Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Reaching the subway station's awning, Shang Xueyan's clothes were quite damp. He deftly shook the water droplets from his hood, swiped his card, and entered the station.

The heavy rain made food delivery difficult, and with no other work scheduled, Shang Xueyan decided to go to Dexi Children’s Hospital.

Emerging from the subway, the rain hadn't ceased, falling in a continuous curtain. An elderly vendor was selling umbrellas at the exit—flimsy, transparent plastic ones, but a bargain at ten yuan each.

Shang Xueyan bought one.

Passing a supermarket, Shang Xueyan closed his umbrella and stepped inside.

He lingered for a while before a display of various Barbie dolls, eventually choosing an expensive but exquisitely beautiful one, slightly shorter than his forearm. It was dressed in a grand, ice-blue princess gown, with snow-white hair and thick eyelashes—a doll any child would surely adore.

Carrying the gift, he left the supermarket and, with familiar steps, entered the hospital, making his way to the sixth floor of the inpatient department. In the corridor, permeated with the scent of disinfectant, he spotted his good friend, Shen Mengkun.

Shen Mengkun was the first friend Shang Xueyan had made after transmigrating to this world. From their initial meeting, he felt an undeniable connection, simply because Shen Mengkun bore an uncanny resemblance to Su Yu, his closest friend from his previous life!

In his past life, Su Yu’s mother was a princess, his father a revered official with countless disciples, and Su Yu himself a pampered young master. He and Shang Xueyan would spend lavishly, indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, living a life of carefree abandon. In this life, however, Shen Mengkun was even poorer than Shang Xueyan.

Shang Xueyan had no house, no car, no savings, and was embroiled in a lawsuit to terminate his contract with his company. Yet, he was relatively unburdened, needing only to provide for himself.

Shen Mengkun, on the other hand, lacked a house, a car, and savings, and also supported a frail mother and a younger sister in elementary school.

Two months prior, disaster struck: his second-grade sister was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Due to her young age and intermediate risk, doctors recommended chemotherapy. However, after her first session, she developed an infection, spending half a month in the ICU and incurring hundreds of thousands in medical bills.

Shen Mengkun had already exhausted all avenues for borrowing money. If fortune smiled upon them, several hundred thousand more would be needed for subsequent treatments; if not, the costs could easily soar into the millions.

Chemotherapy had caused her hair to fall out. Shen Mengyue sat on the hospital bed, wearing a bright red knit cap and holding a second-grade math textbook. Upon seeing Shang Xueyan, she exclaimed excitedly, “Brother Yan!”

Her face was noticeably thinner than when Shang Xueyan last saw her, making her eyes appear larger.

Shang Xueyan used to enjoy pinching children’s chubby cheeks, but Shen Mengyue’s face now lacked that youthful plumpness. He gently touched her pale cheek and presented her with the beautiful, delicate doll. “A gift for you.”

“It’s so pretty! It’s Princess Elsa!” Shen Mengyue cradled the doll, reluctant to put it down. “I’ve really loved Princess Elsa lately. And it even comes with two extra dresses to change into!”

“Thank you, Brother Yan,” she said, hugging the doll, her eyes sparkling.

After playing with Shen Mengyue for a while, she grew sleepy. Shen Mengkun drew the curtain so she could nap, and he and Shang Xueyan left the room to chat in the corridor.

Shang Xueyan took out his phone, tapped a few times, and then told Shen Mengkun, “I just transferred 20,000 yuan to you. Use this for now.”

Shen Mengkun’s eyes reddened slightly. He clenched his fist and gently punched Shang Xueyan’s shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

They had met only three and a half months ago, and Shen Mengkun knew Shang Xueyan wasn't wealthy either. Especially after learning about Shen Mengyue’s ICU stay over twenty days prior, which cost tens of thousands daily, Shang Xueyan had lent him all the money he had. These 20,000 yuan were likely everything he had earned recently, saved through extreme frugality and relentless work.

“I’ll pay you back one day,” Shen Mengkun vowed.

