Chapter 2

Tempted by the high salary, Qi Baizi gathered her courage and took the job.

She didn’t care if it was reliable or not; the contract said eighteen thousand a month, and she would work for as long as she could.

However, considering she still had her graduation defense in May, the manager in charge of her work assignment told her to report for duty after her defense was over.

So, during the Labor Day holiday, Qi Baizi took up another part-time job at a milk tea shop, earning eighty yuan a day with food and lodging included.

The day after the holiday began, she went to visit her uncle’s family after work. Her aunt, Wu Yanfang, had suddenly collapsed on the third day after Qi Baizi’s mother passed away. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a brain tumor. Since the surgical risk was too high, she could only receive conservative treatment for now, with necessary medical expenses amounting to over ten thousand yuan a month. For her uncle and aunt, who had spent half their lives working on construction sites, this was a huge expense.

Qi Baizi brought some fruit and left five thousand yuan, which she had saved from her part-time jobs last month.

Because she knew a little Japanese, Qi Baizi not only had a constant stream of offline part-time jobs but also frequently took on online translation gigs. She stayed up late to finish them, looking much more haggard as a result.

Seeing her thin shoulders, her aunt couldn’t help but cry. Her uncle insisted she stay for dinner and was about to go out to buy groceries, but Qi Baizi refused. The elderly couple usually ate simple meals, and it wasn’t worth it for them to overspend just for her.

When the holiday ended, so did her part-time job. Qi Baizi packed her things and returned to her dorm early the next morning. Zheng Xiaoxiao wasn’t there; only Li Yi was in the room, mysteriously carrying her laptop over to her. “Guess what I received?”

“What?”

“An offer from Gu Corporation!”

“Really?” Qi Baizi was stunned. “Congratulations!”

“Congratulations to you too!” Li Yi said with a grin, grabbing two cups of milk tea from her own bunk and pushing one in front of Qi Baizi. “My treat!”

Qi Baizi stuck a straw in her cup and asked, “Where’s Zheng Xiaoxiao?”

“Her…” Li Yi’s smile froze, and she sat down across from her with a sigh. “She’s probably going back to her hometown. We saw her mom downstairs when we came back from breakfast just now.”

Qi Baizi paused as well, confused. “Isn’t her family well-off? I remember her mom is a factory director. She even told her to go out and make her own way, and the family would have her back. How did it come to this…?”

Zheng Xiaoxiao had said that in the dorm before, when it was just the three of them. Qi Baizi couldn’t shake the feeling that the words were meant for her to hear.

But back then, she was in no mood to deal with her roommate’s petty thoughts; her mother’s illness was already overwhelming her.

Li Yi paused for a few seconds before saying, “We misunderstood you before. We’ve been wanting to find a chance to ask you about it and clear things up, but you always seemed so unapproachable, so we never got the chance… Anyway, what’s past is past. I apologize on her behalf and for myself. Please don’t hold it against us. But Zheng Xiaoxiao’s family really is in some trouble. If she comes back later, please don’t ask her about it.”

Qi Baizi squeezed her straw nonchalantly and smiled. “Don’t worry.”

“I know a little about her family’s situation.” Li Yi glanced at the closed door and lowered her voice. “It’s actually related to Gu Corporation.”

“Her mother’s factory makes compressor parts and has always worked with Gu Corporation. But a couple of years ago, Gu Corporation suddenly changed its CEO. After she took over, she gradually cut the entire home appliance line, and all the collaborations with various factories were terminated.”

“Gu Corporation is a huge enterprise, so cutting one appliance line is nothing to them. But for a local factory, it’s a lifeline.” Li Yi sighed again. “Anyway, Zheng Xiaoxiao is probably not coming back this time. The factory has laid off a lot of people, and since our major is a perfect fit, her mom probably wants to pull her back to the technical department to fill a spot.”

Qi Baizi didn’t know what to say. The march of progress always outpaces people’s thinking. Whether Zheng Xiaoxiao stayed or went back, neither could be called a bad thing.

“Let’s not talk about this.” Li Yi let out a breath and perked up, asking Qi Baizi, “Where were you during the holiday? Still working part-time? Have you found a full-time job yet?”

“Well…” Qi Baizi hesitated. She wasn’t keen on revealing that she had joined an outsourcing company to be Gu Yuetong’s “maid.” But then she remembered that Li Yi was also joining Gu Corporation, and they were bound to run into each other eventually. Explaining then would be even more awkward. So, she told her what happened at the job fair.

As expected, Li Yi exclaimed, “Outsourcing? Aren’t you afraid they’ll replace you after a couple of months? Your resume is really important in our field… Don’t tell me you’re changing careers?”

