Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The person was sensible enough not to press the matter further.

Isn't being a doctor supposed to be a secure, lifelong job? Of course, some people switch careers halfway through, but it's rare to hear of. If you did hear of it, even strangers on the street would ask why.

"Thank you, but I don't need any help," the person said gently.

"Don't mention it!" Shen Qingyuan waved her hand. "I wish you a speedy recovery!"

-

When Shen Qingyuan returned from the restroom, Song Ting was on the phone. Upon seeing Shen Qingyuan, Song Ting's expression showed a hint of panic.

She looked away and said into the microphone, "Auntie, I have something to do. I'll talk to you later."

Song Ting hung up the phone, looked up and smiled at Shen Qingyuan, "Why did it take so long? I was just about to come find you."

"Whose call was that? If you're busy, you can go now."

Song Ting: "A relative of my mother's asked me to ask about something."

Shen Qingyuan said "Oh," pulled out a chair and sat down, saying leisurely, "Was it my mom who called you?"

Unless someone is exceptionally gifted or trained, they'll instinctively make subtle moves when lying. Song Ting's expression was a mixture of a forced smile and a subtle awkwardness.

Knowing she couldn't hide it any longer, Song Ting simply admitted, "Auntie was just worried about you and wanted to ask me about your situation. She also wanted me to persuade you to go back to Jicheng to work as soon as possible. They still think big cities are better; they're more challenging!"

“Song Ting,” Shen Qingyuan said coldly, “we’re friends, you know that, it’s none of anyone else’s business.”

People who are unhappy often have a particularly bad temper.

Song Ting said good-naturedly, "Yes, yes, Miss. I can't just ignore your mother's call, I'll just give her a few perfunctory words. Besides, I have nothing to say, you don't even tell me the truth."

Song Ting genuinely didn't know why Shen Qingyuan had slunk back from Jicheng and stayed in the small town of Chenyang for almost half a year. When asked, she simply said, "I'm tired, I need to rest for a while."

It's likely that Shen Qingyuan's parents were also confused, which is why they called her closest friend to ask.

The worries were immense, growing like Shen Qingyuan's belly fat day by day. Could time heal them if left unattended? Probably not.

Shen Qingyuan was clearly under a lot of pressure. Song Ting said ingratiatingly, "Are you full? Would you like to order something else?"

I'm full.

The dinner was quite pleasant, if you don't count the last part.

"Okay, I'll go to the cashier to pay. Wait a moment."

When Song Ting went to pay the bill, Shen Qingyuan glanced at the man in the wheelchair across the street, seemingly unintentionally. The Buick parked outside the window was gone.

The image of the wheelchair-bound man's delicate eyes floated into her mind. For some reason, Shen Qingyuan suddenly felt that those eyes looked familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before.

After paying the bill and returning, Shen Qingyuan asked Song Ting how much it cost.

"Don't worry about it, this meal is on me," Song Ting said generously.

Shen Qingyuan pulled out the receipt from her hand, looked at the amount, and said, "Let's split the bill, you know me." She then sent Song Ting a WeChat red envelope.

Song Ting hesitated for a moment, then accepted the red envelope.

She knew her friend's personality; she was incredibly stubborn. Once she set her mind on something, she would see it through to the end. Even if she had no income right now, she would never take advantage of others.

The two packed their things and went out, talking as they walked. The rain had subsided significantly, and they stood under the eaves, waiting for their ride-hailing car to arrive.

The rain washed away some of the town's heat, and a gentle breeze was blowing, making it quite bright and airy. Although it was a bit warmer than inside a hot pot restaurant with air conditioning, it wasn't uncomfortable.

Shen Qingyuan: "Among our high school classmates, who is doing better now?"

Song Ting: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Shen Qingyuan blinked. "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of it."

Song Ting might not know about other issues, but as a journalist, she has connections with all sorts of people and is quite well-liked. She knows roughly what her high school classmates who stayed in the city are doing.

In a class like Shen Qingyuan, only a minority go to work in big cities; the vast majority choose to settle down in their birthplace. At least housing and cars aren't a problem there.

Most people approaching thirty are getting married and having children, and generally lead a fairly stable life.

In a way, Shen Qingyuan, who is currently caught between two unsuccessful options, is actually one of the rare exceptions.

"The most glamorous one is that big star! There's no need to say more, there are news reports about it online every day. Even if you're completely oblivious to what's going on around you, you must know about it," Song Ting said.

Shen Qingyuan hummed in response, with an air of indifference as if it were none of her business.

"As for the others, they're all pretty much the same. The better ones are Zhang Chi and Lu Jiawen. Zhang Chi started a small company and boasts that he makes several million a year. Lu Jiawen's career is going very well; he was just promoted to deputy director, climbing the ranks pretty fast! Most of the female classmates are married and have children. You know how it is in our small town, everyone's into this kind of thing."

When it rains, the roads are congested, and ride-hailing services don't arrive as quickly.

Song Ting recounted the names of several high school classmates who left a deep impression on her and are now doing well, quickly going through their jobs, whether they were married, and whether they had children.

Shen Qingyuan listened half-heartedly, feeling a sense of disconnect between time and space. In her memory, her high school classmates still looked so innocent and youthful; in the blink of an eye, they had all become adults.

"One or two of them married well; their husbands are probably from wealthy families in Chenyang. Do you remember Yu Miaomiao, the one who always challenged you back in high school?"