He had borrowed from many friends recently, but none of them were affluent. These days, it seemed everyone implicitly understood that the borrower was subservient, while the debtor held the upper hand. Close friends lent him ten or twenty thousand; those less close politely claimed their own finances were tight.

Shang Xueyan had known him for only three and a half months. Though they had an immediate rapport, by conventional standards, their bond wasn't exceptionally deep. Yet, he had already lent Shen Mengkun tens of thousands—even the money he had set aside for legal fees to sue Tianli Entertainment and terminate his contract.

Shang Xueyan was uncomfortable with such emotional displays, especially from a friend who had once lived a life of luxury. He patted Shen Mengkun’s shoulder. “Mengyue will be fine. It’s just these few months—we’ll get through it.”

After spending an hour at the hospital with Shen Mengkun, Shang Xueyan left once the rain outside stopped. It was nearly dinnertime, so he went home, changed clothes, and began his delivery shift.

Recently, several food delivery platforms from a thousand years in the future were locked in fierce competition, offering generous customer subsidies. As a result, Shang Xueyan received plenty of orders. He worked for six hours, until almost 1 a.m., and decided to finish his current delivery and then head home to rest. He had an early shift at the coffee shop the next day.

Wearing his dark blue helmet, he was riding his electric scooter across the street when his eyes suddenly narrowed. Beside the road was a river, and it appeared someone was standing by the bank, about to jump in.

Shang Xueyan hastily parked his electric scooter by the roadside and rushed toward the riverbank. But he was a few steps too late—just as he reached out to grab them, the person plunged into the water.

“Damn it,” Shang Xueyan cursed, instinctively tearing off his jacket and helmet, tossing them aside, and diving in to rescue the person.

The March river water was bone-chillingly cold, but Shang Xueyan ignored the frigid temperatures. He propelled himself through the water, locating the person within seconds. He swam over, wrapped his arms around their ribs from behind, and pulled them toward the shore.

The person collapsed onto the steps by the riverbank, coughing up water. When they looked up and realized a kind stranger had saved them, tears began streaming down their face uncontrollably, like a valve had been opened.

Shang Xueyan wasn’t sure what to do. He wiped the water from his face and wrung out his clothes.

He pulled a few tissues from the pocket of his discarded jacket. Shen Mengyue’s surgery still required a lot of money, so he couldn’t afford pocket tissues. Before leaving home, he had taken a dozen tissues from a box and stuffed them in his pocket for emergencies.

He used the crumpled tissues to dry his head and face, then offered the remaining dry ones to the sobbing girl.

Lost in her emotions, she cried uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking, and didn’t take them.

Shang Xueyan scratched his cheek and sat down beside her. Gently, he asked, “What’s wrong, miss?”

His question seemed to open the floodgates. Her crying intensified. In the dim, chilly night, she glanced at the drenched Shang Xueyan and choked out, “I can’t find a job. I just can’t find a job.”

“I graduated from a 985 university. My parents thought I’d land a great job right after graduation, but it’s been almost half a year, and I still haven’t found one. I don’t even dare tell them.”

Having been in this world for three and a half months and inheriting some of the original host’s memories, Shang Xueyan knew that a 985 university was among the best.

The girl sobbed, “My mom only finished first grade, so she works as a factory hand in a garment factory. I graduated from a 985—should I go make bubble tea or work in a factory? What was the point of all those years of studying? I should’ve started working right after elementary school.”

Shang Xueyan wasn’t sure how to comfort her. He handed her the dry tissues, and she tremblingly accepted them, wiping away her tears and runny nose.

“I deliver food now,” Shang Xueyan said.

The girl looked up at him.

“But a few months ago, I could spend hundreds of taels…” He converted it to modern currency. “Several hundred thousand a day. I never worried about money.”

“Now, every day I open my eyes, it’s all about money. I have a younger sister with leukemia who needs several hundred thousand for treatment. And a few months ago, I had an older brother who treated me incredibly well—always sharing the best food and fun things with me since we were kids. My parents were also by my side, showering me with love.” Shang Xueyan’s eyes suddenly stung. He took a deep breath and rallied himself. “But now, in this world, I’m all alone.”

