4. A Pink-Collar Salary of 3,500 — Honestly, It’s Not a Lie

That is to say, Yu Dongxi had actually died long before.

At least the death date was much earlier than the one she thought.

On a calm morning, in a not-so-calm dream.

“Alright, I get it. You still can’t leave. After people die, they have to work for fifty years in the underworld. Get ready and start your job.”

Hearing this, Yu Dongxi let out an “Ah!” and said, “Putting aside why I was hit and killed for no reason, I want to ask—why do I have to work, but they get to reincarnate?”

“The old man there is quite aged. You’re still young, so you have to work more,” the man flipped through some documents and replied perfunctorily.

“The second girl is younger than me, right?”

“We don’t hire child labor. She’s a minor,” the man answered without even looking up.

“For the third lady, you don’t have any excuses, right? Not old, not young,” Yu Dongxi suddenly stood up with a bang. Being exploited by the boss before death was one thing, but now she had to be forced to work in the underworld too?

Damn it, even the donkey in the production team would get to rest in its coffin when it dies! ^[1]“Oh heavens, when I call you grandma, do you really treat me like your granddaughter?” is a sarcastic complaint. It means: “I’ve been good and respectful to fate or life, but … Continue readingOh heavens, when I call you grandma, do you really treat me like your granddaughter?

“The lady just lost her child. We should have some empathy,” the man said.

“Cut the crap! Are you treating me like I’m deaf?” Yu Dongxi was about to slam the table again. If you’re going to lie, at least draft your lies properly!

“Don’t you all treat your pet cats like your own kids now? When a furry kid dies, isn’t that also a kind of losing a child?” the man said matter-of-factly.

“I…” Yu Dongxi sighed heavily. She was physically and mentally exhausted, too tired even to fake a polite smile. “I can see you guys are pretty trendy. Judging by how short a time it’s been since your death, you even dare to come up with such ridiculous ideas. You have none of the calmness of the ^[2]Old-timers refers to: People who are older or who have a lot of experience in something, especially those who’ve been around a place, job, or situation for a long time.old-timers.”

The man smiled but frowned: ?

Yu Dongxi sighed again and continued, “Forget it, arguing with you is pointless. I’m all alone here, one person can’t fight a crowd of ghosts. Tell me, what’s the monthly salary? I’ll consider it.”

“Three thousand.”

Yu Dongxi: “Goodbye.”

“When you were alive, your base monthly salary was 3,500,” the man kept flipping through the booklet and continued, “A salary of 3,500 is enough to make you work like a beast, willing to die a thousand deaths. If I only gave you 3,000, what would you do then?”

“^[3]“Crying to the heavens, kowtowing in gratitude, tears streaming like rain” — is sarcasm. She’s exaggerating how grateful and emotional she would have pretended to be if the salary had … Continue readingCrying to the heavens, kowtowing in gratitude, tears streaming like rain,” Yu Dongxi said with a blank expression, “All for nothing—thought I was about to strike it rich.”

After speaking, Yu Dongxi stood up, looked around, then smiled and turned back. “You better be thankful there aren’t any tools around for me to use, or I’d drill a hole in your head. I was a ^[4]“211 university graduate” refers to someone who graduated from a university included in Project 211, a Chinese government initiative launched in the 1990s. Meaning: The person graduated … Continue reading211 university graduate in life and have years of work experience (part-time during summer and winter breaks). And you say my monthly salary is 3,000?? Damn capitalists! Exploiting people while alive, and still doing class exploitation after death! I’m definitely going to report this to the higher-ups. Just wait.”

“I know you’re anxious, but don’t rush. Three thousand is really not a small amount. Every place has its own exchange rate,” the man said quickly with a smile as Yu Dongxi started to look for tools again, “The exchange rate between the underworld and the living world is different. Burning paper money worth billions, you only get a thousand or eight hundred in your hands. You heard that earlier—the prices are so low it’s like stuff is free. Tsk tsk, no choice, the higher-ups don’t promote development, so the economy can’t improve. So yeah, three thousand, that monthly salary really isn’t bad. I only earn a few thousand a month myself.”

A thousand eight hundred = billions.

Three thousand = over a hundred billion.

Yes, deep down, Yu Jingze did have a bit of a money-loving nature.

