With the boss's promise, Tang Hua felt that her life had been secured with triple insurance! It was as stable as it could get.
The first layer of security was the boss's promise to "always be there to listen to her needs." For instance, this time, when she wanted to eat meat, she asked him to come out, and he actually showed up without breaking his promise. Truly reliable.
The second layer was his promise to "only hire her as his illustrator, no matter what." The previous book cover, as well as the new book cover, were all assigned to her. He didn't approach anyone else, and indeed, he threw all the projects her way. She was his exclusive artist, and he truly kept his word, which made her feel at ease.
The third layer was his promise to "personally guide her from scratch in the Vtuber circle, with both of them exploring and growing together."
This…
This…
This was extraordinary.
Tang Hua secretly rejoiced in her heart, wondering if this indirectly meant that the boss was willing to invest a significant amount of time and effort to nurture her.
At the same time, he wanted her to gain more and greater benefits!
He wanted her to live more comfortably! That's why he had cut a portion of the big cake originally belonging to Bai Xing and shared it with her, feeding it to her!
"Could it be that my position in the boss's heart has already surpassed Bai Xing's by a lot?"
Tang Hua noticed all this and was deeply moved.
The delicious meat in her mouth no longer tasted as good as the first bite.
Because her nose was filled with the scent of the boss.
Her eyes reflected nothing but his profile.
Her mind was completely occupied by him,
and the desire she felt for him grew more solid and intense.
[What should I do about this…]
[I can't hold on anymore…]
In just a few words, she was completely defeated by Lu Qing.
Her mind was filled with thoughts like, "I need to take the boss home quickly and ask him directly how he feels about me."
She planned that if the boss was shy, she could opt for the newly formulated, very conservative and steady Plan B—
"Making a vow."
That is, making a face-to-face agreement with the boss that if she achieved a certain goal, he would have to give her a "big reward."
And this big reward didn't have to be money or anything material.
It had to be "big" enough, so big that the boss couldn't easily afford it.
Based on this, Tang Hua believed she could set her "ultimate goal" here, obtaining it from the boss in the most compliant and reasonable way.
As long as the boss agreed, it would mean she could achieve something that would otherwise take "5 years of hard work" without having to "serve time in prison"!
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
"Ahem!"
The meal was nearing its end.
Tang Hua put down her chopsticks, pulled out a wet wipe, and carefully wiped her lips. After preparing her emotions, she turned to face Lu Qing:
"Boss, if I remember correctly, you gave Bai Xing a reward before."
"Huh?"
Lu Qing almost choked on his last bite of tempura.
He thought it was just a simple caring gesture, but Tang Hua suddenly brought this up, catching him completely off guard with no way to avoid it.
"What are you referring to…?"
He furrowed his brows, deciding to probe further.
He hadn't mentioned anything about that matter, and Bai Xing probably wasn't foolish enough to boast about it to Tang Hua. Therefore, Tang Hua's words might just be testing the waters, and he needed to observe further.
Tang Hua continued, "She mentioned in the group chat that because the boss took care of her before her livestream, she achieved good results. I think… that was a kind of reward."
"..."
"If it's a reward, something that anyone can earn through effort, then I want a reward from the boss too.
I think the boss shouldn't be biased. Before, you didn't stay overnight at my place, but you could go to her place and accompany her, doing everything to make her feel loved, even breaking the bond of affection between me and the boss… I think that's not right, that's unfair."
"Wait, wait, wait!?"
Seeing her words veer further off track, Lu Qing couldn't help but feel confused. "Who said I stayed overnight? I didn't stay at her place either! And what do you mean by 'our bond of affection'?"
"Hmm, so the boss and her really did everything?"
Tang Hua leaned forward slightly, looking up at his eyes from below, trying to detect even a hint of guilt on his face.
Lu Qing couldn't withstand this, especially since this angle almost completely exposed her most lethal weapon. Even a seasoned veteran couldn't defend against such a test.
For a moment, he forgot to refute or explain anything. Instinctively, he turned his face away, grabbed her wrist, and decided to immediately change the subject:
"If you say so, then fine. If you want a reward, you can tell me directly. I mentioned before that I can fulfill any reasonable request within my ability."
"Ah… but this time, what I want isn't a reward within the boss's 'ability.'"
Tang Hua, being led by him, followed behind him innocently.
"!"
