Selina's Difficulties

Selina turned sharply and glared at him.

Kexi smiled slightly at her, a smile that seemed to her like four words written all over her face: I'm up to something.

Selina's mother was completely oblivious to the changing emotions on her daughter's face, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

She reached out and took Kexi's hand, patting the back of his hand. The more she looked at this young man, the more pleasing he seemed. "I knew it! Our Selina never walks with boys. You're the first."

"Mom, he really isn't—"

"Auntie, how are you feeling? I just asked the nurses to change your room; they'll be here to arrange it shortly."

Kexi subtly steered the conversation in a completely natural way, neither admitting nor denying that he was her boyfriend, which only made Selina's mother more convinced.

Selina stood by the hospital bed, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands, her face flushed red.

She wanted to explain, but every time she tried to speak, Kexi would quietly cut her off.

Unable to get a word in edgewise, and not daring to show too much excitement in front of her mother, she could only stand there watching Kexi try to cheer her mother up while peeling an apple for her.

After peeling the apple, Kexi stood up, put the fruit knife back on the tray, smiled at Selina's mother, and said, "Auntie, please rest well. Don't worry about the expenses, everything has been arranged. I'll come see you again another day."

"Alright, alright, Xiao Ke, take care. Selina, see him off."

Selina, with a blank expression, escorted Kexi to the ward door.

The door closed behind her. She turned around, lowered her voice, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth. "Young Master, why didn't you let me explain just now?"

Kexi put her hands in her pockets, leaned against the wall in the corridor, tilted her head to look at her, and asked, "Then why don't you let your mother know who I am?"

Selina opened her mouth, then her voice suddenly lowered. "I'm your secretary. If my mother misunderstands me like that... it won't be good for the young master."

Kexi raised an eyebrow. "So, if your mom knew I was just your boss, do you think she would make you quit?"

Selina remained silent.

She knew her mother too well.

If her mother knew that the person who came to help pay the medical bills tonight was just a kind-hearted employer, her mother would definitely feel that she owed that person an enormous favor.

This favor will become a stone weighing on her mother's heart, a weight she'll carry for a lifetime.

She worries that her daughter, having incurred such a huge debt of gratitude while working for someone else, might suffer mistreatment, be looked down upon, or never be able to hold her head high again.

Seeing Selina's silence, Kexi reached out and patted her on the shoulder. The pat wasn't hard, but it made her sway slightly.

"Alright. What's wrong with letting your mom think you have a boyfriend? Isn't she quite happy about it?"

But you're clearly not --

"I didn't say that," Kexi interrupted her righteously. "I was just going along with what she was saying. She misunderstood it herself. What does it have to do with me?"

"Alright, now you should explain yourself to me properly."

Kexi grabbed Selina's wrist and led her through the corridor, down the stairs, and out of the sanatorium.

I didn't let go of his hand until we reached a small courtyard behind the sanatorium.

The courtyard was empty, except for a dim streetlamp humming overhead.

"Hand, hand," Selina's voice was barely audible.

Kexi looked down and saw that her hand was still gripping her wrist.

He quickly let go, took half a step back, and coughed lightly, "Sorry."

Selina pulled her hand back, looked down and rubbed her wrist, her ear tips so red they looked like they could bleed.

Kexi leaned against the wall of the courtyard, arms crossed, and looked her over in the light of the streetlamp.

"Tell me," Kexi's tone softened slightly, but the question remained the same, "Why are you short of money? With Montelli's salary, even if you work for a year or two, it'll be enough for you to live comfortably for half your life. You can't even afford this small medical bill?"

Selina remained silent for a long while. Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress, clenching and unclenching repeatedly, before she finally spoke.

I was born into a family that was neither poor nor rich.

"My parents made me learn music, play the piano, sing, and learn etiquette. They hoped that I could marry into a wealthy family and bring the whole family up in status."

"Later, I unexpectedly awakened my Resonance Ability. And quite unexpectedly, I was chosen by the Montelli Family."

Where is your father?

"He..." Selina paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "After I joined Montelli, my income increased, and my family became wealthier as well. My father thought the money came easily, so he started gambling. At first, it was small betting, then big betting. First he lost his savings, then the house. My entire salary went to paying off his gambling debts, and it still wasn't enough."

Her voice finally trembled slightly when she said the last three words.

"How much does he owe?" Kexi asked.

"To date, including principal and interest, Monnaie."

Kexi frowned. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing Selina's expression that seemed to have taken all the blame upon herself, he swallowed his words.

What happened next? What about the others?

"He ran away," Selina said with surprising calm. "He abandoned me and my mother and ran off. The creditors couldn't find him, so they came looking for me."

Kexi remained silent for a long while.

Selina stood opposite him, head down, hands clasped in front of her. Her posture was still upright, but the lines of her shoulders had completely slumped.

"So I need money."

Selina's voice was low, but this time she didn't evade the question; instead, she spoke each word clearly and deliberately.

"I know it's wrong to make money in the Black Street, I've brought shame to Montelli. But I have no choice. My mother's treatment can't stop, or she'll die. The sanatorium is pressuring us, the creditors are pressing us, I..."

Her voice finally broke, tears streaming down her face, she choked out:

"I really have no other choice."

Kexi looked at her.

Her fingernails dug into the back of her hand, leaving white marks.

She thought he would scold her, berate her for being ungrateful, and turn around and leave.

Kexi remained silent for a while, then took something out of her pocket and stuffed it into her hand.

"Take it."

Selina looked down and saw a card—the one he had just given to the nurse at the nursing home.

"Young master, I can't—"

"Whether you can or not isn't up to you." Kexi put her hands back in her pockets. "I'll pay off your two million gambling debts. I'll cover your mother's medical expenses. From today onwards, you won't have to throw your salary into that bottomless pit of gambling debts anymore."

Selina's tears finally fell.

She stood under the streetlight, clutching the card in her hand, tears streaming down her face, her shoulders trembling, but she bit her lip and didn't make a sound.

"Alright, alright, stop crying. It's the middle of the night, people will think I did something to you."

Kexi stepped forward, reached out and patted her shoulder, the movement a little stiff, but her tone returned to its usual carefree manner.

From this day forward, your debts are my debts.

Selina looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears.

"Young Master, I..."

"Stop talking. Start working properly tomorrow. Your dark circles are almost like a panda's. If you stay up all night again, I'll dock your pay."