We worked overtime, racing against the clock. The wasted time was finally recovered.

I held up a megaphone and gathered everyone at the construction site for a meeting.

“Everyone knows that a while ago we encountered a major incident. The construction period was seriously delayed. Party A originally wasn’t going to pay the third installment on time, but because of all our workers’ efforts, we successfully completed the work! Today, wages and bonuses will be deposited into everyone’s accounts!”

I looked at every pair of eyes. Everyone’s faces showed joy. The older workers were grinning from ear to ear. Though it was what they deserved, delayed wages were too common at construction sites, especially under such difficult circumstances.

“This isn’t just money—it’s the dignity we’ve earned for ourselves! Everyone here is outstanding!” I used my loudest voice, practically shouting: “The year’s end is approaching! Can we complete the final phase and go home with thick stacks of cash for New Year’s?”

“Yes!”

A sound like a mountain roar and tsunami rose up. Of all the speeches I’d given, this was the time everyone applauded most enthusiastically.

Work efficiency that day was extraordinarily high. Everyone worked hard amid the jubilation.

When I got off work, I happened to run into Bao Long standing at the entrance waiting for me.

He had high cheekbones, was so thin his cheeks were sunken, but his eyes were wolf-like—fierce and bright.

“Manager Ren…” At this moment he lowered his head. For a long time he stammered, unable to speak, like a wolf with its tail between its legs.

“Just say it if you have something to say.”

“Um, the third installment… didn’t come through, did it?”

He was a company employee, different from those outsourced workers.

He knew that although this phase was completed smoothly, inspection and payment both took time. The company had already paid for the extra material costs and refused to continue advancing funds for this project.

I’d mortgaged my house and taken out a bank loan to pay this round of wages.

Bao Long slapped himself hard across the face.

“Manager Ren, I’m scum! I’m sorry!”

I didn’t stop him. I just said: “Do you know why I didn’t scold you?”

He looked up at me.

“Because I know you care most about face. You’ve worked construction sites for over a decade. You do the most work and get the least money. The last project had problems—it clearly wasn’t your fault, but you took the blame.” I said: “You caused this incident because you’d become disillusioned with our company. You just wanted to muddle through and get the work done…”

He looked at me in shock.

“But you’ve also seen that in our line of work, you can’t muddle through. Making a mistake is a catastrophic disaster. What would happen to your daughter then?”

Deductions and demotions were minor. If there was a real safety accident, he’d go to prison.

Bao Long’s eyes were bloodshot. Now he looked even more frightening.

“It’s all in the past. Rest assured, as long as you work for me, I won’t let you down. I hope you won’t let me down either.” I said.

“Thank you, Manager Ren. I know what’s good and bad… I’m human, not a beast…” He really did love to cry. While bowing fiercely to me, tears and snot flowed down his face.

This person, to put it nicely, was single-minded.

To put it less nicely, he wasn’t very smart. When he disliked someone, he put his whole heart into disliking them. He dared to give attitude to even the biggest leaders, so many people disliked him.

But I didn’t care. To me there were no good people and bad people.

Only useful people and useless people.

At this moment, I suddenly missed Cheng Xia terribly.

Only with him was a bit of my softness and innocence preserved.

I looked at his avatar in our WeChat chat. After thinking for a long time, I ultimately didn’t open it.

But just then, the little red notification dot on his avatar lit up with a biu.

Too coincidental—I thought it was a hallucination.

Cheng Xia: Want to come to my place for dinner?

Cheng Xia: You didn’t come pick me up from the hospital. I still haven’t settled accounts with you.

…

I found a place to wash my hair, blow-drying it fluffy and soft. I went to the mall to buy nutritional supplements and food, and incidentally bought a discounted dress to change into. In the taxi, I put on simple makeup.

As soon as the door opened, Fang Qiang poked his head out with a smile: “Yo, Dongxue looks so pretty today!”

“Not bad, right?” I greeted him with a smile: “Have you guys made dinner?”

“Don’t even mention it. This guy Cheng Xia said he’d treat us to dinner, but all he did was set up a hot pot. We had to bring our own ingredients.”