Shen Qingyuan's face was blank.

"The one with double eyelids, a high nose bridge, and some good looks, who's always combing her hair and looking in a small mirror?"

Shen Qingyuan finally said, "Oh, I think I vaguely remember."

"..."

Song Ting was speechless. A medical student who ranked third in the city's science section of the college entrance exam couldn't possibly have such a bad memory. It could only mean one thing: Shen Qingyuan selectively ignored unrelated people and events.

Shen Qingyuan: "What's wrong with her?"

"She married a rich second-generation heir. And through family connections, she got a job at the local TV station in Chenyang as a host of a small program. She's living a pretty comfortable life, always posting pictures of designer bags, showing off her love, and where she's traveled on social media."

"That's pretty good." Shen Qingyuan gave a perfunctory comment, her face completely expressionless.

The car arrived, and the driver rolled down the passenger window to verify the last four digits of their phone numbers. Song Ting was going back to the newspaper office and dropped Shen Qingyuan off halfway there, which happened to be on her way.

Once in the car, thinking about the previous topic, Song Ting felt a pang of self-pity and sighed, "These days, it's better to marry well than to work hard. We poor working people can only accept our fate with optimism."

Shen Qingyuan remained noncommittal, turning to look at the scenery outside the car window. The small town looked much cleaner after the cleaning. The river water under the arched bridge was somewhat murky, but overall still a eutrophic lake-green.

After a long pause, Shen Qingyuan turned her head and asked, "Is Ye Chuyang really that popular now?"

"His name is Su Liao now, a big star!" Song Ting's tone seemed a little sour. "Being a star, everything they do is in the news. Believe me, I can post a 'bombshell' about some trivial things from Su Liao's high school days and it'll immediately trend on social media?"

Shen Qingyuan is someone who doesn't watch TV dramas and only watches one or two old movies a year. She also doesn't follow entertainment news. If you ask her if she knows what "little fresh meat" means, the answer will definitely be "a certain part of a pig."

But in a small place like Chenyang, if a big shot emerges, everyone will know. Word spreads like wildfire, and all the distant relatives will know that a big star has come out of the city.

Shen Qingyuan first connected the names Ye Chuyang and Su Liao two years ago. Su Liao had a work that became a minor hit, and Song Ting excitedly called to tell her about it.

At that time, she was preparing for an important exam in the library, and she just treated it as background noise, forgetting about it after hearing it.

Shen Qingyuan first "met" Su Liao last year on a huge milk advertisement in the Jicheng subway station. The banner was enormous, practically right in front of her. People were coming and going, and everyone had to look up to see it. Some young girls even excitedly ran over to take pictures with the advertisement.

With just a quick glance, Shen Qingyuan remembered him as a handsome boy with delicate features, fashionable clothes, and a slightly boyish charm. He was very young, with pure eyes and brows like a male college student.

It's so exquisite, it's almost too girly.

Shen Qingyuan glanced at the name: Su Liao. She didn't recognize it. But the face seemed vaguely familiar. Perhaps handsome men and beautiful women all share some commonalities. Having seen it before, Shen Qingyuan didn't dwell on it further.

There might have been discussions about Su Liao in the classmates' group, but Shen Qingyuan was too busy and would collapse all the less important group messages, so she never connected Su Liao with Ye Chuyang.

"Shen Qingyuan, you and Su Liao both went to university in Jicheng back then, didn't you keep in touch?" Song Ting asked curiously.

Shen Qingyuan still felt the name was unfamiliar and didn't match the boy she knew.

"Um... I'm busy," Shen Qingyuan said dismissively.

During her freshman year, Shen Qingyuan learned that Ye Chuyang had also come to Jicheng to study acting. However, throughout their university years, although they were in the same city, they never met.

Shen Qingyuan: "Let's call him Ye Chuyang. I always feel like Su Liao isn't the person I know."

The driver then chimed in, "Miss, are you talking about that big star, Su Liao? Do you know him?"

The driver looked to be in his fifties or sixties. He seemed quite interested in entertainment news.

Song Ting, ever the outgoing one, responded enthusiastically, "Master, you know him too? That big star was our high school classmate!"

Having a high school classmate who's now a big star in the entertainment industry feels pretty amazing, and I'm a little proud of it. Song Ting looked smug.

"He was a high school classmate of a big star?!" The driver exclaimed in amazement. "Tsk tsk, he must be making a fortune now! Millions a day?"

The top stars in that circle always have astonishing incomes; even a three-year-old knows that.

“Of course!” Song Ting chimed in. “We won’t go into details, it’s all trade secrets. Master, any news in your industry lately? I’m a junior reporter, and I’m really struggling to find any news leads…”

With her wide social circle, Song Ting has many friends from all walks of life. Taking a ride-hailing service can also help her expand her network in this field.

Shen Qingyuan was lost in memories. She recalled her teenage years as classmates with the big star. The boy's face was youthful and resembled the person in the advertisement, but it felt like they weren't the same person.

Ten years can really transform a person.

The driver got along well with Song Ting, and out of affection for her, he made a special detour to drop her off at Shen Qingyuan's apartment building.

As they were parting, Song Ting suddenly remembered something and poked half her head out of the car window. "Shen Qingyuan, are you coming to our 10th high school reunion?"