Chapter 96: A Pie from the Sky

  I walked home listlessly, and my mind began to ponder the topic of "maturity and childishness" that many people often mention. I don't know if I'm considered mature or not, but doing so at least makes me feel at peace. I don't think it's childish for me to want to rely on myself and not accept others' charity. In my eyes, maturity is not equal to being smooth-tongued and compromising; many people's so-called "maturity" is just an excuse for themselves after being tormented and assimilated by this society.

  I'm not afraid of people saying I'm naive, this just proves that I'm still young and full of energy. Maturity is a scary word, it's also a harmful word. Maturity and naivety are the most unjustified, irresponsible, and useless summaries of a person. Those mediocre people will never be called naive. The day I'm worn out by life, old and gloomy, people will surely say that I've matured, maybe then I'll know what maturity is.

  The greatest sacrifice we should not make is to change ourselves because of others' evaluations, for those who point fingers at you do not even know what rules they follow. Never just follow the rules to get things done, for rules are still being created, and instead, use your own judgment to do every single thing, although it may be a bit more troublesome...

  After entering the house and hearing the sound of showering coming from the bathroom, I knew Qin Ke Yi had returned, so I sat on the sofa waiting for her to come out.

  "Ah! You're back?" A few minutes later, Qin Ke came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel and said with some surprise after seeing me sitting on the sofa.

  "Hmm! Are you tired today?" I asked Qin Ke with a lack of energy.

  "It's all right! I had a walk this afternoon!" Qin Ke said to me while wiping the water from his hair and sitting beside me.

  "Is there something you should tell me?" I looked at Qin Ke Yi and suddenly said seriously.

  "Huh?" Qin Ke gave me a reaction with an inexplicable expression.

  "Don't you want to give me an explanation for why you've been so busy lately and also want to be a salesgirl?" I continued to ask Qin Ke seriously.

  "Recently there haven't been many classes, it's boring just staying here..." Qin Ke said somewhat awkwardly.

  "It's not like you're always this busy, is it?"

  "What do you want to say?" Qin Ke seemed to have sensed that there was more to my question than met the eye, and so he asked seriously.

  "Why didn't you tell me..."

  "What... what did I tell you?" Qin Ke was once again left bewildered by me.

  "Your bank card is almost out of money, right?"

  "How did you know?" Qin Ke asked in surprise, but now the surprise was not just hers, because at this moment I suddenly realized that if I said I knew this thing from seeing Qin Ke's father, I dared not imagine what would happen next.

  "Hmm... I heard it from Guo Cheng..." I quickly organized a most likely reason in my mind, as an intimate friend she might have confided in Guo Cheng about her recent predicament, so I hesitantly told Qin Ke.

  "How can she tell you everything!" Qin Ke complained to me, it seems that my gamble was in the right direction.

  "Don't avoid the heavy and take the light! Why didn't you tell me?" I dodged further exploration of this issue with Qin Ke Yi, continuing to ask her instead.

  "It seems like you haven't told me something either?" Qin Ke suddenly didn't answer my question, but instead asked me back, making me suddenly at a loss and starting to suspect whether Qin Ke already knew about my dismissal.

  "What...what's going on?" The question that was just asked with confidence and righteousness had inexplicably changed into a timid and guilty inquiry.

  "Now the news has spread throughout the school, who can you still fool?" Qin Ke's words made me take a deep breath and become somewhat tense.

  "When... did you know?" I sighed and asked Qin Ke in a somewhat downcast tone after hearing her words.

  "Three days ago..." Qin Ke said calmly.

  "That...then why didn't you ask me after knowing?" I asked somewhat puzzled.

  "You've been fired for so long, if you wanted to tell me something, you would have said it already... I know you're strong and don't want to lose face, but thinking about how you've been secretly looking at job ads in the newspaper recently, I thought you must be waiting until you find a satisfactory job before telling me, that's why I didn't ask you..." Qin Ke Yi continued to speak calmly, once again showing her considerate side.

  "But... I'm not trying to deceive you... I just..."

  "No need to say more... I understand... I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately, but you still put on a calm face in front of me... That's why I didn't tell you about my dad not giving me money... I don't want to add to your stress, especially since you're still looking for a job and must have a lot on your mind. Our bank accounts are almost empty too... So..." Qin Ke Yi's words were cut off as I couldn't control the urge to hug her anymore. Although Qin Ke Yi's words seemed ordinary, they still stirred up waves of emotions in my heart, making me feel grateful for having Qin Ke Yi once again.

  In the following days, I increasingly felt like a househusband, with nothing to do every day but sweep the floor as a way to kill time. At around 5 pm every evening, I would go downstairs and stroll through the vegetable market like an old lady. After returning home, I would try my best to cook something nutritious for Qin Ke, who had been feeling tired lately. This kind of life made me tortured by the question "Am I a useful man?" every night before falling asleep.

  Qin Keyi would take out the newspaper she brought back every day after dinner and study the recruitment information on it with me. Perhaps knowing that I had been under a lot of pressure recently, Qin Keyi had been very gentle and encouraging over the past period of time, but this made me feel even more guilty.

  After discussing with Qin Keyi, I tried to apply for several companies that posted recruitment ads in the newspaper, but either the boss looked down on me or I looked down on the boss. After all, this is a two-way selection process. The consecutive failures of my job applications made my originally restored confidence shattered again, and I really didn't know where I got the courage and confidence when I bet with Qin Keyi's father at the beginning. Qin Keyi also saw my depressed look after these few days of failed job applications, which more or less affected her mood, causing a rare dull atmosphere between us in recent days...

