Goodbye, my savior
After not coming to work for more than a week, when she suddenly returned to her post, a bunch of people crowded around her, staring at Nanqi like she was a panda in a zoo.
Nanqi felt a chill run down her spine from their stares and couldn't help but shrink back: "What... what are you doing?"
"Is your relationship with Song Siwei real?"
"Do you have a group photo? Post it and let us know!"
Will she pick you up from get off work?
A barrage of questions came crashing down on Nanqi, leaving her dizzy and feeling like she'd been cornered by entertainment reporters.
"What are you all doing gathered here? Don't you have to go to work?"
Li Li strode over in her high heels, her sharp shout carrying an imposing aura. Everyone fell silent instantly, murmuring "President Li," before scurrying back to their workstations.
"Team Leader Zhang, come to my office."
"Yes," Nanqi replied and followed.
Upon entering the office, Li Li first gestured for her to sit down and then asked directly, "Are you feeling better?"
"All done! Now I can take on five people at once without any problem." Nanqi patted her arm, full of confidence.
"That's good." Li Li nodded, then changed the subject and got to the point, "The network needs a system update. Keep an eye on it today, and make sure the hotel system is fully debugged before you leave work. Also, a multinational company is coming for a meeting next Friday. You need to coordinate with the front desk manager and arrange for staff to handle their reception. They are all VIPs, so security must be ensured."
Nanqi took out paper and pen and scribbled down notes rapidly. She looked up and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Li Li cleared her throat twice, her ear tips turning slightly red, but her tone remained serious: "Um... how's your relationship going?"
"Huh?" Nanqi asked in surprise, "President Li, why are you getting into this gossip too?"
"The company doesn't object to you dating, as long as it doesn't interfere with your work." After saying this, Li Li hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head, "Hmm..."
Seeing her hesitant expression, Nanqi cut to the chase: "President Li, please just say what you have to say."
Li Li then relaxed her seriousness somewhat, her tone becoming pleading: "Um... when you have time, could you have your girlfriend record a birthday greeting video? My son really likes her."
"..."
"Don't worry, it won't be a waste of time. I'll pay you whatever you owe."
Li Li's words were never sincere. Last time, when Nan Qi ordered takeout for her, she didn't even think about paying her back. If Nan Qi wanted to curry favor with her, she could accept suffering a small loss herself, but if Song Zhao also suffered a loss, that would be too much of a loss.
Nanqi looked troubled: "It's not about the money. I'm afraid she won't have time. She's always filming in other places, and when she's busy, she can't even reply to my messages."
"If a birthday video isn't okay..." Li Li persisted, taking a step back, "A coming-of-age ceremony video will do too."
"I remember Xiaodong is only a first-year high school student, right? He's still a long way from being an adult."
"This way there's plenty of time, right? Besides, if it's recorded in advance, we can show it to him when he comes of age."
Nanqi forced a smile and complimented, "You are truly farsighted and have great foresight."
After a busy day, apart from the minor disturbance caused by onlookers in the morning, things returned to normal at the hotel. However, Nanqi heard from Zhang Jun that Cui Yingying had resigned. She suddenly remembered the bouquet of flowers she received at the hospital; perhaps that was Cui Yingying's farewell gift to her.
After get off work, she had nothing to do. Song Zhao wasn't around, and she had quit her part-time job at the bar. She was so bored that she didn't want to go home. So she took the gifts she had prepared and went to the taxi fleet to look for her savior.
She never thanked him in person, and always felt bad about it.
As soon as she stepped out of the hotel, another group of people surrounded her. Seeing that she was alone, they wisely dispersed. Nanqi figured that after a few more days, these people would realize they couldn't catch Song Zhao at her place and would stop bothering her.
Upon arriving at the taxi fleet, Nanqi immediately explained her purpose: to inquire about the name and contact information of her savior. An elderly taxi driver with gray hair told her that the man's name was Guan Hong, and that he had served in the H unit in his youth, possessing a chivalrous spirit and being exceptionally kind and hospitable. A few years ago, his son went to university, leaving him with little to do, which is why he started driving a taxi.
A colleague called Guan Hong for help. Guan Hong was driving nearby and, upon hearing that Nan Qi had arrived, quickly said he would come over after finishing this delivery. Nan Qi had only come to thank him and didn't want to trouble him further, so she put down the gift and prepared to leave.
The convoy members, however, urged her to stay, pulling her aside to chat about Guan Hong's heroic deeds. Just then, Guan Hong returned.
He recognized Nanqi at a glance and grinned, "Little girl, are you alright now?"