“A mere 3,000 won’t buy me. Am I the kind of woman who’s moved by money? Bring your HR to talk to me.” Yu Dongxi sat back down in her chair, putting on a negotiating posture. Just 3,000 to make her serve the underworld for fifty years? Why doesn’t he just rob her then? Youth has no price. Sister Yu is raising the price.

“Alright, 3,500. Besides the base salary, there’s an extra commission for every successful case. Employee accommodation is provided—five-star hotel standard, utilities all free. The department covers the five social insurances and one housing fund. You get weekends off, all holidays from the living world, and an extra seven days off on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar.”

“It’s not really about the salary. Since I’m dead anyway, doing something for the underworld’s development isn’t impossible, and it matches my specialty… So what exactly do I have to do?” Yu Dongxi asked cautiously. Although she was already dead, she hadn’t adapted to her new role as a dead person so quickly. Every time she saw people with missing limbs pass by, she couldn’t help feeling scared. “I’m telling you now, I don’t dare to stay face-to-face with those weird dead people.”

“No no no, you’ll be dealing with people from the living world. Your job title is Dream Fulfillment Specialist. Simply put, you help those who can’t reincarnate because they have unfinished wishes. You help them complete those wishes and then assist their reincarnation,” the man smiled and added, “Don’t worry, your workload won’t be heavy. This job is newly assigned from above and deals with extremely special cases.”

The man paused, leaned closer to Yu Dongxi, and whispered, “Oh, and one more thing—it’s worth mentioning that your boss is someone who’s too lazy to communicate with subordinates, completely focused on their own work and doesn’t care about the underworld’s development or anything else. Wait, actually, dead people… anyway, with or without him, it’s almost the same. You don’t have to worry about a weird boss. So, what do you say? Interested?”

High salary, light workload, and basically no boss.

“What are you talking about? Interested in what?” Yu Dongxi grabbed the man’s hand, looking sincere. “My dear good colleague!”

“In that case, let’s sign the labor contract first.” Luan Shaobo pulled out a stack of papers from under the documents, so smoothly that Yu Dongxi thought he had prepared them in advance.

Yu Dongxi glanced at the contract. It wasn’t harsh, even quite lenient, matching what Luan Shaobo had said. The work term was fifty years.

Yu Dongxi thought about it. After reincarnation, she’d still be working in the living world. Wherever she went, it was still hard labor, and the next life might not be better than this one.

With a big stroke, Yu Dongxi signed her name under Party B.

“Alright, welcome aboard. I’m Luan Shaobo, your indirect supervisor. If you have any questions at work, feel free to ask me,” Luan Shaobo said with a sigh of relief.

Indirect supervisor—a pretty niche term.

Yu Dongxi gave a forced smile, “Oh, then who’s my direct supervisor?”

“Well, that one is too busy. I barely see him. Don’t worry, just pretend he doesn’t exist.” Luan Shaobo adjusted his suit collar and gave a playful wink. “Let’s start work today then. Good luck (_).”

“So, what do I have to do?”

“For now, just stay put.” Luan Shaobo pointed to a not-so-distant spot, where there was a mass of chaos. “Past that is the office area. I’m not done with my work yet, so I won’t be seeing you off. Your office is over there.”

Yu Dongxi looked at the distant mist and had a feeling she was falling into some kind of trap…

The underworld mostly stayed the same as years ago. With time, some modern buildings appeared, but most were still old-style houses. Thick mist covered the red brick walls and tiles. The world was chaotic, day and night indistinguishable, like the apocalypse.

A figure gradually emerged from the mist. He wore a long black robe and held a black umbrella. Tall and slender, with a natural, elegant air, he seemed to merge with the mist itself.

Handsome was always a feeling.

Suddenly, Yu Dongxi understood what “When I fell in love with him, I hadn’t even clearly seen his face” really meant.

“Damn, even after dying, I still meet such a catch. Guess dying wasn’t for nothing,” Yu Dongxi ran lightly toward the handsome man. But the man stopped. When she was just a few meters away, he suddenly lowered his umbrella.

Yu Dongxi focused on his face. She rubbed her eyes. She was shocked. Her pupils trembled. She hit the brakes and withdrew her earlier thought of “dying wasn’t for nothing.”

