“Is that so important?” Mama asked at the other end of the phone.

            “…” I wanted to say “yes,” but I didn’t. Though Mama had promised me last year that Papa and she, Aunt Yan and Geshu and Dengshuai would attend my graduation ceremony; though I really want them to see my graduation; though I think the money spent in the trip is worthwhile, I don’t want them to be exhausted by the trip. It took five or six hours from Huizhou to Shantou, no matter by coach or railway. All they have will be two days only. Don’t want them to be exhausted by the trip.

             But, I hope they could attend my graduation ceremony, the first important ceremony in my life. But they won’t.   

             “It’s unnecessary for you all to come.” I said with a pretended smile. “Just photo-taking. Don’t waste much time and energy on it. Besides, I can enjoy myself with my friends if you don’t come. And also I will have more time to do the package. You don’t need to come. Don’t bother.”

             ……

             His graduation ceremony made her cried this afternoon.

             “Liangying, byebye.” Without any notice, Xiaojing said to me, and then left the office with all her stuff.

             I was shocked at that moment. What happened? Why are Xiaojing leaving? Mr. Ho fired her? She quitted the job? Later, I found out that it’s a long story. She wanted to ask for leave for a whole day tomorrow. “I must take the leave.” She said to me without telling me any reasons in the morning. Then Mr. Ho had a talk with me in the afternoon.

“How do you think of this?”

Confused, I asked ”What’s “this”?”

“Xiaojing’s asking for a leave.”

There was a pause. I cleared my throat.

“I don’t think it’s good to ask for a leave for she’s been working for three days only.”

“She still considers our company a campus. You ask for a leave and then you are allowed to go. No discipline!”

“We’ve seen many graduates like her.” Said Summer. When she caught the confusion in my face, she  added:”You work in a company and then ask for a leave so that you can take the interviews of other company. She doesn’t hold a serious attitude toward the job in our company.”

Mr. Ho talked a lot in the following half of an hour. I listened.

When I went out the office, Xiaojing was asked to have a talk in the office. When she came back, she eyes were red. Several minutes’ later, she said to me:”Liangying, byebye.”

An unnamed feeling crept into my mind.

“Her ex-boyfriend has his graduation ceremony tomorrow. I think Xiaojing’s going to attend the ceremony.” This was what I learnt from Jelly through the phone.

Ex-boyfriend? For a man who doesn’t like her anymore, even though she said without any hesitation that “I decide to do the job wholeheartedly.”?

“Liangying, worry not about me. I cried though, I won’t miss the now-or-never event in my life.” Xiaojing sent this message to me at about 7:00pm.