Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Seventh Day the Protagonist’s Heart Fluttered Wildly~

Hearing Chu Ke’s humble plea, Wen Qingyun tilted her head. She reached out, using her index finger to tilt Chu Ke’s chin up, drawing her closer.

“I never said I didn’t allow you to like me~” Wen Qingyun smiled, her lips curling upward. Seeing Chu Ke’s eyes visibly light up, she added unhurriedly:

“Who you choose to like is your right. I won’t stop you from liking anyone. You can like me, or you can choose not to.”

“I don’t hate the feeling of being liked. As long as that affection doesn’t cause me trouble, I don’t mind more people liking me—including you.”

Wen Qingyun’s tone was gentle, but her words made Chu Ke’s heart sink to the bottom of the sea like a heavy stone.

She won’t stop me from liking anyone? She doesn’t mind more people liking her?

To Chu Ke, this meant Wen Qingyun was treating her merely as another fan. Was this a tactful rejection?

Chu Ke’s lips twitched. She said nothing, but her dejected expression was impossible to hide—she looked exactly like a sad puppy about to cry after being abandoned.

“Or… do you want more than just my permission to like me?” Wen Qingyun’s tone shifted, causing the hope in Chu Ke’s dimming eyes to reignite.

“I… I want more.” Chu Ke swallowed. Her voice lacked strength, remaining filled with anticipation and supplication. “Can I have more?”

“Hmm…” Wen Qingyun trailed off.

Chu Ke’s heart raced in sync with the silence, her hands clutching the hem of her shirt tightly against her lap.

“It’s not impossible. But I have very high standards for a partner—even if it’s just for a single day.” Wen Qingyun looked into Chu Ke’s trembling eyes, the smile in her own deepening.

After Chu Ke swallowed nervously for the third time, Wen Qingyun finally spoke slowly. “The most important rule is that you must listen to me. I only like people who are obedient.”

“Chu Ke, can you do that?” Wen Qingyun asked.

“Yes. I will be very obedient,” Chu Ke replied, her voice slightly raspy from extreme tension.

Wen Qingyun chuckled. Without any warning, she leaned down and pressed her full lips against Chu Ke’s cheek, a touch that lasted only a second.

“Then starting now, you are my intern girlfriend,” Wen Qingyun announced directly. “I reserve all rights of interpretation for this relationship and can declare it over unilaterally at any time.”

“Tell me, Comrade Chu Ke, do you have any objections to this?”

Chu Ke’s expression was blank, like someone who had just won a hundred million dollars and was suffering a total mental shutdown from the shock.

“No. I have no objections,” Chu Ke said, before pressing her lips tightly together.

She was worried her mouth wouldn’t be able to control its upward curve and she would break into an exaggerated grin. Wen Qingyun had just said she didn’t like affection that caused her trouble; Chu Ke had to restrain herself—she couldn’t look like a crazed stalker fan!

But while a smile could be forced down, the flush spreading from her neck to her entire head was something Chu Ke couldn’t suppress on her own.

Seeing Chu Ke’s face turn beet red while she desperately tried to stifle her joy, Wen Qingyun’s smile never faltered.

Nudging the frozen Chu Ke with her shoulder after a few minutes of silence, Wen Qingyun spoke with an air of benevolence. “Didn’t you say you know Anshan County well? Take me to a good restaurant. I’m hungry.”

“A good restaurant… we could go to West Jianshe Road. There’s a very good small eatery there. It’s supposedly been open for fifty years, with the recipes passed down through generations,” Chu Ke said, her brain slowly regaining the ability to think.

However, her excited heart couldn’t settle down. If her work environment hadn’t trained her in resilience and endurance, she would have been grinning like an idiot by now.

“Fine, West Jianshe Road it is,” Wen Qingyun decided.

…

As the car approached West Jianshe Road, they hit the peak of the after-work rush hour, making the famous food street incredibly congested.

Finding no parking spots, Wen Qingyun simply put on a hat and got out of the car with Chu Ke to walk.

After a few steps, Wen Qingyun stopped and stared at Chu Ke without saying a word.

Chu Ke was confused and whispered, “What’s wrong? Did you leave something in the car? I’ll go get it for you?”

Wen Qingyun remained silent until Chu Ke began to look anxious; only then did she slowly extend her left hand.

Chu Ke blinked. Catching a glimpse of a nearby young couple walking past hand-in-hand, she finally realized. She reached out her right hand and took Wen Qingyun’s.

Wen Qingyun started walking again. Her fingers assertively invaded the gaps between Chu Ke’s, shifting the simple hand-hold into a tight, palm-to-palm, ten-finger lock.

