Seeing the three people surrounding her, Xia Qingtian felt a surge of warmth. She repeatedly assured them she was fine, and after downing two bowls of restorative soup in one go, she leaned against her father's shoulder and asked, "Dad, how did you know I was injured?"
"Mr. Gu called ahead to let us know, and he said he'd send gifts to see how you were doing next time," Father Xia poked Xia Qingtian's head with his index finger. "You, you've always been clumsy since you were little. When will you ever grow up?"
Xia Qingtian stuck out her tongue, but in her mind, she was wildly praising mobius.
What is reliable? This is reliable!
When she has the ability and runs her own company, she absolutely must poach mobius from Mr. Gu.
Having such a capable, good-looking, and competent personal assistant would make her dreams come true.
Come to think of it, Mr. Gu's current ability and achievements must be due to having capable people like mobius assisting him.
If Xia Qingtian wants to forge her own path, she naturally needs trustworthy people around her.
Currently, she only has her little assistant Li Mengxiao. Although she seems a bit carefree and nagging, she is meticulous, dedicated, and makes no compromises when it comes to taking care of her.
She is trustworthy.
Besides Li Mengxiao, she should recruit more of her own talent.
"The guest room on the second floor, west side, has been tidied up," Aunt Liu interjected at this moment.
"The guest room on the second floor, west side?" Xia Qingtian looked at Aunt Liu, then turned back to Father Xia. "Are we having guests?"
That guest room had been vacant for a long time.
"He's the adopted son of the cousin of your grandfather's cousin," Father Xia finally replied. "A distant relative. Their family ran into some trouble, so they've come to Z City to stay for a while and look for work."
"That's too distant?" Xia Qingtian frowned, wanting to refuse.
The kidnapping incident hadn't been fully resolved, and there was still a scoundrel like Song Junhan around, not to mention the hidden mole in the Xia Corporation behind Song Junhan hadn't been found yet.
At this time, introducing a complete stranger into the house was, in Xia Qingtian's opinion, extremely unreliable.
Thinking of this, a ding sounded in Xia Qingtian's mind.
[The Chosen One System has been activated.
Option A: Agree with Father Xia, take in the distant relative, reward: one talented individual.
Option B: Be cautious during special times, refuse to take in the distant relative, reward: an adrenaline shot.]
"It's okay if Qingtian doesn't want him to stay at home. We have a vacant spare room in the city center, so he can stay there," Father Xia said, thinking of Xia Qingtian's slightly bossy and spoiled temper. "We can have someone clean it up first thing tomorrow morning so he can move in."
"After all, he's a relative. Everyone has their difficult times," Xia Qingtian immediately agreed.
Although an adrenaline shot was useful, she needed her own people more right now.
And given the system's usual tricks, it was highly likely that this distant relative was the talented individual she needed.
Therefore, she chose A.
She just didn't know what kind of person this talented individual would be. According to seniority, this person was in the same generation as Father Xia, and Xia Qingtian would have to call him uncle.
He was probably a steady, hardworking, and experienced mature man.
Xia Qingtian's requirements weren't high; he just needed to be half as excellent as mobius.
Hearing Xia Qingtian agree, Father Xia visibly relaxed, and his gaze towards Xia Qingtian became even softer and more affectionate.
Who said his daughter was bossy and spoiled?
His daughter was clearly a kind, gentle, and helpful little sweetheart!
The next evening, when this distant relative arrived at the Xia residence, he only brought a military-green suitcase. He was slender, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans, with a pair of slightly worn-out sneakers.
The leg of his pants was rolled up from prolonged wear, and the edges of his sneakers, though clean, were oxidized and yellowed from too many washes.
He looked no older than twenty, and due to a cold, he appeared to lack energy.
"Xia Shang, your mother called earlier asking if you had arrived," Father Xia greeted Xia Shang with a hearty laugh. "Z City is colder than your hometown. Was your journey smooth?"
"Quite good," Xia Shang nodded, his voice soft and a little nasally.
"You have a cold?" Father Xia said. "Take some medicine after dinner, and you'll be fine after a night's sleep."
Xia Shang didn't reply, only curling the corner of his lips into a shy, distant smile.
After dinner, Xia Shang went back to his room to rest. Considering his long journey and cold, no one disturbed him. Fortunately, Xia Shang's health was good, and his cold was gone by the next day.
It wasn't until Xia Shang's cold had truly cleared up that Xia Qingtian realized his gloomy demeanor wasn't due to his cold, but because he was naturally quiet and reserved, and looked exceptionally dispirited.
He was exceptionally silent in the Xia household, only appearing during meals. Xia Qingtian had thought about striking up a conversation with him, but seeing his "do not approach" aura, Xia Qingtian really didn't know how to communicate with him.
[System, are you slacking off again? Are you sure he's a talented individual?] Xia Qingtian's mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but ask in her mind.
[Host, please rest assured, the system and the host exist together and will absolutely not deceive the host.] The system's electronic voice echoed in Xia Qingtian's mind. [Xia Shang possesses great talent.]
Hearing the system's words, Xia Qingtian silently glanced at Xia Shang by the dining table, feeling a bit suspicious but saying nothing further.
Father Xia, however, chatted with Xia Shang for a bit. "You're here in Z City to look for work, right? Have you submitted your resume?"
"I have," Xia Shang's voice was still muffled. "Gu Entertainment asked me to go for an interview tomorrow."
Upon hearing this answer, everyone was still a bit surprised. They knew very well what Gu Entertainment represented.
"Then, I'll have someone cook something delicious tomorrow for you to celebrate when you get back," Aunt Liu suggested. "Wishing you all the best in advance."
"Thank you, but... I don't know if I can do it..." Xia Shang lowered his head, his voice growing softer, and he looked even more dispirited.
"It's okay, have a little more confidence," Father Xia said with a chuckle. "It's already great that you got an interview with Gu Entertainment. If it doesn't work out, you can try other jobs. There are plenty of job opportunities here."
"Yes, and if all else fails, you can come to Xia Corporation," Xia Qingtian said to Xia Shang. Since the system had already guaranteed his talent, and with the idea of keeping good resources within the family, Xia Qingtian still hoped to keep Xia Shang.
"Yes," Father Xia nodded.
"Do you have clothes for your Gu Entertainment interview tomorrow?" Xia Qingtian suddenly asked, as if remembering something. Seeing Xia Shang look at her with confusion, Xia Qingtian patted her forehead and asked, "You're not planning to wear... this, are you?"
"Is that not okay?" Xia Shang asked, bewildered.
"..." The Xia family.