Presumably, her fierce expression just now had caught Qin Jianguo’s attention.
Maybe he would dislike her.
Lin Fengxia felt a bit uneasy.
But she quickly calmed herself.
Even if Qin Jianguo disliked her and kicked her out of the base, she had other ways to survive.
In this world, relying on yourself was the only way to prevail.
Then she heard Qin Jianguo say, “You look really beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often.”
Lin Fengxia froze for a moment, as if she couldn’t believe these were Qin Jianguo’s words.
She looked at him in surprise.
Their eyes met, and a faint curve appeared at the corner of Qin Jianguo’s lips.
“I mean it,” he said seriously.
His eyes were deep and dark, like black pearls.
Lin Fengxia just glanced at him, quickly looked away, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Thank you.”
“By the way,” Qin Jianguo said, “in a few days there will be a cultural performance at the base. Your tea is so good, I was thinking of having you prepare the snacks and tea for the event. Is that okay?”
He asked in an inquiring tone.
Lin Fengxia didn’t hesitate and nodded. “Sure!”
During her time at the base, she had only done miscellaneous chores.
Qin Jianguo felt reassured. “Alright, I trust you with it.”
“This is the budget for purchasing snacks for the cultural performance,” he said, handing her a stack of envelopes.
He gave her the budget early because he knew Lin Fengxia didn’t have much money.
Lin Fengxia accepted it solemnly. “I’ll take good care of it and buy affordable, practical snacks.”
Qin Jianguo said, “Don’t stress about it too much.”
She placed the envelopes into the pocket near her chest and asked a few more questions about the cultural performance before heading back to prepare.
There was a market in the village, but goods were limited; she would have to wait a few days until the next market day to buy more.
Lin Fengxia put the money into a wooden box and hid it in the cabinet. Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from behind.
She turned and saw a young woman with long hair and a gentle smile approaching.
Lin Fengxia didn’t recognize her.
“You are…”
The girl extended her fair, delicate hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Fengxia.
“Hello, Comrade Lin. My name is Wenxin, and I’m a cultural officer in the base’s arts department.”
“I heard from Qin Ge that the snacks for the cultural performance are your responsibility, so I came over to check on you.”
Lin Fengxia lightly shook Wenxin’s hand.
“Hello, I’m Lin Fengxia.”
“If there are any snacks you like, you can write a list, and I’ll buy according to it.”
“If there’s anything to add, you can tell me as well.”
Wenxin smiled softly. “I don’t need anything.”
“Since Qin Ge entrusted you with the purchasing, I won’t interfere.”
“But if you need any help, you can come to me.”
Lin Fengxia nodded. “Okay.”
“Well…”
Wenxin suddenly looked embarrassed. “I heard your tea is very good. I’d like to try it—may I?”
Her tone was tentative.
Lin Fengxia didn’t hesitate. “Sure, wait a moment. I’ll brew some tea right now.”
Saying that, she turned to prepare the tea.
Wenxin sat quietly, waiting, enjoying the peaceful moment.
Lin Fengxia envied her.
She hadn’t expected there to be such a beautiful and gentle girl at the base.
After brewing the tea, Lin Fengxia brought it to Wenxin.
Wenxin’s eyes lit up as she looked at the clear tea, holding the cup with both hands and sipping slowly.
The tea was sweet and gentle, unlike the usual teas she had tasted.
Normally, poor-quality tea leaves made astringent, unpleasant tea, but Lin Fengxia’s tea was smooth, aromatic, and carried the natural sweetness of the water.
“So delicious!”
Lin Fengxia felt a little shy. “If you like it, you can come often.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Wenxin said, eyes sparkling, almost unable to believe it.
“Really?”
Lin Fengxia nodded. “I’m half a member of the arts department now. Just come and drink tea anytime.”
Wenxin pursed her lips. “Okay, I won’t be polite then.”
The two chatted casually for a while, and Lin Fengxia talked about her family.
Wenxin sighed. “Your parents really took advantage of you.”
Lin Fengxia corrected her. “They’re not my parents.”
“I’m planning to sever ties with them.”
Wenxin admired Lin Fengxia greatly.
“Very brave. I support you.”
“Thank you.”
It was getting late. After finishing the tea, Wenxin bid farewell and left.
Lin Fengxia smiled as she watched her leave.
The next day, Lin Fengxia went to get money to purchase some sunflower seeds.
She opened the box and found it empty.
Lin Fengxia’s eyes widened in shock, and she checked the cabinet where she had stored the envelopes.
Still nothing!
What was going on?
Lin Fengxia was sure she had put the money in the cabinet—so where had it gone?
She searched everywhere but still couldn’t find the envelope.
Her heart sank instantly.
She had no idea why this had happened.
She tried to retrace her steps, checking everywhere possible, but still nothing.
Could she have been mistaken?
Lin Fengxia turned the room upside down, yet still couldn’t find the money!
Only Wenxin had come yesterday, and Lin Fengxia had already stored the money before her arrival.
And there was no way Wenxin had taken it.
She had been brewing tea in the small room, and if Wenxin had done anything, she would have noticed.
So where could the money be?
Qin Jianguo had given her a considerable amount, and now it was lost—she couldn’t replace it.
Lin Fengxia was frustrated with herself.
She should have stored the money in a more secure place.
She had turned every corner of the room upside down, still no money.
Panicking, Lin Fengxia knew she had to tell Qin Jianguo about it as soon as possible.
She hurried to Qin Jianguo’s residence.
When Qin Jianguo heard Lin Fengxia had lost the money, he helped her search the room.
The two quickly searched everywhere, still finding nothing.
Lin Fengxia was so anxious she was nearly in tears.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! So much money… it’s all my carelessness!”
Life was already hard, and all that money belonged to the base.
Lin Fengxia felt too ashamed to face Qin Jianguo.
Compared to Lin Fengxia’s panic, Qin Jianguo was calmer.
He comforted her, “Don’t worry, maybe it’s just misplaced.”
“If we really can’t find it, I can give you some more.”
Lin Fengxia’s eyes welled with tears.
“How can that be?”
“So much money! And it’s lost because of my negligence.”
“Sniff… I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault!”
“I’m sorry! I’ve let you down!”
Lin Fengxia sobbed uncontrollably.
Qin Jianguo wanted to say it was alright—after all, it wasn’t that much money.
Lin Fengxia bit her lip. “I’ll write an IOU.”
“The money being lost is my responsibility. I should bear it.”
Lin Fengxia took out paper and pen, ready to write the IOU.
At that moment, Wenxin came back with another girl.
She saw tears streaming down Lin Fengxia’s face and froze.
“What happened?”