Tong Anan felt dejected during her work breaks. Within two days, Jiang Jingyu noticed her unusual mood and asked what was wrong.
Tong Anan, not wanting her colleagues to be implicated, attributed it to lack of sleep and a poor state of mind.
Jiang Jingyu could only offer to help her with more of her work, as she was unwilling to switch departments.
Seeing the CEO busy with her work after returning home made Tong Anan feel even worse.
What could she do to resolve her current predicament?
One day, while aimlessly scrolling through short videos, she stumbled upon one related to South Africa.
She suddenly remembered her supervisor mentioning the South Africa project and began searching for a lot of information and videos to learn about it.
Finally, she discovered that the conditions in South Africa were indeed quite harsh, chaotic, and plagued by disease.
However, she felt that other than challenging herself there to prove her capabilities, there seemed to be no other option.
Having decided to strive for this project, Tong Anan made an effort to please Jiang Jingyu.
After work that evening, as Jiang Jingyu was settling into her sofa to review documents, she proactively snuggled into his embrace and brushed her lips against his.
Jiang Jingyu held her and they shared a long kiss. Tong Anan then initiated a conversation.
"Do you think we'll really get married someday?"
Jiang Jingyu was infatuated with her at the time and certainly didn't think they would part ways.
Moreover, he assumed Tong Anan was hinting at something.
"What? You want to marry me? Are you ready?"
Tong Anan replied with a hint of shyness, "I'm just asking. Do you really plan to marry me?"
"Of course. I've been ready since the moment I decided to pursue you. I just felt it was too soon and feared you weren't prepared. Otherwise, would I have kept you around this long?"
Tong Anan felt quite guilty. She rested her head on his neck, stroking his chin.
"I know you treat me well, and I really want to marry you too. But I'm only 25 years old. I've spent so many years studying, and I haven't even utilized my potential. Getting married and having children so soon feels like a regrettable compromise."
Jiang Jingyu understood her feelings and patted her.
"Don't worry, I won't pressure you. 25 isn't old. If you don't want to get married, we can wait."
"That's not what I mean. Jingyu, I want to confess something to you."
Hearing her serious tone, Jiang Jingyu gently pushed her up and looked at her face with equal solemnity.
"I knew you'd been acting strange lately, like you had something on your mind, but you wouldn't admit it. What is it? What's going on?"
"It's nothing. It's just, you weren't you the one who talked about the South Africa project in our office before."
Jiang Jingyu immediately understood and stared at her face for several seconds.
"You want to go?"
Tong Anan's tears instantly streamed down her face.
There was apprehension about her unknown future, reluctance to part from Jiang Jingyu, and also a solitary courage to go all in.
"I feel like I've hit a bottleneck. Going through the motions day after day, being looked at with prejudice by everyone, I might develop depression."
"Furthermore, as I become more proficient at work, it's just repetitive, mechanical work. It feels rather uninteresting. I want to challenge myself…"
Before she could finish, Jiang Jingyu exploded.
"I think you want to challenge me! Do you even know what kind of place South Africa is? It's absolutely not suitable for girls to go there! And you'll have to stay for at least a year! I don't agree!"
Tong Anan had prepared herself for his disagreement, but hearing him say it still shocked her.
After all, besides being his girlfriend, she was also an employee of the company.
This was a company project, and if she didn't go, someone else would have to.
Why could others go, but she couldn't?
Her question stumped Jiang Jingyu.
Indeed, his girlfriend's life was precious, but so were others' lives.
They were all born of parents; if he was worried about Tong Anan going, could he be at ease about others?
Yet, he still couldn't bear it. "Don't try to lecture me with such noble words to silence me."
"I can't control others. I give them equivalent value in return, it's a matter of mutual consent. But you're different, you're simply not allowed to go!"
Tong Anan asked, "Why am I different? If I go, I'll also be providing equivalent value in return, I'm not going for free."
"Do you think my abilities are inferior to others? Are you afraid I won't do well and damage the company's reputation if I go?"
Jiang Jingyu replied, "Of course not. I've never doubted your work capabilities."
He paused, looking at her with great reluctance.
"I simply can't bear to be apart from you. You must understand that I won't have much time to fly and see you. For at least a year, can you really handle being in a long-distance relationship with me for that long?"
Tong Anan was sure.
Because she had faith in Jiang Jingyu, that he wouldn't easily change his mind.
And she also had faith in herself, that she would never betray Jiang Jingyu.
However, the loneliness of a foreign land and the emptiness of not seeing each other for extended periods were things she couldn't imagine.
Seeing her stare at him without speaking, her stubborn and determined expression, Jiang Jingyu felt a mix of love and exasperation towards her.
"Why are you so foolish? You don't need to prove anything to anyone. In my heart, you're always the best."
Tong Anan couldn't help but cry again, "That's what you think. I can't be ignorant of my own shortcomings. There's a reason why people look down on me. Don't talk about them, I understand myself where I am worthy of your affection."
"I don't want to lie down and be protected by you without even trying. The education I've received doesn't allow for that. I believe I can shine if I seize the opportunity. Consider it me going to find my confidence, to hit a wall, and support me one more time, okay?"
With her having gone this far, Jiang Jingyu didn't dare to refuse any longer.
He simply set a few conditions for her.
"You can go, but only after you meet the conditions I've set."
Before applying for the spot, she had to pass the TOEFL exam to ensure she could communicate without barriers under any circumstances.
She needed to exercise, doing two hours of aerobic and anaerobic training daily to boost her immunity.
She also had to learn basic medical knowledge to be able to take care of herself for minor illnesses.
Tong Anan agreed to everything. Jiang Jingyu still felt uneasy.
"Can your mother agree to this?"
"She definitely won't, so I plan to keep it from her."
"...Are you really that confident entrusting your life to me alone?"
Tong Anan replied, "I am. At worst, I'll die by your hand. You're so much more outstanding than me, it's worth dying in your hands."
"Silly girl, don't say such foolish things in the future. We are one. What do you mean by me being more outstanding than you? I'm just more outstanding in my judgment."
"Mr. Jiang, you're quite eloquent."
Jiang Jingyu kissed her. "Since we're public, and you're planning to go to South Africa, shouldn't you also go and meet my family?"
"Ah?"
"Don't be afraid. My family is as approachable as yours; they won't give you a hard time. And if anything, I'm here. If anyone dares to bully you, I won't forgive them."