Chu Feng walked out of the school gate. Across the street, the milk tea shop was as busy as ever. Next to it, the cosmetics brand Human April was holding its summer promotion, and groups of young couples kept going in and out.
As Chu Feng approached the entrance, the staff greeted him warmly. This was the tenth branch opened by Lu Siyue. Three years ago, Chu Feng had worked here, dressed in a heavy mascot suit, handing out flyers. At that time, he was extremely short on money and worked desperately hard.
The weather was scorching hot, and since Chu Feng never slacked off, he eventually collapsed from heatstroke. When he woke up, he found himself in the hospital—and to his surprise, sitting beside him was a mature and alluring beauty.
He hadn’t known her identity at the time, only felt deeply moved. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Chu Feng thought she had worn herself out looking after him. Filled with gratitude, he offered her his hospital bed. Perhaps she really was exhausted, for she lay down and fell fast asleep.
Later, Chu Feng learned that the woman was none other than CEO Lu Siyue, who had been visiting the branch for an inspection. Because of the immense pressure of her work, Lu Siyue often suffered from insomnia. That night by his bedside had been the soundest sleep she had in years.
Afterward, she reassigned Chu Feng. He no longer needed to wear the stifling mascot suit to hand out flyers on the street. Instead, every Sunday, all he had to do was stay by her side and help her sleep peacefully.
“Chu Feng, why didn’t you come yesterday? President Lu didn’t sleep at all last night.” The voice came from Ling Yue, Lu Siyue’s personal assistant, as she walked out of the store. She pressed a car key, and a red Maserati on the opposite side of the road lit up in response.
Chu Feng replied casually, “I had something to do yesterday. I asked President Lu for leave.”
They got in the car, Chu Feng taking the back seat. He pulled out some hand cream, rubbing it into his palms. Soon, he would use those hands to massage Lu Siyue, helping her rest well.
From the driver’s seat, Ling Yue started the car, still sounding dissatisfied. “President Lu hasn’t rested properly for a whole week, and last night you stood her up again.”
Lu Siyue’s insomnia had worsened. From Monday to Saturday, she worked day and night, unable to sleep. Only on Sundays, with Chu Feng by her side, could she rest even a little. But yesterday Chu Feng had taken leave to pick up his grandmother from the hospital, and so Lu Siyue hadn’t slept again. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
As her assistant, Ling Yue’s greatest responsibility was to reduce Lu Siyue’s burdens. She had tried every method to help her sleep, even learning Chu Feng’s massage techniques to replicate them, but the results were minimal. They had tried hospitals, too. Piles of prescriptions were written, yet none had much effect.
Glancing at Chu Feng’s pale, delicate hands in the rearview mirror, Ling Yue couldn’t help feeling a sting of jealousy. Why? Why could President Lu sleep soundly only with him there? Why did her own efforts mean nothing? “Tch, pretty boy,” she cursed silently. Still, she had no choice—Lu Siyue’s insomnia could only be eased by Chu Feng.
She asked, “Chu Feng, I heard you’re classmates with Shen Chenxi?”
Chu Feng nodded. Customer information was supposed to remain confidential, but Shen Chenxi was a public figure. Her details were everywhere online. Since she was at Experimental High School, the same as Chu Feng, there was no hiding it. He added, “We’re just ordinary classmates.”
Ling Yue’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Our company, Human April, has developed a new skincare product called ‘Fairy Water.’ It’s great for skin nourishment and anti-aging. President Lu has high hopes for it and wants Shen Chenxi as the spokesperson. But Shen Chenxi just won The Voice, and her fame is skyrocketing. Many companies are rushing to sign her, and we don’t have much of an advantage, so…”
From the back seat, Chu Feng could see Ling Yue’s short, wavy black hair gleaming like silk. He smirked. “And what does that have to do with me?”
As the light at the intersection turned yellow, Ling Yue suddenly stepped hard on the gas, pushing the Maserati through in the last second before it went red. Once the car steadied again, she gritted her teeth but had nothing to say. Strictly speaking, this matter indeed had nothing to do with Chu Feng.
In the back, Chu Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, then took out his phone and dialed a number. A cool, clear female voice answered. Chu Feng said evenly, “Chenxi, I heard you haven’t accepted any endorsements yet? Human April has a new product called ‘Fairy Water.’ It’s really good for the skin, and it fits your image well… Nothing important, I just thought I’d mention it. You can talk it over with your agent. Mm. Mm. Good night.”
Ling Yue, who had been eavesdropping, looked at him strangely. “Why are you helping me?”
Chu Feng pocketed his phone, leaned back lazily, and said, “Weren’t you worried about this?”
Ling Yue froze. She had always looked down on Chu Feng, thinking he stole President Lu’s attention from her, that his intentions were impure, that being a grown man giving massages was undignified. She had taken every chance to oppose him. This story is hosted at NovelPing.
Yet now, Chu Feng had taken the initiative to call and help her solve her biggest problem. If Shen Chenxi really signed with Human April, Ling Yue would be credited with the success, and she would reap great benefits.
Still, she reminded him, “Do you know? Yesterday, President Lu turned down an important meeting just so she could rest, but because you didn’t come, she couldn’t. She seemed upset. You’d better be careful today.”
The Maserati cruised steadily through the bustling streets. Chu Feng sighed softly. “It wasn’t intentional. My grandmother was discharged from the hospital yesterday, and I went to pick her up. She’d been hospitalized for three years. Being thrifty, she didn’t want to throw anything away. I had to pack several big bags before I could bring everything home.”
Ling Yue blinked in surprise, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.
Chu Feng continued, “I lost my parents when I was little. My grandmother raised me. So no matter how hard it gets, I want her to live. You think I’m greedy, and it’s true—I’ll do any job. Even in thirty-eight-degree weather, when others wouldn’t, I wore that suffocating mascot suit on the street to hand out flyers. I collapsed from heatstroke, but that hundred yuan I earned meant my grandmother could stay another half day in the hospital. That was worth it.”
Ling Yue’s hands trembled, and the Maserati swerved slightly before she steadied it. Her face turned pale as she clutched the wheel.
So that was why Chu Feng took this job. He was an orphan. His only family had been hospitalized, and the crushing medical bills for three years had all fallen on a teenage boy’s shoulders.
What had Chu Feng really gone through?