“I have no choice,” Qi Baizi shrugged with a helpless smile. “I need the money.”

Li Yi continued to ramble on, but since Qi Baizi had clearly stated her financial needs, there wasn’t much she could do to help, even though she didn’t know the reason. She could only press her palms together and pray for Qi Baizi. “May Gu Yuetong be a soft-hearted boss~ A soft-hearted goddess~”

Her prayer made both Qi Baizi and Zheng Xiaoxiao, who had returned to the dorm with a dark face, laugh.

Summer arrived in full force as the graduation defenses concluded. The hot air was sticky, and while it lacked the searing heat waves of July and August, the humidity of summer was already making its presence felt.

The three of them packed their luggage and left the dormitory. Zheng Xiaoxiao headed straight for the high-speed rail station, while Li Yi and Qi Baizi went to their newly rented apartments.

Qi Baizi had chosen a short-term lease. When her mother was sick, all the valuable things in their house had been sold off. The few remaining belongings were at her uncle’s house. She didn’t have many things of her own, and since she didn’t know how long she would be staying, she rented a cheap single room in an area with good transportation.

Just like with her job, she first reported to the outsourcing company.

Today was training. After the training, her manager printed out a stack of documents detailing Gu Yuetong’s preferences for her to study every day. He also gave her two sets of work attire: a black suit, a white shirt, and black trousers. There were also skirts, and the manager, being a nice person, was worried she might get hot and specifically told her to take them to wash and change into. But Qi Baizi hadn’t worn a skirt since the day she was born. She didn’t like them and had no interest, so she stubbornly refused.

As a result, she got chewed out the next day when she reported to Gu Corporation. The person scolding her was the leader of the Administration Group, who asked why she wasn’t wearing the professional skirt suit. She also said that Gu Corporation required all female assistants and secretaries to have long hair, and Qi Baizi’s chin-length hair didn’t count.

Qi Baizi remained silent. No one had told her these things, and she figured the outsourcing company probably didn’t know either. But she knew that arguing was pointless. So, just before the group leader could tell her to get lost, she picked up a pair of scissors in front of her, cut her trouser legs to her knees, and promised to make the necessary changes, effectively shutting the group leader up.

At that moment, Gu Yuetong emerged from the elevator, and the group leader led the others in greeting her.

Qi Baizi subconsciously followed everyone’s gaze in her direction, and it just so happened that Gu Yuetong was also looking at her. Their eyes met. Qi Baizi had expected to see confusion or impatience in her gaze, but instead, she interpreted it as a hint of pity—that’s right, pity.

It was the kind of look one gives when gazing down upon the common folk, a look of sympathy and helplessness from a lofty position.

It was the first time Qi Baizi had encountered someone like this, not counting the time she scratched their car. In short, she felt uneasy all over.

After watching Gu Yuetong walk into the CEO’s office, Qi Baizi came back to her senses. The group leader’s expression was no longer so harsh, and she gave her two hours to sort herself out.

Qi Baizi didn’t dare to waste a second. She first took a taxi to the nearby outsourcing company to pick up the skirt she had rejected the day before, then went to a nearby mall to buy a wig and put it up in a bun. The bun was a whole size larger than the one she could make with her own hair.

When she appeared before the group leader again, the leader said nothing more and pushed her into Gu Yuetong’s office.

For a fleeting second, Qi Baizi had the illusion that she was like a concubine being sent into the emperor’s chambers.

When she saw Gu Yuetong in person, she was relieved. What illusion? The person sitting in front of her was the emperor herself!

Her aura, her expression, even the slight movement of her eyelids when she spoke… what was the difference between this woman and the Martial Emperor?

Gu “Martial Emperor” Yuetong had no idea what her new little assistant was thinking. She calmly handled her work. A few minutes later, she pressed a button on her desk, and the computer on the height-adjustable desk disappeared, leaving the office silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Qi Baizi was the first to introduce herself. “Hello, President Gu. My name is Qi Baizi. I’m the new assistant.”

Gu Yuetong looked up at her. “You can wear trousers when you’re with me.”

Qi Baizi’s mind went blank for a second before she quickly nodded. “Yes, President Gu.”

“The wig is also unnecessary.”

“Yes.”

“Your work hours are different from others. Seven in the morning to seven in the evening. You need to be on call during work hours.”

Capitalist… Qi Baizi gritted her teeth inwardly, but her face remained smiling. “Understood.”

“Mm,” Gu Yuetong’s voice was crisp. “Can you drive?”

