The next day, Qiao Yimian and Song Nanxing went to the television station to report for duty.
Their opportunity to come to Linchuan was a rare one, and she didn’t want to waste too much time.
Song Nanxing insisted on pushing her over in a wheelchair, but she politely refused.
After a night’s rest, her ankle was barely painful anymore. She could walk slowly without much trouble, so there was no need to use a wheelchair and draw unnecessary attention.
The HR specialist responsible for receiving them registered their information, issued them temporary work passes, and said with a smile, “Reporter Qiao’s foot hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I won’t take you around to visit the different departments. In a little while, I’ll have someone take you to the News Center. The station director specifically instructed me to do that yesterday.”
Linchuan Television Station was divided into several departments: the News Department, Program Production Department, Technical Department, Advertising Department, and so on. Each department had several teams, and the News Center was one of the core teams within the News Department.
Qiao Yimian and Song Nanxing exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.
Although the Chucheng Evening News had already made arrangements with the television station, the two of them were hardly important figures. The fact that the station director himself had arranged where they would work was more than a little flattering.
Qiao Yimian instinctively thought of the phone call Zhou Heng had made to Director Kang the day before. She vaguely felt that this was the real reason they were receiving such preferential treatment.
The administrative staff took them to the News Center, where a man in his forties greeted them with a smile.
“Welcome to our team, you two promising young reporters! I’m Zhao Wei, the team leader. For the next month, we’ll be comrades-in-arms, fighting side by side.”
The two quickly greeted Zhao Wei. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Wei looked at Qiao Yimian.
“Comrade Xiao Qiao has trouble walking right now, so for the next few days, just stay here at the station and work with the editors on organizing and polishing copy. Once your injury heals, you can go out on assignments with Xiao Song.”
Qiao Yimian quickly nodded and said sincerely, “Thank you, Team Leader. I’ll do my best with the editing work and learn as much as I can from the senior staff here.”
“Me too, me too!” Song Nanxing chimed in with a bright grin. “I’ve heard for a long time that the News Center at Linchuan Television Station is full of talented people. We’re really lucky to get this opportunity to learn and exchange experience!”
Zhao Wei burst out laughing. “No need to be so modest. You say you’re here for an exchange, but you’re also giving us a helping hand in disguise. I’m just worried that you’ll think we have too much work and end up running your legs off every day!”
He was completely unpretentious, warm, and humorous. Qiao Yimian and Song Nanxing both relaxed and laughed along with him.
There were nine employees in the News Center, though only seven were present that day. Zhao Wei introduced the two of them to everyone one by one, then glanced at his watch.
“You two can spend today getting familiar with the station and the work. I have to go to a meeting. Everyone, make yourselves at home and don’t be shy. Miaoying, take care of them.”
After Zhao Wei left, the editor Miao Ying arranged workstations for them and gave them a brief explanation of the workflow.
Qiao Yimian listened attentively, and she was so sweet and polite that she kept addressing Miao Ying as “Teacher Miao,” making the editor, who had just turned thirty, practically melt.
“Just call me Sister Miao. Calling me ‘Teacher’ makes me feel so pressured.”
After saying that, she studied Qiao Yimian carefully before adding with a smile, “You really are beautiful. If you ever went on camera, your looks alone would crush everyone else’s ratings.”
Qiao Yimian shyly touched the tip of her nose. “Not at all, not at all. You’re flattering me.”
Miao Ying didn’t think so at all. Instead, she started recommending Qiao Yimian to several of her coworkers.
“Good thing Xiao Qiao isn’t a permanent member of our staff. Otherwise, the beauty of our News Center would have to hand over her crown!”
The others burst out laughing and nodded in agreement. Someone jokingly warned, “Sister Miao, don’t say things like that! If ‘Beauty Yu’ hears you, won’t she blow her top?”
The laughter grew even louder.
Qiao Yimian didn’t understand what they meant, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she instinctively glanced at the workstation at the very back, which had been decorated to the point of looking like a flower garden.
She heard that the female anchor and the cameraman had gone out on an assignment early that morning, so she hadn’t met them yet.
Amid the hustle and bustle, the morning passed in a flash.
Song Nanxing went out on an assignment with some of the other reporters that morning. He sent her a WeChat message saying he wouldn’t be back for lunch, so Qiao Yimian went to the cafeteria with Miao Ying.
