Chapter 25

Soon, Xu Shijia’s footsteps could be heard as he fumbled his way towards the door. Lin Shu quietly stepped back to her spot in the living room.

The darkness amplified the sound of his footsteps, and Lin Shu watched as the tall, shadowy figure approached her. As he passed the window, the moonlight cast over his face, creating a long shadow. The contrast between light and darkness gave the usually pale Xu Shijia an eerie, almost otherworldly quality, like a fox spirit haunting dreams in the dead of night.

Unfortunately, this “fox spirit” looked rather disheveled, like one caught stealing chickens and beaten soundly by an angry farmer.

“Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll use my phone’s flashlight to find the case file for you, then you can be on your way.”

Even in the pitch-dark room, Xu Shijia still seemed concerned with maintaining his image. He brushed his hand through his hair and leaned casually against the wall, one hand in his pocket, adopting a relaxed posture.

Smoothly, Xu Shijia lied, “The repairman’s got something to take care of and will be here later, but it’s not a big problem. It’ll be fixed soon.”

Lin Shu watched him turn on the flashlight function on his phone and head into the study. A moment later, he came out with the case file and handed it to her.

Having gotten what she needed, Lin Shu should have just left, but she hesitated and changed her mind.

“Xu Shijia, do you want to grab something to eat?” Lin Shu looked around the pitch-black room. “Since the repairman won’t be here for a while, it’s a waste of time just waiting around. Why not grab a late-night snack? We can talk about the case at the same time.”

Xu Shijia stiffened. “Oh, no, I’m good,” he replied airily. “I ate a lot before coming home, so I’m not hungry at all. Actually, I’m quite full. Besides, eating at night isn’t great for health or maintaining one’s figure, and I’m someone who’s strict with myself. No late-night snacks for me. But you go ahead if you’re hungry, I’ll just wait here for the repairman.”

Lin Shu smiled. “I see. Well, I was planning to treat you to something, but if you’re not coming, that’s fine.”

She turned to leave.

As expected, the words “treat you” seemed to work like magic. Almost instantly, Xu Shijia chased after her.

“Hey! Wait a minute.”

The lights in the hallway illuminated Xu Shijia’s face, which was trying to mask his unease with an air of nonchalance. “Oh, I thought about it, and I’ll come with you.”

Xu Shijia glanced at Lin Shu, then looked towards the elevator. “It’s late, and it’s not safe for a woman to go out for a late-night snack alone. I’d better accompany you.”

“Isn’t this the top-rated upscale area in Rong City with the best security?” Lin Shu smiled, her lips curving slightly. “Besides, it’s fine. I can call a friend to come join me. You don’t need to worry. You can stay and wait for the repairman.”

Lin Shu pressed the elevator button, and at last, Xu Shijia couldn’t maintain his calm demeanor any longer.

He quickly stepped in front of Lin Shu, cleared his throat, and looked up at the ceiling.

“Oh, I’ll go with you. No need to bother someone else, that’d just be inconvenient…”

“It’s not inconvenient. I have a friend who lives nearby,” Lin Shu replied, pretending to take out her phone.

Finally, Xu Shijia dropped the act and snatched Lin Shu’s phone from her hand.

Lin Shu heard him say with righteous conviction, “You’re my boss after all. If my boss is willing to spend her personal time in the evening discussing case files with me and helping me improve, how could I not at least accompany her for a meal?”

“No need to call anyone. I said I’ll go.”

**

Five minutes later, Lin Shu and Xu Shijia were seated at a well-reviewed barbecue joint downstairs.

“I’ll have the lamb soup set and a barbecue set, please,” Lin Shu ordered.

Xu Shijia immediately picked up the menu, saying, “I’ll also ha—”

Before he could finish, Lin Shu smoothly took the menu away. “To avoid disrupting your healthy lifestyle, and since you’re already full, you don’t need to order. I’ll eat while we discuss the case.”

“…”

Maintaining a calm smile, Xu Shijia reached out and grabbed the menu back from Lin Shu. “No, it’s uncomfortable for one person to eat while the other doesn’t. I can manage to join you, just for the atmosphere.”

He added, “Besides, with a body as fit as mine, one late-night meal won’t hurt. My charm, looks, figure, and health won’t be ruined by just one snack.”

He smiled gracefully as if dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant. “Waiter, I’ll also have the lamb soup set and the barbecue set. And add a side of fruit, please.”

Soon, the food arrived.

At first, Xu Shijia maintained his refined, aristocratic dining manners, taking small bites and chewing slowly. But before long, his pace quickened, though he kept up a stream of commentary:

“This lamb is a bit tough, indicating mediocre meat quality.”

