Chapter 10
Lin Qianqian took some time to research the media company and found it met her minimal requirements.
She submitted her resume in the morning. The HR(Human Resources) department asked a few basic questions and then invited her for an interview that afternoon. They offered her the job on the spot and asked if she could start immediately.
For a moment, Lin Qianqian wondered if it was a scam, but she agreed to start the next day.
On her way home, she was still in disbelief. Finding a job had been surprisingly easy. She even wondered if she would last half a day before running away.
The company seemed small, with only a dozen or so employees, half of whom appeared to be new hires.
Lu Yin was looking at the resume Lin Qianqian had left on the table.
Several companies had required printed resumes, and Lin Qianqian had run out, so she had printed a few more copies. She took one to the interview and left the rest on the table.
She quickly snatched them up.
“How did the interview go?” Lu Yin asked.
Lin Qianqian didn’t think it was genuine concern, more like an inquiry about her moving timeline.
“Not great,” she replied vaguely. “I’ll see.”
Lu Yin didn’t press further, returning her attention to the video on her iPad.
Lin Qianqian hung her bag on the coat rack in her room. Noticing the unfolded bedsheet at the foot of her bed, she went back out to thank Lu Yin.
Lu Yin looked up, her expression questioning.
“Thank you for washing my bedsheet and pillowcase.”
Lu Yin’s gaze returned to her iPad without a word.
“Sister, you worked hard,” Lin Qianqian added, thinking she should research how to be a better sycophant. She wasn’t sure if Lu Yin would respond to such blatant flattery.
Several companies had required printed resumes, and after running out, Lin Qianqian had printed a few more. She’d taken one to the interview and left the rest on the table. She quickly snatched them up.
“How did the interview go?” Lu Yin asked.
Lin Qianqian didn’t think it was genuine concern, more an inquiry about her moving timeline.
“Not great,” she replied vaguely. “I’ll see.”
Lu Yin didn’t press further, returning her attention to the video on her iPad.
Lin Qianqian hung her bag in her room. Noticing the unfolded bedsheet, she went back out to thank Lu Yin.
Lu Yin looked up, her expression questioning.
“Thank you for washing my bedsheet and pillowcase.”
Lu Yin’s gaze returned to her iPad without a word.
“Sister, you worked hard,” Lin Qianqian added, thinking she should research how to be a better sycophant. She wasn’t sure if Lu Yin would fall for such blatant flattery.
She stared at Lu Yin, hoping for a dramatic, “It wasn’t hard, just my sad fate,” in response.
But Lu Yin clearly wasn’t amused by such tired tropes.
Lin Qianqian was dying to know what Lu Yin was watching, but she couldn’t be too obvious, so she inched closer.
Lu Yin noticed her maneuvering and looked up. “Are you hungry?”
“A little,” Lin Qianqian realized her stomach was indeed empty. The interview had made her forget about eating.
Progress! Lu Yin had gone from ignoring her to asking about her meals.
Lu Yin answered a call, speaking briefly, then looked at Lin Qianqian with a complicated expression.
“What…?” Lin Qianqian looked around, frozen in place.
“Did you find a job?”
“That call…” Lin Qianqian pointed at Lu Yin’s phone, surprised. “Was that…?”
“They called you three times and then called your emergency contact,” Lu Yin stood up and walked towards the kitchen. “I told you, I’m only free for a short while.”
“My phone was on silent and charging in my room,” Lin Qianqian said, glancing at the time. It was almost the end of the workday.
Hadn’t everything been settled at the interview?
Why call now?
She unplugged her phone, ignoring the three missed calls. Instead of calling back, she asked Lu Yin, “What did they say?”
“Nothing much. They want you to start tomorrow morning.”
Lu Yin knew she was lying, and a pang of guilt hit Lin Qianqian. “Are you going to kick me out now?”
She had only been here for less than two weeks and hadn’t even figured out Lu Yin’s attitude towards her.
If she left now, they might never speak again. She didn’t have the courage to initiate contact again.
