“Fang Yi, do you want to go to the shop with me? The Boss is handing out wages today!”
Ni Manxin hugged her books as she chased after Fang Yi across the campus, shouting loudly. Passing students all stopped in their tracks.
“Can you stop yelling? If you don’t care about your reputation, I still do! You can collect my wages for me—I’m not going today. Oh, wait, I’m not going ever again. Tell the Boss I’m resigning!”
Ni Manxin stood rooted to the spot, watching Fang Yi’s retreating figure. Was this really her? If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears today, she would never have believed these words came from Fang Yi’s mouth.
The old Fang Yi would seize any opportunity to make money, never complaining no matter how tough it got. Why did she now despise this hard-won job so much? Suddenly, Ni Manxin felt that Fang Yi had become a complete stranger.
When Ni Manxin entered the shop, she saw the Boss pacing idly in the operations room. She checked her watch—there was still some time before her shift started—so she picked up her books and began doing homework by the window.
After the Boss finished arranging everything, he stepped out. The setting sun cast its glow through the window, illuminating Ni Manxin’s delicate cheeks with a soft, radiant light.
Unconsciously, the Boss approached and stood beside her, his gaze fixed intently on the faint outline of her chest. Ni Manxin, absorbed in rushing through her homework, remained completely unaware.
“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”
The Boss quickly averted his eyes and turned to see the Junior School Girl sticking her tongue out playfully at him, which only deepened his irritation.
She knew the Boss had always been lecherous, but she never imagined he would set his sights on Ni Manxin. No, if she found the time, she must warn Ni Manxin, lest she accidentally fall into the tiger’s den.
Ni Manxin looked up as the Boss took a seat beside her and asked with a smile, “Boss, are we getting paid today?”
The Boss nodded and immediately had the Junior School Girl fetch a report from the office to calculate the wages.
Ni Manxin stared at the money laid out before her, puzzled. “Boss, did you make a mistake? I remember I should be getting a little over a thousand, but this is almost double that amount.”
The Boss grinned mischievously. “No mistake. I saw you performed exceptionally well this month, so the extra is your reward.”
Deeply moved, Ni Manxin had never expected to earn the Boss’s appreciation on her first job. She quickly stood up, looking at him earnestly. “Thank you, Boss! I’ll work even harder!”
The Boss, captivated by her rosy lips and snow-like complexion, couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her face. But before his fingers could make contact, his wrist was seized in a fierce grip. Pain shot through his entire body, twisting his expression into agony.
Ni Manxin was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
“Dong Yue, what are you doing?” Ni Manxin asked, bewildered.
“What am I doing? Can’t you see? He was about to touch your face. Or do you just enjoy letting people take advantage of you?” All the frustration and gloom Dong Yue had bottled up over the past few days erupted in an instant.
Ni Manxin never expected Dong Yue to be so despicable. Not only did he lack any gentlemanly demeanor in public, but he even called her a woman of loose morals. What could Fang Yi possibly see in such a rotten man?
The flames of fury burned fiercely within her. With a sharp crack, a palm-sized handprint immediately appeared on Dong Yue’s face.
Dong Yue was stunned, staring blankly at Ni Manxin before him. This must be Ni Chang’s true nature—otherwise, how could someone usually so delicate have been so determined to tear her own heart out for him back then.
Ni Chang, does this slap ease the hatred in your heart? If time could flow backward, would you make the same choice as you did back then?
Ni Manxin looked at the handprint on Dong Yue’s face, momentarily at a loss about what to do next.
After thinking for a long while, Ni Manxin finally stepped forward and stood before Dong Yue. She looked up at him, who towered a head taller than her.
Her eyelids slightly lowered, and her pearly white teeth clenched her red lips: “Here, I’ll let you slap me back, and we’ll call it even, alright?”
Call it even? Dong Yue smiled bitterly in resignation. Did she think the same way in her past life, wanting to settle scores with him? It was true in her previous life, and it remains true in this one.
With a smack, Ni Manxin covered her cheek, her eyes misty and pitiful as she gazed at Dong Yue: “You actually hit me? Are you even a man?”
Dong Yue looked utterly innocent: “Didn’t you ask me to hit you? You extended such a generous invitation—how could I bear to refuse? As for whether I’m a man or not, you seem quite concerned about that?”
Ni Manxin pointed at him for a long moment, unable to utter a single word. Dong Yue, who appeared upright and principled, turned out to be just as shameless and despicable.
“What are you thinking? If I really wanted to hit you, do you think you’d still be standing here pointing at me?” Dong Yue sighed helplessly.
“Then why did you hit back? Wasn’t it for revenge?” The more Ni Manxin thought about it, the angrier she became. He hit her and then made excuses—how could someone be so shameless?
Dong Yue: “There was a mosquito on your face.”
Uh… uh…
A mosquito? Ni Manxin quickly took a mirror from her backpack and examined the reddened spot on her cheek where Dong Yue had struck. Sure enough, she saw a small red bump.
So she had truly wronged him. Even so, that didn’t justify his unreasonable behavior toward the Boss earlier!
It was only then that Ni Manxin noticed the Boss, who had been standing nearby earlier, had vanished without a trace.
Taking advantage of the Boss’s absence, the Junior School Girl hurried over and recounted every detail of the Boss’s earlier actions to Ni Manxin.
Ni Manxin realized she had misunderstood Dong Yue, but her stubborn nature made it difficult for her to admit it aloud.
Dong Yue reached out a hand and gently touched her swollen cheek, murmuring with some regret: “I didn’t expect my strike to still be so heavy.”
The Junior School Girl shook her head as she watched their retreating figures. Ni Manxin was perfect in every way—why was she so clueless when it came to matters of the heart?
“Ah! I forgot to ask the Boss for Fang Yi’s wages! What should we do now?”
Ni Manxin, walking behind Dong Yue, suddenly exclaimed loudly.
Although Dong Yue was walking ahead, he was fully aware of every move Ni Manxin made behind him.
“Don’t worry about that. Leave it to me. I’ll help Fang Yi get her money back,” Dong Yue said.
Right, how could I have forgotten? Dong Yue likes Fang Yi, so naturally he would put Fang Yi’s matters first. When will I, Ni Manxin, find such a considerate and handsome boyfriend?
“Dong Yue, where do you think the shop owner went? He didn’t even say goodbye when he left.”
Dong Yue smiled faintly: “He probably feels too ashamed to face us again!”
Ni Manxin thought it made sense. If it weren’t for the junior sister’s revelation today, she would never have imagined the shop owner could be such a person—too polite!