After the Chinese New Year, Su Tang returned to City S alone. Fang Ting had officially quit her job before the New Year and went to join Jiang Bai to start their own business.
Far away from the blind - date arrangement of Su's mother and back under the control of the "devil" Chen, Su Tang sighed that life was too tough, with new troubles every day.
Recently, she also had to plan to change her accommodation. After Fang Ting left, it was obviously too expensive for Su Tang to afford the two - bedroom apartment alone.
She didn't like to share an apartment with strangers, so she planned to find a smaller place to live by herself.
Unfortunately, as soon as work resumed after the New Year, there were a lot of things to do in the company. She was so busy that she had no time to spare. The matter of finding a new place had to be put on hold for the time being. Su Tang left home early and returned late every day, spending only a few hours at home. She felt extremely sorry for her money and even wished she could just pack up and move to the company.
It would be both cost - saving and convenient. She could just sleep on the floor.
She had been as busy as a spinning top for more than half a month. Just when the new project was finally approaching completion, another bombshell hit her. For some unknown reason, Chen, the "devil", directly took over the project that Su Tang had been working on whole - heartedly and put it under his own name.
All of Su Tang's efforts in the past half - month went down the drain. She could hardly get a dime from the project fee. For a moment, Su Tang really wanted to rush into Chen's office and knock his head.
Was she just too lucky last year? Had she used up all her good luck? That's why she was so unlucky at the beginning of this year?
Su Tang was very speechless, extremely speechless. After hearing her story, Fang Ting couldn't help shedding a tear for her: "So Chen the 'devil' didn't even leave your name on the project?"
"I heard from others that this project has been favored by the big boss and is likely to become the key project to be supported in the first quarter of this year. Chen is so eager to make contributions that he wants to get a promotion soon."
"That's so unethical. Before, he was just inhumane, but he never stole others' credit. This year, he's getting worse. I think you'd better quit your job and come to join me."
"It's not that easy. I signed a labor contract when I joined Penguin. It hasn't expired yet."
"As long as you want to quit, there's no way you can't."
"Yes, but I don't want to have a bad relationship with the company because of quitting. After all, this is my first job after graduating from college. I hope to part on good terms."
"Then it seems that you also have the intention to leave Penguin now?"
"Hey, I can't stand up to Chen. Besides, you're not there anymore. There's no point for me to stay."
"Do you want to consider our company?"
"I'll think about it."
"Don't worry. I know your concerns."
After hanging up the phone with Fang Ting, Su Tang was really considering submitting her resignation application.
But should she go to Jiang Bai's company? She had read about Jiang Bai's startup project, and it did have great prospects. Apart from the possible connection with Ren Qingzhou in the future, there didn't seem to be any disadvantages.
Su Tang wasn't afraid of the risks of starting a business or the unstable income of a small company. Youth was the time to challenge oneself.
But she was afraid of getting involved with the wrong people. Or rather, she was very afraid of meeting Ren Qingzhou again.
However, what you fear most always comes. The next day was a weekend. Before Su Tang could submit her resignation application, she received a call from Fang Ting.
"Tang, do you want to go and see Ren Qingzhou? Jiang Bai told me that he had an accident while recording a show and is now in the hospital."
Fang Ting couldn't explain clearly on the phone. In fact, she didn't know much about this matter either. But Su Tang was instantly flustered.
She suddenly remembered that she had added Li Momo's WeChat. Without caring whether it was appropriate or not, she directly sent a message to inquire about this matter.
For Li Momo, today was a chaotic day. The competitive variety show that Ren Qingzhou participated in had a very low risk coefficient in general. But for some reason, something went wrong during today's show.
The horse that Ren Qingzhou was riding suddenly lost control and rushed straight towards the crowd. Ren Qingzhou struggled desperately to pull it back, and finally managed to turn its direction. But he himself rolled off the horseback.
The staff on the scene were all scared. First, they were frightened by the horse, and then they were worried because Ren Qingzhou was injured.
He fell off the horse and was seriously hurt. He couldn't even stand up at that time. The program crew didn't dare to be careless and quickly sent him to the hospital. The doctor said that his leg was broken. As the saying goes, "it takes 100 days to recover from a bone injury", so he would have to use a wheelchair for at least two months.
Li Momo roughly estimated that it was February now. The drama that Ren Qingzhou had signed for would probably start shooting in April or May. It was very likely that he would have to enter the filming set in a wheelchair.
Regarding Su Tang's WeChat message, she decided to let Ren Qingzhou make the decision.
"Big brother, do you want to tell your parents about your injury?"
"No. They can't do anything but worry about me."
"You had the accident at the recording site. The media won't be able to keep it a secret. Sooner or later, they will know."
"Then tell them that I'm fine. There's no need to worry. Don't let them know that my leg is broken. By the way, hire a male nurse for me. It's really inconvenient for me to be alone."
"Remember, it must be a male one."
"Don't your parents come to see you when they know you're injured?"
"My mom accompanied my dad to study abroad. They won't be back until the second half of this year. But if you tell her that my leg is broken, she will definitely fly back immediately."
"Okay. Then should we let Su Tang know?"
"Su Tang? Did she ask you? Are the marketing accounts spreading the news so fast?"
"Maybe. Or it could be that Jiang Bai told her. That's not important. The key is whether you want her to come and see you."
"Now? I don't look so handsome and imposing right now. Isn't it not so good for her to see me like this?"
Li Momo was speechless with him again. She really wanted to see if Ren Qingzhou had damaged his brain. Why would he ask such a stupid question?
"You were very handsome and imposing before, but she still didn't agree to you, right? Maybe this time when she sees you looking so pitiful, she might feel sympathetic and agree to you out of the blue."
