Chapter 544: A Good Job with a Salary of Hundreds of Millions!
Zhao Tao's eyes went wide the moment he saw Yang Qiuchan. It was love at first sight, or perhaps, lust at first sight. She was too beautiful! He had just transmigrated from Blue Star that morning and, in a daze, came to eat hotpot, only to be stunned by the sight of Yang Qiuchan. It was a long time after Yang Qiuchan left that Zhao Tao, feeling a sense of loss, regained his thoughts. While eating hotpot, he browsed his phone and suddenly his eyes lit up: 'Good heavens, this world is a parallel world, without the classic songs from my previous life. My memory is so good, I remember all of them. If I copy these classic songs over, they will definitely become wildly popular.' Zhao Tao's hand, holding his phone, trembled with excitement. In his previous life, as a failed music academy applicant, he lacked talent but always wanted to prove himself in music, only to fail repeatedly. But in this life, no one could stop him from becoming wildly popular. Zhao Tao was full of youthful vigor, shouting excitedly in his heart: 'Blue and White Porcelain, you're the first song chosen!'
…
While Zhao Tao was feverishly plotting his grand song-copying endeavor from the humble table of a hotpot joint, Shen Anyu was also busy with his own form of 'copying,' albeit on a far more profound and intimate scale.
After a brief shopping trip where he'd lavished Yang Qiuchan with designer brands she'd only ever dreamed of, Shen Anyu didn't bother with pretenses. He unceremoniously guided the deeply blushing girl towards the towering, golden-lit entrance of the Hilton. The doorman, accustomed to the city's elite, still couldn't help but cast a second glance. The man was impossibly handsome, carrying an aura of casual, untouchable power. The woman beside him was a vision of delicate beauty, her cheeks flushed a charming crimson, a stark contrast to her shy, downcast eyes. Their passage through the opulent lobby left a wake of envious and jealous gazes, murmurs rippling through the air as men stared with unconcealed longing and women with a mix of admiration and resentment.
Shen Anyu remained oblivious, or perhaps, he simply didn't care. He led her into the private elevator, the polished doors sliding shut and sealing them in a world of their own. He had booked the presidential suite, a sprawling space with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the city's glittering skyline. He was ready to discuss life, to explore its very essence with her.
In what felt like both an eternity and the blink of an eye, a full day and night melted away. The sun rose, arced across the sky, and sank below the horizon, replaced by a billion city lights that mirrored the stars above. Inside the suite, time had lost all meaning, replaced by a cycle of whispered confessions, breathless discoveries, and the raw, unvarnished truth of two souls intertwining.
The first rays of dawn painted the sky in shades of pearl and rose, spilling through the vast windows and casting a soft, ethereal glow across the room. Yang Qiuchan stirred first, the exhaustion in her bones warring with the unfamiliar energy humming through her veins.
"Brother Shen," she began, her voice a little hoarse, yet incredibly soft. "The family's hotpot restaurant… it still needs me to do the accounting. I should head back first."
She rose from the bed, the silk sheets pooling around her waist before slipping to the floor. She moved with a newfound grace, a subtle confidence that hadn't been there before. She bent over, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulder, to retrieve her black silk stockings from the floor. The simple, domestic act was transformed into something breathtaking. The curve of her spine, the glimpse of her fair, delicate collarbones, and the slender line of her legs were illuminated by the morning sun, creating a portrait of vulnerability and allure that captivated Shen Anyu completely.
He watched her from the bed, propped up on one elbow. He found the sight more pleasing than any masterpiece, more satisfying than any conquered territory. Hearing her words, a faint frown touched his lips.
"Yang's Hotpot Restaurant can just find someone to manage it," he said, his voice a low, lazy rumble. "Now that you're with me, you don't need to work so hard." He made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world, a simple problem with an even simpler solution.
"No, that won't do!"
To his surprise, she straightened up immediately, turning to face him. She crossed her two fair, jade-like arms over her chest in a gesture of defiance. Her pretty face was flushed with a mixture of morning-after intimacy and sudden, fierce resolve. 'I can't,' she thought, her heart clenching. 'I can't just become a doll in a gilded cage. He's given me so much already… my life, my family's safety, and… this. If I start taking his money for everything, what will his family think? What will he eventually think? That I'm just another woman clinging to his wealth?' The fear of being looked down upon, of their pure connection being tainted by commerce, was a terrifying prospect. She had already accepted an immeasurable debt of gratitude and affection from him; she refused to let their relationship sour over something as crude as money.
Seeing the unyielding determination in her eyes, Shen Anyu felt a flicker of bemusement. It was, he had to admit, somewhat troublesome. A Destined Heroine like Zhou Luyao was a simple equation; she lit up at the sight of money, her motivations transparent and easily manipulated. But Yang Qiuchan, who genuinely didn't care for money or material wealth, presented a more complex challenge. He felt a bit awkward, his usual methods of showering his women with luxury rendered ineffective by her stubborn pride.
How could this be? The woman belonging to him, Shen Anyu, the Grand Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, was planning to return to a small, greasy hotpot restaurant to do accounting and serve dishes? The very idea was preposterous, an insult to his status.
Just as his mind was turning over solutions, he felt a sudden, cool softness on his cheek. He blinked. It was Yang Qiuchan, leaning over him, having pressed a fleeting, gentle kiss there with her pink lips.
