Chapter 21- Part 3: My old enemy has a girlfriend

Tong An’yu was captivated by Lin Huaixu’s overseas experiences and gradually quieted down, frowning, “Then when I study abroad, I want to live in a detached house.”

Lin Huaixu said, “The public safety isn’t good. Live closer to school; dorms are also a good option.”

He wasn’t joking; after all, Tong An’yu was going abroad for her doctorate in a year and a half.

Tong An’yu also realized she was currently holding Lin Huaixu’s waist and was quite comfortable with his touch.

The fear had receded, leaving only secret delight.

‘Normally, Lin Huaixu would never let her hug him like this.’

‘Speaking of which, cockroaches do have a purpose, besides being used to make Kangfuxin Solution.’

“So… you still want to rent it?”

“It’s only for a little over a month anyway.”

“But we’ll be participating in the finals in August.”

“I can make time.”

“No, but if you live here, won’t you stop going to the library to study?”

“Online meetings.”

“How about… I just come to you instead? My friends often invite me to shop at SKP around here.”

Tong An’yu deliberately ignored his suggestion.

Lin Huaixu cupped her chin, smiling: “Aren’t you afraid of cockroaches?”

“Then I’ll just ask for your help, you wouldn’t not help me, would you?”

Tong An’yu had already thought far ahead, secretly planning her next hug.

Kong Jiashu looked left and right, inexplicably feeling as though both he and the agent couldn’t get a word in, as if Lin Huaixu and Tong An’yu had their own personal barrier.

The apartment was settled; Lin Huaixu signed the electronic contract with the agent, then took the keys and quickly began cleaning before the secondary bedroom’s occupant returned.

Kong Jiashu became the designated laborer, retrieving a mop from the bathroom and then going to a small shop downstairs to buy two rags.

Two young masters who had rarely done housework began cleaning this simple, dilapidated little room.

Tong An’yu also wanted to help, but there were only two rags, and Lin Huaixu had monopolized the mop; she was like a clever housewife with no rice to cook.

Kong Jiashu huffed and puffed for an hour, his hands turning red from washing, and finally managed to wipe down the wallpaper once.

Lin Huaixu also mopped the floor, threw out miscellaneous items, and lined the desk and wardrobe with paper.

Opening the window to let the breeze in, for a moment, this simple, triangular master bedroom became tolerable to look at.

Kong Jiashu swayed over, stumbling: “Damn… I’m so hot—”

“Shh,” Lin Huaixu stopped him.

At that moment, Tong An’yu had already fallen asleep on the new mattress; her head was cushioned by Lin Huaixu’s jacket, her legs tucked in, occupying only a small area.

Her phone lay beside her face, pressing down on one of her fingers.

The wind from the window ruffled her sweaty hair and the folds of her skirt; Lin Huaixu reached out, his clean fingers gently touching her flushed cheek.

The apartment was rented, and next came the final interview.

Kong Jiashu had already returned to school, so this time it was just Tong An’yu.

Tong An’yu, of course, proactively stuck to him, ostensibly to see how his apartment was cleaned and if the bedsheets he bought looked good, and then conveniently accompanied him to the interview in the office building across the street.

This office building, called Jingjin Center, was located at the very heart of the CBD, offering a close view of the television station and a distant view of the China Zun building, truly noble and luxurious.

In the center of the lobby, a limited-edition custom Mercedes-Benz G800 Brabus was displayed, so impressive that even CEOs of various companies couldn’t resist taking photos.

PhiloLex Law Firm was on the seventh floor of Building B in Jingjin Center, primarily handling non-litigation cases for major domestic and international listed companies.

Coincidentally, Hexin Technology was also on this floor, directly opposite PhiloLex.

This was Tong An’yu’s first time here, and it wasn’t even for her own family’s company.

After registering on the first floor, someone from the service center helped Lin Huaixu swipe his card to enter the elevator lobby.

Tong An’yu, accompanying him, felt that the management of this place was quite good, and directly across downstairs was a Starbucks, along with many other familiar dining brands.

Upon reaching the seventh floor, she discovered that Lin Huaixu wasn’t the only one interviewing today; there were four other students of similar age, dressed in formal wear, wearing makeup, and silently rehearsing their English self-introductions.

Tong An’yu observed each person, thinking, ‘The competition is so fierce! How can he be so confident that it will definitely be him?’

Lin Huaixu, however, paid no mind to the competitors; instead, he casually shifted his gaze to the Hexin Technology across the hall—a subsidiary of Si Corporation.

The HR representative emerged from PhiloLex precisely on time, counting heads: – “Everyone’s here, right? Because the interviewer has limited time, today will be a group interview. Huh, why is there an extra person?”

Tong An’yu quickly said, “I’m not here for the interview; I came with him.”

The HR gave Lin Huaixu a meaningful look and softly said, “Oh.”

– “Then please wait here for a moment. There are no available rooms inside for now.”

Tong An’yu didn’t mind: “It’s fine.”

Lin Huaixu told her, “Go wait for me at the coffee shop downstairs and find something you want for dinner.”

