Chapter 41 Fluctuations

"What were you thinking when you stopped writing there?" Lu Ming and Wen Chu walked out of the elevator one after the other. He glanced at the girl who was now beaming with pride.

"I'm thinking about how to write it to widen the gap even further," Wen Chu said, seemingly unconcerned. Actually, quite the opposite, she was trying to find the right balance in being pretentious.

Lu Ming didn't say anything harsh this time, because the woman really did it, and even refreshed his understanding of her once again. She actually knew quite a lot, something he hadn't realized before.

“If the gap becomes too small, I’m afraid you’ll make things difficult for me and show favoritism to your own employees.”

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have had the chance to stand here in the first place.”

Wen Chu walked beside the man, smiling as she looked at him and said, "So, am I qualified now?"

Lu Ming remained noncommittal: "I'll prepare the contract and give it to you next week. How much compensation do you want?"

"What's the highest amount you can accept?"

"what ever."

Wen Chu's eyes widened: "So generous?"

"Because I also want to see how you'll ask for an exorbitant amount."

"Don't worry, I'm not greedy. After all, it's just helping you take an exam; it won't cost me many brain cells."

Lu Ming said irritably, "You really do take every opportunity to elevate your status."

"I've made up my mind!" Wen Chu chuckled and quickly walked in front of Lu Ming, backing away as she stretched out her two slender, fair wrists and waved them up and down. "Look, don't you think something's missing from my hands?"

Lu Ming paused for two seconds before understanding what the woman meant. "You don't mean you want me to buy you some jewelry, do you?"

"Wow, you're so smart! Price doesn't matter, but it has to be something you picked out yourself. You can't just have someone else buy it for you." She remembered what the post said: exchanging gifts is an important way to accelerate the development of feelings. It gives the other person ambiguous psychological hints and also makes them spend more time thinking about you.

Wen Chu felt that she was simply a genius, able to apply what she learned so quickly, coming up with an idea in just a few seconds.

Lu Ming hesitated for a moment: "We should handle this as a business. You can't use the conditions like this."

"I... um!" Before Wen Chu could finish speaking, her heel suddenly stepped on something slippery and round. Her foot slipped, and she was about to fall backward. She was shocked and thought, "I'm doomed!"

Unexpectedly, Lu Ming reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and supporting her back as she leaned backward with his other hand. He pulled her back into his arms.

Wen Chu gently tapped Lu Ming's chin with her forehead, her nose brushing against the fabric of the man's clothes, catching a faint woody scent.

The sudden closeness in distance made her feel a rush of blood to her head.

She was still in shock, her heart pounding, when she caught a glimpse of the hand on her waist out of the corner of her eye. The warmth emanating from it made her feel surprisingly secure.

Lu Ming quickly withdrew his hand, distanced himself from her, and glanced at the water bottle that someone had left in the corridor. The cap had been kicked off by Wen Chu, and the water that was not yet used had splashed all over the floor, including Wen Chu's socks and the hem of her skirt.

"This is what happens when you don't watch where you're going," Lu Ming said sarcastically.

The cleaning staff, who had just left, quickly came over with a rag and mop upon hearing the noise, apologizing repeatedly and explaining what they had been doing.

"Get ready quickly," Lu Ming said.

Cleaning staff: "Okay, okay!"

"My socks are wet." Wen Chu lifted her skirt and looked miserable.

Lu Ming glanced helplessly at the other person's wet skirt and shoes, "Come to my office, I'll have Luo Wen buy them for you."

"No, I want you to buy it for me. How can you let another man buy your girlfriend's underwear?"

"This is considered underwear?"

"I'm only wearing a pair of socks, how can that not be considered close-fitting?"

"..." Lu Ming couldn't argue with her, so he could only take a deep breath and say, "Okay. Go sit in the office first." After he finished speaking, he was about to turn around when Wen Chu cried out and grabbed his arm again, pitifully stretching her hand out in front of him once more, "Then what about this... I want this one."

Lu Ming looked at her wrist with a conflicted expression, and finally sighed almost imperceptibly, conceding, "Okay."

"Yes!" Wen Chu clenched her fist happily. "Then hurry up and buy it for me. My shoes are size 37 and my clothes are size S."

Wen Chu sat on the sofa in the office, tied a knot in the wet hem of her skirt to reveal her long legs, took off her shoes and socks, and swung her feet, waiting for Lu Ming to come back. However, she waited for half an hour before he finally pushed open the door and came in.

She was almost asleep waiting, and couldn't help but complain, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you took a nap downstairs. Does it really take this long?"

The man tossed her bags of various sizes, saying, "The clothes in the nearby malls are all pretty ugly; it's hard to find anything you like."

"Okay, I forgive you." Wen Chu muttered as she opened the bag, "I was just thinking that as long as you don't buy me a granny-level floral overcoat and Crocs, I can wear anything."

"You can insult your own aesthetic sense, but you can't insult mine." Lu Ming took off his coat and put it aside.

Wen Chu pouted, "Then I'll see what kind of taste you have." She opened the gift box, inside was a milky white silk short-sleeved dress. The hem was not the same height on both sides, and the design of the straps on the shoulders and waist was exquisite. It felt very smooth to the touch, like milk.

