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Shen Mi clenched her phone tightly, anxiously waiting for his reply
Even though only a few seconds had passed, it felt like an eternity to her.
During the wait, Shen Mi realized how abrupt her question was, but she couldn’t take it back verbally…
Finally, a new message popped up in the chat box –
dsm: No.
Shen Mi pulled the blanket over her face, as if afraid that the person on the other end of the phone would hear her embarrassed breathing.
dsm: Why?
Shen Mi put her phone under the blanket and tapped the screen to mute the microphone. She typed: Can we meet?
Another long silence, lasting several seconds, made Shen Mi’s heart jump into her throat.
dsm: Why are you typing instead of talking?
Shen Mi turned on the microphone and repeated with courage, “Can we meet?” Her voice sounded very straightforward.
dsm: Why do you want to see me?
The impulsive phase had ended, Shen Mi’s mind was clear again: “Because you don’t have a girlfriend.”
dsm: Huh?
Shen Mi: “I can introduce you to someone.”
A perfect answer to defuse the awkwardness.
dsm: I don’t have any plans to date recently.
Shen Mi: “Oh, okay.”
The master clearly didn’t want to see her, and Shen Mi tactfully didn’t mention meeting again.
There was a strange sense of disappointment in her heart.
dsm: Have you finished reading the medication precautions?
Shen Mi: “Yes, I can use it.”
dsm: Give me your address.
“Okay.” Shen Mi sent him her address and asked, “Is it cold where you are?”
Her voice still sounded weak.
dsm: Are you cold?
Shen Mi: “Yes, my hands and feet are cold, but I don’t feel cold when I’m chatting with you…”
…
As they chatted, Shen Mi fell asleep again.
She woke up in the middle of the night, her phone had run out of battery and automatically shut down.
She had slept well the previous day, and her spirit had recovered. Shen Mi plugged her phone in to charge, took a hot shower, and opened her computer to check and process work emails.
After turning on her phone, Shen Mi clicked on her master’s profile picture. The chat box displayed the call duration from last night.
3 hours and 29 minutes.
The master hadn’t hung up the call after that.
Her roommate said she occasionally talked in her sleep, and Shen Mi’s cheeks flushed.
She prayed she hadn’t last night.
6 am.
Shen Mi sat in front of the vanity mirror, layering skincare products on her face. The face cream Xie Rongzhuo gave her was very effective, and her skin had visibly improved recently. She applied a layer of primer, drew her eyebrows, and put on a lipstick that added a touch of color, completing her simple work makeup.
She changed into her clothes, checking her appearance from top to bottom. The skirt had no uneven folds, the stockings were not snagged. She picked up her bag, tucked the sanitary pads into the inner layer, put on her coat, and slipped into her stiletto heels.
The tailored suit concealed the vulnerable girl who had murmured in her sleep the night before.
In the penthouse of Shangbaiyue Mansion.
Shen Mi placed the breakfast she brought on the dining table and went to wash her hands. When she came out, Xie Rongzhuo was just opening the door.
“Boss, good morning.”
She smiled and nodded, stepping aside to let him pass. He went out, she went in, stopping at the closet and starting to choose a coat and tie.
Xie Rongzhuo sat at the dining table with a cup of water, his gaze lingering on her legs for a few seconds.
“Not cold?”
Shen Mi walked out with two coats in her hand, smiling slightly. “Not cold. Which one would you like to wear?”
Xie Rongzhuo shifted his gaze to her hands, his eyes lingering for a moment. “Black.”
“Okay.”
Shen Mi turned back to the closet and quickly came out. “Would this tie go with it?”
“Mm.”
Xie Rongzhuo looked at her thin white feet again. “Not cold?”
Shen Mi remained unfazed. “Not cold.”
Women who wear luxury brands are blessed. They like to wear skirts in winter and pants in summer. Xie Rongzhuo bought her eighteen pieces, all dresses. Thankfully, the “forced purchase” cashmere coat was warm enough. His home and company also had heating, otherwise, she might have frozen to death in the southern winter.
Shen Mi unbuttoned the suit jacket and handed it to Xie Rongzhuo. He reached out to put it on, turned around, and lowered his head. Shen Mi stood on tiptoe, helping him tie his tie, skillfully buttoning the coat and smoothing the tie with her palm.
“You have a meeting at nine this morning, a meeting with Mr. Chen at eleven, and Mr. Zhao from Meina Capital scheduled a meeting with you at three this afternoon.”
Xie Rongzhuo looked down at her pale cheeks. “Have the driver pick you up tomorrow.”
Shen Mi handed him the coat. “Old Zhou’s work hours are from 7 am, I came too early.”
Xie Rongzhuo took it and draped it over his wrist. “Then come later.”
“But you…”
“Want to sleep in a bit.”
“Understood.”
The boss wants to hibernate, Shen Mi is happy to oblige.
