14 1.1.14: New Home

When Xiao Yunhua left the owner's office, she was immediately swarmed with the stench of alcohol as compared to the elegant smell of sandalwood in the owner's office. The author followed a bunch of drunk people dancing with a DJ playing music that made her cringe. But luckily, the DJ played a variety of music and the crowd from the door seemed never-ending.

Xiao Yunhua realized that she didn't notice any of this when she followed the owner because she was too busy worrying about whether or not she would get a job here. Luckily, the owner allowed her, albeit a completely different job than she expected. When she painstakingly spun the Wheel of Wonders, she expected to use both her skills to become famous.

She would have used this fame to make Zhou Lang fall in love with her.  But the owner crushed her dreams the moment he said that she would be a cleaner.

A cleaner!?

This was so unexpected! Her voice was perfect, so what was lacking? Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a figure that was slowly making her way to a microphone. The woman was in her mid-twenties and oozed pheromones. She was wearing a black, sexy mermaid gown that clung onto her like a second layer of skin. Her makeup was stunning, especially making her pale skin and blue eyes pop. Her lips were curled into a flirtatiously wicked smile and were tinted in red.

The woman was unlike any woman that Xiao Yunhua had ever seen, in both of her lifetimes.

When the woman opened her mouth, her voice echoed in the club and people, including Xiao Yunhua, couldn't help but watch her, entranced. Her voice wasn't better than Xiao Yunhua's, but Xiao Yunhua knew that she had completely lost.

Maybe she was given the best voice, but she didn't know how to use it like this woman. This woman's voice was like a siren, luring men to their doom and demise. Her voice contained the one thing that Xiao Yunhua's lacked: emotion.

No wonder the owner said that her voice was mediocre! In fact, her dancing might've been mediocre as well. Xiao Yunhua only sang as though she was in autopilot mode. Yet this women poured out her emotions into each song that she sang, making sure that all eyes were on her scarlet lips.

"That's Ni Ming." A voice startled Xiao Yunhua out of her trance and she turned around, only to find the handsome owner with his arms crossed. His eyes never left where Ni Ming was singing as he explained who she was, "Our top entertainer. Now you know why I said that you're mediocre. You may sound nice, but you don't express your sound nicely."

Xiao Yunhua nodded in admiration, "How to learn from her?"

The owner burst out chuckling as he coldly regarded her, "Little girl, first off, she doesn't take any pupils under her. Second, you're only sixteen. Being an entertainer here requires being eighteen."

"Says who—"

"Says the owner himself." He continued after interrupting her, "Besides, you should do the job you're assigned first before wanting anything else."

Xiao Yunhua remained silent but heeded his words. She needed to first complete this job of hers and get their approval before continuing with her mission. She glanced at Ni Ming with a glint of determination in her eye. She vowed to be like her one day.

For now, she had no way of appearing in front of the Zhou family without putting her life in danger. Remembering the hatred that the Zhou Elder, Butler Luo, and Zhou Eldress held for Han Mi and how theywere shocked upon hearing that she, Han Yunhua, was her granddaughter, Xiao Yunhua knew that her life would have been in danger.

Keeping her identity to herself for a while was good. Xiao Yunhua originally planned on attracting Zhou Lang's attention in a few days when he came, but realized that she was so simple and foolish. What would he be attracted to? Her fake minty scent along with her cleaning uniform? Or her dull voice?

She sighed as she followed the owner to the back, where she was introduced to the rest of the staff there. They all were amazed how such a young girl was hired, but when they realized that it was only a cleaning job, they snickered. They looked at her dirtied uniform and immediately, a prejudice of some type filled their hearts against Xiahu Yunhua. When Xiao Yunhua filled out her information to keep in the employee registry, she was given a uniform along with a pair of shoes and was told to go home.

Xiao Yunhua nodded in appreciation when she saw the new clothes, but her eyes saddened when she remembered that she had no home to return to.

She didn't realize it, but the handsome owner was watching her out of the corner of his eye and remembered their conversation from earlier. He furrowed his eyebrows at the thought that the girl really didn't have a home to return to, but brushed off the idea.

