After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Song Zhi suddenly remembered something and said: “I’m giving you tomorrow off. You don’t need to follow me.”

He Rong froze for a moment, then instantly responded, happily thinking about the delicious food she would have when she went home tomorrow. This was called a business trip, but it was essentially a trip home with almost no work. Every extra day she could stay felt like a bonus, and it saved her a lot of airfare.

However…

He Rong asked softly: “Are you sure you don’t need me?” Her underlying meaning was that although she was a little reluctant, she wouldn’t refuse if Song Zhi commanded it.

Song Zhi found her cautious demeanor amusing, and mimicking her secretive tone, replied in a whisper: “Yes.”

After confirming completely, He Rong happily retreated from the room. By the time she reached the door, she was confused again. The General Manager seems to be in an exceptionally good mood. Why?

Could it be… She thought back to the two people standing opposite each other at the hotel entrance—the only variable in their trip home. A thick atmosphere had pulsed between them. Although He Rong stood beside Song Zhi, closer than that other woman, she felt her proximity made no difference. She couldn’t penetrate the invisible, high wall that seemed to stand between the two of them.

Just after He Rong left, Song Zhi’s phone rang. She answered it. The voice on the other end was calm: “Song Zhi, do you have time? I’d like to invite you to dinner.”

Guang Yuan held the phone, meeting her grandmother’s expectant gaze. She took a deep breath and added: “It’ll be quick. There’s a small issue with the contract I’d like to discuss with you.” She waited nervously for a reply.

Song Zhi’s tone was faint but firm, citing an urgent matter as the reason for her refusal. She clearly stated that if a personal appearance was absolutely necessary, she would urgently arrange for the project manager to discuss the matter. Hitting a dead end, Guang Yuan was about to try and persuade her further, but her grandmother discreetly waved her hand.

Guang Yuan understood and lowered her head. Her grandmother leaned in and whispered: “If she doesn’t want to, then forget it. Ask for her address, and we can visit her later. I have nothing but time anyway.”

Guang Yuan was somewhat disapproving: “Grandma!”

Her grandmother immediately looked away, making her refusal clear: “I’ve decided. It’s too late to try and persuade me now.”

Guang Yuan couldn’t argue with her and hung up the phone helplessly.

No sooner had Song Zhi hung up that call than Chen Fen’s call came in immediately.

Song Zhi stretched lazily and said nonchalantly: “What’s the matter? You can handle anything that comes up when I’m gone. Don’t worry.”

Chen Fen was used to worrying and couldn’t relate to her boss’s carefree attitude. Her speech was fast and steady. In a moment, she finished: “The person you asked me to secretly help seems to have found out. People have been investigating the leads for the past few days, but they haven’t reached the company yet. What are you going to do next?”

For a subordinate to question a superior, Chen Fen was being presumptuous, but as a friend, this inquiry was just Chen Fen’s usual motherly concern, which warmed Song Zhi’s heart.

Song Zhi: “We’ll deal with it as it comes. There’s only a thief who plots for a thousand days, not a guard who prevents a theft for a thousand days. Besides, I’ve helped her so much. We’re even now. She won’t, shouldn’t do anything else.”

Chen Fen sounded extremely unconvinced: “Shouldn’t?”

Song Zhi felt a brief moment of guilt, then quickly became defensive: “There’s a fifty percent chance!”

Chen Fen sighed, about to speak, but Song Zhi, having anticipated the lengthy lecture, immediately cut her off: “Oh, stop worrying. Use that energy to eat a little more. The bridge will straighten when the boat reaches it.” Although, judging by her recent run of bad luck, the bridge was more likely to collapse when the boat reached it, it hadn’t sunk yet, so she wouldn’t worry about it. That wasn’t her problem right now.

“Ma’am, please walk this way.”

The nurse noticed the person behind her paused, immediately stopped, and gestured her forward.

Song Zhi withdrew her gaze from the window and walked again: “Okay, thank you.”

It was a rare clear day. White clouds drifted slowly across the blue sky outside the window, a beautiful, sunny day that made the evergreens in the nursing home look even greener.

Lanqiao Nursing Home was private, known for being among the best in Yanjing for nursing and medical care. The environment was naturally top-notch.

The nurse pushed open the door. Standing at the doorway, one could see the figure lying flat on the white bed. The figure remained motionless even with a visitor. Song Zhi walked in, coldly thinking, What a waste of such excellent conditions on such a scumbag.

She stood by the bed, looking at the person lying there. The face was covered in deep wrinkles, the flesh had atrophied, and only a few bones were visible. The person struggled to breathe through an oxygen mask covering the mouth and nose.

Song Zhi stood by the bed, staring at the motionless figure, who was practically a lump of rotten flesh paralyzed on the bed, and said: “Long time no see.”

