10 Chapter 10

Li Qianye choked.

What was he supposed to say to that now? How was he going to answer without giving the "game" away?

"Ahem, ah, a-about th-that", he kept stuttering.

Li Chuanmo narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, the door to the study swung open and Zhang Heying entered.

"It's because your father carefully checked every recommendation and decided she is the best fit. Although she has only worked in one of our subsidiary companies, she started from scratch and joined AiChen Mobile when the company was only a year old.

"She has since risen steadily through the ranks, and became a Director in just 10 years. Her performance record is very good, and your father said he sees himself in her. We believe that if anyone can put you through and be of great help to you, she is the best candidate."

'Nice save Old Lady. Ying'er to the rescue!' Li Qianye cheered on inwardly. He must have been a bit flustered to have forgotten this line of reasoning. He secretly gave his wife a wink. Zhang Heying rolled her eyes and looked straight at their son.

Li Chuanmo wasn't convinced that was the only reason — or the main reason for that matter, but he decided to let it drop. Whatever it was they were hiding, they were bound to show their tails somehow. Meanwhile, he became mildly interested in the lady called Pei Yueran. Her resume sounded impressive.

Although AiChen Mobile was a relatively new company under the Li Conglomerate, having been established only a little over a decade ago, it wasn't so easy to get into the top-level management in such a short while.

All other top-level executives were brought over from other older subsidiaries, or got promoted because their entry level was high. She was a rare case. And the fact that his parents have taken such interest in her made him even more curious.

There's definitely something there. He subconsciously began looking forward to the next few days.

*****

"Xiao Chen, are you done packing? Do you need any help?" Pei Yueran called out, standing just outside Han Yichen's room.

"Come in Mom, I'm almost done. Not really, I think I've got everything I plan to take to Grandma's house. I'll pack the remaining things later. You?"

"I'm done packing up the things I'll be carrying next week, but we still need to box the other things that the moving company will transport for us.

"However, your Aunt Qianhua said she will be coming over to help, so we will do that slowly and finish it up when she comes", Pei Yueran said, walking into his room.

She gave the two boxes he had packed a once-over, and asked to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. "Have you packed all your books?"

"Yes"

"School uniforms and sportswear?"

"Yes"

"How about your toys and games?"

"Yes. I already packed the ones I won't be taking along separately. Please transport them to our new home."

"Okay. Toiletries?"

"I packed those that I have. Whatever else I need, I'll get afterwards."

"Alright. Pictures and photo albums?", she asked, looking around. She could still see a few framed pictures on his study desk, and she walked over to pick one of them up.

"Not yet, I planned to leave them for last. I'll pack them up the night before."

Pei Yueran was silent, her hands stroking the picture frame she was holding. It was a picture of Han Lei carrying Han Yichen during his second year birthday. After a few seconds, she said quietly, "You know, we should go see your Dad and say goodbye to him."

"Okay Mom, let's go tomorrow morning then, before Aunt Qianhua comes."

"Yes, let's do that."

*****

Saturday morning dawned clear and bright. They left the house around 9am and by 9:30, they were at Nanshan Cemetery. It was winter time and the cemetery was a sea of white. Wherever the sun touched sparkled like crystals. It made for a very beautiful sight.

Unfortunately, Pei Yueran was not in the mood to appreciate nature's beauty. Coming to the cemetery always had a depressing effect on her, yet she couldn't help but come regularly.

One one hand, she didn't want to remember Han Lei as a cold stiff body lying six feet underground, but on the other hand, the times she sat by his grave talking were the times she felt the closest to him. She could almost imagine him sitting beside her at such times. It was a very contradictory feeling.

The period immediately after Han Lei passed away, she was almost always at the cemetery. Even Han Yichen was forgotten as she drowned in grief. It was with the help of Director Zhou and for Han Yichen's sake that she was able to pull herself together a bit.

Nevertheless, she threw herself into her career since then, using work to numb her pain and grief. The times she went to the cemetery also decreased, but she always made out time to go at the start of the seasons, his birthdays and on his death anniversary.

He was a very sentimental person, and they always marked the beginning of each season with a date at the park, a dinner at a restaurant or even a casual stroll. Even now, she still did something to mark the change of seasons alone, or with Han Yichen.

For the start of winter though, she always came to Nanshan Cemetery, because he died on the first day of winter that year. The last words he said to her were, "Winter is here again, keep warm."