Yingying left the next day, taking nothing with her except the two sets of clothes Shuyan had given her.

“This is your salary that you deposited with me before. Keep it safe. It’s very chaotic on the train. Stay with Manager Zhang and don’t wander off. She will arrange for you to intern at a franchise store first. Once the directly operated store opens, you can go back to work there. You can wander around the neighborhood for a few days and have some fun. There’s no need to rush to work.” Shu Yan straightened her collar. “We have similar experiences. I can live my own life now, and you can too.”

"Yes, I can definitely do it. Sister, can I call you that?" Yingying looked at Shuyan with sparkling eyes.

"Sure." Shu Yan had always treated her like a younger sister.

“When I was little, I was always envious of other people who had older sisters, but now I don’t need to envy others anymore. I’m so lucky to have a sister like you. I’ll work hard in Guangzhou and try to become a store manager as soon as possible so I won’t let you down. Right now, I’m just worried that my parents and younger brother will cause you trouble. If they dare to make a scene, don’t hesitate to call the police.” Yingying was very worried that she would cause trouble for Shuyan.

"Don't worry, they won't dare to come."

Yingying's parents are bullies who prey on the weak, and her younger brother isn't much of a coward either; they're all bullies within their own family. If they dare to come, Shuyan will have someone teach them a lesson, ensuring they'll avoid her from the future.

"Then I'm off." After boarding the train, Yingying leaned out of the window, waving and calling out, "Goodbye, sister, thank you."

With one person suddenly leaving, Zhang Huaxiu alone in the shop was definitely not enough to handle everything. Hu Ruixue was preparing to open branches in Beijing and Guangzhou, and there were also many things to do in Nancheng. Shu Yan couldn't not help. Suddenly, she felt extremely busy. Fortunately, it was really easy to recruit people now. As soon as the job posting was put up, several people came one after another.

Several of them were laid-off workers this year, and they were already married and had children. Shu Yan wasn't worried that they would take frequent leave because they had children. The main concern was that these people's figures had changed. Although she really wanted to help them, this was a clothing store, and the employees had to have good figures. If the employees didn't look good in the clothes, how could she attract customers to buy?

Seeing this, Zhang Huaxiu felt immense pressure. Her mother had been pressuring her to have a baby. The early stages of pregnancy were manageable, but would she be able to work such long hours later on? And what about the year-long gap after giving birth and breastfeeding? The store couldn't possibly not hire a manager, so would there be a place for her when she returned?

"What are you thinking about?" Shu Yan turned around and saw Zhang Huaxiu's ugly expression.

"It's nothing, it's just... my mom's pressuring me to have a baby, and I..."

Shu Yan immediately understood what she was worried about. "You'll have a baby sooner or later. If you can work while you're pregnant, I can give you three months of maternity leave. But if you're breastfeeding... well, there are bottles now, you can express the milk, put it in the refrigerator, and heat it up for the baby. It'll just be very tiring for you."

"I'm not tired," Zhang Huaxiu said happily when she heard Shu Yan say that she could have three months of maternity leave.

This is the hardship women face: from pregnancy to childbirth, not only does their body suffer great damage, but they are also very likely to lose their jobs.

As they were talking, someone pushed the door open and came in. "Excuse me, are you hiring a sales clerk here?"

Shu Yan looked up and saw a very beautiful woman with a great figure. As she got closer, she found that the woman had a charming face and a very sexy figure, yet she had a shy expression and a pure temperament.

She was asked to fill out a job application form first. Shu Yan glanced at it and saw that she was still a college student.

"I see you graduated from university, so you should have a job, right? Can I ask what kind of job you had before?" University graduates usually end up in management positions after being laid off, but laid-off workers aren't necessarily laid off.

The woman's eyes flickered. "I..." She grabbed the resume and stood up hurriedly. "I just came to take a look."

He rushed to the door and bumped into Fang Zeyu, who was just coming in. Fang Zeyun was so big that he didn't even flinch when the two of them collided, while the woman was knocked back several steps by the impact.

She clutched the resume tightly, head bowed, and carefully apologized, "I'm sorry."

Fang Zeyu watched the woman run away without looking back, his expression filled with confusion.

"Are you alright?" Shu Yan asked Fang Zeyu. "What happened to you...?"

When he was in Nancheng, he rarely contacted Shuyan, especially near Nancheng University. He would pretend not to know her if they bumped into each other. This was the first time he had ever been to her shop.

“Yingying’s parents are coming out in the next couple of days, and I’m worried they might come and cause trouble.” Fang Zeyu thought of the woman from earlier and asked, “Was that person here to buy clothes?”

"No, she came to apply for a job. It's quite strange. She graduated from university, so her job must be pretty good. I don't know why she came here to look for a sales clerk job. And she came all the way from Ningcheng. I just asked her one question, and she left in a hurry." Shu Yan found her a bit strange.

“A native of Ningcheng, a university graduate.” Fang Zeyu narrowed his eyes; he seemed to know who it was.

"Yes, you know him?"

"I may have seen you before, but it's been so long that I don't remember you very well," Fang Zeyu said with a slight smile.

"Yingying's parents won't be out until tomorrow, so you don't need to come so early. If they really come and cause trouble, I'll call you again." Shuyan thought that Yingying's parents probably wouldn't dare to come.