"Brother Shen, am I making things difficult for you?" she asked, her voice filled with trepidation. Her beautiful eyes, clear and deep like autumn water, searched his face for any sign of anger or disappointment.
"It is a bit difficult ~" Shen Anyu admitted, watching her lovely face wrinkle with guilt and self-reproach. A slow smile spread across his lips, chasing away his thoughtful expression. He reached out, his fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw. "Qiuchan, I've prepared a new job for you. The pay is generous, and it's not tiring. How about it?"
Her expression shifted from worry to curiosity, a hint of doubt still lingering in her eyes. 'A new job?' she wondered. Was he going to offer her a position as a secretary, or a personal assistant? The thought of being by his side every day sent a thrill of happiness through her. That would be wonderful. 'But I hope the pay isn't too generous,' she added silently, her practical nature taking over. 'Something reasonable. Ten thousand, or maybe even eight thousand yuan a month would be perfect. With that, I could afford to hire a professional accountant for the restaurant. It would solve everything, killing two birds with one stone, and Brother Shen wouldn't have to worry about me anymore.'
"Brother Shen, what new job are you finding for me?" she asked, her voice filled with cautious hope.
"A very well-paid job," Shen Anyu said, his tone turning rather mysterious. His eyes twinkled. "Starting with a monthly salary of a million, and if you do well, it could be hundreds of millions a month."
The words hung in the air. Yang Qiuchan's breath hitched. She stared at him, her mind going blank for a second before a storm of protests began to form. A million? A month? Hundreds of millions? That wasn't a salary; that was a fantasy. She bit her lip, her eyes flickering with unease. This was just another, more elaborate way of taking care of her. It wouldn't do. It simply wouldn't.
"Qiuchan, are you thinking I'm just taking care of you?" Shen Anyu saw right through her, his smile widening as he voiced her exact thoughts.
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, unable to lie. "Brother Shen, Qiuchan knows that I don't deserve such a high salary. College graduates nowadays, if they can find a job that pays ten thousand or eight thousand, that's already considered excellent. Even PhDs from the most prestigious universities… very few of them could ever command a monthly salary of a million." She spoke with a desperate earnestness, trying to make him see reason. In her world, as a graduate from an ordinary university, a few thousand yuan a month was the norm. A million, let alone hundreds of millions, was an astronomical sum that he was clearly inventing just for her. She couldn't accept it.
"You're worth it!"
Shen Anyu's voice was suddenly firm, cutting through her arguments. He placed his large hand on her fragrant, bare shoulder, the warmth of his palm seeping into her skin, stilling her before she could refuse again. He looked directly into her eyes, his expression utterly serious.
"Qiuchan, do you know? I didn't notice it before, but after we became intimate, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you have awakened the Heavenly Sound Charming Body. This physique, for cultivators like me, is a top-tier constitution. It can greatly boost my cultivation, accelerating my progress in ways that rare treasures and spiritual pills cannot."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. He was no longer teasing; he was revealing a profound secret about her, about them.
"So, I need you to help me Cultivate!" he declared, his gaze intense. "If you can do this job well, any amount of pay is deserved. This isn't a gift, Qiuchan. It's compensation for a vital service."
Upon hearing this, Yang Qiuchan was stunned into silence. Heavenly Sound Charming Body? A top-tier physique? The concepts were foreign, but the meaning was crystal clear. She could help him. A wave of exhilarating joy washed over her, so potent it made her feel lightheaded. It wasn't the exorbitant salary that thrilled her, but the sudden, incredible realization that she wasn't a burden. She could finally contribute, could finally repay even a fraction of what he had done for her. Her worried expression melted away, and her eyes curved into beautiful crescents, her smile as bright as the morning sun.
"Brother Shen, Qiuchan is willing to help you Cultivate," she said without a moment's hesitation, her voice ringing with sincerity. Then, a touch of her usual shyness returned. "But… how do I help? Qiuchan doesn't know how."
"That's simple ~"
The playful curve returned to Shen Anyu's lips. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that brushed against her earlobe. Feeling his warm breath ghost across her sensitive skin, Yang Qiuchan's small face, which had just returned to its normal color, instantly flushed with a charming, deep blush.
And Shen Anyu's subsequent words made that blush burn even hotter, spreading down her neck until she felt she might actually be dripping red.
"Just like last night," he murmured, his voice a low, magnetic vibration against her ear. "That's all it takes to help me Cultivate. Your body, your voice… they are simply wonderful."
Yang Qiuchan's face was so red it practically smoked. She wanted to burrow under the covers and hide, but under Shen Anyu's warm, teasing gaze, she found she couldn't move. No matter what, as long as she could help Brother Shen, she was willing. She lowered her head, her chin nearly touching her chest, and gave a tiny, almost inaudible nod, followed by a soft hum of agreement.
Subsequently, Shen Anyu imparted the Martial God Art to Yang Qiuchan. As Yang Qiuchan's strength increased, the efficacy of her Heavenly Sound Charming Body would also enhance, which would be very useful for Shen Anyu's cultivation.
[Ding! Detected that the host has invested in teaching the Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan the Martial God Art. Expected return: Martial God Art cultivation!]
[Ding! Detected that the host has invested in helping the Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan deeply awaken her Heavenly Sound Charming Body. Expected return: purified mind and body!]
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