14 He Is Back

Have you dealt with a complaint from a French customer? Lily tapped Alice's desk, she slumped over the desk, looking uninterested in food.

Not just French customers, but also Japan's and England's, and the Lemon product promotion report. Alice replied coldly, "What do you want?"

Lily gave a sheepish grin, "You're so efficient!"

Not in the mood. Alice sighed in annoyance, "So, what's up?"

Nothing just came to see you. Lily was spooked and forgot her purpose, "I'm leaving. Mm. But I heard Mr. Williams asked for your number a few days ago?" Lily couldn't help but ask.

"Leave me alone. " She pretended to get angry and threw the stress ball at Lily, scaring Lily away in a flash.

Alice sighed and stood up, picking up the cute stress ball, which really understood her sadness and bitterness.

Then, she grabbed the notice "Notice on Undertaking the National Historical Academic Forum." She was truly troubled: the list was in her hands – her name was right there.

She wanted to avoid those memories so much. She filled her daily life with work, her unhealed wounds. It was funny, just because she might see him.

You should treat us to a big dinner. Our boss has entrusted you with these two important tasks, which gives you an advantage for the next managerial competition, Lily insisted.

Alice walked away. The morning inspections seemed particularly tough, and she was strict with parts that were usually overlooked: the head of Building One lost points for some inconspicuous cobwebs on the ceiling; and poor Building Two, was scolded for standing a minute late in the surveillance footage.

She wrote down the names of the employees penalized in the morning on the paper, scaring her colleagues who were used to being on friendly terms with her.

They didn't even dare say hello, just checking themselves up thoroughly, afraid they'd be next.

The gentle Miss Smith was surprisingly harsh, but only Alice knew it was all bark and no bite. She used to get angry with others when she wasn't happy, venting her frustration on others.

She eventually learned to control it, but now, before they'd even met again, her temper was back.

Alice crossed out the names of the employees penalized in the morning on the report, sighed heavily, and sent emails to them, explaining that the morning incident was just a warning.

The secret to staying motivated when you're unhappy is to work hard, and the secret to hating your job is to speed things up – it's a virtuous circle.

Now, neither was working. Alice leaned on the desk, she just wanted to cry. The computer beeped, indicating a new email.

Alice rubbed her eyes and opened them, freezing in place. That familiar name, three years – it had been so long since she thought of him, thought she had already forgotten his face. But now, it was crystal clear emerging from her mind.

That day, she was just sitting in the library reading. Then, she looked up and saw Mike Jones standing nearby, looking at her. She froze, unable to greet with hello.

He smiled at her, as always, gentle and composed, and slowly sat down next to her, silently reading.

She and he both felt a sense of peace, as if tranquility flowed.

At that time, Alice was called a good student by her classmates. She worked hard, with a clear goal. For courses that required long-term planning, like Chinese, she studied diligently every day. For courses that could be made up for in a rush before exams, she always sat in the last row, muttering Chinese words under her breath. She had always been a well-behaved girl. Her parents originally didn't agree to let her study far away, but eventually agreed, and she believed she should study hard.

Her roommates usually left the morning sign-in to Alice, as she was always the first one. After breakfast, she carried a large backpack and a big thermos and saw that there was only one supervisor at the morning reading sign-in spot, so she was probably the first one again.

When she woke up early, her roommates would murmur, "Alice, remember to sign us in too." She would reply "Got it" and close the door gently.

Snatching the sign-in book, Alice scrawled her roommates' names quickly and was about to leave. A guy next to her spoke up, "You…"

Alice didn't even look at him, afraid he'd stop her, and casually replied, "Morning." Then she swished her ponytail and left. Most supervisors were students and usually turned a blind eye to such cheating. Alice didn't take it seriously either.

Mike watched the girl's back thoughtfully, shaking his head with a smile, and looked at the class she was in.

When Alice got to the classroom, she picked the last row and sat down, then remembered to save seats for her roommates. She stood up and put five books on the desks, remembering the conversation last night:

Who will save my seat for Mr Jones' class tomorrow?

Oh, this is not the whole school public election last semester. We do not need one hour early to occupy seats,. There always seats in small-sized classes?

Other classes will definitely come, someone piped up.

Then, several pairs of eyes focused on Alice, who responded with a slow, "Alright, I'll go and get seats for you."

Her roommates beamed with delight, and one of the girls, Kate, hugged her shoulder, laughing, "Alice, I want to sit next to you."

You want to sit in the last row? Alice was surprised.

Oh, never mind, Kate sighed in resignation, "Do you sit in the last row for Mr Jones's class too?"

Alice chuckled, "I'm not a fan, it's all the same to listen from the back."

After finishing memorizing a list of Chinese characters, the small classroom got lively, except for the last few rows where Alice sat. The front rows were packed with heads. A few girls glared at the five empty seats in the front row, and Alice ducked her head guiltily.

She heard someone giggling up front, "Mr Jones is the supervisor today, and the guy in front of me signed ten names without realizing there was a teacher watching. It really sucks."

Alice got so nervous, and she suddenly felt afraid. The last time a teacher supervised the signing, she caught a few cheaters, and everyone was warned. She tried to recall the appearance of the boy who stood there that morning, but it was vague. She sighed and suddenly lost the mood of memorizing Chinese characters.

What must come will come.

When Mike Jones entered, the classroom chatter quieted down, followed by applause. But what caught his eye was the girl in the last row, her head down, reading, surrounded by empty seats, making her stand out.

Alice looked up at the young man on the podium, busy with his PowerPoint presentation. She had often told her roommates, "Frankly, he's not that good-looking." But no one seemed to agree, and she had to keep quiet.

However, Alice had to admit that his calm and collected demeanor and his elegant, warm voice on the podium could attract many girls. She gave up on her vocabulary, jotting down notes instead, only to realize time had flown by.

The bell rang for the end of the first class, and Alice stretched her aching neck. She was startled to find Mr Jones standing next to her, making her feel uneasy as she shifted her gaze, but heard him ask gently, "You're studying Chinese?"

Actually, she had just placed the vocabulary book at her side – Alice was a picky student, but she had to admit he taught extremely well. Her face blushed.

Why sit in the last row? Can you see PPT? Mr Jones asked, "Or do you think my class is boring?"

"I'm used to sitting in the back," Alice smiled awkwardly.

The young teacher was energetic and neat, with short hair, just like he was in class – calm and gentle.

That's how Alice got lost in thought, shaking her head as if trying to banish the memories.

She opened her email, her hands trembling.

I will come on Friday. Will we meet?

He still respected her as before. If she didn't want to, then they wouldn't meet.

He returned! Alice scoffed at herself – a visiting scholar for two years, yes, he should have come back, but she had subconsciously preferred to pretend he was still abroad. The words "break up" were more painful than the most toxic poison.

Alice replied: "I will pick you up."

Four short words, yet they seemed to drain all her energy, exhausting her, yet filled with a faint, hopeful rebirth.