Chapter 66: Port City
In the first semester of his senior year, the recommendation system was opened and Bai He was successfully admitted to graduate school.
The college no longer arranges courses for the senior year. Students are looking for jobs or internships, each busy with their own future.
Bai He found an internship at a news agency in Beili City and was assigned to a well-known senior reporter in the industry, Wen Bing. Bai He called her Sister Wen Bing. She admired Bai He very much because not only did she write press releases better than many regular employees, but she also had photography skills. She could carry a camera and run around to take pictures, and she was no less experienced than a professional photographer with many years of experience.
Wen Bing would certainly hold on to such a precious intern. Later, Sister Wen Bing told Bai He that the news agency had a cooperation with a news agency called K-News in Hong Kong City, and she would go to Hong Kong City to work for a period of time. She asked Bai He if she was willing to go with her, and she would also apply for a higher salary for her than her current intern salary.
For Bai He, this was certainly a chance to gain experience, see more aspects of the news industry, and earn a salary. Although it might be arduous, she was willing to give it a try.
After discussing it with her parents, she agreed. Sister Wen Bing said she didn't need to worry about the cost; the news agency would cover her room and board.
After the new year, Bai He followed Sister Wen Bing to Hong Kong City.
K-News assigned her an apartment not far from the company. It was a very small dormitory room of a few square meters, only big enough for a single bed. Even the desk was at the end of the bed, so she could only sit on the bed to work on the computer.
There is no wardrobe at all, only a simple clothes hanger to hang some daily clothes, and the bathroom is shared.
The tenants here are a mixed bunch, with people from all walks of life, but this is Central after all, where land is extremely expensive. Being able to have a few square meters of accommodation here is already the greatest privilege that Sister Wen Bing can apply for for her, a little intern. You know, many regular employees don’t have a place to live and need to pay for rent themselves.
Bai He tidied up the room, took a photo and sent it to the family group [Rich and Powerful Family].
The cramped and narrow room was decorated by her to be warm and comfortable. The single bed was covered with a daisy floral bed sheet. She bought many simple fabric storage cabinets to store clothes and piled them beside the bed. The computer was placed on a small table at the end of the bed, and there was a small vase next to it with two pink and purple lilies.
Tang Xin: "Is this the house you live in? Why is it so small!"
Chengxin Management: "Xiao Baihe, if it really doesn't work out, just come back. Living in such a small place, it's hard to even turn around."
Lily: "It's okay, it's just a little smaller, but after a little tidying up, it looks pretty good."
Tang Xin: "This is not even as good as your school dormitory!"
Tang Xin: "I really can't bear to watch this anymore. Mom will give you some money. You can rent a bigger house, or just stay in a hotel."
Lily: "I asked around, and there's a room here that's a bit more spacious. The rent starts at 20,000 a month. Thanks, Mom! [Love you]"
Tang Xin: "I think suffering occasionally is also a kind of training, right, husband?"
Chengxin Management: "Yes, yes, this house is actually not bad. Anyway, you are at the news agency during the day and only come back to sleep at night, so it doesn't need to be too spacious."
Lily: "[sweat]"
Sugar Heart: "Come on, Sayuri, you're the best!"
Chengxin Management: "Dad is proud of you!"
Bai He cleaned the room, went downstairs to eat a bowl of fish ball noodles, and then walked alone on the streets of Central to digest the food.
There are numerous banks and financial institutions, as well as large shopping malls. Tall buildings stand side by side, and when the lights come on, it feels like walking through a vibrant urban forest. Bai He watches the unfamiliar faces and hurried pedestrians on the street, feeling a sense of being in a foreign land. He savors this moment of solitude, a sense of inner peace.
She went to the ice cream parlor and ordered a cup of sweet soup. She sat on the street to enjoy the cool breeze. Remembering that she had been busy all day and had not had time to take her medicine, she quickly took out the medicine bottle from her schoolbag, unscrewed it, and took two pills with the sweet soup.
Suddenly, a text message came in my phone reminding me that I had received a transfer of 60,000 yuan from overseas.
You don't have to guess who sent this money.
She opened WeChat and transferred the money online to Yanyi's domestic account. It was a universal account anyway.
Lily: "No, thank you. I have enough money. I was just joking with my parents in the group."
Yan Yi didn't force it, accepted the transfer, and replied with just one word: "OK."
