At two in the morning, Su He was still busy in the kitchen.
Congee was simmering on the stove, its savory aroma of minced meat mingling with the sweet scent of rice, wafting into her nostrils and making her mouth water. Seeing that the time was right, Su He turned off the heat, lifted the lid, and tasted it. The seasoning was just right, the texture soft and flavorful, and the heat perfectly controlled.
Su He ladled out a bowl and took it to the living room, then gently nudged Lu Yanbei awake. "I've made congee. Eat something before you sleep."
Lu Yanbei opened his eyes and slowly sat up, taking a moment to adjust to his surroundings.
In this moment, he lacked his usual arrogance. His unfocused gaze made him look endearingly clumsy for a split second, causing Su He to steal a few extra glances.
Su He pushed the bowl and chopsticks closer to him and thoughtfully poured a glass of warm water. "Eat and get some rest. I'll come back to tidy up in the morning."
"Su He," Lu Yanbei called out, stopping her.
Su He slowly turned around, looking at him with a puzzled expression. "Is there something else?"
"It's nothing..." Lu Yanbei met her clear eyes and hesitated.
"Oh," Su He replied, and with weary steps, she returned to her room.
The moment the door closed, Su He shut out all her worries behind it.
Actually, she felt quite conflicted.
She had already set her boundaries and didn't want any relationship with him other than that of employer and employee. Yet, seeing him curled up uncomfortably on the sofa, looking haggard, she couldn't help but want to be kinder to him.
Su He cursed under her breath.
Soft-heartedness is a sickness that needs to be cured!
After tossing and turning for a while, Su He finally felt a hint of sleepiness.
In the living room, Lu Yanbei was slowly eating the congee. It wasn't the best tasting, but it unexpectedly suited his palate. He ate without rushing, maintaining an elegant demeanor. Soon, the bowl was empty. His stomach felt warm, and his discomfort lessened considerably.
At this moment, the screen of his phone, lying on the coffee table, lit up. Cheng Jue had sent over his schedule for the next day.
Only five hours remained until the report meeting the next morning.
Lu Yanbei rubbed his temples and went to the study.
The next morning, Su He's biological clock chimed on cue. After changing her clothes, Su He prepared to go downstairs to accompany Lu Yanbei for his morning run, but after waiting for a long time, he didn't emerge.
Curious, Su He peeked into the room opposite hers.
Huh, he actually has days when he can't get up?
Could his condition have worsened again?
Worried, Su He went over and knocked on the door, only to find no one inside. His bed was neatly made, with no sign of anyone having slept in it.
Su He frowned, confused.
With a ding, a message arrived.
Sugar Daddy: I've gone to the company. You don't need to prepare breakfast for me.
"He didn't stay up all night again, did he?" Su He's lips parted in astonishment.
Did he really think he was made of iron!
He doesn't take care of his body at all!
However, she didn't have much time to complain. After a simple meal of the leftover congee from yesterday, she hurried out.
She had a job interview today.
If she passed, she could start taking on jobs and earning money after a few days of training.
The interview location was an office building two streets away, about a twenty-minute walk.
When Su He found the company following the navigation, the corridor was already packed.
Su He had caused quite a stir at the anime convention yesterday. Fearing she'd be recognized, she had deliberately worn a mask.
"Su He, are you here yet?" the recruitment staff member called out from the corridor.
Su He stood up and jogged over. "That's me."
"Come with me," the female assistant led her into a room.
The interview was simple, mostly asking a few questions. Did she have prior experience in this line of work, which voice actors did she like, and what were her thoughts on the industry.
Su He was a complete novice. She had done some quick research online and answered competently.
"Why do you want to enter this field?" the interviewer asked.
Su He thought for a moment and replied, "Because I want to make money."
The interviewer couldn't help but chuckle. "You're very honest."
"I'm very short on cash," Su He added. "So, when does the training start?"
The interviewers exchanged glances, as if they had already made a decision. "We'll arrange everything uniformly next Monday."
"So, does that mean I've been hired?" Su He asked.
"You've passed the first stage. However, there's a second round of interviews. You'll be officially hired after you meet the requirements."
Su He nodded, feeling that the company was quite reliable.
At least, they didn't just tell her to go home and wait for a notification.
As she walked out of the office building, Su He saw several missed calls on her phone. Three of them were from Jiang Xiao, and the remaining one was an unknown number.
Su He skipped the unknown number and dialed Jiang Xiao's.
"Girlfriend, you're famous!" Jiang Xiao answered after just two rings, her laughter echoing through the receiver. "The photos of your sugar daddy giving you a princess carry after you fainted at the anime convention yesterday have gone viral!"
"It's just a photo from behind, and you recognized me?" Su He found it amazing.
"Thanks to you, I've seen him a few times, and he left a deep impression," Jiang Xiao said with a laugh. "I've already imagined a dramatic scene of a domineering CEO saving his little damsel in distress. Hurry up and draw it for me!"
Su He's mouth twitched.
"Meow meow, your man is so manly, isn't he?"
"When can I get a princess carry?"
"But speaking of which, this incident caused quite a stir. Your Young Master Yan is quite famous. What if he gets exposed... you should be mentally prepared," Jiang Xiao said, happy for her friend but also worried.
The power of cyberbullying is terrifying, and it could even lead to doxxing.
"I was wearing that, so no one should recognize me... and I was using my online alias..." Su He said.
"Netizens nowadays are incredibly resourceful, don't rely on luck," Jiang Xiao kindly reminded her. "Besides, the current public opinion is not in your favor. You'd better find a way to clarify things."
As it turned out, after Su He's fainting at the anime convention yesterday, photos of her had been leaked, sparking countless speculations. Some said she fainted deliberately to attract attention; others said she was obsessed with being extremely thin and excessively dieted, leading to malnutrition and low blood sugar. Even worse, some claimed she staged the whole thing to avoid answering those questions.
The voices of her fans defending her were weak, and most of the comments were unfriendly. The keyboard warriors hiding behind their screens didn't care about the truth; they seized any opportunity to lash out.
Su He casually scrolled through a few comments and felt like she was going to vomit.
If her inner strength wasn't strong enough, she feared she would have cried her eyes out.
"Meow meow, are you listening to me?" Jiang Xiao's heart tightened when she didn't get a response for a long time.
Could she be thinking of doing something drastic?