Chapter 555: Relationships in another world

The three months of research felt like an instant. When we returned to the Provincial Party School, other groups had already returned. The first to return was Deng Hanyuan's group, which was actually a week earlier than us.

The thirteen research reports each had their own merits; the longest was over a hundred thousand words, as thick as a book, while the shortest was no more than three pages.

Our group was of medium length. Gan Lu sacrificed a week of rest for it, hunched over her desk every day to revise and polish it. Lao Ma and the others returned to their original positions. Professor Luo specifically entrusted me at our parting that he must see the final draft of the research report. I agreed readily, because they all had to sign their names on the research report.

With Gan Lu handling the research report, I had to do the logistics work.

Logistics work included cooking for her, mopping the floor, washing dishes, and even washing her clothes. Of course, the highest-level service was that whenever Gan Lu had a cold stomach, I had to act as a masseur to relieve her pain.

In this way, I was busy at Gan Lu's house during the day and had to rush back to the Party School dormitory to sleep at night. My roommate, Deng Hanyuan, asked me what I was busy with, and I always told him with a smile: "Just busy with nothing!"

Deng Hanyuan was half-believing of my words. One night, he mysteriously told me that all the classmates were busy with activities because the training was about to end, and next was the question of where the thirty people would go.

I was secretly shocked when I heard this and tentatively asked him, "Brother Deng, what are you busy with?"

Deng Hanyuan laughed exaggeratedly and said, "I'm the same, I can't be unconventional. My dad introduced me to an uncle who is now a fairly big official in the province. I have to go pay my respects."

Deng Hanyuan told me this situation bluntly; I didn't know if it was intentional or if he really didn't set up defenses against me. But based on his constant desire to move up, I always felt that Deng Hanyuan's words were not very credible.

I told Gan Lu about these situations, and Gan Lu asked me with a smile, "Do you know anyone in the province?"

I shook my head. Actually, I knew quite a few people, such as Vice Provincial Governor Lin, Xu Mengda, and the others. I was constantly conflicted about whether I should walk the night road and go pay my respects to Vice Provincial Governor Lin. Every time I thought of this, I firmly stopped my thoughts and didn't continue. I wouldn't rashly beg anyone!

Seeing me shake my head, Gan Lu looked at me with a half-smile and said, "How about I introduce you to someone, and you go pay your respects?"

As soon as I saw her smile, I understood she was ill-intentioned. So I said firmly, "Thank you, I really don't need it."

Gan Lu continued to revise and polish the draft, and I continued to be my househusband. Actually, in terms of writing level, Gan Lu wasn't necessarily better than me. In some places, my writing was even more outstanding than hers.

But from the moment we decided to revise and polish the draft, Gan Lu had always requested to handle it herself, and of course, I couldn't brush off her kindness. Gan Lu had worked in the province for many years and knew so many high officials that she naturally knew their appetite for text. I was a grassroots person from a local area, and I was afraid that adding random seasoning would ruin the pot of food.

The last day of revision work was about to end, and tomorrow was the date for collective submission of the research report. That is to say, once the research report was submitted, our training would also end.

After the training ended, it would be the New Year. After the New Year, the thirty provincial-managed cadres who participated in this training would go their separate ways to new positions to make revolution.

I specifically boiled a pot of bird's nest soup. Regarding bird's nest, it was said that it actually had no nutritional value; it was saliva spit out by swallows to build small nests, and at most, it was just some fiber. But our ancestors had always believed it was a delicacy and a great tonic. Plus, this thing was really not easy to get, so it became more and more legendary. After thousands of years, bird's nest had become a rare and precious tonic.

I passed by a newly opened shop when I went to the street to buy groceries. The shop specialized in selling bird's nest. I specifically bought a few taels, spent a large sum of money, and asked the experts in the shop about the method before I excitedly returned to boil a bowl for Gan Lu.

When the bird's nest was brought to Gan Lu, she was clearly taken aback. She stared at the white bird's nest in the bowl and asked me, "Where did it come from?"

I smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, just eat it. It's good for the brain and the body."

