"I... I'm sorry," Jasmine blurted out without thinking. Reaching for a tissue,
she instinctively moved to wipe the water off his face. Only in that moment did she realize how intimate the gesture was.
A long, elegant hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly.
"Are you trying to take advantage of me?"
The man's tone was frigid, his voice low and menacing.
His eyes swept over her in a barely perceptible glance. Jasmine's cheeks flushed bright red, a wave of embarrassment washing over her.
That was the furthest thing from her mind!
She had just wanted to dry the water droplets on his face!
She swallowed hard, feeling completely at a loss.
"Jasmine! Jasmine!"
The shrill voice of the female manager pierced the air. Rounding the corner, she spotted Jasmine standing there like a deer in headlights.
"Jasmine, you've really got some nerve! Do you still think you're the eldest daughter of the Qin family?
If it weren't for this restaurant being kind enough to hire you, you wouldn't even be able to land a job as a waitress.
Your entire month's salary is docked, and you'll also have to compensate the restaurant..."
The female manager ranted on, her finger almost jabbing into Jasmine's forehead.
Slap!
The assistant beside the man promptly swatted the woman's hand away. The manager was about to unleash a stream of curses, but when she looked up, her face paled instantly.
"Mr. Chu... Mr. Chu..."
"Yingyao."
"Yes, sir." The assistant promptly produced a card and placed it right in front of the manager. "There's a hundred thousand in this card..."
"Oh, no... I couldn't possibly accept your money.
I was just joking with Jasmine. This restaurant is owned by the Chu Consortium. If I had known you two were acquainted, I would have..."
The manager forced a nervous smile. She would never have imagined that Jasmine had somehow caught the eye of this man.
The Chu Consortium had risen to prominence in Jiangcheng in recent years,
a global powerhouse. And the mastermind behind this business empire was none other than the man before her, Yiqin Chu, the CEO of the Chu Consortium.
Yiqin Chu's expression remained impassive. "This isn't compensation. It's your severance pay. We don't need employees like you here."
The manager's face turned ashen. She stammered, "Mr. Chu, I didn't know you and Jasmine..."
"Manager Wang, this is your severance. During the three years you've been at this restaurant, you've been secretly swapping goods for personal profit. We'll be submitting the evidence to the police soon. You'd better watch yourself..."
Upon hearing this, the manager's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
Jasmine never expected to witness such a scene. It was truly unexpected.
That Manager Wang had always bullied her, likely at Snow's behest. But Jasmine desperately needed this job. She wanted to have some money of her own since Zhenguo Qin had cut off her living expenses.
Jasmine stole a cautious glance at Yiqin Chu's back. Suddenly, the shrill ring of her phone broke the silence. Taking it out, she saw the familiar number on the screen, and her expression immediately turned cold. "Hello..."
"Jasmine, I want you home in half an hour!"
It was Zhenguo Qin on the phone, his tone as commanding as ever. He had never treated her like a daughter.
Jasmine listened to the beeping sound of the call being hung up, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She turned to the noble and mysterious man in front of her, her face etched with apology. "I'm sorry, I have an urgent matter and I have to leave."
Yiqin Chu's eyes darkened, his tone icy cold, as if he was clearly displeased.
Jasmine had no idea what she had done to offend him. Was he really that petty?
It was just a bit of water. Rich people really had so many quirks.
She walked past him nervously, and when she heard no further words from him, she let out a long sigh of relief.