In the summer of 2012, the heat was intense enough to drive one mad. Under the scorching sun, everyone seemed to be on fire, drenched in sweat and suffering from extraordinary discomfort.
At this moment, the job market in Northern Mountain City, Jiangnan Province, was even more unbearably hot. The spacious recruitment hall was bustling with job seekers. An overwhelming tide of humanity not only filled the venue to capacity but also extended outside, where long lines snaked from the entrance.
This sight made it clear that a great many people were here looking for work.
Sigh, another failure.
In the crowd stood a young man in his twenties. With a sling bag over his shoulder, he was dressed in washed denim jeans and a cheap T-shirt that cost about twenty yuan, a resume clutched in his hand. He glanced at the sweltering heat and the human tide, shook his head with a bitter smile, and turned to leave.
His name was Chen Fei, a graduate from a third-tier college in Northern Mountain City with a major in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
This was not his first time here. Coming from a poor family, Chen Fei had plunged into the sea of job hunters as soon as he graduated. He came here diligently every day to submit applications, hoping to find any sort of employment, regardless of its suitability or pay.
After all, given the awkward position of his major in the country and the fact that he had graduated from a third-tier university, landing any job at all was a blessing from the Bodhisattva. What right did he have to be choosy?
Unfortunately, no matter how ambitious Chen Fei was—getting up early and staying out late to hand in resumes—his efforts seemed to vanish without a trace. Nobody was interested in a graduate from a third-tier university with a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The field of Traditional Chinese Medicine was already in decline in the country. Graduates from famous universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine or top-ranked provincial universities had it easier; at least they didn't have to worry about their career paths. With the reputation of their colleges behind them, many city and county hospitals were still eager to hire them, as many people still held the preconceived notion that graduates from prestigious universities were bound to be exceptional.
But Chen Fei was just an ordinary graduate from a third-tier university, so his job prospects were quite grim.
Heaving another sigh, he stepped out of the recruitment hall, which felt like a steam room. Although the air was suddenly much fresher, he still looked dejected. This job-seeking trip was yet another failure, and it left him feeling truly powerless.
"Am I really unable to find a job here? Am I, Chen Fei, really destined to haul bricks on a construction site?" Chen Fei muttered to himself, helplessly tugging at his hair.
Since childhood, he possessed a talent that many envied: remarkable strength. Objects that weighed dozens of pounds felt like simple toys in his hands, making him well-suited for manual labor on a construction site.
However, while he didn't mind such work, his girlfriend, Little Die, was utterly disgusted by the idea of him doing such demeaning labor.
Once, in order to buy Little Die a birthday present, he had secretly taken a part-time job at a construction site. After a classmate spotted him and the news reached Little Die, they had a massive argument over it.
If it hadn't been for Chen Fei's earnest pleading afterward, they probably would have broken up long ago.
Thinking of his girlfriend, Little Die, a faint smile appeared on Chen Fei's previously resigned and downcast face. Although his family was poor and he hadn't found a good job, he had a wonderful girlfriend.
Little Die, full name Zhu Die, was a top student in the Business and Trade department at his college. Although not quite at the level of a department or campus belle, she was still a beauty pursued by many. It had taken him considerable effort—at least several months—to win her over. For that, his dorm mates had fleeced him for countless meals, making him the subject of intense envy.
DING, DING, DING!
Suddenly, the old, outdated Nokia phone in his bag buzzed. Checking the caller ID, he was surprised to see it was his girlfriend, Zhu Die.
Speak of the devil. I have to hide the fact that I didn't find work from her, or I'll get an earful again! Despite his grumbling, Chen Fei's face beamed with a happy smile as he picked up the phone and pressed the answer key. "Little Die…"
But before he could finish his sentence, a disdainful voice came through the old Nokia: "Chen Fei, let's break up!"
What? Break up?! Chen Fei felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Why, Little Die? Why do you want to break up?" Chen Fei shouted, ignoring the astonished looks from people nearby.
"Why? Chen Fei, you have the nerve to ask me why? We've already graduated, and you still haven't found a job. Tell me, what am I supposed to do, follow you into a future with nothing? No money, no connections, you can't even land a hospital job. You're useless. I don't know what I ever saw in you," her voice grew even more contemptuous.
"But… but I'll work hard! I promise I'll give you a good life in the future," Chen Fei said hurriedly, trying to salvage things.
