I don't think I'm as beautiful as you

Half an hour later, the three of them stepped out of the private room.

Su Yang turned to Xia Zhiyu and asked, "Did you eat enough?"

Xia Zhiyu nodded. "I'm full. There was so much left untouched—way too much food. But I couldn’t eat any more. Feels a bit wasteful."

"Don’t worry about it. I didn’t expect Old Gao to arrange so much either. Let’s just leave it for now."

"Okay."

As they spoke, Old Gao hurried down from the second floor.

"President Su, you’re done eating?"

"Yeah. Take Xia Zhiyu to HR now and get her onboarded."

"Got it. Come with me, Xia Zhiyu. You have your ID card, right?"

"I do."

"Perfect, let’s go."

Old Gao led Xia Zhiyu upstairs.

At that moment, Lu Yun glanced at Xia Zhiyu ascending the stairs and remarked softly, "She’s really pretty."

"Really? I think you’re prettier," Su Yang replied without missing a beat.

Lu Yun, ever the introvert, blushed slightly. "No way. Xia Zhiyu is much prettier—tall, flawless skin, and such a delicate face. She’s gorgeous."

Su Yang chuckled. "You’re a beauty yourself, yet here you are admiring her. You both have your own charm. But her personality does remind me of yours—quiet and reserved. I wonder if the two of you would even exchange a word if left alone together."

Lu Yun blinked and smiled. "That’s impossible. Girls always find plenty to talk about."

"Is she a close friend of yours?"

Su Yang shook his head. "What if I told you we only met yesterday? Would you believe me?"

"Huh?!"

Seeing Lu Yun’s stunned expression, Su Yang took her hand and guided her toward the lounge area by the entrance.

"Come, sit with me. I’ll explain properly."

"Okay."

They settled onto the sofa in the lounge.

A waiter in a shirt and vest noticed Su Yang and immediately set down his tasks to greet them. "President Su, hello! Manager Lu, hello!"

Su Yang smiled at him. "You know me?"

"Of course. Recognizing President Su is the first requirement for working here."

Su Yang paused, then laughed helplessly. "Who came up with that rule?"

"Director Chen’s orders."

"Director Chen? Chen Guowei, right? That guy… Alright, never mind. Could you make us two iced Americanos?"

"Right away, President Su." The waiter nodded and hurried off.

Su Yang turned to Lu Yun with a grin. "Still the same old Chen Guowei, huh?"

Lu Yun covered her mouth, giggling. "Of course. Sexual orientation isn’t something that changes easily."

"Fair enough. Anyway, about Xia Zhiyu—I only met her yesterday. Honestly, her situation is heartbreaking. I couldn’t just stand by, so I decided to help."

"What happened?" Lu Yun propped her chin on her hands, eyes full of curiosity.

Over the next few minutes, Su Yang briefly summarized Xia Zhiyu’s circumstances. By the end, Lu Yun’s eyes were glistening with tears.

Noticing this, Su Yang handed her a couple of tissues. "Lu Yun, don’t bring this up with her, okay? Just keep it to yourself. Though we’ve only known each other for two days, I can tell she’s the type who hates showing vulnerability. She’d rather tough it out."

"Obviously I won’t say anything. I’m not stupid," Lu Yun replied, dabbing her eyes.

After composing herself, she asked, "So, where will she stay now? She doesn’t have a place, right?"

"Once she’s done with onboarding, I’ll help her rent an apartment nearby. That’s the easy part."

"Okay. Actually… she could stay with me. I live alone anyway."

Su Yang waved his hand. "Not yet. You two just met. To put it bluntly, you’re not that close. Even if your intentions are good, she might not be comfortable living with someone new. If she feels too awkward to refuse, it’ll just make things weird for both of you."

"Oh… I didn’t think of that." Lu Yun laughed awkwardly.

Su Yang shrugged. "You’re just too kind-hearted."

"Aren’t you the same?"