Tong An’yu nodded vigorously, then decided to overtly comply but secretly defy.

She was eager to know the results and definitely didn’t want to wait downstairs; since there was nowhere to sit in the corridor, she could very well go to Hexin Technology next door.

Lin Huaixu gave her an uneasy glance, and only after seeing her obediently wave did he step into PhiloLex.

Tong An’yu immediately turned around and called Si Zhan: – “Dad, I came to the CBD with a classmate today and happened to pass by Hexin Technology. Could you find someone to take me inside for a look?”

Not long after, a casually dressed middle-aged man emerged from Hexin Technology; though he looked decent now, he had actually been quite a rascal in his youth.

– “Little Yu, your dad said you came here, and I didn’t believe it.”

– “Uncle Dong!”

Tong An’yu’s voice was very sweet.

Chen Dong was a close friend who had started a business with her father, and he had been in the same high school class as both her mother and father.

Now that Hexin Technology had just been established, Chen Dong had come to oversee management for a period.

– “Your dad just said he hoped you’d study chips, and here you are, checking things out. See, that’s why they say you take after your mom.”

Chen Dong, arm around Tong An’yu, happily led her inside.

The front desk smiled and asked, “Mr. Chen, who is this?”

– Chen Dong: “This is my brother Zhan’s daughter. She’s here to learn about the company and wants to work in chip design in the future, so I’m showing her around.”

– “Oh, so it’s General Manager Si’s daughter! Welcome, welcome. I’ll get two glasses of water.”

Tong An’yu quietly told Chen Dong, “Uncle, I’m not here to study. I just want to sit down and rest for a bit. Do you have any cake or afternoon tea here?”

Chen Dong chuckled: “Of course we do, now that you’re here! We can even buy some for you right now.”

So Tong An’yu comfortably sat on the sofa in Chen Dong’s office, with a small table in front of her laden with slices of cake, Zespri Gold kiwis, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and a refreshing grape tea.

Inside the conference room of PhiloLex Law Firm.

The group interview invisibly increased the pressure on the candidates, and the head of the IT department, who led the interview, still maintained a stern expression.

– “As you know, computer science isn’t PhiloLex’s primary business; the entire IT department serves our lawyers. However, our intern salaries are no lower than those at Hexin Technology next door, which demonstrates PhiloLex’s strength.”

– “During the initial resume screening, we didn’t restrict majors; students from Physics and Math departments have also made it this far. Because I myself am not from a specialized background, I’m willing to give talented students in this area an opportunity. I hope you all perform well.”

– “First, a brief self-introduction in English, then we’ll begin the test. Let’s make this quick.”

The five candidates each gave their self-introductions, clearly having prepared beforehand.

However, preparation could enhance vocabulary difficulty and fluency, but pronunciation and habits were very difficult to change in a short time.

Lin Huaixu had attended an international school, his English was almost native-level, and combined with his extensive experience in vulnerability research over the years and his renown among white-hat hackers, it was almost an overwhelming victory.

Towards the end, the stern interviewer finally smiled, and all the questions were directed at Lin Huaixu.

– “You returned after suspending your studies, so I should be glad that my alma mater got back such a talented person. Do you plan to change your major in the future?”

– “I’m in the process of transferring; barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be by the second half of the year.”

– “Our school is quite far from here. Are you still commuting?”

– “I rented a place.”

– “My interview results aren’t even out yet, and you’ve already rented an apartment. Well, it looks like I’ll have to give you an offer,” the interviewer said with a laugh.

Lin Huaixu also smiled, subtly changing his address: “Thank you, senior.”

Reaching this point in the conversation, the outcome was largely decided.

The interviewer naturally assumed the role of a senior and spoke frankly: “You might not know this, but the strictest industries regarding dress codes are law and finance. You see everyone in formal wear here at the firm, so when you came in wearing a T-shirt and jeans, I actually deducted points in my mind.”

Except for him, everyone else was in formal wear.

Lin Huaixu humbly accepted the advice: “I’ll pay attention.”

– “Oh, well, you’re not a lawyer and won’t be meeting clients, so it’s not that strict anyway,” the interviewer said, extremely leniently, then asked, “Do you have a girlfriend now?”

Lin Huaixu had answered all other questions smoothly, but hesitated only on this one.

His fingers tightened slightly around the water glass, and Tong An’yu’s colorful facial expressions flashed before his eyes.

The interviewer watched him ponder for a long time with lowered eyes, then he looked up and said very seriously, “Almost.”

– “So you’re still pursuing her? Our work pressure isn’t light; aren’t you afraid your girlfriend might have objections?”

This sounded like a joke, but it might have been a test of his willingness to work overtime.

Lin Huaixu said, “She’s far more outstanding than I am. As long as I don’t affect her, it’s fine.”

Inside the CEO’s office, Tong An’yu hastily stuffed the last bite of mini cake into her mouth, washing it down with iced tea: – “Mm-mm-mm, time’s up! Uncle, I’m leaving now. Thank you for the cake!”