"It looks pretty good, but... why is it white?" She was very sensitive to this color, and she narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't... buy me white because Wen Xue likes white, would you?"

Lu Ming was initially a little awkward, after all, this was the first time he had bought clothes for a girl. But upon hearing this comment, his gaze paused almost imperceptibly before quickly returning to normal. Then, as if triggered by some key word, his face immediately darkened, and he said, "Are you sick? Why do you always have paranoia? What makes you think you can be Wen Xue's substitute? Even if I were to find someone dressed like her, it wouldn't be you, because you're not qualified. You don't have to wear it, no one's forcing you. Anyway, I see your clothes are almost dry."

Wen Chu had only mentioned it casually, and if the other party had just said "You're overthinking it" or "It's nothing," she would have happily accepted the beautiful dress. But Lu Ming suddenly said so much, putting one down and praising the other, making her seem worthless.

The harmonious atmosphere from a minute ago shattered instantly, and Wen Chu felt a surge of anger. She took a deep breath, pointed towards the door, and said, "Fine, fine, I was ungrateful. She's the best, and I'm the worst, okay? Get out, I need to change my clothes."

Lu Ming didn't say anything and walked out.

Wen Chu coldly opened another shoe box, inside was a pair of low-heeled high heels. The shoes were smooth, without any extra embellishments, and were simple yet elegant. She thought to herself that this guy seemed to have good taste. She changed into them directly in the dressing room. However, there was no mirror in the office, so she couldn't see how they looked, but they fit her surprisingly well.

Her mood improved somewhat, thinking that one shouldn't hold a grudge against a petty person, and that this guy had always been like this anyway. Wearing her new clothes, she opened the door and peeked out to look for Lu Ming. She saw the man leaning against the wall outside the office, arms crossed, looking at his phone, probably replying to official text messages. The scene was quite incongruous, attracting the attention of many passersby.

"Hey, you can come in now," Wen Chu said.

Lu Ming looked up at her, put away his phone and went inside, only then did he see Wen Chu's full appearance.

The skirt went past her knees, revealing the girl's smooth, fair calves and ankles that could be grasped with one hand. The dress's fitted waist design maximized the display of her slender waist, making Wen Chu look like a daisy just blooming in the morning, pure and flawless, or like a white butterfly just emerging from its cocoon, lively and vibrant.

Lu Ming glanced at the woman, his eyes flickering slightly, before quickly returning to normal. He said calmly, "I've agreed to your request. The contract will be given to you next week. If there's nothing else, you can leave."

"Then I'll start working here next week?"

"Whatever you want."

Wen Chu nodded. The "casual" in his words meant tacit agreement. She then reminded him, "Oh, don't forget I also said before that my office will be next to yours."

Lu Ming paused, somewhat puzzled: "You said this before?"

Damn, I forgot about that?

"Of course I said that!" Wen Chu was a little speechless, and quickly preemptively said, "Look at you, you don't take my words to heart at all!"

Lu Ming casually retorted, "Why should I take your words to heart?"

Wen Chu felt as if her heart had been suddenly stabbed. She opened her mouth, feeling a tightness in her chest. She took a deep breath, suppressing the displeasure in her heart, and continued to talk back, saying, "Why don't you care about the needs of your partners? You're just taking revenge for personal reasons."

"So, your demand to have your office next to mine isn't an abuse of power or something you're up to?"

Wen Chu suddenly didn't want to argue with anyone anymore. She felt a little tired, so she said calmly, "Fine, then don't set it up. Just pretend I didn't say anything. If anything happens, you can come find me yourself. Don't find it annoying. I'm leaving." After she finished speaking, she turned and walked out.

What is she after? She was clearly helping him, but she still had to be tested by him, criticized, compared, and forgotten. She had already completed the task very well, but she was still belittled as worthless.

A sense of resentment rose in Wen Chu's heart. If it weren't for the fact that she had to complete the tasks issued by the system, she wouldn't have wanted to get involved.

She should have watched Baiyue go bankrupt, then, high and mighty, she could have taken in this down-on-his-luck Alzheimer's patient with intermittent amnesia, showered him with money, and trampled on his dignity! Forcing him to sell his soul!

Lu Ming noticed the girl's unusual reaction and felt a pang of unease, but he felt he hadn't said anything wrong. After a moment's hesitation, watching the girl's departing figure, he said, "I'll have Old Chen take you."

"No need, I'll take a taxi back myself," Wen Chu said coldly, and walked out.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang, sending a shiver down Lu Ming's spine.

She exited the elevator grumbling, and Luo Wen soon followed her out of another elevator, catching up with her and saying, "Ms. Wen, the driver has been arranged for you. Just come with me."

Wen Chu frowned: "Didn't I say I wouldn't sit?"

Luo Wen scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, "This... what the boss just said. The driver is already waiting for you at the door..."

Niu Ma is the most empathetic of Niu Ma, so in order not to make things difficult for her assistant, Wen Chu didn't say anything more: "Alright then, thank you for your trouble. At least he still has some conscience."