Getting on the van and dating are two different things — Ding Sishu figured she could take a breather.
She kept getting the feeling that “getting on the van” had some kind of hidden metaphorical meaning.
Back at her cousin’s rental, Ding Sishu slept for a whole day straight. Until the middle of the night, when her cousin woke her up. Her cousin had just gotten off work, trudging home under the stars. The moment He He walked in and saw her little cousin hugging a pillow, sleeping like an angel, her familial affection surged — and she booted Ding Sishu.
The cousin had a good temper, no morning grumpiness. She just whimpered a little and rubbed her eyes. “Sis.”
Her voice was still soft and babyish.
What a little treasure.
“Wake up?” He He tugged at Ding Sishu.
“Wakey wakey.” He He shook her.
After getting manhandled by her cousin, Ding Sishu was awake whether she liked it or not.
“It’s the middle of the night. Who sleeps at a time like this? Get up, let’s get some late-night food.”
“But Sis, I’m so tired…”
“Look at you.” He He shook Ding Sishu again. “Still tired?”
Ding Sishu patted her cheeks and looked at her cousin. Her cousin’s face was flushed red — she seemed in high spirits.
“Sis, good news or something?”
Ding Sishu was slow on the uptake. It wasn’t good news at all.
At the food stall, her cousin sipped a bit of alcohol, then slammed her forehead onto the table. Ding Sishu was stunned. The owner, holding a plate of iron-plate chives, was stunned too.
Her cousin had bonked down without warning — it looked like she’d been drugged. Ding Sishu turned to the owner, who raised his right hand. Then he looked at the chives in his hand, set them down, and raised both hands.
The owner was innocent.
The owner’s wife, however, was quick to react. Wielding her spatula, she said, “Are you two trying to scam us?”
“How could you? At least you could’ve eaten a couple bites first.” The owner’s wife was in a bad mood — she’d just cleaned up after a few people who’d thrown up on the tables.
Ding Sishu touched her forehead. Her cousin had a fever.
So that’s why she was so radiant.
Ding Sishu’s reaction time was long. Very long.
It was late. All the pharmacies were closed. But the night-market owner was kind — he gave Ding Sishu some regular medicine.
“Sis, you’re not heavy, right?” After supporting her cousin for a while, Ding Sishu realized her cousin could barely walk.
“Not heavy.”
She really didn’t look heavy. Ding Sishu had her cousin stand on the stairs, then bent down. Her cousin jumped onto her back.
Luckily Ding Sishu held firm. Heavy. Dead heavy.
“Sis, are you really ninety pounds?” Because this was NOT ninety pounds.
“Ninety a little bit more.”
“That’s not ‘a little bit more.’ If you said twenty pounds more, I’d believe it.” Ding Sishu said.
Sick as she was, her cousin’s hands were still quick. Smack — onto the back of Ding Sishu’s head. “Weren’t you in the army for five years? You can’t even handle this little weight?”
“Don’t slack off. Move gently — you’re making me dizzy.” Her cousin said.
“Sis, let’s just go to the hospital?”
Her cousin waved it off. “No way. I go and they’ll make me get an IV. I have a meeting tomorrow.”
“There’s still some medicine at home.” Her cousin said.
When they got home, Ding Sishu found it. She checked the dates. All expired.
She looked at the medicine the owner had given her. She examined the ingredients while breaking pills apart. Tasted one — the concentration seemed right.
“What medicine is this?” Her cousin took three pills, then squinted at the box.
“What the owner gave me.”
Her cousin was careful about her health — her eyes went wide. “What’s in it? Is it from a legitimate manufacturer?”
“I checked. The manufacturer’s overseas.” Ding Sishu paused. “If there’s a problem, Sis, you’ll be the witness.”
“And if I get poisoned to death?”
Ding Sishu thought about it. “Then I guess I’d be the physical evidence.”
What kind of cousin was this? He He rolled her eyes and passed out from exhaustion.
He He woke up following the smell. Her stomach was growling. There was a damp towel on her forehead. Her eyes rolled around a few times before she was fully conscious.
She’d had a slight cold a few days ago. She hadn’t taken care of it, and her temperature had spiked. She’d been so busy this year that she hadn’t exercised, and without exercise, her immunity had dropped.
Following the smell, He He shuffled to the living room. There she found her little cousin drinking porridge.
“Sis, you’re awake!?”
“Why is there only one bowl? Where’s mine?” Wait — normally, wouldn’t you feed the sick person first? Like in those TV dramas?
“We don’t have any straws at home.” Ding Sishu said.
Her cousin immediately made a disgusted face. Feeding a sick person with a straw — that’s such a drama cliché!
“I thought you’d sleep a while longer.” Ding Sishu said. “I’ll go scrape the pot for you.”
As Ding Sishu headed to the kitchen, He He grabbed her cousin’s porridge bowl. Freshly recovered, she was consumed by hunger. She had to admit — the little cousin’s porridge was pretty good. Well-flavored.
“Sis.” Seeing her cousin drinking her porridge, Ding Sishu didn’t get mad. She set some pickled vegetables in front of He He. “Are you feeling better?”
