Chapter 3

No, this town was still too small. There weren't many outstanding talents willing to stay. If not for the fact that the medicinal herbs had to be cultivated here...

Ivy lowered her head and marked an X on the interview materials, thinking that she needed to broaden the scope of the recruitment when she returned.

Just then, she heard the young man sitting nearby actually answer, "Medicinal herbs whose roots and stems are used as medicine are suitable for deep plowing, with sufficient base fertilizer applied. More fertilizer should be used in the middle and later stages..."

Owen paused with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and turned his head. "You understand medicinal herb cultivation?"

Xin Chun said, "That was what I studied in university. I had a double major, skipped grades, and graduated early. My family also runs a related business—we brew medicinal wine."

"What a coincidence." Li Ze immediately spoke with a surprised expression.

The fifth interviewee left regretfully.

Owen asked, "Do you understand all these questions?"

Xin Chun said, "I do. You can ask whatever you like. I'll know the answer."

What a joke. In his previous life, he had been the one in charge of this area. What wouldn't he know? He had even participated in the company's later decision-making. He could recite Owen's proposal if asked.

If he sold this plan, he could also retaliate against Owen, make him lose some money, and cause him some trouble.

But while Xin Chun might have enthusiastically carried it out in his previous life, he could not be bothered this time around.

Xin Chun wore an expression of complete confidence.

In the end, Xin Chun's "interview" results truly were better than those of the other five.

Ivy asked, "Mr. Xin, would you be interested in earning some extra money?"

Naturally, Xin Chun once again became Owen's medicinal herb cultivator. After signing a contract, he immediately began work—fast and efficient.

With the experience from his previous life, Xin Chun found doing the same work again familiar and effortless.

Assistant Li Ze kept saying they had struck gold. His boss had only gone out for tea and come back with such a talent.

"Boss, Mr. Xin is really amazing. It's only been a few days, but he's already identified quite a few key problems and proposed effective solutions. The progress is even faster than when we were in S City."

"If we'd known earlier, we wouldn't have wasted time there. We should have come straight to Jingu Town..."

Xin Chun was squatting in the cultivation room, loosening the soil around the medicinal herbs that had just been planted. His white gloves were covered in dirt.

He raised his arm to wipe away his sweat, but caught sight of his gloves and paused, narrowing his eyes.

Then Xin Chun stood up, turned around, and walked out of the cultivation room. "Assistant Li, could I trouble you to fetch the information on this batch of medicinal herbs? I think I left it on the conference table earlier and forgot to take it with me."

"Sure, no problem." Li Ze nodded and left the room.

Xin Chun raised a hand to wipe away the beads of sweat. As expected, he left a streak of dirt at his temple, glaringly obvious against his fair face.

"Your forehead is dirty," Owen said.

"Hm?" Xin Chun looked confused and raised his arm again to touch it.

Owen took hold of his wrist and handed him a handkerchief—folded into a neat square, dark green, without any pattern. It had been in the pocket over Owen's chest, with one corner showing.

Xin Chun looked down at it and smiled. "I'd better not, Mr. Williams. I'll have to keep working soon, and I don't want to take off my gloves. I'd only dirty your handkerchief, so I..."

"I'll wipe it for you," Owen said.

The handkerchief first wiped away the dirt mark, then Owen turned it over and wiped the sweat from Xin Chun's face.

"Thank you." Xin Chun stood where he was and only smiled to thank him again after Owen withdrew his hand.

"You're welcome."

"Can you give me the handkerchief?"

Owen's hand paused as he was about to put it away.

Xin Chun said, "I'll take it back, wash it clean, and return it to you, Mr. Williams."

"You can. But isn't calling me that all the time a little too formal?" Owen smiled softly. "We should be more familiar by now. Can you call me by my name?"

"Owen." Xin Chun's eyes curved as he smiled as well. He turned slightly and said, "Then could I trouble you to put this handkerchief into my pocket for me?"

"My pleasure."

Owen folded the handkerchief and slipped it into Xin Chun's shirt pocket.

He had lowered his head, but the person before him suddenly leaned closer without warning, lifting his chin slightly as the tip of his nose sniffed at Owen's neck, brushing faintly against it...

Though Xin Chun pulled away after only a moment, Owen still felt the subtle tickling sensation lingering at his neck.

"You seem to have changed your perfume today. The scent is different."

Owen withdrew his hand without changing expression and said, "What do you think? Does it smell good?"

Xin Chun said, "It smells good. Like a forest. Natural, yet rich and classical. I like it. I think it suits you very well."

"Oh, and the scent of this perfume also matches your eyes. They're both..."

Before he could finish, Li Ze returned with the documents.

Xin Chun smiled at Owen, took the documents, and went back into the cultivation room to continue working.

Li Ze had wanted to praise Mr. Xin's dedication to his boss again, but when he turned around and met his boss's deep dark-green eyes, he inexplicably shuddered.

He gave a dry laugh. "B-Boss, I'll go get busy too."

What was going on? His boss seemed a little unhappy...

Had Mr. Xin angered his boss?

Chapter 3

Xin Chun needed to personally prepare the fertilizer required for planting the medicinal herbs, so he brought Owen to someone he knew.

"Grandpa Zhao, are you home?" Xin Chun called from outside the door.

Before long, a vigorous voice came from within. "I am. Coming right out."

As they waited, Xin Chun turned to Owen and said, "My grandfather used to come here often to buy fertilizer. I always came along with him, so I know Grandpa Zhao very well. Just leave everything to me in a moment."

Grandpa Zhao came out and opened the door. He was extremely warm toward Xin Chun, taking his hand as he spoke.

After chatting for a few moments, Xin Chun said, "Grandpa Zhao, I'll go get some fertilizer first."

"Go on, go on. Pick what you want, and we'll settle the bill together afterward." Grandpa Zhao said with a beaming smile.