Watching Lady Ayako walk away, Xu Xiaoyou knew that this was their last meeting. Unfinished goodwill is a kind of poison, self-righteously extending a helping hand to others but not offering salvation, only causing them to fall deeper into the abyss.

Even the slightest warmth should have a beginning and an end.

Xu Xiaoyou slowly let go of the Peace Bracelet clenched in her palm. This bracelet had helped her quite a bit.

She started to tidy up the items in the room, which she had set up as a reception room for each guest. Analyzing the guest's personality and experiences, every seemingly insignificant detail was carefully designed by her to ensure the guest's comfort while alone with her.

Relying solely on charm to enjoy the fruits of your labor is impossible. Offering genuine service doesn't always guarantee a return, but without it, all your gains will inevitably slip away. She truly put in a lot of effort in this area.

Xu Xiaoyou washed her hands at the sink as Angelina walked out of the booth, cursing under her breath. A young girl chased after her with teary eyes, "Little White Flower, what did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?"

"Don't touch me. Stay away!" Angelina hissed, lowering her voice. As she shook off the girl's hand, she had to control her strength to avoid hurting her.

"Treat me a little worse, Little White Flower."

Angelina almost got goosebumps, wondering what was wrong with these people. Despite her sour face, the girl seemed insistent on clinging to her.

The girl on the ground looked around and, after spotting Xu Xiaoyou with a smile on her face, dryly coughed twice, shrugged off her designer bag, and walked off. Her shiny long hair swayed in the wind, and the air was filled with the scent of the Blue Nile series perfume.

Watching the girl's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Xu Xiaoyou turned to Angelina, who looked utterly disgusted, "When can I leave this place? I've had enough."

"Why did I end up becoming an employee here with you?"

"If Anya is willing to move out, I wouldn't stop her." Xu Xiaoyou made a shushing gesture as her screen beeped. Someone was calling.

The image on the bluish screen slowly became clear: a girl with dark red hair lay bored on the desk, kicking the chair in front of her while poking at her notebook with a pen.

At this moment, it seemed to be break time on Mori's side. In the corridor, students were shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing and shoving. In the noisy classroom, dyed-haired girls sitting on the desks deliberately rolled up their pleated skirts. Their legs were raised high, black calf socks tracing arcs in the air. They put on makeup, playfully teasing the shy boys without caring if their skirt angles revealed anything. If anyone looked up then, they would surely become the laughingstock of these naughty girls for a year.

Mori Natsuki seemed startled as if she hadn't expected the call she made in a huff to be answered. She quickly straightened up, closed the tattered notebook she was poking, and drew back her leg that was kicking the front row's chair.

"You… You?" Mori Natsuki stammered.

"I saw it all. Are you bullying others, Rice Wine?" Xu Xiaoyou's face was rarely stern.

"N-no, of course not! Xiaoxu, tell her, right? I've never bullied you!"

Mori Natsuki, seeing the girl in front of her not reacting for a while, urged her anxiously. Yukawa Maki then confusedly looked up; the girl's face had freckles, her greasy, tangled hair looked like it hadn't been washed for two days. Her thick lenses were impenetrable, blocking the view behind her.

"Y-yes, Mori Natsuki never bullied me."

Yukawa Maki lowered her head, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible like a mosquito. Mori Natsuki was a bit dissatisfied, "Speak louder."

Yukawa Maki, unable to meet Mori's strong gaze, said nothing more.

It's true she didn't bully me. To put it accurately, Miss Mori had always looked after me.

Her father was an alcoholic for many years; her mother couldn't support the family alone. It was Mori Natsuki who grandly covered my three years of tuition, only asking me to carry her bag and run errands for her. If someone bullied me, it was Mori who stood up for me...

Everyone in the school knew Mori Natsuki came from a wealthy family, and no one would dare go against her.

"When I need your help, you become mute." Mori grumbled discontentedly.

"S-sorry." Yukawa Maki ducked her head below her shoulders.

"How many times have I told you, stop saying sorry for no reason; my ears are tired of hearing it."

Mori Natsuki drew back her leg, repositioned the screen before her, and looked awkward, "You, I'm really not bullying her; they all can vouch for me."

"So why did you suddenly think to call me?" Xu Xiaoyou asked softly.

"You haven't contacted me in days. We used to chat every night before bed. I just wanted to hear your voice..."

Suddenly, a few of Mori Natsuki's classmates gathered around, noticing Xu Xiaoyou's attire and the Mint Green Leaf Store bartender uniform she wore. They burst into laughter. One wrapped an arm around Mori Natsuki's shoulder and laughed, "Rice Wine, is this your little Green Leaf you keep outside, or is she your boyfriend? Oh my, her skin is better than ours and looks more like a girl than we do!"

"I just wanted to hear your voice, ew~ So the Little Witch also has this side, tsk tsk tsk."

"But I must admit, Rice Wine, you have good taste. She's really pretty, hehe. She looks a bit like that popular one in Dragonfly Town lately, the one with the most votes for three weeks in a row, what's her name, Dark Gold Rose?"

"The one with the same name as the fifth place Cleaner in the Light Prism Tier, hahaha."

"You're all so noisy!" Mori exploded in anger, abruptly hanging up the call. She had worked up the courage to dial You's screen number, only for them to ruin it.

"She's just my friend, nothing more, so annoying, get lost everyone!"

Mori waved her fists, and the girls around exchanged a knowing look, full of unspoken messages, and tactfully dispersed.

Mori sat in her seat, her face slightly flushed, tugging at the button of her collar. She lightly tapped Yukawa Maki's chair: "It's obviously autumn, but it's so hot. Xiaoxu, go buy me a bottle of lime tea."

The girl in the front row obediently stood up, took the money Mori tossed over, and after counting over a thousand credit points, she waved her hands frantically, "It's too much..."

Mori frowned, "You take it and go quickly. The rest is yours, just go."

Just as Yukawa Maki turned to leave, Mori's voice came again. Her frowning eased a bit, unconsciously asking, "How's your mother doing? Is her health better?"

A light shone into Yukawa Maki's clear eyes behind her glasses, her eyes sparkling. She nodded vigorously: "After the surgery, she's much better. The doctor said if she hadn't gone to the hospital earlier, many health issues could've dragged on and made things tricky. Thank you, Xiaoxia."

Mori looked away, "Don't call me that, how many times have I told you. Call me Mori Natsuki or Rice Wine, either is fine."

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