"Oh, please, Chen Fei. 'Work hard'? What's the use of empty words? Do you have any idea how much the necklace Master Wang gave me costs? Over a hundred thousand! You'd have to work for years on that filthy construction site to earn that much. Do you really think I want to spend my life with a country bumpkin who works on a construction site? Dream on! I, Zhu Die, am beautiful and young. I deserve to enjoy the finer things in life."
Hearing this, the undisguised contempt and mockery from his girlfriend rendered Chen Fei silent for a moment. He clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "Little Die, you know what kind of person Wang Jie is, right? How many women has he ruined? Do you really think he likes you and will spend his life with you?"
Wang Jie, an infamous playboy at their university, changed girlfriends as often as he changed clothes, treating them as mere sport. But he was wealthy and had a powerful background, supposedly connected to the renowned Celestial Phenomena Group in Northern Mountain City. Naturally, plenty of gold-digging women threw themselves at him like moths to a flame, hoping for a shortcut into high society and a better life.
"So what?"
However, his girlfriend was unfazed, responding indifferently, "Master Wang already promised me that if I agree to date him, he'll give me an apartment in Northern Mountain City and a car. Even if we break up, I'll still be set to live comfortably here for the rest of my life."
Chen Fei fell silent. After a long moment, he finally said, "Little Die, you've changed."
"That's just how society is. Anyway, this is it!"
BEEP, BEEP...
As the dial tone buzzed in his ear, Chen Fei couldn't articulate the feeling in his heart. Failing to find a job was one thing, but to think that his girlfriend, who he had once thought so perfect, had become so materialistic and pragmatic… His mind went blank, at a complete loss for words.
"Watch out! That car is out of control!"
As he walked on aimlessly, dazed from the breakup, a sudden shout pierced the air. On the street not far ahead, a car had lost control and was hurtling toward the pedestrians on the sidewalk. The first in harm's way was a tall, beautiful woman in a white blouse.
She had the statuesque and fiery figure of a model. The pairing of her formal white blouse and black, hip-hugging skirt was perfect, a combination that would make anyone look twice. Her long, jade-like legs, accentuated by high heels, shone with a pale luster.
But at that moment, she was on the phone and seemed oblivious to the approaching danger. Seeing this, Chen Fei froze for a second before he gritted his teeth and dashed toward the tall woman like the wind. In an instant, he grabbed her and tackled her out of the way.
"Ah!"
The tall woman finally reacted. Her phone slipped from her pale fingers, and she let out a terrified scream as Chen Fei tackled her onto the grass on the other side of the sidewalk.
The next moment, the out-of-control car whooshed past, narrowly missing her. The sight made her face turn even paler, and she froze, completely stunned.
"Stop screaming, it didn't hit you."
Just then, a resigned voice came from beneath her, and only then did Murong Shan, still in a state of shock, come to her senses.
She realized that in the split second before the car hit her, someone had lunged forward to save her. Moreover, as he tackled her, he had forcibly twisted their bodies in mid-air to shield her from the impact, taking the brunt of the fall himself.
So, aside from being frightened, she was completely unharmed. The one who had taken the damage was Chen Fei, who was now lying on the grass beneath her.
"Are you… Are you okay? Thank you, thank you for saving me!"
Seeing the situation, Murong Shan immediately tried to stand, but she felt her legs suddenly give out. With a soft cry, she collapsed again, falling heavily into Chen Fei's arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I think I twisted my ankle. Are… are you all right?"
Being held so intimately by a stranger made Murong Shan's heart pound. Her face flushed with a mixture of shyness and embarrassment as she asked in a low voice.
As for Chen Fei, he was in a state of painful bliss, his heart hammering in his chest.
This was because the woman in his arms was a bona fide stunner, a ninety-five out of a hundred at the very least. The so-called campus belles, models, and A-list celebrities would all pale in comparison to her exquisite figure and face.
Chen Fei had almost never seen such a world-class beauty in his life, let alone been in a collision with one.
This was just too thrilling!
He was so elated that he didn't regret risking his life to save her one bit.
His ex-girlfriend had been considered a beauty in their department, but she was like an ugly duckling next to a swan when compared to the mature, intelligent, and elegant woman in his arms—who, pale with fright, looked delicate and pitiable.
How wonderful would it be if this stunning beauty could be my girlfriend? Lost in a daze, Chen Fei began to fantasize.
Just then, a shy but pleasant, mature-sounding voice came from his arms. "Could you… let me go?"
Murong Shan's face was also blushing, her heart thudding against her ribs. She had never been this close to a strange man before, and the intense masculine scent wafting from him was overwhelming. This was a first for her.