Chapter 36

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The new year was approaching. Although Xiang Xiaoyue’s studio was still new to the business world, she didn’t want to overwork herself. So she closed the case file in her hands, intending to push everything to the next year.

Having been busy for half a year, the three girls haven’t had a proper sit down and had dinner together. So at noon today, Xiaoyue invited them to a nearby famous restaurant.

“Everyone says that if the one pregnant likes to eat spicy food, it’ll be a girl.” Xiaoyue quipped. “Ever since Ren Xinxin became pregnant she’s been fond of spicy food, looks like it’s going to be a girl!”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Ren Xinxin’s face had the happiness of an expecting mother. “Anyway, no matter what the baby’s gender is, they’ll be my child.”

“Wrong! it’s ours!” Yu Dong took some potstickers with her chopsticks and placed them into Ren Xinxin’s bowl, glancing at Xiaoyue she said, “I agree with you.”

“Yes, it’s totally a girl.” Xiaoyue ‘s agreement with her bolstered her confidence in this.

“Whatever you say.” Ren Xinxin didn’t bother arguing.

Xiaoyue no longer pursued the matter and instead turned to Yu Dong to gossip: “You’ve been especially sunny today, what happened?”

Xinxin also looked at Yu Dong, remembering how good Yu Dong’s mood was earlier at the studio. She would smile nonstop and even laugh from time to time, showing an obvious lovestruck expression.

“Has there been any progress with Xia Feng?” Ren Xinxin asked.

Yu Dong put down her chopsticks, cleared her throat and said. “Didn’t you two want to meet Xia Feng over dinner? go ahead and pick a time!”

Xiang Xiaoyue and Ren Xinxin both looked at each other and saw the spark of gossip from each other’s eyes.

“Oh? Didn’t a certain someone say that she wanted to consolidate her feelings? Did she successfully capture her target?” Xiaoyue asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Naturally!” Yu Dong said.

“No wonder you’re so happy today. It looks like Xia Feng took care of you real good last night, ah.” Xiayue quipped.

Yu Dong was stunned at her words and immediately laughed in disbelief: “This dead woman, why are you so dirty?”

“How am I dirty? You go out and ask, which couple out there doesn’t drive? It’s only when a couple doesn’t drive that it becomes dirty.” Xiang Xiaoyue retorted.

Ren Xinxin was on the side nodding along with Xiang Xiaoyue, but the corners of her mouth were twitching.

“Forget it!” Yu Dong picked up her chopsticks, disregarding the topic. “Anyway, It’s only a matter of time now.”

(T/N drive is slang for someone with experience. Not necessarily a playboy/playgirl)

“Eh…I was only joking, joking.” Xiang Xiaoyue said, “But you’ve been chasing Xia Feng all this time, are you actually planning on pouncing.”

Yu Dong poked on the food in her bowl and said hesitatingly: “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Don’t take the initiative with things like this, you should be properly reserved.” Xiang Xiaoyue said, looking knowledgable. “If a man really likes a girl, he won’t be able to control himself.”

“I see!” Yu Dong felt like she had a sudden realization, “I’ll just open my arms and  when he rushed over.”

“Pei! This girl actually wants to lose money instead of getting paid!” Xiaoyue sighed.

(T/N when a person is supposed to be getting paid but ends up paying someone instead)

“What loss? The man I like is rushing over to me, why would I want to dodge? What happens if he ends up in someone else’s arms?” Yu Dong countered.

“…” For the first time ever, the sharp-tongued Xiang Xiaoyue was speechless.

“Ha ha ha…cough…He he…” Ren Xinxin was laughing so hard. “Luckily we booked a private room; otherwise people will hear your conversation and die of laughter.”

Yu Dong and Xiang Xiaoyue looked at each other and also felt that their conversation was becoming ridiculous.

“By the way, Dong Dong, didn’t you say you were participating in that Gala on New Year’s Eve?” Ren Xinxin suddenly asked.

“Yes, we’re rehearsing the day after tomorrow.” Yu Dong answered.

“What song are you singing?” Xiaoyue was also curious.

“I haven’t thought about it. I’m going to make a list of songs tonight and decide in the afternoon. I’m going to ask my co-workers for their opinions too.

Because the restaurant was nearby, the three girls slowly walked back to the studio after dinner. The streets were lively, with pop-up vendors littering the sidewalks. At this time, a little girl with a basket of flowers walked past them.