“I was about to ask if I should call in sick for you!” Ding Sishu grinned.
“I’m fine.” Remembering work, He He immediately checked the time. She started gulping down porridge and shoveling in vegetables. “Are you coming with me to the company, or…?”
“I’m still waiting for the captain’s notice.”
“You haven’t gotten it yet? Nian Qiao is joining the film crew soon.” He He said.
“So that’s why you’re being so considerate.” He He suddenly got it. “You’re about to be ‘unemployed’ again.”
She said that, but when they saw Nian Qiao at the company, she still made a point to stop.
“Sister He, you look much better today.” Nian Qiao proactively greeted He He.
“Yes, Miss Nian. I had a cold yesterday.”
“All better now?”
“Much better.” He He said. “All thanks to Shushu. You’d never guess it from how rough around the edges she is, but she’s really good at taking care of people.”
A forced insertion of Ding Sishu into the conversation.
Nian Qiao smiled. “Good to hear.”
“Miss Nian…” He He started, meaning to say more. But she saw the staff members hovering around Nian Qiao, clearly signaling she was busy. “You go ahead.”
“Yes.” Nian Qiao said. “You go ahead, too.”
The rich and famous forget easily. For all He He knew, Nian Qiao would turn around and forget her little cousin entirely. Watching Nian Qiao’s retreating back, He He felt a pang of sympathy for her little cousin.
Why did she have to have a crush on an iceberg like that? Two decades in the entertainment industry, and no one had managed to melt “Mount Nian.”
Back in the nanny van, Nian Qiao thought of something and turned to her assistant. “Where’s Ding Sishu?”
The subway and buses at the major transfer stations were absolute nightmares of crowds. Ding Sishu had thought she’d go out and grab a bite, take a stroll. She collided head-on with rush hour.
By the time she boarded, there were no seats left. Earbuds in, Ding Sishu squeezed her way to a spot by the window, ready to admire the ocean of humanity in her homeland.
The bus stopped at a station, and Ding Sishu frowned.
She could see a reflection in the window. A middle-aged man, the back of his hand brushing — deliberately or not — against a young woman’s thigh.
It was summer; of course young women who cared about fashion wore short skirts. The girl had clearly noticed. She pressed her bag against her leg and shuffled a couple steps away. When she moved, the middle-aged man moved too, pressing right back up against her.
Gripping the overhead handle, Ding Sishu slowly worked her way across the bus until she reached the middle-aged man’s position.
The bus took a hard left turn. Ding Sishu lifted her foot and stomped down on the man’s calf. Off balance, he dropped to one knee.
“Uncle, what are you doing down there?” Ding Sishu flashed her small white teeth.
“She’s ‘helping a citizen in need.'” Hanging up the phone, the assistant relayed to Nian Qiao.
“What?” Nian Qiao looked up from her schedule sheet.
“Thank you, Captain.” The moment she walked out of the police substation, Ding Sishu hurriedly thanked the captain.
Earlier on the bus, she’d gotten into a dispute with the middle-aged man. Both she and the man had ended up in the substation. She’d tried calling her cousin — no answer. The captain’s call had come right on time.
“Don’t be so impulsive next time.” The captain paused. “At least don’t show your face.”
“Next time I’ll definitely bring a sack.” Ding Sishu said.
The captain laughed. “That guy has no partner, no job. You’re different. No need to get a black mark on your record over someone like him.”
“Just teaching him a lesson.” Ding Sishu said. “It won’t happen again.”
The captain could see right through her. She wagged her index finger in front of Ding Sishu.
“Captain, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Let me treat you?” Ding Sishu grinned, grabbing the captain’s finger.
A crisp pfft sound. Ding Sishu quickly set down her chopsticks and clapped. “Captain, what a palm!”
The captain had grabbed a glass bottle, set it on the table’s edge, and smacked it with her palm — nearly shearing the bottle’s top clean off.
“It’s daytime, so soy milk’s better.” The captain smiled, dropped a straw into the soy milk bottle, and handed it to Ding Sishu.
“Yeah, no drinking during the day. Keeps you sharp.” Last night, Ding Sishu had been clutching a liquor bottle, dead drunk.
“By the way, with your record, the organization should’ve given you a very good arrangement.” The captain said.
“My situation’s a bit special.”
“It’s not some special mission, is it?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’d love to take a mission, but the organization hasn’t offered me that honor.”
“That’s good.” The captain said. “I won’t ask for details. I know some things are classified.”
Ding Sishu felt a little touched. When she’d used “classified” as an excuse earlier, her cousin had tried to kill her.
“Miss Nian is joining the crew tomorrow. Tonight I’ll bring her the roster. I’ll put in a good word for you.” The captain said. “Honestly, you’re good in every way. You’re a woman, so it’s convenient for daily matters. The only issue is you’re too new — I’m worried you can’t handle certain situations.”
Ding Sishu nodded.
“I’m just saying — for now. The final decision is up to Miss Nian.” The captain said.
