Chapter 10
By the time Ning Yang finished work at the restaurant, it was already past nine o'clock. Upon taking his phone out from his bag, he noticed it had been turned off at some point during the day.
He took the last bus home.
"Ning Yang, you've finally returned!" Aunt Zhou met him before he even stepped inside his house, looking anxious and scolding.
Ning Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he heard Aunt Zhou say, "Please hurry to the People's Hospital! Your mother fainted due to her high blood pressure while she was home alone. Fortunately, Miss Xiang came to check on her and took her to the hospital. I couldn't get in touch with you because your phone was turned off, so I'm letting you know now."
Ning Yang's expression shifted, and after thanking Aunt Zhou, he turned around and left.
Aunt Zhou called from behind, "Miss Xiang said your mother isn't in critical condition! Don't worry too much!"
By the time Ning Yang arrived at the hospital, it was already past 11 o'clock. He opened the door to his mother's room and walked inside, but after only taking a few steps, his mother, who was lying on the bed with an IV in her arm, gestured frantically at him, signaling for him to be quiet. Only then did Ning Yang notice someone sleeping on the floor next to her bed.
It was Xiang Qingwei.
His heart finally settled back into place, and he carefully tiptoed over.
Xiang Qingwei was sitting on a chair with her upper body resting on the bed, her head pillowed on her arm. Her long black hair draped behind her ears, her profile soft and undisturbed by the environment around her; she seemed to be sleeping soundly.
Ning Yang found himself captivated, and when he finally looked up to respond to his mother's questioning gaze, his heart pounded inexplicably in his chest, and his ears felt warm. He paused before signing, "How are you feeling? Do you feel unwell?"
His mother, still receiving her IV, responded with one hand, "I'm fine, don't worry."
"How did you faint?"
"I was sewing at home when I suddenly lost consciousness. Miss Xiang truly saved me this time."
Ning Yang's gaze returned to Xiang Qingwei. As if she'd had an uncomfortable nap, she frowned and rubbed her face against her arm, then blinked sleepily open her eyes. Upon seeing Ning Yang, she momentarily appeared disoriented, her usual sharpness replaced by confusion.
"You're here." Xiang Qingwei rubbed her eyes, sitting up and yawning.
Ning Yang unconsciously gripped the straps of his backpack, feeling a lump in his throat. He paused before making a noise of acknowledgment, then paused again before thanking her.
Xiang Qingwei rubbed her sore and numb arm, lightly saying "You're welcome." She then turned to Ning Yang's mother with a smile, signing, "Auntie, since Ning Yang is here, I'll be taking my leave now."
Ning Yang watched Xiang Qingwei's hands move stiffly, his gaze deep.
"Your mom's fine now. Her blood pressure has already gone down, and she should be able to be discharged tomorrow if nothing else goes wrong." Xiang Qingwei turned to Ning Yang, standing up.
Ning Yang hummed in response.
"Then I'll leave you to keep an eye on your mon. I'm heading out." Xiang Qingwei picked up his bag from the nightstand.
Ning Yang's mother waved at him, gesturing for him to see the young man off.
"No need, you can stay here with your aunt," Xiang Qingwei said with a smile. He bid Ning Yang's mother goodbye once more before leaving with his bag.
Xiang Qingwei hadn't slept well last night, and today's ordeal left him exhausted; he yawned incessantly as he walked toward the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor.
Just as the elevator door was about to close, a hand reached out and stopped it, causing the door to open once more.
Xiang Qingwei blinked, startled.
Ning Yang stepped inside. "I'll walk you out."
The elevator door closed again.
Xiang Qingwei covered his mouth as he yawned, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
"Thank you," Ning Yang said.
"You've already said it." Xiang Qingwei leaned against the wall of the elevator, his tone lazy and carefree.
Ning Yang fell silent once again.
"The doctor said your mother was overworked and her blood pressure is very high, so it'll be dangerous if she passes out again," Xiang Qingwei explained softly. "We must make sure your mother gets enough rest; she shouldn't go out to sell things on hot days like this."
