The young server sobbed, “Manager, I swear it wasn’t me! I was just delivering the snack, and he... he tried to make me do that…”
Shen Xi Fan arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying he initiated it, and you just went along with it, only to be caught and accused? Is that it?”
The girl bit her lip, remaining silent but clearly defensive. “Manager Shen, I…”
Shen Xi Fan’s face darkened. “Would you rather resign voluntarily or have us terminate you? Your choice.”
“Manager Shen!” the girl pleaded tearfully. “Please don’t fire me, I’m begging you!”
Sighing, Shen Xi Fan rubbed her temples, her voice weak. “Go to the finance department tomorrow to settle your wages. I won’t mention this incident in your record, so it’s best if you resign on your own. You’ve disappointed me. Sometimes, mistakes are irreversible. Once made, they can’t be undone.”
She paused before continuing, “Zhang Jie, please take her back. I’ll check on the rest of the areas. Let’s not have any more incidents tonight.”
* * *
Walking along the wooded path, Shen Xi Fan’s thoughts drifted. She recalled how a single mistake had once cost her a student council position. At the time, she had cried to Dai Heng, who had told her, “Some mistakes can’t be corrected. That’s why you should never make them in the first place.” She hadn’t understood him back then, questioning why minor offenses couldn’t be forgiven. Now, she did. Dai Heng was right—principled errors couldn’t be excused.
Dai Heng... Yan Heng. Her chest felt heavy, stifling. To clear her mind, she gazed at the moon, seeking solace.
Initially, she had planned to check Zone F before returning to Zones A and B. But remembering that he stayed in Villa F3, she hesitated at the entrance to Zone F. Instead, she instructed the supervisor to report back to her by phone.
As she glanced at F3, she noticed the lights blazing inside. The familiar sight struck a chord—Dai Heng had always preferred studying in his dorm room with every light on, a habit he said came from his childhood. Left alone at home, he would turn on all the lights to feel safe.
Back then, she had thought of him as a beacon. Being near him made her feel secure.
* * *
The next morning, Shen Xi Fan woke up feeling unwell. Her body felt weak, and she struggled to muster energy. During the morning meeting, Lin Yi Shen, sitting beside her, kept glancing at her.
After the meeting, he asked, “Xi Fan, why is your face so red?”
Xu Xiang Ya overheard and leaned in, placing a hand on Shen Xi Fan’s forehead. “Oh no, Xi Fan, you have a fever!”
Even General Manager Cheng was alarmed. “Manager Shen, head to the hospital and take the day off.”
Resigned to her bad luck, Shen Xi Fan went home and checked her temperature—37.6°C. Not high, and her throat didn’t hurt. She ruled out tonsillitis. Though she had been a sickly child, her constitution had improved over the years, though minor colds still cropped up occasionally.
Not wanting to take risks, she obediently went to the hospital. She avoided mentioning her fever, afraid of being quarantined as a SARS patient. Instead, she registered for a respiratory consultation. Thankfully, the clinic wasn’t busy, and she was seen quickly.
Nervously, she asked, “Doctor, could this be SARS?”
The senior physician reassured her, “Absolutely not. You just caught a cold. Your tonsils aren’t inflamed, and you’re not coughing. It’s just a low-grade fever. No need for injections—some cold medicine will do.”
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