He could not bear to see them suffer. He, Chu Lui, earned so much money as the CEO of Chu Enterprise. What was he if he let the person he loved and his daughter go out to work?
Xia Ruoxin was slightly stunned. “Rainy…” Her lips quivered as she said her daughter’s name while Rainy stood by her mother’s side and looked at her and then back at Chu Lui in curiosity.
Her long lashes moved from time to time, and the black ball in her eyes showed just how innocent the child was.
Xia Ruoxin lightly squeezed Rainy’s hand. She could not deny that Chu Lui’s words really did succeed in stopping her in her tracks. When she thought back on her working as a coolie, Rainy grew up in that kind of environment alone. She always sat there alone and watched the people move back and forth and would only smile when she could bring her home.
Actually, Rainy really wanted someone to accompany her. She had always been alone; that was why she loved her doll so much. Even at this point, she was still carrying the doll in her arms.
“Ruoxin.” Chu Lui sighed lightly. He clenched his fist by his side and then released it and clenched it again. He had been thinking the whole time on how to convince this woman. Her temper was so stubborn to the point where he was getting a headache.
“Ruoxin, don’t worry. You won’t get your salary for doing nothing at Chu Enterprise. You need to work, too. You can’t be late and can’t leave early. Your salary is based on your work, and you are still using your own abilities to raise yourself and… Rainy. Also, I am… no…” He pressed his lips tightly together. “There is still Du Jingtang there. He can take good care of Rainy since he had always doted on her. Can you just agree to this? For Rainy?”
Finally, Xia Ruoxin released Rainy’s hands and looked up at Chu Lui. She was thinking and hesitating. He was right. She could not care about anything and could do whatever she wanted.
However, she had Rainy.
Rainy was her only weakness, but she seemed to have forgotten that—as the child’s father—Chu Lui loved the child to bits as well.
She could be stubborn and stand by her dignity. However, who could she lie to? She needed money, money to provide for her daughter; and if she had a job, then they could move back into the new house.
She knew that Rainy loved the new house a lot. After moving back, she had never seen her smile. If she could give her daughter a better life, why should she stand by her absurd dignity?
Besides, after so many years, she had not much dignity left.
She lowered her head and caressed her daughter’s hair before looking up and asking Chu Lui, staring at him straight in the eye.
“I want to know. What kind of job will you give me?”
“Let’s sit down and talk.” Chu Lui went to the couch and sat down.
Xia Ruoxin pulled her daughter’s hand and sat in front of him with Rainy in her arms. She let Rainy play on her own while she had to talk to her future boss about her employment conditions.
“I have two jobs for you to choose from.”
Chu Lui was indeed a businessman who could come up with two job posts in such a short time.
“I’m listening. Say.”
Xia Ruoxin looked down. She had a feeling of being under the disposal of someone else and had to lower her pride. She clearly did not want to do anything with that man, but in the end, she still had a complicated relationship with him.
Chu Lui extended his hand towards Rainy. “Come over here, baby. Uncle has something for you.”
Rainy was not like the other children who would immediately run over upon hearing there was something in it for them. She looked at her mother and played with her fingers.
Could she go?
“Go on.” Xia Ruoxin carried her daughter off the couch and let her go over.
Chu Lui was Rainy’s biological father so he would not buy rat poison to poison Rainy.
Rainy walked to Chu Lui and looked up in expectation with her apple-like face. No matter how mature she was, she was still a child, a child that was not yet four with a small face and small hands. It was as if she could crumble in a pinch.
Chu Lui then brought over the things he had.
He opened the bag, and there were a lot of Rainy’s favorite foods inside. The last time they went to the supermarket, she bought these brands; and Chu Lui remembered it by heart.
Even though the snacks were stuffed in big bags, but it was all air inside. When a small child like Rainy was holding it, it looked as if it was bigger than the child herself.
“Thank you, Uncle.” Rainy hugged her snacks and smiled until her eyes were shaped like the crescent moon.
“Go on and play. Uncle and Mommy have something to discuss.”
“Okay.” Rainy carried her bag of snacks and ran inside to eat them with the dolly.
Every time Chu Lui called himself ‘Uncle’, there would be sourness in his heart. He was actually the real father, but he did not even have the chance to hear his own daughter call him ‘Daddy’.
That was enough, back to the serious topic.
He folded his leg, and this couch was a bit too tiny for him. Of course, when he was going to talk about serious business, he would not say much nonsense.
“I have two positions to offer you.”
He held out one finger. “Our company’s cleaner. One month, two thousand dollars. Three days break. Extra three hundred if you’re diligent. Working hours are twelve a day. Meals are not included, and there are no other benefits.”
Xia Ruoxin looked down and held it in.
“Second.” He held out his second finger. “I just so happened to have an opening here. We are working with a book-related event, and it includes photocopying and running errands in the day. One month, eight thousand. You have breaks during weekends. On public holidays, you have three times the pay. Your insurance is covered. Every day, you work for eight hours. Your meals are included; there are housing and transport subsidies. You have ten days of annual leave.
“Choose yourself.”
Chu Lui smiled and said. “I give you one day to think about it.”
“No need.” Xia Ruoxin was not stupid. She really did need money now so she unwillingly looked away and said. “I choose the second one.” The housing subsidy really caused her to waver.
The money that she was left with, she could use it to pay the house mortgage so they could move back. Even though she was not sure how much the subsidy was, but even a mosquito’s meat was still meat. Just based on the salary alone, it was already very attractive.
Besides, it was related to books and paintings so it would not be foreign to her.
“Okay.” Chu Lui stood up. “You can report for work tomorrow. When you come, just say my name.”
“Thank you.” Her one ‘thank you’ made Chu Lui’s heart sink.