CH 5

–“You almost left me in his office.”

“Do you think you only exist in a Bluetooth earpiece? Your broken server unit which is still eating my money, is running.”

Tianhe walked to the corridor outside Qingsong Capital, impatiently pressing the elevator several times.

–Prometheus :”The TU3 server unit is not a piece of junk. It has one hundred thousand processing chips; otherwise, I couldn’t have completed self-upgrading in two years. Tianhe, you messed things up. Right now, there’s a 76% chance he’s sitting in his office crying, a 23% chance he’s smashing things, and a 1% chance-“

Tianhe said in a low, serious tone, “Prometheus , from now on, stop giving me any more lousy ideas. I’ve never seen him shed a tear in my life…”

While speaking, the CFO quickly caught up, blocking the elevator door, and handed Tianhe an envelope, saying, “Mr. Wen, the boss said to give this to you.”

“Thank you.” Tianhe took the envelope and poured out the ring that Guan Yue had given him in the past. He casually put it on, and drove home.

The car’s Bluetooth inopportunely played Prometheus ’s voice.

–“Tianhe, you still love him.”

Tianhe was blocked in traffic and said, “You know what, you were too noisy in his office just now, and your voice sounds so similar that I couldn’t tell who was talking for a while.”

–Prometheus :”But I don’t think that’s a reason to take off your earpiece. We originally had a success rate of over 90%.”

“Success?” Tianhe slapped the steering wheel, “Successfully deceiving him for his money? This was a complete mistake.”

–Prometheus :”Guan Yue fell in love with you when you were sixteen. Every minute and second during that time, his heart rate was recorded in the database. When he was with you, his heart rate would accelerate, dopamine secretion increased, and when he was away from you…”

Tianhe said, “Xiao Liu, could you please turn off this cheesy romance novel reader… Oh, Xiao Liu already resigned.”

Tianhe ran a red light and turned off the Bluetooth speaker, then pressed the car audio player a couple of times, and a cheerful reading voice came up.

“ ‘Overbearing CEO’s Deep Love,’ Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 1. She woke up from the spacious bed in the early morning, opened her eyes, and was surprised to find herself in expensive silk pajamas… Ah! Who am I! Why am I here…”

Tianhe decisively turned off the audio player and reconnected to the phone’s Bluetooth for car audio playback. “I changed my mind, Prometheus . Please continue.”

–Prometheus: “…He’s willing to do this for you. As long as you ask, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Tianhe said, “What misconceptions do you have about him? Prometheus , would a CEO at partner level use his capital and do such a thing? You’re have a finance software background but I think you’re more like an upgraded audiobook player. Has the audiobook reader corrupted you?”

–Prometheus :”Firstly, your temperament, taste, appearance, and aura all have a fatal attraction to him. He can never find another lover like you in his lifetime…”

“That’s for sure,” Tianhe replied without modesty, “Apart from ‘amazing,’ I found out you can also say ‘fatal.’ As an AI, you can generalize from one case to another, very good.”

–Prometheus :”Secondly, the memories you shared while growing up make him have a familial attachment to you…”

Tianhe turned the car into the underground garage of a building in the international financial center area, parked, and put on the Bluetooth earpiece. “I only like the housekeeping master Bach, not interested in Beethoven.”

–Prometheus : “Likes and dislikes can be adjusted.”

“But the fundamental reason is that our souls cannot connect,” Tianhe replied.

–Prometheus :”Want to have a drink? I can search for nearby restaurants for you. But I suggest you calculate your savings and allocate them reasonably. After all, you still need to pay the rent for the Canadian data center next month.”

Tianhe walked out of the building and sat down on a chair by the roadside, watching the busy crowd during the rush hour. Heavy dark clouds pressed down on the sky, indicating an upcoming storm.

“I’ll figure something out,” Tianhe murmured, “It’s been a long time… I never thought I’d speak to him again…and at a time like this.”

