Encountering Song Hanshan Again

So he called Xiao Xueer again. Xiao Xueer's attitude was much better than An You's; she quickly told him the address, leaving him torn between laughter and tears.

"Mingyang Group. These two girls sure have big ambitions, looking for a summer job at Mingyang Group."

Mingyang Group was one of the top enterprises in Jinguan City, starting out in electronics manufacturing and expanding internationally years ago, now a global conglomerate.

By the time he arrived at Mingyang Group, An You and Xiao Xueer had already gone in for their interviews. Though he couldn't figure out why Mingyang Group would hire summer workers, he knew a large company like this wouldn't cheat two young girls, so he waited outside without worry.

It wasn't until lunchtime that the two youthful beauties finally walked out.

An You wore the white Chanel dress she'd bought two days ago, revealing slender arms and fair legs, with delicate features and long hair flowing like a princess.

Xiao Xueer wore a pure white blouse with a sky-blue tie and a blue pleated skirt, looking innocent and vibrant, with a Japanese schoolgirl vibe like she'd stepped out of a manga. Her figure was no less impressive, with a full chest and pert hips, showing off a pair of fair, slender legs that were very alluring.

An Yang watched from a distance. No wonder those two thugs couldn't resist the other day—this was a blend of purity and allure, devil and angel. Still a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl, at that tender age, yet with such a striking figure.

The two walked side by side, incredibly eye-catching, but their faces carried a hint of worry, suggesting this summer job hunt hadn't gone well.

An You spotted him from afar, walked over with a flushed face and some awkwardness, but still put on a stern expression and said, "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to come?"

An Yang glanced casually and immediately knew why An You was so adamant about him not coming and why she looked like that now. This girl had always been strong-willed and looked down on him, striving to outdo him in everything. Now, wearing clothes he'd bought for the interview, she was embarrassed to be seen by him.

Facing An You's attitude, An Yang skipped over her. Though it was his duty, he wasn't about to kiss up to someone who gave him the cold shoulder. He smiled at Xiao Xueer and said, "How did it go? Did you get the job?"

Xiao Xueer sweetly called him Brother An Yang, her face also a bit red, and lowered her head to say, "Probably not. They asked if we'd be willing to work the front desk for two months, but we were afraid we couldn't handle it and refused. Then they had us fill out a form and said to wait for notification..."

An Yang nodded. These two pretty girls probably had only their looks as an advantage. If he were management, he'd only put them at the front desk too. But front desk work always involved some harassment, especially for pretty girls with thin skin and a bit of pride—they couldn't stick it out.

"Wait for notification" basically meant rejection.

"It's fine, you can keep looking."

"...But we've been rejected a lot already."

"Uh..." An Yang glanced at the bold "Mingyang Building" characters behind him. "I think if you're looking for summer jobs, you should try a different kind of place. International companies like this usually don't hire summer workers unless you're related to someone in management."

An You, listening nearby, froze and her face darkened.

Xiao Xueer turned to look at An You, stunned, and said, "Really? But Xiao You said big companies pay better..."

An You turned away awkwardly, her face even more embarrassed, as if she couldn't face An Yang.

What a huge loss of face!

An Yang also turned to look at An You and said with a smile, "That's not wrong..."

An You breathed a sigh of relief.

Good!

An Yang continued, "But you've got to get in first!"

An You took a deep breath. For the first time in her life, she was being lectured by the despised An Yang, even if it was indirect and tactful. She still needed to calm her severely wounded pride and adjust her mindset, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

Just then, An Yang heard an uncertain call from behind, a voice he didn't recognize.

"An Yang?"

An Yang turned around and saw a professionally dressed woman with a great figure and a pretty face, vaguely familiar, walking toward him with an excited expression.

"An Yang, it really is you. I never thought we'd meet here. What a coincidence."

An Yang finally remembered—this was the woman whose bag had been snatched a few days ago, and he'd gotten it back. What was her name again...

Before he could recall, Song Hanshan had already approached, her white strappy heeled sandals clicking on the floor tiles.

"Hello, you're..."

Song Hanshan paused, a bit awkward, but still said, "I'm Song Hanshan. Song from Tang poetry, Han from cultivation, Shan from coral. Thanks for last time."

An Yang shook his head and said, "It was nothing, no need to thank me."

An You and Xiao Xueer were completely confused, listening like it was a riddle.

A middle-aged man in a suit walked over, paused by An You and Xiao Xueer, who immediately sweetly called out, "Hello, Manager Zhao!"