“Okay”
*
At lunch, Zhang Zhiqing’s face was full of envy. “You’re so lucky! Another half day off? My uncle really treats you well. Unlike me—if I clock out even ten minutes early, my boss chews me out.”
Xie Rongzhuo was indeed generous to his employees.
“But the boss treats another intern so differently—he’s practically hand-holding them through everything. Maybe that intern has some kind of backing.”
“Is there anyone in the company with more clout than you?”
“My uncle doesn’t let me reveal our relationship. He says if others find out, I won’t learn anything. Sigh, I finally understand how you felt back then. Office politics really can be so unfair.”
Barely a week into her grassroots assignment, the young lady was already lamenting her hardships, venting non-stop.
Quietly waiting for her to finish, Shen Mi then said, “Qingqing, thank you for yesterday.”
“Huh? I didn’t really do anything,” Zhang Zhiqing replied. “You’re okay now, right?”
“I’m fine.” Shen Mi then asked, “What did you need me for yesterday?”
“Oh, right,” Zhang Zhiqing said, pulling out her phone. “The auntie who takes care of me went back to her hometown. Send her your address, and I’ll ask her to mail you some treats.” She handed her phone to Shen Mi. “Her homemade smoked chicken wings are amazing—you have to try them.”
“Sure.”
Shen Mi figured Zhang Zhiqing was too lazy to type, so she leaned down and entered her address.
Even though Xie Rongzhuo had given her a half-day off, Shen Mi didn’t leave in the afternoon. Instead, she stayed to review the new project proposal. She carefully analyzed the target company, organized any questionable points into a detailed list, and sent it to Xie Rongzhuo’s email.
Xie Rongzhuo usually replied to her by the next evening or late at night.
His responses were always clear and thorough, pinpointing critical issues with precision. No matter how polished the opposing data appeared, he could uncover its flaws. Reading his feedback often gave Shen Mi an “aha” moment, teaching her things far beyond the scope of textbooks.
With the “all-access pass” granted by Xie Rongzhuo, Shen Mi could access the company’s archived files. Her hands-on experience during this period had gone relatively smoothly.
Before she knew it, the end of the year arrived.
The company began its New Year break, and Shen Mi spent an entire day holed up in her room playing games.
After logging off, her master sent her a message on WeChat asking if she was going back to her hometown for the holiday. Shen Mi replied that she wasn’t.
Her master didn’t press further.
dsm: Don’t stay up too late. Get some rest.
Shen Mi: Got it!
dsm: Good girl.
Shen Mi sent over a “kissing bunny” sticker.
dsm: Mm.
???
What did he mean by “Hmm”?”
“Does it mean that it’s okay to kiss him?
After their voice chat that night, her relationship with her master had changed subtly. They both understood, as if silently acknowledging the change.
Shen Mi stared at the chat interface, her cheeks slowly turning a faint red.
This year was exceptionally cold. The small chili peppers planted on the balcony were frozen to death, ruining Shen Mi’s chili stir-fry.
On New Year’s Eve, Shen Mi planned to go to the supermarket to buy some beef for a stew, but she discovered it was closed upon arrival. The vegetable market was also empty, only a few miscellaneous goods vendors were slowly packing up.
Shen Mi went over and bought two rolls of couplet paper, chose a brush, a small jar of ink, and picked up a few sheets of window flower paper. As a child, watching her grandfather write couplets at the table during the New Year was Shen Mi’s happiest time.
The vegetable vendor next to her said, “Pretty girl, buy some greens.”
Shen Mi bought a bunch, planning to cook noodles at home.
She thought, maybe I should buy a small refrigerator when I get paid, so I can stock up on some meat at home. As she walked out of the alley and turned a corner, she decided it wasn’t necessary. She was still far from saving enough for a down payment on a house, so it was best to save every penny.”
“It’s always been like this every year.”
Shen Mi couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she last went home for the New Year.
Her home with her father had collapsed in an earthquake. The government compensation was taken by her second uncle, who never helped them rebuild. Her grandparents passed away one after another, and her aunts all lost contact.
She had a hometown, but no home.
Back at her apartment, she opened the door, changed her shoes, and went to the balcony to pick vegetables.
As she untied the string holding the vegetables, she saw that more than half of the leaves were rotten. Shen Mi suddenly couldn’t hold back, she crouched on the balcony, tears flowing out like a flood.
Do unlucky people have to be completely unlucky?
Why?
She just wanted to eat some greens, is that not allowed?
Her phone rang twice.
For the third time, Shen Mi returned to her room, took a deep breath, and answered the phone, smiling softly, “Boss.”
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Xie Rongzhuo asked, “What’s wrong with your voice?”
Shen Mi, with red-rimmed eyes, spoke in her usual tone, “Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Xie Rongzhuo said, “Come down.”
Shen Mi was taken aback, “…You’re here?”
“You’re working overtime today.”
Xie Rongzhuo’s tone was flat, “Ten minutes enough?”
“Yes.”