Chapter 12 - Transitional Chapter
The weather was a bit stuffy, and soon a light rain started to fall.
After leaving the garden, as soon as Yu Li returned to the room, he received a video call from his mom.
When the call connected, his mom looked around at his surroundings with a puzzled expression.
"Li, are you at your roommate's place right now?"
Yu Li nodded, "Yes."
His mom's expression became a bit complicated, hesitating, "Is your roommate's family very well-off?"
She had seen the firefly photos Yu Li had sent.
In that photo, the bushes and flowerbeds were neatly and beautifully maintained, the decorative lights also looked very luxurious, clearly not the kind you'd find in a park.
Not to mention the room Yu Li was in now, the decor and furnishings, though low-key, still had an air of exquisite elegance.
She knew Yu Li had moved to live with his roommate, but she didn't expect this roommate's family to be so... so wealthy.
Yu Li paused slightly, nodding, "His family runs a business, they live in a villa."
Mom sighed, "Then we owe him a big favor. If I had known his family was so well-off, I would have stopped you when you said you wanted to move. Let me send you some money, you can stay in a hotel for a while."
Yu Li pursed his lips, "School's about to start soon, I won't be staying there for long."
"Don't worry, I've paid him rent, and I haven't caused any trouble for his family."
Mom shook her head, "Li, I'm not blaming you, it's just..."
She paused, "It's just that our family conditions are not good, how can we repay the favor to him?"
Yu Li understood her meaning.
His family's conditions were vastly different from the Yan family, so his mom was worried that the ways they could think of to repay the favor might not be seen as adequate by the Yan family.
Yu Li smiled gently, comforting her, "Mom, I understand everything. I'll do my best to repay, no matter what form it takes, if others don't see it as enough, that's their business, as long as I can do it with a clear conscience."
As soon as he said that, Yu Li paused himself.
He didn't realize he would one day say such words.
If it had been before, he would definitely have had the same thoughts as his mom.
Mom still had some worries.
Associating with people from such affluent backgrounds, the level of daily life and entertainment would be vastly different, she was worried that in this process, Yu Li would develop an inferiority complex and end up doing something bad.
But the Yu Li on the other end of the phone was smiling gently, still the obedient child in her memories.
She pursed her lips and said, "Since you know what you're doing, I won't nag you anymore. Take care of yourself out there."
Yu Li nodded, "Okay, I know everything."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Li sat at the table, looking at the raindrops outside the window, gently swinging his feet under the table.
He knew his thoughts had changed a bit, and it was all because of the time he had spent living in the Yan family, with Manager He teaching him a few things, more or less.
Perhaps it was because he was Yan Sui's friend.
Yu Li was really grateful to Manager He, and to Yan Sui.
...
At the end of August, Y University was about to open.
Yu Li's work at Yuting Xuan had also ended.
On the last day of work, the manager found Yu Li and asked him to come to a cruise banquet as a server the day after, a two-day event with a salary of one thousand.
This cruise banquet was organized by the boss of Yuting Xuan for his daughter's engagement. They wanted to call in all of Yuting Xuan's staff to help.
Originally, Yu Li had already resigned and was no longer an employee of Yuting Xuan, but the manager, knowing that Yu Li needed money before school started, still planned to let him go.
Yu Li understood the manager's good intentions, so he readily agreed.
The next day, Yu Li boarded the cruise, following his colleague Yang to their employee dormitory.
Yang was on the cruise for the first time, very excited, chattering along the way.
He talked for quite a while by himself, but didn't hear any response from Yu Li, and turned his head puzzled, "Little Yu, what's wrong, are you seasick?"
Yu Li pointed to his throat and said with difficulty, "I caught a cold last night, my voice changed this morning."
His originally clear voice had become hoarse and pitiful.
Yang couldn't help but chuckle, "No worries, it makes you sound more steady."
Yu Li sighed helplessly, took out the throat lozenges he had bought, and ate one.
He looked at Yang and shook the lozenge box, "Do you want some?"
He was worried Yang's throat might hurt after talking so much.
Yang didn't stand on ceremony, grinning as he took one.
As the horn blew, the cruise ship began to sail on the river.
The work assigned to Yu Li was as a server in the restaurant, day shift, he could get off at 6 p.m. and then go to the deck for free activity.
The highlight of the banquet was in the evening, so at this time the guests had all gone to the banquet hall, and there weren't many people on the deck.
The cruise had already sailed out to sea.
It was dusk, the western sky slowly turning orange-red, occasionally a flock of seagulls flew by, skimming the surface of the sea to catch the jumping fish.
This was Yu Li's first time on a cruise, the first time seeing such a scenery.
He went to the deck to feel the sea breeze, and took some photos, but when he turned a corner, he saw two familiar people.
"President Yan, let me escort you back to your room?" Jiang Miao stood beside Yan Shiting, his brows tightly furrowed.
Yan Shiting's complexion was a bit pale.
He coughed lightly, his brows knitted, and said in a deep voice, "I'll go back on my own, you go back to the banquet hall first."
Jiang Miao pursed his lips, anxiously looking around, and just happened to make eye contact with the standing Yu Li.
He thought for a moment, his eyes lighting up, "President Yan, let me find someone to escort you back to your room."
Yan Shiting frowned, and the next second, he saw Yu Li walking over.
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