Wen Jiaxuan, upon hearing this, tilted his head upward at a 45-degree angle, gazing at the ceiling. He lightly stroked his chin with his right thumb and index finger, looking remarkably mature for his age.
He pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously, saying, “I understand.”
“What do you understand?” Zhang Zhitao asked.
“I must have performed exceptionally well in the interview, so that’s why he kept me,” Wen Jiaxuan said, completely forgetting the pressure of the interview that had been weighing on him.
The corners of Zhang Zhitao’s mouth twitched, clearly wanting to comment but deciding not to bother.
“Anyway, I need to go back to catch up on sleep,” Zhang Zhitao stood up. “I’m just giving you a friendly reminder; working under Old Wu is not easy, so don’t end up in tears when he scolds you.”
As soon as Zhang Zhitao turned around, Wen Jiaxuan stuck his tongue out at his departing figure.
There’s no way he would end up in tears. Although his boss could be stern at times, overall, he was a good person.
However, four hours later, young comrade Wen Jiaxuan found out that he was indeed too naive.
When Wu Zehao woke up from his nap, Wen Jiaxuan was still making final edits to his manuscript. The word count was still over 300 words above the limit, but Wen Jiaxuan had no idea what else to cut. What he had written over the course of a week, every punctuation mark was his effort. Deleting two thousand words felt almost like draining his own blood.
“So, is this the final version?” Wu Zehao sat on the sofa with his laptop, his right hand swiftly gliding over the touchscreen, seemingly checking the article’s length.
“Yes, I’ve deleted everything that could be deleted,” Wen Jiaxuan said nervously.
“Good, I’ll take a look later,” Wu Zehao closed the screen, set the computer aside, and said, “Let’s talk about your benefit first.”
Wen Jiaxuan immediately straightened up. Here it was, the exciting moment.
“What is your expected salary?” Wu Zehao asked.
Wen Jiaxuan was momentarily dumbfounded. Apparently, discussing compensation started with his side? He thought about his classmates’ monthly salaries, some earning over ten thousand, while others earned four or five thousand. So he picked a middle-ground number and said, “Eight, eight thousand.”
Wu Zehao paused for a moment and said, “The average salary for fresh graduates in H City is around six thousand yuan.”
Wen Jiaxuan immediately, without backbone, said, “Six thousand is fine.”
Wu Zehao raised an eyebrow and asked, “Have you really thought this through?”
“I… I’m okay with either…”
Wu Zehao sighed in resignation. “You’ve spent ten days thinking and came up with this result?”
Wen Jiaxuan felt wronged, thinking, “You didn’t even give me a chance to think, how was I supposed to know I needed to consider this?”
“Normally, six to seven thousand is more common, but considering your position…” Wu Zehao paused, “as my personal assistant, I can’t offer you too low.”
Wen Jiaxuan’s eyes immediately lit up with little stars. So, he was Wu Zehao’s personal assistant? The CEO’s personal assistant surely wouldn’t receive a meager salary.
Sure enough, Wu Zehao continued, “Since you still need to gain work experience, I’ll start you at eleven thousand per month.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qfc Aljzejc lwwfvljafis abbx j vffq ygfjat. Qtja vlv Itjcu Itlajb pera rjs? Qbgxlcu ecvfg Qe Iftjb lrc’a fjrs? Qtfgf firf mbeiv sbe olcv remt j ugfja ybrr!
“Lbk jybea la, cba rjalrolfv?” Qe Iftjb jrxfv.
“Vjalrolfv, rjalrolfv!” Qfc Aljzejc tegglfvis gfqilfv. Mbg rbwfbcf ilxf tlw klat hfgb kbgx fzqfglfcmf, ufaalcu j olgra pby klat j wbcatis rjijgs bnfg afc atberjcv kjr rbwfatlcu ab yf tjqqs jybea.
But before Wen Jiaxuan could enjoy his happiness, Wu Zehao continued, “Alright, let’s talk about your food and lodging.”
Huh? Food and lodging? Wen Jiaxuan looked at Wu Zehao in confusion.
“In this area of H City, I rent this whole house for about twenty thousand per month. You’ll only be using the first floor and sleeping on the sofa, so I’ll cut you a deal at eight thousand.”