“They’ve used too much MSG. It’s unhealthy, too high in sodium.”

“The lamb soup is rich in purines, too much could cause gout…”

Despite his complaints, he didn’t stop eating. Before long, he was drinking the very lamb soup he’d deemed unhealthy.

Lin Shu decided it was time to strike.

“Xu Shijia, you’re out of money, aren’t you?”

As expected, Xu Shijia nearly choked on his soup.

Instinctively, he began to deny it, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Me? Out of money? Xu Shijia, lacking money? Lin Shu, have you lost your memory?”

Clearly flustered, Xu Shijia hesitated before trying to regain his composure, hurriedly explaining, “You know who I am, right? Xinhe Group is doing just fine. I have a trust fund. I’m one of the elite at the top of the pyramid. I can’t possibly be short on money. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lin Shu gave a dry laugh. “I only joined you for a snack because you so sincerely invited me and because I genuinely love discussing work. As for making you pay, it’s just a way for you to show your authority as my superior. Plus, I know you’re trying to get closer to me as your employee. I’m giving you the opportunity…”

Keep pretending.

Lin Shu put down her chopsticks. “I can lend you some money—interest-free.”

The words “interest-free loan” worked like a spell. Xu Shijia, who had just been happily drinking his lamb soup, immediately put the bowl down. But he wasn’t ready to let go of his pride yet.

Even now, Xu Shijia held his head high, struggling to maintain his dignity as the heir of Xinhe. “Well, considering my lifestyle, yes, sometimes my spending is a bit extravagant. I’m used to big spending and don’t really focus on savings. There are times when I exceed the monthly amount my trust fund provides, so, occasionally, things do get a bit tight. But with my family’s wealth, there’s no need for loans…”

Go ahead, keep being stubborn.

Lin Shu’s face remained expressionless. “I’ll give you five seconds. After that, the offer’s off the table. Five, four…”

Before Lin Shu even finished counting to three, Xu Shijia finally gave in.

“I’ll borrow it! I’ll take the loan!”

After admitting defeat, Xu Shijia avoided Lin Shu’s gaze, looking everywhere—at the sky, the ground, the air—anywhere but at her.

However, he still tried to save face. “I get it. By offering me this so-called interest-free loan, you’re trying to create some sort of debt of gratitude, so that when you run into trouble, you can turn to someone like me, with my wide network of connections, for help. Since you’re asking me for a favor, sure, I’ll borrow the money.”

He made it sound like Lin Shu was the one begging him to borrow money.

Lin Shu wasn’t upset at all because this was her chance to win him over.

“Xu Shijia, I don’t want anything from you.”

Lin Shu looked at him sincerely. “I actually know about the difficulties you’re facing.”

“When you went into your room earlier and stayed for a long time making that call to the repairman, I got worried that you might have tripped in the dark, so I went to check on you…”

Though she didn’t spell it out, Xu Shijia understood immediately—Lin Shu had overheard his conversation.

His expression crumbled.

But he still tried to keep up the act. “It’s really nothing. This apartment and my sports car were both paid for in full. If I really run out of money, I could always sell them. Plus, I have plenty of designer clothes. I could sell those second-hand and wouldn’t run out of cash…”

Xu Shijia’s reaction was entirely within Lin Shu’s expectations. After all, as someone so prideful and used to living at the top, he now found himself in a humbling situation—so broke that he couldn’t even pay his utility bills. The drastic fall from grace was too much to handle, and having someone witness his moment of vulnerability couldn’t possibly make him happy.

But Lin Shu didn’t want to beat around the bush. She got straight to the point: “Your house and car are too expensive. Even if you try to sell them urgently, it’s unlikely anyone will buy them right away. They’re not easy to sell off like small items, so they won’t solve your immediate problem. And as for your designer clothes, why would a man who can afford high-end fashion want to buy second-hand? It’s usually only celebrities whose second-hand items have legions of fans willing to buy. And unless you publicly reveal your identity, who would know whether your designer goods are real or fake?”

“Can you really come out and say, ‘I’m the younger son of Xinhe Group’s CEO, and I’m being forced to sell my house, car, and second-hand designer clothes because of financial sanctions’?”

For someone like Xu Shijia, who values face more than anything, admitting to the public that he’s broke would be harder than death.

Sure enough, her words hit a nerve.

Xu Shijia pressed his lips together, still struggling, “I’m not selling because I’m emotionally attached to my possessions. My house, my car, my clothes—they’re like family to me. How could I sell my family when I’m down?”

Lin Shu smiled silently, just staring at him.