"I’m different. Yours is pure kindness—well, mine is too, of course. But our approaches aren’t the same."

Lu Yun stuck out her tongue playfully. "Fine, we’ll revisit it later."

"Sure."

As they chatted, the waiter returned with two coffees.

"President Su, Manager Lu, your iced Americanos." He placed the drinks in front of them.

Su Yang nodded. "Thanks. What’s your name?"

"Gao Xiaoming, President Su. You can call me Xiaoming or Xiao Gao."

"Got it, Xiaoming. Are you new here?"

"Yes, President Su. I started three days ago."

"I see. Is the work tough?"

"Not at all. I’m young—I should learn as much as I can from everyone."

"Good attitude. Keep it up. You can go now."

"Thank you, President Su." With a smile, Gao Xiaoming picked up the tray and left.

"Lu Yun, do you know what the base salary is for entry-level staff at our… well, our restaurant?"

Lu Yun thought for a moment. "Six thousand."

"Six thousand? Chen Guowei’s decision?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. I’ll give him credit for that—no penny-pinching or underpaying people with measly two or three thousand."

Just then, Old Gao returned with Xia Zhiyu.

"President Su, Xia Zhiyu’s onboarding is complete. She can start anytime."

Su Yang looked up at them with a smile. "Great. Have a seat first."

"Sure." The two sat down on the sofa.

Su Yang turned to Old Gao. "Lu Yun and I were just discussing employee salaries at the restaurant."

"Oh? Our benefits are top-notch!" Old Gao beamed.

"How so? Enlighten us."

"Gladly."

Old Gao cleared his throat. "Aside from our stellar reputation in Haicheng’s dining scene, our biggest draw is the pay."

"Even the lowest-tier staff—like the security guards at the entrance or the kitchen cleaners—start at five thousand. That’s why so many people passionate about the industry want to work here. Even outsiders are applying."

"Really? Chen Guowei’s doing, I assume?"

Old Gao nodded. "Director Chen’s policy."

"Of course, his hiring standards are strict too. Sometimes, out of ten applicants, he might not hire a single one."

Su Yang gave an approving nod. "That’s his call. For someone who doesn’t seem all that manly, he’s got a pretty manly approach to wages."

Old Gao bit his lip, barely suppressing a laugh.

Su Yang raised an eyebrow. "Just laugh if you want to. Why hold back?"

"No, no, it’s just that you, Mr. Su, said things I usually wouldn’t dare say to Mr. Chen."

"You sly guy, what about the rest? Like holiday benefits and such? Are the standard employee insurances all covered?"

Old Gao immediately nodded and said, "Absolutely! And we’re enrolled in the highest-tier plans. Holiday perks, birthday benefits for staff—you name it, we’ve got it. You can check with anyone at the restaurant, Mr. Su."

"No need, as long as it’s all there."

After briefly learning more about the restaurant’s affairs, Su Yang downed the coffee in front of him in one go.

Then he stood up and said to Old Gao, "Alright, that’s all for now. I’ve got to go—I need to help Xiao Yu find a place."

"She’ll start tomorrow or the day after."

Hearing this, Old Gao also rose to his feet. "Looking for a place?"

"Yeah, the lease on Xiao Yu’s old place is up. I’m taking her to check out some others."

"Need any help?"

"You’ve got connections in that area?" Su Yang glanced at Old Gao.

Old Gao grinned. "Well, you’ve come to the right person. Heh, I’ve got a buddy in property rentals. Of course, there might be a small agency fee, but I can call in a favor and get you a discount, no problem."

Su Yang thought for a moment. ‘This might actually work. Randomly hunting around isn’t ideal anyway. A bit extra in fees is fine—even if I looked myself, there’s no guarantee I’d find a direct rental.’

"Alright, can you reach your friend now, Old Gao?"

"Of course! Just give me a sec, Mr. Su—I’ll give him a call." Old Gao pulled out his phone and headed toward the entrance.

......