Ning Yang pressed his lips together and gave a muffled hum of agreement.
The elevator reached the first floor, and Xiang Qingwei stepped out. Ning Yang followed silently behind.
The two stood side by side on the street waiting for a car.
"Ning Yang," Xiang Qingwei called gently.
"I believe there will come a day when you will let everyone see your light, when thousands upon thousands of people will cheer and shout for you."
"I know what happened to you in the past, but I'm not like those people. I'll never lie to you; I'll do my utmost to protect you."
Xiang Qingwei turned around. The gentle night wind lifted her hair and brushed it against her snow-white cheeks. Beneath the veil of night, her eyes had regained their brightness, becoming dark and shining, mesmerizing.
"So, can you please try trusting me?"
Ning Yang looked into Xiang Qingwei's bright and gentle eyes, stunned, for a long while.
By the next day, Ning Yang's mother's blood pressure had stabilized.
Ning Yang took his mother to check out of the hospital, all the fees having been paid by Xiang Qingwei.
Their neighbors were already out doing business by the time they returned home, and Ning Yang discovered a box of local products left on the table by Xiang Qingwei.
His mother noticed as well, and she immediately signed, "Miss Xiang is truly a kind person."
Ning Yang was silent for a moment before signing, "I'm going to take a bath."
The bathroom and toilet were shared facilities, so he had to carry water into the tiny space himself.
After bathing, he returned home. His mother told him to go to bed quickly.
He had stayed up the entire night before, and fatigue was catching up to him. Yet, despite this, Ning Yang returned to his room and didn't sleep right away. Instead, he took out his wallet from his backpack and retrieved a business card from its innermost pocket.
Xiang Qingwei's phone number was printed on it.
"I'll be waiting for your call," Xiang Qingwei had said as she left.
Ning Yang stared at it for a long while before stuffing the card back into the wallet's inner pocket. He lay on his bed and slowly closed his eyes, but the moment he did, those bright black eyes of Xiang Qingwei's flashed in his mind, refusing to leave.
"I'll never lie to you. I will protect you to the best of my ability."
Who needed her protection?
Ning Yang turned over. He was clearly exhausted, yet he couldn't fall asleep.
"So, please, try trusting me just once?"
Ning Yang suddenly raised an arm to cover his eyes and mumbled to himself, "Can you please just get out of my head?"
Xiang Qingwei was in a meeting when she received Ning Yang's call. She glanced down at the caller ID and, without a second thought, interrupted Fu Yanbo, who was presenting. "Sorry, I'm going to take this call." She grabbed her phone and walked out of the office.
Having been interrupted, Fu Yanbo watched Xiang Qingwei leave with a look of joy on her face, hiding her phone from view. As soon as she stepped out, she picked up the call, greeting the person gleefully.
She rarely ever displayed such open delight in the workplace.
Seeing Fu Yanbo's eyebrows draw together slightly, Jiang Rong quickly spoke up, "Xiang Qingwei really has no regard for the rules. Even though she did well last year, it's still unacceptable that she'd act so freely now. Leaving everyone waiting for her just to answer a phone call—does she think she's the only one with important matters?"
Everyone knew Jiang Rong and Xiang Qingwei didn't get along, so no one chimed in, only secretly checking their boss's expression.
But even after staring for a while, they couldn't tell if he was upset.
As time went on, Fu Yanbo's expression grew increasingly cold, and the mood in the room grew heavier. Everyone either drank water or busied themselves with the documents, afraid to speak aloud.
Seeing the situation escalate, Secretary Wen stood up quietly and walked out of the room. He returned within three minutes and went straight to Fu Yanbo, leaning down to whisper something into his ear before returning to his seat.
Fu Yanbo's face was frozen over. "Continue."
A smirk tugged at Jiang Rong's lips.
Xiang Qingwei drove straight to the same private restaurant she and Fang Xingzhi had dined at last time, skipping the meeting.