At first, Xu Shijia maintained his facade of calm, but after a few moments, he realized something and, with a sharp tone, asked, “Lin Shu, are you messing with me? Have you been watching me make a fool of myself this whole time? Are you enjoying it?”

It wasn’t surprising that Xu Shijia was angry. Most people would choose to pretend they hadn’t noticed such an awkward situation to avoid embarrassment and preserve the other person’s dignity. Only someone with low emotional intelligence, or someone seeking to stir up trouble, would deliberately expose the truth.

Lin Shu’s actions could indeed be seen as provocative.

But that was exactly the effect she was going for.

How could she perform the role of “aiding in someone’s time of need” if she didn’t first expose Xu Shijia’s predicament?

“I had no intention of mocking you,” Lin Shu said, her voice filled with genuine sympathy. “I’m just conflicted.”

“For me, ignoring the situation would have been the safest choice. But when I thought about my most promising employee having to survive for nearly 20 days without water or electricity until payday to alleviate his financial troubles, my sense of responsibility urged me to do something.”

Her tone was sincere and heartfelt. “You know, I’ve been betrayed by my so-called family before, and I experienced poverty when I was young. I know how hard it is to get through those days. Even someone like me, who didn’t grow up with a wealthy background, found it tough. I can only imagine how much harder it must be for someone like you.”

“I’ve been through hardship, and that’s why I want to help someone else going through the same thing.” Lin Shu deliberately shifted her gaze, speaking in a melancholic, sorrowful voice. “I don’t know what’s going on with your family or why they’re treating you like this all of a sudden. But I can empathize because, when I was struggling so much that I couldn’t even afford my tuition, my father refused to give me any money, just like your family is doing to you now.”

“And the worst part is, my father wasn’t broke—he simply chose not to help me,” Lin Shu continued, looking up at Xu Shijia with a gaze that conveyed, we are the same. “Just like your family.”

First, she sought to create empathy, to bring Xu Shijia onto the same page as her, fostering trust by making him feel like they were in the same boat—a team.

This time, Lin Shu decided to focus on the theme of “kindred spirits down on their luck.”

“I don’t know what your family is thinking, but even if they had good intentions, this is going too far. They could have taken it step by step, right? How could they just suddenly throw you from a life of comfort into a situation where you can’t even pay your utility and phone bills?”

As she said this, Xu Shijia’s face immediately showed a surge of anger and agreement with her words.

Lin Shu averted her gaze again, pretending to recall her own past struggles, sinking into a moment of quiet pain. “Even if it wasn’t intentional, they are allowing this situation to continue. Some people probably want to watch us struggle once we’re out of money.”

“But that just means we have to get stronger!”

“Do they really think that without family support, we can’t survive on our own? That we can’t earn our own money?”

Sensing the mood was right, Lin Shu prepared for the final push.

“Xu Shijia, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, you’ll always have a job here. Tianhao will be your safety net, your iron rice bowl. As long as you work hard and seriously apply yourself, you won’t lack for pay. If you perform well, I won’t let you miss out on your year-end bonus either.”

At this point, Lin Shu emphasized the “you’re the only special one” angle.

“I’m willing to lend you money not to watch you struggle or to become your creditor, and certainly not just out of sympathy. There are plenty of people going through tough times in this world. Do I lend money to all of them?”

Lin Shu answered her own question: “No.”

“That’s because I don’t trust them. I don’t think they would be able to repay the money. But you’re different.”

She stared into Xu Shijia’s eyes. “I believe in you.”

Xu Shijia’s previously sour expression finally began to soften. He coughed, still feeling a bit awkward, but he started to regain some of his former composure: “Of course. Someone like me wouldn’t default on a debt…”

“Exactly,” Lin Shu followed up swiftly. “I trust you, not because of your family background, but because I believe in your abilities.”

And then Lin Shu moved into her forte—painting a brighter future.

Speaking earnestly, she said, “With your abilities, if you stick with me for just a month or two, you’ll be able to pay off what you owe me. Work hard for six months, and you’ll be financially independent. If you work hard for a year, with some luck, you might even be able to return to your previous lifestyle. And if you work hard for ten years, you could start your own business and become a partner.”

“By that time, your brother won’t be able to compare to you. He only got where he is by inheriting the family business, but you, you’ll be truly independent! You’ll be the first in your family to work hard and get rich by your own efforts!”

After Lin Shu’s persuasive “brainwashing,” Xu Shijia’s thoughts were clearly derailed. He didn’t even question why he needed to become the first person in his family to make a fortune by working or why he needed a job that would always be there for him. Instead, he was completely immersed in the future vision Lin Shu painted, silently listening with pursed lips, not expressing any doubts or objections.

