Chapter 26: A Phone Call

Lin Ye felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He truly found the head of the design department a bit difficult to handle, though he felt the other party was quite approachable and lacked any airs.

As for what Jiang Qingge had mentioned... since she had a need and Lin Ye happened to be in a position to earn some money, why not? Besides, it wouldn't take long; Jiang Qingge had told him she would likely reach out within the next couple of days.

Next was the production department. This department was straightforward, and he had already dealt with Zhao Zhi several times. Zhao Zhi gave him a brief rundown of the MES system parameters used in the production department, then dragged Lin Ye into his office to drink three cups of tea before finally letting him go.

Lin Ye spent the entire afternoon running through the company's various departments. Being handsome, clever in his speech, and capable in his work, he didn't encounter any difficult colleagues. He managed to gain a rough understanding of the company's general structure, its operational methods, and the scope of his own future responsibilities.

When he reached the sales department, the department head—his original direct supervisor when he first joined the company—held him back for a long conversation. During this time, he could see the undisguised envy, resentment, and even jealousy in the eyes of his former colleagues. Yet, the conversation never touched on asking for favors or reminiscing about past mentorships; instead, it was filled with genuine concern, asking how he was doing and whether he felt pressured by his new role.

As for the idea of "learning" in the sales department... well, he, Lin Ye, had risen to his current position step by step from that very department. Was there anything wrong with that? Not at all.

Toward the end of the workday, Lin Ye declined the last invitation for dinner from a colleague via WeChat, tidied up his office, and left the company.

Even now, he felt as if all of this were a dream. Perhaps if he were to trip or something unexpected happened, the dream would shatter. He would wake up to find he was still the same Lin Ye—the one with a mother who couldn't afford medical treatment, constantly scrambling to find ways to make money.

Because he cherished his current life so much, he hadn't considered one thing: the more he valued the beautiful life he led now, the clearer Su Qing’s image became in his mind. He had always believed that it was only after meeting Su Qing that his life had turned around—that he had the money for his mother’s treatment, found a good job, and was now climbing the corporate ladder.

Lin Ye couldn't bring himself to believe that these events had nothing to do with Su Qing. He simply couldn't, because before he met her, he had been in such dire straits. People always cling to, or at least remember, the first ray of light that appears before them in the darkness. Regardless of why that light shone upon them, the reason no longer mattered.

Coming to his senses, Lin Ye paused when he saw the hospital with its glowing red cross not far away, then shook his head with a helpless smile. It had become a force of habit; he had walked this path many times, though tonight, it felt much longer than usual.

When he arrived home, the living room was dark. Zhang Wen must have stayed at his father's place tonight. It was a long, lonely night, and he had no desire to sleep, nor did he feel like eating dinner. Subconsciously, he swiped his phone screen and froze when he saw it was Tuesday—the day he called his parents.

The call connected on the second ring.

"Hello? Dad, it's me."

"Haha, I knew it was you. Your mother was just asking me why you hadn't called yet."

From his father's tone, it was clear he was in high spirits. This was understandable; during the time his mother was diagnosed with cancer, half of his father's hair had turned white from worry. Later, when funds were short, they had sold the apartment they had prepared for Lin Ye's future marriage, though the proceeds were limited because the mortgage hadn't been fully paid off. Furthermore, the factory his father had painstakingly managed for years had suffered from neglect during that period, leading a former partner to sell his 40% stake to a rival company at a high price.

It could be said that those were the darkest days for the Lin family. Now that his mother’s health had improved thanks to the money Lin Ye had sent, and although the factory was nearly gone, his wife was still with him, and his father had found peace with the situation.

"Hahaha, have you two had dinner? How is Mom’s recovery going?" Lin Ye asked with a smile, rubbing his nose.

"Tell Little Ye I'm doing just fine... he doesn't need to worry, he needs to take care of himself out there..."

"You talk to him, you tell Little Ye yourself."

He could faintly hear his mother and father whispering to each other on the other end. His father was a man of few words, even with his own son, speaking only in short, direct sentences. Perhaps that was just the way of the traditional father-son relationship.

After a brief silence, his mother’s voice, gentle as water, came through.

"Little Ye? It’s Mom. I’m doing very well. How are you doing out there? Have you had your dinner yet?"

In the quiet, dark room, his mother’s concern felt like a ray of warm sunlight, piercing through the gloom that had gathered in Lin Ye’s heart from his life as a wanderer. Her words were simple but filled with love and care; every sentence touched the softest part of his heart, and an indescribable warmth surged within him.

About half an hour later, perhaps because his father had something to say, his mother reluctantly handed the phone back.

"Hello? Little Ye, there’s one more thing I need to discuss with you. Last week, I told you your sister put down the same university as you as her first choice, right?"

His father paused for a few seconds, carefully choosing his words. "Although her score was one point below the cutoff this year, she still got admitted to your school."

"So, I was thinking, if it’s convenient for you, could your sister stay with you during the breaks? She’s a girl, after all, and it’s her first time being so far from home. If she stays with you, you can look out for each other."

His father’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, as if he still felt his son hadn't fully grown up and that such matters should be handled by them as parents.

His sister... the last time he saw her was during the Lunar New Year two years ago. Last year, heavy snow grounded all flights and high-speed trains, and train tickets were too expensive and impossible to find, so Lin Ye hadn't gone back. Later, he had managed to visit home a few times during off-peak holidays, but his sister had been busy with her final year of high school...