The door to Room 0418 was empty.
Chen Yansen glanced at his watch. 7:57 PM. Three minutes to eight.
A wave of relief washed over him instead of disappointment.
He pushed the door open and entered, undoing the buttons of his shirt from top to bottom. Just as he reached the last button, a knock sounded at the door.
Chen Yansen's expression instantly froze, a flash of irritation in his eyes. But he quickly recovered, letting out a long, slow exhale. His trademark careless grin slipped back onto his face.
Women. They're all the same.
He scoffed inwardly, strode to the door, and pulled it open.
Song Yuncheng stood timidly outside, clutching her laptop. Gone was the fierce tiger from their first meeting; now she looked like a defensive kitten.
"What are you standing there for? Get in!"
Chen Yansen slapped the doorframe, his tone impatient.
"Oh."
Song Yuncheng bit her lip, stealing a glance at him. His features were sharp, that roguish smile playing on his lips—handsome, yes, but he definitely didn't look like a good person.
In that instant, the courage she'd mustered evaporated. She was about to take a step back and flee when Chen Yansen, with a look of utter disgust, grabbed her by the collar and yanked her inside.
BANG!
The door slammed shut.
"Let's begin."
Chen Yansen dropped onto the sofa and issued the order.
"Begin... begin what?"
Song Yuncheng's heart hammered against her ribs. She thought she was prepared, but the sound of the door closing scrambled her thoughts.
"The interview, of course. I'm giving you another chance. Based on your performance just now, you'd have been disqualified long ago."
Chen Yansen snorted, his face a mask of displeasure.
"Huh? Oh! Right, right away!"
Song Yuncheng bit her lip hard, forcing clarity back into her mind. She carefully opened her laptop, plugged in the USB drive, and opened a file.
"This is my portfolio. It has product designs, e-commerce posters, and brand logos. Which would you like to see first?"
"I'll see them all," Chen Yansen said indifferently.
Most of the graphic design work from over a decade ago was, frankly, outdated and visually clunky. What he really wanted to assess were Song Yuncheng's design sensibilities and foundational skills.
Song Yuncheng nodded, clicked the mouse, and began presenting her work piece by piece.
As expected, her portfolio looked like a textbook example from the early 2000s—nothing particularly groundbreaking.
"Are you short on money?"
Chen Yansen shook his head slightly, then looked directly at her.
"Yes... Why do you ask?"
Song Yuncheng, who had been half-crouching by the coffee table, answered reflexively before her brain caught up.
"With your current skill level, you can't handle UI design. How about a different position? Be my part-time girlfriend. Ten thousand a month."
Chen Yansen said it casually, as if discussing the weather. He'd made similar offers before—only the price and the target changed.
"Chen Yansen! I knew you had ulterior motives! I want to earn money with my own abilities! You haven't even given me a single design requirement, so how can you say I can't do it?!"
Song Yuncheng sprang up like a bristling cat, yelling at him while pulling a brick the size of her palm from her pocket.
So that's why her pocket looked so bulky—she'd brought a weapon!
She looked fierce, ready to smash the brick over his head at the slightest provocation.
"You have one hour. Design a cartoon mascot for a shopping website, similar to Taobao or JD."
Chen Yansen narrowed his eyes, studying her for a moment.
Seeing her brandish the brick, he couldn't help but smirk. Pretty girls were a dime a dozen. Interesting ones were far rarer.
"If there's a next time, I won't hold back! I'll smash your skull in!"
Song Yuncheng's cheeks flushed crimson as she delivered her angry warning.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, do you accept the interview task or not?"
Chen Yansen crossed his arms, clearly not taking her threat seriously.
"Hmph! One hour it is."
Song Yuncheng picked up her laptop, dragged a chair from the dining table, and got to work on her own.
Chen Yansen chuckled, picked up his pajamas and towel, and headed for the bathroom without a backward glance.
A moment later, the sound of running water filtered through the door.
Song Yuncheng's hand on the mouse paused. She couldn't help but remember their first encounter—her in the shower, him waiting outside.
Ten thousand a month… He's really offering a lot.
The thought crossed her mind. She'd checked job sites. For a design major from a second-tier university like her, landing a six-thousand-yuan-a-month job after graduation in a first-tier city like Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen would be considered lucky.
Song Yuncheng! What kind of bullshit 'part-time girlfriend' is that? It sounds nice, but it's just being a kept woman! Remember, never compromise!
Realizing her momentary waver, she quickly steeled herself.
When you're focused, an hour flies by.
Chen Yansen finished his shower, towel-dried his hair, glanced at the living room where Song Yuncheng was still drawing, and went to the bedroom. He lay on the bed, chatting with Meng Jie on his phone. Chatting led to drowsiness, and drowsiness led to sleep.
In his dream, Wang Ziyan stood there in a Chanel suit, radiating confidence. She beckoned to him with a finger. "Chen Yansen, you think you can run just because you've been reborn?"
"Wang Ziyan, I'd rather marry a pig or a dog than marry you!"
Chen Yansen turned and ran. Luckily, there was a bicycle by the roadside. He jumped on and pedaled for dear life.
