Volume One, Chapter Six: Aging Gracefully, Miss Huang Xiaoxiao

"And who is this?"

Chen Wen approached with a smile. Su Wen was sulking, her lips pursed, as she never seemed to win an argument against Huang Xiao.

"Huang Xiao," Su Wen replied, sounding irritable.

Chen Wen popped a lollipop he had snatched from the massage chair shop's front desk into Su Wen’s mouth and nodded thoughtfully. "Huang Xiao? Which 'Huang' and which 'Xiao' is that? Could it be the 'faded beauty' Huang, or perhaps Miss 'Petite' Xiao?"

Hearing Chen Wen’s mocking tone, Su Wen burst into a giggle, accidentally spitting the lollipop out.

Chen Wen, a man whose thriftiness could last a lifetime, moved with lightning speed. He snatched the lollipop from the air and shoved it right back into Su Wen’s mouth in one fluid, seamless motion.

"Can't let that go to waste."

Su Wen froze on the spot. Even Huang Xiao was stunned for a full three seconds before her temper flared.

"You... what did you just say?"

One must know that women have two untouchable scales: age and size. In a single sentence, Chen Wen had managed a double kill.

Huang Xiao didn't dare to imagine what would happen if the rest of the Quanzhou social circle heard this nickname. Her face turned shades of blue and purple, though it was hard to tell beneath her thick layer of foundation.

"Do you even know who I am?"

Chen Wen picked at his nose and replied with disdain, "And do you know who I am?"

Huang Xiao was startled. That was true; someone chosen by a young lady like Su Wen couldn't be an ordinary person. Could he be the son of some big shot? That didn't seem right—she knew everyone in the Quanzhou circle, and she had no idea where this Chen Wen had popped out from.

Could he be a young master from another major city? Huang Xiao was alarmed. In Quanzhou, her Huang family feared no one, not even the powerful Su family. But compared to certain clans in other major metropolises, they might be small fish in a big pond.

"Who are you...?" Huang Xiao asked tentatively, her tone and attitude softening significantly.

Su Wen also opened her eyes wide, looking at Chen Wen with curiosity. Could her boss have some other hidden identity? A mysterious man was truly so handsome!

Ignoring the starry-eyed gaze beside him, Chen Wen curled his lip into a grin.

***

"You don't know who I am?"

Huang Xiao was confused. How should she know? Was she supposed to? She felt a surge of irritation wondering about the man’s background. If that cheap woman Su Wen had hooked up with a scion from a major city, it would be more painful than killing her.

There was a saying: I don't mind living poorly, as long as you aren't living better than me. That was exactly Huang Xiao’s mindset.

Suddenly, Chen Wen’s face darkened, looking so angry that both Su Wen and Huang Xiao felt a tremor in their hearts. The boss was angry; it was terrifying.

"You actually don't know who I am?"

"I'm your daddy!"

The massage chair shop owner, who had been watching the drama unfold from the sidelines, completely lost his composure. How could anyone have such a venomous tongue? That woman was still pondering Chen Wen’s background, only to be met with "I'm your daddy."

There was no need to look to know that Huang Xiao must have been furious enough to want to tear Chen Wen apart. Su Wen, on the other hand, was laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up, her body trembling and a flash of snow-white skin bobbing with her laughter.

"Hahaha! 'Faded beauty' Huang, Miss 'Petite' Xiao, so it turns out your daddy is my boss!"

[System: Limited-time mission "Su Wen's Frenemy" completed.]
[Reward: One-star Recruitment Scroll x1]

Huang Xiao was livid. Seeing she couldn't win against the pair, she let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment. Did I, your father, give you permission to leave?"

Chen Wen smiled slightly and walked straight up to her. He rubbed the recruitment scroll between his fingers, hesitating over whether to recruit this arrogant and domineering Miss Huang. According to the system, she was also a one-star technician—a decent candidate—but Chen Wen truly disliked her personality. He imagined he would get a headache having to deal with such a princess; after all, one Su Wen was already enough to annoy him.

"Is there anything else?" It was clear Huang Xiao was on the verge of exploding. Provoking her further would lead to more than just a verbal argument.

Chen Wen took a step back. "Nothing. You can go."

Huang Xiao glared at them viciously. The woman was clearly holding a grudge. But Chen Wen didn't care; as long as it didn't affect his foot bath business, everything else was negotiable.

***

[Su Wen’s favorability level increased!]
[Technician: Su Wen (Two-star Technician)]
[Special Bonus Unlocked: Gardenia Fragrance]
[The scent on her body will leave a deep impression, greatly enhance customer excitement, and encourage consumption within the foot bath shop.]

Chen Wen was overjoyed. He hadn't expected that completing the limited-time mission would upgrade Su Wen’s star rating. As a one-star technician, she already possessed the special effect of "lingering attachment." In just these few days, Chen Wen had clearly felt an increase in customer retention—something he had never seen before in his shop. Now that Su Wen had gained another ability, she suddenly looked even more adorable in his eyes.

Su Wen watched Chen Wen, who was standing there looking incredibly excited, and tilted her head in confusion, trying to understand her boss’s train of thought.

"Let’s go, Xiao Su. Boss is rewarding you today—I'll make you noodles!"

"Yay! (≧◡≦)"

On the way back to the foot bath shop, Chen Wen spent nearly a hundred yuan on two pounds of braised beef and some osmanthus wine. Even though his heart ached a little at the cost, he felt it was worth it.

Back at the shop, Chen Wen placed the noodles on the table. Su Wen tossed her clothes onto a chair and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Inhaling the faint, lingering fragrance in the air, even Chen Wen lost his composure for a moment. It was as if a fair-skinned young maiden appeared before him, moaning softly and enticing him. So this was the "Gardenia Fragrance"—it was far more potent than before. He could imagine a customer coming in for a foot bath, smelling this scent, and seeing a fifty-year-old woman as an eighteen-year-old first love. They would be so bewitched they wouldn't be able to walk away. Extending their session would be a breeze.

Just then, Su Wen emerged from the bathroom, wrapped only in a pale purple towel. Because her body temperature had risen from the shower, her cheeks were flushed, making her look tender and cute.

"Xiao Su, from today on, you are no longer a technician at my Goddess Foot Bath Shop," Chen Wen said with a serious expression.

Su Wen panicked instantly, not even bothering to tighten her towel, her eyes welling up with tears as she stared at him. "Boss, why don't you want Su Wen anymore?"

"Who said I don't want you?"

"From today on, you are the General Manager of my Goddess Foot Bath Shop!"