In the crowded corridor of the hospital, people were lined up waiting, doors to consultation rooms open, doctors in white coats sitting behind white curtains, the faces of patients anxious. Lai Hui ran through the noisy corridor, her footsteps echoing “tap, tap, tap,” passing by patients and their families. Despite her speed, why could he still see her anxious expression so clearly? Reaching the end of the corridor, she finally stopped in front of the operating room. Ouyang Qingshao had a cigarette dangling unlit from his lips, his brows furrowed with worry, much like any other family member of a patient, his face etched with anxiety. Lai Hui, her hand pressed against her chest, took a deep breath. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see clearly; rather, she was too familiar with hospitals. Ever since her mother fell ill, she seemed to live in the hospital. The smell of disinfectant, the white curtains, the steel frames, they were like another world to her — a world she was used to, yet deeply despised. But there were always those who insisted on sending themselves here. “How is Cheng Lan doing? What exactly happened?” Lai Hui asked urgently as Ouyang approached her. “It’s just a minor operation, she’ll be fine once they stitch her up,” Ouyang said, glancing at the red light outside the operating room. “A minor operation? She’ll be fine once they stitch her up?” Lai Hui stared at him, her eyes burning holes into his face, her fists clenched. She shouted, “She tried to slit her wrists!” And he could say she’d be fine once stitched up? He could be so dismissive, as if the person being rescued in the operating room was just any stranger off the street. Lai Hui couldn’t believe he could be so indifferent. She vividly remembered three years ago when he publicly drank from the same cup as Cheng Lan, professing his love for her, promising to cherish her, and now, Cheng Lan, heartbroken by him, had given up on life, and he could so coldly say she’d be fine after a few stitches. Could the feelings Cheng Lan invested in him be repaired with just a few stitches? Could the youth she wasted on him be compensated with a few stitches? Could the career, family, and friends she sacrificed be reclaimed with just a few stitches? “I mean… don’t worry, Alan will be fine, definitely fine!” Ouyang hastily clarified, his eyes wide, his hands waving in the air as if trying to part Lai Hui’s skull to inject his words directly into her mind. Lai Hui, usually adept at handling all situations, just gave him a cold glance, stepped around him, and without any emotion, said, “Ouyang, what you should care about isn’t what I think!” Ouyang moved in front of her again. Lai Hui didn’t want to look at that vulgar face, which nauseated her. She looked down at her shoe tips, interrupting before Ouyang could make another excuse. “If you’re afraid to face Alan, you might as well leave now! Besides, if Alan sees you after her surgery, it might affect her recovery!” Ouyang was stunned; he hadn’t expected Lai Hui, always gentle, to say something so harsh. But for Zhou Yuqian’s sake, he could only suppress his anger, his voice dry. “This… oh… um, I’ll go downstairs for a smoke!” After he left, Lai Hui looked up at the red light of the operating room, her eyes glistening with tears. How could she be so foolish? Was it worth it for someone like him? After the surgery, due to significant blood loss, Cheng Lan was transferred to a regular ward to continue receiving blood. When she woke up, the sky was painted with the red hues of evening. Lai Hui, looking at Cheng Lan’s vacant eyes and pale face, gently asked, “Does it still hurt?” Cheng Lan shortly responded with two words. “No pain!” “Do you want to eat something? I can go get it for you! Look, you haven’t eaten all day, you won’t be able to walk soon!” Lai Hui, seeing Cheng Lan staring at the bandages on her wrist, quickly changed the subject. “Lai Hui, don’t be so cautious. I won’t be foolish again. If I wanted to die, I wouldn’t have called him to bring me to the hospital!” She said weakly, her eyes still empty, devoid of even a single tear. “Leave him, Cheng Lan!” Lai Hui said again. Cheng Lan gave a bitter, empty smile. “I can’t leave him anymore. Do you know what he did to me? He gave me a check as a breakup fee, told me to take the money and get as far away as possible!” He’s truly heartless, Lai Hui thought, cursing him silently. “Then leave him, you can live without him!” Cheng Lan’s expression was desolate. She whispered, “You wouldn’t believe it, but in the three years with him, aside from living expenses, I never asked him for anything valuable, and now he insults me with money, which I refuse to take. How am I supposed to survive? How am I supposed to live from now on?” If it were her, she wouldn’t be so naive, Lai Hui thought, but she didn’t urge Cheng Lan to take the money, only saying, “You can work, didn’t you do well at Ouyang’s company before?” Cheng Lan lifted her hand with the IV, placing it over Lai Hui’s hand, saying helplessly, “Many in the industry know about my relationship with Ouyang. If I join those companies, I might be exposed before I even start. And in other industries, my age and lack of recent work experience make me an undesirable candidate!” Lai Hui felt a chill. Cheng Lan was nearly 29, without management experience, unable to compete with younger candidates in this city full of talent, finding a job would be like climbing to heaven. She sighed internally. When Cheng Lan was with Ouyang, she was about the same age, how could she be so naive to think love could conquer all, now ending up with nothing, wounded, having wasted three crucial years of marriage, career, and family, until she was forced into a corner. Lai Hui could only pity her misfortune and be angry at her lack of struggle. At this age, still treating love as everything, foolishly not saving any money for a safety net, ending up like this, all she could blame was her faux sophistication, her head filled with nothing but tofu dregs. But remembering how Cheng Lan once helped her father find work, Lai Hui couldn’t bear to leave her to fend for herself. Biting her lower lip, she hesitantly said, “I’ll ask Zhou Yuqian for help!” Cheng Lan shook her head vigorously. “Zhou Yuqian’s company is large, many executives know me, and people talk. Let me think of something myself!” Lai Hui realized it was inappropriate; if Zhou Yuqian dumped her and didn’t give her money, she couldn’t go to Xie Jiayi’s company or work under Ouyang again. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly grasped Cheng Lan’s fingers, saying, “I have a way, one of my friends is a senior executive at a foreign company, I’ll go talk to him later!” “Not related to Ouyang?” Cheng Lan couldn’t believe it; aside from Zhou Yuqian, where did Lai Hui have connections, especially with a foreign company? Lai Hui nodded quickly. “No relation, he’s Zhou Yuqian’s client.” Seeing hope in Cheng Lan’s eyes, she added, “I’m not sure if it’ll work, but I’ll try!” Xie Jiayi was in need of an assistant, so he readily agreed. However, foreign companies aren’t like domestic ones where just anyone can walk in. The interview and assessment procedures were still necessary. Since Cheng Lan was personally recommended by the general manager and would be working under him, it was expected to be smooth sailing, and she directly entered the probationary period. Lai Hui felt relieved. Jiayi held her hand and said, “Don’t worry, during the time she’s recovering, I’ll teach her some things to help her pass the interview smoothly!”
“Will it cause you any trouble? What if someone says you’re playing favorites?” Lai Hui asked worriedly.