“Let’s see how you adjust to the new job,” Lu Yin said, chopping vegetables. “My classes start soon, and I won’t have time to help you move.”
Relieved, Lin Qianqian smiled, turning on the faucet and washing the vegetables. “What are we having for dinner?”
“What do you want?” Lu Yin asked. “While I still have time.”
“Anything you make. I love everything you cook,” Lin Qianqian continued her flattery, noticing Lu Yin seemed more tolerant of her antics.
But she still couldn’t tell if it was a resurgence of their past closeness or simply the result of two weeks of forced cohabitation.
Lu Yin made cold noodles.
It had been Lin Qianqian’s favorite summer dish as a child. When the heat made hot meals unbearable, Lu Yin would make her cold noodles.
Boiled noodles rinsed in cold water until firm, mixed with chopped lettuce, shredded cucumber, diced sausage, and a drizzle of hot sesame oil, the sauce perfectly blended. Delicious.
Lin Qianqian could eat two bowls as a child, and apparently, she still could.
When Lu Yin placed the second bowl in front of her, Lin Qianqian’s eyes crinkled with happiness.
The more glimpses of the past she saw, the closer she felt to Lu Yin.
“Thank you, Sister,” she said again.
Lu Yin paused, her chopsticks hovering over her bowl. “You’re welcome.”
Hearing Lu Yin finally acknowledge her as “Sister,” Lin Qianqian repeated, “Thank you, Sister.”
Lu Yin continued eating her noodles in silence.
Knowing when to stop, Lin Qianqian finished her second bowl, washed the dishes, took a shower, and went to bed.
That night, she pondered how to prolong her stay. She had a job now, which meant her time here was limited.
She didn’t know what Lu Yin meant by “adjusting to the new job.” She only knew she had a one-month probationary period.
She might be fired after a month, or she might quit before then.
The scent on the pillow had faded, replaced by the fragrance of her own shampoo.
It wasn’t as comforting as it had been in the beginning.
Lin Qianqian turned over, worried.
The next morning, dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, her hair in a low ponytail, Lin Qianqian rushed through her morning routine. By the time she got to the dining table, breakfast was cold.
She glanced nervously at Lu Yin, stuffed a bun in her mouth, grabbed the soy milk, and headed for the door.
Lu Yin followed her out, standing silently beside her as they waited for the elevator.
Lin Qianqian looked at the woman next to her. She was wearing a white shirt tucked into jeans, her figure tall and elegant.
If Lin Qianqian hadn’t known Lu Yin was an artist, she would have assumed she was a dancer or a model.
But looking at her long, slender fingers, the prominent knuckles, it wasn’t surprising she was a painter.
“Where are you going?” Lin Qianqian asked, taking a bite of the bun and quickening her pace.
She didn’t want to eat breakfast in a taxi. It felt awkward, as if people were staring.
“Running an errand.”
“Are we going the same way?” Lin Qianqian’s eyes lit up, giving Lu Yin her company’s address.
Lu Yin didn’t reply.
“We’re definitely going the same way,” Lin Qianqian grinned. The elevator was still on a higher floor. She seized the opportunity. “Sister, please give me a ride! I’ll grab another bun!”
Returning with two more buns, Lin Qianqian praised the free breakfast, settling comfortably into Lu Yin’s car in the parking garage. She ate slowly now, savoring each bite.
Lu Yin entered the address and started driving.
Lin Qianqian’s work started at ten, avoiding the usual rush hour traffic.
She didn’t ask where Lu Yin was going. Getting a free ride was a victory in itself.
Being shameless had its perks: free food, free lodging, free rides.
She hadn’t bought anything online recently. In fact, she hadn’t spent even a hundred yuan. She felt a surge of confidence about her savings.
The car stopped in front of the building. Lin Qianqian, full and satisfied, got out and waved at Lu Yin.
“Bye, Sister! See you tonight!” Lin Qianqian watched the car drive away.
Lu Yin nodded, turning the car around and heading home.
She sent the location to her WeChat file transfer assistant and saved it.
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