In the dormitory, Mu Zi stood by the mirror, carefully examining his reflection. After over a month of recuperation, his once pale and thin face had begun to look rosy and lustrous. His hair, freshly cut, gave him a clean and sharp look with his new crew cut. The old, worn clothes were long gone, replaced by a new beige T-shirt with a subtle lotus flower logo, the uniform of Ningxiang Pavilion. His trousers were white dress pants, and on his feet, he wore brand new white all-season shoes... "Is this really me?" Mu Zi wondered, turning to admire his reflection from different angles, like a girl enjoying her beauty. It was a novel feeling for him, refreshing and invigorating, filling him with confidence for anything.
"So, I'll go see Yezi like this. I want to tell her to keep fighting, to live!"
The next afternoon, with ten thousand yuan from the lady boss in his pocket and dressed to the nines, Mu Zi left the restaurant's hall. Waiting for him in the parking lot was the lady boss's Hafei Luobao...
"Strictly speaking, given your friend's situation, I should have given more. But your boss Zhao is away on a trip, and all the money is in his account. So for now, this is all I can help you with."
The night before, after the guests had left and around 12:30 am, when Mu Zi and his colleagues had just finished cleaning up and were ready to rest, the lady boss called Mu Zi to her office and handed him a thick envelope, saying.
Ten thousand yuan... It was the first time Mu Zi had seen so much money. Holding the thick stack in his hand, it felt exceptionally heavy and solid. "Thank you, Sister Ning... I only meant to advance my salary for two months. Isn't this... too much?" Mu Zi had never expected such generosity from the lady boss, who easily gave him ten thousand yuan. Yes, he urgently needed money to help Yezi, but by his current standards, this amount equaled a year's salary at the restaurant...
Sensing Mu Zi's concern, the lady boss kindly patted his shoulder, smiling, "What, you don't want to be 'sold' here for a year?"
"No, it's not that..." Mu Zi explained awkwardly.
"Alright then. Here's what we'll do: of this ten thousand, consider five thousand a loan to be deducted from your salary. The other five thousand is my personal contribution to your friend. Of course, I wanted to give more, but that will have to wait until your boss Zhao returns. The financial power of our house lies in his hands, haha... Oh, if you're free tomorrow, I'll accompany you to visit your friend. How about that?"
"You must come, definitely, you must come, I want to introduce you to Yezi and her parents..." Mu Zi said excitedly.
At that moment, Mu Zi felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Where else could he find such a kind boss? Now, he was 100% sure that the gossiping colleagues' rumors were false! How could such a good, kind-hearted boss do such sordid things? Absolutely baseless and fabricated! If I ever hear them gossiping about the lady boss again, I'll surely expose their lies. They must not slander her anymore...
With this gratitude, Mu Zi had a sound and sweet sleep. In his dream, he saw Yezi successfully undergo a bone marrow transplant, her charming face once again lit up with a smile...
The weather was getting hotter, and the afternoon sun at 2 pm was very dazzling, shining brightly everywhere.
In the car, the air conditioning was set just right, and soft music played from the CD. Mu Zi, sitting in the passenger seat, listened to the moving tunes, enjoying the faint fragrance in the car. The scent came from a car freshener placed near the dashboard, a cute Grey Wolf from Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. Mu Zi discovered, to his surprise, that so many people, not just children, were fond of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf...
The lady boss, sitting in the driver's seat, drove attentively. She was dressed in a pristine white dress with silver high-heeled sandals, her blonde hair simply tied at the back. Her casual attire gave off an air of beauty, sexiness, and untouchable nobility. Mu Zi, who had little interaction with women since childhood, felt a bit of stirring in his heart being so close to the lady boss. Of course, it was a pure feeling; he saw her as a sister. This stirring was a basic reflection of his aesthetic appreciation... Since getting into the car, they had barely spoken, and Mu Zi always felt a bit constrained. Maybe it was due to the lack of affection in his early years, and now suddenly experiencing such warmth between people, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
Seemingly to break the silence, the lady boss turned down the music volume and jokingly asked Mu Zi, "You keep staring at my perfume bottle. Do guys also like perfumes?"
"No, I was just thinking about how many people, not just kids, like Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," Mu Zi replied honestly.
"Haha, those shows are simple, fun, and innocent, unlike some movies or TV dramas that are profound and complicated, making it difficult for viewers. So they're particularly suitable for people who don't like to think too much. But you probably don't like this kind of stuff, do you?" she asked lightly.
Mu Zi thought for a moment and answered, "I do. Watching things like Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf brings me the simplest joy."
"Well said. The simplest joys, without the need to ponder and guess at plotlines..." she nodded in agreement. "By the way, you just mentioned everyone likes Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. You're not talking about yourself, are you? Are you referring to... your friend Yezi, who also likes Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf?"
Mu Zi blushed inexplicably, as if his thoughts were seen through, and murmured, "Yes. The deepest impression Yezi left on me was her fondness for Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. A year ago, when the show just started to become popular, she was already very fascinated by it. Her desk, backpack, pencil case, everywhere were posters of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf..."
"Really?" the lady boss said, pleased. "This perfume I just bought this morning. Since Yezi likes it, let's give it to her! The smell of disinfectants in hospitals is too strong... I was just thinking about what gift to get her."
"You don't have to, Sister Ning..."
"It's okay. I'll buy another bottle for myself. Haha, actually, compared to Grey Wolf, I prefer Red Wolf..."
Amid their laughter, the car soon arrived at the city hospital's entrance.
Yezi, I'm here...