Jessica patted Mei on the shoulder, encouraging her to get familiar with the workplace.
Mei pulled up a chair and sat neatly next to Jessica, placing her hands on her knees. Feeling slightly nervous, she greeted softly, "Mentor!"
Jessica smiled. "No need to be nervous. I'm not that much older than you. Your name is Mei, right?"
Mei nodded quickly, her short hair bouncing with the motion. "Yes!"
Jessica chuckled. This girl is adorable.
She pointed to the name tag on her desk. "Jessica. Don't call me 'mentor'; it makes me feel old. You can call me Jessica or Sister Hứa."
Mei immediately caught on. "Got it, Sister… Sister Jessica..."
Hearing this sweet response, Jessica laughed. "Oh, you're so endearing. Here, have some snacks."
She opened the second drawer of her desk, revealing a stash of snacks that left Mei wide-eyed.
Wait, you can keep snacks at work?
Jessica took out two small bags of chips and placed them on the desk. She explained, "It's fine to snack as long as it doesn't interfere with work. Just be careful if the higher-ups or the inspection team come around."
Lowering her voice, Jessica glanced around and asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Mei's thoughts immediately turned to Otis. Well, I do have an ex.
She shook her head. "No, I don't."
Jessica tilted her head, clearly skeptical as she sized Mei up.
She leaned closer, her tone teasing. "Someone as pretty as you? No boyfriend? I don't believe it."
This girl is obviously lying. Does she think she can fool me?
Jessica pressed further. "So, where are you staying now?"
Mei answered honestly, "An apartment near the subway station on Sa Nam Road."
Jessica nodded. "Living alone? Or sharing?"
"I'm, uh… sharing."
"Sharing with a guy or a girl?"
"Um, well…"
Jessica smirked knowingly. "Got it. A guy. Someone you know?"
"Well…"
"Ah, I see. A college friend?"
"Uh…"
"A boyfriend?"
"No, no, no! Not a boyfriend!"
Mei was sweating bullets. How is she guessing everything so accurately without me saying anything?
Her petite face flushed slightly.
Jessica gave her a sly smile. Interesting, indeed.
She patted Mei on the shoulder. "It's fine. We're all adults here. It's normal. If you ever need advice, just ask me. Who knows, I might even be able to help you out."
Mei could only nod, resigned. "Thank you, Sister Hứa."
Otis is NOT my boyfriend!
Meanwhile, Otis sneezed.
Someone must be talking about me, he thought. Probably one of my old college buddies. We rarely keep in touch, so maybe someone wants me to hop online for a game.
He glanced at his computer screen. Guess there's no chance to slack off today.
Otis scrolled through the company policies and training materials until Fred patted him on the shoulder.
"There's a new employee raffle going on. Want to check it out?"
Slack off? Absolutely!
Why waste an opportunity? Soon enough, real tasks will pile up, and slacking off won't be an option.
Otis followed Fred to the reception area, where a group of new employees had gathered.
A receptionist held a box and called out, "Everyone, pick a slip! Register your work ID before drawing!"
Otis glanced behind the receptionist and saw an array of prizes: tissue packs, umbrellas, an induction stove… even a cooking pot!
Wow!
Being broke, Otis instantly zeroed in on the cooking pot. Winning that would save him a fortune in meal prep costs.
Money, money, money.
At this point, Otis, like Mei, was utterly consumed by thoughts of saving money.
He queued up with newfound enthusiasm. Please, let me win the pot!
After registering his work ID, Otis drew a slip. To his surprise, he hit the jackpot.
The receptionist beamed. "Congratulations! You've won the grand prize—a premium skincare set!"
Who wants that?!
Otis nearly threw the slip on the table.
I wanted the pot!
Holding the slip in his slightly trembling hand, he felt the weight of disappointment.
The crowd mistook his reaction for excitement and began clapping. Fred clapped him on the back. "Congrats, man! Impressive!"
Simple words, genuine praise.
Otis pointed to the pot behind the receptionist and asked, "Can I trade this for the pot?"
The receptionist's smile faltered. She shook her head. "Sorry, we can't do exchanges. Besides, this skincare set is fantastic. If you don't use it, you can give it to your girlfriend."
But I don't have a girlfriend. What, should I give it to Mei?
I'd rather toss it than give it to her.
---
7 PM. Living room.
Otis asked, "Mei, do you need skincare products?"
After a full day of work—fine, maybe some slacking off—they both returned home, their tired bodies slumped on the living room sofa.
They sat exactly one meter apart, no more, no less. A shiny red gift bag sat on the coffee table.
Mei glanced at it, assuming it was something Otis had received as a welcome gift—a notebook, a pen, maybe a water bottle.
She stole a sideways glance at Otis.
Wearing a suit, huh…
The last time he wore one was back in college during an event. Standing on stage, he'd been so youthful, full of energy and charm. She had taken tons of photos back then, though those pictures were long deleted.
This suit fit him perfectly, highlighting his maturity.
Otis, in turn, sneaked a glance at Mei.
Her white blouse accentuated her slim waist, tucked neatly into a pencil skirt. The skirt hugged her figure, revealing fair knees and shapely calves—a combination of youthful allure and budding professionalism that stirred something in him.
Save me…
Can my brain stop romanticizing everything?
He cleared his throat and repeated, "Mei, do you need skincare products?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Mei tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?"
---
Mei thought about his question. Skincare products? Where did that come from?
Of course, she needed them—she was running low, and most of her bottles were nearly empty. But did she have to splurge on skincare just for work? Maybe not.
After a brief silence, she replied, "No, I don't."
Otis nodded. "Oh."
No? Really? Because I'm pretty sure I saw your toner bottle in the bathroom almost empty.
Ah well, maybe I'm overthinking it.
Silence settled between them again.
Their relationship was already a bit awkward, and this quiet moment only made things more uncomfortable.
Back in the day, they would've been glued to each other, hugging even in the sweltering heat.
Otis sighed inwardly, reminiscing about how fiery their young love had been.
Maybe I should just retreat to my room. But the living room, with its open windows, was cooler than the bedroom, and it wasn't time to turn on the air conditioning yet.
Mei thought Otis was trying to ease the tension, which made sense. After all, they were roommates now, so chatting a little wouldn't hurt.
She broke the silence. "How was your first day at work?"