Chapter 2008: 2008

Tears poured down Shen Manting’s cheeks as soon as she stepped out of the house .

Shen Luo’an’s every word pierced her heart like a blade .

She had to admit that she had abandoned her child .

She had the heart to leave her baby behind in her bid to escape the clutches of Shen Luo’an .

Meanwhile, Shen Luo’an had evidently cared well for the infant .

He looked healthy and well-fed . If she had kept him by her side, he might not have turned out as well as he did now .

She had to fend for herself and survive .

Hence, she had to work hard and earn a living for herself first .

Shen Manting’s resolve was swayed when Shen Luo’an asked her to stay and take care of the infant .

But she instinctively rejected him, as though out of habit .

Back then, she would have convinced herself that she behaved so because she feared Shen Luo’an’s cruel ways .

But after spending time with him during her confinement and meeting up with him later on, Shen Manting had calmed down significantly in his presence .

She no longer tensed up in fear when meeting Shen Luo’an .

It was because…

Shen Manting couldn’t even identify the reason .

She seemed to have lapsed into the habit of avoiding Shen Luo’an and turning down his requests .

Upon realizing this, Shen Manting chuckled to herself and uttered, “This is an unhealthy habit . ”

It was so unhealthy that she was led to abandon her child .

She returned to her rented room in Tongzhou . The room was dim .

Shen Manting didn’t bother turning on the light . She walked to the mirror and gazed at her reflection . Suddenly, Shen Manting felt oddly uncomfortable with her own image in the mirror .

She looked beautiful .

She was too beautiful to be Shen Manting .

Her phone pinged .

It’s a WeChat notification .

She looked down and retrieved her phone from her bag . It was a message from Xixixi who offered her a job the last time .

Xi Xi Xi: Hello, have you arrived at the capital yet?

Mopy [heart emoji]: Yes, I’m in Tongzhou .

Xi Xi Xi: Good . Please come to No . 89, XX North Road, XX District for an interview tomorrow morning .

Mopy [heart emoji]: OK .

–

When Ye Qianqian saw the message sent by Shen Zhilie, she felt uneasy . “Is it really acceptable to lie to her this way? I think Shen Manting is already downcast enough . If she finds out that all of this amounts to nothing but a scam, will she lose her mind?”

Shen Zhilie shoved the phone back to her and said nonchalantly, “Maybe, but I wasn’t lying when I asked her to come for an interview . ”

“You promised her a job in the book marketing department, but look at what you’ve done!” Ye Qianqian spat . “Besides, not only the job offer is different from the one you promised, even the salary and employment benefits are different . If she discovers that we’ve been tricking her, won’t she be furious?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of the salary . But the job is fairly demanding . I don’t know if Sister Manting will be able to cope . ”

“How demanding is it?”

“She has to go to work early and leave work quite late . ”

“How early and how late?”

“Let’s see… If she lives in Tongzhou, she may have to leave home an hour and a half in advance to catch the subway to work every day . ”

“Are you out of your mind?” Ye Qianqian exclaimed in disbelief . “Didn’t you mention that accommodation will be provided for employees in a dormitory? You promised her earlier!”

“Yes, so I’ve rented a dormitory for Yang Ye’s female employees . All of them should have moved in by now . ”

“That’s good . ” Ye Qianqian felt relieved .

–

The interview went well . Although Shen Manting had some doubts about the job, the salary and employment benefits aligned with those proposed through the WeChat exchanges, so she had few questions .

Shen Manting carried with her only one large backpack when she moved from Tongzhou .

The probation period lasted only three days, during which Shen Manting was kept on her toes with errands that drained her . Nevertheless, she felt a satisfying sense of fulfillment .

However, she received some bad news when she went to work on the fourth day .

It was about her son .