“Look at this little house—so delicate, and the door actually opens…”

“Huh? You can even see the furniture inside! And this window seems to open too… Wait, it really does?! The mechanism’s so clever—it must’ve been tricky to make…”

“And this windmill should spin too, right? *Whoosh, whoosh*—so pretty!”

“Xiao Xue, you really made this yourself? I thought it was something bought online for a few hundred bucks. Absolutely unreal.”

After admiring it on the counter for several minutes, Wang Lei finally lifted my wooden house under the envious glances of the staff. He examined it lovingly for a moment. “Who keeps saying Uzi’s no good? This house? Perfect.”

“Boss, is this little sister your girlfriend?”

A blushing female staffer in a Lei Xiang logo shirt glanced between Wang Lei and me. “So pretty, cute, and talented—you’re such a lucky man, Boss!”

“Nah, just ordinary friends.”

Wang Lei shook his head awkwardly. “She helped a friend of mine out before. We had extra small-sized clothes from the factory—hard to sell—so I passed them along.”

“Ordinary friends can become *special* friends, right?” the girl pressed with a grin. “Boss Wang’s tall, handsome, rich… just keep in touch!”

“Exactly!” another short-haired staffer chimed in. “A girl spending time making a handmade gift? She’s clearly into you, Boss—don’t miss it!”

“Shoo! Fed Chocolate and Vanilla? Scooped the litter? Checked the cat food invoice? Still gossiping? Want to lose your bonus?” Wang Lei joked, shot them a playful glare, then carefully cradled the wooden manor and placed it on the display stand right by the entrance.

“Anything Queen Xiao Xue gifts must be enshrined. This is my new lucky cat.”

“Queen again?” I laughed. “Aren’t you gonna ask about your good buddy?”

“Good buddy?” Wang Lei blinked, pointed toward the door, and lowered his voice. “Milk tea shop across the street. Let’s talk there.”

“Boss treating?”

“On me.”

“Deal.”

Amid the shop girls’ giggles, we stepped into the café opposite.

“Order?”

“Signature milk tea, regular sugar.” Wang Lei shot me a look. “Dare to drink milk tea, Your Majesty?”

“Wouldn’t dare.” I took the menu. “One mung bean soup, please.”

“For here?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Fifteen yuan total.”

Settled in a corner, Wang Lei avoided my eyes. “You… look really cute today.”

“Yeah?” I feigned doubt, tugged the fluffy pom-poms on my hood, and shook them lightly. “This is the outfit you gave me. How’s the fit?”

“Perfect! Absolutely perfect!” He smirked, glancing at my legs. “Only thing—socks a bit short. Over-the-knee white thigh-highs would be ideal. Any photo’d be straight-up cute.”

I pressed my knees together. “Pervert…”

“Your legs aren’t like those filtered, flashy girls’. Soft curves, natural. Stockings would look *so* good.”

“Pervert.”

“You know, cursing ‘pervert’ in that tiny kitten voice just makes me happier.”

“Pervert.”

“Haha… I’m just a straightforward guy who likes thigh-highs. No lies.” Sensing his rep sinking, he switched topics. “So? The two new staffers—pretty? Innocent?”

“Oh yes. *Very* innocent and cute.” I deadpanned. “Perfect for luring into a capitalist sweatshop with 996 or 007 shifts.”

“Still sharp-tongued.”

“Gotta be, with perverts.” I took a breath. “Enough joking. Liang Zhiming called me all day Sunday.”

“I figured.” Wang Lei gestured for me to continue. “Knew you came about him.”

“Nah. Saved shipping. A gift like this would’ve shattered in courier hands.”

(In Vanilla City, under 1kg within 900km ships for ~8 yuan—10 with insurance. But packaging? Bubble wrap, sealing… costs more than the gift. Materials were campus supermarket cheap: bamboo skewers, glue, craft tools—all under twenty. Knives and scissors? Dorm-useful anyway. Mailing feels insincere. Bus ride over? Saves cash, builds Boss Wang’s goodwill, *and* explores the city. Win-win.)

As a college grad “veteran,” I know a student’s real mission:

Socializing.

(Don’t ask what position that is.)

Wider circles = easier life post-grad. Wang Lei’s one of the most connectable bosses—still fresh, still believes in love and anime culture. Gotta build rapport *now*. Otherwise? With Bi Xin Xue’s background and “follow your heart” clichés? Graduation might mean becoming some rich heir’s toy… or another cog in the capitalist sweatshop.

“I’ve got a car. Just call me.”

“Since when does the gift-giver make the receiver fetch it?”

The waitress set down our drinks. “Signature milk tea and mung bean soup. Enjoy.”

“Back to point.” I accepted the bowl with practiced grace, sipped gently. “You asked me to counsel him. But after a full day with Liang Zhiming? He seemed upbeat—clearly moved on. Even joked about having *more* pocket money post-breakup.”

*Darn…*

I subtly eyed Wang Lei’s large milk tea.

Guys can eat freely without fearing weight gain. A little extra? Fine. Girls? Fat = ugly. Dresses won’t fit.

(I’m not prone to gaining weight, but fat, sugar, caffeine… instinct says skip it.)

“He’s okay? I worried he’d…” Wang Lei’s gaze drifted. “Good. Heh.”

“You mentioned a blind date.” I scooped more soup. “Go?”

“Went.”

“Her personality?”

He slurped loudly. “Looks? Decent. Red nails, dyed hair, heels. Figure’s not yours. Personality? Spoiled. Made me pay for dinner, movie, popcorn, cola—then dragged me to buy a 7,000-yuan bag. WeChat replies? ‘Mm.’ ‘Ah.’ ‘Gonna shower.’”

*Hiss…*

(7,000 yuan = a solid gaming rig for PUBG or CS:GO streaming. Boss Wang Lei, generous even on dates.)

“Now *I’m* making you treat me?” I gestured to my soup, feigning hurt. “So my personality’s also…”

“You’re *nothing* like her! She’d sneer at the clothes and demand a 10k bag next. Honestly? You showing up today stunned me. Figured a girl like you’d have guys fawning nonstop. New store’s chaos—I’d’ve forgotten I even gave you those clothes.”

“Busy washing Huskies?”

“Pfft. You *always* break the mood.” He smiled, eyeing my styled Loli twin tails. “Looking like this? I’d believe you’re in middle school.”

“I *am* underage.”

In Skyflame Nation: kindergarten around 3, preschool classes, elementary at ~7, middle school at 13, high school at 16, college entrance ~18. Freshman year turns 19; graduate at 23—a corporate drone.

I’m still underage because my remote village had no preschools. Played freely till ~7, then registered at the town’s only elementary school. Born December 23rd—three months before the school year starts. Parents sent me early. The principal enrolled anyone who looked close enough in age.

So… others turn 19 as freshmen. I’m turning 18.

“I almost forgot you’re underage. Your EQ’s too high.” Wang Lei set his half-finished cup down. “Perfect timing. Is this underage little sister open to a business collab?”

“*You* want a collab too?” I blinked. “What kind?”

“E-commerce era. Launching an online store for pet supplies. Need a model.”

“I’m not a cat.”

“I know. You know car models?”

"Same principle—I'm planning to hire a similar model. For the online store's product detail pages and short video intros, we need the model to demonstrate the products hands-on, giving viewers a more intuitive usage guide. No problem if they don't show their face."

Wang Lei wore a serious expression.

"If you're interested, I'll finalize the script ASAP this week. I'll pick you up Saturday or Sunday for the video and photo shoot. We can discuss compensation details later. How does that sound?"