Chu Ke hurried to match her pace. Her palm clearly felt the body heat of the person beside her, causing her pulse to skyrocket again. It felt as if Wen Qingyun wasn’t holding her hand, but her heart itself—as if her life and death were entirely in the other woman’s hands.

…

A fifty-year-old restaurant with unique skills never lacks customers, especially at dinner time. By the time they arrived, only one small table in the back remained. Had there been three of them, they would have had to wait outside.

The march of technology meant that even old-fashioned restaurants in small counties now had QR-code ordering, which made things much easier for the two of them.

“How are the portions here?” Wen Qingyun asked. She sat with her back to the entrance, perfectly shielding herself from public view.

“For the two of us, three or four dishes should be just right,” Chu Ke said. She didn’t take out her phone to scan the code; instead, she kept her hands on her knees, sitting with impeccable posture.

Seeing Wen Qingyun frown slightly in thought, Chu Ke quickly added: “If you want to try more dishes, I can tell the waiter to make smaller portions for us.”

Wen Qingyun hesitated for three seconds before decisively ordering three dishes and a soup. “Let’s leave it at that. If it’s good, we can come back next time for other things.”

“Mm,” Chu Ke replied with feigned calm, though internally she was setting off a non-stop fireworks display.

When Wen Qingyun said that, it meant there would be a “next time.” It meant her performance so far was perfectly fine!

The chef’s skill was indeed excellent. Once Wen Qingyun took a bite, she focused entirely on her meal, leaving Chu Ke zero opportunity to even serve her a piece of food.

Half an hour later, a very satisfied Wen Qingyun walked back out onto the street.

This time, she didn’t have to hint. After a full minute of internal struggle, Chu Ke finally took the initiative to take Wen Qingyun’s hand. However, Chu Ke wasn’t brave enough to interlock their fingers; she simply held Wen Qingyun’s hand as they walked side-by-side.

Wen Qingyun was generous enough not to mind. They strolled from one end of the street to the other, eventually stopping by the car.

Xiao Si, who had been waiting there, opened the door for her boss and stood aside like a professional “invisible person.”

“Are you going back to the hotel?” Chu Ke asked. At the thought of parting, the joy in her heart was gradually replaced by a premature sense of longing.

“I woke up a bit early today; I need to go back and catch up on sleep,” Wen Qingyun said. She easily withdrew her hand from Chu Ke’s and bent down to enter the car.

Seeing Chu Ke standing there watching her, Wen Qingyun raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to come back to the hotel with me? Given our current relationship, I don’t mind you staying with me.”

Chu Ke was so startled she nearly stammered, reflexively declining. “N-n-no, it’s okay. I’ll go back to the dorm.”

“Alright then, goodbye.” Wen Qingyun waved, and Xiao Si closed the door.

A moment later, the car started and disappeared into the flow of traffic.

Chu Ke stood there in a daze for a long time. Once even the silhouette of the car was gone, a late-arriving regret wrapped around her heart like a wild vine, making her feel a sudden sense of suffocation.

Was my answer wrong? She allowed me to go back with her. Will my refusal make her unhappy?

Does that answer make me an ‘unobedient’ person?

But I only just received her favor. The status of ‘intern girlfriend’ has only existed for two hours. If I had agreed, it might have felt like the even ‘more wrong’ choice…

The piercing honk of an e-bike snapped Chu Ke out of it. She stepped aside to let it pass and let out a bitter laugh.

Am I completely fallen for Wen Qingyun?

Before expressing her love, she had to suppress her feelings to avoid losing even a friendship. Now that her fantasy had become reality, she still had to exercise restraint. She had to watch her every word and action, mentally drafting every sentence multiple times.

It was torturous.

But at the thought of being accepted by Wen Qingyun and gaining the title of “intern girlfriend,” Chu Ke couldn’t help but smile. If she could maintain this relationship forever, she would endure any accompanying torment and hardship with a willing heart.

…

Wen Qingyun’s invitation had been casual; she wouldn’t have been angry regardless of the answer. If Chu Ke declined, she would sleep alone. If Chu Ke agreed, she would have had an entertainment project for the night and a human body pillow for sleep.

After using her key card to enter the suite, Wen Qingyun kicked off her shoes and took out her phone to message her new intern girlfriend.

【Wen Qingyun: I’m back. Going to take a bath and rest.】

Chu Ke replied almost instantly, as if she had been holding her phone waiting.

【Chu Ke: Okay. Get some good rest. Goodnight.】

Wen Qingyun smiled at the message but didn’t reply further, leaving her phone on the table to go bathe. The little restaurant was delicious, but the lack of private rooms was a drawback—she felt covered in food smells.

After her bath, she checked her phone. Seeing no new messages, she called her mother.

