She now felt even more guilt towards Shi Xinxin. She hadn't taken good care of her that day when they met up, insisting they drink until both were completely drunk. Neither of them had been able to avoid what happened.
"I'm fine, everything's good. How are you? I'm sorry, I completely forgot to call you..." Shi Xinxin's tone was full of guilt. They had gone out together, how could she forget her good friend the moment she woke up, without even asking how she was?
And now she had to let the other person worry about her safety, it was truly inexcusable.
"It's okay, it's alright. I know you, you're so forgetful."
Shi Xinxin gave an embarrassed smile over the phone. She knew Tang Tang wouldn't hold it against her, but she still felt a little sad.
"It's you, though. I remember you saying that day your boss was really fierce and kept docking your pay. Are you with him now?"
Shi Xinxin was very surprised. Had she said everything when she was drunk that day?
"The person who brought me back told me it was your boss who picked you up. I was shocked. I thought, would someone like that let you rest properly? Tell me now, how are you?"
Hearing this, Shi Xinxin finally relaxed. Thankfully, it wasn't because she had let something slip. But who was "that person"? And how did he know so much?
"Hurry up and tell me if he took good care of you. If not, I'll come pick you up right now. This little injury on my face is nothing; if my mom scolds me, she scolds me."
Tang Tang couldn't control her emotions for a moment, sounding as if she was truly going to pick Shi Xinxin up and take her home. She was roaring into the phone.
"I'm fine, I'm really fine. He does dock my pay usually, but I'm injured now, aren't I? He's taking care of the injured quite well."
Shi Xinxin quickly soothed Tang Tang. She was already very angry about the arranged marriage at home. She didn't want to add fuel to Tang Tang's fire.
"Really?" Tang Tang confirmed over the phone.
"Really, I'm not lying to you. You heard my voice wasn't right just now, right? That's because I hadn't woken up yet and didn't see the caller ID. Otherwise, how could I have spoken to you like that? The fact that I slept until this late proves he's considerate of the injured, right?"
Shi Xinxin tried her best to find strong evidence.
"That's more like it. Are you sure you're okay?" Shi Xinxin asked anxiously.
"I'm very well now."
"Then where are you now? And who is that person?" Shi Xinxin returned to the question. Tang Tang thought about it. There was nothing to hide, really. She hadn't said it earlier just because she was afraid Shi Xinxin would misunderstand.
"He's my fiancé. Isn't it a coincidence? He was at the bar that day too. We had been talking, remember? He overheard us, and then he kept watching us. He took care of us after the incident."
Shi Xinxin on the other end of the phone could hardly believe what Tang Tang was saying was true.
"He also called your boss and had him pick you up. Then he brought me home, and didn't tell my parents. I guess he's reasonable. If I had gone home like this, my mom would definitely think I had become a delinquent girl after a few years abroad, and she'd surely give me a good scolding."
She had been so serious just now, but upon hearing this, Shi Xinxin couldn't help but laugh. "Auntie wouldn't. How is that person? Is he good to you?"
Tang Tang pouted. "How should I put this? He's a decent person, and he's been very good to me. For the past two days, he's taken great care of me, arranging everything from food and drink himself, and even helped me find medicine for my scars."
"That sounds great," Shi Xinxin said, feeling that this fiancé was quite acceptable after hearing the whole story.
"It's just that he's *too* good. So good that I feel uneasy. I mean, although our families have arranged our engagement and we're fiancés, this is the first time we've actually met. Why is he being so good to me?"
Shi Xinxin was annoyed when she heard this. "That's appreciating a blessing while having it! Do you have to curse him out before you think he's your real fiancé?"
"That's not what I meant," Tang Tang quickly defended herself.
"Then what do you mean?"
"Nothing, I just find it strange..."
"Alright, don't be ungrateful for what you have," Shi Xinxin said jokingly. This way, it seemed her good friend's fiancé was treating her well, which somewhat put Shi Xinxin's mind at ease.
Arranged marriages were usually troublesome, especially since Tang Tang was someone who didn't like to follow her family's arrangements. If the other party was easygoing, they might be able to come to an understanding.
But if the other party was persistent, or had ulterior motives for approaching her, it would definitely be more troublesome. From what Tang Tang said, without even being formally introduced, just knowing their identities, he was willing to help them out so much. He didn't seem like an unreasonable person.
"No matter what, I won't easily agree to marry him," Tang Tang knew her explanations were ineffective, so she directly issued an ultimatum.
Shi Xinxin shook her head helplessly. Tang Tang's personality was strange. Despite growing up in a scholarly family, she hadn't developed the demeanor of a refined lady, nor did she have the habit of obeying orders. Instead, the older she got, the less she listened to arrangements.
This marriage, according to their family customs, was supposed to be a planned event, following parental arrangements. But Tang Tang refused, insisting on pursuing her own freedom.
Although Shi Xinxin outwardly called her ungrateful, she actually admired Tang Tang. Her family was large and influential, and besides a life of comfort, there were many rigid rules.
These rules were passed down through the family bloodline, and couldn't be broken by just one person. Yet Tang Tang bravely stood up, and Shi Xinxin admired her from the bottom of her heart.
"Alright, I know you won't give in. Then, take advantage of these few days to get to know your fiancé better. See if he has any flaws, and once you have some leverage, you can explain it to your mother," Shi Xinxin said, joking. But Tang Tang found it made a lot of sense. "That's right. Then I'll go... Oh, wait." Just as she was about to hang up, Tang Tang stopped her good friend.
"What is it?"
"For the past few days, I've told my family I just returned to the country and missed you, so I'm staying at your place. Don't give me away, okay?"