After a few seconds, he continued typing.

Shen Mi stared at the chat box, waiting for a long time, thinking she was about to face an embarrassing moment, but then he stopped typing again.

“……”

In her decades of life, she had encountered some ups and downs.

Shen Mi took the initiative to ease the situation: Sorry, I sent that by mistake.

This time, Xie Rongzhuo replied quickly.

dsm: Do you have other masters?

Shen Mi: “……”

dsm: Do you like roses?

He changed the subject.

Shen Mi glanced at the fresh flowers on the table. To avoid wasting them, she had even bought a vase specifically to arrange them.

Shen Mi: It’s okay.

dsm: Liking something means you like it, not liking it means you don’t like it. What do you mean by “it’s okay”?

Is there anyone who forces others to accept his apology like this?

Shen Mi: I don’t like it.

dsm: Then it seems you do like it.

???

How did he come to that conclusion?

Oh, she had told him before that when girls are angry, they often say the opposite of what they mean.

In the past, every time her master took Shen Mi to clear a dungeon, there was always a “light bulb” in the party, someone who just lay around for free. Out of the 365 days in a year, there were 200 days of heartbreak for that person. While the beautiful and powerful woman was busy defeating enemies, Shen Mi would be behind her chatting and window shopping with the “light bulb,” answering many questions like this.

She thought her master wouldn’t be wearing headphones since he didn’t have a microphone, so they could chat freely. She never expected that he heard everything.

Looking at the words in the chat box, Shen Mi couldn’t help but think of her lost lover. Her online boyfriend, with Xie Rongzhuo’s face, just seemed awkward no matter how she looked at it.

Shen Mi didn’t want to chat with him anymore, so she asked: Do you need something?

Xie Rongzhuo sent a voice call request.

Shen Mi answered.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end, then Xie Rongzhuo’s voice came through: Are you free later?

Shen Mi: I think so.

“Would it be convenient for you to come over to my place?”

“Didn’t you go to Beijing?”

“There’s a fresh food delivery coming, could you come over and help me receive it?” He used a questioning tone.

Actually, he could have just ordered Shen Mi around, and she wouldn’t dare disobey. Job competition was fierce, no one sold their time, they sold their bodies. When the boss gave an order, no one dared to remind him that this was personal time.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

During the New Year, Xie Rongzhuo had bought a lot of fresh seafood, and a few orders had been delayed and were only being delivered today via special delivery. There was a box of Wagyu beef and three boxes of seafood. The delivery guy, wearing gloves, was very professional and asked Shen Mi if she needed help with slaughtering and processing.

Shen Mi called Xie Rongzhuo to ask.

Xie Rongzhuo said, “Just eat it all.”

Shen Mi looked at the several large boxes: “When will you be back?”

Xie Rongzhuo: “The day after tomorrow.”

Shen Mi asked, “Can it be returned?”

The delivery guy next to her apologized: “It can’t be returned. There isn’t that much, it’s mainly because we pack it with oxygen, making it look like more.”

Xie Rongzhuo also heard: “Take the beef back to eat, and eat as much seafood as you can.”

Shen Mi: “…… Okay.”

Actually, there was no such thing as not being able to finish it; Shen Mi was very skilled at storing food. She had the delivery guy help her with the processing, steaming one shrimp, grilling another, and turning the rest into shrimp balls. The beef would go straight into the freezer; it could be preserved for at least a month.

The apartment lacked pots, pans, bowls, and seasonings, so Shen Mi went to Xie Rongzhuo’s place to cook. After two days, she had helped him finish off the delivery.

She didn’t eat for free either; she helped Xie Rongzhuo clean the room, even wiping the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Xie Rongzhuo didn’t like random people entering his bedroom. He usually cleaned it himself, and Shen Mi occasionally helped him, which he tacitly allowed. But Shen Mi tried her best not to help him, so he wouldn’t get used to it.

Today, the sun was shining outside, and Shen Mi casually carried the blanket out to air it.

Her phone rang, it was Zhang Zhiqing.

“Mimi, are you free later? I forgot if I turned off the air conditioner when I left this morning.”

Shen Mi stood on the balcony, vigorously patting the blanket: “Just right, I’m at your uncle’s place, helping him clean. Send me your house code, I’ll go down right away.”

“My uncle makes you clean his house? That’s too much! You’re his secretary, not his maid!” Zhang Zhiqing angrily said.

Shen Mi smiled, “It was my initiative. He bought a lot of seafood but didn’t have time to eat, so I ate it and helped him out a bit.”

“Oh, oh, I knew it,” Zhang Zhiqing suddenly changed her tone, probably seeing someone, “My uncle is such a good person.”

---

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zhiqing chuckled, her tone ingratiating, “Uncle, when did you get here?”

Xie Rongzhuo glanced at her, “Why did you run back?”

“I came to see Grandpa. He’s sick, I have to put work aside.” Zhang Zhiqing turned and slipped into the ward, sitting next to the old man, exclaiming, “Grandpa, are you okay? Should I take half a year off to stay with you?”

The old man laughed, “I’m getting discharged tomorrow.”

Zhang Zhiqing said regretfully, “Oh.”

The old man saw through her little thoughts, “Should I stay for a few more months?”

“Good—” Upon meeting Xie Rongzhuo’s gaze, Zhang Zhiqing was scared into silence.

Xie Rongzhuo sat on the sofa next to him, picking up the old man’s medical report and flipping through it.