“The Wangyue Charity Foundation was established after I had you. There have been countless recipients over the last twenty years; I only remember the most recent ones,” Wen’s mother said as she reminisced.

Charity was as natural as drinking water for the busy Mother Wen. She simply put money into the foundation, let a reliable team manage it, and did occasional spot checks.

So, hearing the name “Wang Qian,” Mother Wen had zero recollection. She had helped too many people like Wang Qian—thousands upon thousands over the years.

“Dean Wang seems to admire you very much, Mother. She even loves me by extension,” Wen Qingyun mused. Recalling the “maternal” look in Dean Wang’s eyes, Wen Qingyun couldn’t help but rub her arms.

“Mom, since the foundation is sponsoring five hundred students here, why don’t we donate a sum to Hope Middle School as well?” Wen Qingyun suggested. “If the media digs up this story, it might leave behind a beautiful reputation that lasts for generations.”

Mother Wen: “Promoting that you inherited my good character? Or promoting that the children I sponsored have grown up to become teachers themselves?”

“Whichever the media digs up, I suppose,” Wen Qingyun thought for a moment. “But the latter is better. The former looks too much like a publicity stunt.”

“It’s rare for you to care about the opinions of irrelevant people.” Mother Wen laughed. “Since you donated one million, I’ll add four million to make it a round five.”

“Five million is enough to add smart teaching equipment and renovate a portion of the school.”

Mother Wen added: “If you see that child Wang Qian again, give her a message for me. Tell her I am very gratified to see her grow into such an outstanding person. There’s no need to miss me—because she has already become me.”

…

Wen Qingyun came to Anshan County primarily to rest. After visiting the school once, she stayed in her hotel suite and rarely went out.

On the other side, Chu Ke wanted to do something to celebrate their new relationship, even if it was just sending a bouquet of flowers.

But Chu Ke was far, far too busy! Even a trip to the bathroom was a rush. She could only attach her carefully drafted words of care when reporting her progress.

The reason was simple: Wen Qingyun had handed the power to distribute the five hundred sponsorship slots to Chu Ke. Chu Ke needed to organize five hundred detailed files before Wen Qingyun left. If she hadn’t already collected related data before, she wouldn’t have finished even if she skipped sleep.

Chu Ke had full distribution rights, but she couldn’t handle this alone. After receiving Wen Qingyun’s “do whatever you think is best” reply, Chu Ke wrote a project proposal overnight for her superiors, who then handed it to the Bureau of Education to handle it as official business.

This method had pros and cons, but the benefits outweighed the risks. Chu Ke’s personal reach was limited, but a red-headed document from the Bureau of Education could mobilize every school in the county to collect comprehensive data at top speed and filter out the students most in need.

The downside was that the Bureau of Education wanted to decide who the five hundred recipients were, rather than leaving it to Chu Ke.

“I know you can do better than I can in terms of helping students. However, I have a few things to relay to you, and I ask that you relay them to the leaders in charge.”

“First: At the donor’s request, all five hundred students receiving one-on-one sponsorship must be girls.”

“Second: The five hundred files submitted to the Wangyue Foundation must be perfectly accurate. If even one student’s data is found to be falsified, the foundation will cancel the sponsorship for all four hundred and ninety-nine others.”

“Both of these terms will be in the contract. If you or your superiors feel you can take responsibility for such a fallout, I will not intervene in the selection of names or data.”

After Chu Ke finished, the two people from the Bureau of Education fell silent.

The first rule wasn’t hard—finding five hundred needy girls in a poor county was easy. But the Bureau wanted to use this as a political achievement to report up the ladder. If only girls were sponsored, it would look like a public slap in the face to the leadership, “proving” that Anshan County had a serious issue with favoring boys over girls. It was true, but you couldn’t say it out loud!

The second rule was a nightmare. This was extreme collective responsibility. If a falsifier was exposed, they would be hated by 499 other families—and the officials in charge of auditing would likely be hated too.

But the method was effective. The severe consequences would make anyone looking for an easy advantage back off.

“We understand the situation. I will report back to the superiors,” the official said, no longer mentioning the distribution rights.

As expected, once they reported back, the power and responsibility remained with Chu Ke. Fortunately, not everyone in leadership was a “corpse in a vegetarian meal” (useless official); many felt that as long as it helped students in need, it was good. They arranged for staff to help with home visits, helping Chu Ke finish the data in a short time. One female leader was particularly bold, stamping the official Bureau of Education seal on the submitted files, taking some of the pressure off Chu Ke.

This work lasted a full half-month. By the time Chu Ke appeared before Wen Qingyun with a thick stack of files, November had arrived.

