Chapter 20: Returning to Western Prefecture Once More

(1/3)

(1) Qin Ke contacted his classmate Lin Haidong in Beijing, who immediately recommended him to Company C.

By August, after the HR department of Company C reviewed Qin Ke’s resume, they conducted a phone interview and expressed strong recognition of his technical skills. Due to an urgent need for personnel, Company C extended a generous offer within three days: a monthly salary of 9,000 yuan, plus full social insurance and housing fund benefits. According to industry practice, they allowed Qin Ke a one-month notice period to handle his resignation, hoping he could start work in early September.

Qin Ke immediately shared the good news with Bian Xiaoqi, who happily said, “Once you settle down in Beijing, I’ll resign soon after and join you.”

“There’s still a month left. Let’s both wrap up our work at Company A, then be together forever without separation,” Qin Ke said joyfully.

Bian Xiaoqi had three tasks to handle: fulfilling and collecting payment for two contracts in southern and northern Sichuan, and conducting technical training in Tongyuan.

For the two new contracts Bian Xiaoqi signed, Company A promptly delivered the equipment to the sites. Engineering technicians quickly arrived and split into two teams to begin installation and commissioning. It was expected that within a week, the equipment could be handed over to the clients.

Bian Xiaoqi once again negotiated with Li Jun from Tongyuan, confirming the technical training Company A would provide, scheduled for early August, with Luo Tong responsible for the training.

Li Jun originally hoped Qin Ke would conduct the training, and Bian Xiaoqi thought so too, but Qin Ke persuaded her to arrange for Luo Tong, as he was about to leave Company A. Although this disappointed Gao Yuge and Cheng Ang, Qin Ke believed in doing things thoroughly and recommended Luo Tong as the technical director for Company A’s Southwest region, confident that Luo Tong was fully qualified.

Cheng Ang was still on a business trip in Guizhou Province. Qin Ke called him and directly shared his thoughts but concealed his imminent resignation. Cheng Ang approved of the recommendation, though he regretted not being able to work alongside Qin Ke. Qin Ke promised to help Cheng Ang with any technical needs to the best of his ability.

Qin Ke then called Zhou Pinyi and shared his recommendation of Luo Tong. Zhou Pinyi agreed without hesitation. Qin Ke kept his resignation decision private, intending to tell Zhou Pinyi face to face after returning to Hedong.

Luo Tong spent over ten days in Tongyuan completing equipment inspections. He was enthusiastic, intelligent, and quick-witted. After several encounters, Fang Qing had grown deeply fond of him. Luo Tong also admired Fang Qing’s straightforwardness and passionate nature.

Qin Ke called Luo Tong and, trusting their relationship, did not hide anything. He told Luo Tong about his imminent resignation and his recommendation of Luo Tong.

Luo Tong was not surprised and said, “Brother Qin, you should have left earlier. With your abilities, you’ll surely establish yourself in Beijing. Maybe I’ll come join you someday.”

“If you ever want to make a move, come to Beijing to find me. Perhaps we’ll work together again,” Qin Ke replied warmly.

“Thanks for recommending me, Brother Qin,” Luo Tong expressed his gratitude.

“Don’t be so formal. You’re capable and suitable for the role. Besides, I’m just helping you out—Fang Qing should thank me too,” Qin Ke smiled.

“Brother Qin, it’s still early days. Director Fang hasn’t agreed yet,” Luo Tong said with some uncertainty.

“You’re excellent, Luo Tong. Director Fang will definitely recognize your talent. Don’t underestimate yourself. In love, you’ve got to be proactive,” Qin Ke encouraged.

“Thanks for your kind words, Brother Qin, I’ll do my best. By the way, since you’re leaving soon, what about Manager Bian?” Luo Tong asked.

“I’m leaving first. She’ll resign not long after. Before we leave, we must finish things properly. Your current job is to help her wrap up. Please don’t share this with others,” Qin Ke instructed.

“Don’t worry, Brother Qin. Leave it to me,” Luo Tong sincerely promised.

(2)

Qin Ke was then reassigned by Zhou Pinyi to two small cities in eastern Henan to resolve complicated equipment issues for two clients. Just as he prepared to return to Haiyuan, Zhou Pinyi called again, requesting Qin Ke to rush to northern Sichuan because Company A’s equipment there was facing problems and delivery was delayed.

