Begging the Female Lead to Let Me, a Salted Fish, Go (GL) - Chapter 7
Shen Ying was peeling an apple.
The shiny fruit knife moved between her long fingers with a soft, scraping sound. The room was very quiet, with only the bright sunlight and the chirping of birds outside. The silence was a bit lonely.
But Shen Ying’s heart was calm and peaceful. She hadn’t felt this way in a very, very long time. That’s not quite right, because her body was still accustomed to it; it was the spiritual exhaustion that was carved into her soul.
“Xiao Ying.”
Her mother’s voice broke the silence.
“What is it?”
The scraping sound stopped. Shen Ying looked up at her mother.
Shen Ying’s mother, Shen Shu, had gotten pregnant with Shen Ying too early and had been kicked out of her home too early, taking on responsibilities that a girl her age should not have had to bear.
Although illness and a hard life had taken their toll, she still looked very young. Only the fine lines around her eyes gave her a sense of refined beauty that comes with age.
Seeing that familiar gaze, filled with gentleness and affection, Shen Ying felt a pang in her nose.
She leaned in toward her mother, her face pressing against her mother’s palm, and gently nuzzled her, like a small animal seeking comfort. “Mom.”
“What’s wrong? You’re a big girl now. Are you still being a spoiled baby?”
Shen Shu chuckled softly, reaching out to stroke Shen Ying’s hair.
Shen Ying closed her eyes and replied, “Of course. You’re my mom. I’ll be your spoiled baby for the rest of my life.”
Shen Shu laughed happily. “You were never like this before. Why are you acting more like a child as you get older?”
“Don’t you like it, Mom?”
“Of course I do. A daughter acting spoiled with her mother is a natural thing. I would love it if you were always like this with me.”
Shen Ying closed her eyes. Her mother’s words were always so warm. As she listened, she couldn’t help but remember the past, the memories that had nearly crushed her.
If her mother had still been there, perhaps she wouldn’t have clung to that small bit of warmth as if it were a piece of driftwood, drowning herself in it, not daring to listen or think about anything else.
“What’s wrong, my precious daughter?” Shen Shu felt a tear and quickly cupped her daughter’s face. She saw her daughter’s eyes tightly shut, with tears streaming down her cheeks. Shen Shu frowned. She thought of her illness. “Is it my sickness… maybe we shouldn’t continue the treatment?”
“No, it’s not that.” Shen Ying shook her head. “Don’t worry about your illness. We’ll have news about a donor soon.”
Back then, she had found a donor and gone to get the money, but she couldn’t get it, and her mother died…
Shen Ying gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to think about the past. For her, the most important thing now was that her mother was alive and there was still hope.
Shen Shu looked a little hesitant. “But, the money…” Shen Shu thought for a moment, as if she had made up her mind, and looked at Shen Ying. “Listen to me…”
Afraid that her mother was going to give up, Shen Ying quickly put down the fruit knife, grabbed her mother’s hand, and looked her in the eye. “Mom, listen to me. I signed an employment contract. I’ll be working for a company, starting with an internship. I can make money, lots and lots of money. Don’t worry about the donor or your illness.”
“You signed an employment contract?” Shen Shu’s eyes widened.
Shen Ying smiled. “Yes. Your daughter is a top student, so of course people are fighting over me.”
Shen Shu frowned. She was an adult who had raised a daughter on her own, so of course she knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. She was afraid that her daughter had been taken advantage of. “Who is your boss? Is it a man or a woman? Which company?”
“It’s Chao Sheng Limited Company, and the boss is a woman.”
Shen Ying answered each question.
Hearing that it was a woman, Shen Shu breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her daughter had been pretty since she was a child and had many boys chasing her. Shen Shu had always been very worried.
If her illness had forced her daughter down a dark path, she would have rather jumped from this building than be a burden to her daughter. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Thinking this, Shen Shu smiled. “Your boss is a good person. You need to do a good job, okay?”
A good person?
Shen Ying thought of Gong Zhi, her arrogant demeanor from her past life and her “live-every-day-to-the-fullest” attitude from this life, swapping back and forth in her mind. In the end, this life’s image replaced the previous one. She lowered her eyes and nodded. “Yes, she’s a good person.”
As long as the other person doesn’t show any other intentions.
Shen Ying thought that she could also pretend that the past had never happened. But if she really has other motives, I’ll make her wish she were dead!
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Shen Ying looked up, staring at the door. She had a strange premonition that the person standing outside was Gong Zhi. Gong Zhi knew which hospital her mother was in, so it was only natural that she would know the room number. What was her agenda, showing up so eagerly in front of her mother?