He was no longer as clingy to her as before, and even showed a certain indifference, rarely chatting with her privately anymore.
Because he was the cause of her illness, Yan Yi controlled himself and kept his distance from her until she was fully recovered. Occasionally, he would post updates on his life in the family group, checking in with his parents. The only time he would chat privately with Bai He was to ask her to send him her follow-up medical reports every month, and that was all.
Her parents, Su Xiaojing, Zhu Lianqiao and others, even Qi Lang, didn't know that she was suffering from depression.
She forced Yan Yi to promise not to tell anyone, as this was their secret.
If my parents knew... I don't know how worried they would be! Tang Xin might even move to Beili City to stay with her every day.
Bai He couldn't stand it.
1: "Even if you go there, you should go to the hospital for regular checkups."
After Yan Yi finished speaking, he sent her the addresses of several authoritative psychiatric hospitals in Hong Kong.
1: "Pick a nearby one. Don't worry about the cost. I'll pay for it for you."
Lily: "Okay, I know."
1: "If you want to go, don't just give me a perfunctory answer. Being alone over there, the change in environment will cause changes in your mood. Don't take it lightly."
Lily: "I promise I will."
1: "Okay."
Apart from that, there was no more conversation. Bai He got up and left the dessert shop. Suddenly, he saw a bus stop and saw the name of HKU on the sign.
Bai He suddenly had an impulse and got on the bus for some unknown reason.
She came to the top floor of a double-decker sightseeing bus. In the gentle evening breeze, she seemed to be traveling through a neon-lit dream. Occasionally, she would pass by a big tree and reach out her hand to pick leaves from the tree.
She didn't expect that her residence was so close to the University of Hong Kong. The bus arrived at the station in nine minutes. She knew nothing about this place and just followed a few students of her age into the campus.
The University of Hong Kong is located on a slope with undulating terrain, sometimes going up stairs and sometimes going downhill. She walked aimlessly on the campus, with no particular place she wanted to go, just walking around and trying her luck.
Passing by the restaurant, she saw several classmates gathered together discussing the subject in English. She bought another sausage in the restaurant and walked into a small European-style garden while eating.
The sound of a guitar came from the building opposite. Someone was actually playing "Parting with Good Intentions", which reminded Bai He of a certain annoying guy.
She sat in the small garden and listened to someone play the song. She finished her grilled sausage and felt very full.
After she fell ill, she became particularly fond of eating.
Fortunately, I have a physique that makes me gain weight easily. Maybe it’s because of poor digestion, not only did I not gain weight, I even lost a few pounds.
Bai He stood up and prepared to leave, when suddenly... the song "Parting with Good Intentions" switched to "The Love of My Life".
She followed the melody to the door of a European-style building, where a senior student embraced her and asked her in fluent English if she had an invitation.
Bai He answered in her not very fluent English that she was not, she was just passing by and wanted to go in and take a look.
"Sorry, it's a private party inside. You can't enter without an invitation."
"A friend of mine seems to be in there." Bai He stuttered in English, "I want to confirm it."
"What's your friend's name?"
"Qi..."
Before he could finish his words, applause broke out in the room, accompanied by a group of people's noisy laughter. Such a cheerful and lively atmosphere made Bai He retreat a little.
"Sorry to bother you, it's probably not him."
Bai He left after she finished speaking. When she walked out of the HKU campus, it was almost ten o'clock in the evening and she should go home.
I strolled around the HKU campus, seemingly aimlessly, but also as if I was carrying some expectations, like a fool.
We can meet each other just by saying something in the group.
But she didn't.
Forget it, don't bother him.
Maybe he has changed several girlfriends.
Bai He suppressed the little flame of desire in his heart, boarded the bus to Central, and sat down in the middle of the car by the window.
When the bus started, several boys walked out of the school gate. Qi Lang was among them. In the night, he was also dressed in black, wearing a sweatshirt and a hat, carrying a guitar on his back, and holding a cigarette in his mouth. The wind blew his short hair in front of his forehead.
When another boy with a crew cut was talking and laughing with him, he would listen patiently with a carefree smile on his face, his temperament was clean and casual.
When the bus slowly drove away, he looked up casually. In just a moment, the clear and beautiful silhouette disappeared from his sight.
Qi Lang could no longer hear what the boy with a crew cut next to him was saying. He suddenly started running and actually chased the bus, waving to the girl in the car while running, attracting many people's sidelong glances along the way.
