Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 4

After the supervisor left, Huai Xu stared at the black envelope in her hand and the souvenir left by the door.

The souvenir was a gift bag wrapped with satin ribbons, its exquisiteness starkly contrasting the chipped wall of her house. The gift emanated a fresh scent of perfume that, when mixed with the faint musty smell of its surroundings, created an oppressive and indescribable atmosphere.

Nothing about the gift fit the environment it was in.

Huai Xu understood the purpose of Song Yingshi's keycard.

It was a reminder that she, Huai Xu, was a kept woman. It reminded her of her lowly status.

Huai Xu placed the keycard aside, unwilling to spare it another glance.

She walked over to the mirror, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes as she stared at herself.

Song Ming and Song Yingshi. Both were seemingly infatuated with her face, yet she could never understand their logic.

She held a pair of scissors to her face, contemplating on whether she should rid herself of this problem magnet once and for all. However, after what felt like an eternity, she abandoned this line of thought.

I'm not the one who should pay the price, Huai Xu thought to herself.

A strange calmness settled over her heart, and nothing seemed to matter to her anymore.

She set aside the scissors carefully, washed her face, and prepared for what would come tomorrow.

…

Six o'clock the next morning, a Mulsanne pulled up in front of Huai Xu's apartment, and the chauffeur stood at attention by the vehicle, waiting.

Such extravagance was rarely seen in this rundown part of S City, so it drew many eyes from the residents of the area.

However, when Huai Xu, a poor but beautiful girl, entered the luxury vehicle, the residents' curious gazes quickly turned contemptuous.

…

In contrast to Huai Xu's VIP treatment, Song Yingshi jogged to the Capella Hotel herself. By the time she arrived, she was drenched in sweat and gasping for air, but she felt great nonetheless.

She reveled in the feeling of perspiration, the tangible evidence that she was still alive.

Fortunately, her new body was in good physical condition, so she only needed to focus on maintaining its fitness. In addition to her daily dance practice, she intended to incorporate regular workout sessions into her routine.

With such thoughts in mind, Song Yingshi went to her suite and took a shower.

Song Yingshi started her jog from home early, so it wasn't even eight o'clock when she left the bathroom. Dressed in a bathrobe, she replied to some messages and watched videos of girl groups before she heard a beep from the front door.

That must be Huai Xu.

Song Yingshi left the bedroom and saw the hotel's supervisor escorting Huai Xu into the living room.

Recalling the power play from yesterday, Song Yingshi put on an expression even colder than Huai Xu's and said, "At least you're punctual."

When Huai Xu saw Song Yingshi dressed only in a bathrobe, her calm composure broke momentarily.

As for the hotel supervisor, his thoughts started to run wild:

Isn't Miss Song a little too eager? She's already getting prepared this early in the morning?

But why is Miss Song the one who showers first and waits for Miss Huai? Just who is the one on… Wait, I can't have such thoughts about a top client!

The supervisor promptly halted his train of thought and tactfully retreated from the suite, making sure the door was closed properly on his way out.

…

Back inside the suite, Song Yingshi, wholly unaware of the misunderstanding she had created, walked over to the small dining table and said to Huai Xu, "Come. Let's eat before we get to work."

Huai Xu felt an impulse to turn around and leave the moment she heard the words "get to work." However, after contemplating her options, she ultimately approached the dining table and sat across Song Yingshi.

Set before her was a colorful platter, exquisitely decorated. Upon closer inspection, she saw a hard-boiled egg, vegetables, lean meat, and whole grains. There was also a glass of milk to wash everything down.

"Eat," Song Yingshi said before picking up a hard-boiled egg and eating it with apparent enjoyment.

For a moment, the way Song Yingshi savored the hard-boiled egg made Huai Xu wonder if it wasn't actually a plain hard-boiled egg but some delicacy intricately prepared by a chef. However, when she grabbed one for herself and took a bite out of it, she found that it was just an ordinary egg, no different from the ones sold cheaply in supermarkets.

Huai Xu did not finish her hard-boiled egg, leaving half of it untouched. She preferred fried eggs with runny yolks.

Even after finishing her salad and toast, she never touched the hard-boiled egg again.

When Song Yingshi finished her sumptuous breakfast and saw that there was still a half-eaten egg on Huai Xu's plate, she looked at it regretfully and asked, "Why didn't you finish it?"

