At noon, a few rather strange customers came into the shop. They all seemed to be respectable people with proper jobs, but they kept staring at Xia Baozhu, trying to find something interesting on her face.

Xia Baozhu felt uncomfortable under their gazes. Was there something on her face?

"Boss lady, shouldn't you change your mask?" A young man in his twenties, full of ideas, pointed at Xia Baozhu's mask and asked, feigning surprise.

"Is it dirty?" Xia Baozhu quickly took off her mask.

A bright-eyed, beautiful, and elegant face appeared before the customers in the store.

Some people opened their mouths wide, but couldn't utter a sound, as if they were so stunned by the beauty in front of them that they lost the ability to speak.

Some people couldn't help but take a small step forward, wanting to appreciate this beauty more closely.

Others secretly swallowed, their eyes gleaming with desire.

Young men, especially those looking at it up close, were stunned by the sight of that face.

Amidst a chorus of quiet gasps, Xia Baozhu carefully examined the mask in her hand.

"The mask is fine." Xia Baozhu looked up at the young man with a puzzled expression, her bright, clear eyes filled with a pure and innocent look.

An Yuesheng clutched his violently pounding chest, feeling as if his heart was about to leap out of his throat.

A single glance could shatter his composure.

His mind raced, and he forced out a sentence: "What I mean is that these homemade masks are not as safe as the ones doctors use, in terms of virus protection."

"Thank you for reminding me, but I wear this mainly to ensure food hygiene." Seeing An Yuesheng's absent-minded expression, Xia Baozhu remained indifferent and lowered her head to put the mask back on.

An Yuesheng immediately experienced the feeling of being rejected and felt very disappointed, along with some feelings of inferiority.

However, he quickly cheered up, realizing that it was this kind of self-respecting beauty who was truly endearing.

If she continues to greet him with a smile, he might think she's too frivolous and uninhibited, and look down on her from then on.

(Xia Baozhu: Get out!)

"Zonglang, have you ever seen what the fried chicken shop owner looks like?" An Yuesheng asked Tang Zonglang excitedly as he returned to his office.

"We've met once, so what?" Tang Zonglang asked with an ambiguous smile.

"Today I used a little trick to see her true face, and I'm sure that the female ghost from that day was definitely not her. She's so beautiful, you know? The kind of beauty that's like a lotus emerging from clear water, so stunning, it's the first time I've ever seen someone so beautiful."

"She's really beautiful. I wonder if she's married. If not, we could introduce her to Mr. Yue," said a colleague who went with us.

"You can ask around; she doesn't look like she's married," Tang Zonglang said with ill intent.

"I don't think so either. Married women don't have this kind of aura."

Rumors that the fried chicken shop owner was beautiful quickly spread throughout the area.

The store was even busier than it was on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Among the people who came to buy things, there were those with ill intentions. They asked Xia Baozhu to take off her mask so they could see her.

"Xiao Zheng, bring a knife and show this guest his skills."

At first, Xia Baozhu could tolerate the harassment, but when it happened a second time, she asked San Gou to bring out a knife.

"Let me see which foul-mouthed idiot is talking nonsense!" San Gou charged from the kitchen to the front hall, knife in hand.

The scene fell silent instantly, everyone trembling with fear. They realized that the proprietress wasn't a very good-tempered person.

Xia Baozhu spent twenty yuan to hire Sun Xingyan to find someone to tidy up the newly purchased house and make it a habitable place.

After all, staying in a hotel isn't cheap.

If you want to renovate properly, you'll need to save up for several months.

The process of setting up a habitable place was quick, and Xia Baozhu moved into her new home in just one week.

This is a bedroom in the east wing. The walls have been repainted and the doors and windows have been wiped clean, making it look brand new and bright.

The bed and wardrobe were newly bought and had a faint woody scent.

The writing desk was a discarded item from Sun Xingyan's family, which he gave to her for free, making good use of it.

After buying new quilts and sheets, Xia Baozhu washed all of these personal items on a nice day.

Because she eats all her meals at the restaurant, she doesn't have any tableware or kitchen utensils at home.

There were no celebrations or warm feasts; Xia Baozhu simply settled down here.

Since no one was home during the day, Xia Baozhu always carried her important belongings with her, keeping them in her bag.

After finishing work and closing the door, Xia Baozhu rode her bicycle home.

Someone has been following her for the past few days, and every time she turns around, he runs away, which is very annoying to her.

If she stopped, that person wouldn't dare show up, like a shameful rat in a sewer.

If there were surveillance cameras, that would be great.

Xia Baozhu simply ignored him and pedaled the bike as fast as she could.

Tonight she plans to finish the manuscript she sent to the magazine "Fiction". She has already sent more than 30,000 words, but there are still a few places in the last 10,000 words that she feels are not handled well and need to be revised extensively.

Xia Baozhu read the manuscript again, and when she felt it was fine, she put it in an envelope, sealed it with glue, and affixed a stamp.

After finishing her yoga practice, Xia Baozhu closed her eyes to sleep. She listened to the faint sounds coming from outside the yard: the sound of the wind, the barking of dogs in the distance, the meowing of cats, and occasionally the loud crying of a baby.

The moonlight shone softly on her face through the curtains. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, quickly got up, put on her coat and shoes, and opened the door.

Six people were standing in the dimly lit courtyard, one of whom had just jumped down from the wall.

The six men varied in height and build. Seeing Xia Baozhu standing at the door watching them, the leader quickly pulled out a long spear from behind his back.

"Don't shout, go inside." The tone was sinister and cold, and with the gun in his hand and the person behind him, most people would have been paralyzed with fear.

When Xia Baozhu saw the long gun, cold sweat broke out on her back. She had forgotten that some people at this time were armed, and the country had not yet begun to confiscate firearms and ammunition.

She obediently stepped back behind the door and picked up the thermos.

"Third brother, fourth brother, go in and tie her up. Be careful, don't fall for her tricks, this woman is very strong."

"Understood, brother."

As the sound drew closer, Xia Baozhu looked around the bedroom and up at the ceiling beam. She quickly climbed onto the desk, then leaped and grabbed a piece of wood from the beam. With a flick of her wrist, she landed lightly on the main beam.

"Brother, something's wrong! That woman has disappeared."

There is a brief period of visual darkness when you suddenly enter the house from outside at night, and the beams are even darker.

After the man called "Third Brother" and "Fourth Brother" entered the room, Xia Baozhu was nowhere to be seen. A living person just disappeared so quickly. Her mental and physical condition was alarming.

Remembering what her employer had said about her exceptional strength, the third sister quickly shouted outside for help.

The shorter man came in carrying a gun.

"She can fly out of the house? Turn on the lights and search under the bed, in the closet, under the table. Second brother, you take some men and block her in the yard, don't let her escape."