Qi Lang supported himself on his knees and gasped for breath, watching the bus disappear in the neon streets.
"Xiao Qi, what are you doing?" Mu Zhanyan caught up with him. "Why are you running after a car like crazy? I thought my Border Collie was possessed."
"Just saw a girl."
"Oh! Love at first sight?"
"Not really." Qi Lang's chest heaved, still staring at the street where the bus disappeared, unable to withdraw his gaze. "Love grows over time."
"acquaintance?"
"My childhood sweetheart." He withdrew his gaze, a rare tenderness in his eyes, "Maybe I was mistaken."
If she came to Hong Kong City, there was no reason not to tell him.
"Ah, that's the girl you always hope will kindly break up with you."
Qi Lang pushed him: "I'm not looking forward to it, okay?"
"You said you weren't expecting it, but when her boyfriend broke up with her, he called to let her know you could take over." Mu Zhanyan said with a smile, "Your brotherhood is unparalleled."
"He's always plotting against my plastic brother."
Qi Lang thought about how Yan Yi had called him personally on the eve of his departure for the United States to tell him that he and Bai He had broken up.
If he still wanted to fight for it, he could go find her now.
Qi Lang is not an idiot, and he can't see through Yan Yi's little tricks.
Bai He had no such feelings for him in the first place, and it was even more impossible for her to agree to his pursuit less than half a month after breaking up with Yan Yi.
If he couldn't help but chase her right after she broke up, the probability of being rejected was 99.9%...
If he believed him, he would play a song "Liangliang" for him.
So Qi Lang endured it silently for half a year. He planned to wait until after graduation, when his career was a little more stable and he had a strong financial foundation, and she had also moved on from her previous relationship, and maybe... she would be a little attracted to him.
But it's also difficult.
Qi Lang didn't have much confidence, but still wanted to fight for it.
That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and sent a message to the Liangshan Heroes Trio group:
7: “@Lily, where are you?”
Lily: "In a dream."
7: “…”
7: "Seriously, where are you?"
Lily: "Under your bed."
7: "You can't talk properly, right?"
Lily: "Really, do you want to see it?"
7: "Do you think I'm stupid?"
A dozen seconds later.
7: "[Smile]"
Lily: "You didn't actually look under the bed, did you?"
7: "[Smile][Smile]"
Lily: "Hahahaha what an idiot!"
7: "[Pig Head Girl][Pig Head Girl][Pig Head Girl]"
Bai He followed the editors and reporters of K-News for a few days, covering news stories such as an old lady who lost her cat and asked for help, or a good person who returned lost property. A week later, Sister Wen Bing gave her a task. She was to be a photographer and go with another senior reporter, Sister Qin Lu, to shoot a charity dinner for the Lost and Orphaned Children's Foundation hosted by Hong Kong's richest man, Qi Fengyu.
When Bai He heard the name, he was slightly stunned.
"Bai He, is it okay for you to be the photographer and follow the whole process?" Sister Wen Bing asked.
Bai He looked up and met the woman's confident and trusting gaze. Knowing that she was giving her a chance, she nodded vigorously: "No problem!"
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Bai He set off by car and arrived at the Xinghai Hotel where the charity dinner was held.
Coming out of the parking lot, Bai He, guided by a special person, carried a camera and followed reporter Qin Lu to the banquet hall on the third floor of the Xinghai Hotel. There is a venue specially set aside for the media to ensure that media filming will not affect the entrance of guests and the flow of activities at the dinner.
Sister Qin Lu reminded Bai He that when the dinner starts, her camera must be flexible and maneuverable to follow the red carpet show of the guests entering the venue. At the same time, when reporters ask questions to the guests who enter for interviews, her camera must also keep up.
Bai He had a light sweat on the tip of his nose. He listened nervously the whole time to make sure there were no omissions.
Most of the photographers around were men, and Bai He was the only girl. She carried a camera on her small body and didn't feel tired at all. Wherever Sister Qin Lu went, her camera followed.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the charity dinner officially began. Red carpet guests and celebrities from the political and business circles entered one by one. She set up the camera and took pictures of their red carpet scenes until warm applause broke out around her. The leader of this charity dinner, Qi Fengyu, president of Qi Group, appeared on the stage.
Bai He had seen him in the news before, a fifty-year-old man with a little graying hair on his temples, but still handsome and energetic.
