Ling Ruoke stayed on the rooftop for a while, then returned to her room and turned on the light.
She leaned against the door and stood there for a moment, when she suddenly noticed a piece of paper on the table. She ran over and saw that it was indeed the colonel's large, flamboyant handwriting: "Baby, wait for me to come home!"
With just those few words, Ling Ruoke felt instantly at ease. He must have received an urgent mission and, seeing her sleeping, hadn't had time to say goodbye.
She went to the window, drew back the curtains, and saw a full moon in the sky. Ling Ruoke clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Huo Qingfeng, you must come back safely!
I drew the curtains, climbed back into bed, but couldn't fall asleep. I tossed and turned for a long time, and finally drifted off to sleep as dawn broke. When I woke up, I didn't feel dizzy or lightheaded; in fact, I felt quite refreshed.
With nothing else to do, I went to the company. I haven't been paying much attention to company affairs lately; thankfully, Xia Mo is capable, otherwise it would have been a complete mess.
"Sister Ruo, you're back."
"Good morning, Sister Ruo."
"..."
Everyone greeted each other warmly, and their spirits were quite good. Seeing the employees' energetic state naturally put the boss in a good mood.
Ling Ruoke noticed that Mei Yanting seemed a bit unenthusiastic, but she didn't ask further. She put down her things, took the cup to wash, and habitually checked the complaint wall when she came out. To her surprise, the complaint wall had suddenly become much more crowded today. It seemed that everyone, openly or subtly, was talking about Mei Yanting; no wonder she seemed unwell.
When Ling Ruoke returned with her cup, she clapped her hands at the front to signal everyone to stop. "Listen to me," she said. "The 'complaint wall' exists to provide a place for everyone to express their thoughts and to encourage mutual improvement. However, please don't use it for personal attacks. In Peiho, no matter your position, you're part of this family. Only by working together can we achieve better results and earn more money. Don't you all agree? That's all I wanted to say."
Mei Yanting didn't even look up, diligently pasting the invoices. Her head was practically buried in her stomach, and she was biting her lip.
Ling Ruoke reached out and patted her shoulder, said nothing, and went back to her office.
I contacted a client and replied to some emails this morning; it was over in the blink of an eye.
In the afternoon, some unfortunate news came. A sales promoter in City S was raped on her way home last night. Fortunately, a kind person took her to the hospital. She reportedly suffered serious physical injuries, but the deepest wound was emotional. The young woman was only 20 years old, and such a tragedy struck at the prime of her life.
The sales promoter's family believes the injury occurred during work and is seeking compensation from the company. The project manager in City S may have used inappropriate language, which angered the family, leading them to threaten to call the police, and the situation escalated out of control.
Ling Ruoke personally called the girl's father, who immediately launched into a tirade of abuse. Only after he had finished did she gently persuade them. After much persuasion, they finally calmed down.
Ling Ruoke understood that money couldn't solve everything. For that girl, the compensation was nothing; the emotional and physical harm she suffered was the most painful. If she couldn't overcome this trauma, her life might be ruined.
Therefore, Ling Ruoke booked a flight for that evening, packed her things at home, and headed straight to S City. She didn't know if what she was doing would be useful, but at least she had to try.
It was already past midnight when she arrived in S City, and the hospital's visiting hours were long over. She booked a hotel near the hospital and stayed there for the night. She didn't sleep much that night, tossing and turning, her mind filled with thoughts of how to persuade the girl. The girl had a beautiful name, Feng Nuan, but everyone called her Nuannuan.
I heard she has an outgoing personality, is always smiling, and very enthusiastic, just like her name, which gives people a warm feeling.
The next morning, Ling Ruoke got up early, had a casual breakfast at the hotel, bought a bouquet of lilies and a bag of fruit, and headed straight to the hospital. At the ward door, she ran into her elderly father, who had gone to get hot water. His face was full of wrinkles, making him look much older than his actual age; he was clearly a hardworking, honest man who had struggled to make ends meet.
"Hello, Uncle, I'm Ling Ruoke. I've come to see Nuannuan." Ling Ruoke smiled at him, quietly waiting for a scolding.
The elderly father sized her up, and after a while, he realized what she meant and said, "You're the boss of that company?" He was somewhat wary and angry.
"Yes."
Before the elderly father could even react, the elderly mother in the ward rushed out upon hearing the commotion and lunged at Ling Ruoke, tearing at her clothes. She cursed and cried incessantly, leaving several scratches on Ling Ruoke's body.
In the end, her father calmed down and persuaded her to stop.
The words "My perfectly good daughter is ruined like this" left Ling Ruoke feeling terrible. She knew that nothing she said could make up for it, so she could only apologize to them repeatedly.
"Uncle, Aunt, please believe me. I'm sincerely here to apologize, otherwise I wouldn't have traveled all this way to be scolded, right? I'm also very sad about what happened, but what's done is done. If we keep arguing and making a scene, it will only make Nuannuan feel worse, right? So, let's calm down. The most important thing is to help Nuannuan be strong and find the person she used to be. Don't you agree?"