Upon hearing that Bian Xiaoqi was in charge, Qin Ke immediately called her. She said the client was anxious, and she was even more so. She was currently on-site in northern Sichuan, waiting for the equipment to go live so she could collect the second payment as per the contract. The engineers on site were helpless. Luo Tong was busy conducting user training in Tongyuan and couldn’t assist. She had to call Company A for help. Presumably, Gao Yuge contacted Zhou Pinyi, who then notified Qin Ke directly.

Qin Ke said, “Xiaoqi, you should have called me directly to avoid all these detours.”

Bian Xiaoqi replied, “I thought it wasn’t a big issue, so I didn’t call you directly. I’m very anxious. When can you get here?”

Qin Ke told her not to worry or get upset; he was heading to northern Sichuan immediately. Traveling overnight by train and then a bus, he arrived at the northern Sichuan site at 10 a.m. the next day.

Having not seen Bian Xiaoqi for nearly a month, she seemed thinner. Without time to express his longing, Qin Ke focused on diagnosing the equipment problem.

The equipment served 2,000 users. One chassis’s entire user group appeared normal but actually couldn’t make calls, while users on other chassis operated normally.

Qin Ke replaced the control board in that chassis, but the problem persisted. He changed all user cards, still no improvement. When moving these control and user boards to another chassis, calling worked fine.

Calming down, Qin Ke inserted user cards one by one. After inserting the user card in slot 13, the problem reoccurred. Removing that card and filling other slots with user cards made the problem disappear.

This indicated an issue with slot 13. He removed all user cards and examined the chassis’s backplane. From the front, the pins seemed fine. At the rear, he checked the connections of the cable control lines. By careful comparison, he found a wrongly specified cable control line plugged into the backplane. He immediately replaced it with a correct cable from spare parts, reinserted the user card in slot 13, and found those users could make calls normally. After inserting all user cards, the problem disappeared.

It turned out the wrongly specified cable control line on the backplane was affecting all users in that chassis.

During the operation, Bian Xiaoqi, Company A’s engineers, and the client watched tensely. Especially Bian Xiaoqi, nervous but relieved when Qin Ke focused and resolved the issue. Seeing only a little over an hour had passed, she was the first to applaud, followed by others.

(3)

She looked at Qin Ke eagerly. Had no one else been present, she would have rushed to him, embraced him tightly, and kissed him passionately.

With the problem solved and the equipment successfully activated, the client was very pleased. In the afternoon, the client honored the contract and paid Company A the second installment, delighting Bian Xiaoqi.

Company A’s engineers stayed to wrap up and provide on-site temporary training for the client. Since equipment in southern Sichuan also needed activation and delivery, Bian Xiaoqi planned to head there the next day. Worried about further issues, she asked Qin Ke to accompany her. The two returned together to Xizhou.

(4)

Back in Xizhou, Bian Xiaoqi and Qin Ke did not go to the office but went straight to her home.

Qin Ke asked, “Have Teacher Jiang and Teacher Bian returned from out of town?”

Seeing Qin Ke’s concerned expression, Bian Xiaoqi smiled, “My mother has many classmates in Beijing, and my father has several friends in Shanghai. It’s summer vacation, so they’re taking the chance to reunite and travel, enjoying themselves so much they don’t want to come back.”

Before taking off her shoes, Bian Xiaoqi eagerly threw herself into Qin Ke’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. Qin Ke held her tightly, responding passionately.

Stroking her delicate face, Qin Ke said softly, “Xiaoqi, you’ve lost weight. You must have been working too hard these days.”

Bian Xiaoqi whispered, “I don’t feel tired from work; I miss you too much.”

Qin Ke pressed his face close to hers, “I miss you too.”

“Luckily, you came and solved the problem quickly. Although I was nervous, I felt reassured,” Bian Xiaoqi kissed him and smiled.

“Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. Who else but me loves you so much?” Qin Ke kissed her back with a smile.

Time passed unnoticed until dusk. Qin Ke said, “We should go out for dinner.”

