'SEE YOU MORNING' 043 Early Spring

After a busy morning, Li Haojun lay on the sofa in the break room of the Ellensburg factory, resting. In early spring, the sun-facing slopes already showed signs of snow and ice beginning to melt. The sunlight carried more warmth than before, and so the insects that had sheltered indoors through winter were starting to stir. A ladybug was crawling up and falling down on the break room's glass window.

Watching its futile attempts, Li Haojun wondered whether to let it outside. The temperature outside was still below freezing, and the cold would rob it of the ability to move. There was no food out there either. It seemed that some ladybugs would wake up earlier, just as some seeds would sprout sooner, but the cost was braving more of the harsh cold. Such a gamble clearly had its rewards—otherwise this trait might have been weeded out through generations of inheritance. But for the individual, life or death was a bill they had to pay entirely on their own.

For such individuals who didn't conform to the mainstream, did their numbers fall at the tails of a normal distribution? A minority. Just like Kesiya, who had gone to Seattle that morning—she was a minority too. She hadn't chosen a peer of the opposite age, but had chosen him instead. Was it really as simple a cause and effect as lacking family warmth in childhood and wanting a father's love? And she knew he had a partner, yet she didn't get jealous. She'd actually be perfect to adopt as a daughter—then they could live together, just like at Christmas. Though he didn't know if she'd want more in the future. Thinking of Christmas, he'd accidentally made Qin Wenjing cry. If there were another woman, would there be even more trouble? Not optimistic. Thinking of this, Li Haojun even laughed to himself. Better stop daydreaming. Rein in your overflowing compassion—one Qin Wenjing has already bound his next life.

The bright early spring sunlight streamed through the glass window onto a corner of the sofa. Li Haojun turned his face toward the sun, closing his eyes to face it. The sunlight seemed to illuminate his eyelids, a bright expanse, then dimming and turning red. Was it the sun's warmth dilating his capillaries? Or had the intense light just now caused his pupils to constrict? Just as he was thinking, footsteps came from downstairs—Kesiya was back from Seattle. With her help, he could indeed save a lot of effort.

"Ethan, I'm back," Kesiya said, leaning against the doorway and poking her head in. It looked like she'd searched through each room to find him.

"Have you eaten lunch? Check our food supplies, pick whatever you like and heat it up. I've already eaten," Li Haojun lay there, too lazy to move.

"Okay," Young really was something—her voice was full of lightness and energy. As she spoke, her energetic footsteps ran to the conference room, where she pulled over a chair and set it beside the sofa where Li Haojun was lying. Then she grabbed a self-heating meal, placed it on the chair, and sat down on the sofa next to Li Haojun, grinning mischievously, playfully nudging him with her hip.

Li Haojun had to turn to face her, making room for her to sit, then watched silently to see what she would do next.

"I've taught the confused shop assistants in Seattle. I don't know if they'll break the system again later. Their Q1 orders have already come through," she said, then leaned back against Li Haojun, looking at the wall in front of her and complaining,

"Ran over this morning, fixed the system, had to teach them, then came back. I'm exhausted," she said, then turned back to look at Li Haojun. Her right hand slowly groped along the sofa, inching closer, until she reached Li Haojun's fingertips, and asked,

"How was I?"

"You did great," Li Haojun smiled too, holding her fingertips,

"Thank you for sharing so much of my burden."

Kesiya lifted her head with pride and satisfaction, her fluffy short hair swaying rhythmically, as if she wanted to highlight the pearl choker that sat tight against her skin—she hadn't even worn a high-necked top in winter.

Li Haojun noticed, worried she'd catch a cold, so he took out his terminal, logged into a nearby mall's online store, found the women's scarves section, and handed it to Kesiya,

"Pick yourself two scarves. It's still cold out, don't catch a cold."

Kesiya paused, didn't take it,

"Pick them out and order now, it'll be delivered here."

After Kesiya reacted, she still didn't take it, but instead smiled and lay directly in Li Haojun's arms, casually taking his device, then browsing absently, occasionally looking back at Li Haojun, asking how this one was, how that one was.

He didn't know what this relationship would become if it kept developing, but Kesiya's youthful vitality, her girlish aura, stirred in Li Haojun an unstoppable tenderness and protectiveness. He couldn't help but wrap his arm around her waist and hips.

After she picked the scarves and placed the order, and the quick lunch was nearly heated through, Li Haojun patted Kesiya's lower back and said,

"Go eat."

