"BOSS direct hire?" Guan Qingtong was momentarily stunned before she burst out laughing. "Haha, Sister, your description is so funny."
Laughter truly is contagious.
Yu Xingye's offer for Guan Qingtong to join his company was likely a sign that the system was trying to steer the plot back on track. But hearing Guan Qingtong laugh, Su Yirao felt her tension ease, and she found herself smiling along with her.
"What do you think?" Su Yirao asked.
"Hmm?"
"The position at the Yu Group offers good pay and valuable experience. For a fresh graduate, it's a great opportunity," Su Yirao paused before continuing, "Especially since the BOSS personally recruited you. It could open up endless possibilities. Don't you want to seize this chance?"
Su Yirao's gaze remained fixed on Guan Qingtong.
No matter her own private thoughts, she genuinely wanted to know Guan Qingtong's true feelings.
"Of course I do!" Guan Qingtong nodded. "Anyone would be tempted by such an opportunity."
The smile on Su Yirao's lips faltered slightly as she continued to observe Guan Qingtong.
Was she really destined to remain the villainess? If the heroine returned to the male lead, Su Yirao would have to start planning her escape again.
Her gaze darkened as she began to consider ways to completely remove herself from the male and female leads' lives. Simply blocking contact wouldn't be enough this time—perhaps moving to a different city or even another country might work...
"But I know my place," Guan Qingtong said, snapping Su Yirao out of her thoughts. She leaned her head lightly on Su Yirao's shoulder.
"Yu Xingye is just using me as a pretext to get closer to you, Sister. To him, I'm just a stepping stone. Even if I got into the Yu Group, I wouldn't learn anything worthwhile."
"Plus, if you keep rejecting him, who's to say he won't take it out on me later, making things difficult for me?"
Su Yirao's drifting thoughts were pulled back to the present. She glanced down at Guan Qingtong, who was resting her head on her shoulder.
"Guan Qingtong, have you considered that he might actually be interested in you?" Su Yirao asked.
Guan Qingtong looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"
"What if he fell for you at first sight and wants you in his company because he likes you?" Su Yirao said plainly, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. "Have some confidence."
"Huh?"
Guan Qingtong was taken aback.
"You're saying he doesn't like you but likes me instead?" Guan Qingtong asked, genuinely concerned. "If I were him, I'd definitely like you. Does he have bad taste or something?"
Su Yirao raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
Hearing such a thing from the heroine herself was amusing, though as a former villainess, it was only half as satisfying as it could have been.
"Guan Qingtong, you really underestimate yourself." Su Yirao shook her head, smiling. "Think about it overnight—whether you want to accept that BOSS direct hire or not."
"I don't need to think about it. I'm not going!" Guan Qingtong responded without hesitation.
How could she abandon Sister Su and join Yu Xingye's company, especially after Su Yirao had been engaged to him? That would be the ultimate betrayal.
And besides, future success was uncertain.
The tangible guidance from Su Yirao was something real, something she could trust.
"Alright!" Seeing her resolve, Su Yirao's eyes softened, and she didn't press the matter further.
She glanced out the window and noticed the moonlight. It seemed like the perfect night for a drink.
...
By noon, the sun was scorching, and the cicadas were chirping loudly.
Guan Qingtong sat in the café's workspace, enjoying the air conditioning while brushing up on social media management. She jotted down key points in the notebook Su Yirao had given her.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Guan Qingtong paused her note-taking and opened the door.
Standing in the doorway was Lin Youqi, who had hurried over. She eyed Guan Qingtong with a teasing grin and asked, "Guan Qingtong, there's a handsome guy looking for you! Who is he?"
Since Lin Youqi was more into women and rarely followed financial news, she didn't recognize Yu Xingye, the famous CEO of Yu Group.
"A handsome guy?"
Guan Qingtong hesitated for a moment before realizing it must be Yu Xingye.
"Yeah, not only is he handsome, but he's also tall and well-dressed. Definitely a high-class guy!" Lin Youqi concluded. "A typical tall, rich, and handsome type!"
Lin Youqi was about to ask more questions, but Guan Qingtong cut her off.
Guan Qingtong: Sister, just as you predicted, Yu Xingye really showed up!
After sending the message, Guan Qingtong put away her phone, steeled herself, and walked toward the café's main area.
Soothing music filled the air, mingling with the rich aroma of coffee, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
At a window seat, a man in a leather jacket and casual attire waved her over, a friendly smile inviting her to sit across from him.
Guan Qingtong nodded and took a seat opposite him.
"Have you ordered?" she asked.
"Not yet," Yu Xingye replied with a bright smile. "Anything you recommend?"
Without much thought, Guan Qingtong scanned the QR code on the table and quickly ordered two cups of coffee.
"I've ordered the house specialty for you, to thank you for helping me out last time."
