"Miss Xu, please don't rush. Take your time…"
How could she not be anxious? Someone outside was standing there, reveling in her embarrassment!
Xuxing continued to struggle, but her head felt as if it had inflated like a yeast dough, making it impossible to escape through the hole.
Just as despair consumed her thoughts, contemplating whether she should call for the fire department to rescue her with a saw, a hand gently lifted her chin, while another pressed down on her forehead—
With both hands working in tandem, her little head was finally freed from the hole.
Xuxing tightly shut her eyes, feeling as if her delicate little nose and charming chin had been flattened against the edge of the circular opening.
She braced herself against the recovery bed, instinctively touching her face, only to feel her elegant brows instantly knit together, drawing in a sharp breath, "Hiss—"
Noticing her reaction, Chen Dong's expression turned to one of concern, "Xu… Miss Xu, are you alright? Would you like me to fetch some ointment?"
Xuxing found herself momentarily speechless, leading Chen Dong to believe she was in severe pain, prompting him to hastily exit.
"Hey…"
Xuxing attempted to call him back, but upon lifting her gaze, she found Kang Chen standing there, composed, slightly tilting his head, his jawline carving out a handsome arc.
As their eyes met, she noticed a depth of quiet intensity in his gaze.
In that moment, when the hand had cradled her chin, she had already recognized its owner.
Clad in a jet-black shirt with matte, square, light gold cufflinks, he emanated a crisp aroma of bergamot—
Who else could it be but that insufferable Kang Chen?
For reasons unbeknownst to her, she had hesitated to meet his gaze for quite some time. His piercing stare, coupled with his often impassive expression, had always sent chills down her spine.
Having already missed the chance to play it cool, Xuxing feigned calmness as she averted her gaze, attempting to rise from the recovery bed.
Kang Chen reached out, poised to assist her. However, she instinctively recoiled, a look of wariness on her face. "What are you doing?"
Kang Chen halted mid-motion.
After a moment, his hand, which had paused in mid-air, gently hovered near her jaw.
Xuxing no longer flinched, her eyes cast downward in cautious anticipation.
Moments later, his hand shifted, resting on her head.
"How about I just press your head back down?"
His voice was low and soothing, yet his words were utterly outrageous!
Startled, Xuxing quickly scrambled upright from the recovery bed.
***
On the other side, Chen Dong emerged from the break room with the ointment, just as he ran into Manager Hao.
Manager Hao was hurrying along, glancing at his watch as he walked.
"Hao Ge!"
Manager Hao looked up briefly, spotting Chen Dong, and casually inquired, "Did that Miss Xu purchase any sessions?"
Chen Dong shook his head, matching his pace with Hao's.
Manager Hao offered no further comments.
Since Chen Dong had only recently joined the gym, he was merely a fellow townsman, honest yet somewhat awkward. Previously, he had been a physical education teacher in elementary school and was unfamiliar with the persuasive nature required for a gym instructor. Thus, he tried to assist whenever he could. However, whether sessions were sold hinged not only on the instructor's capabilities but also on the client's financial standing.
"Hao Ge, do you have urgent matters to attend to?"
"Today, President Kang is here. I only found out from the front desk staff, Xiao Zheng. Since I'm on duty today, it wouldn't be appropriate not to greet him," Manager Hao sighed, "He arrived an hour ago, but I have no idea if he's still here."
"President Kang?" Chen Dong was taken aback; he distinctly remembered that the boss's surname was not Kang.
"You wouldn't know since you just arrived. President Kang only invests and doesn't manage the day-to-day affairs," Manager Hao explained succinctly before continuing on his way.
As they passed the personal training room, Manager Hao suddenly halted.
Chen Dong instinctively stopped too, glancing up to realize they had reached the training room.
"Hao Ge, I'll head in first."
He called out and prepared to push the door open.
But just as his hand made contact with the door, Manager Hao swiftly intercepted him.
That Miss Xu didn't seem particularly wealthy, yet she was acquainted with President Kang. Could it be that the membership card was a gift from him?
Manager Hao merely stole a glance, yet his mind had already raced through various scenarios.
Though he was unaware of the exact situation inside, he knew that entering now would certainly be unwise.
He pulled the perplexed Chen Dong aside, lowering his voice as he explained.
***
Inside the training room, Xuxing and Kang Chen had been engaging in awkward small talk for some time.
Xuxing struggled to maintain her composure, while Kang Chen appeared completely at ease, casually asking, "What are you currently involved in?"
Xuxing touched the back of her neck, adopting a deliberately nonchalant tone. "Oh, me? I'm primarily engaged in… the education sector."
She added a firm "Mm" for emphasis, "And in my spare time, I write a bit of fiction."
Hearing the latter half of her statement, Kang Chen raised an eyebrow, "A writer?"
Internally embarrassed, Xu Xing maintained an air of nonchalance on the surface. "I just write a bit of fiction."
Please don't ask any more questions! Any further inquiry would be self-sabotage!
Fortunately, at that moment, a call from Li Yuanjun came through, and for the first time, Xu Xing found her friend remarkably endearing.
"Xu Xiaoxing, why haven't you returned yet? Have you struck up a flirtation with the muscle men at the gym?"
"I'll be done shortly."
"Oh, you brought the keys, right?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'll catch a nap. Just let yourself in when you're back."
