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Lu Chen arrived at the hospital and found Su Peipei’s ward.
She was already awake, and the effects of the drug had worn off.
When she looked at the man sitting across from her, her heartbeat inexplicably sped up.
She hadn’t expected him to be so handsome, with such an extraordinary presence.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” Su Peipei quickly lowered her gaze, looking ashamed and embarrassed. “This morning, my uncle said he was taking me into town for a blind date. I’ve lived in his household since I was young, so I’ve always listened to him. He brought me to the guesthouse and gave me a glass of water. After drinking it, I passed out. When I woke up, I was in a room, my whole body burning. Luckily, you called a doctor in time, otherwise I would’ve been utterly humiliated. Thank you.”
Lu Chen sat opposite her, his expression indifferent. “Who’s your uncle?”
He wanted to know who this man was—who dared to stuff a woman into his room.
“My uncle’s name is Su Xinyun.” Su Peipei lowered her head even further. “He originally meant to send me to Director He of the state-run factory, but maybe he got the room wrong and ended up sending me to yours. In any case, I’m grateful to you for today.”
At the mention of that name, Lu Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
So Director He was quite the popular figure—two different people had tried to send women to him today, and both times, the women ended up in Lu Chen’s room.
“I’ll get to the bottom of what really happened. Since you’re fine, rest well.” Lu Chen stood up, uninterested in meddling in her family affairs.
Su Peipei quickly called out, “Sir, my name is Su Peipei. May I at least know your name? You saved me—I should know my benefactor’s name.”
“It was just a matter of calling the guesthouse staff. The ones who really helped you were them, not me. My name isn’t important.”
Watching his retreating back, Su Peipei bit her lip unconsciously.
He didn’t seem the least bit interested in her.
What kind of man would be completely indifferent to a beautiful woman, drugged and vulnerable? Only one type: a man who was physically incapable.
Was his body really not working?
But recalling his tall, imposing figure—he certainly didn’t look incapable.
Forget it. If not this time, she’d just find another chance.
Lu Chen returned to the guesthouse, carrying a boxed meal he’d bought outside. When he opened the room door, however, the bed was already neatly made, and the woman was gone.
He placed the food on the table, a bitter laugh rising in his chest.
Very good. He had told her to obediently wait in the room, but she’d run off.
On the table was a note:
“Mr. Lu, your performance was much better this time than last time—I’m very satisfied. Today’s incident was an accident, nothing worth remembering. Farewell.”
Reading the note, Lu Chen’s eyes darkened with rage.
She dared to sleep with him and then run off without taking responsibility? Impossible.
Tianxiang Village, was it? He would definitely visit—he wanted to see what kind of family could raise such a shameless daughter, one who repeatedly behaved so irresponsibly.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yuanyue—who had just slept with a man and fled—was happily wandering around the county’s department store.
The clothes and shoes inside were truly beautiful.
Unfortunately, they were expensive.
A simple dress cost over fifty yuan, and a pair of sandals cost more than sixty.
The hundred yuan in her pocket wasn’t enough to buy even one dress or pair of shoes.
After wandering for a while, she left empty-handed.
What a joke. She had finally gotten her hands on some money—of course she couldn’t spend it recklessly. She had to use it wisely, ideally in a way that could grow into more money.
If she wanted to make money, she had to leave Tianxiang Village. If she stayed, her family would definitely try every way to stop her. Even if they didn’t, they would demand she hand over everything she earned.
So—how could she leave Tianxiang Village?
Marriage was the quickest, most direct way. But who knew if that dog man (Lu Chen) would suddenly grow a conscience, change the original plot, and insist on marrying a side character like her?
After strolling a few more of the town’s bustling streets, she could clearly see how fast private businesses were developing. Clothing shops, restaurants, and more were popping up like bamboo shoots after rain.
In this era, as long as you had the guts and supply channels, you could make money reselling clothes, shoes, and socks.
In her past life, she had been a fashion designer. If she were to do business, she should start in the field she knew best.
Opening a clothing store was impossible for now—she didn’t have the capital.
That left another option: design a few outfits and take them to a factory to see if they’d be interested.
With that in mind, she bought some pens and sketch paper, found a quiet spot, and began drafting designs.
She had already asked around and learned there was a state-run garment factory nearby. However, because it had been unprofitable for years, there were talks of privatization.
The factory’s struggles were obvious—its designs were outdated and couldn’t attract orders.
So, her plan was simple: sketch two outfits and try her luck. If they accepted, great. If not, she’d come back another day.
Within half an hour, two complete designs came to life under her pen.
Looking at them, she was quite satisfied.
She was, after all, the ultimate corporate workhorse in her past life—sketching designs was basic work. And as for 1980s fashion trends, she knew them like the back of her hand.
With the sketches in hand, she asked for the exact address of the state-run garment factory and set out to try her luck.
The factory had been established for twenty years. It had once flourished, but in the last two years, business had sharply declined. The higher-ups were already considering selling it off for privatization.
Director Ge had called the heads of several departments to a meeting, asking them to take a stand—fight to keep the factory alive, or accept its sale.
“Director, why is private business booming while we can’t get orders? I’ve thought about it, and I believe the problem lies in our designs. We keep reusing the same old patterns, while private shops are innovating constantly. Customers today have more disposable income, so of course they’ll choose the prettier clothes instead of our drab gray ones,” said Director Guan from the sales department.
She was a capable woman who had struggled for months to attract new clients, but with little success. Without reform, the factory couldn’t survive.
“I agree with Director Guan,” added Lao Gao, the production supervisor. “If we want to survive, we must reform. Why don’t we hire a few designers, let them create some new styles, and show them to clients? If even new designs don’t work, then at least we’ve tried our best.”