0023 Auntie Lai never rests!

Lai Feifei’s suggestive jokes left Li Zhiyan feeling somewhat overwhelmed. He realized he had been too conservative; a mature woman is, after all, a mature woman.

The world of truly mature women was something Li Zhiyan had never imagined before. For instance, the sheer speed at which the shrewish Zhao Shumin could change her demeanor was an eye-opener for him—a feat few young people today could pull off. However, Li Zhiyan felt this circle was far healthier and more normal than the "men-avoiding-women" or "men-peeing-while-squatting" trends he saw among the young girls in his class.

"I’m really going to sew your mouth shut!"
"Lai Feifei, you’re corrupting the child!"
"I told you to spend less time on Douyin and Tieba; look at how outlandish you’ve started talking!"

As she spoke, He Yanrong led the three of them into the private room that the trio usually reserved for themselves.

"Aunt Rong, why do they all call you 'Mom'?"
"Because I treat them well, so they’ve gotten into the habit of calling me Mom."

After settling onto a chair, Lai Feifei said, "You should call her Mom, too. That way, your Aunt Rong can feed you in good conscience!"

"Yanrong, you take the left side."
"Hongmei, you take the right. Can’t let the kid go hungry, haha."

Li Zhiyan: "..."

Looking at He Yanrong’s seductive face, Li Zhiyan felt his blood start to pump; it was an uncontrollable impulse. Just looking at that face made his thoughts drift toward certain things—a sensation even the shrewish Zhao Shumin hadn’t managed to evoke in him.

"Don’t listen to your Aunt Lai, Xiao Yan."
"Lie down. I’ll have a technician come in to wash your feet so you can properly relax."

After Shen Hongmei lay down, she waited for the technician to arrive; suffering from menstrual cramps, she wanted to soak her feet and unwind.

"Yanrong, why don’t you wash our little Xiao Yan’s feet? He’s the only 'little kid' in our circle of girlfriends, after all. You do it."

In reality, He Yanrong had been a manager at Century Palace for a long time, but she had never worked as a technician; she had only ever acted as a "mother" figure to the staff. She felt quite resistant to the idea of washing someone’s feet. But seeing Li Zhiyan’s twenty-something, slightly naive appearance, she relented.

"Alright, I’ll wash them for you, Xiao Yan."
"That… that doesn’t seem right…"

Li Zhiyan felt a bit awkward, though in his heart, he was actually quite eager for He Yanrong to wash his feet. For one, she was incredibly seductive and beautiful, and for another, she was Liu Jinxin’s biological mother. Back at school, Liu Jinxin had always called him a "toad," and after they became colleagues, she continued to drag his reputation through the mud. Li Zhiyan harbored quite a bit of resentment toward both Liu Jinxin and Xu Qianqian.

If he could get He Yanrong to wash his feet, it would be a mentally gratifying experience.

"It’s fine, Xiao Yan. You’re just a kid; there’s nothing wrong with your aunt washing your feet."

After stepping out to give a command, three foot-wash technicians who didn't handle hair washing walked in. He Yanrong always kept a distance from the hair-washing staff, as there was always a small, albeit present, risk of contracting diseases, and the two groups of technicians lived in separate quarters.

Once three basins of hot water were brought in, He Yanrong took one and sat down in front of Li Zhiyan. Lai Feifei and Shen Hongmei had already kicked off their silk stockings and high heels. The sight of two pairs of snow-white, beautiful legs kept drawing Li Zhiyan’s peripheral vision. With his "auto-aim" activated, he felt as if he had arrived in heaven; the room was filled with alluring scenery.

"Here, Xiao Yan, have an orange first."

After Li Zhiyan placed his feet in the basin, He Yanrong sat beside him and began peeling an orange for him. Her fair, jade-like hands meticulously removed the pith from the orange segments before gently placing one into his mouth. This extreme, tender attentiveness made Li Zhiyan’s head spin. He truly hadn’t expected such a seductive-looking woman to be so gentle and thoughtful.

After she had fed him a few segments, Li Zhiyan began to feel restless. "Aunt, I’ll do it myself." He still wasn't quite familiar enough with He Yanrong.

"Look at you, getting shy." She glanced at Li Zhiyan’s involuntary physical reaction, but her mood remained steady; it was normal for a young man to be full of vitality. It only proved he was healthy.

In the wooden basin, He Yanrong gently grasped Li Zhiyan’s feet and began to massage them, carefully washing between every toe. The tenderness of the touch made Li Zhiyan involuntarily close his eyes. On the other side, Lai Feifei, who was also soaking her feet, picked up a cocktail and started drinking—her true colors as a habitual drinker remained unchanged.

"Hongmei, I don’t think you’ll have much luck getting my technician to take on a part-time job. People nowadays prefer stability, even if the pay is lower."

Li Zhiyan chimed in in agreement, "My cousin is at home right now preparing for the civil service exam."

As she washed his feet, He Yanrong’s soft hands continued to cradle his toes, leaving him intoxicated. In her mind, she didn't take Li Zhiyan seriously; she was only washing his feet as a favor to Lai Feifei and Shen Hongmei. She couldn't understand how this kid had managed to infiltrate their circle, and even maintain such a clearly good relationship with them.

He Yanrong, who had seen enough of the world’s cold reality, was very pragmatic—unlike Lai Feifei and Shen Hongmei.

Shen Hongmei clutched her stomach and said, "Just have her come over; let’s ask her."

"Fine, but don’t get your hopes up. Mia is very busy with her work here. The commission she makes each month is far more than what she’d earn from a part-time job with you; she likely won’t bother."

After He Yanrong called out, a blonde, blue-eyed woman named Mia walked in.

"Mom, you called me?"
"Yes, Mia. This is Shen Hongmei, Boss Shen. Your Chinese is quite good now; would you be willing to do some part-time work for her? The compensation is negotiable."

Shen Hongmei added, "It’s part-time. You come in when needed, and the pay is 1,000 yuan per day. But you must be able to come on the day you’re needed."

Li Zhiyan’s eyes lit up—1,000 yuan! For a student who had just stepped into society, 1,000 yuan a day was incredibly tempting. But wait, was foot washing really that profitable? 60,000 a month, and that was just commissions? If it was a fifty-fifty split, that meant 120,000 yuan worth of feet washed. The earning power of this "foreign mare" was truly formidable.

"Ms. Shen, my monthly commissions are already over 60,000 yuan. This part-time job doesn’t hold much appeal for me, so I’m sorry."

Mia’s Chinese was excellent; she had clearly put in the work. Because she wanted a long-term future in the country, she knew that in her home country, she couldn't earn much, but here, she had transformed into a high-value asset. Mia understood very well that scarcity creates value.

"Alright, I’ll look for someone else later."

If this were five years ago, Shen Hongmei would have been willing to pay more for a translator. But now, with the economy in a slump, the company had to control costs to survive. Yet, finding a translator on call for 1,000 yuan was proving incredibly difficult. Top students in minor language majors all preferred to find stable jobs at large companies.

As Shen Hongmei felt a headache coming on, Li Zhiyan spoke up: "Aunt Shen, why don't I take the part-time job?"

All three pairs of eyes turned toward him.

"Xiao Yan, don’t joke with your aunt. Your major isn’t even relevant; how could you possibly know German?"

Shen Hongmei was already feeling troubled by the situation, and hearing Li Zhiyan "cause trouble" only added to her irritation.