As he was about to pay the bill, Lu Qing vaguely sensed danger.
He could roughly tell that Tang Hua was indeed, as he had suspected, "planning something big."
And now was the moment she decided to reveal this demand, and she was doing so in a seemingly reasonable way.
"Let's talk when there are fewer people around."
Lu Qing had a vague sense of foreboding.
He quickly paid the bill, led her out of the restaurant, and found a secluded corner. After calming his breathing, he stopped.
"Boss, you don't need to be nervous. I'm not going to say anything strange."
Tang Hua blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent.
But Lu Qing wasn't fooled; he had already figured her out.
"I'm curious about what kind of request is 'beyond my ability.' But I have to remind you, our relationship is just p…"
He was about to say "just a friendship," but halfway through, he forcefully stopped himself. Frowning, out of compassion, he retracted the words that might have hurt her feelings.
"Never mind, go ahead. I'm listening."
"! Mmm~"
Seeing that he didn't outright reject her, Tang Hua felt a bit more at ease.
She narrowed her eyes and looked up at the sky.
The weather was perfect today—neither too hot nor too cold, just the right temperature.
With the boss by her side, accompanying her home, even the usually dark and dilapidated path seemed to brighten up, as if even her lifeless self was radiating sunshine.
This was a rare opportunity, and he was standing right in front of her, listening attentively.
[If I say those words, how will the boss see me?]
Tang Hua pondered.
[Will he think that my request makes me seem like a desperate, insatiable woman?]
[Although I am, to be precise, I'm not always like that.]
[Aside from that kind of thing, I have many other serious matters to attend to. So, will he understand me?]
[Will he understand that, under the pressure of life, I'm forced to release my desires and relieve my suppressed emotions?]
She opened her mouth, hesitating.
Wondering: Why is it that now, standing right in front of him, I suddenly feel a bit scared…
Perhaps it's the fear that after revealing my true feelings, even the previous relationship might be hard to maintain?
But, since I've come this far, if I don't say it now, I might never get another chance.
If I don't act, Bai Xing will.
If Bai Xing doesn't act, Su Ling will.
[That's right, I shouldn't be timid, because fate has already shown me the way.]
[Yesterday's answer was very clear. Fate is telling me that as long as I face my desires honestly and tell the boss the truth, he will definitely understand me and fulfill my wishes.]
[Even if he doesn't fulfill them, he won't dislike me. He won't dislike me; he loves me.]
[So, so…]
"Boss, the reward I want…"
"Hmm?"
Tang Hua's breathing quickened, but she tried to steady herself as she blurted out her request:
"Can you promise me in advance? No matter what conditions you set."
"..."
The familiar phrasing reminded Lu Qing of the time when Bai Xing had made a similar request for a kiss, leaving him with no room to retreat.
This made him wonder if the two women had conspired together.
If he agreed to Bai Xing but not Tang Hua, wouldn't that seem like favoritism?
But this couldn't go on… Otherwise, he might sink deeper and deeper.
Who knows what Tang Hua has in mind?
He could roughly guess Bai Xing's demands, but Tang Hua…
The severity of Tang Hua's condition is on a completely different level compared to Bai Xing's, isn't it?
One wrong move, and she could easily get hurt.
A moment of carelessness, and she might just melt away.
Bai Xing is like something that "shatters"—even when broken, the pieces can be put back together, glued back into place.
But Tang Hua is like something that "dissolves"—once melted, she's gone, turning into water.
So today, I have no choice but to endure a little hardship for her sake.
"Alright, I agree," came the firm reply from Lu Qing.
*Thud-thud-thud!*
Tang Hua's eyes widened, and for a moment, it felt as though she had forgotten to breathe.
Her breath hitched ever so slightly.
[Heaven hasn't deceived me.]
[Heaven hasn't lied to me.]
[If Heaven continues to be this kind, after this is over, I might just start looking into matters of faith.]
In that instant—
Her morale soared, her courage peaked.
She was on the verge of blurting out the words, "I want to sleep with the boss."
But just then, the cunning Lu Qing, without warning, proposed a condition that felt like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head—
"There are three months left until the end of the year. If, by then, you can accumulate a total of over 3,000 new subscribers on your personal livestream, then no matter what reward you ask for—no matter how unreasonable or difficult it might be for me to fulfill—I will agree to it."
……
……