The next day, the Maybach once again pulled up at the entrance of District Three in Yun City.
This time, the security guard was already familiar with it and hurried over, only to see a petite young woman step out from the back seat.
The morning sunlight was just right. Chu Ningwu narrowed her eyes slightly against the brightness and followed her memory as she walked toward her home.
Today, Xiao Liu had been assigned by Huo Zong to work as a mover, and once again, his understanding of Miss Chu had been refreshed.
Although Huo Zong did not have any drinking engagements in his schedule today, he had always believed that driving himself was a waste of commuting time. Normally, he had a chauffeur drive while he handled work in the car.
Yet today, he had unusually driven himself to the summit forum downtown.
When Xiao Liu left earlier, he had even spotted Butler He editing a recruitment notice for a new driver. Alarmed, he had nervously asked whether he was about to be fired.
Butler He had simply patted his shoulder with ease.
“Huo Zong has more than a dozen cars in his garage. One driver isn’t enough to handle them all.”
“Don’t worry. As long as you work properly, when has Huo Zong ever casually fired anyone?”
At the door, Chu Ningwu entered the password into the electronic lock while Xiao Liu was still parking outside the neighborhood and had not followed her in yet.
Her thoughts were in complete disarray. She had no idea what Huo Zhi Chuan actually meant by all this.
Her lease with the landlord was due to expire next month. The landlord had just messaged her asking whether she wanted to renew, and she had replied, “Yes.”
The landlord had then sent over the new electronic contract, but now she hesitated.
Last night, when Huo Zhi Chuan had come over to apply medicine for her, Chu Ningwu had finally realized something.
This male lead definitely enjoyed watching her make a fool of herself.
Clearly, he was the one bullying her, yet when she cried, he became unhappy and refused to let her cry.
He praised her with words like “so good” and “so obedient,” saying he would reward her. But when she begged him to be gentler, his hands never slowed down in the slightest.
The male lead clearly saw her as a fresh new toy that was easy to control and manipulate.
But how long could that sense of novelty really last?
Chu Ningwu had no confidence in that.
She casually packed enough luggage for a week, just two or three changes of clothes, some scattered cosmetics, and miscellaneous items.
Actually, Yun Bang Shui Wan had everything she needed. She had already decided to take full advantage of the capitalist benefits there, so she truly did not want to bring much. She only packed enough to make it look convincing.
Since she assumed she would be coming back soon, she did not even mention it in the shared apartment group chat.
But when she dragged her suitcase out, she ran into her first roommate in the living room.
“Xiao Ning, are you going on a trip?”
The round-faced girl carrying a thermos was Wenwen, whom Chu Ningwu recognized from the original host’s memories.
The first thing Wenwen had said in the group chat had been introducing herself as a graduate student at Jing University, renting here for convenience during her internship nearby.
The original host had also graduated from Jing University but had never mentioned it to her roommates.
At first, Chu Ningwu had assumed Wenwen might be somewhat arrogant, but after interacting with her, she found her to be quite friendly and outgoing.
“Emm… I’m staying at a friend’s house for a few days.”
“I see. Then have fun!” Wenwen’s tone shifted. “I’m going abroad in a few days too. By the time you come back, I might’ve already moved out.”
Chu Ningwu instinctively asked, “Are you traveling?”
Wenwen replied proudly, “Nope. I got accepted into an overseas exchange program next semester. I’m pausing work. Your big sister here is going to see the world!”
Chu Ningwu blinked blankly.
“Is that organized by the school? Doesn’t it cost a lot of money?”
Wenwen shrugged.
“It’s a self-funded school program. I’ve worked long enough to save quite a bit, and I can work part-time overseas too.”
Chu Ningwu nodded and did not continue the conversation.
From her memories, the original host had majored in the humanities and spent all four years of university constantly tutoring, believing unpaid internships at major corporations were too much of a loss.