"I'm afraid they might do something desperate. If something really happens, it won't be time to call them." Fang Zeyu glanced around the shop. "It's not convenient for me to be here. I'm nearby. Call me immediately if anything happens."

Shu Yan had agreed to treat him to lunch, but Fang Zeyu said he had something to do and left early. Shu Yan didn't ask any further questions, as things were already complicated enough between them.

To be honest, Shu Yan is currently conflicted.

Fang Zeyu is a good person. He is mature, steady, has a good personality, and is responsible. He can give her a sense of security that she has never experienced before. If she had met someone like him before she wore this, she might have... tried to get to know him.

But she now has two children.

Having children makes remarriage much more complicated. A first marriage only requires mutual affection and compatibility, but in remarriage, the most important thing is the children. Will the children accept it? Will he treat them well? Should they have another child together? After having their own child, can he guarantee he won't be biased? Will she favor the younger child? All sorts of questions prevent Shu Yan from remarrying with a carefree attitude.

Sighing, to be honest, Shu Yan couldn't bring herself to remain unmarried for the sake of her two children. She was a normal woman, needing companionship both emotionally and physically, which was why she hadn't directly rejected Fang Zeyu.

Shu Yan felt like she was a bit of a jerk, unable to guarantee that she would be with Fang Zeyu, yet unwilling to be honest with him directly.

I gave a wry smile. Would she be considered a green tea b*tch?

Fang Zeyu returned to his company and asked Mao Weiping, "Didn't we investigate Yin Xueqin last time? I remember she went to university in Ningcheng and worked there too?"

“That’s right, I work in the Yangxian County government, which is under Ningcheng.” Mao Weiping nodded.

"I just ran into her somewhere; she was looking for a job. Have someone investigate what's going on?" She works for the government, why is she suddenly back in Nancheng looking for work? His plan is about to be finalized, and he doesn't want her appearance to cause any disruptions.

"Okay, I'll have someone investigate right away."

Yin Xueqin's case was relatively easy to investigate, and someone quickly found out the information.

"This woman..." The person who came back with the news thought for a long time and came up with an idiom, "beauty is often short-lived."

Mao Weiping kicked him from behind, saying, "Only those who are already dead are called 'beautiful women with tragic fates,' but she is a 'femme fatale.'"

"Hehe...more or less. You know I'm not good at studying. It's good enough that I know this idiom."

"Alright, let's get down to business." Fang Zeyu tapped the table.

"Yes." The man who reported straightened up. "After she settled in Ningcheng with her parents, she lived a relatively peaceful life. During college, many people pursued her, including a rich second-generation heir. Anyway, he went to great lengths to win her over, and then the two of them started dating. Yin Xueqin's job in Yangxian was arranged by her college boyfriend."

"I was wondering how she got into the government, and became the county government's secretary right away. Her school wasn't even that good."

"Don't interrupt, let him finish what he has to say." Fang Zeyu glared at Mao Weiping.

"Not long after starting work, the second-generation rich kid married a woman of equal social standing through his family's arrangement. Six months later, Yin Xueqin also married the son of the Public Security Bureau Chief through the county magistrate's matchmaking. This time, it was the second-generation rich kid's family that got into trouble. The county magistrate, who belonged to their faction, was taken away for investigation. As his secretary, Yin Xueqin was also taken away. In any case, everyone in their faction was purged. Now, the county magistrate, Yin Xueqin's father-in-law, and her husband are all in jail. He himself was also dismissed because of this. It's not easy for him to live in the area with his child, so he returned to Nancheng with his parents."

"I was right, she really is a femme fatale." Mao Weiping clicked his tongue.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"How could I be talking nonsense? Everyone else is fine, but she's the one who got into trouble? If she were innocent, would she have been fired?" In Nancheng, she could be said to have been threatened and then turned around and bit back. She's already graduated from university, can't she go to work somewhere else?

"Alright, have two people keep an eye on her. If she hasn't contacted those people, that's fine. But if she has, report to me immediately. Now is the time to close the net; I won't allow any mistakes." Fang Zeyu's eyes darkened.

"Don't worry, you've been planning this for so many years, the brothers won't let things go wrong."

Fang Zeyu nodded, picked up his car keys, and stood up. "I'm going out for a bit."

"Going to the clothing store owner again? Is this any way to go? At this rate, when will you ever win her over?" Mao Weiping couldn't stand it anymore. "If you really like her and want to marry her, just be upfront and make things clear. If you're so timid, how will she dare to take the first step?"

“Both she and I have our own concerns,” Fang Zeyu said after a moment’s thought.

"Your concern is simply that your reputation will have a negative impact on her, but the truth will soon be revealed. Her concern is the children, so you need to be more determined and bolder, and also try to win over the children. If you can get both children to acknowledge you, you'll have succeeded halfway."

"You found out again?" Fang Zeyu glared at him.

“I know more than you do. I have children too, and I understand the feelings of being a parent. Women, especially women with children, won’t get divorced unless absolutely necessary. If they do, it means they’ve been hurt deeply. You want to pursue her? Be prepared for a long battle.” Mao Weiping gave him a look that said, “Good luck.”

Everyone says being a stepmother is tough, but being a stepfather is just as tough.

Fang Zeyu knew this before he even planned to pursue Shu Yan, and he didn't expect her to agree so quickly, as long as she didn't reject him.