The Moon Shines Upon Me - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Part-Time Job

“Shen Yuan, why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Gu Shiwei squeezed inside.

She caught her breath, her light-colored eyes landing on Shen Yuan’s face. Lu Qingwan also looked at Shen Yuan, her face full of curiosity.

Didn’t you say you weren’t well-acquainted? How did you even add each other on WeChat!

I haven’t even added Yuanyuan-jie’s WeChat yet!

And to be able to resist replying to a beauty this stunning! Yuanyuan-jie, you really are a block of wood.

“It was on silent. I didn’t notice. Is something wrong?” Shen Yuan said as she took out her phone to turn the sound back on.

“Can’t I look for you if nothing is wrong? Where are you going?” Gu Shiwei’s gaze suddenly fell on Lu Qingwan’s arm, which was hooked around Shen Yuan’s. Lu Qingwan didn’t know why, but under that gaze, she involuntarily let go of Shen Yuan.

Lu Qingwan said politely, “We’re planning to head to the employee cafeteria for dinner. Do you want to join us?”

Gu Shiwei: “Sure.”

Shen Yuan: “?”

Lu Qingwan: “?”

Didn’t Yuanyuan-jie say the great beauty doesn’t eat at the cafeteria?

Lu Qingwan’s gaze flickered back and forth between Shen Yuan and Gu Shiwei. She felt the atmosphere between these two was a bit strange. Something was definitely up.

Gu Shiwei was a bright, dazzling beauty with great presence, while Yuanyuan-jie was the type of ethereal beauty who was cool and aloof—she had the chilly vibe of a misty southern water town. Standing together, they were like the collision of a scorching summer and a cold winter, yet… they fit together inexplicably well.

While Lu Qingwan was spacing out, a few more people squeezed into the elevator. She and Shen Yuan were pushed into the innermost corner. Gu Shiwei faced them, her palm propped against the elevator wall above their heads.

Lu Qingwan silently marveled in her heart: She is so tall. A full head taller than both her and Yuanyuan-jie.

“…My name is Lu Qingwan. Pretty sister, how should I address you?” Lu Qingwan looked up at Gu Shiwei, nearly blinded by the gemstone necklace around her neck.

“Gu Shiwei.”

Hearing the name Gu Shiwei, Lu Qingwan’s gossip soul suddenly caught fire. “Your surname is Gu? Do you know Little President Gu?”

Gu Shiwei arched an eyebrow, her gaze finally shifting from Shen Yuan’s face to the top of Lu Qingwan’s head. “Little President Gu? What about her?”

“Nothing, I’m just curious what she looks like.”

Lu Qingwan felt that the “Little President Gu” was quite low-profile. She had “parachuted” into the company without a grand announcement; only a few rumors had leaked out. Word was that her methods were the complete opposite of her appearance—rumor had it she was incredibly decisive and vigorous, just like Ms. Gu Qingfeng.

Gu Shiwei said without changing her expression, “I know her.” After speaking, her gaze moved back to Shen Yuan’s face.

When Lu Qingwan heard the words “I know her,” her eyes suddenly shimmered with idol-worship. Shen Yuan also looked at Gu Shiwei, though her eyes remained devoid of emotion.

Lu Qingwan was excited: “Sister Weiwei! Please, give us the details!”

Ding—

The elevator doors opened, interrupting their conversation. Gu Shiwei stepped aside and walked out of the elevator on the other side of Shen Yuan.

Along the way, Lu Qingwan didn’t find another chance to ask Gu Shiwei about Little President Gu. Once they reached the cafeteria, they temporarily parted ways.

With the massive tree of the Qingfeng Group behind it, Zhaoyang’s employee cafeteria was a buffet. It offered Chinese food, Western food, desserts, and fruit. With the 70% employee discount, even commoners like Lu Qingwan could eat three meals a day there without blinking.

From the dizzying array of food, Shen Yuan chose a simple Yangzhou fried rice, a small piece of cake, and a cup of juice. She then found a seat in a corner. Once seated, she sent a WeChat message to the older sister at the milk tea shop, telling her she had to work overtime and couldn’t make it to her part-time shift today, requesting a day off.

A moment later, Lu Qingwan arrived. She sat down next to Shen Yuan with a large bowl of bright red Malatang, a portion of Omurice, and some fruit. Her hometown was a famous spice-loving southern province. Seeing that Shen Yuan was eating so little, she hurriedly scooped a bunch of food from her red bowl into Shen Yuan’s, muttering, “Yuanyuan-jie, you’re too thin. Eat more.”

“Sister Weiwei, we’re over here!”

Lu Qingwan was sharp-eyed; looking up, she spotted the shining figure in the crowd. She even waved her hand toward Gu Shiwei. Her enthusiastic manner made it seem like they weren’t new acquaintances, but old friends.

Gu Shiwei carried a plate with a steak, alongside a few round Takoyaki balls. She sat directly opposite Shen Yuan.

Though the employee cafeteria had been decorated to look high-end, Gu Shiwei’s designer outfit immediately elevated the entire place. While drinking her juice, Shen Yuan momentarily felt as though she were holding a crystal goblet.

“Sister Weiwei, is this your first time eating at the cafeteria too?”

Lu Qingwan’s mouth was bright red from the spice. Watching Gu Shiwei use her knife and fork to cut the steak, she suddenly felt like they were from two different worlds. How can someone be so elegant while eating? Why do I look like a starving ghost?

Gu Shiwei used two fingers to pick up a napkin and wipe her mouth. After swallowing, she said, “It is the first time.”

