Chapter 147: Expired Romance
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Seeing Li Yan speechless, Hai Fu couldn’t help but tease, "Oh, did I hit the nail on the head? Are you feeling embarrassed?"
Li Yan turned his head to glance at her and sighed helplessly, "I was just counting how many girls I’ve deceived. I got to seventy-sothing, and you interrupted, now I have to start over."
"..." Now it was Hai Fu’s turn to be at a loss for words. "You just keep bragging!"
This playful banter added so topics of conversation between them, making Hai Fu feel more at ease.
Actually, this evening, Hai Fu already gave Li Yan a completely different impression, unlike her usual self, almost like she was a different person.
As they walked along, they arrived at the largest beachside swimming area. It’s free public park style, with a huge flow of people every day. By now, it’s considered early morning, at a ti with the least foot traffic. The surrounding area is full of hotels, restaurants, beachfront resorts, and various shops, brightly lit, with no signs of being deserted. There are no buses on the streets anymore, but occasionally private cars pass by, and tourists roam.
Finally finding a parking spot, the two, unprepared, went straight to the beach. At this mont, the vast beach was lit like daylight by street lamps. Most of it was empty, with many tents lined up for camping. As they strolled onto the sand, Hai Fu’s sandals quickly filled with sand, which made it uncomfortable. She had to stop and bend down to remove her sandals.
Praise the bright lighting! It’s truly a public convenience.
As Hai Fu bent down to take off her shoes, she could feel Li Yan’s gaze on her feet. Had it been dayti, she would have been displeased. But in this environnt, it only made her slightly bashful.
Clutching her sandals, Hai Fu felt a pleasant comfort as her bare feet touched the still-warm sand, cooled after the day’s sun.
"Hey! Walking barefoot on the sand feels so nice. Want to try it?"
"Hehe... I’m a gentleman, wouldn’t do such a thing."
"..."
Li Yan was not a gentleman; he just found it troubleso to remove his shoes and socks and then have to put them back on, unlike with sandals.
Crossing the sand, they reached the water’s edge. By this ti, few were swimming, the lighting was much dimr here, and most of the couples were either sitting together, or lying side by side, savoring the sound of waves just a few ters away, the already damp sea breeze, murmuring romantic words.
The transition from dry sand ant the smooth feel disappeared from underfoot, but the slightly cool, wet sand urged one to wiggle their toes into it. Hai Fu faced the sea, eyes closed, taking a deep breath.
Standing beside her, Li Yan turned sideways, also inhaling as she did.
"I can feel it... the ocean’s breath!"
Li Yan nodded, deeply agreeing, "I feel it too... such big...waves."
After a few breaths of sea breeze, Hai Fu stepped back a few ters, laid her bag and shoes aside, patted her short skirt, and sat down on the sand.
"Hmm, I’ll talk to you face to face," Li Yan also joined her.
Hai Fu quickly closed her legs, tugged at her skirt, and jokingly threatened, "Believe it or not, I’ll kick you into the sea?"
"Wouldn’t that be a soaking?" Li Yan sat beside her, then lay down on the sand with his arms as a pillow.
Hai Fu smiled but didn’t continue. Staring at the distant, mysterious, and dim outline where sea t sky, her heart felt like it was soaring to the heavens. This mont seed reminiscent of past dreams, though exactly when she dread them was lost in ti.
"It’s my first ti at the beach this late; it feels... so unique."
"It’s this early. This must be the romantic mont you won love, right?" Li Yan wasn’t typically sensitive to romance, but these monts brought him peace, especially on a night after fulfilling a mission—peace needed in any way possible.
"Rom...antic?" Hai Fu murmured to herself.
"Look at all these couples staying up late here for a date, doesn’t it show that it’s a romantic thing to do? If we went up the mountain now, it wouldn’t be fun at all."
Hearing Li Yan’s words behind her, Hai Fu smiled with a light sigh, "Yes, romantic..."
She kept smiling, tears welling up in her eyes!
It truly is a romantic thing, but to her, it’s a sorrowful thing!
Just like canned pineapples have an expiry date, feelings expire, and romance also expires.
What is romantic at a certain ti or age, if it arrives only at another ti or age, even if there’s still a sense of romance, it carries a hint of expired bitterness!
Li Yan, lying there, could only see Hai Fu’s back, unable to see her expression, or know her current mood. Seeing she had no intention of speaking, he turned his head to look around. About ten ters to the left, a couple embraced, their heads necks intertwined, probably kissing.
Really, so shaless couples! Li Yan thought privately, and what he was more impressed by was that in the sa place, they, who might be seen as a shaless couple by others, weren’t acting like one!