Yu Xingye noticed her distant attitude, and his confident smile faltered for a moment. He only managed a brief "Hmm."
"Guan Qingtong, could you check your email?"
"Hmm?" she asked, puzzled.
"I've sent you a formal job offer. You can take a look."
There had been no interview, no background check—the offer had come out of the blue, like manna from heaven.
Most people would be thrilled at such a windfall, eagerly accepting on the spot.
That was what Yu Xingye had expected, which made him confident Guan Qingtong would agree.
But—
"No need," Guan Qingtong said calmly. "I'm happy where I am and not looking to change jobs."
Her unexpected refusal left Yu Xingye stunned, and he even forgot to thank Lin Youqi when she placed their coffee on the table.
"I think you might not fully understand the career prospects at the Yu Group."
After a brief moment of shock, Yu Xingye regained his composure, taking a sip of the aromatic coffee and maintaining his confident demeanor as he outlined the bright future awaiting Guan Qingtong at his company.
Was he… trying to sell her on a dream?
Guan Qingtong listened with half an ear, letting his words go in one ear and out the other.
"Oh, who do we have here?"
Su Yirao's voice rang out, full of playful challenge as she approached.
"Trying to poach my staff behind my back, Yu Xingye? We haven't seen each other in a while, and your methods are getting lower by the day."
Guan Qingtong's heart leaped with joy at the sound of Su Yirao's voice. She hadn't expected her sister to arrive so quickly.
The woman who appeared in front of her gave her a small smile, casually arranging her slightly curled hair as she confidently strode over in high heels and took a seat beside her.
With Su Yirao's presence, Guan Qingtong felt reassured, as if the time spent with Yu Xingye hadn't been wasted after all.
"She's an independent person first, and your friend and employee second. She has the right to pursue a better life and career."
In just a few words, Yu Xingye indirectly accused Su Yirao of being controlling and narrow-minded.
Su Yirao was amused by the accusation.
She did have her own motives, but she had also respected Guan Qingtong's wishes.
Yu Xingye's assumptions were laughable.
"Guan Qingtong, have I ever tried to control your life or stop you from pursuing a better future?" Su Yirao asked, turning to look at her.
Guan Qingtong shook her head vigorously, eager to give Su Yirao her due credit. "No! Everything I've done is my own choice!"
Hearing this, Yu Xingye's confident and composed facade cracked slightly.
"Guan Qingtong, you're still young. It's okay to make mistakes and learn from them," Yu Xingye said, his tone serious. "But I hope you won't waste too much time on wrong paths."
"So working here is a mistake? Yu Xingye, don't speak so arrogantly!" Su Yirao retorted, her voice cold.
Having been interrupted by Su Yirao multiple times, Yu Xingye was starting to lose his patience.
He pretended not to hear her, speaking gently to Guan Qingtong. "It's work hours now, and your boss is here, so I can't say too much. But after work, I'd like to meet with you somewhere quieter to discuss the benefits package."
"I've heard that your family member is currently receiving treatment in a hospital. It just so happens that the Yu Group has shares in that hospital. I could arrange for special care..."
It didn't surprise Su Yirao that Yu Xingye had access to Guan Qingtong's contact details and email address.
But knowing exactly where Guan Qingtong's mother was hospitalized? Yu Xingye had clearly been doing his homework on the heroine.
Seeing the bigger picture, Su Yirao's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The direction this plot was taking, likely influenced by the system, was starting to make her uneasy.
Su Yirao's lips curled into a smile as she spoke with a deliberately confident tone. "Yu Xingye, there's something you don't know. Not only does her work time belong to me, but so does her personal time. So, you can stop hoping she'll ever belong to you."
Before either of them could react, Su Yirao shifted slightly and pulled Guan Qingtong into her embrace.
Seeing them so close together made Yu Xingye frown, an unsettling thought crossing his mind.
He asked urgently, "Su Yirao, what do you mean by that?"
"What else could I mean?" Su Yirao replied with a faint smile, her fingers brushing teasingly over Guan Qingtong's lips. "Do you need her to spell it out for you before you get the hint and leave?"
A current of electricity seemed to pass through Guan Qingtong as Su Yirao's fingers touched her lips, sending a tingling sensation throughout her body.
She wasn't used to this, instinctively trying to pull away.
But Su Yirao had anticipated this. She cupped Guan Qingtong's trembling face and gently planted a kiss on her cheek.
In that instant, Guan Qingtong forgot all about discomfort or hesitation, stunned into silence.
"Be good, Qingtong," Su Yirao murmured soothingly, her fingers gently rubbing away the lipstick mark she'd left, blending it into the natural flush of Guan Qingtong's cheeks.
With a soft smile, she reassured her, half-serious and half-playful, "You're mine, Qingtong. I just needed to show him what our real relationship is, so he'll stop coveting what's mine."