Ye Tiancheng continued to work. The security guard, an old man, approached him. "Young man, you're not done yet? I'm leaving now."
"It's alright. It's too late. Don't worry about me. You go ahead."
The security guard had already left Ye Tiancheng to his own devices. Ye Tiancheng worked until two in the morning when he suddenly received a call from Hou Mingzhu.
"Ye Tiancheng, are you busy now? Pick me up at Zero Degree Bar. I've had too much to drink."
From the sound of Hou Mingzhu's voice, it was clear she was drunk. This woman was something else. Before she came to the company, Hou Mingzhu was faking illness in the hospital, and now she had run off to a bar to drink so quickly.
It was true that the young didn't care for their bodies and played with their lives. Ye Tiancheng was actually a little worried.
"Where are your friends? Weren't you with friends all along?" Hou Mingzhu was slurring her words, so Ye Tiancheng gave up on asking her further. "Alright, I'm really at my wit's end with you. Don't move at all. It's dangerous. Just wait there. I'll be there soon."
If he had arrived and been shocked by the scene before him, Hou Mingzhu, who always commanded respect and had many friends around her, was now lying by the roadside asleep.
"Sigh, Hou Mingzhu, why are you sleeping here? Sleeping right on the road? What is this! How long have you been here?"
Ye Tiancheng bombarded her with questions, finally waking Hou Mingzhu up. Perhaps his constant shaking had also played a decisive role.
"Wait a moment. I can't move right now. My legs are numb."
After speaking, Hou Mingzhu let out a burp, and a wave of alcohol fumes washed over Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng didn't know what to do with Hou Mingzhu.
She looked like a complete fool, reminiscent of her state when she had amnesia.
"Hurry up and get up. Your legs should be better by now."
"I really can't. It feels like they're broken. Carry me, please. Thank you."
The drunk Hou Mingzhu was a tiny bit cuter than usual. At least she was polite and knew to say thank you!
Ye Tiancheng didn't want to argue with Hou Mingzhu, so he simply picked her up and carried her back to his place, as it was more convenient. Ever since he came to Hou Mingzhu's company, he had been assigned a dormitory. Although the single room wasn't large, it was quite comfortable.
As soon as they got home, Hou Mingzhu kept complaining about being hungry. Ye Tiancheng found it strange. She drank so much at the bar without stopping, as if she had a great tolerance for alcohol, but she hadn't eaten anything.
He didn't understand how people like this thought. Food was clearly more delicious.
After returning home, Ye Tiancheng, wanting Hou Mingzhu to drink something warm, put in a lot of effort to get her to drink a bowl of porridge. She had only managed half a bowl when she started crying.
"No one truly cares about me. Everyone gathers around me because I'm the eldest daughter of the Hou family. I have money. If I lose my money one day, I'm nothing. *Sob sob sob*, I might as well die. My life has no meaning."
Hou Mingzhu cried non-stop. At first, Ye Tiancheng thought she was just in a bad mood and would cry for a bit, but the more she spoke, the sadder she became, and the more she cried. Eventually, Ye Tiancheng became annoyed.
"Hou Mingzhu, look at me. I went bankrupt, but I didn't commit suicide. Haven't I started over? Little by little. Sigh, I realize my mindset is truly good. I'm not discouraged and remain energetic and full of confidence."
"But I can't get married! I'm only in my early twenties. No one likes me. It's useless to be beautiful. They all say I have a bad personality. I'm destined to be alone forever."
Ye Tiancheng felt like laughing at this. It seemed her outward arrogance masked her inner insecurities. But being only in her early twenties, there was no need to rush.
"To be honest, Hou Mingzhu, with your conditions—beautiful, wealthy, and always single—you're highly sought after in the marriage market. So many people are thinking of you. You're still young, don't rush, take your time."
Ye Tiancheng tried to comfort her kindly, but Hou Mingzhu ended up spitting all over him. Now he only had one clean shirt left; otherwise, he'd have to go to work bare-chested tomorrow.
"Do you like me?"
After finally tidying himself up and just stepping out of the bathroom, Hou Mingzhu, wearing one of Ye Tiancheng's t-shirts, hugged his neck. Hou Mingzhu stared intently into his eyes and asked. To be honest, Ye Tiancheng felt a little flustered.
"Hou Mingzhu, you're actually very good. I just feel you're not suitable. We are completely incompatible, whether it's in appearance, family background, or interests. But I don't understand why you insisted on doing something so unsuitable before. We divorced, then got back together, and now we're engaged."
Ye Tiancheng found it all quite surreal, as if someone had forced them together. They were two people who, by all accounts, would never spark romantic feelings.
"Even if I compromise, it won't be now. I can't let that woman Ouyang Qianqian have the advantage. I will never bow to life."
Ye Tiancheng finally understood. It turned out Hou Mingzhu had been left to her own devices for a while, but then Ouyang Qianqian suddenly appeared, triggering Hou Mingzhu's jealousy, which caused her to mess things up again.
"Whatever you say. A woman's heart is like a needle in the sea. I don't know. Sometimes you want to get rid of me, but then you don't let me go. What do you mean?"
"Let me tell you, today, since I'm at your place, I have to behave. I'm afraid you'll kick me out. You don't need to worry about me anymore."
"Mmm-hmm, you've thought it through, right? It's best if you don't bother me anymore."
Ye Tiancheng had a single room with only one bed. There was no other option but to spread the quilt on the floor.
