But Su Nuo didn’t smile, because her fate wasn’t going to improve that easily.
“We need to change tactics,” the girl whispered to the mirror.
“What we planned before probably won’t work.”
Clipping on a sweet persona or acting like a gentle Big Sister—none of that seemed to faze her at all.
“That’s right, with her aura, anyone would naturally keep their distance. People probably soften their words around her out of habit, so she must have seen this kind of thing a lot,” Su Xiao Nuo thought of an idea.
“Why don’t we do the opposite and be more assertive? We could start with how we address each other. She calls you ‘Nuo Nuo’, so you call her… emmm, ‘Luo Luo’ definitely won’t work since it sounds too similar. How about ‘Ying Ying’?”
Su Nuo curled her lips.
“Would you dare say that in front of her?”
“W-Why not? She can’t even hear me when I talk…”
Su Nuo immediately rejected that terrible idea.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her mood in front of the mirror, then turned back toward the private room.
More appetizers and desserts had appeared on the table.
Lin Yingluo gestured at her, “Eat something first.”
Su Nuo sat down, awkwardly holding the knife and fork, poked at a small piece of dessert, and put it into her mouth.
“Delicious!”
Su Xiao Nuo chimed happily.
The sweetness tickled her taste buds and, combined with a rush of dopamine, it was absolutely delightful.
But Su Nuo didn’t lose herself in it.
She firmly remembered her mission.
“Yingying… Lin Elder Sister, did you see the messages I sent?”
“Mm.” Lin Yingluo didn’t even lift her eyes.
“Then why didn’t you reply?”
“Busy with other things.”
“So today…”
“Eat first. Talking about this now won’t help your appetite, will it?”
“…”
Just like that, Su Nuo tried to probe Lin Yingluo’s thoughts indirectly, but she flat out ignored her.
Whenever Su Nuo tried to push a little, the topic was immediately switched back to lunch.
Dish after dish of unidentifiable food was served, and Su Xiao Nuo happily ate her fill.
“This is tasty!”
“Come on, have another bite.”
“Give me another bite of that one, it smells so good.”
Seeing her so engrossed, it seemed she had completely forgotten her real purpose.
But Su Nuo hadn’t forgotten. While nibbling slowly, she observed Lin Yingluo’s every move.
The Big Sister’s dining manners were practiced, unhurried, and graceful—as if truly enjoying herself.
Lin Yingluo stopped eating after about seventy percent.
Su Nuo put down her knife and fork as well.
“Finished eating?”
“Mm.”
She knew this wasn’t really about the meal.
“Alright then.”
Lin Yingluo pushed her plate aside, grabbed a hot towel to wipe her hands, then shifted to a casual sitting posture and looked at Su Nuo.
“Let’s talk business. First, I want to apologize on Jiang Qin’s behalf for introducing you without fully understanding the situation.”
Uh, who was Jiang Qin?
Su Xiao Nuo: “I think she was the one set up for me.”
Got it—some kind of middleman.
“I understand her intentions and your thoughts, but I don’t have any need in that area right now,” Lin Yingluo said with a calm expression.
“And I’m not a lesbian… not necessarily a lesbian.”
She’d never dated a man or a woman, so she was just being cautious.
Su Nuo glanced at the dishes on the table.
“Then what about today…”
“A routine reception, and to make things clear,” Lin Yingluo grabbed her bag from the side chair.
“If you’re done eating, let’s go. I’ll take you back to school.”
Disaster.
Failure.
Su Nuo bit her little canine tooth.
She could have said the fallback lines she’d planned—like how she just liked to give out benefits, to earn a graceful exit.
But now, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Because she didn’t want to leave.
The dream from the night before flashed before her eyes—the rough patch of part-time jobs felt like it had just happened yesterday.
The restless nights didn’t weigh on her knees but etched deep in her heart.
She never wanted to live like that again!
“Lin Elder Sister, needs don’t stay the same. Maybe I’ll be useful in the future. And besides, if there’s anything else you need help with, I’m ready,” Su Nuo said.
Lin Yingluo looked surprised by the steady seriousness on her cute little face.
In this situation, facing her directly with such resolve, it seemed as if she’d already weathered many storms.
But that was as far as it went.
Lin Yingluo paused briefly, then started packing up, ready to leave.
“Forget it. At your age, what can you really do?”
What can you do?
That sentence stirred up Su Nuo’s memories.
Once, a Predecessor from a part-time job took her to a dinner, telling her to introduce herself to the Boss and ask for a full-time job.
The Boss took a sip of wine and asked what she could do.
Su Nuo, being honest, immediately started listing her college certificates, internships in her major, and all the random skills she learned online, naming the entire Adobe Family like reciting a menu.
But the Boss didn’t take a liking to her.
Afterward, the Predecessor patted her and said, “Su, you’re too honest. Those things are fine for HR interviews, but when the Boss asks at a dinner, he’s not really asking what you can do, but wants to see your attitude. So what you should say is—”
“I can do anything!”
Su Nuo stood up, slapped her hands on the table with a loud clap, eyebrows raised, and said the words seriously and full of emotion.
Lin Yingluo froze. Su Xiao Nuo froze. Even the waiter coming in to clear the table froze.
***
Outside the car window, the scenery rolled backward bit by bit.
“No offense, I was just asking,” Su Xiao Nuo whispered in her head.
“Is she really that assertive?”
Su Nuo leaned against the leather seat, eyes closed, not wanting to speak.
That accidental outburst wasn’t lack of assertiveness—it was downright kneeling down.
“But you have to admit, it seemed to work. Did your sincerity move her?”
“No idea. Let me be quiet for a while.”
Telling Su Xiao Nuo to shut up for now, Su Nuo opened her eyes and quietly watched Lin Yingluo’s cold, perfect profile as she drove.
That was the situation.
After saying those words, Lin Yingluo took her into this new electric car and drove off in an unfamiliar direction.
The scenery outside shifted from towering skyscrapers to lush greenery, and the number of people on the road dwindled.
From the bustling City Center, they headed toward a Luxury Residential Area.
Finally, the car pulled into a garage inside a Villa Complex, and Lin Yingluo led her into the middle house.
“Here.”
Just as she stepped inside, before she could even look around, Su Nuo found a Flat Computer in her hands.
“This is my new house. The furniture is all smart. You don’t have to do things manually, but you need to know how to use them,” Lin Yingluo switched on the hallway light and pointed to the room on the outer side.
“All the Instruction Manuals are there—Driver Software, Connection Signal, Operating Instructions… you have to get all this sorted by tomorrow.”
Su Nuo blinked, holding the tablet.
“Also, you need to find time to visit the neighbors. Besides me, there are three other households in this Neighborhood. In July, there will be a Celebration Housewarming Banquet. Friends and family will come. It’s still early, but I wanted to tell you in advance.”
Lin Yingluo folded her arms, looking Su Nuo straight in the eye.
“Since you want to be the Mistress of the House here, you need to handle all these matters. I’ll check in tomorrow morning, and if you can handle the first task, consider yourself officially hired.”
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