On the way back home, it took time. While still on the plane, Song Fu received the message that the person had been found and sent to the hospital.
Assistant Zhang said the person was not seriously injured. When found, the person had been conscious, with only a minor head injury, and just needed to go through some checkups at the hospital.
“Then we’ll meet at the hospital.” Song Fu rubbed her temples, wondering how many hours it had been since she last slept.
Assistant Zhang was quick on the uptake. “Then I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up.”
After landing, they headed straight to the destination.
On a sunny afternoon, Song Fu grabbed her bag and went upstairs. Along the way, she ran into two or three familiar faces who were also there to visit. A slight nod served as a greeting. Three minutes later, through the window of the single-patient room, she spotted him.
His head was wrapped in a circle of white bandages. Whether due to psychological suggestion or the actual fact, the man’s already pale skin looked even paler. Only his eyelashes remained pitch black. He showed no particular expression, yet his brows seemed tense and irritable for no reason, like ice on the verge of cracking.
Song Fu pushed the door open and entered. “How did you manage to get yourself into this state?”
Yan Huai Xu’s dark eyes turned to her. The tension and irritability vanished in an instant. He summed it up in two words: “Bad luck.”
It was not a lie, but the high-level summary concealed some key details, seemingly to protect someone.
To expand on the plot, this segment involved the male and female leads entering the mountains for work to visit a famous monk. They took the cable car up the mountain, but on the way down, it unfortunately malfunctioned and stopped. There was an important meeting they could not miss afterward… The female lead had a good personality and had accompanied several friends up and down the mountain before, so she was somewhat familiar with it. She boldly suggested taking a less-known shortcut that would be faster.
She miscalculated. As soon as it got dark, the mountain she had been barely familiar with became instantly strange. The female lead had made a firm guarantee and felt too embarrassed to admit it outright, so she pressed on stubbornly. This led them astray, and with the coincidence of rain and a small-scale landslide, it created this accident that advanced the male and female leads’ relationship.
Song Fu placed her bag on the bedside table. Her gaze returned to the man’s face, then her thick eyelashes drooped lightly. “I asked Auntie Li to cook some tonic soup. It should arrive soon.” She sighed. “Didn’t you visit the temple while going up the mountain to pray for safety and smooth travels?”
“I did.”
“Not effective?”
Yan Huai Xu stared at her. “I prayed for something else. It worked.”
Workaholic. Song Fu was too lazy to ask what that “something else” was. Oh, wait—no, from the sound of it, it had already come true. Maybe he had wished for his insomnia to ease.
At that thought, she could not help but huff. She looked up and unexpectedly noticed that the dark circles under his eyes had not lessened; they were even heavier.
No helping it. Insomnia for so long could not be fixed with just one good night’s sleep.
Song Fu said insincerely, “Then next summer, I’ll go too.”
Yan Huai Xu’s thin lips pursed slightly. “You’re heading out again right after coming back?”
“No, things with my mom are done. She doesn’t need my help anymore.” Song Fu muttered, “What I mean is, it’s winter now. Climbing mountains is so cold.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she received a call. It was from the auntie at home saying the soup was ready and had arrived at the hospital. “Okay, wait in the lobby. I’ll send someone to get it.”
She stood up and opened the room door. Standing outside were two people: one was Assistant Zhang, and the other… Song Fu’s gaze landed on her. She was a somewhat short girl with a round face and a pair of almond eyes. When their eyes met, she showed panic and nervousness, like a little deer in the woods—innocent and pure at a glance.
Assistant Zhang greeted Song Fu and introduced the person standing beside him. “Miss Song, this is the new life assistant, Su Chuyun.”
Su Chuyun bowed directly and extended her hand at the same time, saying loudly, “Hello, Miss Song. I’m Su Chuyun.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. This incident was actually my fault. I was too overconfident, which caused President Yan to get injured and wasted so much time.”
Song Fu ignored the outstretched hand and acted arrogant in line with her character. She looked at the hospital gown on Su Chuyun and concluded, “You’re one of the ones who got trapped too?”
Su Chuyun withdrew her hand and nodded yes.
Song Fu crossed her arms and tsked lightly. “Assistant Zhang.”
Assistant Zhang responded.
