Chapter 20 - Lend You A Shoulder

Chen Ruo Yu called Lei Feng and thanked him courteously. As to her invitation to dinner, Lei Feng refused. He said that it was only on a small effort on his part. Moreover, this matter originally should be handled properly by the police as it was within their scope of work.

Although this was the case, Chen Ruo Yu still did not feel at ease. If the police were not given pressure, this matter would not be so easily settled. Before this, she had run around until she was exhausted and in exchange she only had this matter dragged on for a very long time.

Lei Feng also said that since they were friends, later there will be a lot of opportunities to get together and in the end, he said this matter was requested by Meng Gu to be settled. If Chen Ruo Yu still insisted on finding someone to thank, she should thank Meng Gu instead.

His words made Chen Ruo Yu think for quite some time. She knew that she should be thankful to Meng Gu, but how to go about thanking him? This proved to be a big difficulty for her.

Provoke him and it would annoy him. If she lets him provoke her, she would be annoyed herself.

Chen Ruo Yu thought about it for a while and decided to forget it, for now, it's better for her to discuss with Liang SiSi and tell her to change her method to avoid Mr. Tyrannosaurus being annoyed. In this way, it can be considered as helping him, right? Later, she will give him a call and thank him.

At night, taking advantage of them watching TV together, she tested Liang SiSi.

"How are you with Dr. Meng recently?"

"What? Did Dr. Meng complain to you?"

Chen Ruo Yu was surprised. Do you have to be so astute? She had not said anything yet.

Liang SiSi smiled. As she massaged her leg with her nourishment cream, she kept her eyes on the TV. "The nurses told me that Dr. Meng was a little unhappy about their inquiries.

"Oh.., so he's not happy, ah.." Chen Ruo Yu pretended to be stupid and thought to herself about his 'a little unhappy.' Obviously, he's a grumpy and difficult person.

"So, he complained to you, did he?"

"Oh.., that cannot be said as complaining." Overbearing would be more appropriate as a description. Chen Ruo Yu changed the topic and said. "What do you intend to do?"

"Nothing." Liang SiSi answered nonchalantly. "Take it easy and slowly infiltrate. This is about love, not a fighting match and it's not something that needs to be settled in a hurry. As you know, there's this thing called familiarity breeds fondness."

Chen Ruo Yu nodded. She knew the idiom, 'familiarity breeds fondness' but that's an old idiom. In her heart, there's a new word called disillusion.

"So you plan to let him go?" She asked.

Liang SiSi glanced at her. "What do you mean by letting him go? am I not a woman and is he not a good man? Our combination is an ideal couple, a talented man and a beautiful woman."

Chen Ruo Yu nodded and asked again. "Then are you going to let him go for a while?" She was thinking that if SiSi says she will let go, Then Mr. Tyrannosaurus will be at least be left alone for a while. When she calls him later, she can take a little credit for doing her part and together with 'a thank you' things will be solved satisfactorily.

The two of us will not owe each other and we will not involved with each other in the future.

"Yes." Liang SiSi did not seem to care much as answered casually.

Chen Ruo Yu felt very happy.

"Anyway I will be going on a business trip for a few days and after I come back, I will continue."

Ah! Only a few days? Then she must hurry up to take credit for her helping as soon as possible. She must take advantage of these few days to clear her debts with him so that he will no longer bother her anymore.

"I cannot rely on the nurses now, so I have to depend on myself." Liang SiSi muttered to herself about her future plans. "When I return from my business trip, I will buy him a gift as an apology. Then I will express myself appropriately to attract his attention and leave a way for myself to retreat in the near future. Then all that follows will have to be handled slowly."

Chen Ruo Yu shook her head. "Dr. Meng does not like gifts."

"Everyone likes gifts. It only depends on the person who's presenting the gift and the gift itself." Liang SiSi said. "Right now he doesn't have any feeling for me so the situation is not good. However, if the gift is appropriate then it will be better. Ruo Yu, do you know the most suitable gift for a surgeon?"

Chen Ruo Yu looked at her friend and blinked her eyes. Suddenly She brightened up. "Insurance! SiSi, let me tell you that Insurance is the most practical for them. They are under a lot of stress, they work for long hours, their exposure to disease and occupational risks are high. You should buy insurance for him. This is very practical and you don't have to worry that he will refuse. If something does happen, he will surely remember you. Multiple purposes with one swoop, right? I can help you with this. You must buy from me!"