“Yes.” The mention of a car made Qi Baizi inexplicably nervous. She was afraid Gu Yuetong would recognize her as the delivery girl from back then, but she was also afraid she wouldn’t. It would be incredibly awkward when she eventually offered to pay for the damages.

“In thirty minutes, take me to Jingzhou Airport. The car is downstairs. Get the keys from the driver.” Gu Yuetong swiveled her chair around, her back to Qi Baizi. “Tell the Administration Group to move out of this floor immediately. And while you’re at it, inform Human Resources that the driver is fired. From now on, you’re in charge of all my affairs.”

“Understood.” Qi Baizi stood still.

Gu Yuetong seemed puzzled and swiveled her chair back to face her.

Qi Baizi smiled. “Do you need me to accompany you on your business trip?”

If time could be turned back, she would never have asked Gu Yuetong such a moronic question.

Then she wouldn’t have had to nod her head like a fool when faced with Gu Yuetong’s, “Do you think there’s still time to buy a plane ticket now?” Then she wouldn’t have had to go to the Administration Group, begging and pleading for them to book her a ticket. And less than a minute after the ticket was booked, she wouldn’t have had to kick the entire Administration Group off the floor to make room for herself… and get coffee thrown at her in the process.

A workplace newbie… truly grows through hardship.

She had thought this would show her sensibility and prudence, and that Gu Yuetong would then crisply refuse her. She never expected it to become a direct test of her work efficiency!

Don’t try to be clever. This was the first lesson Gu Yuetong taught her.

At the airport, after frantically stowing the luggage, Qi Baizi boarded the plane with Gu Yuetong.

Gu Yuetong was in first class, Qi Baizi in economy.

Before the plane took off, Qi Baizi used her own money to order tea and pastries for everyone in the Administration Group and left an apology in the notes.

Qi Baizi didn’t dwell on the coffee incident. From a certain perspective, she deserved it. But considering her long-term career development, this apology gift was a must.

In just half a day, it felt like she had grown, yet it also felt like nothing had changed.

Sitting on the plane, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, Qi Baizi clenched her fist slightly, giving herself a pep talk.

If people fly up to the sky after they die, then she must be very close to her mother right now.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of everything.”

Qi Baizi had always told her mother this, and she told herself this too.

The flight was three hours long. The girl, who had been in a whirlwind of chaos all morning, tilted her head slightly and fell asleep against the seat.

Gu Yuetong, who had been in a transoceanic shareholder meeting until midnight the day before, was also resting with her eyes closed, but she wasn’t sound asleep. She shifted occasionally, looking out the cabin window.

A flight attendant asked if the cabin temperature was suitable and brought a blanket. The air conditioning was indeed set a bit low. Gu Yuetong thought of Qi Baizi, still in her skirt, and asked the flight attendant to send one to her.

When Qi Baizi woke up and saw the blanket, she was a bit puzzled. She had flown once before and knew that this kind of service was usually not available in economy class. She had her suspicions about Gu Yuetong but didn’t ask.

After leaving the airport, a hotel car came to pick them up. On the way, Gu Yuetong asked, “Did you get some rest?”

“I did. I…” Qi Baizi couldn’t help but think of the blanket and wanted to thank her.

“Then pull yourself together,” Gu Yuetong cut her off. “Look up some Western restaurants near the hotel.”

Qi Baizi was taken aback. So she had seen her yawn when she turned her head just now…

“After dinner, rent a car, and then set up the hotel conference room. The Administration Group has already booked it. Do it according to my requirements.”

“Yes.”

After booking the Western restaurant, Gu Yuetong went into a private room to dine. Qi Baizi very consciously stepped outside. Her meal allowance was probably very limited. She bought a loaf of bread from a nearby convenience store to fill her stomach, then booked a rental car and waited for Gu Yuetong in the restaurant’s lobby.

To her surprise, when Gu Yuetong came out, her face was as dark as if she were about to eat someone.

“Where did you go?”

Qi Baizi rubbed the back of her neck. “I ate, rented a car, and then I was in the lobby the whole time.”

“Didn’t the outsourcing company tell you during your training that you’re not to be more than ten meters away from me at any time without permission?”

“You were the one who told me to rent a car, so I…”

“Don’t let there be a next time.”

Gu Yuetong’s face was stunningly beautiful, so much so that Qi Baizi couldn’t look away even while being scolded. But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is. Just like when she was angry, her unfathomable pupils looked as if they were about to spew blue flames.

As for why they were blue, Qi Baizi pondered this on the way back to the hotel. Maybe it was because blue matched her icy demeanor?