The person on the bed couldn’t answer, of course, but Song Zhi didn’t care. She completed her sentence: “General Manager Song. No, it should be former General Manager Song.”

Song Guan’s eyes were tightly shut, his entire body without a single rise or fall.

The nurse appropriately stepped half a pace forward: “Miss, this patient has been paralyzed for five years.”

Song Zhi smiled faintly: “I know.”

Since she knew, the nurse said no more, standing aside to allow the father and daughter to enjoy their final tender moment.

Song Zhi simply looked at Song Guan for a while, then smiled and asked: “Can I donate his organs here? I’d like to donate them after he dies.”

Nurse: “Theoretically, yes, but…” Their private hospital was under strict scrutiny because of the recent exposure of Song Group’s illegal organ trade. She didn’t know if the hospital’s origins were clean, but this matter had been strictly emphasized during recent meetings.

Song Zhi: “But what?”

Nurse: “I need to ask for instructions.” With that, the nurse covered her walkie-talkie and left.

A few minutes later, the nurse returned with a long agreement: “This is the consent form. Please sign it.”

Song Zhi casually flipped through the clauses, confirmed it only related to donation, and signed without hesitation: “I still have a few things to say to the deceased.”

The nurse muttered inwardly that the person wasn’t dead yet, yet this person was more accepting of it than the nurses were. She politely retreated. Soon, Song Zhi was the only one standing by the bed.

She hadn’t expected her reunion with the person she once hated so much to be like this. However, she was partly responsible for him being in this state. In fact, she had to thank Shen Ying and Song Qin; otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to put Song Guan away by herself.

Song Zhi said faintly: “I was in such a hurry to leave the country that I forgot about you, allowing you to live so much longer. My apologies. I see how much you liked other people’s organs, so I decided to donate yours to others. Consider it your wish fulfilled.”

With that, Song Zhi turned and walked out. Receiving her approval, the nurse quickly entered and unplugged the respirator that was keeping Song Qin alive.

At 3 PM that afternoon, Song Zhi boarded the plane, pushing two large suitcases. She had brought little when she returned, but she left with two large suitcases.

During the final moments before boarding, Chen Fen was still chattering in the headset. The airport was noisy, and Song Zhi couldn’t quite hear everything she was saying. She could only make out a few words, guessing the rest and replying with “Hmm.”

Once she boarded, the surrounding noise immediately quieted, and Chen Fen’s voice became clear in the headset: “By the way, did you really bring back that cake I like?”

Song Zhi once again stretched out her reply: “Yes, hmm, yes, okay.”

Chen Fen tentatively asked: “Are you really not coming back after this trip?”

Song Zhi paused for a moment, then softly hummed: “Not coming back.”

Chen Fen said, “Oh”: “It’s good you’re not coming back. It saves me from having to work overtime because you’re always running around.”

Song Zhi had just settled into her seat when the flight attendant half-knelt in front of her: “Hello, Miss. Our plane is taking off soon. For your safety and the safety of all passengers, please switch your phone to airplane mode.”

Song Zhi responded, touched her headset, and said: “I’m hanging up now.”

About ten minutes later, the plane slowly crossed the horizon and flew into the sky. Song Zhi turned her head to look out the window. The weather was beautiful today. Outside, the sky was an endless blue, and the pale, nearly transparent white clouds drifted wantonly in the wind.

Song Zhi withdrew her gaze after a moment. He Rong, sitting behind her, suddenly stood up with a strange expression. Before Song Zhi could ask anything, she quickly scampered to the back and sat down.

Strange.

Song Zhi hadn’t finished thinking when a person wearing a mask and a knee-length light-gray trench coat walked over from the rear seats. The person was slender, with a composed aura that carried a distinct, isolating chill. Yet, she walked extremely fast, the hem of her coat swaying with her movement, as if she were pursuing something she deeply yearned for.

Song Zhi recognized who it was before the person even reached her. She turned away, not looking back, planning to ask He Rong later how the two of them had conspired.

In Song Zhi’s impatience, the faint, scattered sounds behind her grew closer, maximized at one point, and then fell silent.

Just as Song Zhi sighed in relief, a hand lightly touched her shoulder.

Song Zhi didn’t turn around, snapping angrily: “What do you want?”

The cold voice behind her said: “Hello, my name is Shen Ying, and I’d like to get to know you.”

Song Zhi abruptly turned her head. To her horrified gaze, Shen Ying pulled down the mask by her ear and smiled softly at her.

Song Zhi… Song Zhi turned back, speechless.

In that brief exchange, her peripheral vision inevitably caught the azure sky and the mist-like white clouds outside the window. The white clouds floated lazily, and the person behind her was smiling faintly.

They were sitting on the same plane, heading toward the same country, walking toward an unknown future.

(End of Main Text)

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