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墨書 Inktalez
Song Pearl had not yet figured out what was going on; she only felt a tall figure brush past her. By the time she turned around to look, all she could see was a cold silhouette.
Thus, this sudden occurrence did not affect the mood of the siblings.
"From now on, don't be so reckless, okay?" Song Pearl said, looking down at her brother and gently pulling him toward the wall.
"Hehe, got it," Song Fei replied as he ran ahead and made a silly face at his sister before pushing open the door to a hospital room. "This is the one! The environment is really nice—quiet and clean. I wish this hospital were mine."
"What’s so good about a hospital? It’s a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, and the smell of disinfectant is awful!" Song Pearl scoffed at her brother's preference.
In the hospital room, there were two beds, but only Song Shiting occupied one. He looked pale and somewhat haggard, lying on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Hearing the noise, he turned his head and saw his son and daughter had arrived. His vacant eyes lit up with affection, and his lips curled into a smile.
This expression made him appear much more spirited.
Song Shiting pressed his lips together, trying to make his voice sound strong. "Pearl is here," he said, but his voice still revealed weakness.
Seeing Song Shiting like this made Song Pearl's nose tingle; it reminded her of when she first woke up after becoming Song Pearl, also in a hospital, where Song Shiting took care of her meticulously.
This admirable father was only in his forties but had lost his rosy complexion, his face now waxen with wrinkles forming on his forehead. His hair stood up in disarray from neglect, and due to weight loss, his eyes appeared larger.
Was he really hospitalized for three days? Song Pearl wondered.
"Dad, are you okay?" As soon as she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
"I'm fine; I'm already better. Look, I can move and talk now," Song Shiting said slowly as he propped himself up in bed. He raised his warm hand to wipe away Song Pearl's tears and smiled. "Why are you crying, child?"
"Big sister is just a crybaby," Song Fei chimed in as he rummaged through the bag that Song Pearl had set down, curious about what goodies it contained. The eight-year-old did not understand the severity of Song Shiting's condition; even though he spent time in the hospital, he was unaware of any fears or worries.
Song Pearl laughed through her tears—not because she was overly sentimental but because this body expressed emotions vividly; joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were all written on her face.
"Big sister, just give me this pickled vegetable to eat!" Song Fei pouted in dissatisfaction.
"The pickled vegetable has meat in it; if you don't believe me, take a look," Song Shiting said with a gentle smile to her son. Song Fei picked up his chopsticks and searched through the pickled vegetables, and indeed found several pieces of lean meat.
This was Liu Cuiying's usual cooking method, and both Song Shiting and Song Pearl were accustomed to it. However, Song Fei had never needed to eat pickled vegetables, so he didn't know.
He picked a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Since the pickled vegetables were stir-fried with chili and meat, he grimaced from the spiciness while eating the meat and quickly grabbed his cup to drink some water.
Song Pearl raised the hospital bed higher, wanting Song Shiting to continue lying down, but Song Shiting was tired of lying down and wanted to sit up for a bit.
When Song Shiting saw the Pickled Vegetable Pancake that Song Pearl brought, she knew that her daughter had come from home.
"Your mother asked you to come back early, didn't she? I told her not to disturb your studies..." Song Shiting coughed after just two sentences.
"No, I came back yesterday during my break and didn't know anything happened at home," Song Pearl said as she picked up the kettle and poured a cup of water for Song Shiting.
Song Shiting took the cup and drank a couple of sips before saying, "With my current situation, all I can do is worry. Although your mother is watching over the house, I estimate the hope of keeping the house isn't great. With conflicting interests, the village officials are very tough. You go back and tell her that if we can't fight for it, then don't fight. If the house gets demolished, then it gets demolished! Safety is the most important."
"Dad, it's okay," Song Pearl replied.
She wanted to think more about it but didn't know how.
Song Shiting sighed and reached out to place the tea cup on the table in front of the bed. Song Fei stopped searching for meat in the pickled vegetables and hurriedly took the cup from him.
"I heard there's someone with the surname Qing in our village who works at Hongqing Group?" Song Pearl asked.
"Are you going to ask Qing Yuansheng?" As soon as Song Pearl finished speaking, Song Shiting's expression changed slightly. "Dad has some issues with that person named Qing; you shouldn't go asking him for help. If you do, he won't miss any opportunity to squeeze me out..."
