No One Loves Me (GL) - Chapter 3

After exploring for a night, Xin Geling finally had a better understanding of the new things that had emerged in the seven years she was gone.

Early the next morning, the air was fresh, and the rising sun brought hope.

Xin Geling turned off her alarm, changed into her sportswear, came out of her room, and found her mother cooking breakfast.

“Mom, I’m going for a run.”

Lin Huilan poked her head out of the kitchen. “Be careful.”

“Got it.” Xin Geling opened the two doors at the entrance, went downstairs, and started jogging along the street.

The Lingzhang Street area is part of the old town. Because it is close to several middle and high schools, there are many students shopping after school. Over time, the ground floors of buildings on both sides of the street have mostly been converted into restaurants and entertainment shops. Just around the corner is a small clothing “underground mall.”

It gets very lively at night.

After her morning run, Xin Geling was on her way back when she saw a recruitment ad posted at the entrance of a small clothing store. She went over to look at it. A sales assistant position offered a monthly salary of 3,000-4,000 yuan, with no education limit.

The position of store manager was also open, but it required a bachelor’s degree or higher and relevant experience, with a salary of 6,000-8,000 yuan a month—double that of the sales assistant.

Xin Geling thought about her high school education and looked at the 3,000 yuan salary a bit longer.

The store manager happened to come out and saw her. “Are you here to apply? For sales assistant or store manager?”

Thinking there was no harm in asking, Xin Geling said, “Sales assistant.”

The manager led her inside and gave her a tour of the store. “The job is very simple. You just have to mop the floor in the morning, greet customers when they come in, show them clothes they want to buy, and then process payments at the machine. You’ll scan the code to receive payment and pack the clothes for the customer. That’s basically it.”

Xin Geling listened carefully. “What about the working hours?”

The manager said, “There aren’t many people in the morning, so we usually open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 9 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.”

“Does it include food and accommodation?” Xin Geling asked.

“No, you have to sort that out yourself.”

Seeing Xin Geling fall silent, the manager followed up. “How about it? Are you interested?”

“Are there any other requirements?” Xin Geling asked.

The manager thought about a previous employee who was caught stealing and refused to admit it when she was fired, causing the store to lose a lot of money. “We don’t hire people with a criminal record.”

Xin Geling pursed her lips. “What kind of criminal record?”

The manager looked at her and saw her features were upright and proper, with a hint of heroism in her eyes. She didn’t look like someone who would commit a crime, so she didn’t think much of it and said, “We don’t want anyone who is dishonest or has been detained or has served time. You know, we can’t take that risk.”

Xin Geling remained silent.

Seeing that she still wasn’t speaking, the manager frowned. “Don’t tell me—”

Xin Geling suddenly interrupted, “Sorry, manager, I’ll think about it and get back to you.”

The manager stopped her speculation. “All right. Let me know when you’ve decided.”

Xin Geling walked out of the store with a faint sigh. Her criminal record would probably make it impossible for her to get some jobs. She probably wouldn’t even be hired at a factory.

What could she do?

Xin Geling was preoccupied. Her mother’s bronchitis still hadn’t gotten better, and their remaining savings probably wouldn’t last much longer. She still had to set aside money for medicine…

On her way back, she saw many other job postings—for bubble tea shop staff, restaurant servers, hair salon apprentices, etc. Xin Geling went in and asked about all of them, discreetly inquiring about their attitudes toward people with criminal records.

Without exception, they all said they couldn’t accept it. Even if they accidentally hired someone, they would fire them immediately.

Xin Geling was a little discouraged. As she passed a pet grooming shop in an alley, she saw a hiring notice and stopped again.

Grooming Staff Needed—4,000/month

She went in to inquire, not holding out much hope and even preparing to hear that they didn’t accept people who had served time.

However, after explaining the job duties, working hours, and benefits, the pet grooming shop owner asked her when she could start.

Xin Geling was slightly stunned. After her repeated rejections, she decided to keep the fact that she had been to prison a secret. “Tomorrow,” she said.

The pet grooming shop owner thought for a moment. “Okay, come in at 9 a.m. tomorrow.”

After returning home, Xin Geling and her mother had breakfast—simple white porridge and fried dough sticks, which were bought from downstairs.

Lin Huilan cautiously asked, “What are your plans, my daughter? Do you want to continue your studies?”

Xin Geling shook her head. “I’m looking for a job.”

Lin Huilan thought about her daughter’s education and was afraid of hurting her pride. She was also heartbroken that her daughter had had a bright future, and if she hadn’t been in prison for seven years, she would have been no worse than that Xie Zhitang.

But now…

Thinking about this injustice, Lin Huilan’s throat became tight. She tried her best to act normal and offered, “Well… I’ll go out and look for you in the next few days. You can rest at home.”

“Mom, I’ve already found one.”

Xin Geling looked up at her, meeting her gaze seriously. “It’s at a pet grooming shop nearby called Cat Paws. I’m starting tomorrow. The salary is pretty good—4,000 yuan a month, with weekends off.”

Lin Huilan was surprised. “You found a job this morning? I thought you went for a run?”

Xin Geling saw her mom’s bowl was empty, so she took it and served her another bowl of porridge. “I saw a lot of job postings on the street when I came back, so I went to ask.”