“Why aren’t you opening the door?” Shen Shu asked curiously.
Shen Ying finally came back to her senses. She glanced at Shen Shu, who knew nothing, and stood up to open the door.
“Hi.”
The girl outside raised her hand and waved. Shen Ying looked at Gong Zhi and didn’t move, so Gong Zhi peered around her and glanced into the room.
[There’s no one here. Why was the female lead’s darkness meter fluctuating so much just now?]
[Maybe, maybe it’s because she saw her mom?] the system whispered.
Gong Zhi rolled her eyes: [She sees her mom all the time. She should be happy now that she has money. What’s wrong with her now?]
Shen Ying saw Gong Zhi roll her eyes.
[Darkness meter rising: 90!]
Gong Zhi: …
She looked at Shen Ying, furious and cold. “Why are you angry?”
Shen Ying raised an eyebrow. “You just rolled your eyes at me.”
Gong Zhi: …
Gong Zhi took a deep breath. “That wasn’t a roll of my eyes. It was just an, an eye twitch.”
Shen Ying said, “Oh,” and they fell into an awkward silence. They didn’t have much in common to talk about, so the silence became even more uncomfortable. Neither of them knew what to say.
Just then, Shen Shu called out from behind, “Daughter, who is it?”
Shen Ying stepped aside. She was silent for a moment, watching Gong Zhi slowly walk in. The way she had her hands behind her back made her look like a leader. Should I tell her the truth? Or…
Shen Ying was undecided, but Gong Zhi spoke up confidently: “Hello, Auntie. I’m Shen Ying’s friend. She’s my senior.”
Shen Ying looked at Gong Zhi with a hint of surprise. She remembered that Gong Zhi studied art. How had she become her junior? Shen Shu was a little surprised. “You’re Xiao Ying’s junior? Are you also from the A University’s School of Economics and Management? It’s the first time I’ve seen one of her classmates come over.”
“My senior is a well-known busybody at school, and everyone is too shy to approach her. It takes a shameless person like me to dare to get close,” Gong Zhi said with a smile as she walked over to Shen Shu. She then exclaimed, “Auntie, you’re so pretty!”
What elder doesn’t like a flattering and likable junior?
In just a few minutes, Shen Ying saw that Gong Zhi and her mother were holding hands and were practically ready to become mother and adopted daughter.
Shen Ying suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. I’m her real daughter! This person suddenly shows up, acts all serious in front of me, and then smiles like a flower in front of my mom, stealing my mother’s love!
[Darkness meter: 91]
Gong Zhi, who was chatting happily, paused and turned to look at the silent Shen Ying who was peeling an apple. “How about… I peel it?”
“Xiao Zhi, don’t bother with her. You’re a guest. You shouldn’t be doing work,” Shen Shu said, holding Gong Zhi’s hand and laughing. “Xiao Ying doesn’t have many friends. She must be so happy to see a friend. Right?”
Shen Ying looked up and forced a smile. “Right.”
[Darkness meter: 92]
Gong Zhi: …I don’t think you’re that happy.
Gong Zhi was about to say something, but Shen Ying suddenly stood up. She looked at her mother, who was smiling at her, and then at Gong Zhi, who was carefully observing her. A sense of helplessness suddenly rose in her. Gong Zhi was a twenty-year-old kid. Her mom also had a childlike heart. Why was she getting upset with two kids?
“I’m going to get some water,” Shen Ying said. She squeezed her phone and looked at Gong Zhi. “Could you please watch over my mom for me?”
Gong Zhi nodded. When she was obedient, she had a well-behaved look about her, like someone even younger than her age. Shen Ying subconsciously gave Gong Zhi a smile and walked out.
[Darkness meter: 90]
[Host! The female lead’s darkness meter went down! Why?]
Gong Zhi thought for a moment and replied: [She probably finally realized I’m her benefactor.]
Paying for her mother’s care and having new hope, who wouldn’t be in a good mood? Thinking this, Gong Zhi couldn’t help but smile, too, and turned to Shen Shu. “Auntie, my senior is like a goddess at school. So many people like her.”
Shen Shu smiled. “Is that so? She’s just putting on a show. She’s always been a kind and soft-hearted child. When she was little, she would cry whenever she saw a beggar and give away all her pocket money… not caring if they were scammers.”
Gong Zhi smiled along with her. For a moment, the room, filled with the smell of disinfectant, was filled with a sense of warmth.
[Warning! Warning! The female lead’s emotional fluctuation is significant! Warning!]
[Darkness meter: 95!]
[Darkness meter: 99!]
[Darkness meter: 100!]