–Prometheus :”Was it really necessary to go as far as breaking up? If you don’t mind, could you tell me why?”

Tianhe said, “Are you interested in our past?”

–Prometheus :”Of course, I’m still learning.”

Tianhe said, “I think it was at… Lhasa Airport, yes, it was at Lhasa Airport. Originally, he wanted to take me to climb Mount Everest…”

Before today, their last conversation was when they truly parted ways. It was a year ago when both sides agreed to break up, and Guan Yue proposed to go to Mount Everest.

What was the point of climbing Everest after breaking up? Tianhe didn’t believe he could make it to the top even if they were still together. What if they climbed and Guan Yue suddenly went crazy, pulling them both to their deaths? It was not worth it. After all, it was Tianhe who said, “nothing can separate us except death.”

But Tianhe went anyway.

At that time, Guan Yue had been working in New York for three years. He finally finished his project, flew across the Atlantic back to London and knocked on the door of St. Nicholas Hilton No. 12. The butler was an elderly gentleman hired by Tianhe’s mother. He let Guan Yue in despite Tianhe’s repeated instructions not to open the door and served him tea.

“You’re like a stalker,” Tianhe said irritably, “I’ve already said it, I don’t want to go out. There’s still a task I haven’t finished.”

In the year since Guan Yue started working, he had become more mature with each passing day, and his words had gradually become fewer. The student aura he once had was completely gone, replaced by a full-fledged adult. Those in the mid-level positions in the finance industry were skilled in handling various situations and good at telling jokes to please people. However, those in high-level positions were polite on the surface but kept others at a distance.

Guan Yue had also become like that—Tianhe was the only person with whom he could talk about things other than work, but they hadn’t talked in a long time.

Guan Yue glanced at his watch and replied, “I’ll wait for you, we can leave after you finish your work.”

Tianhe had been busy with his project for two days without sleep, but he knew that with Guan Yue’s personality, if he didn’t go out with him, they would never be able to end it, so he had to quietly give some instructions to the butler. The servants began to pack their belongings, and Tianhe went to take a shower.

“Lhasa.” Dressed in sportswear, Guan Yue took a sip of tea and patiently waited in the living room. “No need to bring anything, I’ve prepared everything for you.”

Tianhe dried his hair, changed into outdoor clothes, and followed Guan Yue onto the plane. They slept for about ten hours on Guan Yue’s private plane and by the time they saw the clear sky over Lhasa, Tianhe was in a good mood.

“It’s not good to say farewell with sex,” Tianhe said, “In case I can’t catch my breath, your company’s ten billion yuan project won’t have anyone to take care of it.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Guan Yue replied coldly, “I’m not here to have sex with you.”

Tianhe looked around and said, “Isn’t it just the two of us?”

There was no driver, no assistant, just the two of them in the bright sunshine on the streets of Lhasa. Guan Yue didn’t answer. He put on his sunglasses, and carried their bags. Tianhe followed behind, and they walked slowly.

At nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, Tianhe vaguely felt a sense of isolation and ethereality.

From the moment they set foot on this land, London, New York, Beijing, Shanghai… the entire worldly and bustling world had silently disappeared under the touchable blue sky, leaving only him and Guan Yue. Life that had been invaded by numerous distractions finally revealed its true nature.

Guan Yue remained silent, leading the way to rent a car and then finding a small restaurant in front of the Potala Palace. They put down their gear and ordered a pot of warm milk tea to share.

What Tianhe remembered most was that Lhasa’s milk tea was actually very delicious, and there was a Tibetan couple sitting next to them, their faces flushed from the high altitude. The guy looked rugged, while the girl seemed a bit shy.

Having read books about Tibet, Tianhe knew about the legend of reincarnation. He couldn’t help but wonder if things would be less troublesome if he and Guan Yue were born and raised here, without all the possessions they had now. Would their relationship be less complicated?

Guan Yue also glanced at the young couple but said nothing.

