Why is the system taking my request to photograph a cosplayer seriously?

Chapter 216 My Little Sister Who Needs My Care (Part 1)

After crying, Baima calmed down quickly.

She stepped out of Ding Heng's arms, wiped her face haphazardly, sniffed, and led him into a shop by the roadside.

"Brother, I'd like to buy something first."

The nurse told Baima that she needed quite a few things for hospitalization—a washbasin, towels, a toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers,

Baima remembered everything about the water cup, tissues, and so on.

When it came time to pay, Ding Heng took out his phone, but Bai Ma was faster than him.

With a "beep" of the payment code, 137 yuan was paid.

The two left the store and headed towards the inpatient ward.

Baima suddenly asked, "Brother—was Huang Yue's heatstroke this time because of me?"

Ding Heng didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Have you been to where she lives?"

"I've been there."

Baima has a vivid memory of the wall-mounted room where Huang Yue stayed.

The old building deepest in the urban village has no elevator on the sixth floor. The corridor is piled with clutter, and the air is always damp and musty.

The room, which was about ten square meters, contained a 1.2-meter-long iron-framed bed. The bedding hadn't been washed in a long time; it was dusty and smelled terrible.

The old standing fan made a loud humming sound when turned on, the windows couldn't be closed properly, and there was always the sound of cars whizzing by on the street outside.

Pema sighed, finally realizing what was happening.

Huang Yue and I worked for seven consecutive days. Although we were both tired, we were in different situations.

Every day after she finishes her work and goes home, no matter how late it is, Sister Jiang will serve her a hot meal.

When you're too tired to move, you can take a relaxing bath, lie on a mattress worth tens of thousands of dollars, keep the air conditioning at a constant 26 degrees Celsius, and sleep soundly until dawn.

Full of energy the next day, he went out to look for work again.

But Huang Yue is completely different —

Baima asked herself honestly, could she get a good night's sleep in that kind of room?

Furthermore, if Ding Heng restricts her from living at home and spending her money, she'll have a hard time saving even two hundred yuan in twenty days, let alone two thousand. Bai Ma asked in bewilderment, "Brother—Sister Huang Yue has been working for so many years, hasn't she saved a single penny?"

Ding Heng sighed, "Living in the city, rent, food, transportation, daily expenses—everything costs money. Plus, with her work schedule of one day on, three days off, it's a miracle she can even support herself."

Baima lowered her eyes and stopped speaking.

The two stopped in front of the elevator in the hospital building, and their reflections were shown in the elevator doors.

Ding Heng asked again, "How much did it cost to get her to the emergency room?"

Baima honestly replied, "The registration fee, plus the examination and initial treatment, comes to a total of six hundred and twenty."

"I'm not reimbursing you for this."

"Okay, I know————"

Bai Ma pouted, silently making plans in her mind.

With sixteen days left until the end of summer vacation, she has saved 1,684 yuan. After deducting 620 yuan, she has 1,064 yuan left.

Is it possible to earn 2000?

Baima felt increasingly uncertain.

The elevator reached the fifth floor. Baima pushed open the ward door, pausing slightly in her steps.

Three people were standing in front of Huang Yue's hospital bed.

The white-shirted man who had chased them away during the day stood at the very back, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

To his left was a woman in her forties, with short hair, wearing a black suit, and a serious expression.

On the right was a man in his early fifties, with a beer belly and a receding hairline, holding a document in his hand, and bending over to talk to Huang Yue.

On the bedside table sat an exquisite fruit basket, next to which was a thick red envelope, which looked to be worth at least several thousand yuan.

"Pema!"

Upon seeing Baima return, Huang Yue excitedly raised her hand and waved.

The three people in the ward turned around at the same time.

The Mediterranean man was the first to react, quickly stepping forward to present his business card with both hands: "Hello, Ms. Baima, I am the head of this year's technology exhibition, my surname is Liu. We apologize for the trouble caused to you and your friends today due to our negligence."

Baima took the business card without even glancing at it.

The woman immediately stepped forward, her attitude respectful: "I am the head of the agency. The mismanagement of my staff has caused you and Huang Yue to suffer. We will send someone to deal seriously with those responsible."

Finally, there's the man in the white shirt.

His face was pale, his lips trembled, and he forced himself to step forward and bow deeply.

"Miss Baima, I'm sorry! I was wrong during the day. I shouldn't have spoken like that, and I shouldn't have yelled at your friend—"

I didn't know the situation at the time, and in a moment of impulse I said—"Please be magnanimous, don't hold it against me—"

The man's voice was trembling, and he was bent over very low, almost at a ninety-degree angle.

The order to distribute bottled water only to exhibitors was given from above, and the order to prohibit outsiders from entering the venue was also given from above.

So, for the man, he was just doing his job as assigned by his superiors, but he just happened to run into someone who was not easy to mess with.

Now that his boss is pinning the blame on him, he can only grit his teeth and swallow it.

Baima could see the fear and helplessness in the man's eyes, as well as his displeasure at being put on the spot by his superior.

