War Bei Jue had an accident when he was seven years old.
It was during the winter break, nearing the end of the year, a time for family reunions. Old Master Zhan particularly missed his deceased wife, so he impulsively decided to take War Bei Jue alone to their old home in Bei Tang to visit his grandmother.
What was supposed to be a decade-long love story of life and death separated by vast distances, turned into a nightmare when the weather drastically changed mid-journey, and heavy snow began to fall from a gloomy sky. The road to Bei Tang was high and steep, the surface slippery. The car's brakes failed, and Old Master Zhan and War Bei Jue were trapped in the wreckage at the mountainside after the car overturned.
The car was severely deformed, and the two were trapped inside, unable to move for several hours. Just as it became dark and cold, and their lives hung by a thread, Jiang Nan Fang's family of three passed by. They heard faint cries for help, and her mother insisted on investigating, which ultimately saved their lives. This also led to the later engagement with the Zhan family.
Jiang Nan Fang had known War Bei Jue since she was five years old. She had personally witnessed his rescue after the accident, so she was well aware of his claustrophobia.
His weakness exposed, War Bei Jue was displeased. "Someone will be here to check the situation within half an hour. Don't get cocky."
Rarely having an advantage over him, Jiang Nan Fang found it hard not to be smug. "That would be for the best. I hope you can make it through this half hour."
"Tch," War Bei Jue scoffed.
Just half an hour. He hadn't had an episode in over twenty years, he didn't believe he would be so useless today.
The two leaned against opposite walls, waiting in silence for rescue, no longer speaking.
One minute passed, no movement. Two minutes, three minutes, five minutes...
His legs were tired. No one was coming anytime soon, so Jiang Nan Fang took off her high heels and sat on the ground to wait.
She was at ease, moving as freely as a fish in water in the darkness. Across from her, sweat had already soaked through War Bei Jue's torn shirt.
His heart beat faster and faster, the suffocating feeling intensifying, as if every second was a replay of the agonizing state during the car crash. He felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. No matter how much War Bei Jue didn't want to admit it, reality told him he couldn't hold on.
He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and endured for another two minutes. He was about to vomit, so he had no choice but to speak to Jiang Nan Fang. "Jiang Nan Fang."
Jiang Nan Fang knew he was at his limit and deliberately maintained her composure, ignoring him.
"Give me your phone."
Still no response.
"My phone is dead. I need to borrow yours."
You think of borrowing my phone now? What were you doing before? When you were so arrogant, didn't you think about leaving yourself an escape route?
Jiang Nan Fang still ignored him.
"I'll pay you. It's not for free, just say something!" The words were almost squeezed out through his teeth.
Feeling that his life was hanging by a thread, his breath faint, about to give up, Jiang Nan Fang felt a sense of satisfaction. She looked at him sarcastically, "I'm not short on money, sorry Mr. Zhan."
"..." War Bei Jue clung to his rationality, refusing to slide to the ground. He gritted his teeth, "I'll pay you by the second. You name the price."
"Oh, I can name any price? Then you're likely to go bankrupt."
"Ask for a price based on your current market value. Consider it overtime, and I'll pay you overtime wages. The tax bureau will investigate if you ask for an exorbitant price, and then I'll charge you with extortion."
"..." He still had the mood to lecture me on the law at this point?
But he was right. Asking for an exorbitant price could easily lead to trouble.
Since she was idle anyway, and he had plenty of money, it would be foolish not to earn it.
Jiang Nan Fang didn't give him her phone immediately. "I've been working at your company for a month, and it's been voluntary labor. It's time to discuss my salary. Tell me, after doing so many things for you, how much do you plan to pay me per month?"