She wondered if the underworld had a social app like ^[5]Zhihu (知乎) is a Chinese question-and-answer website, similar to Quora. Users ask questions, give detailed answers, and share knowledge on a wide range of topics — from academics and careers to … Continue readingZhihu, because she really wanted to answer, “What’s it like to reunite with an ex who you’ve sworn to never contact again after breaking up for years?”

Yu Dongxi wanted to die.

Oh, she already had.

Yu Dongxi turned and ran. It’s okay—as long as she runs fast enough, she can pretend nothing happened.

“Dongxi.” The man’s calm voice sounded from behind.

Yu Dongxi was stopped by that familiar voice, unable to help but stop in her tracks, her back still turned to Qiu Sui.

“Welcome to the job.” Qiu Sui’s voice was just as calm as she remembered.

Hearing this, Yu Dongxi suddenly spun around, disbelief showing clearly on her face, but still unwilling to give up she asked, “How did you know?”

Qiu Sui smiled slightly, a warm smile like spring sunshine: “Maybe because I’m your direct supervisor.”

Damn, suffocating.

Yu Dongxi’s vision went black—she couldn’t see her future at all.

Comrade Yu Dongxi, what’s wrong with you? How can you not see your future? Isn’t it clear as day?

Yu Dongxi took a deep breath and looked carefully at the man in front of her. Her hands, hidden behind her back, started trembling uncontrollably—she couldn’t tell if it was excitement or sadness, or maybe both.

Of course, Yu Dongxi thought the most likely feelings were confusion and embarrassment.

Putting aside the ex-boyfriend identity, Qiu Sui was also once her best friend.

“You’re Qiu Sui?” Yu Dongxi shrugged, pretending not to care. “To be honest, I almost forgot about you. So, you’re working too? Model student, moral exemplar, but seems like things aren’t going too well. In the end, you’re just like us—working for someone else.”

Qiu Sui smiled but didn’t care at all about Yu Dongxi’s hostility.

“Dongxi, if you ever don’t understand something at work, you can come to me directly,” Qiu Sui paused and smiled even wider, “After all, I’m your supervisor.”

Yu Dongxi rolled her eyes in a very skillful way, then straight-faced, walked past Qiu Sui and headed into the mist.

Qiu Sui’s hand gripping the umbrella handle turned white from the force, but his face remained calm.

“You don’t know the way, I’ll go with you.” Qiu Sui turned around. With his long legs and big strides, he quickly caught up to Yu Dongxi. He tilted the umbrella toward her side, exposing most of his shoulder to let the mist and rain hit him. Yu Dongxi dodged aside and put some distance between them.

Qiu Sui kept closing in, and every step Yu Dongxi took back, he took one forward.

“Qiu Sui, listen carefully, and don’t interrupt me—I want you to remember this: I, Yu Dongxi, am definitely not someone who fears authority or seeks pleasure. I’m working in the underworld not because of you, but simply because I want to contribute something to this world after death.”

Qiu Sui smiled and said, “Mm, I know.”

They walked for a full fifteen minutes but still couldn’t get through the mist. Yu Dongxi was so embarrassed her toes almost formed a whole apartment. But this road seemed endless.

“Hey, how much longer until we get there?” Yu Dongxi couldn’t help but ask. Damn, this was too awkward—sweetly duo-queueing with her ex in the underworld’s mist. (?)

What a beautiful scene.

“Huh? We’ve already arrived,” Qiu Sui stretched out his hand and waved it once, the mist cleared. He smiled like a little fox, eyes full of mischief. “I thought you liked walking in the fog.”

Yu Dongxi took a deep breath. She was a person who could adapt to anything—up or down, hanging or jumping.

After so many years, Qiu Sui was still just as annoying as ever.

Fortunately, that was the case.

Yu Dongxi gave Qiu Sui a ^[6]“nuclear” smile is a humorous mistranslation or wordplay on “和善的微笑”, which means “kind” or “gentle smile.” In Chinese, “和” (hé) sounds like “nuclear” when … Continue reading”nuclear” smile in return—friendly but sharp—and said, “You damn well better get lost right now.”

The mist cleared, revealing the full view. After passing through the fog, Yu Dongxi noticed that the buildings beyond were completely different from those before the mist. Everything now before her looked almost no different from the modern world, it was exactly the style of the era she had lived in before death.

“This area is our office district,” Qiu Sui said softly, pointing to the office building on the left.

