She wasn’t willing to indulge the two in their craving for beef while leaving her family alone in the hospital, worrying about her absence.

Sanmao and Xiaozhong exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with glee, and responded eagerly.

“No problem! The two of us can even carry you back if you want!”

This dinner of yellow beef had taken a lot of persuasion. Kaizi, the leader, had finally agreed to treat them, but with a condition: if Anxin joined them, they could feast on beef. If not, they’d be stuck eating steamed buns at home.

That’s why the two had pulled a little melodramatic stunt in front of Anxin.

When Anxin finally agreed to join them, Kaizi couldn’t help but grin. He shouted at Sanmao and Xiaozhong:

“What are you standing there grinning for? Anxin has agreed to go, so let’s get moving! We’ve got to get to the west side of the city. If we’re late, there won’t be any beef left!”

Yellow beef wasn’t as readily available as it would be in later years when restaurants and markets sold it freely. This meat was imported from Mongolia—tender, flavorful, and far superior to domestic beef. Even city restaurants had difficulty obtaining it. Only well-connected establishments could manage to sell yellow beef, such as the one in the west of the city. Rumor had it that the restaurant’s wealthy and influential owner could only secure one cow per day. Once sold out, the doors would close.

On unlucky days, arriving late meant missing even the bone soup.

“Oh, got it, brother Kaizi! Let’s go now!”

Hearing this, Sanmao and Xiaozhong scrambled like rabbits, hopping into the truck and speeding off.

Anxin and Kaizi exchanged amused looks, climbed into the truck themselves, and headed for their destination.

Dinner was lively and enjoyable. By the time the meal was over, the group had become so familiar with each other that they were calling each other by their first names.

After dinner, Sanmao and Xiaozhong left early to handle some matters. Kaizi, now left alone, drove Anxin back to their small courtyard, then switched to a minivan to drop her off at the provincial hospital.

At that time, trucks weren’t banned from entering the city, but driving a large truck around at night was bound to attract attention. Kaizi, being experienced in this line of work, knew better than to draw unnecessary notice. He preferred to stay low-profile, so switching vehicles to send Anxin off made more sense.

When the minivan stopped in front of the hospital, Anxin glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 9 p.m. She turned to Kaizi and expressed her thanks.

“Kaizi, thank you. I’ll be heading in now.”

Kaizi remained seated in the driver’s seat, giving her a polite nod. With a teasing grin, he replied:

“What are you thanking me for? Got it backward, didn’t you? Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?”

After all, Anxin had helped him today by driving the truck. Without her, they wouldn’t have been able to deliver the goods on time. If they had missed the deadline, not only would they lose the profits, but they would also have to pay penalties for breaching the contract. All the hard-earned money would have gone up in smoke.

As the owner of the city’s taxi fleet, Kaizi knew Anxin probably made more driving a taxi than helping with freight, yet she still lent a hand. That kind of loyalty deserved recognition.

Anxin waved his words off casually.

“Ah, let’s not get caught up in formalities between friends. Besides, didn’t you treat me to dinner? We’re even. Just do me a favor in the future—let me rent a car without any hassle when I need one.”

She knew that in life, connections mattered. Building relationships and paying off favors was essential. To her, having another friend was always better than making an enemy. That’s why she had agreed to help Kaizi today—establishing goodwill might prove useful later.

Kaizi chuckled, his normally stern features softening a bit.

“Alright. As long as I’m in this business, I guarantee there’ll always be a car for you.”

With his promise, Anxin nodded.

“Good, I’ll hold you to that. I’ll head in now. My family’s waiting.”

She waved at Kaizi, then turned and ran toward the hospital entrance. Kaizi watched her figure disappear, leaning back in his seat with a thoughtful expression.

He suddenly understood why Anxin was working so hard as a taxi driver. It wasn’t just about making a living—her family needed her. Someone in her family was sick, and she needed money to cover medical expenses.

When people are pushed to their limits, they can summon extraordinary strength. Anxin’s straightforward, responsible nature suited the job perfectly.

Only after Anxin was out of sight did Kaizi start his engine and drive off into the night.

When Anxin arrived at the hospital room, she noticed an unusual silence. The usual chatter of her younger siblings was absent, and the quiet unnerved her. Heart pounding, she pushed the door open quickly.

Her mother, Chen Hongyan, heard the door and immediately opened her eyes. Before she could say anything, An Yang, who had been sitting in a chair, sprang up and ran over.

“Big sister, where have you been? It’s so late!”

Normally, Anxin would be back by 7 p.m. at the latest. But now it was almost 10 p.m., and she hadn’t returned. The delay had made everyone anxious.

Scanning the room, Anxin saw her twin brothers asleep, her worried mother lying in bed, and her impatient sister standing before her. With an awkward smile, she replied:

“Oh, I ran into an old friend and had dinner with them. That’s why I’m late.”

But guilt churned in her chest. If she had known, she wouldn’t have gone to dinner and made her family worry like this.

Her mother, Chen Hongyan, spoke up, her tone unusually stern.

“You shouldn’t do that. If you’re going to be late, at least let someone know. Do you realize that Yichen arrived at the hospital at six, and when you didn’t show up, he went out looking for you without even eating dinner? He hasn’t returned yet. How could you be so careless?”

Hearing her mother’s scolding, Anxin froze. She hadn’t even realized that Bai Yichen wasn’t in the room. Embarrassed, she stammered:

“What? Bai Yichen came here?”

Her mind raced as she recalled how Bai Yichen had told her earlier that he’d start work early in order to leave on time to meet her in the city.

She slapped her forehead in frustration.

“Oh no, I completely forgot!”