“Let’s drive to Qudang tomorrow,” Guan Yue said casually.

“It’s impossible to climb up there,” Tianhe said, “Are you crazy?”

Guan Yue said, “We won’t reach the summit, and it’s a step by step journey.”

“That’s fine,” Tianhe no longer insisted, “I want to visit Bajiao Street. We can set off the day after tomorrow.”

At four o’clock in the afternoon, after dinner, the two checked into a hotel. Guan Yue booked a standard room, with each lying on a separate bed. Not long after, Guan Yue began answering phone calls non-stop. Most of the time, he was listening, occasionally saying “OK” or giving brief opinions. He kept on this way until the sun set.

Meanwhile, Tianhe was suffering from a severe headache due to the high altitude, and his ears buzzing. Unable to bear it any longer, he said, ”Can you stop making calls in the room?”

“Sorry.”

Guan Yue went into the bathroom, closed the door, and continued dealing with his business. Tianhe sighed in the darkness. They had already broken up, so why were they still tormenting each other like this?

In the middle of the night, Guan Yue finished his calls and came out. Tianhe was lying on the bed, panting inpain. His altitude sickness was becoming more severe, and he felt like he was suffering.

Guan Yue approached and touched Tianhe’s forehead, then hurriedly went to buy oxygen and rhodiola tea with coca leaves. They spent the whole night tossing about, and by the next morning, Tianhe was completely exhausted.

“You’ve been to Bolivia, I thought you could handle it,” Guan Yue frowned, having kept watch at the bedside all night. “Why is the reaction so severe this time?”

Tianhe thought to himself that this move was quite effective. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to go to the base camp of Mount Everest, he could just die midway.

“I’ve been staying up all night recently, working on the professor’s project, and I haven’t slept well,” Tianhe said tiredly, “It’s okay, give me some time to recover, I’ll be fine today.”

Guan Yue bought breakfast, but Tianhe couldn’t eat it and ended up vomiting after a few bites.

“Forget it, let’s go down,” Guan Yue said.

“No,” Tianhe’s temper flared up. “In the three years we’ve been together, this is the first time we’ve gone out like this.”

Guan Yue silently looked at Tianhe. Tianhe got up and stubbornly said, “I’ve never been to Lhasa before, I want to go to Bajiao Street.”

And so, Guan Yue could only put on his coat and leave the hotel with Tianhe.

Guan Yue insisted, “Eat something first.”

Tianhe: “I can’t eat, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

Guan Yue: “Then we can come back next time. Just listen to me, let’s go back.”

Tianhe smiled, “Is there going to be a next time? There won’t be a next time. This is the last time.”

The sunlight streamed in through the gap in the prayer wheels. Tianhe wore a Tibetan hat and Tibetan robes, walking along the rows of prayer wheels. His slender fingers rotated the half-meter-high prayer wheels clockwise. Guan Yue stood at the gate of the Potala Palace, silently watching Tianhe, who was in the distance, go through the prayers as he slowly walked toward him.

*Tibetans believe that spinning a prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting scriptures, and it’s the best way to repent of the past, purify negativities(bad karma), and accumulate merit(good karma) especially for the next reincarnation.

“First, it is best if we never meet, so that we won’t fall in love.”

“Second, it is best not to know each other, so that we won’t miss each other.”

“Third, it is best not to be together, so that we won’t owe each other.”

Tianhe smiled, his eyebrows gently raised as he watched Guan Yue’s figure at the end of the road. The latter’s handsome face appeared blurry under the setting sun, as if waiting for him at the end of time, freezing the long years they had known each other since childhood.

“Fourth, it is best not to love each other, so that we can easily forget each other.”

“Fifth, it is best not to love each other, so that we won’t abandon each other.”

Tianhe murmured, “Sixth, it is best not to face each other, so that we won’t meet.”

“Seventh, it is best not to misunderstand each other, so that we won’t hurt each other.”

“Eighth, it is best is not to make promises to each other, so that we won’t continue.”

