Chapter 71: Extra 1
On an autumn morning, pale sunlight shone into the hospital corridor.
Patients and their families were queuing at the window, waiting for their numbers to be called to collect their reports.
Song Yuli stood on the periphery of the crowd, carefully looking through the examination reports in the file folder.
The phone in her pocket suddenly buzzed.
Yuli took out her phone, opened the flip cover. It was an unknown number.
Yuli pressed the answer button. “Hello, hi.”
“Hello, may I ask if this is Miss Song… Yu… Li?”
The voice on the other end was a polite and kind female voice, but she pronounced her name with particular emphasis.
Yuli paused. “This is she. May I ask who is calling?”
“I am from the HR department of Mingyan Capital Management Co., Ltd. We have seen your resume and it is very suitable for the assistant position in our president’s office. We would like to invite you for an interview. When would be a convenient time for you?”
After sending her gambler father to prison, Yuli had changed back to her original name before transmigrating and had brought her mother to the capital for treatment. She had updated her resume on the website, but she remembered that she had not yet applied to any company.
Yuli looked at the medical staff who had come out with the reports and were about to call out names. “I’m sorry, I’m in the capital right now and can’t go back for an interview.”
The other party was friendly and smiling. “That’s perfect, Miss Song. As long as you are free, no matter which city you are in, our company can arrange for you to have an interview on the spot. It would be even better in the capital. You can meet our president today.”
“Li Meijuan!” the nurse called out the name loudly.
Yuli: “I’m sorry, I’m not looking for a job at the moment. I’m sorry.” After Yuli finished speaking, she hung up the phone and went through the crowd to take the ultrasound report from the nurse.
All the preoperative reports were ready. Yuli went to the chief physician’s office.
“All the indicators are fine. You can go into surgery in the next two days.”
“Mm, alright, thank you, Dr. Liu.”
The doctor looked up at her from the report. She had casually tied her long hair behind her head and was wearing a white shirt and jeans. She was tall but extremely thin.
A girl from out of town, bringing her mother here for treatment, and no other family members were seen.
She was beautiful, polite, and understanding. The chief physician was a girl, also young, and was very enthusiastic towards her.
She took out the informed consent form. Yuli looked at it and signed it without asking many questions.
Dr. Liu said, “It’s best not to eat this morning. There are still two more in front…”
Yuli’s phone vibrated again. It was a capital area code but an unknown number. She hung up.
The doctor continued, “If everything goes smoothly, you can go into surgery in the afternoon…”
The phone buzzed again.
“You should take it first.”
Yuli did not walk away but answered it. The other party began, “Miss Song, I’m sorry to disturb you. Our president is going on a business trip abroad this afternoon and may not be back for more than a month. If it’s convenient now, please come to the Mingyu Building for a meeting. Our company has a high salary and good benefits. As long as you pass the interview, you will definitely be satisfied.”
In this book, Yuli’s original identity was a pure and resilient little white flower who had dropped out of high school. After she transmigrated, she had gone through a lot of hardships to finish university, and finding a job had also been a series of twists and turns. Although it was easy for university students to find a job in this time and place, it was unlikely that they would be so eager for her to go for an interview.
Yuli thought it might be a pyramid scheme. After saying that she was not free for the time being, she hung up the phone.
Dr. Liu looked at her. “The prognosis for breast cancer in our hospital is still good. Now that you’ve reached the stage of surgery, you should think more about your future.”
Yuli smiled. “You heard me. I’m really not free these two days.”
“You’ll be even less free after the surgery. I know that place. It’s the capital’s CBD, not far from here. You’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“But my mom…”
“I’ll call you if anything happens.”
Yuli thought for a moment. “Thank you, Dr. Liu.”
After leaving the doctor’s office, her phone rang again.
Yuli answered it.
It was a friendly female voice. “Miss Song, where are you now? If it’s convenient, I’ll come and find you. If you’re really busy, just fill out the information first and take a picture.”
