Chapter 39

That would give her a real advantage over others when it came time for a promotion.

Gu Yinxing might have been lazy, but she wasn't stupid.

The Forty-Fourth Day of Being Overheard

Gu Yinxing walked out of the office grinning.

Chen Deng Deng was wandering nearby. When she saw Gu Yinxing come out, she hurried over. "How did it go?"

"Good news." Gu Yinxing showed her the application form in her hand. "I get to go for further training."

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Chen Deng Deng was happy for her. "Look at you! When you become head nurse someday, you'd better give me a hand."

Gu Yinxing laughed as they walked. "You're thinking further ahead than I dare. Head nurse? I can't even imagine that yet. I'm happy enough just to get this training opportunity."

Chen Deng Deng smiled, then lowered her voice. "What happened with Song Mei? I just saw her run past crying."

Gu Yinxing was about to answer when Song Mei sprang out of nowhere and glared at Chen Deng Deng.

Chen Deng Deng looked awkward.

Song Mei turned to Gu Yinxing and said through gritted teeth, "Happy now, Gu Yinxing? You stole Yan Ren from me, and you just had to humiliate me in front of all the nurses too?"

Gu Yinxing stared at her.

She was so angry she almost laughed. "Are you out of your mind? Was Yan Ren your boyfriend? What gives you the right to say I stole him? You spread rumors about the two of you yourself. Is he not allowed to be upset when he finds out? So the rules only apply when they suit you, Song Mei? You do something wrong, and everyone else still has to put up with it?"

"You did steal my boyfriend, you shameless woman!"

Song Mei's voice rang out with hatred.

She was loud enough that everyone nearby turned to look.

Several nurses came over. "What's going on? What happened?"

Since everyone had gathered, Gu Yinxing decided to lay it all out. "Song Mei, if you won't explain this properly, I will."

She turned to the others. "I'm sure you've all heard that Song Mei was supposedly dating Comrade Yan Ren."

"Yes, we heard."

Several nurses nodded.

They had all envied her. Comrade Yan was tall and handsome, a veteran with a well-off family. Who wouldn't have been interested?

"But the truth is, that was never the case. Comrade Yan didn't even know who she was. Song Mei made the whole thing up." Gu Yinxing glared at Song Mei, still fuming. "He wasn't pleased when he found out, and she's still claiming he's her boyfriend."

"Seriously? She just made it up?"

"First counterfeit handbags and watches, and now counterfeit boyfriends?"

"Talk about vanity."

The nurses murmured among themselves.

Song Mei burned with rage. After one blow after another, seeing Gu Yinxing get the training opportunity was the last straw. Humiliated and furious, she raised her hand to slap her.

Gu Yinxing caught her wrist and shoved her back.

Song Mei stumbled and landed hard on her backside.

Gu Yinxing said coolly, "Song Mei, the head nurse's office is right nearby. Shall we ask her to settle this?"

"You!"

Song Mei trembled with anger, but she didn't dare take her up on it.

Gu Yinxing snorted and left with Chen Deng Deng.

Before the morning was over, the entire hospital knew Song Mei had spread the rumor herself.

The more people had envied her before, the more ridiculous they found her now.

Some said Gu Yinxing looked more like the one dating Yan Ren, but no one dared ask her about it.

Everyone knew the young woman was no pushover.

After getting that off her chest and securing a training opportunity, Gu Yinxing was in a wonderful mood.

After work, she even strolled over to buy three cream popsicles to take home. She bought them near the intersection, close enough that she didn't need to bring a pot or bowl to carry them.

But when she got home, she had barely called out to her mother before she spotted Xu Fenglai there too.

Gu Yinxing's smile faded a little. "Mom, I bought three popsicles. One's for you, and one's for Sister-in-law."

"Leave them outside for now," He Chunlian said. "Your Sister-in-law Xu is here to see you about something."

Gu Yinxing found a basin and set the popsicles outside to keep them cold. A brazier was still burning inside to warm the room; the popsicles would melt at once if she brought them in.

"All right," she said. "Sister-in-law Xu came to see me? What a rare visit."

"Yinxing, stop grinning. Tell me, did you and Zhao Donglai break up?" Xu Fenglai asked anxiously. Her expression was sour, and her eyes were full of disapproval, as if Gu Yinxing had done something shameful.

Gu Yinxing still tried to handle it peacefully.

"We did. Why, Sister-in-law Xu?"

"Don't call me that. I don't deserve it."

Xu Fenglai's face darkened, and she launched straight into an angry tirade. "Gu Yinxing, have you thought about how old you are? Zhao Donglai was such a good catch! What were you thinking, breaking up with him? You made me lose face in front of everyone."

He Chunlian frowned. "Sister-in-law Xu, if the match didn't work out, you can't put all the blame on our Yinxing."

"Why not? Zhao Donglai said your daughter was the one who ended it. Auntie, I hate to say it, but you need to look at your own circumstances. At your daughter's age, with your family background, she should have known how lucky she was that Zhao Donglai agreed to date her. And then she went and broke it off herself. Pah!" Xu Fenglai spat on the floor.

She was seething.

Her family was short of money, and she had spent weeks trying to find some. She had counted on Gu Yinxing and Zhao Donglai's match working out. Surely the Zhao Family would show their appreciation with a few yuan and perhaps some rice, flour, or pastries.

Instead, Zhao Donglai's mother had come by that morning to say the young couple had split up—and to ask for the cash gift back.

It was only two yuan, but Xu Fenglai hated losing it. That was enough to buy several pounds of meat.

"Cousin-in-law, that's a cruel thing to say. Whether a match works out depends on whether the two people suit each other. You can't force a cow to drink."