Perhaps Ling Ruoke's words truly resonated with them, for the two elderly people finally calmed down. The mother wiped away her tears, sobbing and crying bitterly.
"Uncle, Auntie, can I talk to Nuannuan? I'm a girl too, about the same age as Nuannuan, can I talk to her?"
Finally, the old man agreed.
Ling Ruoke entered the ward, considered for a moment, then turned around and carefully closed the door.
The girl on the bed lay on her side, her back to the door. She was completely still, as if the commotion hadn't brought her back to her reverie. Or perhaps, she didn't want to come back to reality, because the cruelty of the present had hurt her.
"Nuan Nuan, are you asleep?" She kept her eyes tightly closed, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes. She was clearly awake, but refused to open her eyes or speak.
Ling Ruoke reached out to pat her shoulder, but the woman flinched and curled up in fear. Ling Ruoke's hand froze in mid-air, too afraid to move. The aftereffects of the rape left her terrified of being touched.
"Nuan Nuan, I'm Ling Ruo Ke, the owner of Pei Huo Advertising Co., Ltd. Can we talk?" Ling Ruo Ke thought to herself, she had thought about it all night, but it seemed to have no effect. She still didn't know what to say.
Nuannuan gave a bitter smile, her voice hoarse as she said, "What should we talk about? How do you feel about being raped?" Her voice held resentment, but even more so, despair.
Ling Ruoke was completely speechless at those words. Looking at her stiff back, she truly understood what it meant to be at a loss for words. Although she wasn't particularly eloquent, nor was she bad at speaking, she genuinely couldn't utter a single word at this moment.
After a long silence, Ling Ruoke finally spoke again. "Nuan Nuan, what's done is done, and we can't change it. There's still a long road ahead, so we have to be strong."
Nuannuan suddenly turned around, sat up, shoved her away, and roared, "That's because you weren't the one who was raped, that's why you can say it so easily! I don't want to hear you say that, get out, get out of here!" She was like a madwoman, tightly covering her ears, tears streaming down her face.
Slowly, as if all her strength had left, she collapsed back onto the bed. She pulled a pillow over her head and buried it completely. From under the pillow, muffled sobs continued, filled with despair.
Ling Ruoke stood quietly by the window, waiting silently until the warm sobs gradually subsided. She spoke slowly, her voice low and heavy.
"Nuan Nuan, let me tell you a story, a true story. You know A University, right? This story takes place at A University, about two unfortunate girls. I won't mention their names, let's just call them A and B. It happened a few years ago..."
A and B are classmates and best friends. Although they are not related by blood, their bond is incredibly strong. Wherever A is, B is sure to be there too, and vice versa; they are truly inseparable. Both are also quite beautiful, and everyone calls them a pair of "beautiful sisters," making them the object of many boys' affections at school.
During my sophomore year, the school was building new dormitories, which brought more migrant workers to the campus. Most of these workers were simple and kind, but some were truly despicable. These men, far from home and wives, couldn't satisfy their sexual needs and resorted to raping female students. The new dormitories were located along the route from the teaching area to the dormitory area, and every road on A University was lined with large trees. Dragging someone behind a tree and covering their mouth could easily lead to their assault. Therefore, the girls were afraid to return to their dorms late, or they always had to go with male students.
One night, A, B, and a boy went out to play and passed by that road on their way back. They thought that with the boy with them, everything would be fine. But no one expected that the migrant workers would be so brazen, actually ganging up on the boy, knocking him unconscious, and then raping them.
Faced with this tragedy, both A and B were devastated, weeping uncontrollably. Later, A secretly climbed to the top floor of the library and jumped, dying instantly. A was also from a poor rural family, orphaned at a young age, and raised by her father and brother. Her family had sold everything they owned to send her to university, pinning all their hopes on her. After her suicide, the university notified her family to come. Her brother took their father on their first long trip, only to discover they were there to claim their sister's body. Overwhelmed by grief, the father collapsed in the restroom and never woke up again. In the end, the brother didn't take his sister's body home, only his elderly father. He cried, "She destroyed all our family's hopes. A sister like that is better off without!"
B's suffering was no less than A's, but despite her pain, she never considered suicide. She too came from a remote mountain village; her elderly parents had worked tirelessly their entire lives, hoping she would leave the mountains and achieve success. At that time, she painfully told herself: if others truly despised her for not being a virgin, then she would rather live a lonely life. But no matter what, she was determined to finish university, to study even harder, and to ensure her parents had a good life while they were still alive. The rape and A's suicide turned B into a quiet, withdrawn woman. She studied even harder than before, consistently receiving the school's top scholarship and the national first-class scholarship every year. She also worked as a teaching assistant, learning and earning her living expenses simultaneously. With the money from scholarships and part-time jobs, she could not only pay her tuition and living expenses but also send money home every month.