The girl’s crying stopped abruptly. Empathizing deeply, her voice turned cautious. “You…”

Shang Xueyan smiled. “But I’m trying my best to live on. I think if they were here, they’d want me to live optimistically and strongly.”

“Just because you can’t find a good job now doesn’t mean you never will. If you died, wouldn’t your 985 degree have been for nothing?”

The girl wasn’t so hopeful. Given the current job market, pressure would only increase. But after hearing this young man’s story, she suddenly felt her own troubles weren’t insurmountable. This young master had lost both parents, seen his family’s fortune collapse, resorted to delivering food to survive, and had a sister needing several hundred thousand for treatment—yet he remained strong. The girl found a sliver of courage.

“Thank you,” she said.

A cold wind blew, and she shivered.

Shang Xueyan picked up his discarded jacket and handed it to her. “Put this on.”

“No, no, you wear it. You’re dressed lighter than me,” she refused.

Shang Xueyan didn’t insist. He directly draped the jacket over her shoulders and asked, “What’s your parents’ number? Have them come pick you up.”

“They’re not here. They’re working in Jiang Province.”

“Then I’ll take you home,” Shang Xueyan said, concerned.

The girl smiled warmly. “Don’t worry. After hearing what you said, I realize how foolish I was to consider ending my life. I’ll take a taxi home myself.”

Shang Xueyan hesitated briefly.

The girl added, "Let me add you on WeChat. I'll message you when I get home."

"Okay."

Shang Xueyan pressed the power button on his phone. The screen had cracked at the end of last month, with cracks like spiderwebs affecting its usability. However, replacing it with a cheap smartphone would cost over a thousand, and even just replacing the screen would be several hundred, so he kept using it as is.

The girl opened her QR code, and Shang Xueyan scanned her code, sending her a friend request.

She accepted his friend request.

After the girl booked a ride-share, Shang Xueyan watched her get into the vehicle and then remembered he still had one last food delivery order to complete.

Shit, how long had he been delayed?

Shang Xueyan put on his helmet and hurried toward his e-bike.

Before he could even start the engine, the app notified him that the customer had canceled the order due to a half-hour delay and had left a negative review.

Because the delay caused the cancellation, he had to compensate the merchant twenty-one yuan for the meal and would also have a six-yuan pay deduction.

This order ended up losing him twenty-seven yuan.

With his long legs, Shang Xueyan could easily touch the ground while sitting on the e-bike. The realization that he had lost twenty-seven yuan brought a momentary pang of regret, but he could only hope the girl had truly gotten some peace.

Since the last delivery was no longer needed, Shang Xueyan’s eyes lit up. He crouched by the roadside, found a clean spot, and opened the takeout box. The customer had ordered braised pork rice, which was still warm from the insulated bag.

Shang Xueyan ate the entire box of braised pork rice with gusto, tossed the container into a nearby trash bin, put on his navy-blue helmet, and rode his e-bike home.

The first thing he did upon returning home was take a shower. After changing into dry pajamas and washing up, he sat cross-legged on the bed. Just as he was about to message the girl to ask if she had arrived home safely, he received a message from her.

Qin Ru: "I’m home."

Shang Xueyan: "Then rest early."

Qin Ru: "Just finished showering, about to sleep."

Two seconds later, before Shang Xueyan could reply, she sent another message.

Qin Ru transferred 2,000 yuan to you.

Shang Xueyan’s eyes widened instantly. "?"

Qin Ru: "Although I’m very grateful you saved me, this isn’t a thank-you fee. It’s for your sister’s medical expenses. I know 2,000 yuan is very little, but it’s all I can afford."

Qin Ru: "I hope your sister recovers soon."

Qin Ru: "Kitten cheering emoji"

Qin Ru: "Hey, handsome, please accept it quickly."

Author's Note:

----------------------

Small red envelopes were sent for comments from the past two days. This chapter will give out 50 small red envelopes.

Goodnight, mwah [kiss][kiss].