Just as Xiang Qingwei finished placing her order, Ning Yang walked in, led by the waiter. He was dressed in a white shirt, still carrying his black backpack, looking fresh and clean.
Xiang Qingwei invited him to sit, then said, "It's just about lunchtime, so let's eat first. I'm a little hungry, so I've already ordered. You aren't picky with your food, right?"
Ning Yang placed his backpack on the chair beside him and nodded.
Ning Yang ate quietly, only making small sounds of agreement when Xiang Qingwei explained the dishes from time to time.
Once they were done eating, the waiter cleared the table and brought out a pot of tea.
After taking a sip of tea, Xiang Qingwei finally got down to business. "TX has a new program called 'Super Idol.' I've read through the plans, and it looks promising. I want you to give it a try."
Ning Yang was taken aback. "I never said I'd sign a contract with you."
Xiang Qingwei laughed as she held her cup of tea, her eyes sparkling brightly as she stared at Ning Yang. "It's too late. Calling me represents your agreement, so you can't go back on your word now."
Under her bright-eyed stare, Ning Yang felt a little uneasy. He lowered his gaze and picked up his teacup to sip the tea, tacitly agreeing with her words.
Xiang Qingwei continued to explain the program to him, "Let me give you a brief rundown of the program first. It's a talent scouting show, but the contestants are sent in by various talent agencies..."
Ning Yang listened very carefully. By the end, he pressed his lips together slightly and said, "But I don't want to be part of a group."
Xiang Qingwei replied, "You don't have to worry about that. Even though it's a group, there is no established market for groups here, so the groups' success rates aren't high, and if everything goes smoothly, they disband within a year. Of course, I will also negotiate with TX to ensure that no matter what, I'll allow you to pursue individual activities after a year. I've read the plans for this show, and I'm very optimistic about its future; I need a platform where everyone can see you."
"All right," Ning Yang signed.
Xiang Qingwei paused, then asked, "Do you have any other questions?"
"No." Ning Yang responded mildly, "I trust you'll handle everything."
This time, Xiang Qingwei was the one taken aback. After a pause, he lifted the corner of his lips. "Don't worry, I definitely won't betray your trust."
Ning Yang hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "I need to use the restroom."
"Turn right as you exit," Xiang Qingwei reminded him.
Ning Yang nodded and pushed the door open, walking out.
However, instead of turning right as instructed, he walked left.
He stopped at the register. "Hello, I'd like to pay for my meal."
The young female cashier looked up momentarily, stunned, before maintaining her professional demeanor and smiling. "Hello, may I ask which private booth you're from?"
"216."
The cashier checked her records, and then looked up with a smile. "Sir, your bill has already been paid for."
Ning Yang pursed his lips. "Can you tell me how much it was?"
The cashier glanced at her computer before responding. "The total cost for 216 is one thousand eight hundred yuan."
The luxurious interior had prepared Ning Yang somewhat for this, but the actual amount was still far beyond his expectations—and far beyond what he could afford.
"Thank you," Ning Yang said, then left the counter, not hearing the excited whispers of the cashier wondering if he was a celebrity.
If Xiang Qingwei hadn't paid for his order ahead of time, Ning Yang would have likely ended up in an awkward situation.
Perhaps this was why Xiang Qingwei had ordered and paid for his meal before Ning Yang's arrival.
Ning Yang entered the private booth.
Xiang Qingwei was on the phone. "Mr. Fu, I don't need to give you a report of my personal schedule, do I?"
Cold and impatient.
This was the first time Ning Yang had seen Xiang Qingwei exhibit a negative emotion.
Xiang Qingwei turned to glance at him, then said to the person on the other end of the line, "I can't talk right now, so I'll hang up." With that, he cleanly hung up the call.
Secretary Wen walked into the office, catching a glimpse of his boss's unsightly expression upon being hung up on, and his heart dropped. Yet at the same time, he understood why: save for Xiang Qingwei, no one else could anger their boss to such a degree.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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