Volume 1, Chapter 10: The World Turned Upside Down, the Boss Washes the Employee's Feet

Back at the foot massage parlor, Chen Wen found himself strangely reluctant to set her down. The sensation was so soft and delicate that he felt he could hold her all day without ever growing tired of it.

He carefully placed Su Wen onto a quilt featuring My Little Pony characters and retrieved a collection of medicinal supplies from the first-aid kit. As he selected an antiseptic for her wounds, he asked, "Did you see who pushed you?"

"No."

"Do you have any suspects?"

"No."

Chen Wen frowned. He knew Su Wen well; while she could be a bit prickly at times, she was kind-hearted and not the type to make enemies. Since there were no leads, he would have to check the surveillance footage later.

As he pondered this, Chen Wen reached out to remove Su Wen’s shoes. She quickly retracted her feet, her earlobes turning bright red as she looked at him like a startled kitten. "Boss... please don't, my feet are sweaty and smelly."

Chen Wen shook his head sternly. "No, I have to check. If you’ve injured a bone, we need to get you to the hospital immediately."

"You know about that stuff, Boss?" Su Wen asked, her eyes widening with curiosity.

"Don't be ridiculous. My grandfather was a legendary pioneer in the foot massage industry; he was an authority on anything to do with feet. Naturally, I’ve inherited some of his expertise."

He grabbed her right foot. To match her school uniform, she had chosen a pair of crisp, white sneakers today. As he slid the shoe off, he revealed pink cartoon socks—the girl truly was obsessed with My Little Pony.

Su Wen felt the touch against her feet and blushed deeply, but Chen Wen’s next move made her bite her lip in shyness. With lightning speed, he brought her foot—still encased in the pink sock, displaying a beautifully arched instep—up to his nose, even twitching it slightly as he caught a scent.

"Strange, why isn't it smelly?"

With his years of experience as a parlor owner, Chen Wen had never encountered such magical feet. There was a faint, delicate scent of gardenia. Could it be that this girl’s sweat actually smelled like flowers?

"Don't..."

Chen Wen curled his lip, but his hand remained firm. He patted her calf. "Stay still."

He peeled off the pink sock, revealing a foot as white as lard. The ancients were right—smooth as jade, with a rosy tint, fragrant and tender. The sole was soft and pink; this was truly a perfect, exquisite foot.

He had initially suspected the scent came from laundry detergent, but as he tossed the sock aside, the fragrance grew more intense. Chen Wen was finally convinced.

"It’s sweaty... Boss." Su Wen could barely keep her eyes open; she didn't dare imagine what expression Chen Wen was wearing.

"Mm, I know."

"You careless girl. Thankfully, no bones are broken; just a swollen ankle and a scraped knee. Don't take a bath today."

After stepping out of the room, Chen Wen hesitated for a full minute before deciding not to remove the "Closed" sign, locking the front door behind him.

***

The two older massage therapists left with smiles on their faces, happy to have another day of paid leave. Chen Wen brought over a basin of steaming warm water and sat on a low stool in front of Su Wen.

"You’re the first person to ever make the boss wash an employee's feet," he teased. Before she could refuse, he lowered her feet into the warm water.

Normally, one shouldn't soak a sprain in hot water within twenty-four hours, but Chen Wen knew how to manage it perfectly. He gently cushioned her feet, letting the warm water trickle over her rosy, delicate insteps.

Perhaps due to the rising temperature, Su Wen’s face turned red all the way to her neck, and her lithe body trembled slightly.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Then why are you shivering?"

"It hurts."

"Want me to blow on it for you?"

"Mm."

Chen Wen stood up, carried away the basin of cooling water, and gave her a final instruction before leaving. "Take the day off. I’ll be right outside the room; call me if you feel uncomfortable."

Su Wen was still dazed. Wrapped in the pink quilt with only her head peeking out, she stared at Chen Wen and nodded. He shook his head with a smile—had she bumped her head during the fall? She looked so silly.

Closing the door, Chen Wen’s expression turned solemn. He needed to know which wretch had dared to push Su Wen. As it happened, he had a recruitment scroll in his inventory, and now he had a target. The two older therapists had been talking about retiring soon, and he had been worried about finding suitable replacements. Although he would have to use a standard recruitment—meaning the new hire wouldn't have special bonus effects like Su Wen—it was worth it to get justice for her.

Perhaps Chen Wen didn't even realize how much his attitude toward Su Wen had shifted.

[Su Wen's Happiness Level: 69]

Inside the room, on the small pink bed, Su Wen clutched her pillow, still wrapped in the quilt. Her beautiful eyes were fixed ahead, lost in thought. Suddenly, she looked down at her feet, wiggled her two cute big toes, and flashed a smile, revealing her small fangs. She felt around the corner of the bed—if she remembered correctly, her socks were there, but they were gone.

Could it be the boss...? At the thought, her face, which had finally calmed down, flushed red once more.

...

"Thump, thump, thump! Open up!"

"Bastard, you let Wenwen get hurt!" Zhang Bo cursed loudly. As a man, how could he let the girl he loved get hurt?

Chen Wen pushed the door open, expressionless, and pointed to the wooden sign that read "Closed." "Sorry, the shop is closed today. We aren't taking any customers."

Just then, Zhang Bo grabbed Chen Wen by the collar in a fit of emotion and shoved him into the parlor. "Are you even a man? How did you protect Wenwen?"

Perhaps it was his agitation, but Zhang Bo’s face was beet-red, as if he were ready to devour Chen Wen. Seeing this, a wave of unexplained anger surged within Chen Wen. What right did this guy have to meddle in Su Wen’s affairs?

Breaking free from Zhang Bo’s grip, Chen Wen sneered. "If you really cared about her, you wouldn't be here making a scene. Why aren't you checking the surveillance footage to see who pushed her?"

Zhang Bo’s face stiffened, and he glared at Chen Wen viciously. "I’ll settle the score with you once I catch the culprit."

He slammed the door with a loud bang and left without looking back. Chen Wen straightened his clothes and gave a helpless laugh. Zhang Bo, the wealthy young heir, was quite famous at Quanzhou University for being a bully who only picked on those he deemed weak. He might be concerned about Su Wen now, but once he "got" her, he would likely grow bored before long—there had been plenty of examples of that before.

Still, for Chen Wen, using him to check the footage and investigate the culprit was certainly convenient.

His phone rang. Chen Wen glanced at the screen: "Caller: Useless Old Man."

Chen Wen raised an eyebrow. Why was his father calling? Had the stock market crashed again, leaving them without money for food? "Yeah? I’m working, I’m busy." He moved to hang up, not giving the other party a chance to speak.

"You brat, wait! I’m not asking for money this time! Your aunt found you a blind date—a big boss's daughter. Get back here! Whether we ever have to work again for the rest of our lives depends on this!"

Chen Wen rolled his eyes. "Not interested."