Chapter 158: Escalation

Chapter 158: Escalation

Ye Xiaoxiao averted her eyes. This Deng Xuefeng was quite interesting.

He was a friend of the Xu family, but he dared to flirt with her immediately after she said she had no connection with the Xu family.

A fair-weather friend, huh?

Ye Xiaoxiao secretly noted this down; it might prove useful later.

Though Ye Xiaoxiao left, word of her return to the compound had already spread throughout the neighborhood.

Even Zhao Hongxia had heard about it.

"Did you invite Hao Xiaoxiao back for your birthday?"

Xu Jianli glanced at his mother and corrected her, "It's Ye Xiaoxiao."

"Forget her surname. You know she's been kicked out of the Hao family, right? Why did you invite her to our house?"

"Mom, you're being unfair. You used to like Sister Xiaoxiao a lot. It seems you only liked her because she was the Hao family's daughter."

"Yes, I like anyone who's the Hao family's daughter."

Xu Jianli looked at his mother, struggling to accept this.

He had never realized his mother was so materialistic.

"You can like whoever you want, but don't meddle in my friendships."

"I'm your mother!"

Xu Jianli retorted defiantly, "Then I won't listen to you either. I have my own thoughts."

The mother-son conversation ended on a sour note.

Zhao Hongxia felt that no one in this family let her rest easy. The younger one was stubborn, so she had to focus on the older one.

She wondered about the state of Hao Yanyan and Xu Jianwen's relationship.

Over the New Year, neither of those two had returned.

Lost in thought, Zhao Hongxia turned around to make a phone call.

...

The weather was warming up, and a month had slipped by.

The plot of wasteland Ye Xiaoxiao had purchased had already been transformed into a factory.

Song Xiaoguang had also put up a job recruitment notice.

Ye Xiaoxiao's advertisement had been playing on loop for over a month, and Big White Jar Face Cream had already gained quite a reputation.

In addition to her studies, Ye Xiaoxiao also started researching other cosmetic products like masks, serums, and perfumes.

Once the new factory was up and running, these products would all be available on the shelves.

Manager Ma's brother-in-law, Wu Shuang, unexpectedly showed up at the school to find Ye Xiaoxiao.

"Did you need something?"

Wu Shuang did have something to discuss with Ye Xiaoxiao, but seeing her at Jinghua University, he felt that this matter might not work out.

"Here's the thing, a director asked me to come and inquire if you'd be interested in acting in a movie, to be a big star."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "A director is looking for me?"

Wu Shuang nodded, "Yes, it's because of the advertisement you shot. You have great screen presence, and with your natural talent, it's normal for the director to take an interest in you."

Ye Xiaoxiao declined, "I have no intention of becoming an actor or a movie star. Please let the director know for me."

Although disappointed, Wu Shuang was somewhat prepared.

"Alright then, I understand. Thanks for your time."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "No problem, you put a lot of effort into our ad, thank you for last time."

Wu Shuang smiled, "It's all part of my job."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Want me to show you around campus?"

She noticed Wu Shuang still had his camera hanging around his neck, probably here to shoot some photos.

Wu Shuang quickly shook his head, "I'll just walk around by myself, not sure when I'll be heading back."

"Let me know if you need anything."

Ye Xiaoxiao then let him wander around the campus on his own.

She'd been pretty busy lately and didn't have much time to spare.

As soon as Huarong Factory announced job openings, job seekers from the city rushed to Qing District.

However, the factory, being new, didn't need that many workers.

Song Xiaoguang went through the applicants and ended up hiring one hundred and fifty.

The workers had to begin with training.

The training instructors were brought in from Rende Pharmacy's factory, with a one-week training period for new hires.

So, the first month's pay was lower, twenty yuan per person.

Starting from the second month, it was thirty yuan per person.

If someone had perfect attendance every month, there was an additional five yuan attendance bonus.

With the increase in work experience, pay would be raised at least once a year.

The benefits, while not as good as state-owned companies, were enough to attract most people.

Because of the good benefits, hiring went really smoothly.

Ye Xiaoxiao checked out the factory after its construction was completed and the assembly lines were in place.

Although the scale was not large, she was very satisfied.

Once they started making money, the factory would definitely expand.

While Ye Xiaoxiao was busy building her career in one place, the relationship between the male and female leads in Ning'an County also took a new turn.

Ning'an County, located in the central plains region, was hit by a severe hailstorm as the weather gradually warmed and cold and warm air converged.

The early rice harvest in the central plains region was severely affected.

Xu Jianwen, as an intern reporter for the newspaper, headed to the fields to collect firsthand material.

Hao Yanyan wasn't about to miss this chance.

Although she only did secretarial work at the newspaper, she applied to accompany Xu Jianwen on this field assignment.

The small local newspaper was already understaffed, so the leader agreed.

By the time they arrived, the hailstorm had stopped, and they hired an ox cart to take them to the rural fields.

As soon as Xu Jianwen wrapped up taking photos, the weather suddenly changed.

Rain came pouring down, catching everyone off guard.

Fortunately, there was a makeshift shed built by farmers in the fields, usually used for resting or sheltering from the rain.

Xu Jianwen dragged Hao Yanyan inside.

In the scramble, Hao Yanyan fell, and by the time they reached the shed, both of their clothes were soaked through.

Although Hao Yanyan had lived in poverty with the Ye family, she had never been injured before.

This fall left her with a leg injury.

But Hao Yanyan, who had been beaten countless times by Li Deshu in her previous life, was no longer the naive young girl she once was.

After falling, she picked herself up without a second thought.

This much pain she could handle.

Even while running in the rain, Hao Yanyan used her body to protect the documents and film in her bag.

Once inside the shed, Hao Yanyan first checked to make sure the items she was carrying were dry.

"Thank goodness, everything's dry."

Xu Jianwen glanced at her.

The soaked clothes clung to Hao Yanyan's youthful figure, and Xu Jianwen looked away awkwardly, only then noticing that her knee was bleeding.

"You're injured!"

Hao Yanyan's lips were pale, and she managed a weak smile.

"I just scraped it when I fell, but it's nothing, just a small injury. I'm used to it."

Hao Yanyan's words, however, led Xu Jianwen to misunderstand.

"Were you often injured at the Ye family?"

Hao Yanyan didn't explain; she couldn't say that it happened in her previous life.

Her silence further confirmed what Xu Jianwen had just said.

He crouched down, took out a handkerchief from his bag, and quickly bandaged Hao Yanyan's wound.

The cramped space, the pouring rain, and the drenched pair heightened the tension between them.

Hao Yanyan valued the current state of their relationship.

For days now, she hadn’t found a chance to get closer to Xu Jianwen.

"Hachoo!"

Hao Yanyan let out a sudden sneeze.