Tomorrow as Bright as Day – Chapter 21
Chapter 21
What exactly did Professor Liang mean…
Did he want her to bring him a gift?
Or to go to his house to wish him a happy new year?
Could it be that Professor Liang thought her New Year’s text message wasn’t sincere enough, and wanted her to put in a little more effort?
Ming Xi couldn’t help but scratch her head as her imagination wandered. No wonder Ming Decheng once said that people with power and influence loved holidays and festivals the most…
Thinking this, Ming Xi suddenly felt guilty toward Professor Liang. She was acting like an ungrateful little ingrate. She should have thanked Professor Liang sincerely during every Lunar New Year and other festivals in the way people most appreciated these days!
When it came to doing things, Ming Xi was never one to procrastinate. No time like the present — she messaged Professor Liang and arranged a visit.
The professor would be waiting for her at home at two o’clock this afternoon.
Ming Xi quickly got moving.
She crouched down and tried to rearrange the box of Red Fuji apples in the dorm room, but since she’d already eaten one, she couldn’t get them to line up evenly again. The big Want Want gift pack was even worse — it looked too cheap; better not to give a gift at all than to give one that looked careless.
A gift could be modest, but never casual.
So she’d have to go out and buy something.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, many shops were closed; only supermarkets were open.
She hadn’t yet received her first month’s salary after only work for two weeks, but she’d been given a 600-yuan holiday bonus, which made her quite happy.
Getting ready to go out, Ming Xi changed into her new outfit made at the tailor shop in the big market. As the saying goes, clothes make the person, gold makes the Buddha — once she put on her new coat, her whole look immediately brightened up.
The tailor wasn’t just skilled; he was also kind. He had a leftover strip of faux fur in his shop and used it to make her two small red pom-poms, which he tied to a string that could hang from or be removed from the back of her collar. Ming Xi adored the little pom-poms — they added a touch of lightness and made the wool coat look quite fashionable.
It was the New Year, after all — one should look festive when visiting others. She attached the pom-poms and put on a bit of light makeup.
Finally, she put on the wool beret that Sister Lingna had given her…
After all that dressing up, she had a bit of the chic look of a young Haigang girl.
Only the sneakers on her feet still looked clunky and plain.
After the holiday, when she finally got her paycheck, she’d buy herself a nicer pair. Ideally, one with a clean, soft upper and a thick rubber sole that would be warm and comfortable to walk in…
After a quick, simple lunch, Ming Xi headed to a large underground supermarket nearby. She followed the flow of shoppers inside, thinking as she walked about what kind of gift would be best.
Judging by the habits of the two big sisters in the office, Haigang natives mostly favored branded goods. Within her means, she couldn’t afford anything too fancy, but she also couldn’t buy something too cheap.
She noticed that the gift section of the supermarket was mostly stocked with and , while the food items were things like Danish blue tin cookies and Crown Danish cookies…
Haigang people liked imported goods — that Danish cookie tin wasn’t bad at all! Ming Xi picked one up; it wasn’t expensive, but it showed thoughtfulness.
After looking around a bit more, she also added two cans of high-end calcium-supplement milk powder for the elderly.
Gifts should come in pairs.
Having bought the good stuffs, Ming Xi was in high spirits, holding the gifts in both hands. She walked briskly down the street, almost as if she was in a hurry. She had already looked up the route in advance: she would take the No. 4 bus to Nanming Square, then walk about a kilometer.
She was reluctant to take a taxi, because taxis in Haigang during the New Year were like those in small towns, with no meter. If you encounter a greedy taxi driver, he would even charge extra “holiday” tips.
Ten bus stops and thirty minutes later, she arrived.
The city was quieter than usual during the holiday, but many people like her were still out and about, carrying gifts and heading off to visit relatives and friends.
When the bus stopped at Nanming Square, Ming Xi got off, checked the signs, and continued on foot.
Along the way, she passed the gates of Haigang University and Haigang University of Economics and Trade… eventually reaching a residential area. Before her stood rows of old red-brick buildings. She looked at the road sign and confirmed that this was the Siming Street that Professor Liang mentioned.
But where was Shaoxing North Road?
Looking around, Ming Xi saw that the buildings were old-fashioned but well-maintained. The crisscrossing roads were freshly paved with asphalt; old trees lined the street, their trunks coated in thick white lime for the winter. The streetlights beneath the road signs were also refurbished to the retro look, giving the whole area a sober, grayish dignity — much like the old houses themselves.
