Fang Rong was President Ying?
Seeing her stand there dumbfounded, the man thought she was scared. He reached out and gently waved five long fingers in front of her eyes, softening his voice. "Miss? Are you okay? Did you bump into something?"
The swaying of his fingers gradually came into focus, and Tao Xinrou snapped back to reality, her breath suddenly quickening.
She felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. The aloof, restrained, imposing "President Ying" in her mind and the youthful, "innocent college student" face before her repeatedly overlapped and tore apart.
As if a thread in her mind suddenly tightened, Tao Xinrou, without overthinking, abruptly stepped back half a step, pulled her wrist away, and bowed at a ninety-degree angle. "I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into you. I'm truly sorry!"
At that moment, she only felt her heart thumping violently. She thought, she was doomed.
This feeling lasted until Tao Xinrou came out of the interview room.
Tao Xinrou finally exhaled. Her phone rang.
"Rourou, finished with the interview?"
"Mom, I just finished. What's up?"
Before the other side could reply, a shrill voice came through the phone:
"I said I'll pay the rent tomorrow. What's the rush? Can't you live until tomorrow?"
"Mom, is it that delinquent tenant again? Wait for me to come back and teach her a lesson!" Tao Xinrou hitched her bag higher on her shoulder.
This tenant had rented a room from the Tao family half a year ago. Not only was she bad-tempered, but she also often shouted in the middle of the night, disturbing the neighbors, causing the Tao family to constantly apologize.
Tao's mother was mild-tempered and only thought about the rent, but the woman was unreasonable. After paying three months' rent when she moved in, she never paid again.
Even when the police came, she put on a pitiful act, saying she hadn't found a job yet and couldn't pay upfront, but promised to pay, and would be homeless otherwise, behaving as if she'd rather die.
Seeing this, Tao's mother had to let it slide and let her stay.
That had already been three months.
When Tao Xinrou got home, Tao's mother was still sitting in the living room, holding a ledger, looking at a loss.
"She's been in arrears for three months now. Earlier, I spoke to her nicely, but she slammed the door and scolded me for being stingy, even said our mourning setup was bad luck. It's all because my health is failing..." Tao's mother frowned.
In a corner of the living room, a temporary altar had been set up. Today was the 15th anniversary of Tao's father's death. A black-and-white photo stood in the center; candles flickered, as if Tao's father was also sighing.
"Mom, leave this to me. I'll make her clarify today. Either pay the rent or move out. No third option."
As soon as she finished speaking, the guest room door at the end of the hallway creaked open. A woman with dyed yellow hair, frowning and looking disgusted, walked out and said sharply, "Oh, the savior is back? Auntie Tao, I told you, I'm looking for a job. Once I find one, I won't miss a penny of the rent. Kicking me out now? Do you want me to sleep on the street?"
It seemed the woman had heard their conversation in the living room.
"Looking for a job for three months? You said that last month and the month before. Our family is not a charity; we have no obligation to support you. Either pay the three months' rent you owe now, or pack your things and leave. I'll give you ten minutes to decide."
Tao Xinrou opened her phone and started the stopwatch.
The woman clearly hadn't expected Tao Xinrou, who usually seemed gentle, to be so tough. She paused for a moment, then started throwing a tantrum. "You little brat, I'm a few years older than you, and I've often brought you food and drinks. Now you're getting tough with me? Fine, I see you're just picking on me because I'm easy to push around, right? I tell you, I won't move, and I won't pay the rent. Call the police if you dare! Let's see if they care!"
Tao Xinrou had anticipated this. She took out her phone and showed the woman a video. "Fine, let's call the police now. But before that, I need to tell the police clearly: For the past three months, you've been bringing friends home late at night to drink and shout. Which neighbor in this building hasn't complained? And you've piled up takeout boxes and trash in the hallway. The property management has come to talk to you, but you blamed us for not handling it properly. If I explain all this to the police, do you think they'll see you as a homeless poor soul or a hooligan deliberately disrupting public order?"
The woman's face changed instantly as she watched the surveillance footage. Her eyes darted nervously, and she lost her bravado. "You... you're secretly filming my privacy. Don't go too far."
"Secretly filming? The hallway and stairs are public spaces owned by all residents. Installing cameras to maintain order is perfectly legal and recognized by the law. You're the one causing trouble for neighbors and damaging the environment in a public area, and yet you have the audacity to accuse me of invading your privacy? I tell you, I can show these videos to the police, the property management, and the owners' group, letting the whole building see how you've been squatting without paying rent and wreaking havoc! Now, either come up with the three months' rent you owe in ten minutes, or pack up and get out immediately. Don't talk to me about privacy—you don't deserve it!"
After finishing, Tao Xinrou continued checking the time.
The woman stomped her foot in anger, then gritted her teeth. "Fine, I'll move! You just wait!"
With that, she turned and rushed into the guest room, slamming the door. Soon, the sound of packing came from inside.
Tao's mother finally breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Tao Xinrou, "Is this really okay? She's a woman, quite pitiful."
"Mom, you can't be soft on people like this." Tao Xinrou took her mother's hand. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Just then, her phone vibrated. Tao Xinrou opened it and saw a text message:
[Dear Ms. Tao Xinrou, congratulations on passing the interview for the position of hotel room attendant at our hotel. Please report to the group headquarters, 15th floor HR department, at 9:00 AM tomorrow with relevant documents.]
"Mom, I passed the interview!" Tao Xinrou exclaimed excitedly.
"Great, your father's spirit in heaven is watching over us. Haizhen, you can rest assured now." Tao's mother clasped her hands together with relief.
Tao Xinrou smiled, but her smile gradually faded. Fifteen years. She had finally fulfilled her father's last wish.
She looked at her father's photo—that bright, smiling face frozen in time fifteen years ago.
This time, she would find the truth for her father.
Author's note:
The story begins! To celebrate this grand occasion, I'll give a small red envelope to everyone who leaves a comment before tomorrow's update!
Three chapters will be posted today: Chapter 2 at 3 PM, Chapter 3 at 6 PM.
After that, updates will be fixed at 6-9 PM every day.
You can read comfortably in bed or on the subway.
Also, welcome new readers!
Happy reading!