Time flowed by like water, passing quietly.
Days went by, and before long, it was winter.
It had snowed.
The heavy snow had fallen all through the night, and by the time Yu Xie woke up the next day, the roads outside were covered with a thick layer of snow. The snow gradually tapered off and eventually stopped.
The sun shone through the clouds after the snowstorm, and Yu Xie stepped outside. He looked at the sunlight reflecting off the snow in front of the door, shivered slightly, and quickly retreated indoors.
He had planned to go out to buy some ingredients because Buer had said she would come today, but there was nothing left in the house.
After all, Buer was an Archon. It seemed a little inappropriate to have her visit and not have anything to offer her.
But the outside temperature was colder than he had expected, so it seemed more practical to warm up by the fire first. As for the ingredients, he could always buy them later.
Yu Xie sat in front of the fireplace, gradually being surrounded by warmth. He leaned back in his chair, relaxing, almost in a "lazy" posture.
He had been here for over half a year now. Things had settled down—he had a divine landlord, his multi-purpose agency was gaining some reputation, and the money he earned was more than enough for his living expenses, with some left over. Recently, he had even taken on a caravan escort mission with a very generous reward.
All in all, life was going well.
After sitting in the chair for a while, Yu Xie stood up and walked to the window. He opened it, and the cold wind rushed in.
Yu Xie gazed at the snow-covered landscape outside and scratched his chin.
"I really don't want to go outside."
Evening.
Yu Xie had finally bought the ingredients and prepared a hotpot by the fireplace.
On a day like this, staying indoors and enjoying hotpot was just perfect.
Footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a pleasant female voice.
"Yu Xie, I'm here!"
The door opened, and Buer walked in, with Myrna following behind her.
This surprised Yu Xie. He hadn't expected Myrna to come as well.
"Myrna? Buer, why didn't you tell me Myrna was coming? I didn't prepare enough ingredients for three people."
"I only decided to bring Myrna along at the last minute," Buer smiled. "It's fine, I'll eat a little less and let Myrna have her portion."
"No need, Lord Rukkhadevata," Myrna quickly replied. "I'm not hungry."
"No, you must eat. You didn't have dinner before you came. We can't just eat in front of you," Buer insisted. "Sit down first."
"Yes." Myrna obediently sat down.
Yu Xie watched the two of them, feeling like Myrna still couldn't fully relax in front of Buer.
He chuckled helplessly and returned to the kitchen to bring out a set of chopsticks and bowls, placing them on the table in front of Myrna.
"The food is almost ready. We can start now."
At Yu Xie's words, Buer picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of meat into Myrna's bowl.
"Myrna, try it. Yu Xie's cooking is actually quite good."
"Yes." Myrna picked up her chopsticks and bowl.
"Muirya, when we're off the clock, don't always respond to me with 'yes' like that. It makes it sound like I'm always giving you orders," Buer frowned.
"Yes." Myrna paused, realizing she had said "yes" again. "…I mean, I understand. I'll control it."
Buer sighed slightly, giving a helpless smile, then added some vegetables to Myrna's bowl.
"Meat and vegetables in balance, for a nutritious meal."
"Thank you, Lord Rukkhadevata." Myrna smiled in response to Buer.
"You should smile more. You look better when you smile," Buer said. "Yu Xie, don't you agree?"
"Of course." Yu Xie said while eating, "No matter what, smiling has its magic."
"You heard that, Myrna?"
"I—I understand." Myrna lowered her head, eating, looking a little embarrassed.
This side of Myrna was quite rare to see. If it weren't for Buer, she probably wouldn't have behaved like this in front of anyone else.
"By the way, Yu Xie, it seems like your multi-purpose agency is getting quite a bit of attention lately. I've even heard some of my subordinates talking about it," Buer suddenly brought it up.
"It's definitely gained more recognition since I first started," Yu Xie replied. "Why bring this up?"
"What kind of commissions do you usually take on?" Buer asked curiously.
"Everything, big and small." Yu Xie thought for a moment. "Small commissions, like helping old people find their lost pets. Bigger ones, like escorting caravans or helping relevant departments solve cold cases. I've done all of that."
"Sounds... quite interesting," Buer nodded repeatedly.
"Wait a minute, Buer, you don't mean...?"
"Since you started your agency, you've been handling commissions all by yourself, right? Aren't you worried about being overwhelmed?" Buer paused. "So, do you need employees?"
"...Lately, I've been considering hiring someone," Yu Xie said, feeling like his suspicion was about to come true.
"Well, I just happen to know someone who would be perfect for the job." Buer smiled.
"Who?"
Instead of answering directly, Buer shifted her gaze to Myrna, and the meaning was already quite obvious.
Yu Xie's suspicions were confirmed.
"But Myrna is your personal attendant. If I do this, wouldn't it be like stealing your person? It doesn't seem appropriate," Yu Xie said. "Besides, you should also consider Myrna's opinion. She must want to stay by your side more."
"But Myrna is the one who brought this up to me," Buer replied.
"What?" Yu Xie froze, looking at Myrna with disbelief.
Myrna put down her bowl and chopsticks and sat up straight.
"I was the one who brought it up to Lord Rukkhadevata," Myrna said. "Yu Xie, I want to work at your multi-purpose agency."
"But why?" Yu Xie was still very surprised.
"There are things I want to ask you," Myrna said. "I think that if I become your employee, I'll be able to learn a lot from you, and that's why I had this idea."
"Wait a minute, I still can't believe it." Yu Xie's surprise hadn't faded.
Myrna was Buer's "loyal follower." What could make her give up being Buer's personal attendant to work for him, Yu Xie?
Could it… be related to Buer? That's the only reasonable explanation.
Could Buer have placed her as a spy around him? But that didn't make sense. There was no reason for Buer to plant a spy in his agency.
After a moment, Buer placed a large piece of meat into Yu Xie's bowl, smiling gently as she said:
"So, have you made up your mind? Myrna is very capable. She'll definitely be able to help you a lot."
"Salary… I don't think I can afford to pay much right now," Yu Xie said slowly.
"It's okay, salary isn't important," Myrna looked at Yu Xie, and there seemed to be a certain light in her eyes.
End of chapter
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contributions make a real difference!As a Patron, you unlock:
Exclusive access : Get 270+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else
Exclusive shout-out : Receive a special shout-out every chapter as a thank you for your support!
Your support not only fuels my creativity but also helps me grow on this community. If you're not a paetron yet, consider joining us.
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz