At 8 p.m., Gaoyang had dinner with his father and then sat by the hospital bed, keeping him company.
It was mostly his father who spoke, while Gaoyang listened attentively. Since his hospital stay, his father had been restless, growing bored with watching endless short videos on Douyin; he was, after all, a talkative man who could spend ages chatting with an acquaintance he ran into on the street.
At first, his father tried to comfort his son, envisioning a bright future, saying once he could get out of bed and walk again, he’d keep working to support the family. And when Gaoyang got into a good university, they’d go to the Maldives as a family.
But gradually, his father couldn’t hold back the truth. He knew he wasn’t fooling himself; walking again was unlikely. This year, the food processing plant in their village hadn’t been doing well either. Lao Qing had called, saying several payments couldn’t be recovered, workers hadn’t been paid for two months and had started striking. And on top of it all, large corporations had been waging cutthroat price wars, forcing many small businesses to close.
In the end, his father looked troubled. “Son, the family may face some hard times, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get you and Xinxin through college. I suffered my whole life because I didn’t have an education...”
“No way, Dad, you’ve done more than enough.” Gaoyang reassured him. “Don’t worry about the cash flow—I spoke to Wang Zikai.”
“Xiaokai?” His father’s eyes brightened.
“His family has the means, and he’s already agreed to invest in our factory.” Gaoyang had decided to act first, even if Wang Zikai hadn’t yet fully committed—he would have to.
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“Really?” His father’s face lit up. “Haha, didn’t I always say, ‘The more friends, the better!’ And your mother said I had no principles.”
“Exactly, so you just focus on recovery…” Gaoyang was saying when his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he stood up. “Dad, let me take this.”
He stepped out to the end of the corridor, a quieter spot, and answered. It was Officer Huang. “I checked for you—no such person exists.”
The person Gaoyang wanted to trace was Baili Yi.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, not just in Licheng, but nationwide.” Officer Huang paused before asking, “Are you looking for him?”
“It’s hard to explain over the phone. Let’s talk later.”
He quickly ended the call, seeing his mother and sister approaching from the elevator. They’d come to take the night shift.
As he went to greet them, his mother said, “Yangyang, starting tomorrow, you and Xinxin don’t need to come to the hospital. Focus on school, especially you. College entrance exams are around the corner—don’t let your studies slip.”
“All right, I got it,” Gaoyang nodded.
“Go home and rest. Xinxin and I will stay with your father tonight.” With that, his mother entered the room.
Xinxin didn’t hurry to follow. She held her phone up, a mysterious smile on her face. “Bro, look at this.”
Gaoyang leaned in to see a Weibo page with the username “Xinxin’s Smile Against the Sky.” The profile picture showed her in the Lolita dress he’d bought her, complete with a blonde wig and face mask.
“Can’t you pick a less embarrassing username?” Gaoyang rolled his eyes.
“The name doesn’t matter!” she said smugly. “Look at my followers!”
“Not bad, over 6,000 now.”
“Ha! It’s still growing! A few shops reposted my photos, and I’ve gained fans fast! The comments even call me a little fairy, asking me to show my face—not happening!”
“Impressive, impressive.” Gaoyang had been following her page quietly, mainly to make sure no creeps were after her.
“Bro, I made a decision…”
“An influencer, right? Fine, but only as a side gig. If you quit school to go full-time, I’ll beat you to a pulp,” Gaoyang said.