Yuli: “No need. I’ll come for an interview now. I’m at the People’s Hospital. How do I get there?”
“Just take a taxi and say Mingyu Building. It’s very fast…”
Yuli pursed her lips. “I want to take the bus.”
The other party did not pause and gave her the bus number.
*
Yuli returned to her mother Li Meijuan’s ward.
The breast cancer had not yet reached the most serious stage. She had taken a lot of medicine to control it. Li Meijuan was wearing a knitted hat.
She had been in a daze, but when she saw her daughter come, she smiled.
Yuli told her that she was going out for a while. “If anything happens, press this and find Dr. Liu.”
Li Meijuan: “I know. My tumor is not in my brain.”
Yuli also laughed. “The doctor said you might go into surgery this afternoon. You’ll have to be hungry for a while. After your surgery, I’ll bring you some spicy hot pot.”
“No, the spicy hot pot here is not good.”
Yuli’s hand holding the backpack paused. “Then after you’re discharged, I’ll make it for you.”
They couldn’t go back to their hometown for the time being. Coming to the capital for treatment would cost all her savings. To save money, Yuli had been sleeping on a companion bed by Li Meijuan’s hospital bed, washing up and eating in the hospital, and going to the public bathhouse every other day for a shower. After she was discharged, they still had no place to live.
But Yuli did not regret coming to the capital. As long as she could cure Li Meijuan’s illness, it was worth being penniless and homeless.
Li Meijuan was not very educated and always thought she would not survive, but she did not bring it up.
“Alright, make me a few more good meals,” Li Meijuan said.
Yuli took the bag with her clothes and shoes, went to the bathroom to change into a slightly more formal, crisp shirt and black trousers, but she only had white shoes, so she had to make do with them.
On the bus, looking at the street scene outside, Yuli was in a daze, thinking of the days she had worked in a big city in her previous life, and the days after she had come to this world.
It was when Li Meijuan was diagnosed with cancer that she had realized that this was an old novel she had read.
The female lead had a gambler father, a seriously ill mother, had dropped out of junior high school, had worked in a hotel, had met a privileged male lead, had had a one-night stand, and then had become a contract lover. Because of the class difference and a vicious female supporting character, she had run away with a baby in the end. At the same time, the male lead had come to chase her, but had fallen from his horse halfway. Years later, the female lead with a child and the male lead had reconciled.
This was an old high-ranking official novel she had read.
And she had become the female lead, but she hadn’t realized it at first. Relying on the inertia of her previous life, she had deviated from the plot, had gone to university, had not worked in a hotel, and had not met the so-called male lead.
But, the suffering of the original female lead had fallen on her in double.
Her gambler father had wanted her to drop out of junior high school. It was Li Meijuan who had worked desperately to pay off his debts, had protected her, and had earned her tuition fees, allowing her to go to university.
She had thought that after going to university, she would have escaped from her original family. Unexpectedly, just as she was looking for a job in her senior year and wanted to secretly take Li Meijuan away, the debt collectors had come to their door, had smashed their home, and had put them mother and daughter under house arrest.
For three days, they had not had a single bite of food, had been verbally abused, and had been threatened with knives and sticks.
It was at that time that she had remembered that according to the plot, the male lead should have descended from the sky to save the beauty.
It turned out that all her suffering was because she was a resilient and stubborn pure female lead.
But when she was suffering, the male lead had not appeared.
He had not appeared when she was fired for being late for her report.
He had not appeared when she was forced to resign from her new unit after the debt collectors had come to make a scene.
He had still not appeared when Li Meijuan was injured and hospitalized and was diagnosed with cancer.
He had still not appeared when her gambler father had rushed to the hospital and had snatched her bank card for payment.
When the doctor was urging for payment of medical fees, she had once thought, where was the hotel where the one-night stand had happened in the original plot? After the original timeline had passed, could she still find it?
Her domineering and irritable male lead, who would turn red-eyed and press her against a wall at the drop of a hat, but was rich and powerful, where was he?
