Stella Grace couldn’t sleep so she watched videos all night instead.
She watched all kinds of fun variety shows. She also watched stories about coming-of-age pains. Finally, she watched a movie.
The movie was about the legendary Chinese warrior, Hua Mulan.
Mulan went through all kinds of wars for twelve years. During that time, she lost a lot of friends to the war.
She fought alongside a prince, and they won.
Eventually, for the sake of peace, the prince married a princess and became the emperor.
Hua Mulan never married for the rest of her life.
After watching that movie, Stella felt even more pain. She sat on her bed and silently stared into space.
She was thinking about her future, thinking about what she should do, thinking about how good it would be if she could forget everything and start a new life.
In the morning, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. There were dark circles under her eyes.
She tried to forget what happened last night.
Life had to continue.
She had things to do.
She put on some makeup to concealed the dark circles around her eyes in addition to her usual foundation, highlight powder, and lipstick.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone was very lazy at work.
Stella continued to sort out the letters and materials.
She wanted to stay busy so that she didn’t have the time to feel sorry for herself.
At ten o’clock,
the director came looking for her “Stella, someone is looking for you.”
“Who is it?” From the serious look on the director’s face she guessed that it must be a VIP.
She followed the director to his office. What VIP could be looking for her?
Eight people stood outside of the director’s office, their faces unreadable.
The first thought she had was that these must be soldiers.
Was it possible that Jasper’s parents knew about her encounter with him last night?
She opened the door and walked in uneasily.
Jasper sat in the director’s chair.
He was a cold, stern, and unyielding person.
He cut an imposing figuring even when he was just sitting there. His gazes were razor sharp, as if penetrating her soul.
Stella was surprised that he would come to see her.
“It’s you?” Jasper was also very surprised.
Stella nervously held her hands and tried to keep calm. She lowered her eyes and said, “What can I do for you, Chief?”
“Last night, I had dinner with an old comrade of mine. He mentioned you,” Jasper said inquisitively, with no trace of warmth in his eyes.
The comrade he mentioned was probably the director of the army.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“He asked me how the operation went. He said that you didn’t contact him, so he assumed the work was done. But then he found you were still working for the Inspection Institute. Did I assign you to do something before?” Jasper asked suspiciously.
Stella thought this was the best chance for Mina Hadley and the others.
Perhaps, if she spoke out, Mina and the others would leave her. But she couldn’t be selfish.
“You recruited some people for a secret task force and deleted their profiles to safeguard the covert operation. However, you lost your memory,” she said.
“Did I really assign such a task force?” Jasper frowned.
“Although you lost your memory, you have a confidential library. You can find their information in it,” Stella said calmly.
A puzzled look flashed across Jasper’s eyes. “What about you? Did I send you here?”
“No.” Stella’s heart ached. “I met you a few times, Chief. You thought I was suitable to assist the task force, so I joined the team. I’m not from your military region.”
“Where are those people now?” Jasper snapped.
“I don’t think you will believe me without any evidence. I think you’d better go to the top secret library to check them out. They are ready to return to the team.” Stella’s eyes turned red. She looked down, trying to conceal her mixed feelings.
What was the meaning of life?
She worked hard in vain, yet she felt helpless.
Stella left the director’s office.
Mina took Stella to the yard of the Inspection Institute. She asked in a low voice, “Stella, was that Chief who came to see you just now?”
“Yes, it was Jasper.”
“Did you tell him about us?” Mina anxiously held Stella’s hand.
Stella looked at Mina. “Yes, I did. He went to the secret library to check. He should contact you soon.”
Mina smiled for the first time in awhile. “That’s great. We can finally return to the organization. Fortunately, we haven’t given up yet.”
Stella’s eyes were blurry with tears. “Mina, what do you think my relationship with Jasper is?”
Mina paused for a while and said frankly, “You’re a couple, aren’t you?”
Tears streamed down the corners of Stella’s eyes.
She thought of the song lyrics, “I have fallen in love with you before, so I will feel sad when I think of it.”
She saw indifference, alienation, and strangeness in Jasper’s eyes.
He didn’t care about her.
There wasn’t a place for her in his heart.
Jasper was focused and his career was developing steadily.
If she confessed to him now, it would only cause more trouble for him.
If there was no love, then there was no love.
She did not want him to pity her, sympathize with her or try to compensate her.
“Mina, remember, he and I are not a couple. We met several times before and completed tasks together. That’s all,” Stella explained.
Mina looked at her red eyes.
“The Chief may have forgotten you, but if you give him a chance, he will still fall in love with you. Don’t be discouraged,” Mina comforted her.
“It’s good that he has forgotten me. He can have a new life now. Both of us are freed from this relationship. Our fate used to intertwine, but now we will only grow further apart. If he asks about my relationship with him, you can just tell him what I said.
I think he will contact you soon. There will be information about you in the confidential archives.
It’s possible that he will transfer you all to a new workplace. Even if he doesn’t, he won’t let you follow me.
Tonight, I’ll treat you guys to a New Year’s Eve dinner as a going away celebration,” Stella said calmly.
If she was hurt, she hid it well.
Mina felt a little sad. “What will you do after we leave?”
“People will be fearless when they are ignorant, and they will talk nonsense when they don’t understand.
At the beginning, I thought that if I solved this big Tavers Village case, I would be successful in my career.
But in fact, all these are the stuff of fairytales.
I desired things I did not deserve and I challenged things that I wasn’t qualified for. All these only proved that I should not be too ambitious if I lack the ability.
I will return to my life. I can do what I want to. Don’t worry. Everyone has their own fate,” Stella said faintly.
Her eyes were detached, like she was cut off from the world.