Yu Dong saw the little girl and remembered Christmas Eve when Xia Feng bought her roses…

Ring! Ring!

Yu Dong fished out her phone and looked at the screen, seeing that it was Xia Feng. She smiled at this and immediately answered the call: “You’ve woken up.”

“Yeah, I’m on the way to the hospital.” Xia Feng answered through his Bluetooth headset. “Have you eaten?”

“Just did, with Xiaoyue and Xinxin. What about you?”

“I’ve eaten too.” Xia Feng replied, then suddenly realized that he didn’t have anything else to say. The two ends of the phone conversation were suddenly silent.

“I…I actually don’t have anything I need to tell you.” I just wanted to hear your voice.

“Oh…” Yu Dong could hear the words Xia Feng didn’t say but kept in his heart. “You just wanted to call and hear my voice for a bit?”

“Un.” Although they weren’t face to face, Xia Feng still felt a little embarrassed.

“Hey, hey…” Yu Dong’s laughter was transmitted from the phone right to his ear. Let him be embarrassed Xia Feng thinks, as long as she’s happy.

“By the way, I have to attend this TV gala in two days. I have to go on stage and sing a song, do you have time to stop by?” Yu Dong asked.

“The gala’s probably going to be in the evening right?” Xia Feng frowned. “I’m fully booked with surgeries, I’m sorry Yu Dong.”

“No worries, I just thought I’d ask.” Yu Dong asked another question, “Then can you help me think of a song to sing? I haven’t decided yet.”

“Are you sure?” Xia Feng hesitated for a moment, then asked.

“You have to help me with this!” Yu Dong unconsciously used a petulant voice.

“That…” Xia Feng’s gaze shifted to his newly bought CD sitting on his dashboard. It had released a month ago, and he remembered a particular song with beautiful lyrics. “How about Jay Chou’s ‘Blue and White Porcelain’?”

“Do you like the song?” Yu Dong asked.

“I do!”

“Then I’ll sing it for you.”

Yu Dong hung up the phone and turned around to see Xiang Xiaoyue and Ren Xinxin fake vomiting.

“What, you’re pregnant too?” Yu Dong couldn’t help but spit this to Xiang Xiaoyue.

“Obviously it’s because you’re being disgusting, why is the thief crying ‘thief’!” Xiaoyue said angrily.

(T/N why is the thief crying ‘thief’ means why is the guilty person acting like the victim)

“Dong Dong, I know you think otherwise, but you really are the type who neglect one’s friends when newly in love. Listen to our advice, OK?” Ren Xinxin couldn’t help but say, “Don’t just go along with whatever Xia Feng wants.”

“Didn’t you just hear her say?” Xiang Xiaoyue copied Yu Dong’s earlier spoiled tone and continued, “You have to listen, you’re wife is going to sing to you.”

With that, the two started laughing together again.

Yu Dong rolled her eyes, she couldn’t be bothered arguing with two women who sounded like a married couple themselves.

…….

12:30 a.m.

After an advertisement it was time to answer the phone again, so Yu Dong skillfully connected to a line: “Hello, this is Fish Jelly.”

“Hello Fish Jelly, hello…I…I saw you!” This Mr. Strong sounded a bit strange.

“Have we met?” Yu Dong asked curiously.

“Well, I’ve been squatted outside your radio station twice before. The first time I saw you get on a bus and leave, the second time you were driving home, so I never found the chance to talk to you.”

Yu Dong’s eyebrows raised, she felt a chill down her spine.

[ Wipe, pervert, call the police! ]

[ Fish Jelly raise the alarm! ]

[ Call the police! ]

Senior Yu also worried and gestured to Yu Dong, asking her if he should call the police. Yu Dong hesitated but eventually shook her head.

“It seems that you’re quite dangerous Mr. Strong.” Yu Dong laughed. “Your voice is a little strange, are you making your voice deeper?” Mr. Strong dared to complain.

“When it comes to committing crimes, you have to spend a little more money on your tools, or else you’ll easily get caught by the police.” Yu Dong said, sounding sincere. “Just so you know, I’ve won my community’s mixed martial art tournament.”

“Hey…you’ve misunderstood, I have no intentions towards you, OK?”

Yu Dong was surprised. “Then why did you follow me?”

“I was just passing by, I wasn’t waiting for you.” The dangerous Mr. Strong proudly continued, “What I want is revenge on society.”

