Chapter 51: Bai Qiaoyu’s Temptation

After her hair was washed, Qi finally recovered from the lingering warmth of the massage chair.

Accompanied by Liu Linlin, she entered the styling room, where the other employees were already waiting.

“Please have a seat here.”

One of the stylists gestured toward the chair.

His attitude was extremely deferential, as if he didn’t dare show the slightest negligence—probably because Bai Qiaoyu was standing not far behind her.

“Why did CEO Sister call everyone over?”

Qi asked casually after sitting down.

“Aren’t the employees here meant to serve customers? And you’re the only customer right now, so naturally they all have to serve you.”

Bai Qiaoyu leaned against the wall, meeting the black-haired girl’s gaze through the mirror.

“Tell them whatever you need, tell me whatever complaints you have—I guarantee everything will be satisfied.”

Bai Qiaoyu didn’t lower her voice; everyone present could hear her clearly.

Only the female clerk’s face turned pale, recalling what the boss had whispered to her earlier, and she felt a knot of anxiety in her chest.

“I don’t really need anything. CEO Sister, you don’t have to go to so much trouble.”

Qi gave a faint smile at Bai Qiaoyu in the mirror.

By then, the stylist had already draped the cape over her body and pulled her long hair out from behind.

“What kind of hairstyle would you like? Shall I give you a recommendation?”

The stylist picked up the scissors and asked.

Qi thought for a moment.

Her black hair was very long—when standing, the ends even brushed the backs of her legs.

It was certainly a bit inconvenient at times, but she had adapted quickly, so she’d never really minded.

Since she was at the salon this time, she might as well take the opportunity to change her hairstyle.

“Cut it all short—”

“Just trim the split ends a little. If Qiqi wants, we can give it a slight wave.”

Her words were directly interrupted by Bai Qiaoyu.

The black-haired girl was silent for a long moment before slowly shaking her head.

“No need. It’s fine as is.”

Then she turned to the stylist.

“Just do what she said.”

“Okay.”

Whenever she interacted with Bai Qiaoyu, there was always a heavy, stuffy feeling in her chest.

It wasn’t anger or sadness—it was more like being given a semblance of equality and respect, while in reality her opinions were utterly disregarded.

That was Bai Qiaoyu’s true color—the malice she could never fully hide.

“What do you think of this new shop I bought, Qiqi?”

Bai Qiaoyu suddenly asked.

“It’s fine.”

The black-haired girl brushed it off casually.

“Is that so? I think this shop is too small,” Bai Qiaoyu said slowly.

“It’s in such a great spot on this street, yet it’s only managed to become what it is now. When I acquired it, I didn’t even go through the company accounts—it can’t even be classified as an asset under my group.”

“I was thinking, if I let Qiqi run it, I’m sure you could make it shine even more, right?”

The black-haired girl glanced at her through the mirror.

“I don’t know how to run a hair salon.”

“You never know until you try—maybe you have a talent for it.”

Bai Qiaoyu laughed.

“If you don’t want to run a hair salon, you could change it to something else, like a pet store, a coffee shop, a restaurant. Even if you just rented out the space, it would be a nice income for you.”

“As long as you agree to be my girlfriend, this shop is yours. What do you say?”

Her words reached the ears of everyone else in the shop, stirring up no small waves in their hearts.

And that was precisely Bai Qiaoyu’s purpose in gathering all the employees—Qi’s answer now was crucial to every one of them.

“Once you own this shop, you can do a lot of things—give better positions to employees you like, fire the ones you hate. You don’t even have to worry about the shop going bankrupt or care about profit or loss. I’ll give you enough monthly subsidies to cover all expenses and staff salaries, and you can keep all the income the shop generates.”

“How about that?”

‘She never tires of this,’ the black-haired girl thought to herself.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted by Bai Qiaoyu’s offer.

Accepting her terms would not only wipe out all her debts but also provide a long-term, stable source of income.

Even if she made no changes to the shop’s current operations—based on the monthly salaries of six to ten thousand yuan shown on the previous hiring posters—the shop’s net monthly income after expenses would surely be at least a hundred thousand, right?

And judging by Bai Qiaoyu’s attitude, if she needed more money later, she’d have a chance to ask for it.

If this had been the Qi of the past, encountering such a lavish patron, she would have been overjoyed.

But what was the price of accepting all this?

Just thinking about that was enough to quickly calm her down.

“CEO Sister, I’m still a student. I’m not ready to take on that responsibility,” she said flatly in response.

“Rejected again, huh? Looks like this still isn’t enough to attract Qiqi.”

Bai Qiaoyu shrugged helplessly.

“But it’s okay. Everything I said still stands. Qiqi can wait for me to put more chips on the table.”

“Alright, you can all go now.”

She turned to the others.

“Your boss is still me for now, so work hard.”

Except for the stylist still trimming Qi’s long hair, everyone else nodded and slowly filed out of the styling room.

Only one person lingered at the door.

Bai Qiaoyu glanced at that female clerk, said nothing, and slowly walked out.

“Boss…”

The female clerk hurried after her, smiling nervously.

“What a shame. You didn’t really play a useful role, so I’ll have to keep you at your original job.”

Bai Qiaoyu’s voice carried no emotion.

“Thank you, Boss!”

Knowing her job was safe, she finally relaxed, but her eyes flickered.

“Boss, what you said earlier—did you mean you wanted Qiqi to get angry at me and have me kicked out of the shop?”

“Should I have to spell things out for you?”

Bai Qiaoyu glanced at her.

“No, no! Boss, I can see that you’re pursuing Qiqi. I, I mean, I might be able to help you!”

The clerk quickly declared her intention, putting on a fawning expression.

She had just heard it—the new owner was a big boss with an entire listed group.

This was both a crisis caused by her loose tongue and a rare opportunity.

She couldn’t think of any brilliant plan, but she knew how to be annoying.

Like those clichés in web novels—a brainless minor villain suddenly pops up to bully the female lead, then the protagonist swoops in to save her, winning the female lead’s heart.

She usually played the sharp, clear-headed persona, but to get a better job and stop wasting time washing customers’ hair every day, she was willing to act the part of a not-so-bright villain.

“Oh? And how do you plan to help me?”

Bai Qiaoyu smiled lightly.

“Any way you want! I’ll do exactly as you say, Boss!”

Bai Qiaoyu looked at her, her smile turning slightly cold.

The black-haired girl wasn’t stupid—in fact, she was quite sharp.

But this person in front of her was a fool.

“Fine then. You don’t have to do your current job anymore. I’ll assign you a new position.”

The clerk immediately stood up straight, looking very expectant.

“From now on, you’re in charge of the shop’s cleaning—especially the restroom. As for salary, five thousand a month—a thousand less than before.”

The clerk’s expression stiffened, her face turning bitter.

“Boss…”

“Hmm? Do you have a problem?”

“No, no.”

Bai Qiaoyu’s face immediately broke into a smile, and she patted the clerk’s shoulder encouragingly.

“Good. I have high hopes for you. Make sure every corner of the shop—especially the restroom—is spotless. If I find even a speck of dirt…”

She leaned close to the clerk’s ear.

“Then get the hell out.”