...
While he was lost in thought, little did he know that at this mont, Hai Fu’s outlook on life was undergoing a huge transformation!
Because she just thought of romance, thought of the expired feeling of romance for herself. She started to reflect on herself, wondering if her outlook on life and attitude towards living over the years were right or wrong?
Initially, due to not having a high education level, she put in much more effort than others into learning and working in order to establish herself in the workplace. Eventually, she succeeded in securing her position in the workplace. But back then, Paradise Group was rapidly developing, talents were abundant, and elites were gathering, leaving no ti for Hai Fu to relax, forcing her to keep recharging, learning, advancing, and working hard.
Her efforts earned the company’s recognition, appreciation from her superiors, and finally praise from the big boss Zhang Tianyi. She progressed steadily step by step, getting promoted. However, these honors, while being great encouragents, also brought imnse pressure. She knew full well that because her foundation wasn’t as strong as others, to gain company recognition and accomplish new position tasks, continuous learning, improvent, and effort were necessary!
Being more diligent than the most diligent person was her motto, and she succeeded in achieving it. As a high school graduate, she beca the only low-education executive in Paradise Group. She gained recognition from the board of directors and was entrusted with important responsibilities by Zhang Tianyi, reaching the peak of career success but leaving no room to consider her private life.
Her workaholic attitude developed gradually out of initial insecurity and subsequent pressure. In fact, at this point, Hai Fu was very experienced in her job, not to ntion ordinary mid to low-level employees or workers, even other executives dared not underestimate her education background. Through learning, hard work, and accumulating experience, she was not inferior to those from prestigious school MBA programs, and was a highly respected minister by both Zhang Tianyi and Zhang Yurong.
In other words, now or for the past few years, Hai Fu could live with less pressure and more ease. Unfortunately, long-term pressure and habit had made her completely adapt to, and sowhat self-compulsorily maintain this lifestyle. This affected her attitude towards subordinates in work, her attitude towards peers, her living habits, even her dressing style, and so on.
——This is how a strongwoman is made.
But as she beca a successful career woman, in life, Hai Fu also gradually beca an older young woman, or what’s commonly known as a leftover woman! She had no ti to date or pursue relationships, causing concern in her family, who of course introduced her to potential boyfriends. However, due to vastly different life circles, there was simply no suitable match. Colleagues and friends from work introduced her to people, topics were easy to co by, but how many successful n could accept a female powerhouse more formidable than n themselves? They all hoped for a ek one.
So she kept dragging it along. Financially independent, Hai Fu could help her family a bit in the early years, and even more in these past years, lending aid to her gambling-addicted brother Shishan Yao. To her, what’s wrong with not having a suitable man? She could still live well. In life, she didn’t need to rely on a man at all.
This monotonous life was disrupted by Li Yan’s intrusion!
That night, after breakthrough attempts, a wild craving to seize manifested, revealing an eruption of suppressed emotions. Just monts before, thinking of "romance", sothing young girls cherish, yet she was only tasting it for the first ti. That expired bitter taste led her to realize more—it wasn’t just "romance" that expired; her "first kiss" was almost expired too, and her "first love" was continuously expiring... but while a person can wait for the future, can youth wait for soone?
She realized that she spent the most beautiful years of her life focusing on work and career developnt. If she didn’t seize the mont, her whole life would just idle away!
How many things had she not enjoyed?
How many things had she not experienced?
Was she going to keep waiting for them to expire, or for unexpected gains in the future?
No!
If she could achieve career success through hard work, why couldn’t she achieve success in life through the sa effort? She had always left the initiative to fate, destiny, and life itself, never considering that life, too, could be controlled like a career!
After figuring everything out, Hai Fu turned around, looking at Li Yan like a little lamb.
Seeing her fervent gaze, Li Yan frowned. The current Hai Fu once again made him feel like she was a different person.
(Thanks to the brothers who continue to tip and encourage Old Lai, your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated! Residing by the mountain and water, Free Flying Fish, Evil Future Supporters, Wuxia Secret, 酢铘, Book Friend 091012223056421, the legendary Ruo Hua, Book Friend 100516003757043, Book Friend 100423133434669, Book Friend 100502131614940, Liu Ruoyu, Book Friend 090701114701844, 错爱ing, Little Rain Falling into Mundane World, Nether Emperor Demon Emperor, Book Friend 100506125558907, Sister-in-law Mai Dumplings, Star of the Far East, Eagle’s Wind) (To be continued, log in to qidian for more Chapters, support the author, support legal reading!)
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