When Xia Xiaolan got married, her secretary Yu Li naturally took time off. After the wedding, as Xia Xiaolan stayed in the capital with Zhou Cheng, Yu Li could also remain in the capital to accompany her mother. Throughout 1987, Yu Li had been extremely busy with work, spending time in Qiong Island and following Xia Xiaolan to Hong Kong. It was only during Director Xia’s wedding that she finally got to take her annual leave.
Even while on vacation, she remained on 24-hour standby for her boss’s summons. Some might find this kind of secretarial work too exhausting, but for Yu Li, the exhaustion was worthwhile. The job allowed her to learn many things and came with generous compensation. Yu Li had long since become a permanent employee, and after running errands in Hong Kong, when Xia Xiaolan made substantial profits during the stock market crash, Yu Li received a hefty bonus, though not as substantial as Zhang Bailun and Ji Jiangyuan’s earnings.
When Director Xia was happy, naturally, she gave out more money. She also took care of Yu Li, knowing about her mother’s considerable medical expenses. Yu Li’s salary could cover the care costs for a person in a vegetative state, which was remarkable for someone her age.
Though her busy work schedule prevented frequent hospital visits, whenever she came, she was always courteous and ingratiating to the medical staff caring for her mother. To ensure better care for her mother, she didn’t mind lowering herself. Was it embarrassing? She didn’t find it shameful at all to be thick-skinned to give gifts and say pleasant words if it meant better care from the medical staff.
When Yu Li wasn’t in the capital, Shao Guangrong frequently visited. The hospital nurses had become familiar with him and naturally assumed he was Yu Li’s boyfriend. Previously known for flirting wherever he went, Shao Guangrong was exceptionally proper at the hospital, maintaining a straight gaze when speaking with young nurses or female doctors.
Every time Yu Li came to the hospital, the head nurse she was familiar with would praise Shao Guangrong. This day, just after Yu Li and the caregiver had bathed her mother and changed her into clean clothes, Nurse Chen entered the room:
“Little Yu, your boyfriend is here again. You two aren’t married yet, but he visits so frequently!”
Nurse Chen, a warmhearted woman in her thirties, wasn’t criticizing Shao Guangrong. She just found it remarkable that he didn’t mind Yu Li having a mother who required such extensive medical care. Moreover, Shao Guangrong was good-looking with a good job. The caring Nurse Chen felt Yu Li should hold onto him.
Though Yu Li had explained many times they were just friends, Nurse Chen didn’t believe it at all. Did they think she hadn’t experienced such things before? Just from the way Shao Guangrong looked at Yu Li, how could they be just friends?
Just as Nurse Chen finished speaking, Shao Guangrong entered, naturally placing a pot of spider plants he was carrying on the windowsill. Though this was a hospital room, he frequently brought items to make the cold room feel more welcoming.
He was quite busy with work matters and expanding the building materials store branches. But no matter how busy, he made time to visit the hospital. When Yu Li wasn’t around, he felt he should look after Madam Yu more. He was determined to win Yu Li’s heart, so the person lying in bed was naturally his future mother-in-law.
Even though his future mother-in-law was in a vegetative state, it didn’t stop him from showing his devotion. The reason Nurse Chen found this young man reliable was that his visits weren’t just for show. Each time, he would spend over an hour talking at Madam Yu’s bedside, simply because doctors said some patients in vegetative states could sense external stimuli, and talking to them was beneficial.
When Yu Li wasn’t in the capital, he made time to visit. When Yu Li was rarely in the capital, he visited even more frequently. Since they weren’t usually in the same place, he had to make the most of their time together to maintain his presence in Yu Li’s life.
After Nurse Chen and the caregiver left, Shao Guangrong spoke naturally: “Was Nurse Chen teasing you again? Don’t mind her. We have nothing to hide, and friends should help each other.”
With him having said everything, what could she say?
Yu Li knew Shao Guangrong was a wonderful person. She didn’t want to burden him. But if being with him meant she could repay his kindness, Yu Li was willing. She could accept dating without marriage, but Shao Guangrong couldn’t accept that.
He was completely confident they would end up together. Since his interest in Yu Li hadn’t faded, he let her go out and experience life. Simply helping someone and expecting them to become his girlfriend wasn’t his style. Well, he had become more cautious about relationships after meeting Yu Li.
Seeing Yu Li’s silence, Shao Guangrong took out a key and placed it before her.
“Miss Xia is newly married, and we don’t know how long she’ll stay in the capital. You can spend more time with your mother. I know you usually make do staying by the hospital bed—that’s fine for short periods but inconvenient for longer stays. I have an empty dormitory. If you don’t mind, you can stay there.”
Shao Guangrong was referring to his bachelor dormitory, which he had personally asked Xia Xiaolan to design and decorate. Though the apartment was nicely decorated, by the time he aired it out for several months and was ready to move in, he never got the chance to bring any new girlfriends there, as he had fallen for Yu Li.
At that time, before their relationship developed into anything substantial, they encountered the wild boar crisis in Ji Bei Province, and afterward, Yu Li’s age deception was exposed, which frightened Shao Guangrong.
Seeing Yu Li’s stillness, Shao Guangrong emphasized: “I’ve never brought any woman to this apartment. You’re the first one. I’m not the casual man you think I am anymore. I’m just lending it to you for a few days. I’ll stay at home, which is good because I can keep Mother Shao company and stop her nagging. Yu Li, after more than a year, you still don’t have the confidence to be with me. As friends, don’t you even have the confidence to borrow an empty apartment?”
Yu Li had said she would be with Shao Guangrong when she had confidence… the kind of relationship leading to marriage, not quietly withdrawing after repaying his kindness. Shao Guangrong often teased her about this.