Although the clerks who had been whispering behind her back fell silent, they remained unconvinced in their hearts.  

The next moment, when they caught sight of Xu Xiaoyue standing beside Manager Yan, they couldn’t help but widen their eyes and scrutinize her carefully.  

It’s often said that men enjoy looking at beautiful women, but women are no different.  

Just the sight of Xu Xiaoyue’s perfectly oval face and luscious cherry-like lips was enough to leave them stunned.  

Then there was her slender waist, so delicate it seemed one could wrap a hand around it, and her slim, fair legs—every inch of her was flawless.  

The grain and rice clerks glanced at Xu Xiaoyue, then turned their gazes to the other clerks nearby.  

They all thought the same thing: *Goodness, with looks like that, no wonder Manager Yan brought her in.*  

Even if she were just a decorative beauty, she’d be more than enough to enhance the shop’s image.  

Xu Xiaoyue’s appearance was striking. Those who had seen her before recognized her immediately.

No wonder Manager Yan had chatted with her for over half an hour the other day—so this was what it was about.

After a brief introduction, Manager Yan assigned them their positions and left.  

The clerks didn’t dare show their displeasure in front of Manager Yan, but the moment she stepped away, their expressions darkened.  

Xu Xiaoyue frowned at the sight, further confirming her earlier suspicions. She lowered her head, unwilling to force friendly interactions where none were welcome.  

Zheng Jiaojiao glanced sideways at Xu Xiaoyue and, seeing her make no move to socialize, silently thought to herself: What an idiot. If you’re not going to integrate with the new team now, are you expecting them to come cozy up to you instead?  

Then again, she hoped Xu Xiaoyue stayed this clueless. Ideally, she’d eventually realize she couldn’t compete and quit on her own.  

With a smile plastered on her face, Zheng Jiaojiao stepped forward. “How should I address you, sisters?”  

“No need for ‘sisters,’ just call us by our names. I’m Gao Yuan, this is Wang Yue, and that’s Liu Honghong.”  

Gao Yuan hadn’t planned on acknowledging either of them. She had been waiting for Xu Xiaoyue to speak first so they could all ignore her and leave the two in an awkward position.  

But to her surprise, Xu Xiaoyue showed no intention of speaking to them at all, making Gao Yuan’s silent scheme seem pointless.  

Zheng Jiaojiao, however, was pleased. Since this was an evaluation period, these clerks might very well be part of the assessment. Building good relations with them now could only benefit her.  

Xu Xiaoyue watched as the four of them quickly bonded, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing.  

By the time they headed home in the afternoon, Zheng Jiaojiao didn’t bother scheming to ditch Xu Xiaoyue. Instead, she walked with an air of superiority, boasting about how well she’d gotten along with Gao Yuan and the others.  

The moment they stepped through the door, they were met with cheerful laughter.  

The first to notice them was Aunt Wang.  

“Xiaoyue and Jiaojiao are back.”  

Liu Ye rose from the sofa and walked over, followed by a girl who looked about eighteen or nineteen, her hair cut in a short student-style bob.  

“Is Brother Yanye back?”  

The girl’s voice was sweet and girlish as she darted out from behind Liu Ye, her face alight with anticipation. When she didn’t see the person she was hoping for, her lips turned down in a pout.  

Liu Ye chuckled. “I told you earlier—your Brother Yanye has been busy lately. Even I haven’t seen him in a long time.”  

“And who are these two sisters?”  

The bob-haired girl’s eyes locked onto Xu Xiaoyue’s radiant face, a sudden sense of unease rising in her chest.  

Liu Ye briefly introduced Zheng Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaoyue before turning to them. “This is Zhang Qianqian. You can just call her Qianqian.”  

Zhang Qianqian reached up to touch her short hair. The student bob was the most fashionable hairstyle on the market right now.  

She had always thought it was the prettiest—until she saw Xu Xiaoyue’s glossy, jet-black long hair. A strange irritation prickled in her chest.  

**What displeased Zhang Qianqian even more was Xu Xiaoyue’s face—it was simply too beautiful.**  

If it were just beauty alone, that might have been tolerable. Zhang Qianqian scrutinized Xu Xiaoyue from head to toe.  

The weather wasn’t particularly hot, yet Xu Xiaoyue wore a plain white shirt without any patterns.  

But unlike other loose, baggy short-sleeved shirts, this one cinched at the waist just below the bust, following the natural curves of a woman’s body to outline an alluring figure.  

Zhang Qianqian couldn’t quite pinpoint what was off, but she felt Xu Xiaoyue resembled some kind of enchantress—exuding a bewitching charm that seemed both demure and indecent at the same time.  

What made Zhang Qianqian’s sense of crisis intensify was learning that this “little enchantress” was going to stay at the Yan household long-term.  

“Aunt Liu, Sister Xiaoyue is so pretty. Why doesn’t she come work as a maid at my house instead?”  

Zhang Qianqian clung to Liu Ye’s arm, her usual sweet smile plastered on her face as she cooed.  

Liu Ye chuckled, brushing off the remark. “You’ve got quite the imagination, little girl. But your Sister Xiaoyue already has a job.”  

Zhang Qianqian frowned. “Then she can just quit. Being a maid at my place is surely better than whatever job she has now.”  

She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Liu Ye paused, gently extracting her arm from the girl’s grip, her smile cooling slightly.  

“That’s not up to me. Your Sister Xiaoyue makes her own decisions.”

Xu Xiaoyue’s lips twitched. For Liu Ye’s sake, she forced a polite smile at Zhang Qianqian and made a move to step past her.  

Seeing her about to leave, Zhang Qianqian quickly blocked her path.  

“Well, Sister Xiaoyue, what do you think?”

She tilted her head up, her tone dripping with faux innocence. “My house isn’t any smaller than this one, the work isn’t hard, and I’ll pay you five yuan a month.”  

Xu Xiaoyue glanced at the girl. Hearing her lofty tone, she’d expected some extravagant offer—only to hear *five yuan*.  

She had hands and feet. Even doing manual labor for a month would earn her more than that pitiful sum. It was practically charity for beggars.  

The thought made Xu Xiaoyue let out a cold laugh.  

“Sorry, but my monthly salary is *this* much.”

She held up two fingers, displaying them for everyone to see—**twenty yuan**.  

The comparison made Zhang Qianqian’s offer of five seem even more laughable.  

Zhang Qianqian realized this immediately. She had deliberately lowballed the offer, assuming Xu Xiaoyue, being from the countryside, wouldn’t know better.  

Outmaneuvered, her face darkened. After a moment, she forced a tight smile.  

“I never imagined Sister Xiaoyue was so capable.”

“If I were as capable as you, I’d rent my own place. Living freely alone sounds much more convenient.”

At its core, Zhang Qianqian’s resentment stemmed from Xu Xiaoyue staying at the Yan household—a fact she couldn’t hide.  

If not for the last shred of her rationality, she might’ve dragged Xu Xiaoyue away on the spot. Someone so bewitching could easily set her sights on Brother Yan—what if she got any *ideas*?  

As Zhang Qianqian’s words grew increasingly absurd, Liu Ye cut in.  

“The Yan household has no shortage of space. Frankly, I’d worry if Xiaoyue moved out.”

Beside them, Xu Xiaoyue’s ears perked up, a new thought forming.  

She was right—now that she had a job, why *not* move out?

If she left, she wouldn’t have to worry about running into Yan Ye and risking exposure.