"I don't want to eat it," Huai Xu answered bluntly.

"But eggs are good," Song Yingshi stated.

"I don't like hard-boiled eggs," Huai Xu said, looking at Song Yingshi.

Song Yingshi knew that some people disliked the texture of hard-boiled eggs. Although she found it a pity, she didn't force Huai Xu to finish the egg and simply said, "Alright, then. But at least finish your meat." Otherwise, you're going to have insufficient protein intake.

While nibbling on some bitter greens, Huai Xu scoffed, "Does a sugar mommy's responsibilities include diet monitoring?"

Song Yingshi's face twitched momentarily at Huai Xu's words. However, she quickly recovered, refusing to give Huai Xu the upper hand. She responded sternly, "Between the egg and the meat, you must pick one."

She delivered these words with the same undeniable authority as if she were saying, "Tonight, you must choose between the bathroom and the balcony."

"..."

"Also, don't call me a sugar mommy; call me 'Boss,'" Song Yingshi added, clarifying the hierarchical relationship.

Last night, Song Yingshi read through the novel this world was centered around as a bedtime story and had an epiphany.

What good was there in being Huai Xu's sugar mommy?

Despite all the abuse Song Ming inflicted upon her, Huai Xu never developed any feelings for him in the original story. Song Ming even nearly drank himself to death at the end.

The two other male protagonists didn't fare much better.

One of the male protagonists shouted at Huai Xu until he lost his voice. He tried desperately to win her affection, but when he was hospitalized with a stomach ulcer, she never visited him. He even fought with the two other male protagonists to the point where they tore at each other's hair, and his business fell into shambles.

Song Yingshi felt a deep sense of crisis as she read the novel, realizing the misery that came with being Huai Xu's sugar mommy.

However, this was all the author's cruel creation. Huai Xu was innocent throughout these situations.

Upon reaching this understanding, Song Yingshi decided to change her approach—she would use the lover's contract only as a front and aim to become Huai Xu's capitalistic boss. Then, she would teach Huai Xu the harsh realities of life.

On her first day as Boss Song, Song Yingshi looked at her employee Huai Xu and announced, "You won't have to attend any recording sessions for the foreseeable future. Don't go to work, either. Leave your schedule management to me. You are going to be very tired today, so for now, eat well."

After saying so, Song Yingshi refilled Huai Xu's glass of milk, ensuring her employee was satiated.

"..."

Huai Xu initially had the urge to retort Song Yingshi's unilateral decisions, but it unknowingly faded at the sound of her glass being refilled.

…

As Huai Xu started on her second glass of milk, Song Yingshi finished her breakfast and went to the bedroom.

Song Yingshi left the bedroom door slightly ajar as if hinting at something or inviting her to something, much like that keycard.

When Huai Xu finished her milk, Song Yingshi reappeared at the bedroom door.

"Are you done eating?" Song Yingshi asked.

"Mhm." Huai Xu nodded, looking at Song Yingshi with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to head out for a bit," Song Yingshi said while checking her phone. "You stay here; I'll have someone to come teach you. Make sure you learn well. I'll be inspecting your progress when I get back."

"What are you making me learn?" Huai Xu demanded, warmth leaving her face.

?

Song Yingshi instantly understood what was going through Huai Xu's mind, and she hated herself for understanding so quickly. She was unclean now, and it was all the internet's fault.

However, when Song Yingshi saw the cold and aloof Huai Xu change expression so quickly, she felt a subtle sense of delight. She decided to forgo explaining and simply smiled, saying, "What do you think?"

"..."

"Make sure you learn everything properly, okay? I'll be very thorough in my inspection," Song Yingshi said, humming a merry tune as she left the suite.

…

Huai Xu was not interested in waiting to find out what kind of "lesson" awaited her. A few minutes after Song Yingshi left, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

However, as soon as Huai Xu opened the door, she was greeted by a group of people. The group comprised men and women, each dressed in a distinct style.

Both sides stared at each other in surprise.

After a moment of silence, the leader of the group asked, "Are you Huai Xu?"

"...Yes."

"We were hired by Miss Song to be your instructors. We will be giving you lessons on vocals, music composition, dance, posture, expression management, stage performance, entertainment industry basics, fitness, and academics."

"What?" Huai Xu was a little dazed.

"We've reviewed your details and tailored an effective curriculum for you. You have an average of 11 lessons a day. Time is tight, so let's get started!"