Moonlight streamed into the room. Su Ke still wasn't sleepy, and three people were destined to lie awake that night: Su Ke, Li Feifei, seething with indignation after having her butt touched twice, and Wei Lan, who had been rescued by a hero.
Yesterday, when he'd been looking for a part-time job, an idea had flashed through Su Ke's mind. There was some kind of job that seemed perfect for him, but he couldn't remember what it was.
The next morning, he rode his bike to school. Halfway there, he casually glanced toward the roadside and stopped. A beauty salon that had opened recently stood there, its sign reading "Fangfei Yiren Beauty Salon."
The salon had four floors and an exceptionally lavish facade. A help-wanted notice was posted on the sign by the entrance: "Pianist wanted. Excellent pay."
"Pianist!" Su Ke muttered. That seemed to be the idea he'd had yesterday. The notice had been up for half a month, so they probably hadn't found anyone suitable yet. But could he do it?
A prompt suddenly sounded in his mind. Sensing that the Flower Picking System had changed again, Su Ke entered the space and saw a new mission on the electronic screen:
"Mission: Pass the beautiful boss's assessment; Reward: 500 yuan!"
"It's actually five hundred yuan?" That was the biggest cash reward he'd seen so far. Did that mean the mission would be difficult?
He really did need a part-time job he could point to on the surface. That was the only way to explain why he could produce money from time to time, and to put his parents at ease. Su Ke silently made up his mind and turned to leave.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, he could feel several intense gazes fixed on him. He turned to look. Wei Lan had her chin propped on one hand and her head tilted toward him, a smile on her lips and dimples in her cheeks. She looked adorable.
He smiled at Wei Lan in greeting, then noticed that another eager gaze came from the class sports representative, Wang Xiaogang. Broad-shouldered and sturdy, with a square face, thick brows, and large eyes, Wang Xiaogang was looking at Su Ke even more intensely than Wei Lan was.
Su Ke shivered. Was this guy interested in men? Wang Xiaogang's gaze was gentle and warm, full of tenderness, as though he were looking at a lover. The longer Su Ke looked, the more awkward he felt.
He hurried to his seat. He'd just taken out his textbook when Wang Xiaogang sneaked over, eyes darting around. He bent over Su Ke's desk and leaned forward until their faces were almost touching. Startled, Su Ke quickly leaned back. "What are you doing?"
There wasn't a single classmate in Class 3-8 who was close to Su Ke. He was like air; nobody noticed whether he came or went. So Wang Xiaogang's intimate gesture left him at a loss.
"Su Ke, you were so cool yesterday!" Wang Xiaogang lowered his voice, glancing around at the other students as he spoke, as if afraid they'd overhear. "I had no idea you'd been hiding your skills. You're amazing at Military Boxing. If I've ever done anything wrong, please forgive me. I sincerely want to be friends with you!"
As he spoke, Wang Xiaogang held out his right hand. What had happened outside the school gates yesterday had shaken him to the core. Su Ke, whom he'd always looked down on, had actually rescued Wei Lan. Wang Xiaogang had been so fired up watching that he'd felt as if he'd been the one to chase off the punks.
Staring at the hand Wang Xiaogang had extended, Su Ke was still a little dazed. Leaning back slightly, he frowned. "What did you say?"
"I said I want you to be my boss!" Wang Xiaogang's voice rose before he could stop it. Every student in the class put down what they were doing and looked over at them in unison.
Even Wei Lan turned around and frowned, thinking Wang Xiaogang and Su Ke had gotten into another conflict. But then she saw Su Ke reach out and shake Wang Xiaogang's hand.
"We're students, not—"
Wang Xiaogang thought Su Ke was rejecting him, and his face flushed red. But Su Ke's next words immediately put him at ease.
"But we can be friends!" A faint smile appeared on Su Ke's lips as he shook Wang Xiaogang's hand.
Wang Xiaogang didn't seem to notice how much Su Ke's manner had changed. The timid boy he'd known was now full of confidence.
"Yeah, we're friends. But Su Ke, watch your back about those three punks you beat up yesterday. They'll definitely come looking for revenge. You humiliated them in front of so many people. If they don't get even, they won't be able to show their faces around here!"
Wang Xiaogang suddenly turned serious.
"Thanks for the warning." Su Ke nodded. Wei Lan had already told him the same thing yesterday, and hearing it again from Wang Xiaogang made him take it even more seriously. He'd mastered Military Boxing, but as the saying went, it was easy to dodge a spear and hard to guard against an arrow. Those punks could resort to all kinds of underhanded tricks.
The rest of the morning passed without incident. Su Ke wasn't the kind of student who attracted attention, so as long as he didn't do anything crazy, the teachers generally left him alone.
He kept thinking about applying for the pianist job. After a hurried lunch, he rode straight to Fangfei Yiren Beauty Salon. As he left the school, he took special care to look around, but the three punks were nowhere to be seen.
Su Ke stepped into Fangfei Yiren Beauty Salon and was surprised by how quiet it was. The decor, however, was elegant and luxurious. The exquisitely designed shelves in the first-floor lobby displayed all kinds of skincare and beauty products. At the reception desk opposite the entrance, a girl in business attire was looking down at something.
"Hello!" Su Ke kept trying to steady his breathing. By the time he reached the reception desk, his heart was racing, and even his voice trembled. But as soon as the two words left his mouth, he felt relieved.
"Hello!" The girl wore a silver business suit with the words "Fangfei Yiren" embroidered on the left side of her tailored jacket. She had light makeup on and watched Su Ke with large eyes, perhaps wondering why a man had come into the beauty salon.
"Can I help you with anything?" Her professional smile didn't feel fake. On the contrary, Su Ke found it sincere. He struggled to gather his words, then finally managed a smile.
"I'd like to apply for the pianist position here." After speaking, he watched the girl nervously.
"Did you bring a résumé and a piano proficiency certificate? Our boss isn't here right now, but I can pass them along for you. Is your certificate amateur or professional?" The girl seemed experienced at handling applicants and rattled off the questions without hesitation.
Su Ke immediately froze. He opened his mouth nervously, but didn't know what to say.
"Uh, would it be all right if I don't have a certificate?" He looked at her uneasily, waiting for her answer.
Just then, the electronic screen of the Flower Picking System suddenly changed.
"Mission: Pass the beautiful boss's assessment; Reward: High School Mathematics Mastery (Intermediate)."
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