Song Fu pressed him. “She’s a newbie, so being a bit dumb is fine. But you? A patient not resting properly and coming to apologize at her boss’s door—does the company have no humanity? If the media catches this and spins it as bullying workers, how do you plan to handle it?”
Assistant Zhang wanted to say it was a private hospital and the VIP rooms prioritized privacy, so no one could just come up. But he did not dare refute her. “I just advised her to go rest. Right, Assistant Su?”
Su Chuyun came to a realization and nodded repeatedly. “I’ll head back to my room right away.” She could not help but add an explanation. “I didn’t get hurt badly. I feel fine now, just got some saline. If any media spreads nonsense, I’ll definitely step forward to clarify.”
Assistant Zhang pushed her away.
Song Fu called out to Assistant Zhang. “Go to the lobby and get the tonic soup.”
Assistant Zhang, holding files, looked troubled. “I’ll deliver these files first, then go right away.” Work had piled up during the boss’s disappearance. These were the ones needing urgent handling; they could not be delayed further.
Su Chuyun raised her hand proactively. “I’ll go! I’ll get it!”
Song Fu did not stop her. She just watched until the figure disappeared around the corner at the elevator.
The little candy bean type female lead, full of vitality.
She thought about it. What was the reason the female supporting character always clashed with the female lead?
Oh, right. The female supporting character was infatuated with the male lead but not the type to give. She leaned toward constantly demanding, always making difficult requests of the male lead. If unsatisfied, she would immediately bring up the deceased Old Master Song.
The female lead, new to society, had not yet learned not to meddle. She stepped forward to confront the female supporting character.
Thus becoming a thorn in the female supporting character’s side.
Song Fu concluded: In front of the female lead, she needed to be harsher toward the male lead.
“Aren’t you supposed to deliver files? Why are you standing there like an idiot?” Song Fu turned and returned to the room.
As she listened to Assistant Zhang explain matters and recent work arrangements, Song Fu let out a huge yawn. “I’m so sleepy.”
After saying that, she directly reached out and pushed Yan Huai Xu, who was half-sitting on the bed. She pouted. “Get up. Let me lie down for a bit!”
Yan Huai Xu: “……”
And so he actually got up from the bed.
Assistant Zhang hesitated to speak. “The bed is actually pretty big.”
Song Fu ignored him and shook out the blanket to wrap herself up.
When Su Chuyun, who had fetched the tonic soup, returned and entered, she saw the patient sitting up handling work while the visitor lay on the bed sleeping soundly.
Under Assistant Zhang’s hint, she deliberately lightened her movements. She set down the soup and left with Assistant Zhang, who was taking the files.
Standing outside the door again, Su Chuyun glanced inside through the window. “The boss and Miss Song are like the TV dramas I watched as a kid.” The two had standard handsome man and beautiful woman looks—nothing to pick at. The atmosphere even came with its own pink bubbles.
Hearing this, Assistant Zhang, who had been about to leave, also took a look. He decided to give the newbie some mental preparation. “Regardless of whether you’ve heard or not, from just now, you should have some idea of Miss Song’s personality, right? She can sound harsh sometimes, but that’s just it—not targeting anyone specifically. If you can’t handle it, that’s understandable.”
“I’ve heard!” Su Chuyun’s eyes lit up. “Miss Song is a good person.”
Assistant Zhang let out a puzzled “Ah.” He did not think the statement was wrong, but based on the first impression from earlier, their Miss Song was definitely not in the easy-to-get-along category. “If you think that way, of course it’s good.”
No major issues. Once the checkup reports confirmed nothing serious, everyone returned to normal and went back to their posts to work.
Song Fu arrived at Yan Huai Xu’s office and saw her lazy sofa still there. In a good mood, she sat down. “Does your group really can’t function without you? What’s wrong with resting a couple days?”
Yan Huai Xu was reviewing files and said calmly, “I’ve already rested two days.”
Song Fu narrowed her peach blossom eyes in disbelief. “Your ‘already rested two days’—don’t tell me it includes the day you were trapped plus half a day in the hospital?”
Yan Huai Xu did not deny it. Song Fu knew she was right and was speechless for a moment. Just then, there was a knock at the door. After saying “Come in,” in walked Su Chuyun carrying cookies.