Lin Huilan took the bowl and looked at Xin Geling with heartfelt sadness. Her daughter was so sensible, looking for a job as soon as she was released from prison, never complaining about her unfair fate.

“Will it be very hard?” she asked.

Xin Geling said, “It’s just grooming cats, de-worming them, and stuff like that. I’ll see if I can handle it first.”

Lin Huilan nodded. “Okay, if you feel it’s too difficult, we’ll find another job. There are jobs everywhere. As long as you have hands, you can do anything, right, my daughter?”

Xin Geling smiled and agreed, “Right.”

The next day, Xin Geling went to work.

The pet grooming shop owner explained the grooming steps to her.

“After a deep clean, you need to clip the cat’s nails, clean their ears, shave the hair on their paws, and express their anal glands.”

“We usually weigh the cats first. Prices are based on weight. For a shorthair cat under 4 pounds, the fee is 100 yuan. For a longhair, it’s 150 yuan. For a shorthair between 4-8 pounds, it’s 150 yuan. For a longhair, it’s 200 yuan. For a shorthair between 8-12 pounds, it’s 200 yuan, and for a longhair, it’s 250 yuan. For over 12 pounds, the price is negotiable.”

The owner gave her a table and continued, “Remember these prices. We also offer boarding for 120 yuan a day.”

Xin Geling said she understood. The shop wasn’t big, but one wall had a large wooden cat display cabinet that was very clean and tidy. Each compartment even had staggered platforms for the cats to play on.

Her job also included cleaning this display cabinet every morning and adding food and water for the boarded cats.

Just then, a customer came in with a cat for a grooming session. The owner personally demonstrated how to do it.

Xin Geling listened and took notes.

By the time she had finished grooming three or five cats, she had become proficient.

Xin Geling decided to continue with this job. It wasn’t difficult for her.

Lin Jun Advertising.

After the pitch was over, the remaining work was handed over to the media and planning departments. The creative department’s work was very relaxed until a new project came along.

They would clock in in the morning and then spend the rest of the day chatting, gossiping, and looking at and analyzing successful ad campaigns. They would leave on time at 5 p.m.

Art Director Lucy held a cup of coffee and sighed. “To be honest, I’m really in love with the built-in wine cabinet that MUCH is promoting. It’s so stylish. If I didn’t drink, I’d still want to install a beautiful wine cabinet like that at home.”

MUCH is the high-end home appliance brand that was the client in their recent pitch.

Copywriter Lin Yibing, who loves to cook at home, glanced at her. “Installing their wine cabinet is not as practical as installing their built-in oven. And we can get an employee discount with this collaboration. Are you tempted?”

Lucy’s face drooped. “But I have no desire to cook. I’d rather eat out.”

Lin Yibing: “…”

Lucy looked at Creative Director Xie, who was on the side. It was obvious she was browsing successful ad campaigns, analyzing other people’s ideas.

In the advertising industry, you have to keep up with the times. Your creativity also has to keep up with the pace of the times.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Manager Fei for the past two days,” Lucy said, looking at Xie Zhitang.

Lin Yibing also looked over. Everyone saw Manager Fei go in to find Director Xie that day, and he came running out in a panic a moment later.

They were all very curious about what had happened.

But after Lucy asked, Xie Zhitang’s gaze remained on her computer screen, as if she hadn’t heard.

Lucy boldly asked, “Director Xie, do you know where Manager Fei went?”

Xie Zhitang moved her mouse. “I’m not a mind reader. How would I know?”

With that, Xie Zhitang glanced at her.

Lucy sheepishly looked away and then looked at the time, getting excited again. “Wow—three more minutes until we get off work!”

Lin Yibing and Lucy immediately shut down their computers and put away the magazines they had been reading.

They discussed what to eat for dinner and if they had any plans to hang out.

Xie Zhitang also turned off her computer and opened her phone to check a location. Her eyes lit up.

Sister isn’t at home.

Xie Zhitang zoomed in on the location and found that it was at a pet grooming shop near Lingzhang Street. She had been there for almost nine hours.

What is she doing there?

Xie Zhitang saw the long duration and a guess flashed through her mind.

She immediately packed up her things, clocked out, and drove to Lingzhang Street.

Half an hour later, her car was parked under a tree across from the Cat Paws Pet Grooming shop.

Xie Zhitang’s gaze passed through the glass door and landed on a tall, slender figure. She was holding a small cat in her arms, explaining something to a customer.

She was serious, patient, and unhurried as she explained.

Xie Zhitang watched for a long time, until Xin Geling took the cat into the grooming room. Only then did she look away.

Cats…

“Bingbing, are you on a business trip these days?” Xie Zhitang called Lin Yibing.

Lin Yibing was having dinner with Lucy. “Yes, I’m going to A City tomorrow to host the Summer Campus Ad Creative Competition.”

Xie Zhitang asked, “Did you find someone to take care of your cat?”

“No, I was planning to board her at a pet shop,” Lin Yibing said.

Xie Zhitang looked at the pet shop again. “If you don’t mind, I can take care of her for you.”

Lin Yibing was taken aback. “Huh?”

Xie Zhitang explained softly, “I have a friend who works at a pet grooming shop. I’ll pay for the boarding and grooming fees.”