Later, during senior year, she had even secured postgraduate recommendation qualifications, but because she was eager to earn money, she gave up further education.
Armed with a Jing University bachelor’s degree and an almost blank internship resume, she had submitted hundreds of applications across Beijing with barely any interview invitations.
In the end, she had cast aside her scholarly pride and chosen her current front desk job.
The original host’s thoughts had been simple.
Fast money. Easy work. Minimal brainpower.
After working for over half a year, witnessing endless extravagance, and befriending questionable people, her mind had eventually become filled with only one thing getting close to wealthy people.
Chu Ningwu did not know how to judge that.
After leaving, she handed her luggage to Xiao Liu and said gloomily, “I want to go find a part-time job this afternoon. That should be okay, right?”
Xiao Liu asked, “Do you need me to drive you?”
“N-no. I mean, you don’t have to follow me around. Just deliver my things there. I’ll go back myself tonight.”
Even saying “Yun Bang Shui Wan” felt unbearably embarrassing, so she simply used “there” instead.
Xiao Liu thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
After all, Huo Zong had instructed him to follow her orders. Even if Miss Chu ran away, that was not his problem. Reporting it to Huo Zong in advance would still count as fulfilling his duties.
Thinking about how she had inexplicably skipped work yesterday, Chu Ningwu decided she should at least explain things to her supervisor, so she headed first to Yun Ding Hotel.
As a luxury entertainment club frequently visited by the male lead, the lower floors housed standard billiards rooms, karaoke lounges, dance halls, tea rooms, and similar entertainment facilities.
The upper floors were a hotel, and all visible services were entirely legitimate and professional.
Even during the day, there were plenty of patrons some dining, drinking tea, and conveniently discussing business.
As Chu Ningwu wandered around searching for her supervisor, she unexpectedly overheard an anxious female voice from the office next door.
“Yaya, why did you quit? What am I supposed to do about my sales numbers now? Don’t give me that nonsense about finally making it… What? You’re pregnant?”
The moment Mia heard this, she knew her star saleswoman was definitely not coming back.
She had even made a bet to compete against that male supervisor.
The men under his management were incredibly skilled, charming customers into buying champagne towers every single day.
Who exactly was artificially inflating the market for male escorts? It was truly heartbreaking.
Frazzled, she hung up and prepared to ask HR whether there were any standout applicants for sales positions.
The moment she opened the door—
Holy crap!!
Her savior had arrived!
Chu Ningwu stared blankly at the young woman before her.
She wore a fitted business skirt suit, with glamorous wavy hair, seductive red lips, and a nameplate pinned to her left chest that read “Sales Manager.”
Without warning, the woman grabbed her arm tightly, her eyes glowing green as she stared intensely at Chu Ningwu’s face.
“What are you doing? Did you mistake me for someone else? I don’t even know you!”
The moment Chu Ningwu spoke, Mia became even more excited.
This was guaranteed success!
This angelic face.
This sweet voice.
This soft, delicate tone.
This innocent and naïve expression.
Her pure little white rabbit vibe was absolutely maxed out.
At first glance, she looked exactly like a fragrant, soft little cake.
Who wouldn’t want a bite?
“How old are you this year?”
“Twenty-three… Why?”
“Are you here applying for a job? What position? How about joining my team? I’ll give you this much as your base salary.”
Chu Ningwu had originally wanted to explain she was front desk staff, but when she saw Mia hold up three fingers, she almost rolled her eyes.
“Three thousand?”
“Add another zero.”
Chu Ningwu was genuinely shocked.
Sales made this much money now?
“But I’ve never done sales before. I’ve only sold phone cards and handed out flyers…”
“If you’re scared, you can start by trying the billiards room. Testing it out won’t hurt.”
Chu Ningwu did not quite understand.
Why would sales be scary?
Were people afraid of quoting the wrong prices?
Seeing the hesitation on the young woman’s face, Mia directly grabbed her and dragged her upstairs to the fourth floor.