Following behind him was a young man in a suit and tie. When Bai He saw him, his breathing became interrupted for a moment.
The well-tailored haute couture suit made his already tall figure even more symmetrical. He was not wearing a tie, and the collar of his shirt was casually loose, which made him look serious yet casual.
The brilliant lights in the hall illuminated his face, and his three-dimensional facial features were impeccably exquisite and perfect.
The flash lights flickered on his face, and he smiled at the camera with an innate romantic air.
Bai He had heard several reporters and editors mention the fourth son of the Qi Group this afternoon, saying he'd made a splash when he'd been quiet. He'd originally thought he was a victim of family infighting, exiled for so many years, and no longer a place in the family business. Who could have imagined that after just two years back in Hong Kong, he'd revitalized several of the group's teetering on the brink of loss, and now become Qi Fengyu's most prized son, taken with him wherever he went. Who knew he'd even become the heir to the Qi Group?
So, this seemingly peaceful third wife became the biggest winner in the family struggle because of her son's status as a mother.
Bai He had heard a lot of these gossips during her time in Hong Kong City; after all, she worked in the media industry. But she also knew how bloody the internal struggles of wealthy families were. It was lonely at the top, and Qi Lang was standing right in the middle of the storm. If he wasn't careful, he could fall hard, leaving no trace.
Therefore, Bai He knows that behind the seemingly glorious young man under the spotlight there must be many difficulties and even dangers.
"Bai He, hurry up! It's time to interview Mr. Qi!"
Bai He caught up with Sister Qin Lu carrying a camera and set up a tripod in the banquet hall. However, this time Qi Fengyu did not accept media interviews, but asked Qi Lang to be interviewed instead.
Facing the camera, Qi Lang spoke and behaved very appropriately, answered questions fluently, and there was a little humor in his words. There was laughter from time to time and the atmosphere was very relaxed.
Bai He guessed that Qi Lang was busy answering reporters' questions and probably didn't notice her behind the camera.
She carefully adjusted the angle and framed the boy in the camera, as if he had once again become the protagonist of her life.
After the press conference, the dinner officially began and the media were no longer allowed to continue filming and were asked to leave.
Bai He put the camera back into the K-News van in the parking lot. Sister Qin Lu came over and patted her shoulder: "Xiao Bai, you've worked so hard."
"It's okay. Sister Qin Lu has worked hard too."
"At first, I thought you were Sister Wen Bing's connection and didn't believe you were capable of handling such an important news assignment. I didn't expect I was wrong. No wonder she valued you so much and specifically transferred you here from the mainland."
"Sister Qin Lu, you're too kind." Faced with the praise, Bai He instinctively felt embarrassed and a little shy.
"Let me treat you to a meal at a tea restaurant as a reward for your hard work this day."
"Thank you for your kindness, Sister Qin Lu, but I have to meet an old friend later."
"Is that so? Then get in the car and I'll take you there first."
"No, my friend is nearby. I can just walk over."
"Alright, have fun. We'll be leaving first."
"Um."
Bai He watched the van leave before taking out his cell phone.
20 missed calls from the same person - 7.
This guy…
Bai He called him back, and the first thing he said was, "Pig Head Sister, you really came!"
"If you keep swearing, I'll hang myself!"
"Try it, it will break your legs, believe it or not."
"I'm afraid of you!"
"Where are you?"
Bai He looked down at the white sneakers on his feet and said sullenly, "Parking lot, getting ready to go back."
"I send you."
"Aren't you going to a dinner party? Can you get away?"
"I can't leave."
"What else is there to say?"
Qi Lang's tone was obviously a little anxious: "How about you wait for me?"
"How long do we have to wait?"
"My dad called me, I'm hanging up now." Qi Lang said hurriedly, "Wait in the parking lot, I'll ask someone to pick you up. Wait, don't run."
"No, I'm going home to sleep..."
"If you dare leave, I'll smash your head next time we meet."
Threatening people again...
Bai He didn't leave. She waited in the parking lot for about five minutes. A young man in a suit with a crew cut hurried over. He looked around the parking lot and walked up to a pretty girl in a black dress next to Bai He. "Excuse me, are you Miss Bai He?"
"no."
"Sorry." Mu Zhanyan turned to look at the others, his gaze lingering on Bai He for two seconds before moving past her and coming to another girl carrying a limited edition Hermès bag. "Excuse me, is this Miss Bai He?"