– Chen Dong: “Hey, I’ll treat you to seafood tonight.”

Tong An’yu waved her hand as she ran: – “No, no, I’m going to find my classmate!”

As soon as she rushed out of Hexin Technology, wiping cake crumbs from her mouth, she saw two of the interviewees from earlier waiting for the elevator.

One said, “He’s not even a computer science major, I’m speechless. Isn’t there a professional barrier to this?”

The other said, “Honestly, I don’t think my resume is worse than his at all. We didn’t even get to talk in depth about the projects I’ve done, but too bad they didn’t ask me.”

“He’s a senior, they’re looking out for their own; who can compare? T University’s circle taking care of each other isn’t a new thing.”

“Yeah, even him not wearing formal wear for the interview isn’t an issue. It’s hilarious, maybe he’s poor, didn’t he say he went bankrupt and stopped payments during his self-introduction?”

“Just a pretty boy, he doesn’t even have an English name and doesn’t know how to wear formal attire.”

“Whatever, let him have that measly nine-thousand-yuan position; it’ll help him earn enough for a suit.”

Both laughed together.

Tong An’yu, her face cold, interrupted their laughter: “Youngor, Romon—what magnificent formal wear are you two wearing?”

Having their suit brands called out so directly, both felt a bit awkward and turned their heads to realize it was the girl who had accompanied Lin Huaixu to the interview.

“What’s it to you?”

Tong An’yu found these two people utterly disgusting; even with her dulled perceptions, she felt every pore of theirs was nauseating.

“So what’s with Youngor and Romon? You’re so happy mocking others, but when you’re mocked, you get enraged?”

The two of them also got carried away, ignoring the elevator that had arrived, and retorted defiantly, “So what if we’re richer than your boyfriend? So what if we’re richer than you? Can’t we talk about poverty?”

“You disdain others for being poor, but are you really that rich? So much superiority, yet you couldn’t pass the interview. Even wearing five-thousand-yuan suits, you couldn’t compare. Could it be that you aren’t good enough?”

Tong An’yu shot back.

“You motherf—”

“Mother, mother, you get enraged and all you know is to curse mothers? Were you not born of a mother, but a dog?”

She wasn’t afraid at all; behind her was Hexin Technology, and there was security up front.

At worst, she could run in and ask Chen Dong to protect her.

The two men were livid, smoke practically pouring from their orifices, but knowing they couldn’t lay hands on a woman, they could only say resentfully, “We’re too lazy to argue senselessly with a woman like you!”

Just then, the frosted glass door of the law firm opened, and Lin Huaixu walked out, holding an offer, a mocking expression on his face: “Can you see what brand she’s wearing? Do you know an Hermès Twillaine shirt dress can buy several Romon suits? Her family has a company right here in Jingjin Center, and the Brabus G800 downstairs, she can buy it if she wants. If she weren’t accompanying me to the interview, you wouldn’t even have a chance to see her face.”

The two men saw the Hermès logo on Tong An’yu’s dress, and combined with the fact that Tong An’yu had indeed just rushed out rather haphazardly from Hexin Technology next door, this made Lin Huaixu’s words highly credible.

The two struggled in their dying throes: “So you’re saying you’re rich, but you deliberately choose to wear Uniqlo?”

Lin Huaixu was exceptionally calm, brushing aside the stray hairs covering his eyelids: “I don’t have money, but she’s with me for the interview.”

This single sentence was simply the ultimate blow to the two men.

‘Yes, he admitted he had no money.’

‘But he has a super, super, super rich girlfriend!’

‘Damn it!!!’

‘Burn the pretty boy!!!’

The two rushed into the elevator, slamming the close-door button repeatedly.

Another elevator was coming up; Lin Huaixu asked, “Didn’t I tell you to wait at the coffee shop?”

Tong An’yu was in an extremely cheerful mood, leaning close to him and patting his shoulder: “And your Little Lin, you really passed the interview!”

Lin Huaixu popped a piece of gum, taken from PhiloLex, into her mouth: “Who are you calling Little Lin?”

Tong An’yu had already eaten a lot of sweets, but she still bit into the gum, chewing as she asked, “But how did you know my family has a company in Jingjin Center?”

Lin Huaixu pushed her into the elevator, casually replying, “Just bragging for you. As long as it pissed them off, it’s fine.”

‘Then your bragging was quite accurate, it’s right next door.’

The elevator was very fast, reaching the first floor in a blink.

As Tong An’yu passed through the lobby, she seriously glanced at the custom car she hadn’t paid attention to earlier; in truth, she knew little about cars and recognized only a handful of car logos.

But Lin Huaixu clearly liked it very much, remembering it just from passing by.

Tong An’yu quietly said, “Lin Huaixu, I really want to buy this Brabus and give it to you.”

‘So no one will dare to mock you.’

Her voice was quite soft, and the surroundings were spacious, yet he still heard it.

“Tong An’yu.”

“Hm?”

“I promise you.”

“Eh?”

‘Won’t let you love the wrong person.’

“What is it, tell me!!!”