After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Am in a Relationship with My Scummy Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother - Chapter 5.2

Huo Qingzhuo hadn’t expected it to be so coincidental herself. She spread her hands and tilted her head with a smile.

“Little one, you can’t mess around with something like this. Although this is just a regular banquet, the people coming are heavyweights from the other side. Not to mention the need for proficiency in several languages; you can’t afford to be reckless.”

Although the assistant was surprised to meet Huo Qingzhuo here, they were even more shocked by such an audacious claim.

“Test me however you like. I heard what you said just now. These four languages happen to be within my field of study.” Knowing she wasn’t credible enough at her age, Huo Qingzhuo fully understood their skepticism.

Shu Yueqing and the assistant exchanged a glance. Although this little girl’s age didn’t seem reliable, they couldn’t deny the existence of geniuses in this world. Furthermore, the current situation was an emergency.

Shu Yueqing and the assistant took turns giving her some tests, some even involving specific business terminology. However, for Huo Qingzhuo, it was manageable.

“Very authentic, a standard international accent. Have you studied abroad in these places?”

The test was eye-opening. Shu Yueqing glanced again at Huo Qingzhuo’s washed-out jeans. Recalling their last meeting where she was dressed similarly, it was hard to imagine how she had acquired such authentic foreign language skills.

Huo Qingzhuo smiled but said nothing. In her previous life, she had indeed traveled to all those places. But currently, she was just an ordinary high school student who hadn’t even left the city.

Shu Yueqing wasn’t one to pry, and since the situation was urgent, having such a “heaven-sent” reinforcement was rare enough.

“Take Miss Huo to change her clothes first.”

After instructing the assistant, Shu Yueqing turned to look at Huo Qingzhuo. “Just stay by my side the whole night. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me quietly.”

Still viewing Huo Qingzhuo as a child, Shu Yueqing didn’t forget to add a final word of advice.

Huo Qingzhuo naturally had no reason not to agree. She smiled obediently, nodded, and followed the assistant to change.

On the other side, Shen Junfu finally realized Huo Qingzhuo was gone after contentedly saying goodbye to the young ladies.

After making a call and hearing Huo Qingzhuo say she had seen a friend and would play for a bit longer before heading back together, Shen Junfu finally felt at ease. She happily went back to find people to play games with, her nerves—thicker than steel bars—not sensing anything amiss at all.

After easily fooling Shen Junfu, Huo Qingzhuo returned to Shu Yueqing’s side. The first round of greetings was mostly over, so there was temporarily nothing for Huo Qingzhuo to do.

“Are you hungry? If you are, eat something first.” Shu Yueqing specifically ordered a glass of juice for Huo Qingzhuo. “It will be over in about an hour. Hang in there a bit longer.”

Gazing lingeringly at Shu Yueqing’s face, Huo Qingzhuo recalled her previous failed experience and softened her gaze. She took the juice from Shu Yueqing’s hand in a well-behaved manner.

“At your age, you should still be in school. Why are you out so late?”

While there was no one around, Shu Yueqing asked in a low voice. She had seen Huo Qingzhuo’s ID last time; she was only seventeen this year—the age for being in school.

Huo Qingzhuo hadn’t expected the habit of inquiring about academics to transcend age. She could hardly tell her she was out skipping class to scavenge for food with a classmate, could she?

She lowered her eyelids, and when she looked up again, her eyes were full of sincerity.

“Yes, I’m currently in my senior year of high school. But because of my family’s financial situation, I occasionally come out to do some odd jobs. I happened to hear they needed temporary workers here and wanted to check it out. I ended up being late, but I didn’t expect to run into you. Sister Shu is truly my lucky star.”

She didn’t forget to add a simple and sincere compliment at the end. Huo Qingzhuo was truly worthy of her professional background from her previous life.

As expected, Shu Yueqing didn’t doubt her at all.

“Actually, at your age, what you should be doing most is studying hard. With your abilities, don’t waste time in these messy places. Given your level of foreign languages, it wouldn’t be hard to find a high-paying job anywhere.”

Perhaps thinking of a certain “good-for-nothing,” Shu Yueqing couldn’t help but feel it was a pity to see a promising talent like Huo Qingzhuo wasting her time here due to financial reasons.

Huo Qingzhuo listened to Shu Yueqing’s praise with a thick skin, the “fox tail” in her heart almost wagging to the sky, though she maintained an embarrassed look on her face.

“Actually, although I know a little, I don’t have a single certificate. Nowadays, it’s an era dominated by certificates. There aren’t many people like Sister Shu who are willing to employ a minor like me.”

Looking at the young girl before her, who was clearly capable yet so humble and not at all arrogant, Shu Yueqing thought even more highly of her.

“How about this? I will sponsor all your tuition fees until you start working. You only need to pay me back once you’ve started your career, with no fixed deadline. You focus on your studies first, how about that?”

As a philanthropic entrepreneur, Shu Yueqing had always put various charitable funds to practical use. She naturally sponsored many students, and one more in Huo Qingzhuo wouldn’t hurt.

Huo Qingzhuo remained calm on the surface. After a quick calculation in her mind, she smiled and politely declined Shu Yueqing’s offer.

“Thank you, Sister, but I still want to rely on myself to earn money for school. If Sister wants to help me, why not just call me when there’s another opportunity like this?”

Shu Yueqing simply took Huo Qingzhuo for a self-reliant child with strong self-esteem. Seeing her firm refusal, she couldn’t force the matter. Just then, someone came over to speak, so she could only temporarily set the matter aside.

The moment Shu Yueqing turned away, the obedient look on Huo Qingzhuo’s face slowly faded. She took a small sip of the juice, working on her own little scheme.

Actually, what bad intentions could Huo Qingzhuo have? She just didn’t want to accept Shu Yueqing’s sponsorship. This would save others from saying Shu Yueqing was “pulling strings” with a student she sponsored if their romance ever came to light—using sponsorship as a cover for a “sugar baby” arrangement.

Even though nothing was certain yet, Huo Qingzhuo was already planning for the future.

By quietly following Shu Yueqing for the evening, Huo Qingzhuo’s image as an obedient, capable, humble, and low-key individual had deeply entered Shu Yueqing’s heart. The way Shu Yueqing looked at her was no longer merely polite with an underlying coldness, but rather with the gratification and appreciation a senior feels for a junior.

However, this was not what Huo Qingzhuo wanted.

As the banquet drew to a close, Shu Yueqing placed her private business card into Huo Qingzhuo’s hand and also kept Huo Qingzhuo’s contact information.

After seeing Shu Yueqing and her group off, Huo Qingzhuo finally remembered Shen Junfu, whom she had long since forgotten.