Su Li couldn’t stand it anymore and, with goodwill, slapped Cong Shan on the back of his head.
"Hey, go wash your face and wake up a bit. Don’t forget you need to go job hunting today. You can’t go in that state of mind."
"If we don’t find a job again today, we won’t even have plain boiled water to drink."
"It costs quite a bit of electricity just to boil some water, and we have to pay for that electricity."
Cong Shan staggered to the bathroom, waking up to the smell inside.
The scent was so intense it could wake the dead, let alone give Cong Shan a lift and clear his mind.
His brain snapped to attention at record speed, but as he looked at the blurry reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel irritated.
Feeling a heavy heart without a clear reason, he could only be angry at himself for his uselessness.
Su Li, as if oblivious to Cong Shan stomping around, calmly got herself ready and then instructed, "I’m off to work. Make sure you put in a good effort to find a job today."
In her words, there wasn’t the slightest concern for her boyfriend’s wellbeing or even worry about how he would leave the house without a penny to his name.
Su Li, knowing what was going to happen, naturally didn’t need to worry about him.
She was aware that there was a sizeable amount of money in Cong Shan’s account.
Even if he didn’t look for a job and didn’t go to work, he could sustain his basic living expenses for quite some time.
With that time, she might as well pity herself.
Su Li did want to see if, like in their past lives when they were both in such dire straits that the original owner nearly resorted to selling blood, Cong Shan, while verbally worrying, never actually considered using that money.
She wondered if this time, with no food to eat, he would still hold the same convictions as in his past life.
Cong Shan wanted to say more, but he was mesmerized by the radiant Su Li.
He pointed at Su Li in shock, "Xiao Li, you..."
Knowing what surprised him, Su Li touched her lovely face and said cheerfully, "Must be because I ate some meat yesterday."
"All those days with instant noodles and soaked buns have really ruined even the best complexion."
It was now Cong Shan’s turn to feel guilty, and he couldn’t help but remember how beautiful his girlfriend looked when they first started dating.
People around them said he had hit the jackpot, jealousy-killing that he could win the heart of the school’s beauty.
Cong Shan had intended to say a few words, but Su Li didn’t give him the chance and walked straight out.
Her previously dull skin made even her exquisite features lose some of their luster.
But now, nourished by Spiritual Power, Su Li had truly become a top-tier Beauty.
Only one word could describe it: stunning.
Even in shoddy clothes, she exuded the grace of a runway model.
The male neighbors with doors open early in the morning stared as Su Li walked by, their eyes glued on her.
They all knew that the new couple who had moved in included a woman with a striking face, but they hadn’t expected to see her transformed overnight as if she’d had a hydrating injection.
In such a place, what decent person could live there? It was a messy mix of all sorts.
Those blatantly sleazy looks, sticking to her back, annoyed Su Li immensely.
She didn’t want to live here anymore.
In case some messed-up creep decided to make a move on her and drag her to some secluded woods, that would be troublesome.
Of course, it wasn’t that Su Li was afraid these people might harbor ill intentions toward her; she was afraid she might hit too hard and accidentally... kill someone, which would really be screwing up.
She wanted to be a law-abiding good girl.
Only when Su Li’s figure was no longer visible did the male neighbors reluctantly avert their gaze.
Upon seeing Cong Shan following behind, the people exchanged glances and all noticed the stirring eagerness in each other’s eyes.
Involuntarily, they became a few degrees warmer towards Cong Shan.
Cong Shan, still worried about his broken promises to them from yesterday, saw them greeting him cheerfully the next day. Hungry and tired in the early morning, his not-so-pleasant mood instantly brightened.
The male neighbors, one by one, spouted coarse jokes as soon as they opened their mouths.
Seeing the dark circles under Cong Shan’s eyes, they teased and joked out of both mockery and envy, embarrassing Cong Shan to the point where he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Unknowingly, Cong Shan let slip quite a bit of information about his girlfriend without even realizing it.
Perhaps in his eyes, there were few with ill intentions, especially since they were friendly-looking neighbors.
Luckily, the original owner had been worn down by a series of events in her previous life, with only a hint of her beauty remaining. Otherwise, a beautiful woman amongst a group of lower-class men might have led to unspeakable incidents.
After leaving the place he was renting, Su Li felt relieved of the suffocating atmosphere, and the air outside seemed fresher.
The sky looked bluer, the water clearer, and the air carried a fragrant scent.
Checking his pockets, Su Li could only muster less than thirty yuan in total, including the coins in his wallet.
Tragic, truly tragic.
She didn’t even remember the last time she had faced such dire straits.
Still, she needed to go to the company, not to work, but to resign.
In her previous life, the original owner worked herself to death, scraping together a small wage and bonus, only to have it all squandered by Cong Shan.
She wouldn’t be so foolish as to let others benefit at her expense.
Moreover, going to work was so exhausting.
The sun was too harsh, she feared getting sunburnt; the wind too strong, she worried about getting wind-chapped. When it was hot, she dreaded the heat, and when cold, she feared the freeze.
Upon reflection, lying down was the most comfortable option.
There were countless ways to earn money, why subject oneself to such misery?
Once she made up her mind, Su Li submitted her resignation. Her boss was keen to retain her.
A good subordinate is hard to come by, one as hardworking and competent as her was like winning the lottery.
But Su Li was resolute; no one could dissuade her.
Walking out of the company with a hefty, thick envelope, Su Li pinched its thickness, and the smile on her lips grew wider.
The leadership had settled this amount with her in advance.
It was this money that the original owner had been reluctant to spend, and her boyfriend had so easily given it away.
So, it proved a point: a woman should never hesitate to spend money; otherwise, it will just be spent by someone else.
Therefore, Su Li decided to spend all the money today.
Money really burns a hole in your pocket...
Busy with a shopping spree in the mall, Su Li was completely oblivious to the dire situation her nominally great boyfriend was in.
It was even worse than yesterday.
After all, yesterday he had money for his deeds of kindness, and although tired, he wasn’t hungry or thirsty.
But today was different; starving and job hunting under the scorching sun was truly torturous.
Moreover, he was now utterly penniless, unable to even afford the bus fare.
To get to the interview locations, he had to rely on his own two legs.
He probably never had such a miserable experience in his whole life.