Everyone froze, and the farce finally came to an end.
Weisheng Yucan cast a disdainful glance at each of them: "You can even fight over this? Is this the main point right now?"
Lin Qing couldn't help but laugh, crossing her arms as she teased from the side: "Exactly. And with all this changing of clothes, even if you didn’t catch a cold before, you’re going to now. Who’s going to hand Qiao Chuchu water then? Are you all going to line up and fight over who gets to do it?"
Lou Yuejue thought for a moment, then smiled smugly: "By the time my sister gets her hands on one, it’ll be snatched away, and the water will be cold. She won’t even get to take her medicine."
He turned to his father: "Our family is different, though."
Lou Tingsi smiled gently at his son and handed a pair of hand warmers to Qiao Chuchu.
Qiao Chuchu accepted them in surprise: "Thank you."
Lou Tingsi smiled warmly: "You’re welcome."
Lou Yuejue lifted his chin, full of pride: "We, father and son, came prepared."
Everyone else: "..."
Qiao Chuchu: "..."
For some reason, she felt her headache growing worse.
Her face pale, she walked into the banquet hall: "I’m going to get some hot water. Do as you please."
【Do whatever you want, just don’t come looking for me. I want some peace and quiet.】
Huai Ling watched Qiao Chuchu’s retreating figure, then turned to Weisheng Lin in confusion: "Who’s 'Jing Jing'?"
Weisheng Lin: "It’s me."
Weisheng Huai Ling: "?"
Xia Xuechun stood in the corner, her expression dim as she watched their backs.
Who remembered that the man had come to bully her, that this whole mess had started because of her?
Yet, it was Qiao Chuchu, who had driven the man away, who ended up being showered with attention.
Meanwhile, she didn’t even have a single person to care for her.
Qi Xiaojia, who had just finished her work, hurried over to Xia Xuechun’s side. Seeing the employers nearby, she didn’t dare make a scene and quickly pulled Xia Xuechun to a secluded spot: "Xuechun, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Xia Xuechun was sullen, the scene from earlier still vivid in her mind. She answered irrelevantly: "Xiaojia, I’ve been having dreams lately. In them, Qiao Chuchu dies, and all the people who love her start loving me instead. It feels so real."
Qi Xiaojia frowned: "Could it be that you’re just too envious of her?"
"I don’t know," Xia Xuechun said, feeling as though a heavy stone was pressing on her chest. "Every day when I wake up, it takes me a while to come back to reality. In my dreams, I have everything I want, but in reality, I have nothing."
Qi Xiaojia fell silent, looking at her as though she were a mental patient: "Then from now on, let’s stay away from anything involving Qiao Chuchu. You’re starting to act strange."
Xia Xuechun looked at her in confusion: "Am I the one who’s not normal?"
Qi Xiaojia nodded gravely: "Yes, so starting today, let’s both focus on finding jobs. Even though it’s tough out there, we’ll manage."
Xia Xuechun bit her lip, still unwilling to accept it: "But Qiao Chuchu makes at least 200,000 a month. Are we just supposed to settle for a mediocre life?"
Qi Xiaojia: "? Why are you comparing yourself to Qiao Chuchu? We’re in different fields."
Xia Xuechun argued: "But Qiao Chuchu bought her degrees! How is she better than us? If I tried drawing comics, I’m sure I’d do better than her!"
Qi Xiaojia: "...I’ve always been a fan of Qiao Chuchu’s comics. I’ve read every one of them. Her art is exquisite, her pacing is tight, and she never misses a deadline. It’s no wonder her comics are so popular. The adaptation into a drama was a hit too. If you want to compete with her, you’ll need at least a year or two more of practice."
Xia Xuechun grew angrier the more she listened: "Are you siding with Qiao Chuchu now?"
Qi Xiaojia: "? I’m just being honest. She’s definitely annoying, but her work ethic is solid. We can’t compare to her!"
"What can’t you compare to me about?" Qiao Chuchu walked up behind them, having overheard the last part, and raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
Qi Xiaojia looked at her awkwardly: "Miss Qiao."
Qiao Chuchu was a bit surprised.
Did this girl get a personality transplant?
Since when does she call me "Miss Qiao"?
She teased: "Oh? What’s with the sudden politeness today?"
Qi Xiaojia awkwardly scratched the back of her head: "I’ve learned my lesson, heh."
She had caused Aunt Wang to lose her job, and Aunt Wang had been giving her trouble ever since. With her parents’ medical bills piling up, she no longer had the energy to fight with Qiao Chuchu.
Now, she only dared to talk smack behind her back.
Qi Xiaojia glanced at Xia Xuechun, worried she might cause trouble, and shielded her: "Do you need something? I can go get it for you."
"No need," Qiao Chuchu said succinctly. "I was actually going to offer you two a job."
Qi Xiaojia was shocked: "A job?!"
Xia Xuechun was skeptical: "A job?"
Qiao Chuchu nodded.
After the sulfuric acid incident, she realized that she might face even more hardships in the future.
Even though she survived, she had lost one of her lives. Who knows what other crazy attacks she might face?
After some thought, she decided the best way to protect herself was to win Xia Xuechun over and make her an ally.
Xia Xuechun was unemployed, relying on odd jobs to make ends meet.
Of course, if it weren’t for this, Xia Xuechun wouldn’t have met Ji Yanchuan and the others, so this setup made sense.
But if she could secure Xia Xuechun in a stable position, Xia Xuechun wouldn’t keep triggering plotlines, and Qiao Chuchu could coast to the end of the story.
She didn’t really want to do this, but it seemed like the only way to avoid running around dealing with plotlines.
After all, Xia Xuechun had the protagonist’s halo. Killing her was out of the question.
Qiao Chuchu spoke to them kindly: "I had someone look into your backgrounds. Honestly, among all the highly qualified candidates, you two don’t stand out much. So, I can guarantee that the offer I’m making is the highest you’ll get from any company."
After all, her family owned many businesses, so she could easily find a suitable position for them. She could even supplement their salaries from her own savings as a kind of insurance fee. Once the story reached its conclusion, she wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore.
Qi Xiaojia was visibly tempted, fidgeting with her hands: "How much are we talking?"
Qiao Chuchu spoke calmly: "The probation period salary is 80% of the full salary, so 40,000. After probation, it’s 50,000. The year-end bonus is at least 500,000. The contract is for two years. After that, depending on your performance, you can stay or leave. Does that work for you?"
Qi Xiaojia: "!!!!"
What?!
40,000 during probation?!
Her last job only offered 10,000 after probation!
She was so excited she almost jumped, turning to Xia Xuechun in delight: "This is amazing, Xuechun! This salary is higher than any job I’ve ever had!"
It was like manna from heaven!
Qi Xiaojia double-checked: "Can I have a lawyer look over the contract?"
Qiao Chuchu nodded: "Of course. You can sign after you’re sure it’s safe."
Qi Xiaojia let out a low squeal, overjoyed: "This is perfect! Xuechun, let’s take it!"
But Xia Xuechun let out a cold laugh: "Qiao Chuchu, you make 200,000 a month, and you’re offering us 50,000? Are you treating us like beggars?"
Qi Xiaojia: "?"