Chapter 52: The Silly Boy Finally Takes Action

Guan Ju'er told Fan Shengmei about her worries.

Although Fan Shengmei felt that a rich second-generation girl like Qu Xiaoxiao wouldn't dare to engage in a fight to the death with her, she still remained cautious.

"Thank you, Guan Guan. I'll be careful," Fan Shengmei said gratefully, giving Guan Ju'er a hug. This little sister was truly caring for her and looking out for her in every way.

That night, Guan Ju'er snuck downstairs and told Qin Hao everything.

Surprised yet amused, Qin Hao asked, "Did Sister Fan really hit Qu Xiaoxiao?"

"Yes, Yingying said she slapped her twice, and quite hard. It scared Yingying half to death," Guan Ju'er said, still feeling a lingering sense of dread.

Then, Guan Ju'er added worriedly, "I keep feeling like Qu Xiaoxiao won't let Sister Fan off the hook. Do you think she'll do something excessive?"

Qin Hao comforted her by pulling her into an embrace, soothing her, "Don't worry. Even though Qu Xiaoxiao is a playgirl, she's not brainless. She won't go as far as murder or arson. Just tell Sister Fan to stay vigilant."

Guan Ju'er thought that made sense, and her brow finally relaxed.

Qin Hao gave her a kiss on the forehead, and the two of them leaned against the bay window, each reading their own book.

The night was long. It wasn't that Qin Hao didn't want to do something, but rather that Guan Ju'er always maintained self-restraint, and Qin Hao didn't want to force her. In this situation, he could only take a more laid-back approach; otherwise, he would be the one suffering in the end.

At first, Guan Ju'er didn't quite dare to visit Qin Hao at night, but since he hadn't made any excessive moves over the past few days, and she loved this warm atmosphere of mutual dependence—where they could occasionally exchange thoughts on their books—she began sneaking down more and more frequently.

It wasn't until ten-thirty at night that Guan Ju'er would reluctantly return to Room 2202.

The next day marked the start of a new work week. Guan Ju'er's project team took on a major task, requiring everyone from the manager to the staff to dive into busy work.

Because Fan Shengmei had been livestreaming until the early hours of the morning, she naturally lacked energy during work, but for a veteran of office slacking like her, this was no problem.

Meanwhile, with the help of her colleagues, Qiu Yingying finally got back on track, and her performance began to improve.

The fifteenth was payday. Fan Shengmei received her livestreaming commissions and team bonuses from last month, totaling fifty-six thousand yuan. Looking at the five-figure balance on her phone, Fan Shengmei was so moved she nearly cried.

Ironically, having worked for eight years since graduating from university, this was her very first savings.

Qiu Yingying was also very excited. Although her salary was the lowest in the group, a monthly salary of twelve thousand yuan was more than enough for her; she had never imagined she would one day earn such a high wage.

Taking advantage of the lunch break, Qiu Yingying called her father to report the good news.

Father Qiu was overjoyed. "I told you, your brother wouldn't let you go poorly. Good, good! Seeing you two become successful makes your old man happier than anything."

"Dad, my salary comes from my own performance, not from my brother's subsidies," Qiu Yingying mumbled.

Father Qiu chuckled to himself. *That silly girl, if it weren't for her brother giving her the opportunity, could her little brain handle such complex work?*

Of course, to save his daughter's pride, he didn't expose her. Instead, he urged her to work hard and not embarrass her brother.

When Qiu Yingying hung up the phone and looked up, she found Ying Qin staring at her. As their eyes met, the two simple, inexperienced lovers had no idea how to break the awkward atmosphere.

Finally, Ying Qin explained, "I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose. I just happened to hear my hometown dialect and felt a sense of familiarity."

Qiu Yingying's face flushed slightly as she nodded. "Mm, I know."

Ying Qin suddenly summoned his courage. "Since you just got paid, a blockbuster movie is coming out this weekend. How about I treat you to a movie? You know, as a thank-you for the meal you treated me to last time."

The excuse was incredibly stiff, but fortunately, the thick-skinned Qiu Yingying didn't notice and agreed with a blushing face.

Seeing her nod, Ying Qin seemed to have used up all his courage, as he scurried back to his workstation in a flash.

After work in the afternoon, Qiu Yingying ran to Qin Hao's office to brag that her salary had finally broken into five figures.

Qin Hao found it amusing—this girl didn't even realize who was the one paying her salary—but he still gave her head a rewarding pat.

"Mm, well done. Try to get even more next month."

Qiu Yingying waved her fists full of energy. "Yes! I'll definitely work hard!"

"Alright, since you're so happy today, I'll cook a big feast to reward you."

"Hooray! Brother, I love you!"

Since both Guan Ju'er and Fan Shengmei had to work overtime, the celebration was left to just Qin Hao and Qiu Yingying.

Qiu Yingying perfectly embodied the definition of a foodie; whether happy or sad, she could eat herself to fullness.

It wasn't until ten o'clock at night that Guan Ju'er finished work and returned home. Qiu Yingying immediately shared the good news with her.

Guan Ju'er was naturally happy for her.

After much hesitation, Qiu Yingying couldn't help but mention that Ying Qin had asked her to a movie.

Upon hearing this, Guan Ju'er felt a bit worried, fearing that Qiu Yingying might run into another "scumbag," but she didn't say anything to her face.

Instead, while Qiu Yingying was showering, she snuck down to Room 2102.

As soon as Qin Hao heard the specific knocking pattern—three long and one short—he knew it was Guan Ju'er; it was their agreed-upon signal.

"Do you miss me that much? Running to my place so late after work?" Qin Hao thick-skinnedly pulled Guan Ju'er into his arms.

Guan Ju'er spat, "Oh, stop playing around. I came to see you for something serious."

Qin Hao didn't let her go; instead, he greedily inhaled the scent of shampoo from her hair and said softly, "But I missed you."

Hearing such romantic words, Guan Ju'er was deeply moved and proactively stood on her tiptoes to offer him a kiss.

Guan Ju'er then gave Qin Hao a fierce glare.

Qin Hao held his right hand in mid-air, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I couldn't help myself. I didn't mean to break our agreement."

The two had a "three-rule agreement": holding hands, kissing, and hugging were fine, but no wandering hands—even though this wasn't the first time Qin Hao had broken the rules.

Guan Ju'er didn't scold him too much and proceeded to tell him about Ying Qin asking Qiu Yingying to a movie.

On the contrary, Qin Hao breathed a sigh of relief. The silly boy had finally taken action.

"Actually, you don't need to worry. Yingying is an adult. She can't avoid dating for the rest of her life just because she encounters one scumbag, right? Besides, you've met Ying Qin before; his character is definitely ten thousand times better than that scumbag's."

Guan Ju'er actually had a decent impression of Ying Qin, but after the incident with the scumbag, she didn't quite trust her own judgment. Hearing Qin Hao say this, she finally felt her heart settle.

(End of Chapter)