"Chen Yansen! Wake up! Wake up!"
A hurried voice pierced his haze. Chen Yansen felt the world crumbling around him. His eyes snapped open, and he took a sharp, deep breath. A dream. Again.
"Chen Yansen, the design is done. As you requested. Take a look."
Song Yuncheng looked at him with a strange expression. Who is Wang Ziyan? How could she scare a bastard like him so much?
Chen Yansen sat up, turned to see Song Yuncheng squatting beside the bed, and offered a wry smile. "I thought you'd left long ago. Let me see."
On the screen was a lively, cute little fox—orange and white, with a gold coin dangling from its ear and a gold ingot in its paw.
"I did some research. What you want to build is a cashback shopping guide platform—the CPS model in advertising. The fox symbolizes cleverness and wit, which aligns with the site's purpose of helping users shop smartly and earn cashback…"
Song Yuncheng explained her design concept and the thoughtful details with a serious face.
Chen Yansen watched her profile. Fair skin, slightly flushed. A soft strand of hair fell by her ear. Her nose was round, adding a touch of innocent charm. Her lips were a little dry but a pretty pale pink.
"Actually, you don't have to work so hard. Being my girlfriend isn't something to be ashamed of."
Chen Yansen suddenly spoke.
"Do you want me to smash your head or not?"
Interrupted, Song Yuncheng frowned and shook the brick.
"Two thousand a month. Two days off a week. Six hours a day. If you have classes, make up the time on weekends. Payment at month's end."
Chen Yansen gave a dry laugh, then spoke seriously.
"You mean… I passed?"
Song Yuncheng pointed at herself, disbelief in her voice.
She knew Chen Yansen had ulterior motives, but for that sliver of hope, she'd prepared thoroughly. She'd expected him to mock her work before arrogantly declaring, "Sorry, you're not qualified. You're not hired!"
"One-month probation. Underperform, and you're fired."
Chen Yansen added a stern warning.
"Thank you, Boss! I'll do my absolute best!"
Song Yuncheng promised, a bright smile breaking through her usual gloom.
"However, I gave you one hour. Look at the time."
Chen Yansen raised his wrist, shoving his watch in her face. "10:47 PM. You took almost three hours."
"You slept for three hours! I couldn't wake you up no matter what!"
Song Yuncheng lied. She'd forced herself to stay. This job was hard-won; she didn't want to lose it.
"So, you're not going back to the dorm? Planning to stay here?"
Chen Yansen raised an eyebrow, driving the point home.
Song Yuncheng was stunned for a second, then understood. She grabbed her laptop, flung the door open without a word, and sprinted downstairs.
Five minutes later.
Chen Yansen stood on the balcony, watching Song Yuncheng squat in front of the girls' dormitory, looking like she wanted to knock but didn't dare. He found it amusing.
He took out his phone and dialed. "Come back up. The sofa has room for one more."
"No need, I… I'll go call the dorm supervisor."
Song Yuncheng's voice was weak and listless.
"I'll wait five minutes. If you're not here, I'm locking the door. Let me be clear: if you dare disturb my sleep, don't bother showing up at the startup park tomorrow."
Chen Yansen didn't waste more words and decisively hung up.
With Song Yuncheng's temper, if she really dared to call the dorm supervisor, she'd have done it already. Why wait until now?
The supervisor would definitely record her department, student ID, and mark her for staying out all night.
As expected.
Song Yuncheng returned dejectedly, the half-brick still clutched tightly in her hand.
"Living room has AC. Disposable underwear and towels are in the storage cabinet by the door. Get them yourself. I'm going to sleep."
Chen Yansen gave a few terse instructions and turned towards his room.
"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Ch—"
Before she could finish, Chen Yansen's bedroom door closed.
She smiled awkwardly, rummaged as instructed, found the box of disposable underwear and a towel, and tiptoed into the bathroom.
She held onto that half-brick for most of the night.
Late into the night, with a clatter, the brick finally fell to the floor. She'd endured hours of tense vigilance, but the expected "assault" never came. Finally, exhaustion won. She lay down on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
Maybe… Chen Yansen isn't so bad after all. That was her last thought before darkness took her.
The next morning.
Chen Yansen woke up to find Song Yuncheng still fast asleep, breathing heavily. Her white T-shirt had ridden up above her stomach, revealing a stretch of fair skin and a completely flat abdomen.
Heh. With her stingy habits, it'd be weird if she didn't have a flat stomach.
He chuckled to himself. After a moment's thought, he grabbed a blanket and casually tossed it over her. Seeing no reaction, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, changed into fresh clothes, and headed straight for the startup park.
The moment Chen Yansen stepped into the startup park, Cao Dahua greeted him with a beaming smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Little Chen! Perfect timing! I saw you had some extra space, so I got you a few sets of desks and chairs."
Why is this guy being so nice?
Suspicion instantly flared in Chen Yansen's mind, and his guard shot up.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: The game is afoot at the startup park! What's Cao Dahua's real motive? Can Song Yuncheng survive her probation? The plot thickens! Want to read ahead?
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