Ren Qingzhou felt that Li Momo's misunderstanding of him was getting deeper and deeper: "I'm not the type who plays the pitiful card, okay?"
Li Momo decided to roll her eyes at him blatantly: "Do you want to have a girlfriend or not?"
"Even though I really want to in my heart, it should be based on love."
"If she doesn't have feelings for you, why would she ask me? Is she bored?" Li Momo finally understood why Ren Qingzhou had been single for so many years. It was really a waste of his good looks. He was a good - looking guy, but why was he so dull?
"Then let her come."
"Sure thing." Li Momo quickly replied to Su Tang: "Teacher Ren had a little accident while recording the show today. But he's fine now."
She also kindly attached the address of the hospital and said that if Su Tang wanted to come to visit, she must let her know in advance so that she could go downstairs to pick her up.
For Ren Qingzhou's love life, Li Momo felt that she was willing to do her best.
When she received Fang Ting's call before, Su Tang felt that her heart was suddenly hanging in the air. It wasn't until she received Li Momo's reply and learned that Ren Qingzhou was fine that her heart finally settled down.
She picked up her bag and went out. Then she thought it might not be appropriate to go to the hospital empty - handed. So she went to a nearby fruit store and bought a few catties of apples.
Apples, which in Chinese sound similar to the word for "peace", might bring good luck? The implication seemed quite good. After all, Ren Qingzhou probably didn't lack anything.
Li Momo saw Su Tang carrying a few catties of apples downstairs in the hospital and sighed that she was really a practical person.
"Hello, I'm Li Momo. We've met before."
"Yeah. Thank you for your trouble."
"It's no trouble at all." Li Momo remembered that Su Tang had got lost before. She was afraid that if Su Tang couldn't find the way in the hospital, she would have to go out to look for her...
It had been several months since they last met in Yuncheng. Su Tang saw Ren Qingzhou again.
But this time it was in the hospital ward. He still had some makeup on his face, but he had already changed into a hospital gown.
The hospital gown was a bit too big for him, making it look empty. For some reason, Su Tang always felt that his face had a strange pale color.
Ren Qingzhou first noticed the apples in her hand: "It's already very nice of you to come. You don't need to bring anything."
Su Tang was stunned for a moment and casually put the apples on the table in the ward: "I heard that you had an accident, so I came to see you."
"It's not a big deal. I just fell, but it does hurt a bit."
"Have the examination results come out?"
"The results of the other examinations will come out tomorrow. As for my leg, the doctor said it's a fracture. I need to take good care of it, or I might limp."
When Li Momo heard the word "limp" standing beside them, she almost couldn't help laughing out loud.
His leg was indeed fractured, but the doctor didn't say that he would limp. Li Momo decided to leave this "big bluffing scene" and quickly closed the door and left.
Su Tang was obviously very concerned: "Who will take care of you during this period?"
"My dad and mom have gone abroad to study. I don't have any relatives around me."
All in all, in Ren Qingzhou's description, he was very pitiful, helpless and weak.
"I've been so unlucky these past few months. The girl I like doesn't like me. I wanted to distract myself with work, but I ended up breaking my leg."
So, did Ren Qingzhou decide to participate in this variety show because of his emotional setback? Su Tang felt a lot of pressure, and she seemed to smell a hint of conspiracy.
"Then I'll take care of you. I don't have much to do these days."
"That would be too much trouble for you."
"It's okay. I should take some responsibility for your injury."
"It doesn't matter. It was my own one - sided love. It's not your fault. You don't need to feel sorry."
"What if I say it's not one - sided love?"
Ren Qingzhou looked up and saw that Su Tang was also staring at him. She smiled, showing two cute dimples: "Ren Qingzhou, I like you. Do you still want to be with me?"
In every performance, Ren Qingzhou was the well - deserved leading role. He had also played the leading roles in many TV dramas. The endings of those stories were either regrettable or perfect.
If there was anything that he felt most regretful about before, it was that he couldn't be the leading role in Su Tang's story.
Sometimes he even asked himself if he had really chosen the wrong path.
Ren Qingzhou always understood the principle of gain and loss. When he chose this path, he had gained a lot but also lost a lot. But only this time did he feel that he had lost too much.
But suddenly, in this moment, he became the leading role in the story that he most wanted to play. This feeling was a bit dreamy and unreal.
He almost blurted out: "Why?"
Then he felt that it was a bit impolite and quickly added: "I just want to know the reason why you suddenly changed your mind."
"All along, I've told myself to be a rational person, because only rationality can protect me from being hurt."
"But this time I've decided to follow my heart and make a decision. Maybe I suddenly feel that a life full of rules and regulations is meaningless."
"The moment I heard that you had an accident, I suddenly realized that since I like you so much, why don't I just follow my heart?"
"Although I don't know what our future will be like, I know that if I don't do this, I will definitely regret it in the future."
This plot was a bit absurd. There were no roses and no romantic scenes. Even the male protagonist of the story was lying in bed with the remaining makeup on his face and a plaster cast on his leg.
Ren Qingzhou also felt a bit embarrassed. He had been confessed to countless times, but this time he was the most touched.
"You should have confidence in me. We will always be together."
"Forever" is a very precious word. When we were young, we always easily made promises and then easily broke them. As we grew older, we became afraid to say "forever" casually.
Because we were too afraid that those promises would be blown away by the wind, and we were also too afraid of disappointing others and being disappointed.
Until we met that special person, the courage of our youth seemed to come back suddenly. Although the future was uncertain, in our hearts, we had already imagined spending a lifetime with that person.