After returning from Sienna's room and having a heartfelt conversation, Li Haojun believed all misunderstandings and resentments had been resolved. He took a quick shower and went straight to bed, as he had work the next day.
从西耶娜房间回来,经过真挚的交谈,相信已经没有误解与怨恨了,李皓珺简单冲了澡就抓紧休息了,毕竟第二天还有工作.
But those sisters who tug at my heartstrings never leave my thoughts. My older sister went from having me by her side to now traveling alone, while my younger sister, so young, went off to study by herself. It seemed none of my business, yet one so gentle and well-behaved, the other so clever and adorable—how could I not worry about them?
只是那令人牵挂的姐妹一直在心里萦绕,姐姐从自己的陪伴到现在一个人奔波,妹妹那么小的年纪自己一个人去学习了,本来似乎也不关自己什么事情,可是一个温柔乖巧,一个机灵可爱,怎能不让人牵挂.
The next morning, after waking up, I headed to the nearby New York Aquarium in Long Beach. To my surprise, during interactions with clients, Li Haojun—usually quiet and reserved—suddenly transformed into a social butterfly. Not only did he thoroughly explain our company's product features and technical strengths, but he also engaged in lively conversations with male and female staff members from various departments. By the end of the morning session, even Li Haojun felt he had performed beyond his usual capabilities, wondering where that sudden sharpness and enthusiasm had come from.
第二天一觉醒来,前往距离并不远的长滩纽约水族馆,没想到在与客户的交谈互动中,平时安静不善言谈的李皓珺,竟然秒变社交达人,不仅对于本公司产品技术特色介绍得淋漓尽致,也与客户不同岗位的男女工作人员长聊甚欢,结束了上午的工作,李皓珺自己都觉得自己是超水平发挥,不知道自己哪来的机敏与热情.
下午赶到波士顿,同样又是发挥神勇,对方甚至想要当场就下订单了.
As he stepped out of the client's building after the meeting, Li Haojun finally realized something was profoundly off. Walking back to the hotel, he glanced at Sienna, meeting her eyes, but instead of asking questions, he began reflecting on his own performance that day—the origins of his thoughts, his perception of the atmosphere, and how it differed from his usual self.
当结束会晤走出客户大楼,李皓珺终于意识到了这绝对不对劲,在步行回旅店的途中,他望向西耶娜,看着她的眼睛,但是并没有发问,而是在回忆这一天自己的表现,思路的来源,气氛的感知,与平时的自己的差距.
Sienna occasionally glanced back at him, occasionally flicked her hair with her hand, but didn't respond. After returning to the inn, she ate only a few bites at dinner, looking rather tired and nowhere near as lively as she had been the night before.
西耶娜时而回望他的眼神,时而用手撩一下自己的头发,也没有接茬.在回旅店后,晚餐上西耶娜只是潦草地吃了些东西,看上去有些疲惫,远不如昨天晚上她的状态好,
Li Haojun even wondered if she was feeling unwell. As he escorted her back to her room, he studied her closely and asked,
李皓珺甚至怀疑她是不是病了,送她回房间的时候一边打量她一边问,
"Are you feeling unwell? You seem a bit tired."
"你是不舒服吗?好像有些疲倦的样子,"
"No, I just feel a bit tired," Sienna replied, meeting Li Haojun's gaze before turning back with a smile and looking straight ahead. It was unclear what she was smiling about.
"不是啊,我就是觉得有些累,"西耶娜看着李皓珺的眼睛回答,然后又微笑着转回头目视前方,不知道她在笑什么,
It wasn't until they followed her into the room and sat down that Li Haojun tentatively asked her,
直到跟着她进了房间,两人落座,李皓珺才试探着问她,
I feel like my thinking during client conversations today has been exceptionally clear and sharp—far beyond my usual performance. Could it be you're helping me? Did you project those ideas into my mind?
"我觉得今天一天我与客户对话的思路都很清晰活跃,已经超出了我正常的表现,是不是你在帮助我?你把那些思路投射到了我的大脑里?"
Sienna smiled as she listened to his questions, her lips stretching wide beneath the smile. She would occasionally lower her head to restrain herself, then lift her gaze to meet his, but she offered no reply.
西耶娜一边听他问,一边笑了,她的嘴角在笑容下咧的很宽,时而低头克制,时而抬头相望,但是没有回答,
"Is doing this really exhausting?" Li Haojun pressed further.
"是不是做这件事很累?"李皓珺又接着追问,
"Hmm," came the simple reply.
"嗯,"简单的回答,
"Thank you, but you don't have to do that. It's not part of your job responsibilities."
