Chapter 043　 Please love the sincere ones.

  *

  The surgery finally ended after 3:00 PM. When the doctor told them the operation was a success and the patient was out of danger, Su Xian, Li Chengshi, and Honda couldn't help but hug and weep.

  Due to severe blood loss, Zhao Nanfeng was pale. He was wheeled into the ICU by nurses and required strict monitoring.

  Their hearts tightened again, but the doctor said the patient's vitals were stable, and they would gradually reduce sedation to allow him to wake up within 24–72 hours.

  Su Xian had been hit on her left arm and leg. Though only external injuries, the doctor recommended she stay for observation. Honda was basically unharmed and had to leave once visiting hours were over. Su Xian advised her to rest well at home for a few days, but she guessed Honda wouldn't agree.

  *

  Li Chengshi was staying in a three-bed ward, but currently, he was the only patient. After dinner, with some energy restored, he ran to the restroom to look in the mirror. He came out looking depressed and said, "I just realized they shaved a patch of my hair off—it looks terrible. Team Leader, you won't look down on me, will you?"

  "Li Chengshi, you were super handsome today!" She gave him a thumb-up. "Honda said that when you rushed over to save her, you were just like her Masked Rider from her dreams!"

  "That's an exaggeration." He touched his head, a little embarrassed.

  "It's not exaggerated at all," she was sincere. That time at the barbecue stall, the time at the stream rafting, and today—he never hesitated to step forward. "You're my big hero too. Come here, let's hug."

  He recoiled slightly. "No, you've taken enough advantage of me today."

  "Hey, don't be so heartless, Li Chengshi! You were clearly the one who said you were scared..."

  "I was not." How could a big hero be scared?

  "Then I'm leaving." Su Xian stood up.

  He immediately grabbed her hand. "Don't go!"

  Su Xian smiled triumphantly and sat back down by the bed, but before long, the nurse came to usher her back to her own room.

  **

  Lying in the hospital bed, the moment she closed her eyes, she fell into deep anxiety.

  Su Xian knew what she was afraid of, and there was absolutely no way to convince herself not to be afraid. When she was next to Li Chengshi, he could make her temporarily hide in a small, gentle sanctuary to deceive her nerves, but she still had to face reality alone.

  No one can tell themselves, "Anxiety is useless," and stop being anxious.

  She sat up, took a few deep breaths, and decided to go to the nurse's station to ask for some sleeping pills.

  However, even if she managed to avoid the night, bad news arrived as scheduled the next morning. She received a call from Heidi executive Samuel. He was very polite, praised Su Xian's bravery, expressed sympathy for Towa Design's undeserved misfortune, and then informed them that, given Zhao Nanfeng's severe injuries and the resulting project delay, the top management had decided to cancel the cooperation.

  *

  Su Xian walked blankly to the waiting area near the ICU ward, which was empty. Yet, she couldn't choose a chair she wanted to sit in. Her body felt drained, and she slid to the floor, crying uncontrollably.

  She came for this project, and she couldn't help but feel heartbroken. At 34, one could say the road ahead is long and there's plenty of time to strive, but she knew the phrase "effort guarantees success" was a lie. A mediocre designer like her only gets a few chances to shine in a lifetime.

  She cried heartbrokenly, more intensely than she had worried for Zhao Nanfeng yesterday. She felt she was not righteous enough, but she was a selfish person, and she never denied it.

  She buried her face in her knees, letting the tears flow freely.

  Suddenly, a pair of arms gently wrapped around her from behind. She knew who it was because she recognized his scent.

  Li Chengshi held her lightly and said softly, "Go ahead and cry. I've told the nurses not to disturb you."

  Su Xian turned around and collapsed into his embrace, sobbing without restraint.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  *

  "Do you have a tissue?" She finally calmed down, her face covered in red blotches from crying, looking completely disheveled.

  Li Chengshi took out a prepared wet wipe and helped her clean up. She still sniffled occasionally, looking exactly like a kindergarten child after a major crying fit who couldn't regain control.

  "Li Chengshi, I'm sorry." She sniffled again. "I'm the one who brought you here, but the Heidi project is gone, and you're injured. How can I explain this to your mother?"

  "How can you say you brought me here? We had already broken up then. I was the one who shamelessly insisted on following you. Besides, you don't need to explain this to my mom. I'll just be careful not to let her see the back of my head during our weekend video call."

  "...But I guess it will be hard for us to earn big money now..." She buried her head in his chest and started crying again.

  Li Chengshi couldn't help but chuckle, mocking her, "You money grubber! So you were crying this hard all because of money!"

  "Money is really important. Without money, I have nothing."

  "Nonsense. You still have your beauty, and your 34D!"

  Su Xian burst into laughter through her tears; a snot bubble almost formed.

  He timely handed her a new wet wipe.

  She wiped her eyes and blew her nose clean, then chastised him, "You little stinky puppy, you've learned to make dirty jokes when people are sad now."

  "You become like the people you're with."

  "If I," she hesitated, "can't earn big money, will you still be with me?"

  He had told her he wasn't after her money, so why wouldn't she believe him? He had to play along. "Don't you have some savings? That's enough for me to stay with you."

  "You don't even know how much."

  "Then tell me." Any amount is enough for him anyway.

  Su Xian whispered a number into his ear.

  "What?!" Li Chengshi was shocked. "That's not 'some savings,' okay! My gosh, did General Manager Liang give you that much in bonuses?"

  Actually, bonuses only accounted for a small part. When settling construction projects, developers often used housing vouchers to offset part of the project fee, which meant Liang Wenya couldn't issue project bonuses immediately. So, she used the vouchers as compensation, held by the company. When the market was good, they were sold off in batches and the money was distributed proportionally. By promptly selling them off at the market high in 2020 and 2021, all their veteran employees made a small fortune.

  "This is not a small fortune, Sister! Suddenly, I think you're more beautiful than Liu Yifei."

  Now Su Xian was relieved. "It's fine as long as you think it's enough."

  "You know I'm very good at saving money. Even if we can't earn big money in the future, the salary of you and me is enough to cover our expenses, and your savings can be saved for retirement."

  "That's true." It seemed there was nothing to worry about. She instantly regained her confidence, patted her face to cheer herself up, and asked, "Can I kiss you now?"

  "No!" He flatly refused. "If I agreed now, how materialistic would I look?"

  "I love materialistic guys."

  "Please love the sincere ones."

  **

  In the afternoon, Zhao Nanfeng woke up. The doctor allowed 30 minutes of visiting time, cautioning them that the patient was still very weak and should not be emotionally agitated.

  The three people walked in quietly.

  Zhao Nanfeng opened his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry for bringing this disaster upon you."

  "It's okay, we're all fine." Su Xian had recovered her bright spirits. "Don't worry about work. I can go back tomorrow, and I'll handle everything."

  Zhao Nanfeng waved his hand. "Don't go back to the company. There might still be danger."

  "Don't worry, those men have been arrested," Su Xian quickly told him the latest news that Honda had brought.

  *