Liang SiSi poked her finger on Chen Ruo Yu's forehead and said. "Are you so poor that you have gone crazy? Or do you hate him so much that you hope something bad will happen to him? Why are you like this?"

Chen Ruo Yu said. "I am serious."

"Get lost, troublemaker!" Liang SiSi waved her hand. "You can buy him hand creams."

"Hand creams?"

"Yes. The nurses told me that they always do surgeries and often wash and disinfect their hands. The damage to their skin is higher so surgeons have to use hand creams and the male doctors also use them. Therefore, giving hand creams as a gift is not expensive but also caring. It will also not have any pressure attached and anyway, it's more romantic than your insurance policies!"

She actually also has this trick!

Chen Ruo Yu felt that actually, she had really been unwise to send candy. SiSi really is a high-level master, Ah..!

So, eventually one day, Mr. Tyrannosaurus will be subdued by her.

"SiSi, are you really sincere to Dr. Meng?"

"Why?"

"Dr. Meng is a very good man. If you are really together later, you must control your waywardness and don't let him down."

With the rate that Liang SiSi starts and ends a romance, Chen Ruo Yu suddenly felt worried for Meng Gu.

"Why are you behaving so weird today? To.maintain a relationship, it does not only depend on me alone. Do you think that every time I break up, I am the initiator? I have also been dumped numerous of times, okay? So before you start to worry about Dr. Meng, you should worry about me."

"I just hope the both of you will be good. Dr. Meng's temper is bad and your personality is also very strong. That is the reason why I said that. One of you must always be a bit more tolerant than the other, right?"

"Why should I be the one who must be tolerant? If he loves me, shouldn't it be him who should be tolerant towards me?"

Chen Ruo Yu opened her mouth and did not know what to say.

This night, there was no result on the discussion.

The next day, Liang SiSi left on her business trip.

***

In the afternoon, after a meeting with a customer, Chen Ruo Yu passed by a department store and saw a men's skincare product advertisement In the display window. Her interest was ignited and so she went in to look around.

The counter salesgirl put in a lot of effort into introducing and praising the products. She also handed Chen Ruo Yu the advertisement leaflet for her to read. Chen Ruo Yu took the leaflet and at the same time peeked at the price of the hand cream. The exaggerated amount made her speechless, then she turned around and walked out.

Standing by the roadside, she thought for a while and then called Meng Gu.

Meng Gu picked up the call. Chen Ruo Yu politely thanked him for his help.

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds and as she was thinking of saying goodbye, Meng Gu suddenly said. "Is this Chen Ruo Yu?"

"Yes."

"Suddenly talking to me with this voice tone, I thought I was mistaken."

Her face was full of black lines. She had really spoken to him politely and he was still using his deadly poisonous tongue.

"Dr. Meng, you must be tired therefore your hearing is affected. Take a good rest, I'll hang up now."

"Well, this time, you sound like the real Chen Ruo Yu."

Meng Gu did not seem to hear what she was saying and continued. "Does your gratitude end with just a thank you on the phone?"

She was silent for a moment. "One of these days, I will properly thank both of you by inviting Dr. Meng and Police Officer Lei to have a meal together."

"Today is my rest day."

"Oh.., Then I will..." She wanted to say she will give Lei Feng a call and ask what time he will be free but Meng Gu interrupted her, "Do you still remember you still owe me a meal from last time?"

She swallowed the words she wanted to say.

"That sweet dinner in that beautiful scenic garden where birds are chirping and fragrant with blooming flowers... that garden restaurant." He actually remembered the silly text message she sent to him. "Now is just the time for dinner."

With such obvious hinting, Chen Ruo Yu could not ignore him and sighed, "Then I will invite Dr. Meng to a dinner." He had really given her a big help and if he wanted to eat, then just let him eat.

"Where are you now?"

Chen Ruo Yu told him the address. Meng Gu told her to wait and said since he was not far away, he will pick her up.

Chen Ruo Yu sat down on a bench outside the department store and waited. As she waited, she thought of the food she should treat Meng Gu to. There was not much cash on her right now but there was a credit card which she can use. But to go to a place where credit cards could be swiped, the place and price would definitely be more expensive than a roadside shop.

