It was written: "Zhao Shiza, I have finally found the job. We'll go there to check in during the lunch break today."
My smile faded away after reading it. It's not that I don't want to help her, but it feels more like I am helping her on the wrong path. Giving money to that spoiled man would never make sense to me. But here, it's not a matter of what I think is right or wrong. Here, the priority is Yang Lulu's parents, whose health is at stake because of it.
I can risk anything, but how can I risk her parents' health? Otherwise, I wouldn't be helping her in collecting this money. I would rather go to that man and talk to him about what he really thinks of himself. It's a marriage, not something you should pay for. But it seems like that man is asking for money to marry her.
Why do such men still exist on earth who think they can earn through marriage? Of course they think so, because I doubt they are capable enough to earn money on their own, so they choose such a cheap path to earn it through marriage. I was continuously cursing that man in my mind.
Then suddenly, my bus came and stopped right in front of me, breaking all the thoughts I was having. I got inside the bus and sat on the seat.
"Oh no…" I had forgotten to reply to Yang Lulu's message. I should reply to her first, otherwise she'll think that I am backing off from helping her the moment I read that message. So I immediately opened WeChat and replied to her, writing, "Okay, that's great. We'll go there," and sent it to her.
After a journey of forty-five minutes on the bus, I finally reached my destination — the shooting location set. I got down from the bus and started walking on the road for fifteen minutes, and after that, I reached the set.
I started walking inside the set to reach my room, but suddenly someone held my wrist and pulled me with him.
"Yuan, what are you doing? What if someone sees us together? They'll talk about us," I said while trying to pull my hand away, but it was all a waste of time. His grip on my hand was way tighter than I thought.
"Let them talk," he said in reply.
I got a little shocked and said, "Talk is the wrong word. Let me correct myself — they won't talk, they'll gossip about us."
"Let them gossip," he said so bluntly that it felt like he didn't even bother about anyone. Isn't he always like this, always taking a stand for his own thoughts?
I smiled a little and said, "Mr. Yuan, why are you getting so mad?"
"Correct — mad for you," he said while smirking.
"Oh, Yuan, please. I am not in the mood to eat Margherita pizza so early in the morning," I said while laughing a little.
"What's there to laugh about?" he asked.
"Nothing, just look at your expression. I just burst into huge laughter because of your expression," I said while still holding my laugh.
"Aren't you laughing too much at me?" he asked.
"Aren't you the one who gives me a reason? Tell me," I said while holding my stomach to control my laughter.
"You're enjoying it, aren't you?" he asked.
"Of course. You are so cute, Yuan, when you get angry," I laughed again.
"Laugh as much as you want. I won't stop you. Just remember one thing," he said, then lowered his voice a little, "You need to repay me."
"Repay what?" I asked him.
"You really have short-term memory loss. Didn't I tell you in the message that you have to repay me?" he asked.
"I received that, but I thought it was just part of a joke. I didn't know you were this serious about it," I said.
He smiled a little at me and said, "You think too much, and when it's needed, your little brain gets tired so easily," while tapping on my forehead.
"Are you sure you're not going to ask me for some huge amount of money? I am still a student. Don't think I carry cheques in my pockets," I said very dramatically.
"What do you think of me, silly girl? Do I look like the kind of person who would rob his own girlfriend?" he asked.
I started looking here and there on the floor and said, "I was just saying it. I didn't mean any of it. Did I make you angry with me? I was just making fun."
He smiled and said, "So was I."
"What?" I asked.
"I mean, everything I said to you — I was just saying it," he replied.
"So it means the repayment—" I was about to say something, but he interrupted.
"Repayment is still there. It's not optional, and I am completely sure and clear about it," he said.
"Okay then. I am going to my room. You also go to yours," I said.
He nodded his head and said yes, and then we both went to our respective rooms to get ready for the shoot.
Like this, the day went well, and now it was time for the break.
"Come, let's go," Yang Lulu said softly near my ear.
I nodded my head, and then we both went outside the set.
"Do we need to take a bus to reach there?" I asked Yang Lulu.
She said, "No, we can reach there by walking only. It's near the bus stop."
Then we reached there. It's a kind of bakery, I murmured to myself.
"It's not kind of it. It is a bakery," Yang Lulu said.
Now we both got inside it. A middle-aged man was waiting for us.
"Hello, Mr. Qin," Yang Lulu greeted him, and followed her and greeted him too.
"Then you both can join after today's work. Make sure that every single day you both finish your working hours, which is seven. If you work even less than an hour, your salary will get affected and deducted because of it," he said.
She nodded and said, "Okay, sir."
Then we went outside the bakery and started walking back to the set. I asked Yang Lulu, "Do you still think this is right?"
"What do you think, Zhao Shiza? If it wasn't about my parents, I would go to that man directly and end our relationship by myself. But I have already told you, I can't. I really can't. Otherwise, I won't give a single penny of our hard work," she said.
I nodded my head and didn't say anything after that, because I had nothing to say now.
Like this, time passed. We were done with today's shooting. Director Li said, "Pack up." I changed my costume quickly the moment Director Li said it. Every member of the cast and crew started packing up their stuff. It was 7:00 p.m. in the evening.
Then Yang Lulu came to me and said, "Let's go."
I nodded. Then I left a message for Wang Ruoxi on WeChat that I might get late due to late-night shooting and told her to lock the door from inside, then sent it to her.
On our way to the bakery, I thought, Thank God Yuan is still in his room changing his costume. Otherwise, he'll definitely ask me where we are going. And no matter how professional a liar I am, he'll definitely catch me. I said it to myself.
Then we reached the bakery. Mr. Qin gave us printed aprons and said, "This is the dress code for the staff who work here. You both can wear this during your working hours."
We nodded, and then Mr. Qin left.
But in my heart, only one thing was going on — I didn't tell Yuan about this. What if he finds out by himself and thinks that I lied to him and gets disheartened?
No… no, Zhao Shiza. No negative thoughts, I said to myself. If your fate really has this, then this will surely happen. You can't stop it.
But right now, Yang Lulu needs me — needs my help. She helped me a lot during those days when Yuan was hospitalised. If she wasn't there, then today… today I might definitely be in prison. She helped me without seeing day or night, without saying anything. I didn't even ask for her help, but still she did.
Now it's my turn to help her in the most difficult time of her life. Whatever happens will happen in the future. I will live in the present and not bother about the future.
So, Zhao Shiza, let's get to work with your whole heart.
Then we both wore the aprons that Mr. Qin had handed to us.
"Okay then, let's start," we both said to each other and started our first working hour of the day today…