Chapter 14: The Salary Is Also Weird

“Miss Su Yuewei, please become my employee! I’ll do anything! You can pay me less salary and bonuses—just become my employee!”

The situation flipped instantly.

The Transmigrator Guide was written by transmigrators for transmigrators—they didn’t use this world’s terms.

Only now did Su Yuewei learn: wages here weren’t what she thought.

If she became Yuejiu’s employee, she’d pay Yuejiu a monthly “hug quota” like interest. The boss could legally hug using that quota.

Hand-holding, cuddling… Folk tales even told of bosses enduring thirty years to buy an employee’s lifetime, making her a wife.

Employee-boss was one-way selection. Good bosses had no shortage of staff; ordinary ones like Yuejiu could only be chosen.

What Su Yuewei thought of as salary was “compensation”—payment for encroaching on a witch’s life time. The academy’s three thousand was compensation.

Difference: the academy didn’t take Su Yuewei’s “wages”; Yuejiu would, and part of what she collected from Su Yuewei would be taxed.

Once Su Yuewei understood, Yuejiu begged her to stay.

For a cute weak-willed like Su Yuewei, nearly all no-magic-required jobs in Featherdome City—aka the entire academy metropolis—were pickable. Even magic-required ones might loosen for her looks.

“Miss Yuejiu, you’re so weak! Only five thousand compensation—how can that feed me~ I’ll find other big sisters.”

Su Yuewei sat at the bar counter, eyes not on maid-outfitted Yuejiu but toying with a glass cup.

The cup sparkled under bar lights, reflecting Yuejiu’s nervous face. Hearing compensation, she relaxed.

“Base seven thousand! Miss Su Yuewei! Don’t cut my wages—compensation negotiable. Work hours too.”

Yuejiu only cared about Su Yuewei’s “wages” to her. Running a shop in the academy, she and Elumeng were both loaded.

Work meant hugs. Both waited long.

Elumeng, noble rare angelic witch, had high standards—finally chose eye-matching assistant Su Yuewei.

Yuejiu’s 24-hour operation repelled witches. To them, 24-hour shop = 24-hour work. No one joined.

No staff, she kept 24-hour, using delivery platforms to build fame, attract witches…

Vicious cycle. Years later, Yuejiu earned tons but had no long-term staff—only short-term day-pay witches chasing compensation.

They worked briefly, none stayed…

Now, with high compensation and eight-hour shifts, Yuejiu made Su Yuewei her first long-term employee in three years.

“Waaah, finally! I have an employee! Finally experience wage joy from staff!”

Yuejiu wept tears of joy from ruby eyes. Her white cowlick twitched; she dove into the kitchen, making Su Yuewei a lavish breakfast—welcome for her first lifetime staff.

Thus, Elumeng woke to Su Yuewei’s breakfast.

Su Yuewei had Yuejiu pack an egg omelet rice, delivered by magic bats Yuejiu conjured.

“Waaah, congrats Sister Yuejiu on first employee!”

A girl wrapped in white cloth approached. Only pale face showed, gem-like eyes, bony hands—pitiful.

“Let me introduce—my partner, Lifen. Victim of Hug-Save Society, transformed by their experiments. Not illness or curse—just a poor girl.”

Yuejiu quickly explained Lifen to Su Yuewei.

Probably happened often.

They were witches—hug-loving race.

Their magic core was the true body. No matter injury or disease, undamaged core meant gradual recovery via magic.

A witch looking abnormal long-term? To witches, must be core-affecting illness or curse—they’d avoid instinctively.

Appearance decided a witch’s relationships, status, health, power.

“I smell medicine on you—like in Hug-Save Society labs. Used their potion?”

Lifen turned. That faint scent—too familiar from lab time.

“You have Dreamvelvet scent. It changes intensity by beauty. At your level, Mad Huggers will track it soon, grab you…”

Lifen convulsed.

Terror floored her. Recalling lab triggered trauma.

Yuejiu helped Lifen to an empty booth to rest, sat at counter, continued Hug-Save Society’s demonic deeds to Su Yuewei.

They researched “skin thirst syndrome”—skin contact craving like vampires’ blood thirst. Captured vampire girls for tests.

Yuejiu raided, destroyed lab, saved them. Lifen among them.

Too late—skin thirst failed on Lifen, core damaged, stuck like this forever.

“She knows you’re in danger too. Even recalling Hug-Save Society, she warned you—it’s not cute or chuuni as the name sounds.”

Yuejiu looked worriedly at Su Yuewei. No spells—zero self-defense.

But Lifen’s reaction—Su Yuewei in grave danger. Hug-Save Society storm approaching. She oblivious.

“Stay in the shop. Until you can protect yourself, live with me?”

“No way! She’s mine!”