The old man chatted casually with his granddaughter: “Qingqing, were you talking to Shen Mi just now?”

Xie Rongzhuo paused slightly in his actions.

“Yeah, Grandpa, you actually remember Mimi’s name.”

“You often mention her to me. You’ve been out for so long, and you still keep in touch with your old classmates. That’s good, that’s good.” The old man sighed, “Unlike our time, classmates would lose contact after graduation. Those who went to the countryside went to the countryside, those who went abroad went abroad. It was very difficult to get in touch again.”

“Although we can all get in touch, actually, there aren’t many people I want to contact.” Zhang Zhiqing said, “Grandpa, do you know why I like Shen Mi?”

“Because that girl is pretty?”

“Of course not!” Zhang Zhiqing said, “Although, that’s one of the reasons, but what I admire most is her sense of justice.”

“Oh?”

“There’s something I haven’t dared to tell you.” Zhang Zhiqing pursed her lips, “It’s just, Wang’s fifth son, when I was drunk, he tried to do something inappropriate to me.”

The old man was furious, “How could this happen!?”

Xie Rongzhuo also looked up.

“It didn’t happen, it didn’t happen, don’t be angry.” Zhang Zhiqing didn’t dare to keep him in suspense, she blurted out, “You all were trying to match me with him, didn’t I refuse? Then he wanted to take advantage of the situation and make it a done deal.”

“This Fifth Wang, I actually considered him as my own child!”

“Exactly! I was completely drunk that day, there were several friends around, but they all left.”

“Fair-weather friends! Just cut off contact with them from now on.”

“I cut off contact two years ago. Grandpa, do you know why they left? Because they got a big sum of money. Only Shen Mi didn’t leave.”

“Luckily, you had that child by your side, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

“Shen Mi is from a poor family, her father passed away, and her mother doesn’t care for her. Even the tuition for college was borrowed from her neighbors. Do you know what that money meant to her? It meant she could rise to the top, achieve her dreams without struggle. But she didn’t take it, she secretly called the police and stayed with me all night.”

“So, this child has a truly good character.” The old man said gratefully, “I must meet her someday, to thank her personally.”

Zhang Zhiqing quickly said, “Not only should we meet, but we should also prepare a grand gift for her.”

“Yes, yes, yes, we have to give her a gift.” The old man looked at Xie Rongzhuo and said, “Shen Mi is your secretary, you should know what she likes, right?”

Xie Rongzhuo: “She likes money.”

“Didn’t Qingqing just say she doesn’t care about money?”

“That’s ill-gotten gains. My uncle means that Shen Mi likes to make money.”

“She likes to make money, isn’t that like him? They have similar interests, no wonder she was hired.” The old man said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll give her a big red envelope. Qingqing, how much do you think is appropriate?”

“Too much and Mimi won’t accept it, how about nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand?”

Xie Rongzhuo looked up: “She likes money, not grabbing money.”

“My uncle is right, Mimi definitely won’t accept it. Then…too little and Grandpa would feel it’s not enough.” Zhang Zhiqing cleared her throat in a dramatic way, “So, why don’t we just not give a gift?”

The old man: “Then what should we give?”

Zhang Zhiqing pointed at Xie Rongzhuo and said, “A person!”

“Even if you can give this person away, I’m afraid that girl wouldn’t dare to accept it.” The old man patted Zhang Zhiqing’s hand and laughed, “Your uncle’s heart is too full, he can’t fit anyone else in.”

Xie Rongzhuo: “How do you plan to give her this person?”

The old man was taken aback, looking at Xie Rongzhuo suspiciously.

With her grandfather’s support, Zhang Zhiqing was audacious: “Go have a meal with Mimi for me, okay?”

Xie Rongzhuo: “Why do I have to go?”

“She seems to have said before that she thinks you’re targeting her. If you, my uncle, can invite her to dinner and be nice to her, it can clear up this suspicion.”

Xie Rongzhuo: “You choose the restaurant.”

Zhang Zhiqing excitedly said: “Okay!”

The old man looked at Xie Rongzhuo with disbelief. He shifted his gaze and saw the red rash on his neck, frowning: “Are you allergic again?”

Xie Rongzhuo tilted his head: “It’s nothing.”

“Busy as you are, you still need to take care of your health. Don’t eat things you shouldn’t,” the old man said with concern. “Especially beef; every time you eat it, you break out.”

Xie Rongzhuo: “I didn’t eat any.”

•  

At five in the evening, Shen Mi arrived at Xie Rongzhuo’s house to collect the bedding.

The comforter, having been sun-dried, carried the scent of sunlight mixed with some of Xie Rongzhuo’s fragrance, which was unexpectedly pleasant. Xie Rongzhuo’s bed could fit five people, and the comforter was quite large; when Shen Mi lifted it with both hands, it almost dragged on the floor.

Bumping into the bedroom while holding the comforter, she walked to the side of the bed and, as expected, tripped over something. Shen Mi was exhausted and let herself fall onto the bed, lying down.

“I won’t be doing this next time.”

“Shen Mi.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Shen Mi suddenly lifted her face from the blanket, slowly turned her head, and saw Xie Rongzhuo standing at the door, his eyes slightly narrowed, looking at her with confusion.

“What are you doing lying on my bed?”

Shen Mi’s cheeks instantly turned hot: “I was, um, lying down.”

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