Early the next morning, Qiu Lening was called out by Wen Yuan to go shopping. Thinking it was for clothes, but it turned out to be for ingredients, Qiu Lening felt her status was being challenged.
“Who is it that deserves my darling to cook personally?” Qiu Lening, this idle lady, was all about forgetting things as soon as she saw them.
Yesterday, she had dug up eight generations of the other person, but today…
Who is Huo Shengye? Qiu Lening didn’t know, wasn’t clear, didn’t understand.
Wen Yuan knew Qiu Lening was just a bit unhappy, unhappy that she had to coax someone. Growing up, Wen Yuan had always been the center of attention, and now she should have had a harmonious and beautiful love.
But reality was that she not only got cheated on by her ex-boyfriend, but she also had to coax the head of a conglomerate.
A single mistake could lead to the bankruptcy of her family’s business.
No matter how she thought about it, it felt frustrating and suffocating.
However, being uncomfortable was one thing; Qiu Lening was very cooperative throughout. As a professional-level foodie, Qiu Lening helped her pick out top-quality ingredients.
On the way home, Wen Yuan looked at the bill and couldn’t help but think of the 10 billion Huo Shengye’s people had transferred to Wen’s company account.
Then she thought, it seemed she needed to find a job at a company. Now that she had graduated, it was time to work.
Perhaps because she had always been the younger sister, she had a dream since childhood: to become an art teacher, teaching siblings with the same interest to draw, and being a big sister herself.
Wen Yuan felt now was the time to make that dream come true. Thinking of how her parents and brother had been troubled by the company before made Wen Yuan feel distressed. She hoped she could also provide some economic support for the family during its crisis.
Although she could earn money by drawing comics now, it was too slow, and sitting for long periods staring at a computer screen was harmful to her health.
She still needed to find a proper job.
Noticing Wen Yuan’s low mood, Qiu Lening followed Wen Yuan back home. With her best friend accompanying her, Wen Yuan temporarily stopped thinking about those troublesome matters.
While making cakes and snacks, Qiu Lening “snacked” beside her. Wen Yuan was amused and, after baking the still-warm snacks, first gave Qiu Lening a few to taste.
Song Huiyue couldn’t help much with the company matters either; these days she went to the temple every day to pray to Bodhisattva.
Around eleven in the morning, Wen Yuan finished making the few things she wanted. The cake was refrigerated.
The cooled snacks were individually packaged and boxed.
Huo Shengye sent the time, which was roughly what Wen Yuan guessed, scheduling dinner time.
Qiu Lening stayed for lunch. Wen You and Wen Defeng, the father and son, were still busy at the company during noon. Among the four family members, only Song Huiyue and Wen Yuan were home.
After lunch, the three chatted for a while, and Qiu Lening bid farewell.
Wen Yuan told Song Huiyue about going to Yalin Villa to meet Huo Shengye in the afternoon. Song Huiyue gently patted Wen Yuan’s shoulder and carefully advised.
After consulting with several HR representatives, Wen Yuan discovered that the job descriptions, salaries, and vacation policies didn’t match what had been advertised. She couldn’t help but laugh in frustration and immediately uninstalled the app she was using.
What kind of recruitment platform was this? It was clearly a scam. After deleting it, Wen Yuan let out a heavy sigh. Had she been too naive all these years?
She had thought she would find a job right after graduation, but given the current situation, that seemed impossible.
For the next hour, Wen Yuan browsed through job listings.
Unfortunately, just when she finally found a position that seemed perfect in every way, the HR representative informed her that the role had already been filled. The job posting simply hadn’t been taken down yet, and she was advised to look elsewhere.
Easier said than done… but where else was there to look?
For the first time in her twenty-three years, Wen Yuan felt the weight of deep disappointment and uncertainty.
In the end, she had no choice but to shake her head and let go of her childhood dream. If she couldn’t become an art teacher, was there really no other path?
She could try something else. Her professional skills were strong, and she had won numerous awards—surely that would count for something?
But reality proved harsh, almost skeletal in its starkness.
Over the next hour or so, several HR representatives she contacted raised the same questions:
Could she accept overtime work? What about a single-day weekend with mandatory team-building activities? Was she married or single? If married, did she have children?
One HR representative even asked if she could send photos—a full-body shot and a close-up of her face.
Wen Yuan’s face paled. She turned off her phone, covered her face with her hands, and let out another heavy sigh.
A few minutes later, her phone vibrated twice. Wen Yuan took a deep breath, straightened up, and picked it up.
It was a message from an HR representative she had contacted earlier but hadn’t heard back from until now.
Wen Yuan opened the message, and her dark eyes widened slightly, lighting up with hope.
The position seemed like something she could handle—it was a graphic design role.
The main responsibilities involved creating original designs, such as promotional posters, with a specific requirement for an aesthetic that was beautiful and soothing. Wen Yuan felt her artistic style fit perfectly, so she had submitted her resume.
She had applied on a whim, never expecting a response from this company.
After confirming the salary, benefits, and other details with the HR representative, everything matched the job description she had seen earlier.
The HR representative was polite and pleasant to talk to. After chatting for a while, Wen Yuan scheduled an interview for 10 a.m., two days later.
The company was about half an hour away from her home—not too close, and part of the route was prone to traffic jams.
But given the salary and benefits, she felt it was a good opportunity. One couldn’t have everything.
Wen Yuan confirmed the interview time with the HR representative:
Alright, see you at 10 a.m. the day after tomorrow.
16:48
Yalin Villa Complex, Area A, No. 8.
Wen Yuan stepped out of the car carrying a box of pastries and cakes. Before she could approach the door, a man in black hurried over and said respectfully, “Miss Wen, let me take that for you.”
It was indeed a bit heavy. Wen Yuan thanked him politely and turned around. Just then, Huo Shengye emerged from inside, dressed entirely in black.
His pale complexion stood out starkly against the black satin shirt, making him look like some kind of male enchantress.
It reminded Wen Yuan of a vampire prince from a movie she had once seen.
“Did Miss Wen make these herself?”
Huo Shengye walked toward her. Wen Yuan was still lost in thought, her mind involuntarily replaying scenes from the movie. Suddenly, she felt warmth on her hand.
She snapped back to reality and looked down, slightly startled—Huo Shengye had taken her hand.
“Lost in thought?” He leaned close to whisper by her ear, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. “You promised to be very obedient.”
His voice was low and mesmerizing, utterly captivating as he spoke, drawing closer once more. “Miss Wen, why do you seem like a little fox who’s lying?”