"谢谢你,但是你不用这么做,这不是你工作职责之内的事情,"
"Oh, you don't like it?" Sienna replied, then countered,
"哦,你不喜欢吗?"西耶娜答应着,随后反问,
"No, I don't want you to be burdened by things outside your job responsibilities."
"不,我不希望你因为工作职责之外的事情挨累,"
"Why? But I like it," Sienna lifted her face and smiled, a look of satisfaction on her face.
"为什么呢?可是我喜欢啊,"西耶娜扬起脸,笑着说,似乎有些得意的表情,
"Honestly, I'm not too fond of this job—fish farming. I was just assigned here," Li Haojun said, spreading his hands and shrugging his shoulders before continuing his explanation.
"呵,说实话,我不太喜欢这个工作,养鱼,我也是被刚刚指派过来的,"说着李皓珺双手一摊耸了耸肩,然后又接着解释,
I don't see much value in this work, so I don't want you to invest too much time in it—especially beyond your core responsibilities. I feel it's not worth the effort for what you'd get in return.
"我觉得这的工作没什么价值,所以也不希望你投入太多,尤其是你本职工作职责之外的,我觉得这样对于你的回报不对等,"
"Oh? How did you know my reward wasn't commensurate?" Sienna tilted her head, turning her face slightly and lifting her chin as she asked, a hint of pride in her voice.
"哦?你怎么知道对于我的回报不对等?"西耶娜扬着头,轻轻扭脸翘起下颌似乎有些傲娇地问,
"Based on my common sense, my feelings, and my experience," Li Haojun said, then laughed to himself and shook his head.
"根据我的常识,我的感受,我的经验,"李皓珺说着说着,自己也笑了,摇了摇头说,
"Ha ha, right, you're right—my perspective might not suit you.""哈哈,对,你说的对,我的视角未必适合你,"
Sienna smiled too, then lowered her high-held head, her gaze dropping as she slightly tucked her chin. She raised her eyebrows again and fixed her gaze on him, speaking with a touch of seriousness:
西耶娜也笑了,这才低下高昂的头,视线下垂,微收下颌,然后又抬眉凝视,有些严肃地说,
"I'm here to experience it, and I'll do whatever I want."
"我就是来这里体验的,我想怎么样就怎么样,"
In an instant, Li Haojun felt a chill. How could Sienna suddenly seem like a different person? Her tone was sharp and harsh, completely unlike the innocent and naive girl she had been before. Now, it was as if a dark angel had taken up residence within her body.
一瞬间李皓珺似乎感受到寒意,怎么突然西耶娜似乎换了一个人格,声色俱厉,完全不同于之前的傻白甜,现在的她,此刻的身体里仿佛住着黑暗天使,
"Ah, ha," Li Haojun could only manage an interjection, unsure how to respond.
"啊,哈,"一时间李皓珺只剩下语气词,不知道该如何回答,
"You feel I've gone beyond my duties, that you owe me in our personal relationship, and now you feel burdened, is that it?" Sienna's tone remained icy.
"你是觉得我做了职责之外的工作,你在私人关系上亏欠我,觉得有负担了是吗?"西耶娜依旧是冷冰冰的语气,
"Ha, yeah," Li Haojun replied, sounding a bit awkward.
"哈,是啊,"李皓珺有些尴尬地回答着,
You don't want to owe anyone, especially those you don't know well.
"你不想亏欠别人,尤其是没有更深交往的人,"
"Hmm, right," Li Haojun replied, inwardly startled. Not only could she sense my thoughts, but she could even perceive the instinctive reactions within my own personality—as if she were a mirror reflecting me.
"嗯,是吧,"回答着,李皓珺暗暗吃惊,她不只是能感知到我在想什么,甚至我自身性格中的本能反应她都能感受到,简直就如同我的一面镜子,
At this point, Sienna's tone and demeanor finally softened as she said,
这时西耶娜的语气和神态终于缓和了,说,
"If you feel you owe me, you can make it up to me by treating me the way you treated Kasiya."
"如果你觉得亏欠我了,你可以补偿我,像对凯西娅那样对待我,"
Li Haojun couldn't help but chuckle. Where did she get off acting so needy? She was forcing her help with such righteous indignation—I never asked for her assistance in the first place. It was all her own doing, and now she was trying to exploit my sympathy.
李皓珺不由得觉得好笑,哪里有这么要关爱的?理直气壮地强迫,自己又没有要求她帮忙,都是她自愿的,然后来消费我的同情心,
But Li Haojun didn't argue or say anything; he simply wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a perfunctory hug.