There was no way. Maybe she was really an orphan, but she definitely had a home, right?

The owner didn't ponder over the idea and forgot about it until much later, when all the employees had gone home. He started his car and drove by, not seeing the girl anywhere. He sighed and assumed that she was bluffing, but suddenly, he hit his breaks in his car. He saw a young girl with a bag that was sleeping on the park's bench near the Riverside nightclub.

If he hadn't looked again, he wouldn't have recognized the girl except for the fact that she was wearing a dirtied school uniform and had the same bag that he saw the girl have. As he got out of his car, walked towards the park bench, he realized that his speculation was correct.

It was Xiahu Yunhua! Why was a sixteen year old homeless like this? He nudged her awake and her eyelids fluttered open in shock.

Recognition filled them as she tried to stand up, but her legs were both asleep and somewhat numb.

"Mister Owner!" She saluted respectfully in shock, making the man crack a small smile at her serious greeting.

"I have a name, you know." He said, but she shook her head, "It's disrespectful to refer to my boss by his name." Her excuse seemed legitimate, except the man paused, "You don't know my name, do you?"

A rosy blush spread on her skin as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

The man's cold eyes softened and he introduced himself. "Wang Yaowan."

"Wang Yaowan... I'll remember next time!" Xiao Yunhua politely said. After all, he allowed her, a random girl, to get a job at such an exclusive nightclub. Sure it wasn't the job she wanted, but it was a start.

"Where are you staying?" Wang Yaowan ignored her words and asked.

Embarrassment filled her as she murmured, "Somewhere, here and there. No worries, I'll still get to work tomorrow on time."

"Silly girl!" Wang Yaowan harshly scolded, "I literally saw you lying on a public park bench. What if someone tried to do something?"

Xiao Yunhua realized that maybe he was right. She didn't have any martial art skills, currently completely defenseless. The fact that she thought to sleep here just showed how exhausted she was with whatever reality threw at her.

"I..." She hesitated because she didn't know what to say. Unexpectedly, Wang Yaowan demanded for her to get in his car.

Xiao Yunhua's eyes widened as she crossed her arms, protecting her body, "No way! I just met you today! Why would an underaged girl go with you?"

Wang Yaowan rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior and sarcastically asked, "For the same reason that an underaged girl decides to work in a nightclub. If you want to be in danger in the middle of nowhere, then stay."

If he was being honest, Wang Yaowan didn't know why he was doing so much for a stranger. He would call it sympathy and maybe it was because she was so young and on her own. She reminded him of his former self, but for him, nobody was there to offer a hand of support. For her, he would offer her the hand, only if he finds her worthy.

If she was weak, then she would drag him down. If she was strong, then he would support. This was the ideology that was stuck in Wang Yaowan's head.

"You..." Xiao Yunhua sighed and grabbed his offered hand, "I will trust you this once because my situation is this desperate."

Together, they drove in silence until a mansion appeared before them. It was elegant and non-excessively extravagant, giving it a homely yet aristocratic vibe. Xiao Yunhua, in either lifetimes, had never seen such a large mansion except for the Zhou mansion.

"This is where you live?" Xiao Yunhua asked in awe.

Wang Yaowan chuckled at her expression and lead her inside. An elderly housekeeper appeared with a kind smile on her face. "Mr. Wang, welcome back. Should I heat up a light snack?"

"Mrs. Bao," Wang Yaowan respectfully answered to the housekeeper, "there's no need." He suddenly turned around and asked Xiao Yunhua, "Do you want any food?"

Before she could shake her head no, her stomach growled loudly and her face reddened in embarrassment. Wang Yaowan chuckled and told Mrs. Bao to take care and prepare a bath for her as well.

The elderly Mrs. Bao was surprised to see a newcomer at the large mansion, but she didn't question anything.

She ushered for Xiao Yunhua to follow her, and that's exactly what the teenager did.

When Wang Yaowan saw that Xiahu Yunhua was following Mrs. Bao, he turned around and headed to his room to clean up as well...