A month ago, she had reported that gambling den to the police. Her gambler father had been sent to a detention center. She had immediately changed her name, had left her hometown with Li Meijuan overnight, and had come to the capital for treatment.
As long as Li Meijuan’s surgery was over, all the hardships would be over. Whether the male lead appeared or not was not so important anymore.
*
When she reached the place, just as Yuli got off the bus, a lady in a uniform came up to her.
Even though they had never met, Yuli guessed at a glance that she was from that company’s HR department, and the other party also recognized her at a glance.
They looked at each other and both laughed.
“Chen Xiyun. Miss Song, hello,” Chen Xiyun said with a very bright smile.
Yuli, on the other hand, was much more reserved and restrained.
Xiyun did not delay and led her into the building.
It was a typical central business district building, all glass curtain walls. Standing downstairs, one would have to crane one’s neck to see the top.
Xiyun entered the elevator and pressed the 4th floor. Unexpectedly, unlike the big companies in her previous life, which were on high floors, this company was actually on the fourth floor.
After getting out of the elevator, Yuli could see that this company was indeed not short of money.
The decoration was a new Chinese style that was rare in this time and place. The floor was carpeted, and there was even a rockery inside. The lighting was also very exquisite. The boss was a very particular and tasteful person.
There were not many employees, and the workstations were far apart. Walking on the carpet was silent.
Xiyun was wearing high heels, elegant and approachable.
When they reached the interview room, Yuli sat down and stretched her inappropriate white shoes under the table.
After filling out the application form, Xiyun did not ask any questions but took it. “Our president has just finished a meeting and has to leave for his flight in half an hour. He’ll see you first.”
Yuli had never seen such an eager HR person before. She was a little uneasy, and her clothes were also inappropriate, so she was a little reserved.
But Xiyun seemed to be even more nervous than her.
She led her to the door of the president’s office, knocked, and a “come in” came from inside.
The door opened with a click, and the sofa and coffee table inside were revealed. Xiyun walked in.
“Mr. Xie, Miss Song Yuli is here.”
Yuli entered behind her, put on a smile, and a very pleasing face appeared behind the large desk. She was taken aback for a moment.
The phone in her pocket rang at an inopportune time.
She took it out. It was Dr. Liu.
“I’m sorry,” Yuli said, turning around as she answered the phone.
“Hello, Dr. Liu,” she said, paused, and then strode out. “I’ll be right back.”
“Hey,” Chen Xiyun’s surprised voice came from behind. She didn’t even turn her head. The elevator was too slow. She pushed open the safety door and ran down the stairs.
Xie Yao and Xiyun, who had been following her in a hurry, stopped in the elevator hall.
Xiyun was so anxious that she couldn’t hide her excitement. “Mr. Xie, is she that Song Yuli?”
According to her former colleague, since the company was founded, Mr. Xie had been looking for a girl named Song Yuli all over the country, for eleven years.
Since she had joined the company, she had been refreshing and searching on the job search website every day for five years.
For a full five years, how many Song Yulis had come to the door, but had been sent away by him calmly? Today, she had finally found her. How could she not be excited?
Xie Yao did not answer her. “Cancel the flight. Inform the foreign country that all meetings are cancelled.”
“Alright,” Chen Xiyun agreed.
After Xie Yao finished speaking, he turned and went down the safety passage.
When he reached the outside of the building, he saw Yuli getting into a taxi.
His wife, with whom he had shared a bed for fifty years in his previous life, and had been buried in the same grave after death, looked the same as when she was young.
He had not changed either, but she seemed not to recognize him anymore.
Xie Yao’s heart was pounding violently, as if he were having an episode again, uncontrollably in pain and depressed, wanting to destroy something to relieve it.
Several taxis drove by quickly. He held his heart, a little breathless.
Chen Xiyun chased after him in time and handed him the form that Yuli had filled out. “Mr. Xie, don’t be anxious. Her address and contact information are all here.”