"no."
Bai He: ...
She looked down at herself. In order to make it easier to carry the camera, she was wearing casual pants, a white T-shirt and sneakers. The total cost of her entire outfit was no more than 200 yuan. So, wasn't this outfit unworthy of being Qi Lang's friend?
She walked up to Mu Zhanyan and stared at her. He finally noticed her and his eyebrows were twisted.
Bai He: "Do you want to ask me?"
Mu Zhanyan looked her up and down: "Uh..."
"Am I unworthy?"
Mu Zhanyan: "It's really a bit unexpected."
Bai He was irritated by him and turned to leave. Mu Zhanyan chased after her, apologizing profusely: "I'm so sorry, I really didn't expect this. After all, he's been thinking about you for so long. Hey... Really, don't be angry. If you leave, he'll definitely break my leg!"
Bai He glanced at him and asked, "Are you his friend?"
"Yes, we are alumni, and I am also in his project team."
"Okay, since we're friends, let it go." Bai He didn't argue and followed him into the elevator. "I came here to work today anyway. I usually dress up a little for important occasions, not so casually."
Mu Zhanyan smiled and said, "I suddenly understand. It has to be you."
"Why?"
"It's about temperament."
"Don't you think I have no temperament? I'm just a passerby."
Mu Zhanyan thought for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say. You have his aura, and he... has your vibes, too. Hahaha, it's very subtle. You're childhood sweethearts, indeed."
Bai He blushed a little: "He and I are just friends."
"I understand, I understand. No need to explain."
Mu Zhanyan took Bai He into a presidential suite at the Xinghai Hotel and asked her to sit there for a while. Qi Lang would come over after he finished his work for the dinner.
Bai He nodded and looked around the luxurious presidential suite. She didn't dare sit on the bed for fear of messing up the sheets, so she simply sat on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch the news.
After a while, a waiter pushed a food cart over, and a chef prepared a Boston lobster and a king crab for her on the spot, allowing Bai He to have a delicious meal.
After dinner, Bai He felt a strong sense of sleepiness, so he simply took a nap on the sofa. He originally wanted to close his eyes, but he fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
After the dinner, Mu Zhanyan handed the room card to Qi Lang with a wicked smile.
Qi Lang took off his haute couture suit and adjusted his shirt in front of the mirror. He unbuttoned two of his white shirt's buttons, revealing his well-defined neck. After taking a closer look, he felt it was a bit frivolous, so he buttoned one button.
Mu Zhanyan leaned against the wall and said with a smile, "I've been waiting for you for two hours! Why don't you go now?"
Qi Lang sniffed her arm. He had just had a few extra drinks and was afraid that the alcohol would smell on her. "Are you wearing perfume?"
"No."
Mu Zhanyan took the hotel's fragrance and sprayed him with it, but he immediately dodged and dispelled the fragrance: "Get out."
"Go ahead, that girl won't mind if you smell of alcohol or Hermès perfume."
Qi Lang took the towel handed to him by the waiter, wiped his face, looked at the blush on his face that was a hint of drunkenness, frowned and said, "You shouldn't drink."
"Can you refuse this kind of occasion?"
He took a deep breath, made sure his hairstyle was alright one last time, took the room card and walked towards the presidential suite.
He knocked on the door first, but no one answered, so he used the room card to open the door and found that the little girl was actually sleeping on the sofa.
He walked over gently, put his haute couture suit jacket on her, then squatted down and looked at the girl's soft sleeping face.
She wore light makeup, with a faint hint of rouge on her lips. She leaned against the sofa pillow, her little face clean and lively, like the little moon that had hung in his heart for many years without falling.
The alcohol evaporated wildly in his mind, and he couldn't help but stretch out his fingertips and gently stroke her tuberose-like face with the back of his fingertips.
Bai He felt itchy, so she scratched herself with her hand, opened her eyes, and looked at him in surprise.
"Are you sleepy?" he asked her in a low voice.
It seemed as if he and she were still taking a nap in the afternoon while sleeping on the same bed in their youth.
Both of them were dizzy and neither of them woke up from this deep and beautiful dream.
"Do you want to go to bed?" Qi Lang's eyes were gentle, with a hint of desire.
"Um?"
Without waiting for her answer, he picked her up and strode towards the bed.
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