The gifts in her hands were heavy. She thought she’d find Professor Liang’s place quickly, but after locating Shaoxing North Road, she couldn’t find the right house number.
The numbers skipped around — one here, another there — none of them in order.
Did number 375 mean she had to go farther inside? Standing at the mouth of an alley, she noticed a narrow lane wide enough for cars — perhaps it was in there?
“Happy New Year, Auntie…” Ming Xi decided to ask for directions. She stopped a stylish woman with curly hair and asked, “Do you know which way to get to number 375 Shaoxing North Road?”
“I don’t know. Ask someone else.” The woman waved her off, clearly in a hurry.
“Oh.”
Beep-beep—
A car horn suddenly sounded behind her. Thinking she was blocking the way, Ming Xi instinctively stepped back toward the wall, still craning her neck to check the building numbers on the red brick wall.
Beep-beep—
The car horn sounded again.
Frowning slightly, she turned to glare at the car in mild annoyance — and suddenly realized it looked familiar.
Before she could even take a closer look at the license plate, a handsome, clean-cut young man leaned out the window.
It turned out to be the son of her benefactor!
As expected of a noble man, he arrived just in time.
In fact, Liang Jiancheng had noticed Ming Xi long ago and had already rolled down his window and slowly drove over. He tried to call out to her, but she was busy asking others for directions that she didn’t see his car. So he had to press the horn politely.
“Hi,” Liang Jiancheng greeted her.
“…” Ming Xi was silent for a moment. For some reason, she felt a little awkward seeing him again after the year-end party.
But when her eyes met his — calm, bright, and gentle — embarrassment aside, her expression naturally softened into a smile, shy but genuine. Her lips curved upward, and her lashes drooped slightly in the golden afternoon light, giving her a slightly dazed, innocent look.
But what Liang Jiancheng saw was a face filled with curved eyebrows and a soft, sunny smile.
Today she looked even better than she had at the Jinjiang Hotel banquet. Of course, her performance that night had truly surprised him. She was so brave, so quick to react, and so confident in her words.
She’d perfectly embodied a young woman’s fearless spirit…
Just yesterday, he had been wondering whether he should reach out to her — let her know that his father was spending the Spring Festival in Haigang and offer to arrange a meal or something. For a young girl from out of town, a little extra care in a strange place was never a bad thing.
It wasn’t often that Liang Jiancheng went out of his way like that — though, admittedly, there was a touch of personal motive in it. He was thinking of his father.
Old Liang had grown terribly lonely over the years. Now, aside from him, there was almost nothing and no one that truly held the old man’s interest. If his father could once again find something in the world worth caring about, it wouldn’t be a burden — it would be a kind of comfort.
“Student Ming, are you headed to my father’s place?” Liang Jiancheng asked directly. His eyes flicked briefly toward the gifts she was holding; his tone was straightforward and unpretentious.
“…Mm.” She gave a soft reply and nodded.
Her hair was a little tousled by the wind, but her eyes were bright and steady as she looked straight at him in the car.
New Year, new look. Liang Jiancheng in the car looked even better than he had at the company’s year-end banquet. Red suited him too well; even a simple red scarf set off his bright eyes and handsome features, making him look almost unreal — like some perfect figure from the mortal world.
Men that good-looking and self-possessed, Ming Xi thought, were usually single. It was a conclusion she’d drawn after years of observation back home in Yicheng.
That thought alone gave her an odd little flicker of joy.
Her mind cleared. Her shyness disappeared completely.
Grinning, she lifted the two gift bags a little and said cheerfully, “Well, it’s the New Year! Since I’m here in Haigang, of course I have to pay Professor Liang a visit.”
It was clearly Professor Liang’s invitation, but saying it that way made her sound much more polite and thoughtful.
Liang Jiancheng smiled and said, “His place is hard to find. Get in the car. I’m heading there too.”
Ming Xi was overjoyed, her face gleaming with delight: “…Thank you, Mr. Liang!”
“Wait a minute.”
She was stunned, unsure what to wait for.
Liang Jiancheng had already gotten out of the car, opened the door for her, and at the same time, took the gifts from her hands and put them in the trunk. His manners were impeccable — and when they reached his father’s house, he did the same thing again.
He took the two gift boxes out of the trunk and handed them to her.
Composed, considerate, polite — the sort of courtesy a gentleman might show to a noble lady. But she was just an ordinary working girl from the provinces.
And the moment one starts feeling inferior, one’s heart shrinks.
Ming Xi immediately straightened her shoulders and tried to relax, but her heart was tense as she thought to herself: she would work hard and do well — not to make herself worthy of someone like Liang Jiancheng, but so that one day she could face all good people with confidence and ease.