Liang Ying had just returned and stepped into the back courtyard when she heard Xu Fenglai's spiteful words coming from her home.

They were so nasty that she parked her bicycle, forgot her lunch box, and marched straight inside.

"What do you mean, you can't force her? I'm telling you, there isn't a sensible person in this family."

Xu Fenglai grew even angrier when Liang Ying came in. She stood and pointed at all three of them. "Look at what he has to offer, and look at her! Is she in any position to be choosy? I went out of my way to introduce such a good man, and you ruined the whole thing. I see it now—your daughter's standards are sky-high. Well, I'd like to see what sort of family she ends up marrying into!"

That crossed the line.

Couples dated and broke up all the time.

But there was no mistaking the malice in what Xu Fenglai had said.

He Chunlian rose with a grim face and slapped Xu Fenglai's hand away. "Stop talking nonsense. Who my daughter marries and how well she marries are none of your business. Don't call the grapes sour just because you can't get your share. I've never seen the matchmaker more anxious than the groom's family. What is it? Didn't you get your reward?"

He Chunlian's words cut right to the heart of it, exposing Xu Fenglai's true motives.

Xu Fenglai couldn't bear the embarrassment. She flew into a rage, slapped the table, and shrieked, "There's no justice in this world! Come on, everyone, tell me who's right. Was I wrong to introduce a man to my cousin's family? No good deed goes unpunished!"

Xu Fenglai's voice was sharp and piercing. Grandpa Sun had thought it best not to get involved in a Gu Family matter, but she was shouting so loudly that people from the front and middle courtyards and the East Wing Room all came over.

At that point, he could hardly avoid saying a few words to help settle things fairly.

Grandpa Sun and Auntie Sun came over.

Grandpa Sun said, "Ma'am, what's so serious that you need to make this much noise? There's no need to put on a show for the neighbors."

Xu Fenglai wouldn't listen. She patted her chest. "Sir, you be the judge. I kindly introduced Yinxing to a man who's an only son, has a home and a job, and is good-looking to boot. She ended it just like that, and when I said a few words, her family accused me of meddling."

Gu Yinxing was dumbfounded.

What was it with today? She had thought Song Mei was outrageous enough, only to meet Xu Fenglai, who twisted the truth and lied without a second thought.

"That's not what you said just now," He Chunlian snapped. "You said my daughter would never find a good husband! Who wouldn't be angry hearing that?"

"Was I wrong? Your Yinxing turned down a match this good," Xu Fenglai said, seeing nothing wrong with her words. "It's not as if she's some leader's daughter. Who does she think she'll marry? If she keeps dragging her feet, she'll end up a stepmother!"

That was even nastier.

He Chunlian was so furious she wanted to hit her.

Huang Xirong chimed in, "Exactly. Your Yinxing may be pretty, but how many men has she broken up with now? She ought to know what she has to offer. This lady is making perfect sense."

Grandpa Sun and the others looked uncomfortable.

"Auntie Huang has it exactly right. I'm only looking out for Yinxing."

Huang Xirong had said just what Xu Fenglai wanted to hear, and Xu Fenglai looked at her with newfound approval. "Come on, everyone. Am I right or not?"

That was hard to answer.

Everyone knew Gu Yinxing was picky, and plenty had whispered about her high standards behind her back.

But agreeing with Xu Fenglai would be cruel.

And if they disagreed, Xu Fenglai and Huang Xirong both had tongues like knives. Who knew what they might say next?

"Yinxing?"

Yan Ren entered the back courtyard. He had asked for directions along the way, but as soon as he arrived, he saw a crowd packed around Gu Yinxing's home.

He pushed into the crowd, drawing a complaint from Widow An and the others. "Quit shoving."

"Sorry. Excuse me, everyone. I'm looking for Yinxing," Yan Ren said politely.

Widow An blinked when she got a good look at him. What a fine-looking young man. But he had called Gu Yinxing so familiarly. Could he be her boyfriend?

"Yinxing."

When Gu Yinxing heard her name, she thought she had imagined it.

Then she looked closely. The man emerging from the crowd was none other than Yan Ren. "Yan Ren!"

Delighted, she hurried over, grabbed his hand, and led him to Xu Fenglai. "Sister-in-law Xu, you don't need to worry about me. I found a boyfriend myself. Here he is, a hundred—a thousand—times better than Zhao Donglai!"

Yan Ren: "..."

He looked down helplessly at the triumphant young woman, who was plainly borrowing his presence to intimidate her opponent.

She lowered her voice and spoke through clenched teeth. "Weren't you going to pursue me? Here's your chance to show me what you've got!"

The Forty-Fifth Day of Being Overheard

Gu Yinxing's declaration stunned everyone.

He Chunlian and Liang Ying had had some idea beforehand, but neither expected to meet him so soon.

As far as looks went, Yan Ren was far more handsome than Zhao Donglai. And just from the way he stood protectively beside Gu Yinxing, he seemed dependable.

"Ma'am, I'm not Gu Yinxing's boyfriend."

Yan Ren could never have anticipated this situation, but he took it in stride. His first words, however, made Gu Yinxing's expression change.

Before she could get angry, he added, "I'm pursuing Comrade Gu. I won't officially be her boyfriend unless she says yes."

Good answer.

Gu Yinxing gave Yan Ren an approving look.

He smiled faintly. "You're all Yinxing's elders here, so if you'll indulge me, I'd like to introduce myself."

It was unusual, but who could fail to admire how composed Yan Ren was?

Grandpa Sun nodded. "Go on, young man. What do you do?"

"I served in the army for six years and received two second-class merits. I transferred out because of an injury. Now I'm a captain with the district Public Security Bureau's criminal investigation unit. I hope I can count on your support in my work."

Yan Ren looked around at everyone.