Song Shiting then broke into another series of coughs.
What kind of hatred drives someone who is a Boss to bully Song Shiting, an ordinary person?
Song Pearl was somewhat incredulous. She wanted to ask more, but noticed Song Shiting's face turning slightly red, and his lips trembling a bit. She quickly raised her hand to press down on Song Shiting's hand that was resting on the blanket.
"Don't get agitated," Song Pearl said softly.
Just a moment ago, Song Shiting, who had been struggling to breathe, felt his mood calm down all at once.
"That person is petty and holds grudges," he said slowly.
"I understand, Dad," Song Pearl dared not continue the topic with Song Shiting. "You should rest first. I'll step out for a bit and come back to see you later."
Song Shiting obediently lay down and closed his eyes.
Song Pearl felt a bit guilty; she thought that controlling the patient's consciousness like this might not be good for his recovery, so she hurriedly let Song Shiting sleep.
"Sis, are you leaving now?" Song Fei asked reluctantly. "I want to go home..."
"I'll take care of Dad here. I'll come back in the evening to keep you company and bring you some delicious food," Song Pearl squatted down and pinched Song Fei's round little face, which looked a bit downcast.
"Okay, then hurry back," Song Fei perked up again. "When Dad gets better, we can go home together."
"Mm, alright." Song Pearl closed the ward door and waved goodbye to Song Fei, who was peeking through the crack in the door as she walked out of the corridor. Passing by the Nurse Station, she glanced at the clock there; the hour hand was between three and four.
She couldn't help but quicken her pace; she needed to arrive before the company closed for the day.
When Song Pearl reached the hospital entrance and looked at the crowded street, she reached into her pocket to check her money—enough for a taxi ride. She waved down a cab and asked how much it would cost to go to Hongqing Group.
The driver looked her up and down and said, "You must be going to their headquarters, right?"
Song Pearl thought that the top executives of the company should all be at the headquarters and nodded quickly.
"Alright, get in. It's not expensive," the driver said as he opened the car door.
Song Pearl got into the car, and it started moving.
"Are you going to look for a job?" The driver was particularly friendly and made small talk.
"Ah," Song Pearl smiled lightly, not saying much.
"I hear the salary at Hongqing is quite high, but it's hard to get in," the driver continued gossiping as he drove. "Did you get a referral?"
Song Pearl shook her head, and at that moment, the car came to a stop.
"We're here," the driver said.
It only took two sentences to arrive! Song Pearl felt a bit deceived.
Through the car window, she saw a spacious entrance with four neatly arranged golden characters on the door—Hongqing Group.
Indeed, she hadn't expected it to be such a short distance.
"Miss, please give me two yuan," the driver said politely.
Song Pearl took out some change and handed him two yuan. "Thank you, sir." Seeing that the driver only charged her two yuan, Song Pearl felt it was quite a bargain and her mood brightened a bit.
As she approached the entrance with horizontal railings, a young Gatekeeper dressed in uniform stood straight and politely asked, "Hello, may I ask what brings you here and which department you are looking for?"
Is it this troublesome just to enter?
Song Pearl felt a bit displeased and was anxious as it was almost time to get off work!
She caught a glimpse of the unmelted remnants of snow on Holly by the Flower Bed, and a smile curved her lips.
Two snowflakes flew up and landed on the young Gatekeeper's nose, instantly melting.
The previously businesslike Gatekeeper suddenly changed his attitude and politely said, “Boss's office is on the seventh floor. Please, after you.”
Song Pearl nodded and quickened her pace as she hurried through the entrance.
It wasn't until she walked along the sidewalk beside the Flower Bed into the office building that the Shift Supervisor from the guard station came out and walked over to the guard, asking, “Who was that person looking for? Why didn’t they register?”
“It seems she was looking for President Hong…” The young guard scratched his ear.
The team leader raised his hand and slapped his own forehead, “Have you lost your mind? You actually believed her? There are plenty of people looking for Boss! Do you think Boss can just meet anyone casually? Where have you been paying attention all this time?”
“Then I'll go bring her back.” The guard scratched his head, realizing he might have really lost his mind just now.
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