Such a girl is admirable and easily attracts boys. Although she is not talkative, she has no shortage of male admirers. Some even know about the tragedy that befell her, but they don't care. Because everyone experiences hardships in life, and as long as it's not caused by one's own self-destructive behavior, others will understand.
She started working right after graduating from university. In order to give her parents a better life as soon as possible, she gave up the opportunity to pursue a master's degree and went to work for a large company.
Ling Ruoke let out a deep breath, releasing the heaviness in her heart. She slowly turned around and saw Nuannuan leaning against the headboard, looking at her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying.
Ling Ruoke smiled slightly at her. "Do you want to know how Yi is doing now?"
Nuannuan let out a sob and nodded vigorously.
Ling Ruoke knew that this story had touched her heart and might cheer her up. "A boy who had a crush on her for three years joined the company with her. Perhaps it was love that grew over time, or perhaps it was the boy's deep affection that made her open her heart, but in any case, they got together. Two years ago, they got married, and many of their classmates attended their wedding. Now they should have a lovely baby, and I heard that the couple even started a company together and are living a happy and fulfilling life."
Nuannuan stared at her blankly for a long time, then suddenly started to cry, crying loudly.
Ling Ruoke didn't try to persuade her; she knew she had succeeded. So she let her cry it out. Every woman wants to save her virginity for her future husband, and now that precious thing had been taken from her by a bad person, she deserved to cry. But after crying, she had to be strong.
Nuannuan cried until she could barely make a sound before she slowly stopped.
Ling Ruoke fetched hot water for her to wash her face and apply it to her eyes.
Nuannuan looked at her and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is the person you're talking about yourself?"
Ling Ruoke smiled slightly. "Whether it's me or not isn't important. I just hope you can understand that everyone will encounter various hardships in their lives, and no one can escape them. When we encounter hardships, we can cry, we can be depressed for a while, but we can't be depressed for a lifetime. If the people who are hurt are devastated, then wouldn't the people who do bad things be free and at ease for a lifetime? We should live better than them, and it would be best if one day we could send them to prison, that would be truly satisfying."
He reached out and gently patted her shoulder. "Believe me, as long as you are strong, as long as you keep the kindness in your heart, you will definitely find happiness."
Nuannuan looked at her for a long time, then finally nodded vigorously and forced a smile, though it wasn't quite sweet enough. "Mm. Thank you."
Ling Ruoke smiled too. "My name is Ling Ruoke, which means 'of the three thousand rivers, I only take one sip,' but it's the 'Ruo' in 'Ruoguo.' In Peihuo, they all call me Sister Ruo, so you can call me Sister Ruo too."
"Sister Ruo."
The two talked for a while longer. Perhaps she was too tired from crying, or perhaps she had finally let go of the mental burden, Nuannuan fell asleep as she talked.
Ling Ruoke checked the time; it was almost one o'clock. So she stood up and took the two elderly people to a nearby restaurant for lunch.
At the dinner table, the elderly man looked at the abundant food and didn't know where to start eating.
Ling Ruoke's eyes welled up with tears. She quickly picked up her chopsticks and smiled as she served them food. "Come on, uncles and aunts, eat up. You have to finish all this food, otherwise it will be a waste."
"Yes, yes." The old man nodded and then began to pick up his chopsticks.
Ling Ruoke was also starving. While serving them food, she ate two large bowls of rice herself. Seeing that the two elderly people's faces were finally less somber, she felt that her trip had been worthwhile. Children are the hope of their parents; as long as the children are strong, this family will not fall apart.
In the afternoon, Ling Ruoke didn't stay at the hospital for long. She simply gave Nuannuan 20,000 yuan as a subsidy for her medical expenses.
"Sister Ruo, I can't accept this!" Nuannuan hurriedly refused. Compared to this morning, she was in much better spirits.
Ling Ruoke grabbed her hand and placed the money in her palm. "This is a reward for you in my personal capacity. I asked the project manager in S City, and he said you are an outstanding employee who has helped us with many events. We need such excellent employees. Here is the bonus, please take it. Our company provides insurance for you, so I will definitely help you get insurance compensation, don't worry."
This family really needed money. The hospital bills were borrowed, so Nuannuan ultimately took the money. Clutching the money, she lowered her head for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Ling Ruoke and said firmly, "Sister Ruoke, after I'm discharged, I'll work as a sales promoter for you again. No, I'll introduce even more friends to come!"
In reality, this family never expected to receive any compensation. Even if she had fallen and injured herself during work hours, let alone on her way home, her boss wouldn't have paid a single penny; she would have had to bear the consequences herself. Ling Ruoke's willingness to travel a long way to see her personally demonstrates her sincerity. Not to mention giving them money privately and even helping her pursue insurance compensation!
This isn't my first time working at Peho; Peho never delays paying salaries and bonuses. And whether you're a long-term or temporary employee, isn't the most important thing whether you get paid on time?
Ling Ruoke patted her shoulder and smiled. "Okay."
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