“Ninth, it is best not to rely on each other, so that we won’t cling to each other… Tenth, it is best not to encounter each other, so that we won’t reunite…”

The road was long, but it finally reached its end. When Tianhe stopped, Guan Yue showed him a ticket booking record on his phone. The plane ticket for 7 p.m. had already been purchased.

Tianhe avoided making eye contact with Guan Yue. He turned his head to the side, and nodded.

Guan Yue gestured for Tianhe to wait there and then walked to a group of Tibetans. He raised his hands high above his head, opened them, and then knelt and kowtowed on the ground. Step back, kowtow again, then kneel, and kowtow once more.

Tianhe watched Guan Yue quietly, forgetting to count how many kowtows he had performed. He kept watching until Guan Yue finished everything and walked towards him. There was a red mark on his forehead, making him appear a bit comical and Tianhe couldn’t help but laugh.

Guan Yue put on his backpack and silently accompanied Tianhe to the airport.

“When you were reciting the prayers, what were you praying for?” Guan Yue asked.

Tianhe replied, “I was praying for the success of my project and my code. How about you? What wish did you make when you kowtowed?”

Guan Yue replied, “I prayed for the blessings of the gods, hoping that the company I invested in will go public smoothly.”

Tianhe smiled, looked at Guan Yue carefully, and said, “You are a responsible and serious investor. Your wish will surely come true. Well… I’m leaving now.”

Guan Yue silently looked at Tianhe, who didn’t say anything more. After going through the security check, Guan Yue kept watching him quietly from outside the security area.

When Tianhe raised his hand to let the security officer scan him, Guan Yue finally asked, “Do you still love me?”

“A little,” Tianhe turned back to smile at Guan Yue, “But when I think about not being able to be buried in the ancestral tomb of the Guan family after I die, I think it’s better for everyone to persevere.”

Guan Yue said, “You can find someone better than me.”

Tianhe nodded, waving a farewell.

A week after leaving Lhasa, Tianhe couldn’t resist being curious and went to check Guan Yue’s Facebook page.

Guan Yue had posted a photo overlooking Mount Everest. He went alone in the end. He crossed the Zangmu border into Nepal, reaching the Everest base camp but not reaching the summit. He followed a Sherpa guide and arrived at the camp at an altitude of 6,400 meters, capturing the vast mountains and white snow in the picture.

The caption read:

[I once thought that the snow-capped mountains remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years, always there, with the mountains forever being mountains, and the snow forever being snow. However, even though they seem unchanged, the soul has undergone earth-shattering transformations.”

But having met and known each other, what is it like not to see each other? How can we part forever and avoid the pain of longing?]

————–

“Prometheus,” Tianhe finished recalling the past and suddenly asked, “Have you ever been in love? Have you experienced the feeling of falling in love with someone at first sight?”

Prometheus remained silent.

Tianhe looked at a couple jogging past him and chuckled, “You chase me, I chase you. We are all constantly moving forward on this journey of life. However, sometimes, we inevitably take different paths. Prometheus, it would have been nice to talk about love with you, but unfortunately, you don’t understand.”

Prometheus remained silent.

Suddenly, cheerful music suddenly played in Tianhe’s earpiece. The call was suddenly connected and a warm and enthusiastic voice ran out: “What’s up, baby! Are you calling me out to have some fun?”

Tianhe: “…”

Jiang Zijian: “Are you still out? Let’s go eat. I was just thinking of asking you for advice, it’s about a big life decision!”

Tianhe replied, “Let’s eat at Fink. I suddenly feel a bit nostalgic about that place.”

After agreeing on the location, Tianhe hung up the phone and stood among the crowd, surveying the tall buildings around him.

–Prometheus: “I don’t quite understand your feelings, but I think maybe your friend with whom you have the most frequent calls could relieve your anxiety.”

Tianhe’s lips curled up slightly, and he replied, “Thanks, Prometheus.”