Then Rong Jiqiao raised her tear-filled eyes.
“It… it was a debt collection text. I still owe more than a thousand yuan on my Baitiao account…”
Duan Yan had never expected it to be something like that.
He paused for a moment, then sighed and took out his phone to transfer money to her.
“If there’s something you want to buy, just tell me. Don’t use Baitiao or things like that anymore. How much do you owe in total?”
Rong Jiqiao quickly replied, “Just… just fifteen hundred.”
Duan Yan transferred 1,800 yuan to her.
Seeing that she had managed to fool him, Rong Jiqiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She stammered, “You… you don’t need to send that much. You haven’t even gotten paid yet. Do you still have enough money for food?”
Looking at the 150 yuan left on his phone balance, Duan Yan figured that if he lived frugally, he could probably make it through half a month.
He didn’t really care about himself. Rong Jiqiao was a girl and should live a little more comfortably.
Without changing his expression, he turned off his screen.
“It’s fine. I have money.”
…
Over the past few days, Rong Jiqiao had practically worn out her phone from scrolling.
She searched through every recruitment app she could find—submitting résumés, refreshing pages, and waiting for replies.
Under the education section of her résumé, it simply said “Vocational Secondary School,” with only a “Nursing Qualification Certificate” barely adding any weight to her credentials.
In a place like the capital, where talented people were everywhere, it simply wasn’t enough.
She submitted more than twenty applications, but most received no response.
Occasionally, a notification would pop up. When she opened it, the jobs were usually positions that HR departments mass-messaged applicants about—waitress jobs with a base salary of 4,000 yuan, sales positions, or factory work.
The higher-paying jobs were almost all in the entertainment industry.
Rong Jiqiao stared at those listings, biting her lip.
Two days later, only one employer contacted her—a small chain clinic recruiting a patient guide/reception assistant. They invited her to come in for an interview.
The base salary was 4,000 yuan, lunch was provided, and there were no night shifts.
Rong Jiqiao pushed all those flashy dresses aside and chose a simple white shirt paired with black trousers.
She checked herself in the mirror, removed her lipstick, and replaced it with a light-colored lip balm.
She tied her hair into a low ponytail, revealing a clean and tidy forehead.
Standing in front of the mirror for a while, she felt that she finally looked like someone with a proper job.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, Rong Jiqiao arrived at the clinic.
The clinic was small, located on the second floor of a commercial building. A sign outside read:
“Bo’ai Medical Chain Clinic.”
She pushed open the door and walked in. A nurse sitting at the reception desk glanced up at her.
“Hello, I’m here for the patient guide interview.”
The nurse nodded.
“Please wait a moment. The director is busy.”
Rong Jiqiao stood to one side and looked around.
The clinic’s décor was simple. Health-awareness posters hung on the walls, and several plastic chairs were arranged in the waiting area.
After about ten minutes, a woman emerged from an inner office.
She was in her fifties, wearing a white lab coat, with her hair meticulously combed.
“You must be Rong Jiqiao?”
“Yes.” Rong Jiqiao immediately straightened her posture.
The director looked her up and down.
“Did you bring your documents?”
Rong Jiqiao quickly took out her ID card and nursing qualification certificate from her bag and handed them over with both hands.
The director accepted them, examined them carefully, and then looked up at her again.
Rong Jiqiao stood up straight, her hands hanging at her sides.
“Where have you worked before?”
“I…” Rong Jiqiao bit her lip. “I only came to the capital this year. Before that, I worked as a nurse at a hospital in my hometown, in XX County.”
The director frowned slightly.
“A county hospital, huh.”
Rong Jiqiao’s heart tightened. She could tell the director looked down on that background a little.
She hurriedly assured her, “I learn quickly, and I’m not afraid of hard work.”
The director didn’t respond. Instead, she continued flipping through her documents.
The room fell silent for several seconds.
Sweat began to form in Rong Jiqiao’s palms.
“All right.” The director handed the documents back to her. “Come to work next Monday. Eight o’clock in the morning. Don’t be late.”
Rong Jiqiao froze for a moment before realizing what she had heard.
“Thank you, Director!”
After leaving the clinic, she stood at the entrance and took a deep breath.
The sunlight bathed her body, warm and comforting.
She took out her phone, intending to call Duan Yan.
Her finger paused halfway through dialing.
Duan Yan was probably working a part-time construction job right now. Calling him wouldn’t be convenient.
Maybe she should just go find him at the construction site?
After thinking it over, Rong Jiqiao turned and headed toward the subway station.
She remembered Duan Yan mentioning that he had been doing temporary work at a construction site these past few days. She even knew the location.
After more than an hour on the subway and another twenty-minute walk, she finally arrived.
The entrance was surrounded by corrugated metal fencing. Inside, the roar of machinery and the shouts of workers echoed through the air.