Yu Dongxi looked to the office building on the right and asked, “What about over there?”

Qiu Sui gently turned Yu Dongxi’s head back to look at the building on the left. “Don’t look over there yet. We haven’t taken that one over.”

Yu Dongxi: ?

Yu Dongxi asked, “Taken over what?”

“Literally,” Qiu Sui said, then decided not to explain further. “That’s another department.”

Yu Dongxi wasn’t very interested in these things. Right now, she only had one thought—reincarnate immediately.

Does it matter where you end up working as a beast of burden? Why make things difficult for yourself?

The office building looked no different from modern facilities. As soon as Yu Dongxi stepped inside, she was shocked by the big banner hanging ahead.

“Outstanding performance and ability, reaching heaven is not a dream.”

“If you want to live well, you’ve got to move more bricks today.”

Ah, this brainwashing vibe felt just like when she was in elementary school, during the school’s ^[7]“face-to-face thank your father” event refers to a real type of school-organized activity in some Chinese primary schools where students are encouraged to express gratitude directly to … Continue reading“face-to-face thank your father” event. The teacher only had to say, “Your dad is your father,” and the students would burst into tears, turning to hug their dads.

“Has the underworld become this modern now?”

Qiu Sui glanced at Yu Dongxi and said calmly, “Times are progressing.”

Before Yu Dongxi could respond, her calf was suddenly bumped by a small spinning furry thing. Qiu Sui reacted quickly and caught Yu Dongxi’s waist just in time. Yu Dongxi widened her eyes and looked down to see a small white dog bumping into her leg.

The little dog looked plump and was grinning silly at Yu Dongxi.

“Sorry, sorry!” A woman wearing a white pencil skirt hurried over from afar. She was stunning—more beautiful than any TV actress, truly worthy of being a center-stage star.

Hopefully, all celebrities in the entertainment industry would meet this standard, especially some male stars.

If not, just reform them.

The woman looked at Qiu Sui in surprise, then said, “Boss? Why are you at work today?”

Qiu Sui’s always calm face showed a few seconds of awkwardness before returning to normal. “This is Luo Yali. She handles information—in simple terms, she arranges work.”

Qiu Sui introduced her.

Luo Yali smiled at Yu Dongxi and said, “You must be the new girl. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me anytime.”

“Why did the little dog from the neighboring department run over here?” Qiu Sui picked up the dog still clinging to Yu Dongxi’s leg and frowned slightly.

The little dog that had been lively just moments ago immediately became calm once it was in Qiu Sui’s arms.

Qiu Sui’s way of holding the dog wasn’t rough at all—just a textbook, proper way to hold a dog—but no matter how you looked at it, it was intimidating. Maybe that was what they called “presence.”

The little dog: I’m calm now, please let me go.

“The little cats and dogs from the neighboring building keep running over here. Probably because the two office buildings are close to each other,” Luo Yali said as she took the little dog, which looked about to fall apart, continuing, “Boss, should I take her to the work area now?”

Qiu Sui ignored Luo Yali and said, “No need. I’ll take her myself. It’s her first day, so I’ll personally escort her.”

Luo Yali: ?

Boss, when did you start caring about the employees like this?

Then, Qiu Sui grabbed Yu Dongxi, who was still sneaking glances at the beautiful woman, and took her into the elevator.

Yu Dongxi was powerless and furious, Qiu Sui subdued her with one hand, and Yu Dongxi sulked miserably inside the elevator.

Between sulking and being angry, Yu Dongxi chose to sulk angrily.

Qiu Sui pressed the button for the eighteenth floor, and the elevator slowly ascended. Yu Dongxi and Qiu Sui were once again together in the confined small space after a long time apart. The awkwardness that had just disappeared suddenly surged up from Yu Dongxi’s heart again without warning.

Why was the building so big, yet no one else was in the elevator?

Yu Dongxi felt her leg shaking faster and faster.

At this moment, she suddenly felt a shy, teenage-like awkwardness and the social anxiety of a novice…

Damn it, somebody please save me.

Yu Dongxi’s toes were about to drill a new underworld from all the nervous tapping. Even breathing felt unnecessary.

Qiu Sui stood steadily beside Yu Dongxi, eyes fixed, staring straight at the jumping floor numbers, calm and steady as an old dog.

