I have to say, Qing Lan is definitely a model employee for the new era. Hmm... the kind of employee who's especially good to herself.

Even though Qiu Tu just painted her a big picture and promised her benefits, the moment he opened his mouth to assign her a mission, she instantly got on guard.

She tucked the big pie Qiu Tu gave her carefully into her arms, made sure he wouldn't snatch it back, and then used her big, watery eyes to look at Qiu Tu as she said, "Qiu Tu, do you know what I dreaded most back when I was in the 'Fog Hidden Association'?"

Qiu Tu was caught off guard for a moment, then asked curiously, "What?"

Qing Lan puffed her little face up until she looked like a steamed bun. "What I hated most was when Tian Qi wanted to chat with me."

"Once we started talking, he'd sigh about how the 'Fog Hidden Association' was in a slump, how the old members lacked motivation, the new members couldn't handle responsibility, the city's tax revenue wasn't coming in, and the West God King wanted to increase our tribute."

"Anyone who knew better would realize he was just setting things up. Anyone who didn't might actually believe it was all my fault the organization was going under."

"Then, by the end of the conversation, he'd say he wanted me to take on more responsibilities, give me even more stuff to handle."

At this, Qing Lan paused, then continued, "Honestly... as long as the pay is good and the missions are assigned normally, I can deal with it."

"But... what I really can't stand is when the pay and the workload don't match."

"So every time, I'd just pretend to agree on the surface, but actually do nothing behind the scenes."

After she finished, Qing Lan glanced innocently at Qiu Tu again, her big eyes blinking, all innocent.

Hearing Qing Lan's words, Qiu Tu couldn't help but laugh. This girl really was shrewd—a total sly fox, and she was amazing at talking in riddles.

On the surface, she was complaining about Tian Qi, but deep down, she was blocking Qiu Tu in advance.

——Obligations and rights should be balanced. Pay me as much, I'll do that much work.

She might be taking those perks, but if Qiu Tu thought that was enough to make her work herself to death—no way!

But honestly, Qiu Tu never expected to buy Qing Lan's loyalty so easily with a few perks, anyway. The more he interacted with her, the more he realized she really was "woke" to life.

No internal drama, doesn't buy into empty promises, if there's a problem it's always someone else's fault, if there's danger she's out of there before you can blink—survival first, everything else second.

People like her are hard to truly win over—but if you do win their loyalty, it's nearly impossible to lose it.

And truth is, getting through to a woman like that was simple: just keep being good to her.

Because she's so clear-headed, she's not the type to suck up endlessly, nor would she ever turn into a backstabber.

She'll always know exactly who treats her well and who doesn't. And... the ones who really treat her well? In her eyes, that's irreplaceable in this world.

Thinking all this, Qiu Tu snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at Qing Lan and said with a laugh, "You've got it wrong. I wasn't planning to make you do anything dangerous."

"I just want you, while you're competing with her, to help us pass on some letters."

When Qing Lan heard this, her eyes went wide with surprise.

She stared at Qiu Tu in disbelief and said, "Don't tell me you've even gotten Shao Hua?"

Qiu Tu: ...

Qiu Tu's "reputation" must have really gotten around, and seeing the look on his face, Qing Lan was nearly one hundred percent convinced her guess was right. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She grinned and leaned in toward Qiu Tu, elbowing him playfully with her little arm, full of gossip: "Qiu Tu, tell me, how did you snag that ice queen?"

"Was it sweet talk? Did she fall for you over time?"

"Or... did you sleep with her first and talk later? Let her experience all your, well, 'generosity and depth'?"

Qiu Tu: .....

It was as if Qing Lan hadn't seen Qiu Tu's speechless face at all. After interrogating him, she was all gossipy—

"You have no idea how famous Shao Hua's coldness is."

"Just over the last few years, she's killed not less than eighty, maybe even a hundred, of her would-be suitors."

At this, Qing Lan gestured with her little hand, "Not a figure of speech, by the way, I mean literally killed them~~"

"Don't forget, she's related to the Southern God King. Unless she ticks off one of the other God Kings, no one dares to mess with her."

Listening to these gossip tidbits, Qiu Tu didn't take any of it to heart. All his attention was on Qing Lan's eyes.

Qing Lan's eyes were clear and pure, not a trace of gossip within them—instead, they glimmered with rationality. The things she said and the things she did were totally different.

Clearly... she was putting on a show.

Qiu Tu, well-versed in reading people, saw right through her immediately:

This girl probably thought he had a thing for Shao Hua and was using this talk to subtly let him in on some info and gently try to talk him out of it.

'See... this kind of woman, if you treat her well, she knows it. And she'll repay you in her own way—even go out of her way to help you save face.'

Thinking that, Qiu Tu decided not to let the misunderstanding keep brewing. He smiled and said, "You're overthinking it. I'm not that desperate."

"It's just that there are some things I can't handle directly, and I'm worried someone might be watching me, so I thought I'd ask you for help."

At this, Qiu Tu added flatly, "Don't forget... your official identity is still as a high-ranking member of the 'Fog Hidden Association.'"

As a woman who'd gotten a 90 out of 100 from Zhao Ji herself, whether it was talent or brains, Qing Lan was top-notch.

So with just the slightest hint, she got it instantly.