Still holding him, Bian Xiaoqi coquettishly replied, “I don’t want to go out now. I just want to be with you.”

“Well, we still have to eat. If you don’t want to go out, I’ll check the kitchen and make you some noodles. You go take a hot shower first, okay?” Qin Ke smiled.

Happy, Bian Xiaoqi agreed and went upstairs.

Qin Ke entered the kitchen, found dried noodles, eggs, baby bok choy, some small chili peppers, scallions, coriander, and a bit of dried shrimp in the fridge, and within twenty minutes served two bowls of aromatic vegetable and egg soup noodles.

After her shower, Bian Xiaoqi changed into a beige dress, her long hair loose and fluffy, entering the dining room. Washed clean of the dust from the past days, she looked radiant again.

Smelling the delicious noodles, Bian Xiaoqi said, “It smells great. I didn’t know you could cook.”

“When I was a kid, my parents went up the mountain to work, so I had to look after my little sister. She cried when she was hungry, so I tried cooking for her and gradually learned. Otherwise, we’d both go hungry,” Qin Ke laughed.

Bian Xiaoqi tied up her hair and sat elegantly, savoring the noodles. As she ate, she said, “Qin Yan is really lucky. I want you to cook for me every day from now on.”

“I’m willing to cook for you my whole life,” Qin Ke declared as if making a vow.

“I’ll remember what you said today. No backing out. By the way, has Qin Yan been admitted to T University?” Bian Xiaoqi asked.

“She has. A few days ago, I called the village chief, who told me Qin Yan was admitted to T University majoring in Computer Science and Technology,” Qin Ke said happily.

“Qin Yan is amazing. How are both you and your sister so smart? Is Qin Yan as pretty as you?” Bian Xiaoqi asked curiously.

“Qin Yan isn’t as clever as you, but she’s hardworking and diligent. She’s not as pretty as you either. She’s about the same height as you but a bit sturdier,” Qin Ke said proudly.

“You’re both so tall. Are your parents tall too?” Bian Xiaoqi inquired.

“No. My mom is about 1.6 meters, and my dad is at most 1.7 meters,” Qin Ke answered.

“With such a smart and pretty sister, I’m sure I’ll like her. I want to prepare her a gift,” Bian Xiaoqi said excitedly.

“What kind of gift? Tell me,” Qin Ke asked curiously.

“No, it’s something between girls. You don’t need to know,” Bian Xiaoqi replied mysteriously.

After eating half a bowl, Bian Xiaoqi lost her appetite. Qin Ke finished his own bowl and ate hers as well. She quietly sat by the table watching him wash the dishes, scrub pots, wipe dry, put everything away, and clean the stove.

(3/3)

Qin Ke turned off the kitchen light and came over. Bian Xiaoqi took his hand and led him to the piano in the living room, smiling, “To reward you for making those delicious noodles, I’ll play ‘Für Elise’ for you.”

“I don’t know piano or appreciate piano music. Tell me about ‘Für Elise’ first. Give me a little lesson,” Qin Ke said honestly.

“Great! Even the great poet Qin doesn’t know. Come, sit properly and listen to Professor Bian’s lecture,” Bian Xiaoqi teased with a smile.

‘Für Elise’ is a solo piano piece composed by German composer Beethoven in 1810. The inspiration came from a girl named Elise. She sought help for a blind elderly man who wished to see the forest and the sea. Moved by this, Beethoven performed a beautiful piece for the man on Christmas Eve. As the music played, the man seemingly saw the snow-capped Alps, the waters around Tahiti Island, seagulls, forests, and dazzling sunlight. Satisfied, the man closed his eyes, free from loneliness and sorrow. Beethoven then dedicated the piece to kind-hearted Elise.

After the story, Bian Xiaoqi opened the piano lid, arranged her dress, sat upright at the piano, and her slender fingers danced on the ivory keys.

With the first note, the warm, melodious, and graceful tune filled the living room.

Watching Bian Xiaoqi’s elegant posture and listening to the beautiful melody, Qin Ke’s mind entered this touching tale, as if hearing Beethoven’s endless tender words to the gentle and lovely Elise. As the melody shifted from tender whispers to lively brilliance, he imagined Elise’s silvery laughter. He felt Beethoven’s passionate, sincere, and steadfast love burning like a flame. Elise gladly accepted his love, and they shared a heartfelt, happy embrace. As the music softened again, it seemed like a pair of lovers holding hands, frozen in a moment as the music faded.