Wait, wait, why does this seem a bit off?
“You’ll be staying here, and it’s hard to calculate the exact monthly cost for meals, utilities, and property management. I’ll give you a discount at two thousand per month.”
???
Wen Jiaxuan’s expression froze on his face.
“The amount you receive each month will be your salary minus the food and lodging expenses,” Wu Zehao said without changing his expression, as if he saw no issue.
“Isn’t that zero then?!” Wen Jiaxuan said with a mix of sadness and anger.
“Well, your math is quite good,” Wu Zehao said casually.
Wen Jiaxuan almost spat out blood; is this still a human being? This is simply a devil!
No, no, he had to resist!
“Is it possible…” Wen Jiaxuan asked in a negotiating tone, “that I could find a cheaper place to live on my own?”
“Of course, you can,” Wu Zehao replied, “But when you’re by my side, that’s called a personal assistant. If you’re not around, I’ll have to think of something else.”
Wen Jiaxuan immediately understood Wu Zehao’s intention. If he moved out, he wouldn’t get eleven thousand per month. Considering the cost of living in H City, he might not have much money left after paying for rent and expenses.
Wen Jiaxuan, with tears in his eyes, looked at Wu Zehao and finally asked with a struggling tone, “Can’t I have my own private savings?”
Actually, Wen Jiaxuan was referring to the excess savings, but his words slipped and he said “private savings” instead. However, Wu Zehao didn’t reveal the slip and replied in a reasonable manner, “I’ve also considered this issue. You might have shopping needs.”
That’s right, that’s right. Wen Jiaxuan nodded, and then what?
“There are plenty of things to do around the house, like cleaning. If you have the time, you can do more of that, and I’ll pay you separately. Let’s say a hundred each time for now,” Wu Zehao suggested.
Wen Jiaxuan felt a bit relieved. Cleaning wasn’t difficult for him. The last time he tidied his clothes, he also cleaned the first floor. If he cleaned every day, at least…
However, at this moment, Wu Zehao added, “After all, it’s easier for me to deduct money when you have some.”
“Huh??” Wen Jiaxuan couldn’t help but exclaim in Japanese.
“Being naked at home, it’s a five-hundred-yuan deduction each time.”
“I…!” Wen Jiaxuan swallowed his words, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t curse, especially not at his boss.
Wu Zehao noticed Wen Jiaxuan’s dissatisfaction and couldn’t help but chuckle. He asked, “Who said you had to improve yourself by following me?”
While that’s true, however…
Wu Zehao continued, “And you won’t stay with me for long anyway. Aren’t you preparing for the civil service exam?”
With Wu Zehao’s reminder, Wen Jiaxuan finally realized the purpose of his stay here—
It wasn’t to earn money.
With this realization, Wen Jiaxuan’s heart calmed down significantly. Having food, shelter, and the opportunity to study, it wasn’t much different from his initial expectations.
“Um… ,” Wen Jiaxuan nodded. “I had my brother arrange a temporary ID for me. It’s valid for three months, so I can stay here at most until then.”
Wen Jiaxuan’s registered residence was in City P, and he would need to return there for the national exam. Three months later, around mid-October, there would be just one month left for final exam preparations.
“That works,” Wu Zehao said. “I won’t give you too much work; focus on your studies.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Jiaxuan suddenly thought of an older student who used to share her experiences of preparing for government exams with younger students back at school. She advised them not to let their bosses know if they were studying for exams while working because no boss likes to see employees divided in their focus.
But Wu Zehao was different; not only did he know that Wen Jiaxuan was preparing for the civil service exam, but he also intentionally cleared his schedule for him.
If you were to say this boss was demanding, he certainly was, but he didn’t seem entirely devoid of empathy.
Wen Jiaxuan suddenly thought of something and asked, “By the way, if I cook, can that count as part-time work?”
“When did you learn to cook again?” Wu Zehao asked.
Wen Jiaxuan conveniently skipped the part about breaking dishes and replied, “I practiced a bit while you weren’t here, and the food turned out edible.”
“Well, just being able to eat is enough,” Wu Zehao replied.
“Alright, you can cook for lunch today, and I’ll count it.”