可是李皓珺并没有反驳或者说什么,就搂着她的双肩,给对面的她一个拥抱,流于形式,
Sienna rested her head on Li Haojun's shoulder and whispered softly,
西耶娜趴在李皓珺的肩头,轻声说,
"Don't brush me off, okay?" The voice was soft and low, sending a shiver through Li Haojun's heart as he thought of Kasiya. Hesitating, he placed both hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. Looking into Sienna's eyes, he felt as though he could find traces of Kasiya within them.
"不要敷衍我好吗?"声音温婉低沉,不禁让李皓珺内心一颤想到了凯西娅,迟疑之间,双手扶着她的双肩,缓慢推开,望着西耶娜的眼睛,似乎在她的眼里能够找到凯西娅的踪迹,
"Can you treat me the same way you treat her?" Sienna asked, looking into Li Haojun's eyes.
"你能像对她一样对待我吗?"西耶娜看着李皓珺的眼睛问,
Why should I treat you the way I treat her? Isn't treating you the way I treat you good enough?
"为什么要像对她一样对待你?就像对你一样对待你不好吗?"
Sienna didn't understand what he meant; she just gazed into his eyes.
西耶娜没明白他的意思,只是望着他的眼睛,
"You must be exhausted from helping me today, right?" Li Haojun said as he pulled her over to sit on his chair, one arm around her shoulder and the other around her waist, drawing her sideways into his embrace.
"你今天为了帮助我很累,是吗?"李皓珺说着把她拉过来坐在自己的椅子上,一手搂着她的肩,一手搂着她的腰,把她侧身搂进怀里,说,
"谢谢你,"
Sienna began leaning against Li Haojun's shoulder, gazing at him. After a while, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder and neck.
西耶娜开始还靠着李皓珺的肩望着他,过了一会儿就闭上了眼睛,把头靠在他肩颈,
"Why did you say you were here to experience things? I'm curious—could you tell me?" Li Haojun asked.
"刚才你为什么说你是来体验的,我很好奇,能告诉我吗?"李皓珺问,
"Who isn't here to experience it?" Sienna replied softly.
"谁不是来体验的呢?"西耶娜轻声答,
"You're right. You don't have to help me like this anymore. I don't want you to go to all that trouble."
"也是啊,以后你不用这样帮助我了,我不想你受累,"
"But—" Sienna hesitated, then looked into Li Haojun's eyes and said,
"可是,"西耶娜迟疑了一下,又望着李皓珺的眼睛说,
"Other than that, I'm nothing special,"
"除了这一点,我没有什么特别的地方了,"
Li Haojun smiled, gently caressing her cheek and the strands of hair at her temple as he spoke softly,
李皓珺笑了,抚摸着她的脸颊和鬓角的发丝温柔地说,
"Who says being cherished requires something special? You don't need to compare yourself to them," Li Haojun said, suddenly recalling her earlier behavior, and asked,
"谁说被爱护一定要有特别的地方了?你不用把自己与她们相比较,"说着,李皓珺忽然想起她刚才的表现,就问,
"For a moment just now, why did you have such a stern and cold expression and tone? It was like you were a different person."
"刚才有一阵子,你为什么那么严厉冷酷的表情和语气?好像变了一个人一样,"
"I learned it from you," Sienna said with an innocent look on her face.
"我跟你学的啊,"西耶娜一脸无辜的样子,
"You learned that from me? When did I ever treat you like that?" Li Haojun found it strange.
"跟我学的?我什么时候那样对你了?"李皓珺觉得奇怪,
"Found in your memory,"
"从你的记忆里找到的,"
Hearing her say this, Li Haojun couldn't help but laugh to himself. He thought, My memory only goes back a year—I don't even recall ever being like her. So he asked,
听她这么一说李皓珺自己都笑了,心想,我的记忆才不过一年,我自己都不记得什么时候像她这样过,便问,
I don't even remember myself—how did you find it?
"我自己都不记得,你是怎么找到的?"
"It's just a feeling, that's all."
"感觉,就是感觉,"
"Alright," Li Haojun couldn't help but recall how Kasiya had also claimed to sense his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder—was this ability now standard equipment for young people? Compared to them, we ordinary folks seemed like antiques, utterly lacking in competitiveness. But then he thought, no, that couldn't be right, and asked,
"好吧,"李皓珺不由得想起凯西娅也说过能感受到他的思想,不由得感叹,怎么这种能力都是现在年轻人的标配吗?相比之下,我们这些普通人好像古董一样,毫无竞争力,转念一想,不对,便问,
"Then why are you treating me the way I treat you?"
"那你为什么要学我的方式来对待我呢?"
"Because," Sienna hesitated,
"因为,"西耶娜犹豫了一下,
"Because I don't know how to treat you either."
