Song Xi picked up the medical reports one by one with extreme patience, reading through them carefully and thoroughly.
It wasn’t a mistaken diagnosis; the results of all five medical reports were identical.
Blood cancer.
The doctors at all five hospitals told Song Xi pretty much the exact same thing.
If she was lucky, she could live for another six months; if she was unlucky, she might only have a single month left to live.
The soreness throughout her body made it impossible for her to pretend she was just dreaming.
Scene after very “stimulating” scene from the previous night replayed in her mind.
Her face grew hotter and hotter, but Song Xi didn’t regret it at all.
Because she didn’t want to reach the end of her life without ever having experienced “love.”
There were still so many things she wanted to do, but a month is very short.
She hoped that, considering how unlucky she had already been, the heavens would let her be lucky just this once and let her live for half a year before dying!
After taking a hot shower, Song Xi changed into a grey casual outfit.
She wanted to wear brightly colored clothes, but her wardrobe only contained three colors: black, white, and grey.
That purple slip dress was the one she had just bought the night before.
In less than five minutes, Song Xi calculated her current savings.
She was smiling—a helpless and desolate kind of smile.
As the CEO’s chief secretary, her annual salary was fifty thousand! (Note: The Chinese text mentions 500,000, but translating directly or keeping the number format consistent).
Yet her savings amounted to less than ten thousand, which was both pathetic and heartbreaking.
As she smiled, tears slipped from the corners of Song Xi’s eyes.
Although her income wasn’t low, she had to pay over twenty thousand in mortgage every month and constantly subsidize her family here and there.
This less-than-ten-thousand savings was the result of her pinching pennies.
With her life now on a countdown timer, Song Xi didn’t want to pinch pennies anymore!
She was going to buy lots of pretty clothes, and she was going to buy gold, diamonds, and designer bags.
After cooking and eating a bowl of vegetable and egg noodles, Song Xi took her medication.
There were six different kinds in total, leaving such a bitter taste in her mouth that she had to eat three fruit drops in a row just to make it feel a little better.
Opening her laptop, she searched for the contact information of several nearby real estate agencies.
The location of her apartment was quite good, and it was on the tenth floor—which had a lucky connotation, plenty of sunlight, and a cozy interior decor. It shouldn’t be too hard to sell.
Of course, Song Xi didn’t artificially inflate the price; she was selling it at the price recommended by the agencies.
She was even willing to go a bit lower, but she had one condition: the buyer had to pay in full.
Otherwise, by the time the bank’s mortgage processing went through, she might no longer be in this world.
Knowing that Song Xi urgently needed the money, the agents were understanding and promised to help her sell the apartment as quickly as possible.
Seeing the last agent out, Song Xi noticed it was already 10:03 AM.
She was already an hour late, but she wasn’t in a rush at all.
Previously, let alone being late, if she didn’t arrive at the company ten minutes early, Song Xi would feel anxious and uneasy.
Because she really needed this job—or rather, she really needed that fifty-thousand-dollar annual salary.
President Jiang didn’t seem to have any issues with her being late either, considering how thoroughly he had tossed and turned her the night before.
It left her waist aching and legs weak, forcing her to walk very, very slowly.
Song Xi went to the pharmacy first to buy the most expensive and effective emergency contraceptive pill.
Immediately after, she headed to the mall.
Her savings of under ten thousand didn’t allow her to enter luxury boutiques, but mid-range shops with good quality were well within reach.
As soon as the sales clerk saw Song Xi, her eyes lit up and she bluntly remarked, “You’re so pretty and have such a great figure—feel free to try on anything in our store, it’s bound to look amazing on you.”
Song Xi smiled. In the past, whenever she went shopping, clerks would look hesitant when trying to introduce clothes to her.
Without even trying them on, she picked out a few brightly colored professional outfits and dresses, paid briskly, and left.
Next, she bought a few pairs of shoes. As for the gold, diamonds, and bags, she would wait until her apartment was sold before coming back for them!
Naturally, she didn’t bring all these things to the office. Song Xi remembered very clearly that she needed to take the contraceptive pill first.
Strictly following the instructions on the manual, she took the medicine, changed into a fiery red professional suit, and then walked over to the company.
Work started at 9:00 AM, and Song Xi arrived at the office a little past 11:00 AM. She was a full two hours late, but the company was still operating normally.
Thankfully, she never actually thought she was that important!
Before she even reached the entrance of the secretary’s office, Song Xi heard Secretary Sun’s crisp, ringing voice say, “With Secretary Song absent, I feel like even the air has a relaxed vibe to it!”
“Great minds think alike! Secretary Song is clearly so young, why does she always look older and more serious than my own mom?”
Song Xi had already stopped in her tracks. She was eavesdropping quite openly!
The person calling her old and serious was Assistant Chen, who was just over twenty years old. Yes, there was another Senior Chen in the secretary’s office as well.
Immediately after, Song Xi heard Senior Chen say in a sarcastic tone, “The CEO only made Song Xi the chief secretary because of her seriousness. We all need to learn from that.”
Song Xi was long used to Senior Chen’s hostility.
After all, based on seniority, the position of chief secretary should have gone to Senior Chen.
Unfortunately, President Jiang was a man who only valued capability, not seniority.
Assistant Chen chimed in, “Compared to premature aging, I’d still rather just be a mediocre, ordinary secretary.”
Hearing this, Song Xi felt a stab to her heart. Premature aging? This was premature dying!
Afraid she wouldn’t be able to bear hearing any more, Song Xi stepped forward, entered the secretary’s office, and sat down at her desk.
The previously lively and relaxed secretary’s office instantly fell quiet and solemn.
It felt as long as a century before the silence was first broken by Assistant Chen.
“Did you guys… all see that?”
The “you guys” in her question referred to everyone in the secretary’s office except Song Xi.
Seeing everyone nod, Chen Mengyun let out a massive sigh of relief—at least she wasn’t seeing ghosts in broad daylight.
Otherwise, why else would Song Xi be wearing a blazing red professional suit and looking unearthly gorgeous?
Chen Mengyun walked up to Song Xi, and the other secretaries quickly gathered around as well.
Clearly, rubbernecking was human nature!
“Fairy, are you a new secretary?” Chen Mengyun guessed naturally. “You’re sitting in Secretary Song’s seat, could it be that Secretary Song quit and you’re here to replace her?”
Chen Qing, the most senior among them, shook her head. “That’s impossible! Unless Secretary Song was suddenly fired, there’s no way we wouldn’t have heard even a whisper of it.”
Secretary Sun said, “As the company’s walking gossip hub, I haven’t received any news about Secretary Song being fired.”
Zhang Yingying, who had been busy retouching her makeup without speaking until now, chimed in, “Could Secretary Song have done something desperate like trying to seduce President Jiang and gotten herself fired?”
Guilt washing over her slightly, Song Xi: “…”
Standing up, she picked up her freshly printed resignation letter, smiled faintly at everyone, and said, “What if I told you… I am Secretary Song!”
With that, Song Xi walked out of the secretary’s office.
She arrived at the door of the CEO’s office. Unlike the previous night when she had barged straight in, she politely knocked, waited for President Jiang’s permission, and then stepped inside.
Placing the resignation letter in front of Jiang Yanzhou, Song Xi uttered a line she had said countless times before:
“President Jiang, please sign.”
Glancing only briefly at the resignation letter, Jiang Yanzhou lifted his gaze, fixing his piercing eyes on Song Xi.
“Reason?”
With palms covered in sweat, Song Xi feigned composure and said,
“President, I wasn’t… entirely satisfied with your performance last night. Let’s part ways on good terms.”