Xijing University, School of Arts. Outside the dance rehearsal room in the teaching building, a girl in a tight-fitting practice outfit, tall and stunningly beautiful, was holding a cell phone with a look of distress on her face.
"This jerk, why isn’t he answering my voice call."
Shi Yue murmured to herself when her phone suddenly began to ring.
Thinking it was Zhang Xiaoshan calling, she glanced at the caller ID and her expression darkened when she saw "Daddy."
She answered the call and called out softly.
A cough from an elderly man came through the phone.
"Cough cough, Little Yue, your mom’s condition has worsened again. The county hospital is suggesting we transfer her, um..."
As the man spoke, his voice began to choke up and sound helpless.
"What I mean is, maybe we should stop treatment..."
Upon hearing this, Shi Yue’s emotions immediately flared up.
"Daddy, don’t talk like that. My mom’s illness has to be treated. I’ll figure out the money issue. Just give me a few more days. I will gather the funds. Let my mom keep her spirits up. Just these few days, once I have the money, I’ll send it to you right away."
The man on the phone fell silent.
A weak cry from a middle-aged woman followed.
"Little Yue, where are you going to get the money from? Don’t do anything foolish. Your mom and I have never helped you, only been a burden to you. If you do something silly, even if my sickness is cured, I wouldn’t want to live anymore."
While speaking, the woman on the other end began to sob.
Shi Yue, standing in the corridor, felt her eyes moisten.
"Mom, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I have to get to class, I’m hanging up now."
She was afraid she might start crying and ended the call in a hurry.
Leaning against the glass window, she looked distressed and agitated.
Her phone in her hand suddenly rang again.
She perked up immediately when she saw the caller ID labeled "Jerk."
"Hello, why did you only call me now?"
Shi Yue said, displeased.
Over at White Dragon Village, Zhang Xiaoshan was standing on a hillslope behind a mountain, perched on a big tree, and said somewhat speechlessly,
"Sis, don’t you know the network situation over here? I finally found a spot to call you back. Tell me, what is it?"
Shi Yue replied irritably.
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoshan was so startled he almost fell out of the tree.
"Big sis, don’t joke with me."
Shi Yue immediately snorted.
"You wish. If you’ve caused me trouble, it’s just my bad luck. You actually think I’d want a child from you? I wouldn’t, even if you did."
Upon hearing her words, Zhang Xiaoshan heaved a huge sigh of relief.
"Don’t joke like that; it can scare someone to death."
"When you made your move on the hillside last time, I didn’t think you were so timid," Shi Yue remarked sarcastically, her words cutting like a machine gun.
"You’re contacting me not just to make fun of me, are you? I haven’t got the patience for this. I’ll hang up if it’s nothing important."
After speaking, Zhang Xiaoshan promptly ended the call.
Spoiled brat; you’re getting too cheeky.
As expected, Shi Yue immediately panicked after the call was disconnected.
Frantically, she redialed Zhang Xiaoshan, but he deliberately left her hanging, letting the phone ring several times without answering.
After three or four minutes, Zhang Xiaoshan finally picked up.
"You, why are you so petty? It was just a joke, and now you’re holding a grudge."
Shi Yue said, a bit sullenly.
"Speak up if you have something to say, or I’ll hang up again."
"Don’t, don’t do it. You’ve, you’ve been with me, how can you be so impatient with me?"
"I’m not your boyfriend; why should I be patient with you?"
"Who’d fancy a boyfriend like you? Fine, fine, I won’t bicker with you anymore. I’m talking about Wu Yong," Shi Yue said. "He’s been pushing me to get married these last few days. I followed our earlier agreement and asked for fifty thousand from him, but he says his family can’t come up with that much, and at most, they can only give ten thousand. But I’m still missing a lot, what should I do?" Shi Yue’s tone was a mix of disappointment and urgency.
"Doesn’t his family still own a house and land? Tell him to pressure his mother to sell the house and land—that should do it."
"Are you joking? Who’d want a house and land from your godforsaken place, even if it was given away?" Shi Yue complained.
Zhang Xiaoshan chuckled.
"That’s not necessarily true. Keep pressuring Wu Yong; he’ll surely give you the money. But once you get the cash, you can only take twenty thousand, and the remaining thirty thousand you’ll have to give back to me."
Thinking it over, Shi Yue agreed, feeling that getting twenty thousand was certainly better than just ten thousand.
"Alright, I’ll do as you say. But are you sure about this? I urgently need the money."
"It’s definitely not a problem."
After making the arrangement with Shi Yue, Zhang Xiaoshan headed towards the health office.
"Zhang Yulian and her son Wu Yong have caused me trouble several times, and they squeezed me without mercy last time over Zhang Ercai’s wife’s affair. This time, I’ll make sure they understand just how formidable I am."
"But, how can I make them accept the high-interest loan?" The rıghtful source is 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
Suddenly, a crisp voice called out behind Zhang Xiaoshan.
Turning around, he saw Wu Xiaoru approaching him in a floral dress.