"因为我也不知道应该怎么对待你,"
"Why do you say that? I thought you've been getting along quite well with your colleagues these past few days," Li Haojun asked curiously.
"为什么这么说呢?我看你这些天和同事们的交流挺和谐的啊,"李皓珺好奇地问,
"Because we're colleagues, I know how to handle this. But you and me, well..." Sienna hesitated again, looking at Li Haojun as she spoke.
"因为我和她们是同事关系啊,这个我知道怎么处理,但是我和你,嗯,"西耶娜又迟疑了,看了看李皓珺说,
"It's more than just a colleague relationship,"
"不只是同事关系,"
"Oh, I see," Li Haojun smiled too, quickly adding,
"It's my honor."
"哦,原来这样,"李皓珺也笑了,急忙又附和说,
"我很荣幸,"
Hearing this, Sienna smiled too, her expression sweet and reserved, then added softly,
"And you're a man."
听他这么一说,西耶娜也乐了,笑容甜美含蓄,又低声补充道,
"而且你是男性,"
Ha ha, I'm so lucky—I'm the only guy in the whole company, surrounded by beautiful women all day long," Li Haojun chimed in with Sienna's self-deprecating joke, though he couldn't help but wonder why. As he pondered this, he still made sure to remind Sienna,
"哈哈,我真是幸运啊,公司里就只有我这么一个男性,成天被美女们环绕,"李皓珺一边附和着西耶娜自嘲,一边也有些疑惑,为什么呢?心里琢磨着,还是不忘嘱咐西耶娜说,
"Please don't help me like this anymore. It's exhausting, isn't it?"
"以后不要再这样帮助我了,很累是吧?"
"Yes, but—"
"是,但是,"
Before she could finish, Li Haojun shook her shoulder.
没等她说完,李皓珺摇了摇她的肩膀,
Don't do this. There's no need to act like this unless it's necessary. If you want me to do something for you, just say so directly. You don't have to do something for me first.
"不要这样,没有必要的时候不用这样,如果你想要我为你做点什么,你直接说就好,不用非得先帮我做些什么,"
"Alright, it's a deal. You can't back out now."
"好啊,一言为定,你不可以反悔,"
The moment Sienna uttered those words, Li Haojun began to regret his promise—made too hastily and without boundaries. He wondered if she might one day demand to replace either Kesiya or Qin Wenjing.
当西耶娜说出这句话,李皓珺就开始后悔了,自己的承诺太早太没有边界了,不知道以后她会不会要求取代凯西娅或者覃文静的位置,
It seemed as though Sienna had been reading Li Haojun's thoughts all along. Just as he reached this conclusion, she gently rested her head against his shoulder and murmured,
似乎西耶娜在一直关注着李皓珺的思维,正当他想到这里,西耶娜又轻轻把头靠在他的肩颈,喃喃地说,
"Don't worry, I won't bother you for long. Once I've experienced this world, I'll be on my way."
"你放心,我不会纠缠你很长时间,体会过了这个世界我就会离开,"
Her words stirred a wave of sadness within Li Haojun. His right hand slid from her waist down to her hips, then wrapped around her thigh, pulling her closer to turn her face toward him. Simultaneously, he used his shoulder to gently lift her head.
她的这番话语让李皓珺不觉得内心泛起一阵伤感,右手从她的腰际滑落到臀部,顺着她的大腿搂住,搂过来使她转身面向自己更多,同时用肩头撑开她的头,
Sienna looked up into Li Haojun's eyes, wondering why he had suddenly done this.
西耶娜抬头望着李皓珺的眼睛,不知道他为什么突然这样做,
"Don't say things like that. You're still young, with a long road ahead of you. Don't talk about leaving, and don't utter such unlucky words," Li Haojun said sternly, looking her straight in the eye.
"你不要说这样的话,你还年轻,未来的路还很长,不要说要离开,不要说这样不吉利的话,"李皓珺看着她的眼睛很严肃地说,
"Oh, I see," she said, a smile playing on her lips as she rested her head against his shoulder once more.
"哦,我知道了"说完,西耶娜嘴角挂着微笑又把头靠在了他的肩头,
The night after a day's work feels especially serene. As relaxation settles in, a full moon appears outside the window, radiating a soft glow. Its surface ripples with pale yellow patterns, mysterious and captivating, illuminating the edge of the night sky while bathing the earth in the stillness of the night.
完成了一天工作的夜晚似乎特别轻松,就在放松的情绪里,窗外一轮明月,泛着光晕,带着淡黄色起伏的纹理表面,神秘而令人心驰神往,照亮一边夜空的边际,也把夜的宁静洒向大地.