It didn’t matter if she had no experience, but she couldn’t lose sight of herself.
—
They had agreed she would come in the afternoon, so Professor Liang was waiting at home. Ming Xi followed Liang Jiancheng inside. She was carrying gifts in both hands, while Liang Jiancheng’s hands were empty.
In truth…
Liang Jiancheng had also come to pay his father a New Year’s visit, and his car trunk was packed with things. But when he got out, he’d deliberately left them behind, only taking what Ming Xi had brought.
Upon entering, Professor Liang saw his student Ming Xi and his son Liang Jiancheng together and asked in surprise, “You two come together?”
Liang Jiancheng replied, “No, we just ran into each other on the way.”
“Mr. Liang just happened to give me a lift,” Ming Xi added smoothly. She then carefully placed the cookies and calcium-rich milk powder she’d brought by the entrance, stood up straight, and said auspicious words to Professor Liang: “Happy New Year, Professor! Wishing you a lucky and prosperous Year of the Dragon!”
“Alright, Happy Year of the Dragon to you too,” Professor Liang replied simply.
Compared to his well-dressed son and the meticulously groomed Ming Xi, Professor Liang hardly went out during the entire New Year. His clothing was casual, wearing a handmade gray-and-white knitted sweater that looked quite old-fashioned, matching the color of his hair, a mix of gray and white.
“It’s enough that you came. Don’t bring anything in the future,” Professor Liang said, noticing the red-and-green gift boxes.
Ming Xi said with a smile, “It’s the New Year — how could I come empty-handed?”
Professor Liang frowned and explained earnestly, “The things you’ve bought, giving them to me is also a waste. How much can an old man like me eat?”
Ah. Ming Xi’s smile froze a little.
Goodness, she’d chosen food exactly because it was easy to buy and not too expensive.
If the professor didn’t like food, did he like Moutai liquor and Huazi cigarettes?
Listening to the conversation between the two, Liang Jiancheng lowered his head slightly and chuckling softly. He was especially amused by Ming Xi’s reaction as she stared thoughtfully at the gift boxes.
He could guarantee that Old Liang meant well and didn’t really dislike it. For someone who had just started working, this was also the most appropriate gift Ming Xi could have chosen.
“What my father means is that you’re welcome to visit often — you just don’t need to bring anything. He’d be happy enough just to see you.”
Liang Jiancheng translated his father’s words, stepping in to ease the mood.
Professor Liang turned away with a huff, unwilling to comment further. Did his son have to make everything sound so sentimental?
“If Professor doesn’t mind me intruding, I’ll definitely visit often whenever you’re in Haigang.” Ming Xi smiled, following Liang Jiancheng’s words to express her gratitude.
But Professor Liang wasn’t having it. He replied curtly, “Don’t be so diligent with me, just be diligent with your own work. Even if you come to me every day, I wouldn’t be paying you a salary.”
Ming Xi: …
Liang Jiancheng also: …
Never mind. Ming Xi, smiling without changing her expression, scratched her ear, and pulled a ladder for herself to climb down, saying, “Professor must be worried I’ll slack off — if I lose my job, I’d have to come back begging you for another one.”
This probably what “Debt collector ghost” meant. It might sound harsh from someone else, but coming from herself, it showed at least some self-awareness.
Liang Jiancheng’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he led the person inside.
Even the ever-so-serious Professor Liang couldn’t help but twitch his lips and purse his lips at this.
—
Strange… does Professor Liang live alone? He lived alone in Yicheng—did he also live alone here in Haigang? Did his son, Liang Jiancheng, just visit occasionally? As Ming Xi sat on the sofa, she couldn’t help but wonder.
It seemed she had never heard Professor Liang mention his wife, nor had she ever heard Liang Jiancheng mention his mother… Ming Xi suddenly thought of her New Year’s Eve text message. Could the problem have been that “family harmony” blessing?
Oh my god! Ming Xi suddenly changed her expression and sat up straighter. Looking towards the dining room, she was even more shocked—Professor Liang was making dumplings.
Ming Xi stood up and, curious, walked over to take a look. On the solid wood dining table, rows of dumplings—thin-skinned, stuffed to bursting—were neatly lined up in squares. There must have been at least fifty or sixty of them already.
“You couldn’t spend the New Year properly in Haigang, so I made dumplings. Stay for dinner,” the professor said, a bit stiffly, the tone more command than invitation.
