Chapter 11
Rebirth on the Doors to the Civil Affairs Bureau
***
Yu Dong looked at the huge apple being offered and her jaw already felt tired just from seeing it. So she shook her head and sat next to Xiaoyue on the sofa and said: âHey, when picking a new project, could you maybe find a better one? This TV series was so melodramatic I almost gagged a couple of times while I was dubbing!â
âHa, thatâs why I didnât dub it myself!â Xiang Xiaoyue gloated.
âYouâre going to have to pay me more if the next TV show is as awful as this one.â Yu Dong said, only half-joking.
Xiang Xioayue laughed, and after finishing her apple said: âNevermind. Itâs still pretty early, letâs go clothes shopping.â
Yu Dong turned towards a clock, and seeing that it was only 3:00 p.m., nodded happily.
Driving her red BMW, Xiaoyue passed by several shopping malls and Yu Dong couldnât help but ask: âMiss Xiaoyue, where exactly do you plan on going?â
âIâm taking you to a private boutique.â Xiaoyue said, âNowadays clothes sold in malls use low quality fabrics, wear it once and itâll fall apart.â
âOK, Iâll listen to you.â Xiang Xioayueâs taste had always been very reliable, so Yu Dong was rest assured.
âWhen we get there, find an extra dress to wear for Xinxinâs engagement party next month.â
âYeah? Why do you look so surprised? Did she not invite you?â Xiang Xiaoyue wondered.
Invite? Yu Dong did recall being invited, but at that time she was so inconsolable from her breakup with Fang Hua. She ended up not attending. Then, 2 years later she heard that Ren Xinxin committed suicide.
Yu Dong hasnât heard that name in over 7 or 8 years.
âWhatâs up with that face? Iâm asked you something!â
Yu Dong came back to herself and smiled: âNothing, I was just thinking about the 3 of us. I had the longest lasting relationship, but it ended when I graduated. You had countless boyfriends and is now only left with ex-boyfriends. Xinxin never fell in love during our time in university, but now sheâs the first to be married.â
âWait, let me count.â Xiang Xiaoyue pondered for a while and found that she couldnât remember the exact number.
âCountless.â Yu Dong sneered.
âBut how can Xinxin be someone who had never fell in love?â Xiang Xiaoyue said, âShe and her fiancee are childhood sweethearts!â
âWhat? Then in the 4 years of university, why havenât I seen Xinxinâs fiancee once?â Yu Dong was confused.
âI guess she didnât want to talk about such things while we were in school. Anyway, itâs useless to think about such things now that weâve graduated. Weâll just have to see when we go to the engagement party next month.â Xiang Xiaoyue looked ahead and slowed down when she saw the boutique.
Yu Dong admired the surrounding scenery while she walked, the villa had a pretty garden layout.
âLetâs just come back some other time!â Xiaoyue suddenly said.
âCome on, what are you saying? Why should we be the ones to leave?â Yu Dong said indifferently as she strode in.
âYu Dong?â The first one that noticed Yu Dong wasnât Fang Hua, but another man. Yu Dong had no idea who he was.
Fang Hua heard Lei Zhen call out and turned his head, seeing Yu Dong. His face immediately turned ugly.
âWhatâs wrong with your face? You look constipated.â She hasnât done anything yet he dares to show such a face.
âHaha!â
âPffft!â
Lei Zhen and Xiang Xiaoyue laughed at the same time.
âHahaha!!â Xiang Xiaoyue laughed wildly and had to support herself with Yu Dongâs shoulder. Li Zhen stood awkwardly, desperately trying to hold his laughter in.
Fang Hua was angry at Yu Dongâs attitude and wanted to say something, but Li Zhen caught him and advised: âDonât make a scene, Sister Enna is here.â
Fang Hua could only endure, staying silent.
âAre you clotheâs shopping too?â Li Zhen asked the girls with a smile.
âYes!â Xiang Xiaoyue and the man apparently knew each other. âI heard you were on TV?â
âYeah, I fortunately managed to get a role!â Li Zheng stayed modest, then turned towards the silent Yu Dong, complimenting her, âI havenât seen you in a while, youâve become? beautiful Yu Dong.â
Yu Dong thought hard, but couldnât remember this person. He was probably just one of the scum manâs friends anyway so Yu Dong didnât hold back: âThank you, but I have to warn you, the man next to you is a total scam. You donât need to buy him gifts, your money would be better spent buying clothes for yourself.â
âWhat are you talking about? When do I spend other peopleâs money?â Fang Hua angrily said, âDidnât I pay you back when we broke up?â
âOh? I thought the 10,000 yuan was a break up fee?â Yu Dong said without an ounce of embarrassment.
âYouâ¦â Whether it was paying Yu Dong back or a break up fee, neither sounded very good.
Lei Zheng could see that Yu Dong was far better at cornering Fang Hua, so he had to pull the person aside, then rush to placate Yu Dong: âNevermind us, weâll be sitting on that side, why donât you two go ahead and look at the clothes?â
âHaha! Look at his stupid look!â Xiang Xiaoyue said gleefully.
At this moment, the shop assistant came up to them and politely asked the 2 girls what kind of clothes they needed.
âWhere are all your new designs?â Xiaoyue was familiar with the process.
âCome with me please!â The pretty clerk guided the 2 girls to a showroom on the other side of the room and said, âThese mannequins are wearing our new designs, if you want to try them on directly, there are changing rooms over there, no need to ask an assistant.â
âThatâs Li Enna, the evening host of the City TV station.â Xiaoyue suddenly said.