The winter sun was still at a low angle, streaming into the whole room. After eating for a while, Kesiya felt warm. She glanced at Li Haojun, and as she raised her hand to wipe the fine sweat beading on her forehead, she took off her outer jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa.

After a few more bites, she turned her head and looked at Li Haojun with a smile, saying nothing, but her flushed, reddening cheeks were impossible to hide.

"If you're hot, do as you like. No one else is coming anyway," Li Haojun said, smiling at her softly.

Kesiya seemed to have received permission. She turned and gently took off her warm outer pants, setting them aside, then bowed her head and ate her lunch quietly. Her hanging hair concealed her flushed cheeks.

Without her outer clothes, Kesiya's figure was striking. Through the golden sunlight falling on her, it almost seemed you could see the vapor from evaporated sweat rising off her cotton undergarments across her skin. What she didn't know was that her vibrant aura was simultaneously stirring Li Haojun's heart through both sight and smell.

In this brilliant and sweet moment, Li Haojun closed his eyes, savoring every second of warmth and happiness, until Kesiya finished lunch. He listened with his eyes closed as she threw away the trash, pulled the chair away, then after a while she came back and sat on the sofa again.

Li Haojun opened his eyes and saw she had already fetched work clothes from the changing room and put them on over her outfit. Though they were a bit loose and oversized, they looked good on a young girl—making her look small and cute, filling one with protectiveness.

"Do you need to rest for a bit?"

"No need."

Li Haojun couldn't help but sigh—young really was something, always so full of energy. So he took Kesiya to the control room to review the orders that had come in from Seattle and elsewhere. Then he familiarized her with the control platform's software and hardware systems, and afterward walked her through the work he'd done that morning, so that when she eventually took on the job alone, she'd be more familiar with it.

Soon the afternoon was nearly over. The sun had already shifted west. He still needed to go to George's factory, but there wasn't enough time today. Li Haojun looked at Kesiya, wanting to say he'd arrange a hotel for her, but worried she wouldn't be safe alone in a hotel. If he stayed with her at a hotel he'd booked himself, that wouldn't look right either. This wasn't a military restricted area where there were no choices. There was only one option left—take her home. Who to ask first? Ask Kesiya first—if she agreed, but what if Qin Wenjing didn't? After all, he'd set a precedent, and it might become the norm. Unlike the occasional holiday gatherings.

So Li Haojun silently sent Qin Wenjing a message, explaining the situation. Kesiya had received the scarf she'd ordered from outside and came back wearing it, standing in front of Li Haojun.

"How is it?" she said, slowly turning around.

She'd bought a black silk scarf, which contrasted nicely with her white top and bob haircut. But it was a thin scarf—more decorative than warm around her neck, offering little insulation. It couldn't cover her collar at all, instead accentuating the snow-white of her skin. On closer look, the scarf wasn't pure black; at different angles of reflected light, it would flash with a gradient from dark green to ochre brown.

Li Haojun didn't respond. He tugged at her scarf, trying to cover the neckline, but it was impossible. Kesiya looked down, then looked up at Li Haojun again. She understood what he meant, said nothing, just grinned mischievously.

"There's not enough time today. I still need to go to George's factory tomorrow," Li Haojun said, with an awkward smile, then added,

"That factory was originally Emily's responsibility. It's just on the way, so I usually help her manage it," he said, watching Kesiya's expression as he spoke,

"But there's not enough time today, so I can only go tomorrow. What are your plans?" Without giving Kesiya time to answer, Li Haojun continued,

"You can fly back to Boise. I can handle George's matters myself. After all, you're just my assistant—George's factory isn't under my management." After speaking, Li Haojun looked at Kesiya silently.

Kesiya didn't speak either. She just listened to Li Haojun finish, smiling at him. After a while she said,

"You missed me, didn't you?"

Li Haojun hadn't expected her to throw the question back at him like that. He couldn't help but examine himself on this point. Did he miss her? It was just that the time he spent with her felt happy, so he answered honestly,

"I guess so," he said, then smiled awkwardly, feeling he shouldn't have had such greedy thoughts.

"Ethan, do you remember I said I could sense your thoughts?" she said, staring unblinkingly into Li Haojun's eyes.

"Are all young people like this now?" Li Haojun was somewhat surprised and curious.

"Not really. Maybe it's more likely between people who care about each other."

Ah, Li Haojun thought to himself, saying nothing. He gently opened his arms and gave Kesiya a hug.

The slanting sunlight had lost its warmth. Even the last of its light was about to disappear behind the mountain, casting long shadows on the road, urging the people heading home to hurry back with hearts like shuttles.