Ming Xi was touched, yet also felt a strange sense of guilt. Professor Liang was such a good person, and yet she’d doubted him before…
After all, she was still too poor, and the huge difference in status between her and him had led to too many negative assumptions. She tiptoed through life, too timid to think with any real dignity. Ming Xi rarely reflected on herself, but when she did, she always wanted to change.
Professor Liang glanced sideways at her, noticing her slight frown and uneasy look. Thinking she was judging his clumsy dumplings, he scowled. “Don’t mind how they look. They taste fine. When Jiancheng was a kid, he loved the filling I made.”
Ming Xi was quietly touched to the point of tears. “…Thank you, Professor.”
“What’s there to thank? I should be thanking you for the things you brought,” Liang Yuzhi said. At New Year’s, even a stern man could say something kind. When he’d opened the door earlier and seen how much his former student had changed, he’d actually been glad he’d helped her before.
“They were cheap.” Ming Xi felt even more ashamed.
Professor Liang was speechless and said meaningfully: “What kind of man do you take me for? The gift you brought may not be valuable to that person, but it’s a thoughtful gesture to me.”
Who was that person? Liang Jiancheng, who happened to be passing by, was horrified when he heard this.
“No matter what, a student who’s graduated and hasn’t forgotten her teacher—that’s something the teacher should be thankful for.” Professor Liang said these two heartfelt sentences one after another.
How could she forget? Ming Xi pressed her lips together lightly. “You’re not only my teacher, but also my great benefactor.”
Professor Liang shook his head and gave a sincere admonition, “Now that you’re working, it’s fine to be sweet-talking, but keep a cool heart and clear eyes. You can value kindness, but don’t let it bind you.”
Ming Xi understood Professor Liang’s meaning and hummed.
“When you’re out in the world, things aren’t easy. Don’t let anyone use emotion to hold you hostage.
“And that other matter—it was just a small favor. Don’t ever bring it up again.”
…
Outside, Liang Jiancheng had stepped onto the balcony.
He had grown up in this house and was familiar with everything inside, but the buildings and scenery outside the balcony had changed drastically that it all felt strangely new.
Contacting his ex-wife to help arrange a job was no small feat for Old Liang. If Old Liang knew that Gu Shuangyang arranged for Yang Minwen to handle the matter… he couldn’t imagine how angry Old Liang would be.
He could only hope that Old Liang never found out.
There was no TV in the dorms, so while visiting the professor that afternoon, Ming Xi took the chance to watch the replay of the Spring Festival Gala on CCTV. This year’s millennium gala was something special—the opening performance was Zhang Yimou’s “Bringing the Spring Festival Home”, followed by the classic Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan sketch “The Hourly Worker.”
Ming Xi couldn’t stop laughing…
A funny sketch made her shyness disappear. Later, one of her favorite Hong Kong stars appeared to sing his new song “Happy 2000.” Her eyes lit up; she even found herself nodding along to the beat.
Liang Jiancheng also watched the show with her, but he received a lot of calls. There were calls in English, Mandarin, and even Cantonese. After Liang Jiancheng sat down again, Ming Xi’s eyes unconsciously drifted towards him—and suddenly she realized, he actually looked a bit like… that Hong Kong singer!
And the more she looked, the more the resemblance grew.
Ming Xi couldn’t help but look at Liang Jiancheng again and again.
Liang Jiancheng noticed that she was not paying attention to the show, and asked, “Is there something on my face?”
Ming Xi rarely acted like a star-chasing fan and said directly, “Mr. Liang, you kind of look like XX.”
Liang Jiancheng wasn’t surprised; she wasn’t the first to say that.
“Maybe the face shape and nose are a bit similar.” Liang Jiancheng said with a smile. His smile was not obvious, with a hint of politeness and a gentle clarity.
Ming Xi retracted her gaze, but after realizing that Liang Jiancheng looked like XX, she looked at Liang Jiancheng as if he were an idol.
Liang Jiancheng was used to being looked at, but her open curiosity actually made him a bit self-conscious. He stood up, glanced at the table, and asked, “Would you like an orange?”
Only then did Ming Xi realize she’d been rude.
Just then, Professor Liang came out of the kitchen with the finished dumplings. Seeing his son rise from the sofa, he immediately fired off a cold, sarcastic remark:
“So, how are things with that Miss Zhang? You talked about getting engaged—why hasn’t that happened yet?”
The words blurted out were an aggressive reminder.
Liang Jiancheng froze, then slowly turned around—suddenly overcome by a familiar, uneasy feeling, like he’d made some mistake again but couldn’t tell what it was.