"It's all better now!" Nanqi quickly stood up to thank him. "I really owe you a lot that day, otherwise I don't know what would have happened."
"Hey, it was nothing." Guan Hong waved his hand and laughed heartily. "I've been driving a taxi for so long, and I've helped at least seventeen or eighteen passengers. You're the first one who would come all the way here to thank me."
Nanqi winked playfully: "That means I'm lucky to have found you. Those who wanted to thank you but didn't have the chance must be so envious of me."
"You little girl, you have such a sweet tongue." Guan Hong laughed heartily. "By the way, have you eaten yet? If not, I'll treat you."
"I've already eaten, maybe next time," Nanqi quickly waved her hand.
“Okay.” Guan Hong didn’t press the issue. “Do you want to go home now? I’ll take you.”
“Okay.” Nanqi nodded in agreement, but added, “But the meter has to be on, otherwise I won’t sit down.”
"Why bother with the meter? We're bound by fate, why talk about money?" Guan Hong said dismissively.
"I won't sit here if you don't use the meter," Nanqi said firmly.
Guan Hong shook his head helplessly and said with a laugh, "You little girl, you really have a stubborn temper."
On the way back, Nanqi sat in the passenger seat and glanced at the photo on the center console—Guan Hong in military uniform, tall and straight, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, exuding a heroic air. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, you were so handsome when you were young!"
Guan Hong beamed with pride at the compliment, patting the steering wheel and saying smugly, "I'm not bragging, but back in the army, I was the second most handsome guy!"
"If you're ranked second, then the first place must be as handsome as Daniel Wu, right?" Nanqi joked.
"Hey, you're absolutely right!" Guan Hong got excited and started talking non-stop. "My comrade-in-arms is just as good-looking as Daniel Wu. When he stands there, all the female soldiers in the company can't help but scream. He's also incredibly talented; he gets full marks on every physical fitness test..."
Nanqi listened intently, resting her chin on her hand, occasionally chiming in with a comment. After Guan Hong finished speaking, she asked curiously, "Are you still in contact?"
Guan Hong's smile faded slightly, and he sighed, "He was discharged from the army back then because of some personal matters. Since then, we've gradually lost contact and haven't seen each other again."
"I see," Nanqi replied softly, a hint of regret rising in her heart.
"But to be honest, young lady, I have a good eye for people." Guan Hong suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes sincere. "You have a kind heart, and you're sure to have a good life in the future."
Nanqi smiled, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Thank you for your kind words. With you as a living example, I'm sure I believe you!"
The two chatted and laughed all the way, and before they knew it, they arrived at Nanqi's apartment building. Before parting, Nanqi smiled and waved to Guan Hong, "Driver, from now on, I'll definitely take a taxi from you!"
Guan Hongwen smiled and said, "No problem, I'll be waiting for your call anytime!"
As soon as Nanqi got home, she rushed to the bathroom for a hot shower. After getting out, she dove into bed and quickly dialed Song Zhao's number. She wanted to share everything that had happened during the day with Song Zhao.
As a result, the two had just finished pouring their hearts out on the phone and hadn't even had a chance to talk about business when Nanqi heard the director urging her on the other end of the line. Although she was a little reluctant, she still took the initiative to say, "You go ahead and get busy, we'll talk again tomorrow."
"Okay, sure."
The two then hurriedly hung up the phone.
Song Zhao's filming location was deep in the mountains, with very basic conditions. There was no internet, and the cell phone signal was intermittent. The only advantage was the beautiful scenery, making it a natural location for period dramas.
Nanqi stared blankly at the ceiling, planning in her mind that before her next day off, she must come up with a plausible reason to ask for a few more days off, to visit Song Zhao in the mountains, to bring her some food and drink. Even if she couldn't do anything, just seeing her in person and talking to her would be good enough.
As she pondered, drowsiness washed over her, and Nanqi soon fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, before Nanqi had even woken up, Li Jia called to say she was coming to see her that morning, and since Nanqi was on the night shift, she had plenty of time during the day.
Not long after, Li Jia returned carrying a delicate cake box containing several new pastries she had made. Their petite and exquisite appearance was delightful to look at, and the sweetness was just right, not cloying at all.
"Your skills are amazing, no wonder you can make money," Nanqi praised.
"After doing it for a while, I figured it out." Li Jia raised an eyebrow and smiled. "By the way, I also bought a used car. Now I can go wherever I want, it's very free!"
"That's great!" Nanqi's eyes lit up. "I have to sit in your car later and experience your new car."
"Sure, I've been driving for a year now, I'm a seasoned driver."
Nanqi chuckled and asked the question that had been bothering her, "Tell me honestly, where have you been all these years?"
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