Manager Zhao nodded, paid them little further attention, glanced at Song Hanshan, and said, "General Manager, aren't you going to lunch? What are you doing here?"

An You and Xiao Xueer froze. After their surprise, their looks at Song Hanshan shifted.

This... so young, and she's the General Manager!

Song Hanshan greeted him and said, "I happened to run into a friend, just chatting a bit."

At that, An You's gaze toward An Yang also turned strange.

A friend... How did An Yang know such an important friend? The General Manager of Mingyang Group. With a friend like that, how could he still be jobless?

After Manager Zhao left, Song Hanshan asked, "Mr. An Yang, what brings you here?"

An Yang said, "I have two younger sisters who came to Jinguan City looking for summer jobs. I was a bit worried, so I came to check on them."

Song Hanshan was a bit surprised, then noticed An You and Xiao Xueer beside him. She looked back at the Mingyang Building, then fixed her gaze on An Yang, hesitated, and said, "Don't worry, Mr. An Yang. I've been wondering how to repay you. Leave this to me."

An Yang paused, didn't refuse, and nodded, "Then thank you."

If they could work a summer job at Mingyang Group, even if it didn't broaden their horizons much, it would make things easier for the two girls and save him a lot of trouble.

Song Hanshan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she said, "You're welcome. By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I know a good restaurant nearby. Since you helped me so much last time, let me take this chance to treat you all to a meal!"

An Yang shot her a surprised glance, wondering if this woman had taken a liking to him. Could this be the so-called protagonist halo?

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It was really no trouble at all, hardly worth thanking. As it happens, Manager Song helped my sister out today too, so let me pick up the tab for this meal. How about it?"

Song Hanshan smiled, radiant and beautiful, and said, "Alright!"

The four of them ate together, with An Yang settling the bill. An You and Xiao Xueer naturally thanked him repeatedly.

Song Hanshan still had to go to work. Before leaving, she handed An Yang a business card, seemed a bit uneasy, and asked for his phone number as well before finally departing.

Back in her office, Song Hanshan found it strange. An Yang seemed very ordinary—just tall and composed, with a certain tough demeanor about him. It reminded her somewhat of the retired special forces soldiers she'd met, yet not quite the same.

Even so, he could only be described as an ordinary person. Aside from the fact that she'd seen him fight well, there was almost nothing remarkable about him. No, actually, you couldn't even tell he could fight from looking at him. But there was a certain aura about him that set him apart from others. Perhaps it was also tied to that composure. If she had to use one word to describe it, she would choose—transcendence!

Like a paying player facing a free-to-play one. Like a level 10 player who had cleared dungeons, earned experience, and looted gear facing a freshly created character. Like an ordinary player facing an NPC. The psychological superiority manifested outwardly as something that transcended those around him—an inner and outer extraordinariness.

An You's mood was complicated.

She had always looked down on An Yang, believing herself to be superior to him. It had been this way since childhood. Relatives and parents doted on her more. She had always been the family's pride, while An Yang was just the dim, lackluster supporting role around her—or at best, a foil for comparison. But today seemed a little different.

An Yang had become the center, and she had become his accessory.

No, not just today. It had been like this since the day before yesterday!

She could see the admiration for An Yang in Xiao Xueer's eyes, even though she told herself over and over: He just stepped in to save her once, that's nothing special.

But she could feel it—in Xiao Xueer's eyes, An Yang was more impressive than her!

"So what if he knows a general manager? When I grow up, I'll be able to do that too. Just wait. Time will prove, little by little, that I'm the one who's truly outstanding!"

At that moment, she and Xiao Xueer walked side by side, each holding a cup of iced milk tea, slurping noisily as they drank. An Yang walked behind them, holding a bottle of water.

The weather was scorching. By the time they reached the hotel, they were drenched in sweat. An Yang daydreamed, wondering when he could go learn Daoist arts from a xianxia movie.

He didn't seek eternal life or immortality—just warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

Xiao Xueer sat on the bed, her pleated skirt revealing a pair of fair, slender legs. She tilted her head up to look at him, her delicate face still beautiful, though the cold aloofness was gone. "Brother An Yang, when I get my wages, I'll treat you to a meal. You have to come, okay?"

An Yang nodded and smiled. "Of course."

An You also put on a straight face and said, "As repayment, I'll treat you to a meal too."

With Song Hanshan's guarantee, their summer jobs at the International Business Group were as good as settled.

An Yang couldn't stay long. He returned to the rental apartment, where Ji Weiwei was still at work and hadn't come back yet.