Chen Ruo Yu looked through her purse and then looked at the pitiful amount of banknotes. She was trying hard to figure out a place where it's not too expensive for her to swipe her credit card. At that time, her cellphone rang. She thought it was Meng Gu but when she pulled it out and looked at her phone, it was her family's number.

Chen Ruo Yu felt a little nervous. She calmed down her thoughts, cleared her throat and answered the phone. On the other end of the phone, her mother's voice sounded and she asked, "Ruo Yu, how are you these days?"

"Good." Chen Ruo Yu bit her lip and her heart was beating slightly faster.

"Why didn't you send money home this month? Are you tight for money?"

Chen Ruo Yu sat up straight unconsciously. "I.... I was hospitalized a while ago. so this month, my money is a bit tight...." She had wanted to say that she was unable to send money home and after thinking, she changed her words and said. "I will send money home in a few days and I will make up to you."

Chen Mother did not speak and Chen Ruo Yu's heart jumped erratically. In her mind, she was thinking quickly how to answer her mother if she asked when and how much she will be sending home. She could not tell her mother that she was assaulted as she didn't want her family to worry.

But Chen Mother did not ask any of those questions. She paused for a moment and said."Come back to C-City. You don't have prospects making a living in A-City."

Her hard tone and those simple words were enough to cut deep into Chen Ruo Yu's heart.

"I don't want to go back. I like it here."

"Like?" Chen Mother's voice sharpened. "You like to sell Insurance? Do you like to lie to us? Do you like to bring shame to your family here? If you don't have the ability, it's okay? Just be honest with your parents. I know my own daughter. I don't expect you to be powerful but you lied and deceived people, letting me your old Mother lose face along with you. How do you want me and your father to tell our friends and relatives? Now as soon as I go out the door and meet acquaintances, they will ask whether it's true that my Xiao Ruo is actually selling insurance. You tell me..... you tell me.... You made me boast to people that you have great prospects working as a Manager in a trading company, and what's the result now?"

Chen Ruo Yu could not speak. She could only hold on the phone tightly in her hand and listen quietly.

"Anyway, I have talked with your father. Since this is the case, you might as well come back. Your father will look for one of his friends and get you a job as a salesperson. The money is little but at least it is stable. Don't think about landing a good job. Come back and we will find you a good partner, if you are able to marry a steady man, it can be considered that you're blessed. The two of us elderly cannot depend on you anymore. We will wait for your brother to graduate from college and see if he will succeed."

Chen Ruo Yu gritted her teeth and listened to her mother nag for a long time before she finally exclaimed. "Mom, I still want to stay here. My job is not bad and I can make money. My life here is good, really, I don't want to go back."

When Chen Mother heard her, she was stunned. Then her mother became furious and shouted at her. "Do as you like!" Then She forcefully hung up the call.

The loud sound of the phone being hung up shocked Chen Ruo Yu. She blankly listened to the dead tone and slowly dropped her phone before she put it in her bag.

She sat dazed with the sun shining brightly down on her, but she still felt cold.

"What's the matter?" Someone sat down beside her and asked. She turned her head and saw Meng Gu's handsome face. She shook her head and didn't know what to say.

"Do you want to cry?" Meng Gu frowned and stared at her. "Who was that on the phone? What happened?"

She shook head again and lowered her head.

She looked at Meng Gu's hand on the chair, placed just beside hers. His palm was very big as if it could cover her whole hand. She did know what she's thinking as she just reached out and held his hand. His hand was very warm and her eyes felt really hot but she didn't want to cry.

Meng Gu felt slightly uncomfortable but he did not avoid her. He only muttered to himself why he had to choose this day to meet her and that it was so unlucky.

Chen Ruo Yu blinked her eyes and pushed back the hot feeling in her eyes. She heard Meng Gu clear his throat and say. "If you really feel sad, I can lend you my shoulder for the time being."

This time Chen Ruo Yu did not shake her head. She bit her lip, turned and embraced Meng Gu, burying her head in his arms and cried. Meng Gu and others could not see the tears flowed down from her eyes and this made her feel better.

Chen Ruo Yu clung to him and silently wept. She heard him grumble and complain. She heard him mumble something along the lines of, he only promised to lend his shoulder but did not agree to let her hug him.