She could vaguely guess the reason, and subconsciously turned to look at Ding Heng.

Ding Heng's expression remained unchanged, without the slightest unnecessary reaction.

Baima withdrew her gaze, not wanting to make things difficult for the other party: "It's alright, you can go first."

Mr. Liu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Then Miss Baima, please get some rest. We'll come to apologize again another day."

The three left, and the ward fell silent.

Huang Yue was leaning against the headboard, eating an apple.

She mumbled, "That's strange. Why are they being so nice? Are they afraid I'll get into trouble if I die here?"

""

"Don't think too much about it, just get some rest."

Baima placed the shopping bags on the bedside table and moved the fruit basket to the side to make room.

Huang Yue then picked up the red envelope and opened it.

A thick stack of brand-new banknotes, totaling five thousand.

"Holy crap—"

Huang Yue was dumbfounded. Five thousand yuan was enough for her to slack off until the end of the year!

She then counted out half of it and handed it to Baima: "Here, that should be enough for the medical expenses, right?"

Baima shook her head and pushed the money back: "You don't need to give it to me. You can use this money to recuperate and find a better place to live and a stable job."

"Five thousand won't be enough to cure anything. If I were to rent a place, I'd have to pay a deposit and three months' rent upfront, and two thousand would be gone in the first place. Why give that money to the landlord? I'll just get by for now."

Huang Yue scoffed and asked again, "You really don't want it?"

Baima shook his head again, his attitude firm.

In her opinion, Huang Yue's heatstroke was at least half her responsibility, so she had no right to claim any of the money.

Huang Yue carefully put the money away again, stuffed it under her pillow, then threw the remaining half of the apple core into the bedside trash can and casually wiped her finger on the sheet.

Only then did she notice Ding Heng, and looked him up and down.

"Pema, what is this?"

"My brother."

"Oh—your brother?"

Huang Yue glanced at Ding Heng again, her mouth moving faster than her brain: "He's quite handsome. Which factory do you work at? Or are you a food delivery driver?"

Baima was a little embarrassed: "My brother is in college."

"Going to college?"

Huang Yue's expression suddenly became subtle.

A college student, dressed neatly, whose shoes and phone looked expensive.

But his sister worked day jobs every day and refused to take a single day off.

What's going on?

Ding Heng could roughly guess Huang Yue's thoughts, but he was too lazy to explain.

He patted Baima on the shoulder and said, "Since everything's alright, I'll be going now. Remember to call Lin Man to come pick you up later."

"No need, I'll stay with Sister Huang Yue a little longer, then I'll take the subway home by myself."

"OK----"

Ding Heng nodded and turned to leave the ward.

Baima opened the fruit basket, took out a few kinds of fruit, and placed them on the bedside table.

"Sister Huang Yue, what would you like to eat? I'll order takeout."

Huang Yue didn't rush to answer. She took out the wad of money again and handed 2000 to Bai Ma this time.

Baima was stunned.

Huang Yue advised, "You should keep it, otherwise I'll feel bad—I may be thick-skinned, but I'm not ungrateful. You paid for the hospital visit, didn't you?"

Baima shook her head, still refusing.

When Baima refused to accept it, Huang Yue pulled out her ultimate weapon!

"Do you look down on me?"

She was serious; she didn't seem to be joking.

After hesitating for a moment, Baima finally reached out and took the five hundred, then stuffed the remaining one thousand five back into Huang Yue's hand.

Five hundred is enough for medical expenses.

"Alright."

Huang Yue stuffed the money back under her pillow, then suddenly asked out of the blue, "Bai Ma, you're so short of money, is it to pay for your brother's college education?"

Baima, hearing this, exclaimed, "What are you saying? How could you think that?"

"There are some like this in my hometown."

Huang Yue picked up an apple again: "My sister started working after graduating from junior high school. She would save up money for a year and go home for the New Year, but her mother would take it all to pay for her brother's tuition. One year when she was sick, she asked her family for two thousand yuan for medical treatment, but her mother told her to find a way herself."

Baima felt a lump in her throat, and was also at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.

"Don't overthink it, I'm saving money for myself."

"For yourself?"

Huang Yue's eyes showed a mixture of belief and doubt.

Baima was speechless for a moment, unsure whether she should confess to Huang Yue.

Huang Yue genuinely considered her a friend, yet she kept everything from her.

But if they were to be honest, could they still remain friends?

Will Huang Yue end up like her past "friends," becoming an ingrate who endlessly takes from her?

Outside the hospital, Ding Heng was about to get into the car when a voice came from behind him.

"Mr. Ding! Mr. Ding, please wait!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Ding Heng turned around and saw General Manager Liu jogging after him, panting heavily.

Mr. Liu stopped in front of Ding Heng, bent over and supported himself on his knees, panting for several seconds before straightening up, his face beaming with a fawning smile.

"Mr. Ding, I'm really sorry, there were too many people around and it was inconvenient to say some things just now."

He took out a business card from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, handed it over with both hands, and was extremely respectful.