Rong Jiqiao stood at the gate and looked around but couldn’t spot Duan Yan.
Just as she was wondering whether she should go inside, a group of workers came out.
Their faces were covered in dust, and their clothes were stained with dirt.
She scanned the crowd but didn’t find him.
After waiting a little longer, a second group of workers emerged.
This time, she saw him.
Duan Yan was walking at the very back, carrying a white plastic lunch box.
Inside was nothing but plain white rice—bare and empty, without a single dish to go with it.
He walked to an open area beside the construction site and found a rock to sit on.
Opening the lunch box, he took out a small packet of pickled vegetables from his pocket.
He tore it open and poured the contents over the rice.
Standing in the distance, Rong Jiqiao froze.
Duan Yan picked up his chopsticks, mixed the pickles with the rice, and took a bite.
A coworker carrying a lunch box walked over.
“Little Duan, that’s all you’re eating?”
Duan Yan looked up.
“Yeah. It’s enough.”
The coworker shook his head and picked up two pieces of braised pork from his own lunch box, dropping them into Duan Yan’s.
“You need some meat. You can’t do this kind of work without strength.”
Duan Yan tried to refuse, but the man waved him off.
“Don’t be polite. My wife made too much.”
Duan Yan paused for a moment.
“Thanks.”
The coworker smiled and walked away.
Duan Yan lowered his head and slowly ate the two pieces of pork.
Rong Jiqiao felt her throat tighten.
She remembered the time Duan Yan had transferred 1,800 yuan to her and said he still had money left.
If he really had money, why couldn’t he even afford a proper dish to go with his rice?
She turned around and hurried toward the street outside the construction site.
She walked toward a food stall by the roadside.
“Boss, how much is this boxed meal?”
“Fifteen yuan each. Which one do you want?”
“This one, and that one.” Rong Jiqiao pointed at the dishes in the display case. “Add a little extra meat.”
The owner quickly packed the meal and handed it to her.
After paying, Rong Jiqiao carried the lunch box back.
Duan Yan was still sitting on the same rock, eating his rice with his head lowered.
She walked over and stopped in front of him.
Duan Yan looked up and froze when he saw her.
She was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, her hair tied in a low ponytail. A few loose strands had been blown messy by the wind. Her makeup was light, with only a pale lip balm on her lips. Compared to the heavy makeup she usually wore, she looked much cleaner and more natural.
Holding a lunch box in her hands, she stood amid the dust stirred up by the construction site. The cuffs of her white shirt were stained with a little dirt, but it did nothing to diminish her delicate beauty.
Her features were the same as ever—almond-shaped eyes, graceful brows, a petite nose, and skin as white as porcelain.
Duan Yan’s gaze lowered to the fingers gripping the lunch box.
There she stood before him, surrounded by workers in filthy uniforms, the deafening roar of machinery, and clouds of dust.
Yet she seemed completely out of place, like some celestial being who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world—an incongruous sight that nonetheless made it impossible to look away.
Duan Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
Setting down his chopsticks, he asked in a hoarse voice,
“Why are you here?”
Rong Jiqiao pushed the lunch box into his hands.
“I bought you some food.”
Duan Yan looked at her, then at the lunch box.
The workers nearby all turned to stare.
“Hey, Little Duan, is that your girlfriend?”
“She’s really pretty.”
“You lucky guy.”
Rong Jiqiao’s face reddened. She lowered her head and said nothing.
For once, Duan Yan smiled in front of them. There was a rare sense of peace and contentment on his face.
He opened the lunch box she had bought.
Braised pork, scrambled eggs with green peppers, and a serving of vegetables.
He picked up his chopsticks but didn’t start eating immediately.
“Have you eaten?”
“I already ate,” Rong Jiqiao replied. “Go ahead and eat.”
Duan Yan picked up a piece of pork and put it into his mouth.
Rong Jiqiao sat down beside him and watched him eat.
“I found a job.”
Duan Yan paused.
“What kind of job?”
“A patient guide at a clinic,” she said. “The base salary is 3,500 yuan. Lunch is provided, and there are no night shifts.”
Duan Yan put down his chopsticks and looked at her.
“I can start work next Monday.” Rong Jiqiao smiled. “I can earn money myself now, so you don’t have to be so frugal anymore.”
Duan Yan remained silent.
Thinking he would be happy to hear the news—after all, it meant he wouldn’t have to work himself so hard—she continued,
“And I have enough money for myself. Stop transferring money to me all the time. Keep some for your own meals.”
Duan Yan stared at her for several seconds before frowning.
“Are you trying to break up with me?”
Rong Jiqiao was dumbfounded.
“Huh?”
“Otherwise, why are you looking for a job?” His tone was calm and matter-of-fact. “Didn’t I tell you I’d take care of you?”