Chapter 36 Chapter Thirty-Six

In the evening of the next day, after He Ru returned from the headquarters of the Far East Insurance Company, he ate in the restaurant and took a shower after returning to his room. At eight o'clock, someone knocked on the door outside the house, He Ru went to open the door, and saw a round-faced fat man wearing glasses standing at the door. He Ru couldn't recognize who it was for a moment, but the fat man called her name loudly first.The fat man smiled and said: "He Ru, it really is you! After I put down the phone last night, I kept wondering who you are? I think since you are from the United States, you know Xiaotian, your surname is He, and your voice is so familiar , I guessed that it must be you. You don’t seem to have changed much, and you are almost the same as when you graduated. You still have the same style!"

He Ru hurriedly invited him into the room with a smile, and said, "Old classmate, you've gained weight. If I met you on the street, I wouldn't dare to recognize you. Who would have imagined that back then you were as thin as an awl Zhou Run is actually rich now." She poured two glasses of red wine and put some ice in her own.When old classmates meet, they can't finish talking.Zhou Run first asked about the situation of those classmates in the United States, and He Ru said: "Everyone is far and wide, and we haven't seen each other once in a few years. Usually, we just make occasional phone calls. Almost everyone has married and is busy with his own business."

Zhou Run asked about Wu Xiaotian's situation again, He Ru briefly explained it.Zhou Run sighed, and said: "Xiaotian is not easy, you know his personality better than us. When we classmates talk about him sometimes, we all say that there are two unexpected things about him." He Ru asked, "Which two things?" Zhou Run said: "Actually, you can guess everything. The first thing is that he was willing to break up with you, and he didn't want to go to the United States with you; the second thing is that he decided to go to the United States last year as a postdoctoral fellow. , At first we thought he was doing it for you, but later he told us that there was another reason."

He Ru said: "Our relationship has been broken long ago, and after breaking up for so many years, both of us have changed a lot. I have considered these things rationally." Zhou Run said: "Xiaotian, he didn't tell you about his affair with that Taiwanese girl, did he?" He Ru guessed that the Taiwanese girl he was talking about was the Judy whom he had seen in the insurance company and Casino, but she knew nothing about the two of them in China.So she asked Zhou Run what was going on?Zhou Run said: "I can't explain clearly in a few words. That woman is also from our school, and Xiaotian somehow got involved with her. Anyway, I heard that he fell into the hands of that woman. He has something to do with his work." The bad problem is that you don’t take anything seriously. Now that you have suffered so much, your mind may be clearer. He is a good person, you have to help him, your old friendship is no longer, and the friendship between classmates is still there! If he stumbles, he will fall again, and this life is over!"

He Ru listened, drinking in silence.The two chatted for almost two hours. Zhou Run asked He Ru how long he would stay when he came back this time, and He Ru said it might be a month.Zhou Run said: "When it's convenient for you, I'll invite all my classmates from Shanghai, and let's have a good get-together." He Ru smiled and agreed.She gave Zhou Run the book that Wu Xiaotian entrusted her to bring, and said, "Before leaving, Wu Xiaotian told me that he had already published a paper on PNAS." Zhou Run flipped through the books and said with a smile: "Hey, this kid is not easy. You have to thank him for me when you go back!"

After Zhou Run left, it was difficult for He Ru to calm down.She thought of what Zhou Run said to him just now, "He is a good man, you have to help him, the old love is no longer there, the love of classmates is still there", and then she thought about the kind of relationship between herself and Wu Xiaotian after almost a year. The indifferent, lukewarm relationship makes the nose sore unknowingly. She came to the window, looked at the Huangpu River, and seemed to see the parting couple hugging tightly on the Bund nine years ago, her eyes were a little blurred. So she picked up the phone and dialed the number of Wu Xiaotian's residence.She checked the time, it was a quarter past ten in the evening, and it should be seven in the morning in LA.

The phone rang for a while, but no one answered. He Ru checked Wu Xiaotian's number again, and then dialed again, but still no one answered.She thought, today is Tuesday night here, so it should be Tuesday morning in City C. Wu Xiaotian is an old night owl. Logically, he would not get up so early and go out so early. Except for special circumstances, he usually sleeps until nine every day. I just woke up at 1:00.unless-- She suddenly had a "thump" in her heart, and immediately thought, unless he didn't sleep at her home last night!She immediately remembered Wu Xiaotian's former girlfriend Zhu Di, and the things that Zhou Run told her intermittently just now, and hung up the phone with a snap.Just now after Zhou Run told her that Wu Xiaotian "doesn't do anything seriously", the warm feeling she had for Wu Xiaotian disappeared all of a sudden.

She remembered what Liu Dongqi told him last time at a Sichuan restaurant that he was going back to China for vacation, and he asked her to tell him her address and phone number when she arrived in Shanghai.If Liu Dongqi wants to return to China, he can do it as early as the 21st.It is already the night of the 20th here, that is, the morning of the 20th in LA.If she wanted to meet Liu Dongqi in Shanghai, she had to call him now. However, when He Ru picked up the microphone, he hesitated again.She thought, if she took the initiative to tell Liu Dongqi her address and phone number, would the other party misunderstand that she was sending him some kind of information that he was eagerly waiting for?If the other party really understands her intentions in this way, it means that she is implying to him that she likes him. If this is the case, there may be subtle changes in the relationship between the two in the future.

However, she finally dialed Liu Dongqi's number.Soon, Liu Dongqi's confused "Who is it?" came from the microphone.He Ru laughed and said, "It's me, He Ru, haven't woken up yet? I thought you were so excited that you couldn't fall asleep." When Liu Dongqi heard her voice, he said happily: "I thought you forgot what we said at the Sichuan restaurant last time! I sorted out the materials last night and didn't go to bed until after two o'clock. I've already made an order. I got a round-trip ticket with China Eastern Airlines on Saturday night, so I want to hand in the materials to the institute today, and I can go out and buy some things to take back home tomorrow.”

He Ru said with a smile: "You'd better bring back less things. Shanghai has everything here. I regret being a porter once. Why don't you go shopping after you get here, and don't bother to pack a box of things." When I came back, people saw that they were all made in China.” Liu Dongqi said: "The ones you bring back from here have different meanings than the ones you bought there. I can't be unrestrained when it comes to human relationships. How are you doing over there? Has Shanghai changed a lot over the years?" He Ru said: "Our agreement has been signed, but I guess I will stay here for a while. I can't tell you how Shanghai is going. You can come back and watch it yourself. I will give my address and phone number. Here you go, I'm not in the hotel during the day, but usually after eight o'clock in the evening."

She said the address and phone number, chatted with Liu Dongqi for a few more words, and hung up the phone.