"This is our company's information, please take a look. We mainly focus on electronic hardware manufacturing, and previously operated primarily in Shanghai and Shenzhen. This year, we plan to expand into central China —"

Ding Heng took it and glanced at it.

How did you find out about me?

"We've heard that your company is currently seeking investment in mainland China —"

Just as Qu Zhen reminded him, Ding Heng was recently discussing with Secretary Huang about transferring a portion of the money into the company to turn it into a business.

Mr. Liu continued, "Miss Baima's matter is purely a misunderstanding. Secretary Lin has already warned us, and I have dealt with the relevant personnel. In any case, it can be considered a matter of fate. Could you give us an opportunity to discuss cooperation?"

He spoke while observing Ding Heng's expression, being careful not to say the wrong thing.

"Today is not the right time to talk about this. You should first prepare a detailed business plan, including the company's financial statements for the past three years, the resumes of the core team, technical patents, and customer case studies."

Ding Heng put the business card in his pocket: "You have my secretary's phone number, right?"

Yes, yes.

"Make sure you're fully prepared, then contact her."

"Great! Thank you, Mr. Ding, for not holding a grudge!"

Mr. Liu thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Don't worry, I will definitely prepare the materials thoroughly! You're busy, you're busy, I won't bother you any longer—"

Ding Heng waved goodbye and drove back to his residence.

As I pushed open the door and entered the house, the motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, and the large house was quiet and peaceful.

Ding Heng changed his shoes and walked a few steps inside before he saw Wen Jing alone curled up on the living room sofa.

The little rabbit was wearing a pink and white cotton loungewear dress, with its long hair flowing down its back. It was curled up with its knees drawn up to its chest, looking all alone and pitiful.

"Why are you the only one here?"

Ding Heng walked over and pulled Wen Jing into his arms, kneading her gently: "Where are the others?"

Wenjing had grown accustomed to Ding Heng's rough, large hands from head to toe, and showed a hint of enjoyment.

Her voice was soft: "Sister Man wanted to change her hair color again, and Yan hope went with her as soon as she heard that, and even dragged Sister Hua Qing along with her."

Why didn't you go?

"I just picked up Xiaoshu from my hometown."

Wenjing explained, "Her senior year starts half a month early, so I have to take her back to the villa first."

When Wen Shu is mentioned, Little White Rabbit can't help but have some thoughts.

"Ding Heng, what do you think—should we move Xiao Shu to a different place?"

Why did you suddenly think of this?

"You let her stay in the villa before so she could keep Baima company. Now that Baima is about to go to university, it feels a bit awkward for her to live there alone—"

Wenjing carefully chose her words: "It's a little awkward."

"What's so embarrassing about it?"

Ding Heng's hands moved constantly across Wen Jing's voluptuous body, applying slightly more pressure.

"It's only a year, right? Baima will go back to stay there during her holidays. Besides, Sister Jiang is also at the villa, so it's convenient for her to take care of her daily life."

Wenjing's breathing grew heavier and heavier, and she let out a soft "hmm," as obedient as ever.

Ding Heng then asked, "By the way, has Wen Shu's grades been getting better and better lately?"

Mentioning this, Wenjing finally smiled: "Yes, my Chinese and English have improved a lot, my math is still a bit weak, but my total score is already firmly in the top 100."

"Should we reward her with something?"

"No way—"

Wenjing looked up from Ding Heng's arms, her round face full of wariness: "What are you planning to buy her now? She hasn't even used that phone of hers for very long. Don't spoil her, or she'll start comparing herself to others—"

"It can't be that bad."

Ding Heng lowered his head and kissed Wen Jing on the cheek: "I think Wen Shu is quite sensible, at least much better than Bai Ma."

"I got her a new phone last time, and she didn't get addicted. She still did her homework and studied. I think you're being too strict with her."

Wenjing was speechless for a moment.

Ding Heng then suggested, "She still has two days before school starts, how about I go with you to buy her some things tomorrow?"

Wenjing didn't refuse again, only muttering, "Don't spend too much money, you'll spoil her rotten—"

Before she could finish speaking, Ding Heng suddenly exerted force with his palm, his fingertips precisely pressing on her most sensitive spot.

"Ugh————"

Wenjing trembled, her cheeks quickly flushing crimson, which spread from her ears all the way down her neck.

"They'll probably be back in a while."

Ding Heng whispered in Wen Jing's ear, "I'll give you three chances. Let's play a game as usual! If you can win, I'll listen to you tomorrow and buy whatever you want."

97

The girl asked softly, "Then—what if I lose?"

"If I lose, I'll buy something for Wenshu tomorrow. You're not allowed to object; you have to do whatever I say."

Ding Heng grinned mischievously, "How about that, fair enough?"

"Ugh—you're so mean! I've never won before."

The little white rabbit complained in a sweet voice.

The next second, Ding Heng lifted her up into the air.

The bathroom light came on, and the night outside the window deepened.

The Xiangjiang River outside the window shimmered under the moonlight.

Accompanied by a soft, lingering sound —