Gan Lu didn't ask any more questions. She took a small spoon, scooped a spoonful into her mouth, frowned, and tasted it. Then her eyebrows relaxed, she laughed happily, and praised repeatedly, "Delicious, delicious."

I stood in front of her, ready to wash the dishes after she finished eating.

After Gan Lu drank a small spoonful, she suddenly scooped a spoonful and handed it to me, saying, "You try it too."

I smiled and refused her, and she frowned and said unhappily, "Do you dislike me?"

I quickly said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. It's just that this bird's nest was specifically bought for you to compensate for your hard work. If I ate it, wouldn't I be selling dog meat under a sheep's head?"

My metaphor was really inappropriate, and Gan Lu laughed, shaking like a flower.

She stubbornly insisted on handing me the small spoon, so I had to lower my head and swallow the spoonful of bird's nest soup. She giggled and raised the small spoon, saying, "I have saliva here, you drink it too."

I blushed in embarrassment. It couldn't be denied that when I was eating the bird's nest just now, I really had the imagination of kissing her red lips.

I pretended to be angry and turned to leave, but Gan Lu grabbed my hand and said, "Yo, still angry? Is it shyness or anger? If you say shyness, my body has already been seen and touched by you, what do you have to be shy about? If you say anger, I'm not angry and you're still angry, you wouldn't have the taste of a man, would you?"

I couldn't refute Gan Lu's words. These past few days, she had indeed said every day that her stomach was cold. After I applied heat, she insisted that I help her massage it. My massage had been practiced to perfection on her body; I could almost know where my hands should be without looking with my eyes.

These past few days of massage, I had only stayed on her lower abdomen and had no intention of expanding my base. Although she had said that when I was massaging, I was the doctor and she was the patient. A patient has no privacy in front of a doctor, and a doctor cannot be sanctimonious in front of a patient.

Although she said so, I still stuck to my bottom line. Because I knew that I was a fake doctor and couldn't take advantage of people in their time of need.

I turned my head and stared at her.

She first looked at me, and after a few seconds, she began to move her gaze away in a panic, and a pretty face blushed unconsciously.

Just as I wanted to make a move, she stood up, sighed softly, and said, "After tonight, we will be separated."

Her tone was sad, which made me infected by her. But at this time, I should lead the atmosphere and not let the sadness ruin our half-year friendship.

So I smiled and said, "To what extent can we be separated? Everyone is a cadre in the same province, all eating from the same pot, perhaps one day we will meet again."

Gan Lu didn't speak, walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling window, hugged her body with both hands, and quietly watched a gust of wind outside the window wantonly abusing a withered yellow maple leaf.

Her body itself was very thin, and she was wearing a long dress in the room. Although the air conditioner was on in the room and it was as warm as spring, when combined with the coldness outside, she looked pitiful.

I walked over and stood behind her, my eyes following her gaze to look at the withered leaves together.

"After this winter, it will become fertilizer." She pointed to the fallen leaves and said, "Its life seems to have perished, but in fact, it is reborn."

I whispered, "In the world, everything is reincarnation. Just like you and me, in this world we are colleagues, friends, perhaps in another world, our relationship will be different."

She turned her head to look at me and smiled, asking, "What is our relationship in another world?"

"Perhaps enemies." I said stammeringly.

She suddenly reached out and covered my mouth, saying earnestly, "I don't want to be your enemy."

This action of hers made me unable to adapt.

"You say, in another world, we are not enemies, not colleagues, and even less friends."

I asked suspiciously, "Then what are we?"

"We are husband and wife!" She blushed, too shy to look at me.

My heart jolted, so I stuck out my tongue and quietly licked her palm. She screamed and pulled back her hand, escaping into her room like a frightened little rabbit.

I laughed and didn't chase after her.

I must be clear about my current state; I cannot be the slightest bit careless at this stage. I must behave like a gentleman in front of and behind people; I cannot give up halfway.

I knew this woman might like me, but I couldn't like her.

Because I didn't have the qualifications and ability yet, I couldn't ruin my future on a woman.

If the world were mine, I could like her!

I packed up the manuscript, put it in the bag I brought with me, hesitated, and left without saying goodbye. ===== CHAPTER 556 =====