Wen Qingyun hadn’t gone out much, but she hadn’t been idle either. After the sports meet ended, she posted a nine-photo grid on her account, clearly showing the supplies she had prepared for the girls with clear photos.

【Haters speak up! Who else would wait this long after doing a good deed to say it! This is true charity, not like those who buy articles with fake screenshots!】 【Ugh, the Big Sister really knows what they need. For them, school is truly the only way out. This will help them so much!】 【Why only for girls? Are boys not worthy?】 【Get out of here. If you’re so bothered, go organize 500 sets for ‘boy-babies’ yourself. If you can’t do it, shut up!】 【Thank you, Big Sister! I will study hard! (Posting on behalf of my student)】

Wen Qingyun knew her influence. She couldn’t guarantee parents would see it, but young people and teachers certainly would and would spread it. Under these circumstances, if items meant for girls appeared in a boy’s hands, his experience would be easy to guess. Since those people had the “courage” to steal from sisters or classmates, they should have the “courage” to accept the disdain of everyone around them.

As for the rest, Wen Qingyun didn’t fear criticism. A few people whispering in the dark had zero impact on her.

Seeing the twenty-centimeter-thick pile of documents, Wen Qingyun spoke with relief, “You’ve worked hard. My girlfriend is amazing.”

“It wasn’t hard. It’s what I should do,” Chu Ke said, pressing her lips together hard, yet still failing to hide the smile.

Though she felt it was pathetic, hearing Wen Qingyun’s approval made Chu Ke feel like her eyes weren’t dry and her back didn’t ache—she was willing to work ten more hours of overtime! Five hours for the kids, and five hours just for Wen Qingyun’s approval.

“I’ve sent the digital copies to your email. Do these hard copies need to be couriered?” Chu Ke asked, trying to maintain her professional demeanor.

Wen Qingyun sat on the sofa opposite her, posture relaxed, munching on an apple.

“I’ll take the hard copies back myself in a few days. I’ll also head to the Wangyue headquarters to push the progress so they can implement the one-on-one aid as soon as possible.”

Chu Ke froze. “That’s good. It’s great news for the high school students.”

Swallowing hard, Chu Ke summoned her courage to ask the question she cared most about: “When are you leaving?”

“Today is Friday. I’ll go back Monday morning,” Wen Qingyun said, tossing the apple core into the bin. “Do you have to work this weekend?”

Chu Ke’s eyes lit up. The fleeting sadness was instantly replaced by joy.

“No, I have the weekend off,” Chu Ke said with restraint.

“Then let’s go on a date tomorrow! We’ll eat at that place again, and then go see a movie.” Wen Qingyun rested her chin on her hand. “Is there anywhere else in Anshan suitable for couples?”

Wen Qingyun’s short sentences made the joy in Chu Ke’s eyes overflow. After trying to think calmly, Chu Ke gave a serious, restrained answer.

“There is no heavy industry in Anshan, so the natural scenery in many places is beautiful. I remember a red maple forest that’s quite nice. You can drive to the foot of the hill and it’s a thirty-minute hike to the top.”

Wen Qingyun nodded slowly, finalizing the plan. “Then we’ll have lunch at the eatery, see the maples in the afternoon, and a movie at night.”

“Chu Ke, is that arrangement okay?” Wen Qingyun looked at her with a smile, her gaze focused and expectant.

“Okay. Should I come to the hotel to find you tomorrow morning?” Chu Ke asked, her heart racing.

“Can you drive?” Wen Qingyun asked.

“Yes,” Chu Ke nodded. She didn’t own a car, but she could drive. She had driven government vehicles during her village assignments. Having mastered winding mountain roads, she was quite an experienced driver.

Wen Qingyun nodded with satisfaction. “I’ll have Xiao Si give you the keys later. Wait for me at the hotel entrance at ten tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Chu Ke agreed.

The thought of the upcoming date made Chu Ke’s joy uncontrollable, and a somewhat silly smile broke out on her face.

Wen Qingyun smiled too. She stood up, walked around the table, and forced herself into the single-seater sofa beside Chu Ke.

Facing Chu Ke’s confused gaze, Wen Qingyun didn’t waste a word; she grabbed Chu Ke’s chin and kissed her.

They had been official for half a month—how could they not have a single lip-to-lip kiss?

Feeling the soft sensation on her lips, Chu Ke’s brain short-circuited. She had no idea how to react; she even forgot to blink.

Wen Qingyun didn’t kiss her for long, just a shallow taste of her.

Mm, not bad. The person was a bit of a dork, but her lips were soft and kissable.

Wen Qingyun was in a good mood. “Chu Ke, remember: next time I kiss you, remember to close your eyes.”

“O-okay…” Chu Ke, face beet red once again, replied dryly.