A moment later, I had finished cooking and removed my apron. I brought the food back to the dining table, ready to call Mi Cai for dinner, only to find her already asleep on the sofa.
I sighed out of concern for her, came to her side and gently woke her up: “It’s time to eat. You can sleep after dinner.”
Mi Cai rubbed her tired eyes and asked me, “What delicious food did you cook?”
“Everything you love, and it won’t make you gain weight.”
Mi Cai perked up and said, “Great!”
I raised an eyebrow and asked her with a smile, “Aren’t you going to show some appreciation?”
“How should I show it?”
I leaned my face closer to hers and said, “Give me a kiss.”
Mi Cai smiled and then kissed my face. I enjoyed this warmth, as if all the irritation from waiting had vanished at this moment.
At the dinner table, Mi Cai and I ate and chatted. She asked me, “Zhao Yang, how’s your job search going?”
I subconsciously put down my chopsticks, paused for a moment before answering, “I’m still looking.”
Mi Cai didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, she just nodded and said, “Take your time, there’s no rush.”
I also nodded in agreement, then picked up my chopsticks and continued eating.
After dinner, while Mi Cai was washing up in the bathroom, I was in the kitchen washing the dishes, habitually lighting up a cigarette.
A moment later, Mi Cai, who had finished washing up, came into the kitchen. She took the cigarette from my mouth and gently hugged me from behind.
I smiled and asked, “You’ve been tired all day, why aren’t you going to bed?”
“I want to keep you company… Let me help you wash.”
As Mi Cai said this, she tried to take the dishes I was washing from my hands, but I stopped her, “You just washed up, don’t get your hands dirty again. Go to bed.”
“I’ll wait for you to finish.”
I looked at the sink, there were only a few bowls left, so I agreed with her.
……
After cleaning up the dishes, Mi Cai and I came to the living room together. But she didn’t seem to have any intention of going to bed, she just sat with me on the sofa.
I was a bit puzzled, so I asked, “Do you have something to tell me?”
Mi Cai seemed a bit hesitant, but she still took out a bank card from her bag and handed it to me, “This is for you.”
I didn’t reach out to take it, “What do you mean?”
“…You’re currently unemployed, but you still have daily expenses, right?”
“I still have over a thousand yuan on me.”
Mi Cai blurted out, “What can you do with just over a thousand yuan?”
“Over a thousand yuan may not mean much to you, but to me, as long as I spend it carefully, it can last a long time.”
“Why do we have to be so clear about everything?”
“At least we’re not married yet. I think it’s a good thing to be clear before we get married.”
Mi Cai didn’t say anything, but she still didn’t put down the bank card in her hand.
I smiled at her, “Why don’t you marry me now? If you marry me, I’ll let you support me.”
“You’re a scoundrel!”
“Say it again, I like to hear it.”
“You’re a scoundrel!”
“I love it when you call me a scoundrel… Haha!”
Mi Cai didn’t laugh along with me. After a long time, she said in a low voice, “I wish you were really a scoundrel.”
Of course, I could tell that Mi Cai was indirectly saying that I had a strong sense of self-esteem. But so what? If a man can’t maintain enough self-esteem in front of his woman, it only means that he’s a freeloader, only interested in the woman’s wealth. But I’m not like that. If I really want something, it’s her heart, a heart that can love me till old age…
Suddenly, I stood up from the sofa, came to her side, picked her up in my arms and said, “Be good, go to sleep… Tomorrow might be another busy day!”
“I don’t want to sleep yet, why are you so domineering?”
“At Zhuomei, you’re the CEO, but in this house, you’re just my girlfriend, Zhao Yang. So… I have to be domineering with you!”
Mi Cai glared at me, but her hand gently wrapped around my neck. I carried her into the room with a sense of satisfaction, gently put her on the bed, covered her with the quilt, and turned off the light.
……
After leaving Mi Cai’s room, the night once again separated us. I knew that Mi Cai wouldn’t come out again, so I boldly lit a cigarette to satisfy my craving.
My gaze inadvertently fell on the bank card that Mi Cai had left on the coffee table. I felt a strange mix of emotions, and my desire for money became increasingly strong. Even though it was strong, I still clearly understood that the money that belongs to me must be earned uprightly.
So I couldn’t help but ask myself: If I could get a commission of 500,000 yuan from Jian Wei, would it be rightfully mine?
It’s hard to say. At least I don’t think my impromptu performance is worth that 500,000!
……
Time continued to move forward. In the past two days, I didn’t pin my hopes on Jian Wei’s advertising business. I still kept my original pace, shuttling between various companies looking for a job to make a living. But the results were still disappointing. Even if one or two companies were interested in me, the highest trial period salary they offered was only 5,000 yuan. This obviously couldn’t meet my current needs. I had been working for many years, even at Baoli Department Store, I had a monthly salary of 7,000 yuan. Once a person reaches a certain level, they can’t accept a step back… So, I was once again brutally beaten by reality!
It was another evening after a tiring day. I was pushing a shopping cart around the supermarket, like a housewife, looking for discounted food among the many products.
After wandering around for a while, the shopping cart was still empty. Subconsciously, I felt that every item here was overpriced, which made me think about going to the market to buy food. So, I really left the supermarket empty-handed and headed towards the market not far across the street.
In the midst of intense haggling with the vegetable vendors, my phone suddenly rang. After cursing the vendor as a “profiteer”, I took out my phone from my pocket and answered the call.
Before I could even say “hello”, Jian Wei on the other end of the phone excitedly said to me, “Zhao Yang… good news, our annual advertising agency application for Jin Ding Real Estate has been approved by their senior management… We did it!”
I was a bit dazed, and after a moment of uncertainty, I asked, “Approved?”
“Approved, really approved, we got this 5 million annual advertising agency business!”
I fell silent, but two questions suddenly arose in my heart: Am I about to receive a project commission of 500,000?… What should I do with this money?
Jian Wei on the other end of the phone was still excited, saying, “Zhao Yang, come to our Si Mei Advertising at 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon, we will go to Jin Ding Real Estate to sign the advertising agency contract together!”
I subconsciously said, “I don’t need to go.”
“No way, you are the biggest contributor, we can’t do without you!”