Just as Gao Yuan was gleefully waiting to see Xu Xiaoyue humiliated, a deep, steady voice cut through the air.  

“What’s going on here?”  

Everyone turned toward the sound. The figure standing at the entrance instantly captured all attention.  

The man stood tall and straight as a pine tree, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—his presence impossible to ignore even as he leaned casually to one side.  

The female staff members forgot all about Gao Yuan, their eyes glued to the man, their gazes filled with admiration.  

Yan Ye frowned. He had only come to buy some household supplies and hadn’t expected to stumble upon Xu Xiaoyue.  

Recalling the conversation he’d just overheard, he strode decisively toward the two women.  

His gaze first landed on Xu Xiaoyue before quickly shifting away.  

For days, Yan Ye had been wondering: if he saw this woman again, should he treat her with the same cold indifference she’d shown him last time, as if they were strangers?  

Or should he corner her and demand to know why she had avoided him so pointedly?  

But the moment he saw her, none of that seemed to matter anymore.  

The man turned to Gao Yuan, his expression displeased. “Apologize.”  

Like the others, Gao Yuan had initially been captivated by the man’s striking looks. But upon hearing Yan Ye openly defend Xu Xiaoyue, she clenched her fists.  

“And who are you to her?”  

She scrutinized Yan Ye’s attire, her eyes darting between him and Xu Xiaoyue.  

Zheng Jiaojiao had told her that Xu Xiaoyue was just some country bumpkin who got lucky by clinging to city relatives for a place to stay.  

But she’d never mentioned any connection to a man like this.  

Yan Ye didn’t answer. His dark eyes fixed on Xu Xiaoyue, who silently lowered her head.  

The moment Xu Xiaoyue saw the man before her, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest in fright. For a second, she thought Yan Ye had discovered her identity and come to confront her.  

Even as she felt his gaze on her, she didn’t dare look up.  

Seeing this, Gao Yuan became even more convinced that the man had nothing to do with either of them.  

She shed her momentary wariness and resumed her haughty demeanor. “Comrade, I suggest you mind your own business. This is between her and me.”  

Yan Ye lifted his eyelids slightly, his lips curling into a cold smile. “What a coincidence—I happen to enjoy minding other people’s business.”  

With that, he took a few steps forward, positioning himself between Xu Xiaoyue and Gao Yuan. “Apologize to this comrade for what you just said.”  

His tone brooked no argument as he stared Gao Yuan down.  

Gao Yuan glanced at him and turned to leave, completely disregarding his demand.  

To her surprise, Yan Ye reached out and blocked her path.  

“Hey!”  

Gao Yuan glared at the man in front of her. “Don’t push it.”  

Xu Xiaoyue observed Gao Yuan’s furious embarrassment and thought to herself: *People never understand the pain until the knife cuts their own flesh.*  

If merely blocking her path was “pushing it,” then what about all those provocative, insulting words she’d hurled earlier? Weren’t those far worse?  

No matter how much Gao Yuan ranted, Yan Ye remained expressionless, though the look in his eyes grew increasingly icy.  

Only when she finally paused did the man speak slowly. “Apologize now, or I’ll bring your supervisor here to settle this.”  

At the mention of her supervisor, Gao Yuan’s face changed.  

In these times, when everyone was anxious about keeping their jobs, getting reprimanded over something like this would be like lifting a rock only to drop it on her own foot.  

Moreover, judging by Yan Ye’s demeanor, Gao Yuan knew he wasn’t bluffing—he would absolutely follow through.  

With no other choice, and in front of everyone, Gao Yuan reluctantly looked at Xu Xiaoyue, her heart full of resentment as she gritted her teeth.

“Sorry.”

Xu Xiaoyue stood her ground. Faced with this utterly insincere apology, she replied coolly, “I don’t accept this apology.”  

Gao Yuan’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Don’t push your luck. I’ve already apologized—what more do you want?”  

“Nothing much. I just want to remind you that it was Manager Yan who hired me.”  

“Don’t think this ends with a half-hearted apology. From now on, you’d better pray I don’t catch you slipping. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t stay here.”  

The surrounding staff members who had gathered to watch gasped in surprise at her words.  

No one had expected this seemingly meek Xu Xiaoyue to have such a temper.  

This was a deliberate warning to others—Xu Xiaoyue had spoken those words intentionally.  

Since they clearly couldn’t get along anyway, rather than letting others treat her like a pushover, she might as well establish herself as someone not to be trifled with.  

Gao Yuan’s face turned ashen. Apologizing to Xu Xiaoyue in front of everyone was humiliating enough.  

Now, Xu Xiaoyue’s words felt like grinding her face into the dirt.  

She stamped her foot, but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. After shooting Xu Xiaoyue a venomous glare, she turned and stormed off.  

With the show over, the onlookers quickly dispersed.  

Now, only Xu Xiaoyue and Yan Ye remained at the empty counter.  

Xu Xiaoyue was the first to look up. Clutching the hem of her clothes, she said:  

“Thank you for today.”  

As she spoke, she couldn’t help feeling frustrated. It seemed like every time she made a fool of herself, Yan Ye was there to witness it.  

Was this some kind of cannon fodder’s curse?  

“You work here?”  

Having dealt with Gao Yuan, Yan Ye frowned at Xu Xiaoyue’s uniform.  

Though the work clothes were dull in color, she wore them with unexpected grace. The coarse fabric clung tightly to her curvaceous figure.  

The slightly open collar revealed a slender neck as pale as jade.  

Even in the same uniform as everyone else, Xu Xiaoyue stood out distinctly.  

Yan Ye’s gaze lingered on her collarbone, then darkened at the thought of all the people constantly coming and going in this state-run supermarket.  

His throat moved slightly as he tugged at his collar button, inexplicably irritated.  

“Uh, yes, I work here.” Having been caught red-handed, Xu Xiaoyue saw no point in hiding it.  

She glanced at the man before her and gestured to the side. “It’s my shift now, so I should get back to work. No time to chat…”  

With that, she hurried off as if afraid Yan Ye might stop her.  

Her quick steps made her slender waist—cinched by the uniform’s belt—sway slightly, her petite frame and curves carrying an unintentional allure.  

Watching her retreating figure, Yan Ye’s expression darkened again.  

Finally, when her shift ended, Xu Xiaoyue gathered her things and stepped outside—only to hear the ringing of a bicycle bell.  

Turning, she saw Yan Ye.  

“Get on.”