Just when Yu Dongxi thought a century had almost passed, the elevator doors finally opened.

Heaven and earth, the suffocating tightness was finally gone.

Yu Dongxi took a swift step out of the elevator, showing extreme agility.

“Where are you going?” Qiu Sui tugged lightly on the hood of Yu Dongxi’s hoodie, and Yu Dongxi turned around, face to face with Qiu Sui again.

The hoodie was pulled slightly, revealing the patient uniform underneath.

Qiu Sui’s expression darkened.

Yu Dongxi’s cheeky smile hadn’t yet faded.

Qiu Sui smiled and tilted his head in the opposite direction, “Wrong way, this way.”

Yu Dongxi endured it.

Ahead was a reception lounge, styled simply, almost indistinguishable from modern decor. The lounge was empty, with vacant front desks.

Yu Dongxi followed right behind Qiu Sui and walked straight into an office. The office was located at the very back. As soon as she entered, a subtle yet cold atmosphere washed over her. It looked simple at first glance, but every decoration held a hidden meaning.

Very good, Yu Dongxi liked it. She hoped the office’s owner would be sensible enough to give up this office (not really).

Qiu Sui crossed his arms and leaned against the desk.

“Is this your office?” Yu Dongxi asked casually, her hand silently reaching toward the desk.

Damn, the texture feels really nice—a little lambskin desk with delicate patterns. She couldn’t imagine how comfortable it would be to lie on this desk and nap while slacking off.

Qiu Sui didn’t directly answer her question but continued, “Your job is simple, but first I need to explain the reincarnation system of the underworld. After a person dies, they must return to the underworld within seven days. Otherwise, they can never enter the underworld and cannot be reincarnated. Some people stay in the mortal world after death because they have unfinished wishes and cannot come to the underworld. Your job is to help those people fulfill their unfinished wishes and help them arrive in the underworld within seven days.”

“So, every business trip I go on has a time limit? What if I don’t finish within seven days?”

“I’ll finish it for you,” Qiu Sui stood straight and glanced at his watch. “This office is yours. Someone will come by later to explain the specific work.”

After a pause, he added, “Of course, you can ask me anytime if you don’t understand something.”

After finishing, Qiu Sui walked toward the door. Just as one foot stepped outside, he heard Yu Dongxi’s clear voice from behind: “Hey, how do I contact you?”

Qiu Sui smiled slightly, turned his face, and rested one hand on the doorframe. “Just call my name. I’ll appear anytime, no matter where you are.”

Yu Dongxi was stunned for a moment, then quickly curled the corner of her lips into a smirk, with a hint of disdain: “Go away, you damn liar.”

Qiu Sui was momentarily stunned. Yu Dongxi took a few big steps forward and, before Qiu Sui could explain, pushed him with a slap. With a bang, the door behind Qiu Sui was slammed shut.

Qiu Sui stared at the closed door silently, fixating on it for a long, long time.

Only after a long time did he turn and leave.

Yu Dongxi kicked off her shoes, stepped barefoot onto a small wool mat, and lay back on the genuine leather sofa. Ah, so comfortable! Oh, heavens, I won’t complain about you anymore, you really do care for your granddaughter once in a while!

Yu Dongxi grabbed the small blanket draped over the sofa. She didn’t know what material it was, but it felt very comfortable and thick. Most importantly, it looked expensive, which perfectly satisfied Yu Dongxi’s vanity. She was very pleased.

Although people gradually lose their five senses after death, paid relaxation—whether for the living or the dead—is never disliked.

Unless the person is an idiot.

Even the always virtuous Yu Dongxi was no exception.

Yu Dongxi covered herself with the blanket, grabbed the remote control, and turned on the air conditioning. It was cold, but the blanket was warm.

Getting paid to slack off—this is the ultimate joy! So good! So good!

Yu Dongxi wanted to go back to school, getting paid to study—so good!

“So awesome, so lively, so dazzling!!! This is what working feels like! Good! Good! Good! Good! Good!”

This was exactly the scene Jiao Jingwen saw when she came in.

Jiao Jingwen: “……”

“Hello?” Jiao Jingwen tried hard to adjust the smile on her face, hiding her speechlessness.

Dead and gone, but still have to learn how to deal with social graces.

Dead and gone, yet still have to face social death.

Damn.