After all, he had to respect the lady. Ye Tiancheng slept on the floor, letting Hou Mingzhu sleep on the bed. However, somehow, when he woke up the next morning, Hou Mingzhu had also moved to the floor, with one leg pressed against Ye Tiancheng, making it impossible for him to move.
Ye Tiancheng finally managed to get free and wash up before going to work. After working for a while at the company, he realized he had left a document at home and went back to retrieve it.
It was already noon. By chance, he walked in on Hou Mingzhu changing her clothes, another major incident of social death.
"I left a document at home."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I have to wear a swimsuit to the beach. What's wrong with wearing less? I'm not completely undressed. Take your document and leave quickly. I'm a bit tired. I'll stay at your place today. Come back early tonight to accompany me."
Hou Mingzhu's tone was very much like a girlfriend talking to her boyfriend. When did they become so close? Ye Tiancheng suspected he had amnesia.
"Hurry up! Don't think this is your house and you can do whatever you want. You are my employee, and I am your boss." Hou Mingzhu thought having a boyfriend wouldn't be bad. She smirked and then imitated a girlfriend's tone.
"Oh, right. It seems the temperature dropped today. Why don't you wear a thicker jacket?"
Ye Tiancheng was stunned. Judging by Hou Mingzhu's demeanor, she didn't seem to have regained any memories. How could she have suddenly changed her tune so drastically? Could the alcohol she drank last night have been unusual? Was that wine some kind of miraculous elixir that made Hou Mingzhu care about him?
If any other woman had shown him concern, Ye Tiancheng would have found it normal. But hearing these words from Hou Mingzhu's mouth gave him a sense of horror, making his hair stand on end.
"Oh dear, Hou Mingzhu, spare me. You don't need to worry. It's not that cold, and I have thick clothes at work anyway."
"Mmm, that's good. Ye Tiancheng, what's wrong with your voice? Are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing Hou Mingzhu's concern about his voice again, Ye Tiancheng was completely terrified. When something is abnormal, there must be a reason. Ye Tiancheng couldn't stand this bizarre situation anymore, so he grabbed the document and fled in haste, not even daring to say goodbye to Hou Mingzhu, fearing that Hou Mingzhu might have been possessed by some demon, which caused her personality to change so drastically.
After returning to the company, Ye Tiancheng gradually forgot about Hou Mingzhu's strangeness as he got busy with work. However, a sudden phone call brought him back to his nightmare.
"Hello, Hou Mingzhu. Why are you calling? Is something wrong?"
"I'm worried about you. What are you doing?"
"Working overtime. I'm working for you, my boss. I'm very dedicated." Ye Tiancheng had to appease Hou Mingzhu a little, as the company belonged to her family. "It's okay, I'll be done soon."
"Hurry home. It's too late. I've been waiting for you."
Having someone at home was originally a happy event, but for Ye Tiancheng, it also brought some pressure. He didn't know why a pampered young lady like Hou Mingzhu would linger in his employee dormitory.
"I'll finish my work as soon as possible, but I have things to do right now. I won't talk to you anymore. Your calls won't help me get my work done. I'm hanging up." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After hanging up the phone, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but curse Hou Mingzhu as crazy. It seemed the appearance of Ouyang Qianqian was not a good thing. Hou Mingzhu, lacking a sense of security, was now tormenting herself.
Ye Tiancheng soon immersed himself in his work again, temporarily forgetting the threat posed by Hou Mingzhu. However, he soon heard a knock on the door, and then Hou Mingzhu herself appeared before him.
"Why are you suddenly here? You're going to scare me to death."
"I just finished watching a movie with my good girlfriend, so I happened to pass by to see you. It's not like you only care about work and don't come back to accompany me, so I had to find someone else to accompany me."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's surprised expression, as if he wasn't very welcoming of her arrival, Hou Mingzhu quickly added.
"Of course, I came to see you. Look at you, working so hard. I can help."
Hearing Hou Mingzhu say she was here to help, Ye Tiancheng looked disbelieving. Seeing his doubt, Hou Mingzhu nodded firmly.
"I am here to help."
"Okay, why are you still standing there? I'm in the middle of reviewing accounts. Help me with the calculator. Are you really planning to work until dawn? Let's speed things up."
Others might not dare to use her, and Miss Hou felt that a young lady like her shouldn't be doing such menial tasks. But in Ye Tiancheng's eyes, if there was an opportunity to use her, he should seize it. Hou Mingzhu said it herself, not him forcing her.
"Ye Tiancheng, I'm feeling a bit down."
Hou Mingzhu had only worked for less than five minutes before throwing the calculator aside and lying down on the sofa, closing her eyes as if no one could wake her.
Ye Tiancheng reminded her that Hou Mingzhu was here to help, but Hou Mingzhu immediately exploded.
"Are you crazy? I was already tired, and now I have to help you with your work here. I feel so tired just using the calculator. It's a nightmare."
In fact, Ye Tiancheng was also very helpless. Ever since he joined the company as an ordinary employee, he couldn't be as carefree as before. To stay in this company, he had to work overtime endlessly.
The sudden ordinary office worker life squeezed out all his personal space. Ye Tiancheng realized that even with his hard work, he couldn't become a better version of himself.
Perhaps without the help of the Nuwa Stone and the Great Green Snake, without encountering that stone while farming that day, Ye Tiancheng would be nothing.
"I'll just work by myself. You can rest over there."
Ye Tiancheng dared not rely on Hou Mingzhu anymore. If he angered her and she kicked him out of the company, all the suffering he had endured recently would be in vain.