Xie Yao took it and glanced at it. Former name, Song Yi.
It was the name of the female lead in this book. She had dropped out of high school at sixteen, had had a one-night stand with the male lead at twenty, and had been dragged down by her gambler father and seriously ill mother. She had been at her wit’s end time and again, and had been saved by the male lead time and again.
And this year, she was twenty-six.
How had she gotten through these years?
Sweat broke out on Xie Yao’s forehead, and his face suddenly lost all color.
“Mr. Xie! Wait, I’ll get you some medicine!”
“No need. Have the driver bring the car. Let’s go to her home.”
But her registered residence was in another province, and the address column was blank.
Xiyun called the driver and told him, “She came from the People’s Hospital. It might be that something happened to her family.”
Xie Yao calmed down a little. “Let’s go to the hospital.”
*
The two patients in front had suddenly had a situation, and Li Meijuan was about to go into the operating room.
Yuli rushed to the hospital by taxi. She was already ready outside the operating room.
She was panting, and sweat had wet her bangs. She smiled and held her hand. “Mom, I just went for an interview at a company. They’re going to give me a very high salary. After you come out, we’ll settle down in the capital. From now on, it will be all peaceful and good days. You have to be healthy and be with me, okay?”
Li Meijuan was a little nervous but still forced a smile and nodded.
Yuli believed in medicine and also believed that this was the best hospital for treating breast cancer in this time and place.
But after Li Meijuan went into the operating room, she was still a little on the verge of a breakdown.
She was so afraid of losing her. They had gotten through so many desperate and helpless times. Why did they have to be tested like this?
Who on earth had written this angsty novel? A few light words, and it was her whole life.
Yuli sat on a waiting chair, and tears fell one by one.
There were other people in the corridor also waiting for their family members in the operating room. They were all whole families gathered together, with men, women, old, and young. She was the only one alone.
She didn’t dare to cry out loud, afraid of being seen. Crying in public was already embarrassing enough. Without anyone to comfort her, how embarrassing would that be?
After crying for a while, she was better. She wiped away her tears, took out her phone, and wanted to call the HR of that company to try to salvage the situation.
But the phone vibrated first. It was an unknown number, but she had a feeling it was that HR person.
She cleared her throat, put on a smile, and then answered, “Hello, hi.”
There was a moment of silence on the phone, and then a deep and slightly hoarse voice sounded.
“Hello, I am the president of Mingyan Capital.”
At the end of the corridor, Xie Yao, with his back to the operating room, saw from the reflection in the window that Yuli had sat up a little straighter.
“Mr. Xie, hello,” Yuli had just cried, but she quickly put on a serious and rational attitude.
She heard the phone say, “I will interview you directly.”
“Alright.”
According to the procedure, she should have made a self-introduction first. There was a moment of silence on the phone. She was about to speak when she heard the other party ask, “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Yuli paused. “No.”
The other party also paused. She added, “Unmarried, no children, single, and not planning to get married.”
The other party paused for even longer. Her heart was pounding. She still wanted to make a self-introduction.
“How soon can you start?” the other party asked again.
“I have to take care of my mother, so I might not be able to…”
“You’re hired,” he said, sounding a little eager.
Yuli was a little puzzled but still finished, “My mother is sick. I have to take care of her, so I might not be able to start soon.”
She was already prepared for the interview to end.
The other party said again, “You can start at any time. I’ll provide you with food and lodging, and you can name your salary.”
Yuli was silent. This must be a pyramid scheme.
She was about to hang up when a very serious voice came from the phone. “I had a master read your name. It will bring me wealth. As long as you come to my company, I will be able to make a fortune every day.”
Yuli had seen some bosses who believed in feng shui, but it was the first time she had heard such a ridiculous excuse. Yuli didn’t believe it, but a flash of inspiration crossed her mind.
Yuli: “May I ask, Mr. Xie’s name?”
“Xie Yao.”
Yuli was in a daze for a moment.
Her male lead had finally appeared.