Chapter 13: Probationary Employment

Chapter 13: Trial Period

“Good morning, darling!” When Fan Xiaoyao unlocked her phone and saw the morning greeting from Wang Guocheng, she couldn’t help but smile, her lips curling slightly.

“Such a punctual message!” She replied with a few simple words and nothing more.

Wang Guocheng gazed at the response, tapping his desk and murmuring, “Xiaoyao, I will win you over. You are mine, always mine. We engraved our names together on the Stone of Three Lives. You may not remember me, but I remember you!”

All morning in Chuanghong Company, Fan Xiaoyao found herself unable to focus. In truth, after sending her reply, she kept waiting for his response. The longer she waited, the more anxious she grew, and the more anxious she became, the more her phone remained silent.

Seeing Fan Xiaoyao constantly checking her phone, Feng Youru finally spoke up, “Xiaoyao, what’s going on? Is there some secret on your phone? You keep glancing at it—are you secretly dating Ye Ye behind my back?”

Fan Xiaoyao forced an awkward smile. “No such thing, haha… I just noticed this morning that my phone’s buttons weren’t working right, so I’m testing them out whenever I have a moment…”

“Beep beep…” A text alert sounded. “Darling, have you had lunch? You’re too thin, eat more!”

Fan Xiaoyao instinctively glanced at her figure, quietly wondering if she really was thin. Just as she was about to reply, Feng Youru snatched the phone from her hand.

“Darling… Xiaoyao, who is this Wang Guocheng? Why is he calling you darling over and over? Tell me, are you really dating behind my back with Ye Ye?” Feng Youru interrogated her.

“Youru, please, give me back my phone. He probably sent it to the wrong person!” Fan Xiaoyao protested, her cheeks reddening as she tried to wrestle the phone away.

Feng Youru, quick as ever, held the phone firmly. “Fan Xiaoyao, you’re flustered. You must be hiding something.”

Seeing Feng Youru guard the phone so closely, Fan Xiaoyao lost interest. “Suit yourself, I’m starving. I’m going to the cafeteria for a feast!” With that, she left Feng Youru behind.

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Feng Youru, undeterred, followed after her. “You stubborn girl, since you won’t spill, I bet the other side will!” Saying this, she dialed the number shown in the text. “A cloudy evening outside the car window…” Yes, it was Wang Guocheng’s ringtone—a grown man using a song by Stefanie Sun.

Feng Youru stayed silent, but the voice on the other end spoke first; a deep, masculine voice. “Xiaoyao, have you made up your mind?”

Remaining silent, Feng Youru listened as Wang Guocheng continued, “We really suit each other, don’t we? We share common interests, common hobbies, and… we both need love. If you mind an online romance, I can fly over anytime for you…”

Feng Youru was momentarily stunned. She thought to herself, “This is trouble. Looks like this girl is about to fall for an online romance!”

She swiftly hung up. The words from the call lingered in her mind—he was willing to travel for Xiaoyao, meaning he wasn’t local.

She tossed the phone back to Fan Xiaoyao, her expression tinged with worry. “Will you please tell me the truth?”

Fan Xiaoyao, chewing her lunch, asked, “What truth? Are you not hungry, big sister? Here, try this sweet and sour pork, it’s amazing!”

Feng Youru looked at her phone. “You… you…”

Fan Xiaoyao, puzzled by her hesitation, asked, “Sister, what do you want to say? I’ve already explained the text—he’s that five-hearted guy. I’ve told you, I won’t get into an online romance. Relax!”

Feng Youru continued to advise, unwilling to give up. “Then why does he send you those greetings three times a day? Xiaoyao, feelings aren’t a game, you know?”

Suddenly, Fan Xiaoyao felt a headache coming on. “Youru, don’t jump to conclusions. I told you, I’m not interested in online romance at the moment, okay?”

“But… but your five-hearted guy said if you don’t want an online romance, he’ll come over…” Feng Youru faithfully relayed his words.

“Sister, he’s a teacher at T University in Border City. Our Kang City is just a small prefecture-level city compared to his. Border City, even at its worst, is a provincial capital, isn’t it? Don’t overthink it. I’ve never taken his words seriously!” Fan Xiaoyao wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at Feng Youru earnestly.

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And so, the midday drama came to a pause.

Finally enduring until the end of the workday, Fan Xiaoyao hurried home ahead of Feng Youru, shut herself in her room, and raced against time to upload today’s novel chapters. Since she liked to publish as soon as she finished writing, her computer had no stored drafts. For an author who posted without a backlog, updating tens of thousands of words daily was a luxury. Thus, Fan Xiaoyao usually managed two or three updates a day.

After finishing her third chapter for the day, she posted all her writing with satisfaction. At the time, online novels were far less popular, and the audience was small. Most readers followed novels on their computers, unlike today when smartphones allow reading anywhere.

“Beep beep…” Seeing the name “Z Nation Mobile Customer Service Center” on her phone, Fan Xiaoyao chuckled. She’d already changed Wang Guocheng’s contact name to that at lunch.

“Darling, are you asleep? I miss you so much. Do you miss me?” The ambiguous message on her screen made Fan Xiaoyao shake her head. She couldn’t understand Wang Guocheng’s persistence, and tossed the phone aside.

“Darling, did you upload new chapters? Your writing is excellent!” Another text from Wang Guocheng appeared.

Fan Xiaoyao was startled—she hadn’t expected Wang Guocheng to be reading her novel. She finally couldn’t resist replying, “Why does an uncle like this style?”

Wang Guocheng paused for a minute before replying, “Love the house for the sake of the crow.”

Fan Xiaoyao wasn’t sure how to respond, so she placed her phone by her pillow and went off to wash up. When she returned, there was a new text.

“Fate brought us together online, darling. I’ll make you accustomed to my greetings, my care, my concerns, my everything. Of course, my trial period will soon become permanent. Darling, wait for the day we meet in person, safe and sound.”

Meet in person, safe and sound—not meet and shatter illusions? Fan Xiaoyao stared at the message, tossing and turning sleepless through the night.