Night fell, the ink-black sky above the city cast in a mysterious glow by the brilliant lights.
Ever since his last failed interview, Xia Chen had chosen to simply let things slide.
He went to the night market alone, ordering a dozen skewers of deep-fried meat and vegetables alongside two bottles of beer. The moment the food and alcohol hit his mouth, his irritation instantly melted away.
"As expected, the night market is the ultimate destination for the unemployed," Xia Chen muttered to himself after finishing his skewers.
Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't find a job at all; he was entirely capable of handling ordinary entry-level positions at various companies. It was just that he couldn't bring himself to shed his scholarly pride and take on menial work.
"Forget it. If things really get desperate, I'll just go back to my old company."
Faced with reality, Xia Chen had no choice but to resign himself to fate. After all, there was now Shi Yao living in his home, and their future expenses would only grow.
Back at his former company, he had managed to coast along as an engineering director. A director's position wasn't terribly grand, but it wasn't insignificant either. Back then, some rank-and-file employees would even slip him cartons of high-end cigarettes just to get him to pull strings for them.
Yet returning to his old company wasn't as simple as just snapping his fingers.
After all, when he left, he had been arrogant and full of himself; now, unemployed and desperate, his very survival was in question.
"Whatever. At worst, I'll just get on my knees and kowtow to the boss. They say a real man's knees are worth a fortune, but it's time to cash that in."
Having finished his last bottle of beer, Xia Chen made up his mind.
Before leaving, he remembered to buy a portion of egg fried rice for Shi Yao.
When Xia Chen arrived at the hospital with the fried rice, he found Shi Yao sitting on the bed, knitting a scarf.
The young woman's dignified little face was etched with deep concentration. Her delicate, jade-like hands maneuvered the knitting needles with effortless skill, every single stitch imbued with her heartfelt affection.
Seeing this, and goodness knows where he got the confidence, Xia Chen walked right up to her and blurted out, "Is that scarf for me?"
His voice reached the girl's ears, and Shi Yao's previously serious face instantly lit up with joy.
She smiled softly, "Yes, the weather is turning chilly.If Xia Chen older brother wears this scarf when he goes out, he won't be cold anymore."
Due to special circumstances, Xia Chen's visiting hours were limited. Therefore, whenever she was left alone in the hospital room, she would stare longingly out the window, eagerly anticipating the fall of night.
It wasn't until a nurse saw her constantly staring out the window in a daze that she took pity on her and gave her the knitting needles and yarn.
The girl's words felt like sweet honey spreading through Xia Chen's heart.
"Thank you, Shi Yao."
Because of his recent interview failures, his voice sounded somewhat weary.
Shi Yao shook her head, stopping her work. A look of sadness crossed her features.
"This is only right," the girl murmured, biting her lip so softly her voice was barely audible.Then, her tone shifted, "Xia Chen brother, do you perhaps not like me?"
"Ah? Why would you say that?" Xia Chen asked, startled and bewildered. He didn't think he had said anything wrong.Shi Yao lowered her gaze, her voice as faint as a cicada's wing, "Ever since I said those words last time, the smile on Xia Chen older brother's face has been getting fewer and fewer."
The girl tightly clenched her sleeves in her hands, her bright eyes filming over with a thin layer of mist.
Xia Chen hadn't expected the little girl to be so observant—even moods he hadn't noticed himself had been seen right through by her.
Only, she had guessed completely wrong. At that time, he had simply been in a bad mood from being rejected everywhere he interviewed; it had nothing whatsoever to do with Shi Yao.
At this thought, a gentle smile returned to Xia Chen's face.
"You silly girl, you're overthinking it. I've indeed been feeling a bit frustrated lately because of work, but that's strictly about my career—it has nothing to do with you at all. Besides, since I promised to take care of you, I will never break my word."
Xia Chen's words were like an autumn breeze, blowing away the fog in the girl's heart.Upon learning the truth, the little girl pondered for a long time before nodding solemnly, "I understand, Xia Chen older brother. I promise I'll never let my imagination run wild again. Once I'm discharged, I'll work really hard to make money.I can move bricks at construction sites during the day and sell skewers at night, so Xia Chen older brother mustn't be unhappy anymore."
He could understand the first part of what she said, but the rest sounded stranger the more he listened to it. Just who was supposed to be supporting whom here?
"Actually, it's not that dramatic. Don't worry, no matter how poor I get, I'd never let you go out to work," Xia Chen said from the bottom of his heart. As a proud, upstanding man, how could he possibly let a young girl go out and labor to support him?Shi Yao blinked, her pretty eyes shimmering, "I'm sorry, Xia Chen brother. It's all my fault for being such a burden."
"No, why don't you understand? I already told you, this has nothing to do with you. Even without you, certain things would still happen anyway."
Xia Chen frowned. He felt that Shi Yao still had far too little self-esteem and always liked to shoulder the blame herself. Given the chance in the future, he was determined to make the little girl more confident.
Seeing the sternness in Xia Chen's tone, Shi Yao tucked her little head in like an ostrich and dared not say another word.
Seeing the girl playing the shrinking violet once more, Xia Chen sighed helplessly and said with a straight face, "Shi Yao, you don't need to worry about money; I'll figure something out. Right now, your only task is to finish this bowl of egg fried rice."
He placed the packaged egg fried rice on the girl's lap, steam still rising from the container.
Enticed by the aroma of the food, Shi Yao, who had been keeping her head lowered, slowly looked up. Like a startled fawn, she cast a cautious glance at Xia Chen."Xia Chen gege should eat first."
"I've already eaten. This was bought specially for you. Finish it and go to sleep early; tomorrow, I'm taking you home."
The girl's words warmed Xia Chen's heart, but he truly couldn't eat another bite right now.
"Home?" Hearing that crucial keyword, Shi Yao nodded excitedly on the bed, then picked up her chopsticks and began to slowly savor the food.
This was the first time she had successfully eaten a hot bowl of egg fried rice. Last time, because she had been kidnapped, she never got to eat the egg fried rice from the night market.
Still, she didn't regret it. If she were given another chance, she would still choose to show Sister Li the way—only this time, she would be obedient and not put up any resistance.If she did that, would she be able to watch with her own eyes as Brother Xia Chen rushed in to rescue her and beat up the bad guys?
Watching the young woman eating and giggling foolishly to herself, Xia Chen couldn't help muttering inwardly.
"What is this silly girl smiling about? Is a box of egg fried rice really that good?"
Little did he know, deep within the corners of the girl's eyes, a single tear had already formed, though it stubbornly refused to fall.
Half a month later, the girl's injuries had mostly healed.
After paying the hospital discharge fees, Xia Chen hurried without stopping toward Shi Yao's hospital room. Right now, all he wanted was to take the little girl home as quickly as possible.
"Shi Yao, are your things all packed? If they are, we can leave right now."
When Xia Chen reached the room, he found the girl folding her quilt.Shi Yao smoothed the hospital bed quilt, then trotted all the way over to Xia Chen and replied obediently, "They're all packed, Xia Chen older brother."
The little girl was still wearing that same yellowed sweater, but compared to when they first met, there was now a renewed vitality about her.
"Good, let's go then."
"Mmh."