Today, the state-run supermarket was a far cry from its usual quiet atmosphere—the bustling noise of the crowd was practically bursting through the roof.  

No one knew where these people had come from, but the moment they entered the store, they beelined straight for the fabric section, grabbing every red, floral, and green piece in sight.  

Zheng Jiaojiao initially thought she had encountered big spenders and was about to step forward to ring them up when the men just waved her off, saying they didn’t need her.  

The moment Xu Xiaoyue appeared, the leader of the group brightened up and immediately swarmed toward her.  

Seeing this, Zheng Jiaojiao instantly understood.  

Her face remained expressionless, but inside, she was seething with anger, ready to explode.  

Wang Jianhua was still puzzled—why would Regiment Commander Yan suddenly order him to bring his comrades to the state-run supermarket out of the blue, specifically instructing them to buy fabric and promising reimbursement?  

The moment he saw Xu Xiaoyue, everything clicked.  

Who would’ve thought that one day, their iron-blooded, ruthless regiment commander would willingly fall for a honey trap?  

Xu Xiaoyue frowned. “Comrade Wang Jianhua, what… are you all doing?”  

A group of grown men stuffing colorful fabrics into bags—no matter how you looked at it, the scene was a little strange.  

Especially when she looked up and met Wang Jianhua’s burning gaze, as if he were staring at some extraordinary figure.  

Xu Xiaoyue froze for a moment before taking two steps back to put distance between them.  

Seeing her reaction, Wang Jianhua immediately grasped the situation between the two.  

He raised an eyebrow, deciding not to expose Regiment Commander Yan’s one-sided infatuation.  

“Comrade Xu, what a coincidence running into you here,” he said.  

“You work here?”  

Xu Xiaoyue nodded, her almond-shaped eyes round with curiosity as she studied the group.  

“So, all these colorful fabrics you’re holding—just a coincidence that you all happened to like the same ones?”  

Wang Jianhua averted his gaze, not daring to meet her eyes, and laughed awkwardly to brush it off.  

“Just joking, just joking, haha.”  

The other men with Wang Jianhua had noticed Xu Xiaoyue the moment she appeared.  

Now, seeing the interaction between the two, they couldn’t resist teasing.  

“Brother Wang, that’s not cool—you’ve got a wife and didn’t even tell us?”  

“No wonder Brother Wang kept her hidden—sis-in-law is so pretty!”  

Their banter was lighthearted, without malice.  

Xu Xiaoyue could tell their words weren’t meant to be hurtful, and she opened her mouth to explain.  

But beside her, Wang Jianhua was shaking his head so hard it looked like a rattle drum, his expression uncharacteristically serious as he hurriedly distanced himself.  

“Don’t spout nonsense! My relationship with Comrade Xu is completely pure!”  

Then, he turned to Xu Xiaoyue and swore solemnly,  

“Comrade Xu Xiaoyue, rest assured—even if every other woman in the world dropped dead, I would never, ever have any improper thoughts about you!”  

Wang Jianhua was so desperate for her to believe him that he might as well have sworn to the heavens.  

“Got it, got it,” Xu Xiaoyue quickly cut him off, afraid he’d say something even more outrageous.  

As Xu Xiaoyue collected payment after payment, her hands practically going numb, none of the other clerks on duty could hide their envy.  

It took her half the day to finally tally up the accounts.  

Looking at the significantly higher numbers, all thanks to the group Wang Jianhua had brought in, she couldn’t help but wonder—how had Wang Jianhua even known she worked here?  

Xu Xiaoyue rubbed her fingers together, a wild guess forming in her mind.  

Could it be… that man?  

The thought had barely surfaced when she immediately raised a hand and smacked her forehead, as if to knock the absurd idea right back where it came from.

It had been nearly half a month since their last meeting, and the man had completely vanished—he might have already forgotten about her, tossing her memory into some remote corner of his mind.  

Liu Honghong craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the final sales figure. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but all she managed to see was a vague “100.”  

Xu Xiaoyue lifted her eyelids, meeting the woman’s eager gaze. “Sister Liu, why are you staring at my ledger?”  

Liu Honghong hadn’t expected her subtle spying to be noticed. She forced an ingratiating smile. “Xiaoyue, I just wanted to see how much you sold. We all work the same counter—I was just showing concern for you.”  

Xu Xiaoyue let out a cold hum, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Then I should really thank you for your concern.”  

Liu Honghong rubbed her hands together, inwardly cursing Zheng Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaoyue as a pair of little sluts.  

Ever since those two had arrived, they made her and the other veteran employees look like useless bystanders.  

Lately, because the older staff hadn’t made any sales, management had been putting a lot of pressure on them.  

But Liu Honghong was used to acting superior. In her mind, the women who came to buy fabric and clothes should be the ones begging *them* to reserve stock, pleading to make a purchase.  

Lowering herself to actively promote products? That would degrade her status, tarnish her dignity.  

Thinking back to Manager Yan’s warning at yesterday’s meeting—if they didn’t start making sales, they could pack up and leave—her stomach twisted.  

And now, Xu Xiaoyue had landed such a huge sale, over a hundred yuan, equivalent to half a year of Liu Honghong’s own sales performance.  

It made her itch all over, as if grasshoppers were crawling under her skin. She couldn’t help but think—if only that hundred-yuan sale were mine.  

Her gaze lingered on Xu Xiaoyue’s figure before she spoke. “Xiaoyue, you’ve only been working here for less than two months, right?”  

“Mm.” Xu Xiaoyue didn’t pause in her work.  

“Here’s the thing—I’ve taught you quite a bit these past few days.”  

“You’re still young, and today’s sale was just luck. Honestly, at your age, handling such a big sale is too much responsibility. But since it fell into your lap, well, that’s just fate.”  

“I won’t ask for much. Just split this sale with me—half will do.”  

The more Liu Honghong spoke, the more confident she became, her eyes fixed expectantly on Xu Xiaoyue.  

Xu Xiaoyue had guessed this woman was up to no good, but she never expected Liu Honghong to be this shameless.  

Holy shit, is this even human speech?

When it came to audacity, Xu Xiaoyue had to admit—she was no match for Liu Honghong.  

Seeing Xu Xiaoyue remain silent, Liu Honghong pressed, “It doesn’t have to be exactly half. Whatever you think is fair.”  

Xu Xiaoyue let out a cold laugh. “Sister Liu, did you forget to look in the mirror before leaving home today? How come your left cheek is stuck to your right cheek?”  

“What do you mean?” Liu Honghong stared at her, confused.  

Xu Xiaoyue met her gaze and slowly finished, “It means—one side is thick-skinned, and the other is shameless.”  

Liu Honghong’s face flushed crimson with rage. She pointed at Xu Xiaoyue, ready to unleash a torrent of curses—  

But Xu Xiaoyue checked the time. It was exactly the end of her shift. She had no patience to listen to Liu Honghong’s repetitive insults.  

The moment she stepped outside, she noticed a tall figure standing nearby. His broad frame cast a shadow over her, blocking out the sun completely.  

Xu Xiaoyue froze, then looked up. “Yan Ye?”  

Her heart skipped a beat. She had no idea how long he’d been standing there—or whether he’d overheard her cursing inside.  

“Sharp-tongued kitten.”

The man said in a light tone.