Chapter 6: Happiness

The cover shoot was scheduled for a week later. The next morning, Xiang Ge met with the person in charge.

The editor-in-chief of SINGO was named Eda, known for his strong leadership. He had taken over as editor during the magazine’s lowest point and, within a few years, completely revitalized it.

When Xiang Ge first heard this name and backstory, she assumed he was a powerful woman.

Later, she learned that this fashion magazine editor, who bore a woman’s name, was actually a man.

Not only was he male, but also a straight-laced, masculine guy.

By the time everything was finalized, most of the morning had passed. By the time they saw the person off, it was already past ten o’clock. Song Zhi sat behind his large desk, legs crossed, spinning a pen: “After this cover shoot is done, I’ll arrange for you to have a manager.”

Xiang Ge stood in front of the desk, nodding obediently.

“For now, I’ll assign you an assistant to tide you over.”

Xiang Ge nodded again.

Song Zhi lounged lazily in his executive chair, the expensive gold pen spinning between his slender fingers. Tilting his head, he asked her: “Do you know why I’m promoting you?”

Xiang Ge had given this question serious thought. She blinked: “Do you want to seduce me?”

Song Zhi’s brow twitched, and the pen in his hand clattered onto the desk.

He picked it up and gripped it tightly, looking at her calm face while resisting the urge to throw the pen at her: “You’re pretty, not stupid, and if you become famous, you’ll make me money.”

Xiang Ge understood: “Mr. Song, if you’d realized this earlier, I probably would’ve already earned you enough to buy a private jet.”

Song Zhi sneered: “With your arrogant attitude from two years ago? You could’ve flown to the roof without a ladder. If I’d promoted you back then, you’d have shot straight into the sky.”

“…”

Xiang Ge was speechless.

By the time Xiang Ge left the office, it was already past eleven. Aside from some coordination with the magazine team, she didn’t have much to do until the cover shoot began. As she exited the company building, Song Zhi had already efficiently arranged an assistant for her.

The young assistant’s surname was Gong, and her name was Gong Mo—a bespectacled girl with big eyes and a curvaceous figure. Previously, she had been Song Zhi’s personal assistant. Just as Xiang Ge was marveling that Song Zhi liked this type, Assistant Gong spoke, her voice cold and detached, like a mature dominatrix: “Miss Xiang, I will now be your personal assistant. Anything you need, you can tell me, and I’ll report every detail to Mr. Song.”

Xiang Ge’s eyebrow twitched. She walked directly to the car, opened the driver’s side door, got in, closed the door, and rolled down the window. She stretched her arm out high and waved at Gong Mo before driving off.

After driving for a bit, Gong Mo hadn’t yet returned when the car slowly reversed back.

Xiang Ge parked the car back at the entrance, rolled down the passenger-side window, and leaned over: “Little Jasmine, go and get a commemorative banner made for me.”

Gong Mo was stunned and didn’t immediately understand: “Make what?”

“A commemorative banner—the kind people give to doctors in hospitals. You know, the ones that say things like ‘Miraculous Hands, Saving Lives’ or ‘Divine Physician, Bestower of Children.’”

Gong Mo looked bewildered, unsure why Xiang Ge wanted such a thing. Her expression shifted from confusion to realization, then to hesitation, but ultimately, she nodded complexly.

Xiang Ge paid no attention to her shifting expressions, resting her elbow on the car frame and emphasizing: “Please make sure it’s ready by 5 PM tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work.”

Perhaps Gong Mo felt insulted by the deadline of 5 PM the next day—it seemed far too lenient and an affront to her efficiency. So, at 3:30 PM the next afternoon, she rang the doorbell of Xiang Ge’s apartment, emotionlessly holding a rolled-up banner.

Xiang Ge didn’t bother asking how Gong Mo knew where she lived—it was obvious—and simply thanked her. Turning around, she grabbed the keychain from the coffee table, slipped on her shoes, and headed out.

She didn’t close the door behind her, turning back to ask: “Would you like to come in and sit for a bit?”

Gong Mo pushed her glasses up emotionlessly and declined, following Xiang Ge into the elevator.

Xiang Ge hadn’t driven from her place to the Second People’s Hospital before and wasn’t familiar with the route. After circling around twice and realizing she was lost, she gave up and turned on the navigation system.

By the time she reached the hospital entrance, an hour and a half had passed. It was almost early spring, the days were growing longer, and the light was soft and warm. She parked her car at the hospital entrance, glanced at the hospital gates, and decided to wait in the car.

After a moment’s thought, fearing he might leave through a side or back door and miss her, Xiang Ge grabbed the banner from the passenger seat, opened the car door, and got out.

Walking to the orthopedic department entrance, Xiang Ge paused, checked her watch, and calculated that there was still some time before the doctors finished their shifts. She then went to a corner near the elevator area, facing the wall, and began rehearsing her lines.

“Dr. Zhou, thanks to your excellent medical skills, my foot healed so quickly.”

“Your meticulous care and attention deeply moved me.”

“Please accept this banner, or I won’t be able to rest easy.”

“And I’d like to treat you to dinner to express my gratitude.”

The woman held the vertically positioned banner, its end tapping lightly against her chin. Her gaze lowered, her long lashes concealed her eyes as she whispered her rehearsed lines.

After struggling through her monologue for a while, Xiang Ge fell silent for a few seconds, then let out a long sigh.

How thick-skinned did one have to be to deliver such awkward and insincere lines?

Feeling defeated, she grimaced slightly and decided to abandon her rehearsed script, opting instead to improvise on the spot.

Xiang Ge tapped the tip of her chin with the banner, checked the time, and, feeling ready, turned lazily toward the doctor’s office.

However, as she turned, her eyes widened in surprise—she unexpectedly came face-to-face with a familiar figure.

Caught off guard, Xiang Ge was startled, her eyes widening slightly as she instinctively stepped back.

Zhou Xingyan stood right in front of her, closer than expected.

His gaze was cool and composed as he looked down at her.

To stay true to her character, Xiang Ge was wearing flat shoes today, making her noticeably shorter without the added height of heels. Comparing herself to him, she estimated that he was about 188 cm tall.

Her first thought was: he didn’t seem this tall in high school.

What had this man eaten over the years to grow so tall without her noticing?

Her second thought was: how long had he been standing behind her?

Zhou Xingyan watched the woman clearly lost in thought. His gaze subtly swept over the red cloth with yellow edges in her hand as he slowly spoke: “Did Miss Xiang sprain her ankle again?”

Xiang Ge snapped back to reality, looking at him silently.

She wasn’t sure whether Zhou Xingyan truly didn’t remember her or was pretending.

At first, she thought he was faking it, but after several encounters, she began to hesitate.

Zhou Xingyan was someone who didn’t care about things that didn’t concern him and wouldn’t waste time or energy on meaningless matters. Pretending not to recognize her seemed unnecessary.

But if he really didn’t remember her, Xiang Ge wondered if eight years was truly long enough for someone to completely forget another person.

She remained silent, and Zhou Xingyan didn’t rush her, simply standing there and waiting.

He had taken off his white coat, wearing a black trench coat over his white shirt. The coat was unbuttoned, giving him a more relaxed and casual appearance compared to their previous meetings.

A model-like physique always looked good in anything.

Xiang Ge’s gaze slowly traced from the collar of his white shirt upward. Biting her tongue lightly, she shook her head, her clear, dark eyes blinking at him: “I’m here to express my gratitude to Dr. Zhou.”

Her eyelashes were long and thick, her outer corners slightly upturned like the tail feathers of a swallow.

“Also, I wanted to ask when Dr. Zhou might be free—I’d like to treat you to dinner.” She paused, her voice softening: “As a token of appreciation.”

Zhou Xingyan’s lips curved slightly upward: “No need. I’m just doing my duty as a doctor.”

Xiang Ge gathered her emotions, gripping the banner a little tighter, causing the deep red fabric to wrinkle slightly. Her long lashes drooped, casting faint shadows beneath her lower eyelids.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she quickly raised her eyes to look at him, hesitating briefly before speaking: “Actually, there is something else. I might need Dr. Zhou’s help with a small favor.”

Zhou Xingyan raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

The woman’s dark eyes gazed at him sincerely and earnestly as she said gravely: “Actually, I’m a full-time writer currently planning a new book with a doctor as the protagonist. But since I don’t personally know anyone in this field…”

She furrowed her brows slightly, looking troubled: “If Dr. Zhou has time, I’d like to schedule an interview to gather material for my book and better understand this profession.”

Xiang Ge carefully measured each word, speaking slowly. When she finished, she even held her breath slightly.

Zhou Xingyan listened quietly, saying nothing, only lowering his eyes and gazing at her with an ambiguous expression.

Standing near the window, the warm evening light fragmented in his dark eyes, spreading a gentle glow that created an illusion of warmth.

After a long pause, he chuckled softly, low and deep: “Alright.”

Author’s Note:

Xiang Ge: Let’s see who’s the better actor.

Zhou Xingyan: Begin your performance.