“The food in our cafeteria is pretty good. There’s a lot of variety, and it’s cheap too. They also have individual dishes cooked to order over there. The second floor has private dining rooms, which the station leaders usually use when entertaining guests.”
Miao Ying introduced everything as they walked, then lowered her voice mysteriously.
“I heard a big shot is coming to inspect and visit this afternoon! The leaders have been in meetings all morning because of it.”
Qiao Yimian blinked. Just then, they ran into a colleague from another team, so the topic was dropped.
The cafeteria food really was good—at least a full level above that of the Chucheng Evening News.
After eating their fill, Miao Ying even brought Qiao Yimian a cup of red-date yogurt. The two of them enjoyed the winter afternoon sunshine as they leisurely walked back, sipping their yogurt.
“Ah, the time right after lunch is the most relaxing part of the whole day. Once all the copy starts pouring in this afternoon, we’ll be working until we can’t tell up from down!” Miao Ying complained.
Qiao Yimian nodded with a smile. “It’s the same at our newspaper. There’s a time to start work, but never a time to finish. There’s a saying that’s absolutely spot-on: ‘For journalists, getting off work doesn’t mean getting off work. It just means moving somewhere else to keep working overtime.’”
“Haha, exactly!” Miao Ying laughed, clapping her hands in complete agreement.
When they returned to the office, they found that two more people were there.
A young woman wearing a Chanel suit was standing with her back to them, whining impatiently.
“We were stuck in traffic for more than forty minutes, and we still missed lunch! So annoying!”
A man in his thirties smiled good-naturedly.
“Can’t be helped. Guangming Bridge is jammed from morning till night. It’s not like you didn’t know that. Forget it. Let’s order takeout.”
“I’ve had enough of the food around here! And it’s all so greasy and salty. It’s not healthy at all!”
The young woman pouted and turned around. She happened to spot Miao Ying walking in front and immediately drew out her voice in a coquettish whine.
“Sister Miao, you didn’t even bring us some lunch~”
Miao Ying wasn’t buying it at all.
“How was I supposed to know when you two would be back? You didn’t tell me in advance.”
As she spoke, she pulled Qiao Yimian forward.
“Oh, right. Let me introduce you. This is Qiao Yimian, a reporter from the Chucheng Evening News. The other reporter is out on assignment, so you’ll meet him later. Yimian, this is cameraman Meng Changfeng, and this is anchor Yu Wan.”
The moment Miao Ying finished speaking, the two young women in the room locked eyes.
Both froze.
Looking at Yu Wan’s exquisitely made-up face, fragments of the past suddenly surfaced in Qiao Yimian’s mind—scattered, disjointed memories, yet every single one of them carried the same two words:
*I hate her.*
It was simply because Yu Wan had been her university classmate.
And the relationship between the two of them had always been fiercely antagonistic.
Calling them sworn enemies wouldn’t have been an exaggeration.
But regardless, this wasn’t university anymore. She was here for work, and Yu Wan was merely a colleague with whom she probably wouldn’t have much interaction.
Maintaining a superficial peace shouldn’t be difficult.
So Qiao Yimian first greeted the older cameraman.
“Hello, Teacher Meng.”
She then turned toward Yu Wan, just about to speak, when the other woman suddenly laughed.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this the beauty queen of our School of Journalism?”
Miao Ying’s gaze swept over Yu Wan before shifting to Qiao Yimian.
“You two know each other?”
“Know each other? She’s actually the woman I admired most throughout my entire university career!”
Yu Wan chimed in, her praise dripping with sarcasm.
“Classmate Qiao was beautiful, she got excellent grades, she thrived in every student organization and club she joined, and there were so many men chasing after her that they could probably circle the teaching building! I was *so* envious~”
Qiao Yimian could hear the sourness in her voice, but for the moment, she didn’t bother responding.
She simply smiled at Miao Ying.
“We were university classmates.”
Then she looked at Yu Wan and fired back with a faint, knowing smile.
“It’s been two years since we last saw each other. Why are you still exaggerating everything, Classmate Yu? There weren’t that many men chasing after me. Seven or eight at most. Oh, right—there was also the one you pursued like crazy but never managed to win over.”