âThe woman who just left?â Yu Dong nodded and continued, âNo wonder. She looked classy.â
âYouâre being stupid! Think a little,â said Xiang Xiaoyue. âFang Hua and that woman work at the same TV station. I heard that Li Ennaâs partner was recently arrested for taking drugs. It also looks like the stationâs looking for new people.â
âYou mean sheâs thinking of making Fang Hua her new partner?â Yu Dong said, âBut there are people who think Fang Huaâs IQ is so minuscule, he would probably fumble hosting the weather forecast!â
âYouâre too venomous!â Xiaoyue couldnât help but take a second to pity that scum.
âHurry and try on your clothes!â Yu Dong couldnât tell her that she had been reborn and couldnât remember ever seeing Fang Hua on TV with Li Enna.
Yu Dong saw that it was Li Enna who complimented her, so she nodded and politely said, âThank you, your clothes fit you too!â
Fang Hua looked at Yu Dong with dumbfounded eyes. Could it be that he never actually noticed how pretty Yu Dong was?
âDong Dong, do I look better with this, or this rose-patterned one?â Xiang Xiaoyue opened the curtain, holding a skirt against her waist for comparison.
âThe rose one!â Yu Dong said.
âItâs not too loud?â Xiang Xiaoyue hesitated a little. The large roses on the skirt were lovely, but she was afraid she would be overshadowed by the pattern.
âNo!â Yu Dong said, âYour beauty wonât? be beaten by that skirt.â
âAlright, Iâll try it again!â Yu Dongâs taste in fashion was completely untrustworthy to Xiang Xiaoyue, but recently her aesthetics improved a lot, so she decided to try it.
Xiang Xiaoyue was very satisfied and rushed towards Yu Dong to say. âIâll buy this one then!â
The clerk came over after hearing this and asked, âWould you like to wear this now or pack it up?â
âIâll wear it out!â After talking Xiaoyue asked Yu Dong, âAre you getting that dress?â
Yu Dong nodded and said, âHelp me pay for this, just deduct what I owe from my comission fees.â
Xiang Xiaoyue agreed and handed her card directly to the clerk.
âPlease ring me up too! Wrap up all the clothes I tried!â Li Enna also handed her card to the clerk and turned to Fang Hua and Lai Zhen to say, âThe clothes in this boutique are really nice, thank you for bringing me.â
Ever since they got here Yu Dong had done nothing but demean Fang Hua at every opportunity, but when she saw this she said nothing. Instead, she simply smiled and picked up a pair of earrings, trying them on and asking her friend, âDoes this look good?â
âYeah, matches your dress!â Xiang Xiaoyue looked at her for a while before commenting, âA necklace would complete the whole outfit though.â
The clerk came back at this time and passed the 3 girls their bags. Li Enna took her bag and rushed to leave, nodding towards the 2 girls as she left.
They originally planned to go to have dinner together, but when they were halfway to their drive, Xiaoyue was summoned by her mother and could only abandon Yu Dong on the roadside.
Yu Dong oriented herself and realized that she was quite close to the hospital Xia Feng worked in. She thought about the past couple of days, with Xia Feng doing day shifts. Everyday when she went out to work, Xia Feng would just be returning home. When she would wake up in the afternoon, Xia Feng would have already left for the hospital. Itâs already been several days since they actually sat down together.
Yu Dong waited for a while, but a reply never came. She thought he must be quite busy. Yu Dong looked around and went to a roadside tea shop to order a cup of milk tea and leisurely waited for a reply.
About 20 minutes later, Xia Feng responded.
[ Just finished! ]
[ Do you want to have dinner together? Iâm outside your hospital â¦.]
Yu Dong glanced around and spotted a western restaurant across the street. She then typed:
[ Thereâs a good western restaurant nearby, we could eat steak! ]
[ Go ahead and eat, thereâs too many things going on in the hospital that Iâm afraid Iâd have to run back halfway through our meal. ]
Yu Dong sipped her milk tea and thought for a bit before replying back:
[ Well, actually, I forgot to bring money! ]
[ Wait for me there! ]
This time, Xia Fengâs reply was instantaneous.
Shao Yifan noticed Xia Feng had taken off his white coat and was about to go out. Surprised, he said:âAre you going back?â
âNo, Yu Dongâs eating at the restaurant across the street outside and forgot to bring money. Iâm going to go down and help her settle the bill.â Xia Feng explained.
âOh!â
Suddenly a petite nurse knocked on their office door and said, âDr. Xia, the Director wanted to speak with you!â
âAlright!â Xia Feng promised to come, but suddenly remembered Yu Dong and became conflicted.
âThen Iâll call Yu Dong first!â
âWhy call, donât you just need to hand her some money? Iâll go for you!â Shao Yifan felt like such a loyal friend as he said these words.
âHello, Iâm Xia Fengâs colleague and friend, Shao Yifan! Weâve met before?â
Shao Yifan had already seen Yu Dong several times before. After all, Yu Dong had visited mother Xia everyday.
âToo many patients?â
âNo, the Director just asked for him to talk about something.â Shao Yifan said, âHe was worried about you, so I volunteered to help him contact you. Have you finished eating? Should we ask for the bill now?â
Yu Dong looked at Shao Yifan and gave him a slightly bitter smile.
Shao Yifan blinked and looked at waiterâs hands. Suddenly he was very confused: âYouâ¦you have money.â
Itâs so hard trying to woo a clueless husband