Chapter 15
Morning.
Yun Chu and Xia Zhiruo arrived at the inpatient department of the Beijing Third People’s Hospital together.
Inside the elevator, Xia Zhiruo whispered, “Zhao Feng’s family is not doing well right now. His parents’ only source of income is a few restaurants, and all their money has been poured into medical expenses, but it’s still not enough.”
When Yun Chu went to prison on behalf of Yun Xiaoxiao before, the only people she felt guilty toward were Zhao Feng and his family. Because of her cheesecake softheartedness, the truly guilty person escaped prison, leaving her with an immense sense of guilt toward the victim.
Yun Chu asked, “Roughly how much is needed?”
Xia Zhiruo couldn’t help but sigh. “It costs over 300,000 a month. The main issue is that he’s currently in a vegetative state, entirely dependent on medication to stay alive, and it can’t be stopped.”
This kind of figure could crush so many ordinary families.
The two walked to the door of the ward but didn’t go inside. Yun Chu was afraid that seeing Zhao Feng’s parents would make her emotionally unstable. Looking through the glass window of the ward door, the man on the hospital bed looked deathly pale, with tubes connected all over his body, and the monitoring equipment next to the bed stood tightly side by side.
He was the same age as her. After serving her prison sentence, she could at least start over. But what about him? Would he ever have a day where he woke up?
“Let’s go.” Yun Chu lowered her head despondently and walked away from the ward door.
Not long after she left, Zhao Feng’s mother walked into the ward, followed by Liu Mingwei.
“Auntie, Zhao Feng and I are old classmates. If you ever need anything in the future, you can come to me.”
Zhao Feng’s mother was an ordinary housewife with a simple mind and no hidden agendas. She was good to whoever treated her well.
“Thank you. Ever since he collapsed, no one has come to visit him.” Her emotions grew intense, her eyes turning red and welling up with tears. “Please sit down for a moment, I’ll go wash some fruit for you.”
Liu Mingwei nodded.
After Zhao Feng’s mother left, he leaned down to Zhao Feng’s ear and whispered, “It’s been three years. How are you still not dead?”
Back then, he had been sent abroad overnight by Mu Shenglan under the guise of pursuing advanced studies, but it was actually out of fear that people would find out he was one of the primary culprits. If it weren’t for Mu Ze marrying the Yun family’s fiancĂŠe this time, he might not even have been able to return.
Liu Mingwei helped him straighten his hospital gown, and finally, his hand rested on the oxygen tube on Zhao Feng’s face. With a smile on his face, he pulled it out of the nasal cavity bit by bit. On the monitor, clear signs of an irregular heartbeat began to appear.
“Oh, don’t get excited, I’m just playing around with you.”
Afterward, he put the oxygen tube back as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Feng’s mother pushed the door open and came in, holding a plate of apples.
“Auntie, I have some things to take care of later, so I’ll be leaving now.”
“Alright, thank you for today.”
Hospital billing counter.
Yun Chu took out the 500,000 she had earned from her last freelance job and deposited all of it into Zhao Feng’s account. This was the only thing she could do.
The billing staff said impatiently, “You need to raise money quickly. The account was over 400,000 in arrears before, and this won’t be enough for next month’s medical expenses.”
Yun Chu said, “Alright.”
After leaving the hospital, Xia Zhiruo asked Yun Chu, “How about I pay for him from now on? Anyway, my dad gives me plenty of money.”
Yun Chu knew she wanted to help, but this was a burden she felt she ought to bear herself. “It’s fine, I’ll figure out a way.”
Yun Chu returned to the company absentmindedly. Xiao He, who had just come back from outside, saw her hanging her head. He called out to her from behind, “Yun Chu? Did something happen to you?”
Yun Chu hesitated repeatedly before asking, “Do you know of any ways to make money? The kind where you can earn 300,000 to 400,000 a month.”
She knew nothing about jobs in society. Aside from the freelance gig she took earlier, the only work she had done was cleaning Mu Ze’s office.
Mu Ze glanced at the documents in his hand, a flash of grimness crossing his eyes. He said confidently, “This is easy to handle. Working on projects in the company comes with commissions. I just took over a real estate project recently that needs promotion. I can bring you along; the commission is quite high. I can also introduce you to a few ways to make money in the design industry.”
Her difficult problem was instantly given an outlet, and her eyes lit up. “Thank you so much. You’re helping me so much, I almost feel embarrassed.”
Although they had collaborated a few times back in university, their relationship had been just average. Lately, she felt like she was constantly troubling him.
“It’s fine. If the project is completed well, I get a commission too.” Xiao He flashed a perfect smile.
To join the project team, she had to pass Mu Ze first.
As soon as Yun Chu entered the top-floor office, she found the man sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting. She leaned in to look closely at him. She had to admit, his face was truly handsome, not losing to any male celebrity at all.
“Have you seen enough?” Mu Ze slowly opened his eyes.
Yun Chu replied naturally without blushing, “It’s alright.” She sat down next to him and cut straight to the chase. “I want to join Xiao He’s project team and learn more from him.”
Xiao He? Him again.
Mu Ze’s good mood vanished instantly. He poured himself a cup of tea to quench his rising irritation. He looked coldly at the teacup in his hand. “Can’t you learn from me? Is my position as Vice President just for show?”
A wave of jealousy spread through the office.
“You can’t say it like that. I’m utilizing my expertise; promotion involves design, right? Actually, I just want to work and make money.”
She had changed since going out this morning, so something must have happened.
Mu Ze took a sip of tea and said calmly, “It’s not impossible. Promise to register our marriage, and I’ll agree.”
“You!” He was actually taking advantage of her crisis to threaten her…
Yun Chu stood up, wanting to leave, but thinking of Zhao Feng lying on the hospital bed, she stopped in her tracks. “Let’s both take a step back. I’ll be your girlfriend firstânot the transactional partnership kind, but an official girlfriend. We’ll talk about registering the marriage later.”
Mu Ze’s eyes filled with amusement, and he extended his hand to her. “Please guide me well in the future, girlfriend.”
She smacked his hand away and glared at him. Shake hands my foot. She couldn’t help but feel like a fish walking right into a trap.
In the afternoon, after having lunch, Yun Chu followed Xiao He to the real estate project site for a field inspection.
Pointing at the surrounding environment, Xiao He explained to her, “When doing a real estate project, promoting the location of the land and the surrounding amenities is very important, including healthcare, transportation, shopping, and so on.” It was the same principle as choosing a convenient location when buying a house.
Yun Chu nodded. “So, what will I be mainly responsible for?”
“Your main task is to map out the geographical location of the project in a digital version, and then mark out the surrounding amenities. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.” Mu Ze took out a simple outline map of the plot of land and handed it to her.
“Alright, thank you.”
Seeing how focused she was, Xiao He felt it was just like back in university. Once she entered work mode, her entire demeanor transformed, radiating the confidence given by her professional competence. “Yun Chu, are you and Mr. Mu about to register your marriage?”
She replied casually, “It’s still early. I haven’t thought about that step yet.”
Marriage… what’s so good about marriage?
Not far away, Mu Ze, who had just approached in his wheelchair, overheard this line. Even the project manager next to him began sweating on her behalf.
“It seems my girlfriend’s ability to turn a cold shoulder has truly improved.”