“In this life, having a skill of your own can weather any storm! If Xinhe Group goes bankrupt, your brother and the others will be out on the streets begging, but only you will still have a respectable job! That’s the difference between being unemployed and being a white-collar worker.”

Lin Shu continued earnestly, “Xu Shijia, you absolutely must not bow to your family’s pressure now. You can’t lower yourself to ask them for money. A man has to have some backbone!”

“I want to see you walk forward with pride, which is why I offered to lend you money!”

The initial wariness in Xu Shijia’s expression was completely gone, replaced by a look of heartfelt gratitude, like finding water in a drought or a friend in a foreign land.

“I have to admit, you do have a good eye,” Xu Shijia said calmly. “That’s why I’m willing to work under someone as capable as you.”

He cleared his throat, still a bit awkward. “But if you lend me the money, won’t it be difficult for you…”

“Don’t worry!” Lin Shu reassured him. “I may have to pay my mortgage, and I just bought a lot of furniture after moving to Rong City, so I’m not exactly flush with cash. But I can manage. Besides, if you work hard with me, and we take on more clients together, the money will come! It’s all about mutual benefit—everyone prospers together!”

This was the classic moral manipulation tactic—sacrificing her own comfort to help him, subtly implying how much she was willing to give up for his sake, with the underlying message that he owed her something big in return.

In the workplace, small favors always come with the expectation of great repayment.

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia didn’t seem to understand these workplace tactics. He was still lost in his feelings of gratitude, looking at Lin Shu with a much softer gaze, like a once-proud dog now tamed.

“No matter how tough things get, I can’t let my employee suffer. You can’t even cover basic living expenses, right?” Lin Shu, worried that Xu Shijia might reconsider, enthusiastically added, “I’ll transfer the money to you right away. Next month, I’ll make sure your essential expenses are covered, and I’ll deduct a small amount from your salary as repayment.”

Lin Shu wanted to act immediately and send him the money before he had a chance to change his mind.

But just as she was about to do so, Xu Shijia’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“Wait.”

Uh-oh.

Had he realized what was going on?

Lin Shu braced herself.

Xu Shijia’s face was solemn, and in a serious tone, he said, “I have one request.”

Lin Shu stared at him, not sure how she would refuse if his request was unreasonable. But then Xu Shijia spoke slowly and clearly:

“Can I get another bowl of this lamb soup?”

His voice sounded slightly awkward, but his forced calmness made him appear composed. “Even though it’s unhealthy, the taste isn’t bad. Eating something unhealthy every now and then is a good way to test how strong my body really is.”

“Oh, and I’ve heard this restaurant’s pastries are good too. I’d like to take some to go,” Xu Shijia added confidently. “I need them for breakfast tomorrow. A good day starts with a good breakfast, and I need a good start to work well the whole day. I’m taking them to go mainly for work.”

…

There’s an old saying: “Poverty brings out laziness, gluttony, and slyness.” It seems there’s some truth to it.

Xu Shijia was a living example.

—

Wang Yizhou was surprised to get a call from Xu Shijia while he was out socializing.

After being cut off financially by their father, his younger brother clearly couldn’t hold out much longer. Xu Shijia called, pouring out his grievances, hoping Wang Yizhou would privately support him financially.

But before Xu Shijia could finish, the call was cut off.

When Wang Yizhou called back, the phone said the service had been suspended due to lack of payment.

Good. It seemed he was really broke this time.

Remembering how Xu Shijia once said he would support the entire family by working a job, Wang Yizhou couldn’t muster any sympathy for his brother.

That boss of his, Lin Shu, was really something.

But all of this was Xu Shijia’s own doing.

Wang Yizhou originally thought that with the phone service cut off, at least his brother wouldn’t bother him anymore tonight. However, as his evening socializing came to an end, he received another message from Xu Shijia:

“Brother! Don’t think I can’t survive just because you all cut me off!”

“Surprise! Lin Shu believes in me. She’s lending me money, interest-free, and I can repay it in installments, with deductions from my salary each month. If I work hard for twelve months, I’ll be able to pay it all back!”

“This cold-hearted family may have no place for me, but heaven always leaves a path! A true gem will shine wherever it is, and there will always be someone to recognize a talent like mine!”

“Even though I’ve fallen into hard times, someone’s still willing to lend me a hand! There is still kindness in this world!”

…

At that moment, Wang Yizhou suddenly felt a bit sorry for Xu Shijia.

The fool never even considered that the one smiling and offering a hand might be the same person who dug the pit he fell into.

Look at him, so full of gratitude.

Kindness in the world? The world had long since changed!

What an idiot!