Su Chuyun briefly explained the ingredients in the cookies, then stood there without any intention of leaving. She looked straight at Song Fu and smiled awkwardly. “Miss Song, I heard you basically skip breakfast, but it’s still early for lunch, so I made some small wontons. You can have a bit to tide you over.”
She had not brought them with the cookies for fear the flavor would be too strong.
Song Fu had not expected it to involve her. Facing the goodwill, she hesitated. “No need. I’m on a diet. You eat them yourself.”
At the word “diet,” Su Chuyun opened her mouth, then said sincerely, “Miss Song, you’re already very slim.”
Song Fu propped her chin and said nothing.
Su Chuyun persisted. “What would you like for lunch then?”
Song Fu reached out and hooked Yan Huai Xu’s arm, smiling sweetly. “We’re going out to eat together, so no need for you to make anything.”
Su Chuyun nodded dimmly. “Okay.” She left the office immediately.
Song Fu also released Yan Huai Xu’s arm. She pondered: From the female lead’s reaction just now, had she already fallen for the male lead? But that should not be right. At this stage, it was clearly the male lead’s arrow pointing her way. The female lead should just be righteously indignant.
“What are we eating for lunch?” Yan Huai Xu asked her.
Song Fu tilted her head. “Japanese food, then shopping together. Don’t say anything about work. I’m the one you should be spending time with.”
Yan Huai Xu replied, “Got it.”
Got what? Song Fu thought the female supporting character’s arrogance was partly the male lead’s fault.
Was her observation poor, or was the male lead’s reluctance only visible to the female lead? Song Fu gave up. She grabbed a cookie and stuffed it into his mouth. “Too perfunctory. Penalty: say a hundred sentences to me every day.”
The cookie was chocolate-flavored.
Song Fu ate one too. It was very sweet.
Shopping was not particularly fun, especially with a companion who was like a human robot.
Song Fu swiped her card to pay, puffing her cheeks in annoyance. “Besides ‘good-looking’ and ‘buy,’ can anything else come out of your mouth? If you don’t want to shop with me, don’t make it so obvious.”
“I don’t mind accompanying you.” Yan Huai Xu denied it.
The sales assistant chimed in. “Yeah, yeah. Miss, you look good in anything. What else is there to say?”
Yan Huai Xu nodded in agreement. That was exactly what he thought. “Every piece suits you.”
Song Fu shrugged. “Of course. I’m not just picking randomly.”
Perhaps the engagement rings on their hands were too eye-catching. As they walked, they were stopped by staff at a wedding dress store entrance. The staff enthusiastically recommended, saying they looked like a match made in heaven. From the first glance, he had already thought of how to arrange the wedding. They had a rich selection of wedding attire.
With the attitude of not letting any potential customer slip, he asked, “Do you two have plans to get married?”
Song Fu curved her lips, preparing a polite refusal. “We’re still you…”
Before the word “young” could leave her mouth, she saw Yan Huai Xu nod. “We do.”
Song Fu whipped her head to look at him, eyes wide. What good did lying through his teeth get him? Oh, it could fend off the sales pitch.
The staff asked again, “Have you decided on the wedding planning company then?”
“Mm.” Yan Huai Xu gave another affirmative.
The staff looked regretful, saying their store had been one step late, but unwilling to give up, added, “You two could consider our company. If we can use it for promotion, there would be big discounts.”
“No need, thank you.”
Song Fu refused the exchange of contact info and pulled Yan Huai Xu forward, not daring to look back lest they get stopped again.
Once they were far enough, she settled the score. “Plans to get married, and even the company is decided?”
Yan Huai Xu’s steps paused. His thin lips parted slightly. “It’s necessary…”
Song Fu shook her head, interrupting. “If I said right now that I want to marry you, would you settle down?”
Yan Huai Xu did not understand what she meant, but he still stated his position. “We can get our marriage certificate first.”
Song Fu, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned her head. “Huh?”
Get their marriage certificate?
Who with whom? Her and Yan Huai Xu, the villainess and the male lead? “You… forget it.” She could show great mercy and forgive him; the male lead had not yet realized his own feelings and was just making a brainless remark. “There’s not even a proper marriage proposal ceremony. It’s so casual—I wouldn’t agree to that.”
