Xia Liang wouldn’t even bother to visit, making it seem as if he held this hotel in no regard at all.
This master... was really something else. For a moment, Qian Wan didn’t know how to describe him.
Looking at Xi Yiqian, who had finally lifted her head, Xia Liang couldn’t help but complain, "I mean, with you looking down all day and not interacting with people, why did you choose to study hotel management? You might as well have studied software engineering. After graduating, you could have become a software engineer and just dealt with code all day."
"I... I don’t know," Xi Yiqian said softly. "My mother said that if I chose hotel management, I could manage people in big hotels and earn a high salary, so I chose it..."
"Alright." Xia Liang sighed; he had a good idea of what happened. Most likely, Xi Yiqian’s mother had overheard someone boasting, learned that universities offered a hotel management major, and simply told her to apply for it.
But with a personality like that, if it weren’t for him, what hotel would ever hire her? Of course, that was assuming she didn’t reveal her true face. Xia Liang had brought her here this time hoping she might change a little, at least to the point where she could walk with her chest high and head up.
Soon, the door was pushed open. Qian Wan led a woman in professional attire and black-framed glasses into the room.
"Boss, I’ve brought her. This is Shi Yan. I’ll take my leave now."
Appearance Score: 96 points (light makeup +3)
Occupation: Training Director
Salary: Annual income of 1.5 Yuan
Looking at this woman dressed for the office, a flicker of surprise crossed Xia Liang’s eyes. That Harmonious Value... Xia Liang truly hadn’t expected that.
While Xia Liang was sizing up Shi Yan, she was also sizing up her new boss.
Strong muscles, a handsome face... so young, yet he owns such a vast enterprise. And that’s only what I know about. In her position, Shi Yan had seen her share of promising young talents, but not a single one had ever caught her eye. But when Shi Yan saw Xia Liang, she had to admit, she was smitten. To be able to buy out the shares from so many shareholders... that isn’t something that can be achieved with money alone. It requires powerful methods.
Suppressing the turmoil within, Shi Yan walked forward and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Boss, may I ask what you need from me?"
"Yes." After a brief moment of surprise, Xia Liang quickly composed himself. He pulled Xi Yiqian, who was beside him, forward. "I’d like you to take her under your wing. Of course, it would be best if you could help her change her timid nature."
Hearing this, Shi Yan finally turned her gaze to Xi Yiqian.
To have reached her position and maintained a Harmonious Value of 0, Shi Yan was certainly no mere decoration. She had dabbled in everything from psychology to behavioral analysis, and coupled with her extensive work experience, she quickly deduced that Xi Yiqian was a person lacking a sense of security. All her actions were self-protective. Shi Yan didn’t know what had caused this, but to truly change it might require some drastic measures.
But this girl was someone the boss brought in, so I can’t be too harsh.
However, since the boss himself had made the request, and wanting to impress Xia Liang, Shi Yan eventually nodded. "I’ll do my best, Boss."
"Good." Xia Liang nodded in satisfaction. He took Xi Yiqian’s hand, led her in front of Shi Yan, and placed her hand in Shi Yan’s, patting her shoulder. "Then I’ll leave her with you. I have something else to attend to, so I have to go."
With that, Xia Liang turned to look at Xi Yiqian. The girl panicked when she heard he was leaving. She looked up, her eyes pleading pitifully with him.
Looking at Xi Yiqian’s face, Shi Yan was stunned. Even she, who had always been confident in her looks, had to admit she wasn’t as beautiful as Xi Yiqian. Seeing Xi Yiqian look like a little kitten about to be abandoned, her eyes welling with tears, Shi Yan actually felt a twinge of pity.
Xia Liang felt the same. Those eyes were just too devastating. He was tempted to just forget the whole thing, take her home, and help her at his own pace. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to be with her twenty-four hours a day. For instance, he had to go to Qingxue’s cafe in the afternoon to check on how Luu Qi was doing. If I brought her along, what would that even be? Am I just looking for trouble?
Building a sense of security was a slow process. He had to help Xi Yiqian learn to rely on herself and build her confidence.
"I don’t want to stay here, I want to go back to school..."
Closing his eyes, Xia Liang took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were filled with resolve.
Hearing his refusal, Xi Yiqian lowered her head. But Xia Liang remained unmoved, stating sternly, "You chose this career, so these are things you will have to face. You must overcome this. Don’t you want to earn more money and bring your mother and younger sister to live in the city?"
Xi Yiqian was clearly moved by his words. Seeing it was effective, Xia Liang softened his tone, patting her head gently. "I know you don’t want to be . This is your chance to change. You can do it... I need you!"
Those three words replayed endlessly in Xi Yiqian’s mind.
In an instant, courage filled Xi Yiqian’s heart. She lifted her head and looked at Xia Liang with determination. "I... I understand!" She nodded vigorously.
"You can do it!" Xia Liang patted her shoulder and made an encouraging gesture. "Then I’ll be leaving now."
"Mhm." Xi Yiqian waved at him. "Goodbye."
"Mhm." Xia Liang nodded. "I’ll come and see you when I have time." Chapters first released on noⅴelfire.net
With that, he turned to Shi Yan. "The rest is up to you. Do a good job!"
Then he walked out of the office.
Seeing Xia Liang emerge, Qian Wan, who had been waiting outside, hurried over. "Boss, where are you headed next? Shall I have someone drive you?"
"No need." Xia Liang shook his head. Before leaving, he patted Qian Wan’s shoulder. "Keep up the good work! I have high hopes for you. I’m off to make deliveries."
Ignoring Qian Wan’s dumbfounded expression, he walked into the elevator.
It wasn’t until the elevator carrying Xia Liang reached the ground floor that Qian Wan finally snapped back to reality.
The boss said he’s going to deliver food? The thought was incredibly absurd. Is this the life of the wealthy? So plain, so ordinary, so simple and unadorned?
Meanwhile, after leaving the hotel, Xia Liang put on his yellow uniform and embarked on his delivery journey. Since his electric scooter had been stolen, he first took a taxi home, then drove out his Lamborghini Poison. Only then did he take out his phone, open the Mi Group Delivery app, and start grabbing orders.
It was almost noon, so many people were ordering food. After grabbing an order, he casually glanced at the order notes, but his eyes suddenly widened.
The delivery notes read: