As a battle-hardened veteran of the working world, Su Yuhan knew better than anyone that when a boss says "anything is fine," it's about as meaningful as a fart.
If you actually dared to believe that nonsense and arranged things however you pleased, you could kiss your job goodbye.
So, even though she felt this Star Qi's brain was wired differently from a normal person's, for the sake of that five thousand yuan, she did her best to recall the descriptions of Qi Lianxiu's culinary preferences and restrictions from the book.
She took it upon herself to order several light yet delicious side dishes for Qi Lianxiu, striving to do this temp job to perfection and prove she was worth every penny.
It was still the lunch break when Su Yuhan returned to the office after eating her own lunch, laden with bags.
Aside from a few employees who hadn't returned yet, most people were napping at their desks.
'This is only my first day on the job, and I haven't even completed my main quest yet. I shouldn't draw too much attention to myself.'
Su Yuhan deliberately chose a less crowded route and stealthily pushed open the door to the general manager's office.
As she entered, she happened to hear two people inside, joking around and trading insults.
"I heard you got set up the other day. A perfectly good lifelong virgin, you almost had your pristine record ruined and were about to become some shameless, deadbeat scumbag. Hahahaha! Is this a distortion of human nature, or a total moral collapse?"
Faced with this heavy blow, Qi Lianxiu fought back without hesitation, activating his 'Damage the Enemy by a Thousand, Suffer Eight Hundred in Return' ability.
"Why must one virgin pick on another? Sorry to disappoint you, Young Master Lin. Thanks to a benefactor's help, my reputation wasn't harmed in the slightest. In fact, it's soared to new heights."
"Oh, a real benefactor, huh?" Lin Haoyang, however, was unfazed by his friend's feeble, 'pot calling the kettle black' counterattack. He peeked his head out from behind his desk and asked with a sly grin, "Going to introduce me?"
Suddenly hearing them talk about something related to her, Su Yuhan froze, her hand on the door, and her ears pricked up.
"How am I supposed to introduce you? I don't even know if they're round or flat. That person is like a phantom, appearing and disappearing without a trace. They dropped off the evidence, extorted a hundred thousand yuan from me, and vanished. The incompetents at my agency couldn't find a single lead..."
"A hundred thousand yuan? You mean they solved such a huge problem for you and only asked for a hundred thousand? That person must be some country bumpkin from the sticks who's never seen the world. Even those damn rumor-mongering paparazzi charge more than that when they blackmail someone with a single suggestive photo."
The country bumpkin in question: "..." 'Damn, is being a paparazzi really that profitable?'
"The incompetents at my agency said the same thing. They all figure this reclusive master must have been living in some remote mountain forest for too long. They're so timid about asking for money it's almost like they're doing charity."
BANG—
Su Yuhan, who had just been reeling from the exorbitant sums of money thrown around in the entertainment industry, kicked the office door in a fit of rage, startling the two men inside.
Lin Haoyang instinctively moved to reprimand her, but Qi Lianxiu beat him to the punch. "What took you so long just to get takeout? A few more minutes and this young master would have starved to death!"
'With a voice that full of energy, how could you possibly look like you're about to starve?'
At that moment, Su Yuhan was still stewing over her hundred thousand yuan being dismissed as charity.
It was like haggling: the seller names a ridiculously high price, you think you've countered with a lowball offer, but they agree in a heartbeat. Afterward, you just know they're laughing behind your back and calling you a sucker.
For a money-grubbing miser, this was the ultimate humiliation!
But, upholding the principles of a good employee, Su Yuhan refrained from taking her anger out on her employer.
Setting down the numerous bags she was carrying, she said politely, "Sir, you didn't specify any dishes, so I took the liberty of ordering a few tasty side dishes. I'm not sure if they'll suit your palate. Please take a look. If they aren't to your liking, I can go buy something else."
Qi Lianxiu's attention was successfully diverted. He gave the food Su Yuhan had brought back a cursory glance, and his expression faltered for a moment.
Lin Haoyang's gaze shifted between the two of them. He leaned closer to Qi Lianxiu and asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows, "Who's this young lady? Are you two... well acquainted?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter and stop imagining things."
However, Lin Haoyang's question did serve as a reminder for Qi Lianxiu.
"What's your name?"
Su Yuhan lowered her head even further, giving the fake name she'd used for her employment. "Liu Feizhu."
Qi Lianxiu subconsciously committed the name to memory, though what he said was, "How tacky and plain."
Su Yuhan: "..." 'You're the tacky one. Your whole family is tacky.'
"Sir, I've brought back the food. If there's nothing else, I'll go back to work now."
"What's the rush? Have you eaten? If you haven't, stay and eat with me."
A look of surprise crossed Su Yuhan's face, and Lin Haoyang also glanced over, astonished.
Qi Lianxiu immediately became defensive. "I'm not a pig, how could I possibly finish all this? Or do you think this young master is the kind of person who eats leftovers?"
"..."
'Wasn't I just worried I might not have bought a dish to your liking, and would then have to waste time and energy making another trip, thus delaying your precious mealtime?'
'But the way you put it, was I wrong to bring back so much?'
"If you can't finish it, you can share it with someone else."
Su Yuhan shot a pointed glance at Lin Haoyang, who immediately took the hint.
"Exactly! I haven't eaten yet, either. This spread isn't even enough to fill me up. I guarantee none of it will go to waste."
"What are you, a pig? How can one person eat so much? Besides, I'm the one who paid for it. Why should it end up in your stomach? If you want to eat, get someone to buy it for you."
Qi Lianxiu shot Lin Haoyang a vicious glare. When he turned back to Su Yuhan, however, his face was alight with a smug sort of pride.
"Seeing as you went to the trouble of bringing all this back, this young master will be merciful and reward you with a meal."
"..." 'Could he be any more of a hypocrite?'
Su Yuhan, deeply moved, promptly refused him. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I've already eaten. If there's nothing else..."
"Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that you... Wait, did you say you've already eaten?" The smile on Qi Lianxiu's face stiffened, then promptly fell.
Su Yuhan was a walking embodiment of a confused meme. 'Why the sudden mood swing? All I did was grab a bite during my shift. Who did I possibly offend?'
'Or could it be that he's bothered that I ate before he, the employer, did?'
'What an evil capitalist, getting hung up on every little thing!'
"Yes, I've eaten. But rest assured, I only ate while waiting for your order. The moment I got it, I brought it straight here without a single delay. See? Everything is still hot."
'Who cares if you were delayed on the way!' Qi Lianxiu was so furious he could feel his insides ache, yet he couldn't quite articulate what he was angry about.
"Get out, get out, get out! I don't want to see you again."
"You got it! Enjoy your meal. I'll be taking my leave." Worried that sticking around would only lead to more trouble, Su Yuhan oiled the soles of her feet, ready to slip away.
But she had only taken a few steps before she was called to a halt again.
"Wait."
Su Yuhan: "..." 'Is this guy ever going to quit?!'