Yu Dongxi threw off the blanket, stood up barefoot, and blinked: “Hello.”

Her direct superior was Qiu Sui, this person should be a colleague.

Yu Dongxi lifted the corner of her mouth, smiling with a little ripple—using the ripple to hide her awkwardness, haha… haaaah.

Yu Dongxi was almost about to hug someone. Who wants to break her into pieces?

Jiao Jingwen swallowed back what she was about to say and said, “Hello, I’m Jiao Jingwen. I’m the department’s industry auditor, mainly responsible for reviewing members’ performance, as well as inspecting and supervising work.”

Got it—workplace security, clearing out those who don’t work but eat for free (a pointed criticism of Yu Dongxi here).

Yu Dongxi thought back on what she had just done.

Lying lazily on the leather sofa, comfortably covered by a blanket, casually running the air conditioner on cool.

Oh, her career seemed to have ended right at the start.

“All right, Baby Wenwen, from today on, I will surely reform and start anew, dedicating my best efforts to the department’s growth, let’s grow big and strong together!” Yu Dongxi slowly raised her right fist, placing it beside her temple, her gaze firm as if about to enlist in the army.

Jiao Jingwen gasped, “Good, very conscientious. Then I won’t bother you anymore, you… carry on?”

Jiao Jingwen turned and left, closing the door behind her gently, as if deliberately easing it shut.

Back in the office area, Jiao Jingwen immediately wore a blank expression, slumped into her chair, and looked at the two people around her, saying, “Our department is doomed.”

“How so?” Luo Yali poured a cup of tea and handed it to Jiao Jingwen. “I think that girl seems pretty smart.”

Jiao Jingwen waved her hand, “You can tell she’s a fresh college graduate, with a look that says she knows nothing.”

Luan Shaobo chuckled, “I quite like that girl. Don’t say it, she’s probably pretty interesting.”

“Interesting or not, if she’s a ^[8]“Guanxi” (关系) is a Chinese term that literally means “relationship” or “connection.” But in practice, it refers to a powerful and deeply rooted concept in … Continue reading‘guanxi’ hire, then that’s not interesting at all.” Jiao Jingwen glanced at Luan Shaobo. “Let me be clear, no matter what relationship she has with Qiu Sui, if she can’t figure out her work and just wanders around in front of me, I won’t hold back my criticism.”

“Wenwen, you’re so stubborn. Qiu Sui’s little darling is right there. You don’t really think Qiu Sui kept her just to be a workhorse for the department, do you? Just don’t give her any real tasks and she’ll be the mascot.” Luan Shaobo smiled knowingly.

“But this position was newly added. It can’t be just for show, right? The higher-ups would want an explanation.” Luo Yali said worriedly.

“Then just hire another person. Big deal,” Luan Shaobo replied casually.

Where there’s a sleeping dragon, a phoenix chick is bound to appear—the same principle applies even in the underworld.

“Fine, the task of recruiting the new person is yours. By the way, where did Qiu Sui go?” After leaving the office earlier, Qiu Sui had hurried out.

Makes sense, Qiu Sui was insanely busy, hardly ever coming to the department.

The stronger the ability, the greater the responsibility.

You can only say that the capable have to work more.

“If I say something harsh or mess up, just blame Qiu Sui,” Jiao Jingwen rolled her eyes.

“Sis, calm down,” Luan Shaobo smiled and stretched lazily. “It’s okay. Before we hired a newcomer, didn’t the few of us manage pretty well?”

“Good grief,” Jiao Jingwen rolled her eyes again, rubbed her own eyelids revealing red veins, “I’m already tired enough every day, and now I have to serve this little new princess.”

“Ahem, um…” Everyone was stunned for a moment, then looked toward Yu Dongxi, who had been standing in the corner for who knows how long. “Can I ask, what exactly do I need to do?”

Luo Yali and Luan Shaobo’s faces showed a trace of awkwardness, while Jiao Jingwen just rolled her eyes again.

“If there’s work for you, we will notify you,” Luan Shaobo put on a friendly smile and replied to Yu Dongxi.

Yu Dongxi nodded. Sure enough, she was poisoned by capitalist society: paid but doing nothing, saying it felt great, but secretly feeling guilty.

These were all just her more positive excuses.

In the end, it was about saving face.

