9:50 PM.

Zhao Yaqian walked out of Yisa Beauty Salon. The rain had completely stopped. Carrying her umbrella, she jogged to the bus stop. After waiting for a while, she finally boarded the bus.

Sitting towards the back, she gazed out the window, watching the scenes flash by, feeling drowsy. Yisa Beauty Salon, being a large establishment, had both early and late shifts. The early shift was from 9 AM to 7 PM, and the late shift was from noon to around 10 PM. As a new hire still in her probation period, Zhao Yaqian was assigned to the late shift. Given that it was still the holiday season, the number of customers she had to serve was overwhelming. After two days, she felt utterly exhausted, more so than at Yizi Beauty.

She opened WeChat and clicked on Tang Song’s chat window. The latest message was a photo she took during dinner, showing the boxed meal she and her colleagues had ordered—one meat and two vegetables for 14 yuan. Below it was Tang Song's reply with an emoji. She wondered if he was really "too busy" as he claimed. Recently, he hadn't been as frequent in their chats as before.

Taking a photo of the view outside the bus, she sent it to him, adding the message: "Yan City at 10 PM, so sleepy!" After a moment's thought, she sent a few selfies taken at work.

"Ding-dong—"

【Tang Song: "I was about to go to sleep, but now I'm wide awake."】

Zhao Yaqian laughed out loud, her mood brightening as she replied, "Then keep me company for a bit. The bus is almost empty, and I'm a bit scared."

They chatted back and forth until Zhao Yaqian's stop arrived at 10:30 PM. Yawning, she spotted He Liting waiting by the roadside, wearing a thick hoodie and standing beside her electric bike, waving.

Zhao Yaqian quickened her pace, giving He Liting a big hug, "Ting Ting, you're so sweet, coming to pick me up at this hour."

"Finally appreciating me, huh? Let's hurry home so you can wash up and sleep. You have work tomorrow."

"Yes, go go go."

At this hour, the streets were nearly deserted. For a young and pretty girl like Zhao Yaqian, walking alone wasn't safe. Feeling guilty about this, He Liting had made a point to come and pick her up.

The electric bike started moving slowly along the wet asphalt. Zhao Yaqian, hugging her from behind, spoke softly, "Ting Ting, I feel like I can adapt to the work at Yisa. The supervisor's feedback about me has been positive. Once I become a full-time employee, I'll treat you to a steak buffet."

"You've been promising that steak buffet for ages!"

"Hehe, I'll definitely keep my promise."

"Oh, by the way, there's something else. I want to find time to give him the watch. What do you think I should say?"

...

May 3, 2023, Wednesday, sunny, 16~26℃.

Tang Song got up early, worked out, took a thorough shower, did his skincare routine, and styled his hair. Sitting on the balcony, he read a bit from the "Marketing Management" book recommended by Gao Mengting. When it was about time, he put on a Zegna suit and navigated to Shimmer Coffee headquarters.

Huayun Center, located in Chang'an District of Yan City, boasted a prime location with convenient transportation, not far from Yunxi Tower. The complex consisted of three buildings: A, B, and C. The exteriors were primarily grayish-brown, with buildings A and B serving as office spaces and building C being a six-story commercial complex.

Tang Song drove into the pay parking lot and walked into the revolving door of Building A. After registering at the reception, he smoothly took the elevator up. The LED screen inside the elevator was looping an ad for a gym. Seeing the "Rhythm Fitness" sign, Tang Song felt a pang of familiarity. A light bulb went off in his head, and he quickly pulled out his phone to check his chat history with Hu Mingli.

Sure enough, Hu Mingli mentioned that she had a year-long membership at Rhythm Fitness, located in Huayun Center. Tang Song messaged her: "Mingli, is your gym at Huayun Center?"

Only relying on daily cardio, his body fat percentage was getting harder to reduce. Joining a gym was becoming a necessity. Plus, having such a sexy elder sister as a workout buddy would be highly motivating.

"Ding—" The elevator stopped at the 15th floor. Exiting, Tang Song navigated the hallway and found the company’s door. The logo wall was simple, with "Yan City Shimmer Coffee Co., Ltd." written in orange.

Since it was a holiday, the front desk was unattended. The decor wasn't high-end but was clean, orderly, spacious, and bright. Tang Song took a few steps inside and noticed a female employee engrossed in her phone at a nearby desk. Hearing his footsteps, she quickly put her phone away, her face flushing slightly as she stood up and asked, "Hello, can I help you?"

Tang Song spoke softly, "Hello, I have an appointment with Director Xie at 10."

"Oh, what's your name?"

"Tang Song."

The employee, a bit shy, said, "Please wait on the sofa. I'll inform Director Xie." She quickly left.

A moment later, the sound of footsteps returned.

"Mr. Tang, Director Xie is in a meeting right now. She asked me to take you to HR to sign your part-time contract first."

"There's no need to be so formal. Call me Tang Song. I'm the company's part-time programmer, so we're colleagues."

"I'm Guo Siyu from the marketing department. Follow me, I'll take you there."

As they walked down the corridor, Guo Siyu occasionally glanced at him. "It's a pity he's just a part-timer. Seeing a handsome guy like him every day would be great," she thought.

They soon stopped at an office door. Guo Siyu opened it and said, "Brother Li, here's another part-timer. He's responsible for our company's tech development—Tang Song."

The HR specialist, making an OK gesture, said, "Got it. Come in, I'll find your contract." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N()velFire.net

The office wasn't large, about thirteen or fourteen square meters. Stepping inside, Tang Song noticed two young girls standing by, looking shy and reserved. They seemed like university students.

"Here's your contract and confidentiality agreement. Take a seat and review them. Let me know if you have any questions," the HR specialist said, handing him the documents. The nearest girl quickly handed them over to Tang Song.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, her voice pleasant. Tang Song couldn't help but look at her a bit longer. She wore blue jeans, a loose long-sleeve T-shirt, and a white jacket. Her face was fresh and makeup-free, with delicate, attractive features and slightly upturned eyes.

"Qian Lele."

"Here," the pretty girl responded promptly.

"Here's your file," the HR specialist said, handing her a thick folder. "Both of you, your paperwork is complete. Remember to bring a passport photo to put on your badge. The store manager will assign you shifts next Monday."