“It’s Yuanyuan-jie’s first time too, but that’s because she usually has a part-time job and can only grab something to eat on the way there.” Lu Qingwan had only just found out. She previously thought Yuanyuan-jie didn’t work overtime because she had kids at home or something, but after asking, she found out Yuanyuan-jie was unmarried and working two jobs.

Yuanyuan-jie was pushing herself too hard. She looked so fragile, yet she held multiple positions.

“Part-time job?”

Gu Shiwei suddenly remembered the scene of meeting Shen Yuan on the street that night. Shen Yuan was walking alone with a cup of milk tea—so, at that time, had she just finished her second job?

It was past 11:00 PM; by the time she got home and washed up, it must have been at least midnight. That late, and she was a girl. It was simply too unsafe.

Gu Shiwei looked at Shen Yuan, who was focused on her food, and suddenly asked, “Shen Yuan, are you facing some difficulties?”

“Are you very short on cash? I can lend you some to help you get through.” Gu Shiwei couldn’t help but think: Has something happened to Shen Yuan? Is that why she’s working so desperately?

Shen Yuan froze and looked up from her bowl. “No, thank you.”

Gu Shiwei: “Are you sure you don’t—”

“Eh? Little President Gu, why have you come to the cafeteria to eat? Oh, if you had said you were coming, there’s a dedicated dining room for senior management on the second floor.”

A man in a suit, looking like a corporate elite, suddenly appeared at their table and spoke to them. Hearing his words, Lu Qingwan’s movements as she shoveled rice into her mouth suddenly stopped. She bit her chopsticks absentmindedly, looking up at the man and asking in confusion, “Little President Gu? Who are you talking about?”

He must have the wrong person.

“No need. I’ve finished eating.” Gu Shiwei put down her knife and fork and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth as she spoke to the man.

Lu Qingwan: “???”

Shen Yuan: “0.0”

What? Gu Shiwei is Little President Gu???

Heavens! How can life be this socially embarrassing! Lu Qingwan had actually just asked Gu Shiwei to her face what “Little President Gu” looked like. Talk about asking the Earth God for directions—she had found the right person.

“You… you… you’re Little President Gu?” Lu Qingwan’s world was crumbling; she couldn’t even speak straight.

Gu Shiwei: “Yes. Gu Shiwei, Little President Gu—they are both me.”

Shen Yuan was also stunned. She never would have guessed that the “internship” Gu Shiwei mentioned was an “intern CEO” position.

The man in the suit was sent away by Gu Shiwei. She was about to explain, but her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Lin Qinghuan. She stood up from her seat, clutching the phone.

“I need to take this.”

Lu Qingwan, suffering from total social death, waved her off: “Go, go ahead.”

After Gu Shiwei left, Lu Qingwan’s expression became more pained than if she were crying. She desperately tried to recall if she had said anything offensive to the Little President. Had she unknowingly offended the boss?

“Yuanyuan-jie, you have to help me say some good words in front of President Gu later. I actually had the audacity to pry into her beauty—”

“Actually, I’m… not well-acquainted with Gu Shiwei. I only just found out she was Little President Gu, too.” Besides, compared to Lu Qingwan, Shen Yuan had been much more impolite to Gu Shiwei and was more likely to have offended her. If Gu Shiwei were truly someone who held grudges, she wouldn’t be sitting across from them eating peacefully today.

“I feel like… she’s a pretty good person.” Shen Yuan tried her best to comfort Lu Qingwan.

“Sigh, that’s good then. Glad I found out early.” Lu Qingwan turned her grief into an appetite and stuffed a large mouthful of Malatang into her mouth.

Gu Shiwei came back after the call to say goodbye and then left. She seemed to have encountered an emergency; she left in a great hurry.

Shen Yuan and Lu Qingwan returned to Zhaoyang after eating to continue their overtime. In truth, there wasn’t much to do—just drawing some drafts that weren’t urgent.

On the other side, Gu Shiwei drove to a bar in the center of Jinghai.

Lin Qinghuan had just called her saying she had run into trouble at the bar. The people on the other side were being very stubborn. Seeing the situation getting out of control, Lin Qinghuan had summoned Gu Shiwei to help, hoping they would settle the matter for the sake of Gu Shiwei’s reputation.

When Gu Shiwei arrived, the atmosphere in the private bar booth was heated. The two sides were at each other’s throats, looking like they might start a brawl at any moment.

Lin Qinghuan was sharp-eyed; as soon as she saw Gu Shiwei, she shouted that the Great Miss Gu had arrived. Hearing this, the men stopped their posturing and turned in unison to look at Gu Shiwei at the door.

Under the neon lights of the bar, Gu Shiwei’s exquisite face appeared even more dazzling, but her expression was cold, looking like someone whose business had been interrupted.

The men looked at Gu Shiwei’s chilly gaze and remembered she was the daughter of the Gu Group; their arrogance immediately deflated.

“What’s going on?” Gu Shiwei’s long legs carried her past the crowd toward the two figures in the innermost corner.

“Xiaoxiao went out for some air, and that group took a liking to her and dragged her to drink with them.”

Lin Qinghuan only said this one sentence, but Gu Shiwei could guess the rest. She looked down at Ji Xiao, who was shrinking back on the sofa, then looked back at the thuggish young “rich kids.” She said decisively, “Call the police. Let them handle it.”

“Huh?”

The young men were shocked to hear Gu Shiwei say she would call the police. They looked at each other, thinking they had misheard. They just dragged a girl to have a drink; was it that serious? They hadn’t done anything yet, why call the police?

Moreover, they were all reputable “rich second-generation” kids. If they were caught and taken to the station in front of so many people, where would their dignity go?

Gu Shiwei: “This matter was started by you. Forcing a customer to drink—do you even know who she is?”

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