Chapter 37: Part-Time Job

Shi Lingge’s voice was not only pleasant to listen to, but also very distinctive.

This meant that no matter how Shi Lingge switched her vocal tones, Su Ziyan could always detect that unique flavor belonging solely to her.

For some reason, in this quiet late night devoid of other sounds, he suddenly had a strange illusion.

It was as if this world had been reduced to just the two of them, with no other living beings left.

And in this lonely world, Shi Lingge was continuously mimicking one person’s voice after another, calling him ‘brother’ over and over again, all for his amusement.

Her handkerchief left Su Ziyan’s face, and he finally snapped out of it, pushing those messy thoughts aside.

“Shi Lingge.”

Su Ziyan suddenly spoke, interrupting her.

“Can you call me ‘brother’ one more time?”

“Huh? Haven’t I already called you that many times?”

Shi Lingge was taken aback, looking at Su Ziyan who had regained his composure, a bit puzzled.

“Don’t tell me you have some special preference, liking it when girls call you ‘good brother’?”

“No, I just want you to call me ‘brother’ one more time.”

Su Ziyan said seriously.

“Call me using your own voice.”

Shi Lingge froze, a blush rapidly spreading across her cheeks.

“You…”

She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. Finally, she lowered her head to look at Su Ziyan sitting on the sofa and said in a voice so soft even she could barely hear it:

“Brother.”

Of course, Su Ziyan, whose hearing had become extremely sensitive since losing his sight, could still hear Shi Lingge’s voice clearly.

He had once had a sister, but she wished nothing more than to get rid of him, because he had ruined her perfect life.

So Su Xiaoyan had never sincerely called him ‘brother’.

And after leaving that home, Su Ziyan naturally wouldn’t seek out the awkwardness of meeting her. Though they were siblings in name, they were practically strangers.

It’s really interesting. The person who, by family relation, should be my sister, drove me out of the house.

And someone I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours sincerely calls me ‘brother’, even though I’m the one constantly receiving help from her.

Thinking this, the corner of Su Ziyan’s mouth couldn’t help but lift slightly.

But what he didn’t expect was that his lifted smile made Shi Lingge’s face turn even redder.

His gentle gesture towards her just now had made her very happy, so she actually didn’t mind calling him ‘brother’, even though they had only known each other for a very short time.

The length of time you know someone doesn’t determine the closeness of your relationship, does it?

But if she had to call him ‘brother’ directly, she would feel genuinely embarrassed. So, in the end, she had chosen this method.

She had revealed her true feelings in a half-joking manner, called him ‘brother’, and acknowledged him.

What she didn’t expect was that Su Ziyan would so earnestly wish for her to properly call him ‘brother’ once.

Just as Su Ziyan could sense her earlier ardent and sincere kindness, she could now naturally sense his longing.

So, even though she was truly very embarrassed, she still blushed and responded to Su Ziyan’s expectation.

However, what she didn’t expect was that Su Ziyan not only didn’t respond to her, but actually smiled. This couldn’t help but make her feel flustered.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me!”

She reached out and gave Su Ziyan a surprise flick on the forehead, then grabbed the plate and left the room. When she reached the doorway, she stuck out her tongue at the man behind her, even though he couldn’t see it.

“Good night. I’ll come wake you up tomorrow, brother.”

Not waiting for his response, Shi Lingge closed the door after speaking and walked towards the kitchen’s dishwashing area with the empty plate.

In the glass of the dishwasher, she saw her own reflection—a girl with a slightly flushed, pretty face, her eyes and brows brimming with happiness.

But on her left cheek was a hideous, terrifying scar.

When she clearly saw that scar, the blush on Shi Lingge’s face rapidly faded, and for some reason, the corners of her mouth could no longer lift.

She let out a soft sigh, stuffing the messy emotions along with the empty plates and bowls into the dishwasher, where they were shattered to pieces amidst the sound of rushing water.

Time to sleep after finishing up; it’s already so late.

Once asleep, she won’t be thinking about all these messy things anymore.

***

Unlike Shi Lingge, who made a midnight snack for Su Ziyan and cried while holding him, the Young Lady had long been lying in her own bed, but she simply couldn’t fall asleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she would think of the day she first met Su Ziyan.

Back then, Su Ziyan was so gentle and bright.

And she was just as flustered and at a loss as she is now.

***

Because of various things, Su Ziyan’s love for Xu Duyan was probably at its most fervent during their freshman year of university.

It was also when Su Ziyan pursued Xu Duyan most vigorously.

When pursuing someone, dates and gifts are unavoidable. Back then, Su Ziyan felt too embarrassed to use the living expenses Xu Duyan gave him to buy gifts for her.

After all, that would be too shameless.

So, right after starting university, Su Ziyan had already begun looking for ways to work part-time during his spare time. There were many part-time job options for university students, and he quickly found one.

The requirements for this job were simple: university student, compassionate, good with people and at taking care of others. The daily task was to care for a child with autism.

When Su Ziyan went looking, that part-time job posting happened to be pinned on the part-time job wall in a corner of the university. The unbelievably high salary listed nearly made him think his eyes were playing tricks on him.

So he contacted them immediately, afraid someone else would snatch the job.

Strangely, the contact for the job wasn’t a phone number, but a WeChat ID. However, after sending a friend request, the other party accepted immediately and replied to messages instantly.

It must be said, Su Ziyan was still quite naive back then. If it were the current Su Ziyan, seeing a job that seemed like a pie falling from the sky, his first thought would definitely be that it was a recruitment brochure for a ‘campus’.

Which campus?

The kind that crackles with electricity.

Both he and the contact happened to be free, so Su Ziyan eagerly went to the contact’s home for an interview.

Although he found it strange why they chose to interview at home instead of a cafe, when he thought that the person contacting him might also need to care for an autistic child, it seemed normal again.

So he took a taxi to the address, which was a high-rise in an affluent district in the city center.

And his contact was on the penthouse floor.