Chapter 032　 It turns out she can rub salt in his wounds after all.

  *

  Li Chengshi said, caught between tears and laughter, "What kind of decent person makes a dirty joke when someone is sad?"

  "I am that kind of decent person! It seems you still don't know me well enough. Besides, don't forget you were the one who boasted about your sex skills first."

  "I said that purely to annoy Zhao Nanfeng."

  "Good! Keep it up." Su Xian tucked the 20,000 yen into his shirt pocket, then used Paypay to transfer another 80,000 to him. "Okay, you now owe me a total of 200,000 yen. You'll belong to me when you save up 100 million."

  "I'm not that expensive. But what do you want me to do? I can't possibly..."

  "I know. You don't accept my views and actions, and you can't date or marry me, but you can be my little puppy. If anyone bites me, you bite them!"

  "I can do that. Then I'll go back to work, Team Leader."

  He looked back as he reached the corner and saw Su Xian was still gazing at him gently. His mood immediately brightened up.

  **

  When Li Chengshi arrived at the office, Zhao Nanfeng was on the phone. He waved his hand, signaling him to stop, likely to say something unpleasant.

  Li Chengshi paused in the middle of the room, thinking that if Zhao Nanfeng was sarcastic, he would just pretend to hear a dog barking. His pressure had been released, and now he feared nothing.

  Honda crept closer, hiding behind a few stacked empty cardboard boxes.

  Zhao Nanfeng put down the phone and looked at Li Chengshi. There seemed to be a hint of mockery in his eyes, but seeing Li Chengshi meet his gaze without any shame or sign of cowardice, he suddenly lost interest. He said flatly, "Go work."

  But the moment he opened his mouth, Honda suddenly rushed out from behind the boxes and shouted, "Damare! (Shut up!)"

  Both Zhao Nanfeng and Li Chengshi were startled and looked at her simultaneously. She looked a little flustered and stammered, "Shachō wa Li-san o ijimeru nara tomete tte, Su-san kara messēji ga kita. (Su messaged me, asking me to stop the Boss if he bullies Li.)"

  "Ijimeru nante nai! Baka ka omae? (I'm not bullying him! Are you an idiot?)" Zhao Nanfeng was furious.

  Honda looked at Li Chengshi.

  Li Chengshi quickly waved his hands and said, "Ijimetanai, 'shigoto shite' itta dake. (He wasn't bullying me, he just said 'go work.')"

  Honda stuck out her tongue sheepishly and bowed to Zhao Nanfeng to apologize: "Gomen nasai, baka desu. (I'm sorry, I'm an idiot.)"

  "Get out!"

  "Eh? (Huh?)"

  **

  After finishing the long traffic rules class and queuing up to receive her driver's license, Su Xian walked out of the testing center, whistling. While waiting for the bus, the sky looked exceptionally blue.

  Back at the temporary office in Suitengu, Zhao Nanfeng was absent. Honda gave Su Xian iced green tea and then left for the day.

  Li Chengshi smiled and recounted the story of Honda's heroic rescue, which made Su Xian burst into laughter. She had messaged Honda asking her to help mediate if Zhao Nanfeng bothered Li Chengshi, and to tell him to shut up if necessary. Who knew the girl was so literal that she directly yelled "Damare"! That word is extremely rude to use from a subordinate to a superior. In any other company, the boss might have immediately fired her.

  "Honda is so kind. Let's invite her out with us sometime," Su Xian suggested.

  "Of course, but I still have to practice driving this weekend, and maybe next weekend too..."

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  "Don't worry. We'll ask her after you pass."

  "What if I never pass?" Two failures had completely destroyed his confidence.

  "Then we'll go to the testing center and make a scene so they have a bad time too."

  "I surrender," Li Chengshi said, shaking his head and laughing helplessly, then returned to his desk to work.

  **

  Zhao Nanfeng took Su Xian to a client company for the first time. It was a small office building project, planned for four stories, and she was put in sole charge. The design aspect was easy, but communicating with the client in Japanese for the first time made her stumble occasionally. Fortunately, she had always been thick-skinned and didn't lose her composure. However, when the client asked about some building regulations, she couldn't answer. Zhao Nanfeng stepped in and answered those questions for her. On the way back, she thanked Zhao Nanfeng.

  "Go study up on that area. This client will contact you directly from now on."

  "Will they trust me?"

  "Then prove it to them. What's so hard about that?"

  "Okay. But Zhao Nanfeng, you really haven't learned your lesson. You just lost several clients to Wakui, yet you dare to so confidently let me handle a project independently."

  "Heh, you're not quite on his level yet."

  "Hey!" Su Xian protested, but thinking about it, she conceded the point.

  "You know, Su Xian, besides the 'old flame,' I had a selfish reason for inviting you over."

  "Oh?" Su Xian didn't really care what his purpose was; she came for her own.

  "WaKui was excellent, and as his senior, I was happy to promote him. But I knew from the start that he would eventually go independent; I just didn't expect it to end so badly. You are different. You are dependable and capable, but you lack a little bit of talent, so you are willing to be my second-in-command. Right now, stability is the most important thing for me, so you are the most suitable. But trust me, I won't let you down in terms of work."

  Su Xian nodded. His analysis of her was accurate, and she didn't doubt his commitment. This was their understanding in the workplace.

  "Come on, let me take you for sushi. There's a really good place nearby."

  "No, Li Chengshi and I agreed to treat him to stone pot bibimbap tonight."

  "Why are you treating him?"

  "He ran an errand for me."

  "What kind of errand?"

  "None of your business."

  Zhao Nanfeng gave a disdainful cold laugh. "Playing house is addictive, isn't it?"

  "It is. And it's better than playing real marriage and losing everything." Ah, not good. It turns out she can rub salt in his wounds after all.

  Zhao Nanfeng shot her a cold look, turned, and walked away.

  "Hey, Boss! Don't be mad!" Su Xian shouted behind him.

  "Go eat your stone pot bibimbap," he said without turning around, just waving his hand.

  **

  Although it's a popular spot, the Korean restaurant in Skytree Town offered affordable and tasty food. However, it was Friday night, so there was a line.

  Even though his stomach was rumbling with hunger, Li Chengshi politely said, "Thank you, Team Leader," when the food arrived.

  "Don't be silly. I'm the one who righteously advised you to do less housework and focus more on studying and work, only to turn around and ask you to help me iron clothes..."

  "If your idiot friend burns their hand or smashes their foot while ironing, wouldn't you help them?"

  "You're the idiot! I just can't move around properly in such a small apartment."

  "You'll be free this weekend, won't you? Go check with the real estate agent near the station. There must be better places."

  Su Xian thought for a moment and said, "Actually, leaving early and coming home late every day, only to sleep, passes by quickly. Plus, I can save more money, and hiring you at a high price to iron clothes—it's worth it."

  Li Chengshi looked down and smiled, then asked her, "Team Leader, are you reluctant to leave me?"

  "Yes, I am," she answered nonchalantly.

  *