  In the afternoon, I was lying in bed in a daze when I received a call from Guo Cheng. She mysteriously asked me to meet her at a bar near our school. My curiosity got the better of me, and I demanded that she give me a reasonable explanation for us meeting alone. I also made it clear that although I was going through a low point in my life, my emotions were not affected, and my relationship with Qin Ke Yi was unshakeable. Finally, I tactfully warned her not to have any illusions about me. Guo Cheng listened and then enumerated the many advantages of Ma Ke that I had never noticed over the years, using this as evidence to prove that Ma Ke was a better man than me in her eyes. She further inferred that even if I were naked, he would still unhesitatingly throw himself at Ma Ke's weak chest with its prominent ribs.

  After venting with Guo Cheng on the phone, I felt a lot better and relieved of the pent-up frustration that had been building up inside me over the past few days. So, in a slightly more relaxed mood, I changed clothes and rushed to the bar that Guo Cheng told me about. When I walked in, Guo Cheng was already sitting in the corner waiting for me, and when he saw me come in, he waved at me.

  "Didn't you tell me to wait for you? How did you arrive first? You have no credibility at all!" I sat in the position opposite Guo Cheng, laughing and saying this. At this time, the waiter came over, and before he could speak, I took the lead and ordered a cup of red tea.

  "Damn it! You're late again and still so smug about it. I really don't know how you can stand yourself every day!"

  "Don't worry about this, I've already described our emotional foundation over the phone..."

  "Alright, let's get down to business! Were you really fired?" Guo Cheng suddenly asked me cautiously.

  "Is it?" I said carelessly after taking a sip of red tea.

  "Trouble you... can't you give me the reaction you should have? Your calm demeanor makes it hard for me to believe and adapt!" Guo Cheng seemed unable to imagine my nonchalance.

  "What should I react like this?" I said and made a sorrowful expression.

  "Thanks! It's much better now! I heard it from my classmate and found out the reason after asking Marco, if I didn't ask him, he wouldn't even tell me. The school is really disgusting for opening this! " Guo Cheng said with a sympathetic attitude that made me feel very uncomfortable.

  "Whatever! In this school, anything that happens is acceptable! You're not looking for me just to express your sympathy, are you?"

  "Of course not! What are your plans from now on?"

  "What else can I do... look for a job!"

  "Have you found it?"

  "It's even harder... now it's hard to find a job with certificates, let alone me without one..." I sighed and said to Guo Cheng with some depression.

  "I have a job here in an advertising company doing online ad planning, are you interested?" Guo Cheng said with a smile, and after I heard it, I suddenly felt that a glimmer of light appeared before my eyes.

  "I'm not quite... clear about what you're saying..." I said to Guo Cheng with some disbelief.

  "It's like this, the advertising company is run by two of our school's art department graduates. They've been developing slowly over the years. I used to do some modeling work for them and we have a good relationship. Recently they want to develop their online advertising business, and the other day when we were chatting, he suddenly mentioned it, so I recommended you to them and showed them the two flash ads you did with Marco. They're very interested in you and want you to go for an interview tomorrow. The treatment there is not bad, and the bonus is not fixed, if you do well, the bonus might be even higher than your salary..." Listening to Guo Cheng's slow narration of this exciting news, although I appeared calm on the surface, my heart was actually turbulent.

  "What's wrong with you? Speak up!" Guo Cheng shouted at me loudly as she saw me staring blankly at her.

  "Wait a minute... let me react for a moment..." I said, hardly daring to believe it. "Are you saying that... I'm going to have a great job soon?"

  "It's not necessarily! Let's see if you can get along with them tomorrow during the interview..." Guo Cheng said to me with a smile.

  "Is this a pie falling from the sky? Don't they care that I don't have a degree?" I still can't believe it's true.

  "Lucky! It's just a bit of luck that you know me, this big shot, but mainly it's because they saw your work and recognized your ability! They're all from this school too, so they know the roots of the school, and they don't care about qualifications, only whether you can make them money! You'd better prepare well! I've been praising you to them like a god!"

  "Alright! I'll go prepare now..." I finally accepted this astonishing fact, although it sounded unbelievable, and excitedly stood up to rush out.

  "Hey! What's the hurry? It's still early!" Guo Cheng laughed and called out to me, "Does this meal have to be on you today?"

  "No way!" I said promptly.

  "Unbelievable! You dare to say no! I helped you so much... Don't you have a conscience?!" Guo Cheng said, clearly unexpected by my straightforward refusal.

  "What I mean is, how can we invite you, the beautiful Guo Mei, to such a shabby place?! How could we not find a grand and luxurious place that matches your status?!"

  "This is just about right! I have to call a few sisters to come and celebrate with you!" Guo Cheng said, taking out his phone.

  "Come on! Let's just celebrate this good news in a small circle, no need to make a big fuss, we should be mindful of the impact and keep a low profile!"

  "You scared me! I was calling my husband, he hasn't eaten yet either!" At this moment, I suddenly thought that Qin Ke Yi might also be coming back soon. In order to share the exciting news with her as soon as possible and bring us joy, I hastily took out my phone.

  Qin Keyi's phone was not answered, so we waited for Laima Ke at the bar and then went to a relatively high-end restaurant on Fourth Avenue. Although I've been feeling financially strained lately, thinking that the employment issue that has been haunting me recently finally had a solution, I didn't care about the possibility of living frugally in the near future...