Through his shoulder, I saw a living room full of boisterous people—all Cheng Xia’s university classmates who’d stayed local. I knew most of them.

I also saw Cheng Xia. He wore a light blue loungewear set. His complexion was still a bit pale. He came over to get me slippers.

“I’ll show you all my skills. I’ve survived in the African wilderness.” I said: “Cheng Xia, come help me. I bought you some things. Where should I put them?”

Cheng Xia’s home was a loft. The second floor had a small storage room.

“These are some fast-acting medications. If you feel unwell, take medicine right away, understand? Don’t do that ‘all medicine has side effects’ routine. Your body can’t handle being pushed anymore. This is oatmeal—if you’re really too lazy to cook, just mix it with yogurt.” I took things out one by one: “I also bought some frozen steaks. I’ll put them in the fridge in a bit.”

Downstairs, voices were clamorous. He looked at me silently, then suddenly said: “You’re not angry at me anymore?”

I was stunned, then remembered he was talking about that night when I’d said we should go our separate ways.

“I’ve admitted defeat.” I lowered my head, arranging things, pretending to be relaxed and not looking at him: “I wanted to distance myself from you because I knew that as long as you were good to me, I’d become that extremely humble version of myself again…”

“But standing outside the emergency room, I admitted defeat. As long as you’re alive, I want to stay by your side.”

He was to me like junk food—bubble tea, hot pot, and the like.

I should be disciplined, lose weight, stay far away, absolutely not indulge myself.

But when death arrives, one kind of pain suddenly descends—that is, when you were alive, you didn’t fully enjoy those foods you loved most, and now you’ll never have another chance.

If I could never see him again.

I would definitely regret it, because I knew very clearly in my heart that he was my favorite person in this life.

This feeling would never come again in my lifetime.

“Besides, I’m not reassured about you either.” I half-joked: “Your body is in such terrible shape. I need to take care of you… I mean, before that Yu Shixuan takes over.”

He interrupted me: “After you left that day, I sent her home. I really don’t like her.”

“Why not? She’s quite good to you.”

“Just because someone’s good to me means I have to like them?”

How cold-hearted, I thought.

“Fine, then we’ll just be good friends as usual. When you have a girlfriend later, we won’t see each other anymore. If your girlfriend and I can be close friends or something, the three of us can hang out together.” While arranging things, I forcefully suppressed enormous sadness and smiled: “Does that work for you, Engineer Cheng?”

You’re really despicable, Ren Dongxue.

Cheng Xia said: “Not enough.”

He came over and grabbed my arm, looking directly into my eyes: “I don’t want to be apart from you. Not even for a minute.”

I looked at him in shock, feeling like an electric current had struck from above. My whole body was numb.

His complexion was pale, but his pupils were extremely dark. His gaze was clear and determined, yet his lips trembled.

…

This was?

What did he mean?

“Cheng Xia! Are you done up there? We’re all waiting to eat!” Feng Qiang’s voice came from below, breaking the spell that had frozen my entire body.

“Coming!”

I pushed past Cheng Xia and headed downstairs.

What did he mean? What exactly did he mean?

Could it be…

Absolutely impossible.

This hot pot was the most soul-less hot pot meal of my entire life. Though on the surface I was normally picking up food, chatting about everything under the sun, even laughing breathlessly at Feng Qiang’s utterly unfunny jokes.

But I actually couldn’t hear anything.

In my brain was only that sentence from Cheng Xia, repeating over and over in 360-degree surround sound in my mind.

What! Exactly! Did! He! Mean!

Just then, a junior I didn’t know suddenly picked up the conversation: “So Dongxue, you two still aren’t married?”

Another person who mistook us for a couple.

Fang Qiang smoothly intervened: “What are you looking at? They’re not a couple at all.”

“Ah, sorry! When I came in I put on the wrong slippers. Senior said they were Dongxue’s, so I thought…”

Cheng Xia said: “Because I haven’t successfully pursued her yet.”

In the complete silence, Cheng Xia picked up a meat slice for me while saying softly: “I’ve been pursuing her since long ago. They all know. Here, eat this.”