“Alright.” The serious Yan Huai Xu did not know why it was “forget it” and just took it as Song Fu’s emotions fluctuating normally.
He had not lied. He had even reserved a venue through the company. Popular spots required appointments, so preparations had to be made in advance. Just like when Song Fu had suddenly said she wanted to get engaged to him at the birthday banquet—what if another banquet turned into her wanting to get married? Just in case.
However, Song Fu had reminded him. Even if the reserved venue could not be used for a wedding, it could still be used for a proposal ceremony.
They handled most of their work in the morning, but new tasks kept appearing. The two shopped until around four in the afternoon before returning to the company.
The most enthusiastic one turned out to be the female lead. She greeted them from far away, practically a model employee. “Boss, Miss Song, do you want to eat the lunch I made this afternoon?”
Song Fu was a bit stunned by this enthusiasm and pointed at Yan Huai Xu beside her. “I’ll pass. Just make his portion.”
Su Chuyun could not hide her disappointment and let out a wilted “Alright.” She remembered what Song Fu had said in the morning. “Miss Song, you’re already very slim and beautiful.”
Her emotions were written all over her face, impossible to ignore. But Song Fu truly could not understand. “Do you like cooking that much?”
Su Chuyun nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. “I love it. Really. My dream as a kid was to make food that everyone loves.” While other kids played house and pretended to be mom or dad, she liked to play chef. “Miss Song, my cooking really tastes great. Won’t you try some?”
Song Fu could not quite understand this persistence and put her harsh words up front. “I’m very picky.”
Su Chuyun’s enthusiasm was undeterred. “Miss Song, what would you like to eat?”
Song Fu: “……Anything.”
Hadn’t the female lead even asked the male lead what he wanted?
Near the end of the workday, Su Chuyun appeared with two identical portions of food. She used small bowls about half a palm wide, holding a simple three dishes and one soup—standard single servings: cola chicken wings, garlic shrimp, veggie meatballs, and corn rib soup. The moment the door opened, the tantalizing aroma hit them, making their mouths water.
Song Fu picked up her chopsticks, stared at by those bright, eager eyes. She could not squeeze out any nitpicky words from her throat.
“The rib soup is too bland. She doesn’t like it.” Surprisingly, it was Yan Huai Xu who critiqued first.
It was true—the clear, plain broth did not suit Song Fu’s taste. But she was wondering how Yan Huai Xu could bear to say it out loud.
Su Chuyun, the one being critiqued, froze for a moment. “Then I’ll improve it next time.” She still gazed at Song Fu with burning eyes. “Try the shrimp. I peeled them.”
Song Fu kept a straight face as she ate a bite, nearly failing to control her expression and blurting out “Wow.” She remembered to stay harsh, recalling the unreasonable judges from food shows and aping their lines exactly. “I can’t say what’s wrong with it, but it doesn’t surprise. It’s just ordinarily tasty. Do you get what I mean?”
Su Chuyun was like an obedient elementary student who took the teacher’s word as gospel. She clearly did not get it but still nodded. “I’ll innovate next time.”
Her compliant attitude made it hard for Song Fu to imagine the female lead clashing head-on with the villainess. She picked up another shrimp. “No need to peel the shrimp shells next time on purpose. I like my fiancé to peel them for me.”
Su Chuyun again: “Got it.”
Yan Huai Xu, who had inexplicably gained shrimp-peeling duty: “……Alright.”
Although Song Fu had given it an “ordinarily tasty” review, she still honestly ate most of the food.
In the blink of an eye, Su Chuyun had adjusted her mood and was back to full energy. “Miss Song, if there’s anything you like to eat, just order. I can make it all.”
Was this normal? Song Fu thought the answer was no.
“Yan Huai Xu, don’t work tomorrow afternoon. Come play with me.” The words came out of nowhere, abrupt and utterly capricious.
As she spoke, Song Fu watched Su Chuyun’s subtle expressions, trying to spot some hidden emotion. She failed.
Su Chuyun was single-mindedly focused on her job. “Should I make lunch in the afternoon then?”
Yan Huai Xu asked, “Where are we going on our date?”
Two questions awaited Song Fu’s answer, and she had not thought of either.