Wen Jiaxuan checked the time; it was already half-past eleven, and he needed to go grocery shopping. He hurriedly put on his slippers and rushed to the door to change into his shoes. However, he immediately returned to Wu Zehao’s side, extending his hand towards him.
“What’s wrong?” Wu Zehao asked.
“Isn’t it all-inclusive?” Wen Jiaxuan blinked. “So, of course, the boss should cover the grocery expenses.”
Actually, Wen Jiaxuan had only learned how to cook scrambled eggs and stir-fried vegetables at home; he had no knowledge of other dishes.
He bought two bunches of greens, a few tomatoes, and impulsively added a large potato from the supermarket near his residential complex. He figured that since potatoes were also a type of vegetable, they should be similar to greens when stir-fried.
However, when Wen Jiaxuan returned home and started preparing the potato, he realized it was a mistake. Cutting potato strips required an incredible amount of patience, and it was enough to discourage someone not skilled in cooking. He had considered giving up several times and didn’t want to cook this meal anymore.
“Where’s the meat?” Wu Zehao came into the kitchen and glanced at the messy countertop. “Are you trying to make me go vegetarian?”
“Take it easy, boss,” Wen Jiaxuan raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I’ll prepare a meat dish for you next time.”
Wen Jiaxuan didn’t realize the ambiguity in his words, and Wu Zehao merely smirked slightly before leaving the kitchen.
After struggling to prepare the potato strips, Wen Jiaxuan faced another challenge when it was time to stir-fry them.
He discovered that potatoes were truly magical; from just one potato, when cut into strips, it turned into such a large pile.
He turned back weakly and asked Wu Zehao, “Boss, can I stir-fry this much together?”
When Wen Jiaxuan turned on the stove just now, Wu Zehao, feeling uneasy, returned to the kitchen. He leaned against the wall, watching Wen Jiaxuan’s actions like a supervisor. He replied, “It’s okay; just don’t be too rough.”
Wen Jiaxuan felt relieved and poured the whole bowl of potato strips into the hot oil.
The sizzling hot oil in the pan erupted with a popping sound, making Wen Jiaxuan nervous. Nevertheless, he bravely picked up the spatula and clumsily started to stir-fry.
“Faster,” Wu Zehao directed from the side.
“I can’t… I can’t go any faster,” Wen Jiaxuan replied, struggling. There were many potato strips in the pan, and it was already heavy. He was afraid that if he used too much force, he might spill them outside the pan.
But at that moment, Wen Jiaxuan suddenly felt warmth on his hand. He instinctively turned his head and saw that Wu Zehao had come behind him and was holding the hand that held the spatula.
“Potatoes tend to stick to the pan. At this rate, they’ll all stick,” Wu Zehao explained.
The speed of the stir-frying instantly increased, and the previously unruly potato strips became more obedient.
Wen Jiaxuan stared in astonishment at the hand led by Wu Zehao in the stir-frying process, wondering how he could be so strong.
“Move a bit closer; you’re getting splattered with oil,” Wu Zehao said.
After Wu Zehao’s words, he put his left arm around Wen Jiaxuan’s waist and pulled him back slightly, causing Wen Jiaxuan to fall into his embrace.
As they continued to stir-fry, with skillful and strong arms moving in front of him, and his back pressed against a warm and firm chest, Wen Jiaxuan couldn’t help but recall an article he had read a few days ago.
The article discussed why many chefs were male: because cooking involved physical strength. Flipping woks and tossing pans required strength, usually involving the whole body, with the waist driving the arms and wrists.
Wen Jiaxuan could feel that Wu Zehao behind him was very steady, and moving his hand together with him didn’t seem to require any effort at all.
…His waist must be quite strong, huh?
Wen Jiaxuan swallowed hard and belatedly realized that his heart was pounding uncontrollably.
Thump, thump, thump, thump…
With his head feeling a bit oxygen-deprived, Wen Jiaxuan stared blankly, exerting mental effort to figure out why he wasn’t feeling right. Finally, he realized what was wrong—
He had let the boss personally intervene. Did he still deserve the hundred yuan he was supposed to earn?
Shh, if you don’t tell anyone, no one will know! Get your 100 yuan!!
Wen jiaxuan is too adorable for his own good 😂
I so much love this book