Early the next morning, Yu Tu officially returned to work at the research institute. He first went to Professor Zhang's office. Professor Zhang very early on was well aware of the situation of his return. His expression showed no excitement and he even somewhat gave Yu Tu the cold shoulder.
He was sitting behind his desk and flipping through a feasibility study report. "No matter how much I persuaded you, you wouldn't listen. However with just one phone call from Lao Hu, you even went to Xi'an and were also willing to come back? Am I your teacher or is he your teacher?"
The old man looked displeased, but Yu Tu knew that he was not really angry. Yu Tu lowered his voice and explained, "It has nothing to do with Hu Suo. In Xi'an… I thought things through."
"You've really thought things through?" Professor Zhang closed the report that he was flipping through, massaged the space between his eyebrows, and put away his earlier pretension. "Old Hu asked you to go back to work right after you came back from Xi'an but you didn't agree. Was it not because you still have some doubts?"
He sighed and said, "Don't take what I said last time to heart. Afterwards, I thought carefully about it. The environment you are facing now is different from ours. During our time, it was difficult, but which industry and which profession isn't? Everyone was in the same situation, so everyone was of one heart. We didn't feel there were any differences between us. It is different now. The cost of living for young people is higher. The difference between industries is large, so how can people's hearts not change? It's only human nature that they do change. What I said last time was detached from reality and human feelings. For that, I want to apologize to you."
Yu Tu was somewhat touched, "Teacher…"
Professor Zhang waved his hand to interrupt him. "Thus I will be understanding of all your choices. No matter how you choose, you are still my student. However, if you come back but still have doubts and hesitation in your heart, you actually won't be able to do anything well."
He asked again, "You've really thought things through?"
These were the words he had spoken, but in the face of such prudent inquiry from his teacher, Yu Tu inexplicably thought of something other than work…
He avoided giving a direct reply and said in a low voice, "I will put all my heart into my work."
Professor Zhang was pleased and nodded. "That's good. Our aerospace team is getting younger and younger. Last year, over in Beijing, someone only 35 years old became the chief engineer. I hope that you will work hard in this direction."
After speaking to this point, Professor Zhang thought of something and asked, "Why did Guan Zai suddenly fall ill? Is it serious?"
Yu Tu paused for a while and said, "He said it isn't serious and told me repeatedly to tell the colleagues not to go and visit him."
"That guy's temperament is like that." Professor Zhang put his heart at rest. "Then all of you shoulder a little more of his work. You can go ahead and get busy."
Yu Tu nodded and was just about to go out when the old man stopped him again.
"The female star I met last time is actually not bad, and what she said did have some reasonableness…" The old man coughed. His expression was a little uncomfortable, but he quickly put up the attitude of a strict teacher, like a father. "You should also be considering marriage, which is an important event in your life. I think she is pretty good. You have to put in more effort… OK, you can go now."
Yu Tu did not move. He was quiet for a while, then looked up at his teacher. It was like he was asking him, it was also like he was asking himself: "Teacher, on what basis can I?"
The old man was stunned, and immediately got very angry: "I don't understand this. As a future chief engineer and someone who graduated from a prestigious school, how are you not a worthy match for this female star? Money? Then even if your annual salary is in the millions, or even ten millions, you still won't earn as much as her. Just where are you lacking your confidence?
"Our aerospace is the most romantic of professions. How is it there's someone like you?" The old man was angry and chased him out. "Get out, get out. Just looking at you makes me angry."
On the first day back to work, Yu Tu did not work very late and left the work unit at a little past six o'clock, going directly to Huashan Hospital.
When he was walking into the hospital room, Guan Zai was quarreling with his wife, Shen Jing. When Guan Zai saw Yu Tu, it was like he saw a savior. In frustration, he pointed at Yu Tu and said, "You ask him yourself whether he already has a girlfriend. When did I ever not put in an effort to try to hard-sell your junior schoolmate to him?… Oops, it should be introduce."
His wife glared at him and then turned to look at Yu Tu. "How long has it been since you last had a meal in my house? Not even two months yet, but you already have a girlfriend?"
Yu Tu paused for a moment before nodding and going along with this. "Yes, I do have one."
"Where is the photo? Let me see."
Of course, Yu Tu had nothing he could show her. His wife said snappishly, "If you don't have one, you don't have one. If you're not interested, then you're not interested. Is there a need to be so dishonest?"
Guan Zai was unable to give a convincing explanation in self-defense, and gave Yu Tu an accusing look. "You blew so hard, saying the girl likes you, but you don't even have a photo?"
Without waiting for Yu Tu to reply, he ingratiated himself with his wife, "Wifey, let me tell you that Lao Yu may look honest, but he's actually rotten and decay on the inside. I was also deceived by him before. It's only been in these past few days, when he was here through the night with me that I found out the truth. Introducing your junior schoolmate to him will only do harm to her."
Yu Tu gathered up some enthusiasm to participate in the topic of conversation. "How am I rotten and decay on the inside?"
Guan Zai was immensely proud of himself. "You were watching the video of a female star in the middle of the night. What's more, I caught you doing it on more than one occasion. Is this what a decent man would do?"
Yu Tu's brow frowned slightly, but he did not deny it: "I was wearing headphones… did I wake you up?"
Guan Zai said, "No. Because I slept too much during the day, I couldn't sleep at night. I woke up and saw you watching it. What is the name of that female star? And she's quite famous, too."
Shen Jing looked at Yu Tu. She appeared rather surprised and also quite interested. "Yu Tu, you still like celebrities? Really, I wouldn't have been able to tell. Which female star?"
Yu Tu answered with a normal demeanor, "Qiao Jing Jing."
Guan Zai said at once, "Yes, that's right, that's right. It was her. See? You admit it now, don't you? I've to say that it is not reasonable. You're already thirty years old but still chasing celebrities. It can clearly be seen that you're a lecher. Totally not as honest and lovely as me."
Guan Zai was still just as energetic as ever when he spewed nonsense, but ultimately, he was still weak. Before long, he spoke less and less, and in the end, he quietly fell asleep. At once, the lively hospital room became quiet.
Shen Jing gazed quietly on his pale face for a while, then stood up and said to Yu Tu, "Let's go out."
Sitting on a chair outside the ward, Shen Jing explained to him. "I was purposely joking with Guan Zai just now. Don't take it to heart. I don't want him to think….."
She did not continue her sentence.
Yu Tu said, "I understand."
Shen Jing forced a smile. "Actually, I don't want to introduce my junior schoolmate to you either."
Her tone was especially calm. "What if she blames me later? You and Guan Zai are the same type. You're so busy all day long we don't even see you, and all you know is work and more work. The longest stretch was one year, where half the time he was not even at home and the remaining half was spent working overtime every day."
Previously, Yu Tu would often hear Shen Jing complaining about Guan Zai being busy with work and not able to take care of the family. Every time he went to Guan Zai's home to have a meal, Shen Jing always kept harping on it. However, at that time, she was smiling and not really complaining. It was a kind of pleasure.
But now she really was inconsolable. She murmured: "He never keeps his word. We agreed that when he's a little more impressive, in the future, he will apply to take me to the launch site so I can personally watch his work fly into outer space… He always lies to me, always doesn't keep his word…"
Shen Jing said this repeatedly, and finally she could not hold back any more. She covered her face with her hand as large teardrops fell down.
Yu Tu continued to keep quiet.
This kind of situation had played out constantly over these past few days. How strong Shen Jing acted when in front of Guan Zai was how weak and vulnerable she was when she was in places he could not see, like she would collapse at anytime and anywhere. Initially, Yu Tu would still comfort he, but gradually he understood that any verbal comfort was too weak and had no effect whatsoever. What Shen Jing needed was not comfort, but to vent her feeling.
He raised his head and leaned back into the chair, lost in thought and staring at the ceiling of the hospital. Suddenly, he thought of the figure he had suppressed at the bottom of his heart for the entire day.
He recalled the light that had gradually extinguished in her eyes, recalled how she had said, "I won't ever ask you why anymore."
After that, she had turned and walked away in her high heels, step by step. With determination and pride, she had walked far away.
At that moment, when he looked at her back, a lot of crazy thoughts had bubbled up in his mind, such as rushing over to grab her, hugging her, locking her in his arms…
But then what? What could he give her?
Perhaps providing even the most basic care, he would not be able to do adequately.