When the final note played, Bian Xiaoqi sat still on the piano bench, immersed in the melody. Under the light, she appeared pure and noble.

She looked back and smiled at Qin Ke, whose heart trembled. He embraced her tenderly and said, “So beautiful. Music is magical—a different kind of beautiful language. Xiaoqi, you are my Elise. Too bad I can’t play piano or compose; otherwise, I’d write a piece just for you.”

“You write such beautiful poems; I like that even more. If you practiced piano from childhood, you’d play beautifully. I can teach you someday,” Bian Xiaoqi said.

She stood, took Qin Ke’s hand, and led him upstairs into her boudoir.

Upon entering, a fragrance surrounded Qin Ke. The soft lighting above, pale pink wallpaper on the walls, a neatly made bed with elegant linens, a bedside table holding a four-stringed pipa, a small white bookshelf filled with books, a writing desk with traditional calligraphy tools on one side, and exquisite rice paper with calligraphy on the other, along with a white laptop.

He picked up a sheet of rice paper, and Bian Xiaoqi’s beautiful regular script caught his eye—recent poems they had composed together.

“I read these poems every night to fall asleep,” Bian Xiaoqi smiled seeing Qin Ke read them.

“Xiaoqi, you’re so thoughtful. I love your calligraphy. It’s beautiful, truly the writing reflects the person,” Qin Ke admired.

Inspired, he took a medium-sized brush from the brush holder, laid out a sheet of rice paper, dipped it in rich ink, and wrote a poem titled “Longing”:

A journey by carriage, a journey by horse.
A thousand miles of travel rests on what?
It’s the feeling of longing for her.
A gentle voice, a soft tone,
A smiling face meets the eyes speaking endlessly,
The lamp’s light brightens the late night.

Bian Xiaoqi read his new poem softly, smiling, “This ‘Longing’ is catchy and beautiful.”

Looking at Qin Ke’s writing, she recognized his style was influenced by Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy. Though not as delicate as her own, his neat and strong regular script was full and vigorous.

Qin Ke laughed, “Xiaoqi, compared to your writing, I’m ashamed.”

Bian Xiaoqi smiled, “Your writing is already very good. With long practice, you’ll improve even more. Your heart is in poetry; mine is in calligraphy.”

“Your room is beautiful. Lin Daiyu’s boudoir wouldn’t be better,” Qin Ke said, looking around and smiling.

“Besides my dad, you’re the first man to enter my room,” Bian Xiaoqi said.

“I’m honored,” Qin Ke laughed.

They sat on the bed; she leaned against him, and he held her. Gazing at the moonlight through the window, Bian Xiaoqi suddenly smiled and said, “Count the stars with him; don’t wait for spring flowers to fall and autumn leaves to fade.”

Qin Ke kissed her hair tenderly and softly said, “With almond eyes and peach cheeks, one is intentional; my heart belongs only to Yulan’s home.”

The clock in the living room chimed eleven. Qin Ke said, “Xiaoqi, I have to go.”

Bian Xiaoqi said nothing but held him tighter, her body warm.

Qin Ke said, “I don’t want to leave you either, but we promised Teacher Jiang. We’ll be together again tomorrow.”

Reluctantly, Bian Xiaoqi released him.

The next day, Bian Xiaoqi and Qin Ke went together to southern Sichuan. The equipment there operated smoothly and was delivered to the client.

Although the client had made many difficulties during contract signing, they paid in full without delay or trouble. Bian Xiaoqi guessed the 0.8% kickback played a role since Company A wouldn’t receive full payment without the client getting that rebate.

With all three tasks nearly done, Bian Xiaoqi felt a great weight lifted and decided to return to Haiyuan with Qin Ke in two days.

They returned to Xizhou in the afternoon, dined at a restaurant, then went to Bian Xiaoqi’s home. It was already dark, and the lights were on—her parents had likely returned. Qin Ke did not feel like entering. Bian Xiaoqi did not insist, and they parted reluctantly at her doorstep.