although Chen Rou Jiao did not tell her the detail of Chen Liang Shu's problem, but knowing everything settled on the other city, and Chen Rou Jiao sound okay, it's the most important for her.
"Now, if everything settle," Xie Rong grinned mischievously. "Let's have dinner together." she said excitedly.
She had everything plan in her mind. She wanted to take Chen Rou Jiao to the new grilled chicken restaurant near to her place. She hadn't try it yet, Yu Sheng also busy with his company lately, so she wanted to try it with Chen Rou Jiao.
Nonetheless, the shook from Chen Rou Jiao made her plan vanished into the thin air. She slowly pouted.
"I need to prepare for tomorrow." Chen Rou Jiao always had in her mind about the trip to the resort tomorrow. And she also remember that she needs to settle some things before their departure.
"Miss Chief Manager," Chen Rou Jiao opened her eyes halfways, looking at Xie Rong through the corner of her eyes when she childishly shaking her arm.
"What?" Chen Rou Jiao turned her focus from her front to sulky Xie Rong. Spread a clueless expression on her exhausted face.
"We haven't had dinner together for so long. Can you give face for your poor assistant?" Xie Rong smiled widely, blinking her eyes several times towards Chen Rou Jiao.
"I am not hungry..."
Right after she said that, her stomach let out a loud sound. Chen Rou Jiao stupefied with the sound until all the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat. Her face became red.
Xie Rong gave her an evil looked. Quickly her eyes moved down to Chen Rou Jiao's stomach.
"Haih... Poor Chen Rou Jiao's stomach. To have such a master like you." she spoke in childish voice, peeked upon Chen Rou Jiao after that.
Chen Rou Jiao quickly covered her stomach with her arms. She looked away outside the window.
Telling the truth, the only meal she had on that day was when she was with her younger brother that morning. Then, she met Li Da Zhan. She forget to taste any food because she was thinking about that guy all the time.
However, no matter how hard she forget to eat, her body could not lie.
Her stomach made a loud noise again.
"Rou Jiao, let's have something to eat before you get sick." Xie Rong gave her opinion but more to an order.
It took a minute for her response. With a sighed, and feel defeated with herself, Chen Rou Jiao agreed.
"Okay, fine." Chen Rou Jiao turned around, facing her only friend. "You must help me organised the file for tomorrow."
Xie Rong jumped excitedly on her seat, and quickly nodded. "Okay. Okay. Anything for my best friend ever."
Chen Rou Jiao chuckled seeing Xie Rong's behaviour. Remind her about her old self. The her six years ago. She wish she had that attitude again, but she quickly get rid of those thoughts. That attitude suit her not.
"Let's go." Chen Rou Jiao smiled weakly.
Xie Rong did not understand the meaning of that smile but she was happy for Chen Rou Jiao approval to join her to dinner. That's was enough.
When she was checking the side mirror before left the place, she caught someone staring at her car. Her brows knitted together. Puzzled with that stranger behaviour.
"What's wrong with that guy?" she whispered to herself. But she completely ignored him, start the engine at drove away from the airport to their destination because she finally could taste the grilled chicken.
Li Da Zhan watched the car which Chen Rou Jiao was in, leaving the airport compound. Then his eyes overflowed with regret and sadness, before he turned away and sighed.
He chuckled. Laughing for his foolishness. Thinking times will heal her pain that he caused. Yet it absolutely not true.
"Sir. Do you need a lift?" Li Da Zhan startled with the sudden approach by a middle age taxi driver, who looked calm and composed. He greeted Li Da Zhan with a big smile that create wrinkle on his face.
Li Da Zhan nodded politely. "Yes, uncle. Can you bring me to Donghua Resident at Yujia District?"
With a croaky voice, the old taxi driver replied calmly. "Yes. I can bring you there. Let me lead you to my taxi."
Li Da Zhan nodded, and rolled his luggage, followed the taxi driver from behind.
They left the busy airport to their destination.
Li Da Zhan bought an apartment at the residential district a long time ago, in case he wanted to escape from his busy life in City A. Yet he never had time to spare or even escape from his work in these past three years since the development of the resort.
Now he had time to visit his abandoned house, even only for a few months until the resort fully finished. He will stay in the same city with Chen Rou Jiao for a few months.
His mind was in the blank, he had mix feelings whether to feel happy or guilty for showing his face to her when she clearly said those words earlier. He sighed deeply. Shifted his focus to the lively scenery along the road he passed through.
"Young people like you are already sighed like an old man. Hahaha."
Li Da Zhan turned to the taxi driver, looked at him using the rear mirror. He laughed a bit.
"No, uncle. Just a lot of things in my mind right now."
"Aiya... Don't let those things bother your mind for too long. The faster you settle each of them, the faster your mind will be at peace."
Li Da Zhan could only smiled with his words of wisdom. However, not all problems could be easy to solve, especially when it stayed on his mind for many years.
"Some things are hard to solve when I don't know the solution." He sound pitiful, but the burden on his shoulder made him exhausted, mentally and physically.
Li Da Zhan rolled down his eyes, gaze opened his rough hands clamped together.
He slowly opened up to the stranger in front of him. The thing he never done to anyone before. Not even his family and friends.
"Being diligent can fix your weaknesses." The taxi driver said to him, while his still on road. But sometimes he peek at his customer through the rear view mirror.
He continued. "Find the root of the problem first. If it involved people, you need know the main problem, try to be more open of what you want to convey to them. Make they know what you truly feel."
"What if they don't want to forgive me?"
The taxi stopped at the traffic light. The taxi driver took the opportunity to reply Li Da Zhan's question.
"You already done what you need to do. It's up to them, whether to accept it or push you away. But.." The taxi driver turned his head aside, enough to look at Li Da Zhan, "at least you get to lift your problems from your mind. You can be in peace. That is the most important." then he started to move again the second after the traffic light turned green.
Li Da Zhan did not know what happened to him right now, but the taxi driver's words somehow made his miserable mind at peace. As if those simple advice cleared what burdened his mind all this time.
He beamed at the taxi driver, "Thank you uncle."
"Do not mention it. You are like a son to me. A precious son."
"But I am not as good as you think, uncle. I made terrible mistakes all my life." He then think about everything he had done to Chen Rou Jiao.
The taxi driver chuckled made Li Da Zhan puzzled.
"Everyone make mistakes in their life. From those mistakes, we have experiences. And people learn from the experiences to be a better person. Do not downgraded yourself for the mistakes that you cause, but you need to know what you can learn from them."
"Okay uncle. I will remember everything you say."
"Don't just remember, but use it on your daily life."
Li Da Zhan grinned. "Absolutely uncle."
About 20 minutes from the traffic light, they finally arrived at the entrance of luxurious apartment of Donghua Resident.
Li Da Zhan get off the taxi, paid the fee and took out his luggage from the trunk.
"Thank you for everything uncle."
"Hmm.." The taxi driver nodded. "Take a good care of yourself, and to that person too." the taxi driver smile meaningfully towards him before he set to leave the young man in front of the luxurious residence.
Li Da Zhan knitted his eyebrows together. Puzzled with the taxi driver last words. However, he put it aside as he was too exhausted and need a recharge.
He tucked in his hands in the pocket of his long coat. The cold weather outside his apartment made him shivered.
Li Da Zhan rushed to the warm place, into his apartment. Taking hot shower and warm meal he will order later. A nice sleep would be a privilege for the busy day he will face starts tomorrow.