"Okay."
"Wait, Xu Xiaoxing, your tone sounds so dismissive…"
Xu Xing suddenly cleared her throat and raised her voice, "Alright, I'll be there right away."
Without hesitation, she quickly ended the call.
Once the conversation concluded, Xu Xing finally felt a sense of calm wash over her.
She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and casually mentioned, "Um, a friend invited me to dinner, so I have to leave now. I usually write novels, which gives me quite a backache. I really need to get some exercise, but this gym… it's just mediocre, I suppose."
She shrugged, her tone tinged with regret. "Sigh, I might have to transfer my membership to someone else; I probably won't be back."
And I certainly won't run into you again. :)
Kang Chen's gaze remained indifferent.
After a moment, he casually replied, "Is that so? Then, goodbye."
"Mm, I'll be on my way now. Goodbye?"
Xu Xing tentatively waved her hand in farewell.
Noticing Kang Chen's composed demeanor, she quietly picked up her coat and headed for the exit. She only paused at the corner for a moment before suddenly picking up speed and bolting away.
Manager Hao and Chen Dong, who had been conversing off to the side, intended to greet Xu Xing as she exited, but the words stuck in their throats when they saw her dart away like someone escaping a disaster.
They exchanged bewildered glances, momentarily taken aback.
***
When Manager Hao approached Kang Chen again, he wasn't met with the usual friendly conversation. Instead, Kang Chen got straight to the point, commanding, "Bring me Xu Xing's registration information."
Manager Hao paused, instinctively responding before his mind caught up. "I'll get that right away."
The thin A4 sheet still held the warmth of freshly printed paper as Kang Chen scanned it rapidly.
Noticing Xu Xing's gym membership was marked with a corporate discount, he suddenly inquired, "Which companies have obtained cards recently?"
"Uh…"
Many companies had arranged for discounted annual memberships at the gym for the year-end gatherings, and he couldn't possibly remember all of them.
Kang Chen lifted his gaze, scrutinizing Manager Hao.
Manager Hao immediately added, "President Kang, I'll check that for you right away…"
"No need. If she wants to transfer her card, tell her corporate discount cards are non-transferable."
Kang Chen remarked casually, crumpling the A4 paper into a ball and tossing it into the trash.
???
That rule didn't exist before.
Kang Chen cast him a penetrating look and fell silent, stepping past him.
Manager Hao suddenly had an epiphany, quickly turning to promise Kang Chen's retreating figure, "Don't worry, President Kang. I'll take care of it!"
Rules are rules, and the person who makes them is, of course, the boss.
If it hadn't been a regulation before, now that the boss said it was, then it was indeed a rule.
***
As Xu Xing left the gym, she hadn't gone far when she sneezed.
She tightened her coat around her, rubbing her hands together, reflecting on how cold winter was in Xingcheng, completely oblivious to the fact that her dreams of fortune had already dissipated with a single statement from someone.
The branches of the roadside greenery were coated with a light layer of frost, and it wouldn't be long before the first snowfall of the season graced the ground.
With no time to admire the scenery, Xu Xing buried her head in her coat collar and quickened her pace, eager to return home.
Strictly speaking, her current residence couldn't really be considered a home.
After arriving in Xingcheng from Yongcheng, she had come with empty hands and no money to her name. If it hadn't been for her college friend, Li Yuanjun, who had made her fortune as a writer at such a young age and taken her in, she might have ended up homeless, like a girl selling matches.
Ah, genuine human kindness is indeed present in the world. Maybe I should indulge in some oden first.
Stopping at the convenience store, she rubbed her hands together and huffed out some warm breath before rummaging through her pockets for her phone, searching for discount information for the store.
Paying via mobile would grant her a 10% discount, and she also had a cash red envelope of 3.5 yuan from her payment app, which would expire if not used today.
Calculating carefully, she found the lettuce was 1 yuan, fish balls 2 yuan, shrimp balls 2 yuan, totaling 5 yuan. With a 10% discount, that brought it down to 4.5 yuan, meaning she only needed to pay 1 yuan.
She hesitated for a moment, deciding to forgo the shrimp balls in favor of spinach instead; spinach was only 1 yuan, making her total after the discount 3.6 yuan. This way, she would only need to pay 0.1 yuan, which was simply perfect!
Excited, Xu Xing hurried into the convenience store.
However, as soon as she spoke, the clerk informed her that they weren't serving oden today.
The smile that had begun to form quickly faded, leaving her feeling dejected as she prepared to leave.
In that moment, just as she was about to step away, she suddenly remembered the unused 3.5 yuan cash red envelope, prompting her to turn back and grab a 4 yuan rice ball from the shelf.
As she nibbled on the cold rice ball, images of Kang Chen in his impeccably tailored black shirt with light gold cufflinks resurfaced in her mind.
Once upon a time, she had been a lively little princess herself.
Yet the Kang Chen from back then, she had ignored; now he seemed unattainable.
The rice ball was uncomfortably cold and difficult to swallow.
Xu Xing felt that if she continued eating, she might end up with a heart attack, so she left half of it behind, planning to heat it up in the microwave when she returned, as it would serve as her dinner.
Thinking about this made her feel a twinge of sadness.
Being a poor adult is genuinely tough; it makes one wish for an escape.