She couldn’t just slack off. If she really slacked off, it would confirm the rumors that she was a ‘guanxi’ hire.

Yu Dongxi wasn’t deaf or stupid.

Qiu Sui, damn it.

Looks like she still wasn’t thick-skinned enough.

“It’s okay. I can sweep the floor, do odd jobs. I really can’t just sit idle, or else this money would feel like a ^[9]“Hot coal” means something uncomfortable, dangerous, or hard to handle. When someone says “this money feels like hot coal in my hands,” it means they feel uneasy or guilty about … Continue readinghot coal in my hands,” Yu Dongxi said sincerely.

Luan Shaobo took a deep breath, thought for a moment, then showed a sly smile: “If you really want to do something, it’s not impossible. A few days ago, our department’s handover work with other departments wasn’t finished. There was a little accident in the middle and we’re missing a bit at the end. You can go and finish the handover work.”

Yu Dongxi eyed Luan Shaobo warily and asked, “What exactly do I need to do?”

“It’s nothing big, just go pet cats and play with dogs, and collect some people on the side,” Luan Shaobo raised one corner of his mouth. “Before, your sister Luo Yali already checked if any cat or dog names accidentally got onto our department’s Book of Life and Death. Now you just need to bring back the dead that should belong to our department.”

“Our department is responsible for guiding the dead, so the names in our Book of Life and Death are all those who died. The neighboring department handles livestock reincarnation, and their Book of Life and Death records livestock. Because the two departments are so close, the names on the books can easily get mixed up.”

After saying this, Luan Shaobo tore off a piece of paper and wrote a long list of words Yu Dongxi couldn’t understand: “Just give this to the steward when the time comes.”

Dead people.

Yu Dongxi swallowed and took the paper with a complicated expression.

Luo Yali smiled awkwardly and said, “Maybe I should go instead.”

“This is such a small task, and the girl is so eager. We should give the newcomer a chance to prove herself,” Luan Shaobo gave a meaningful look. Luo Yali felt a bit sorry, but every time she went to handle the handover work, she got scolded almost to death and was really troubled. She felt sorry for the girl, but really didn’t want to argue with the person next door.

“How about… I go with her?” Luo Yali spoke up.

“Don’t you still have things to do later? This small matter, Dongxi can handle it,” Luan Shaobo smiled as he looked at Yu Dongxi. “By the way, you just need to go to the neighboring department. The task is very simple — someone’s name from our department accidentally got written in their Book of Life and Death. You just need to bring the person back. The neighboring department is the one on your right when you first came in, the one we haven’t taken over yet.”

Yu Dongxi set off on her journey, feeling uneasy.

It felt a bit like cosplaying as an adult.

“Aren’t you making things difficult for her?” Luo Yali frowned and looked at Luan Shaobo after Yu Dongxi walked away.

“What’s so difficult about it? If Song Yu dares to make things hard for us, does he dare to make things hard for Qiu Sui?” Luan Shaobo disapproved as he looked at Luo Yali. “Sending out Yu Dongxi is like sending out Qiu Sui. We’re ^[10]“Borrowing tiger’s might” (Chinese: 借虎威) means using someone else’s power, status, or influence to intimidate others or get things done — especially when you don’t have that power … Continue readingborrowing tiger’s might here.”

“What is it that Song Yu doesn’t dare to do?”

Luo Yali still felt uneasy. Song Yu’s personality was really… too unpredictable, like a runaway wild horse, acting on impulse.

The two office buildings nearby were not only close in distance, but also similar in style.

As soon as Yu Dongxi stepped inside, she was immediately overwhelmed by… well, a bunch of dogs rushing at her.

Yu Dongxi didn’t giggle.

But they really were very soft.

So pettable.

Yu Dongxi stroked the dog on her left and hugged the cat on her right.

Still, there was work to do.

Yu Dongxi stood up and was forced to drag a dog toward the elevator, planning to take it upstairs.

Opposite the elevator was the stairwell. Suddenly, Yu Dongxi heard a lazy voice coming from the stairwell:

“I don’t know who invented the word ‘idiot,’ but I’m kind of grateful. I don’t know when it started, but ‘fool’ and ‘dummy’ both carry a bit of affection and ambiguity. Only ‘idiot’ is full of hostility, clearly negative, and very durable. I really can’t imagine how much fun my life would lose without this word.”