[ Omg…host, there are three kindergartens near the radio station. Don’t tell me… ]

[ Too arrogant, raise the alarm, this dumbass even dared to call the program to issue a warning. ]

……

Yu Dong frowned, her hands gripping the microphone tightly: “Can I ask what society has done that led you to want revenge?”

“This is probably my last conversation ever, so I’ll tell you.” Mr. Strong started to narrate his story, “I was a child born in a village. Poor, but my grades were good. At the trade school opportunities were being granted for free by the government. So I wouldn’t drag my family down I gave up on the university entrance examinations. But when I graduated high school, the free grants were canceled.”

“I wasn’t discouraged and went to the city to find work. But they looked down on me because I came from the countryside, and they didn’t like my low qualifications. I couldn’t find a decent job and ended up in a construction site, moving bricks. After a year of hard work, my boss took our earnings and ran.”

“By then I was too tired of city life and wanted to just go home, but the villagers thought I was a scholar. To be so smart, yet live in the village, they thought it was a shame. Although my parents didn’t say anything, it was obvious by the looks on their faces that they were disappointed. So I left home again, drifting from place to place, sending all my money home just so that they can save face.”

“I was alone, eating nothing but a piece of steamed bread every day, sleeping under the overpass, or park benches when there aren’t any people to drive me away…”

“But I still didn’t give up. I worked hard and managed to get a job as a salesman, even if it was just the most basic salary. But for 5 years, for 5 years, even after I contributed so many sales, my boss refused to give me my commission. When I asked him, he said that I should be grateful he gave a poor beggar like me a job. Wasn’t I ashamed for asking my savior to give me money? I was so angry; I beat up my boss and ended up in prison for a year.”

“When I got out, I had nothing left. I tried to set up a stall with my remaining money. I worked early in the morning until late at night, but in the end city officials forced me to close down, saying that I made the neighborhood look shabby…Ha ha…is it that this society just doesn’t want me to live?” Mr. Strong angrily said, “Then I won’t live.”

After listening to his story, Yu Dong looked down and thought for a while before suddenly asking: “Do you like listening to my broadcast?”

“Yes.” Mr. Strong replied.

“What do you like about my show?”

“I like listening to your voice, no one has ever spoken to me so tenderly.” Mr. Strong replied.

“Do you have a favorite flower?”

“There is…” Mr. Strong answered, “I like the wildflowers that grow on the hillside in front of my home. They grow all over the mountains in spring, and there are a lot of butterflies.”

“Do you miss your home?” Yu Dong asked.

“…” The other end of the phone was quiet for a while. Suddenly, a voice choked with emotion could be heard. “I think of my home every day.”

“You come and listen to me sing. I’m going to send you a ticket to the New Year’s Eve Gala as a gift, to thank you for liking my broadcast.” Yu Dong said, “When I leave tonight I’m going to put the ticket on the park bench on the left side of the building.”

“…” There was a long silence.

“On that day, I’m going to get on the stage and sing a song. If don’t want to attend, no matter where you end up going, just please take my gift with you OK?”

Duuu…Duuuu…

Yu Dong’s hand that held the phone tightly loosened. She finally went back to her microphone and said: “Not everyone is graced with fortune, but we should live bravely anyway!”

When she got off work, Senior Yu repeatedly tried to stop Yu Dong from putting out the tickets to no avail. In the end, he followed her out intending to accompany her, but when they walked out of the building, they saw Xia Feng.

“You…” Yu Dong was surprised.

Xia Feng smiled, took her hand, then thanked Senior Yu for walking her out. He turned to Yu Dong and said: “I’ll accompany you.”

I won’t stop you from doing what you want to do, but I’m going to be with you whenever there’s danger.

The two placed an envelope on the bench and found a stone to put on top. After this, they turned and walked away.

Xia Feng walked Yu Dong to her car and after seeing her drive off, he went back to the hospital.

The night was silent. After what feels like a century, the envelope on the bench was finally picked up by a pair of pale hands.

A line of words was written on the white envelope.

For tonight’s Mr. Strong — Fish Jelly, January 22, 2008.

Tears dropped, staining the pure white envelope.

***

Oh dear lord, the girl talk at the beginning was hilarious.

But that went to from hilarious to feels in like 00.01 seconds.

Oh and I’m probably going to be posting the next chapter a little later than usual tomorrow as I have unexpected plans.

Special thanks to Sree for pointing out some Chinese slang.