The fish that the boss bought is good.

At Zhouzhuang, as soon as Ming Shuyan parked the scooter, Ming Shuzhen shot up from the seat.

Her dramatic reaction puzzled Ming Shuyan, who glanced at her and moved the scooter to the parking area.

“Let’s go in,” she said, readjusting the sweater draped over her shoulders.

Wrapped in her coat and scarf, Ming Shuzhen still shivered from the cold. Seeing Ming Shuyan in so little, she couldn’t help asking, “Boss, aren’t you cold wearing so little?”

Ming Shuyan glanced at her. “I run hot.”

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen blinked. ‘Does that mean her periods are super regular?’

But she’d never ask such a personal question. She barely knew Ming Shuyan, having only exchanged a few words.

“Boss,” Ming Shuzhen tried to keep the conversation going, but Ming Shuyan was already striding into the market.

The market’s entrance was a revolving glass door. Ming Shuyan pushed it forward with one hand.

Ming Shuzhen followed quietly behind.

Inside, they were greeted by a large, bright tank filled with vibrant, colorful fish swimming in clusters, creating a striking visual effect.

The display area featured tanks of various shapes arranged artfully, with carefully designed landscapes at their bases.

Soft lighting shimmered on the water, highlighting the fish’s lively movements.

The air carried a faint fishy smell mixed with the fresh scent of aquatic plants.

Whether it was the lack of heating or the heat-absorbing water tanks, the indoor temperature felt barely warmer than outside.

The different species of ornamental fish were kept in separate large tanks, with water pumps creating a gentle gurgling sound that made the air feel even cooler.

“Cold?” Ming Shuyan slowed to walk beside Ming Shuzhen, noticing her huddled in her scarf.

‘Freezing,’ Ming Shuzhen thought, but she said, “It’s okay.”

“Mm, don’t wear a coat when riding a scooter. A down jacket’s warmer,” Ming Shuyan advised.

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen looked down. Her coat had cost her a hefty three thousand yuan, yet it wasn’t keeping her warm.

‘How much is the boss’s shirt?’ she wondered. It looked thin but seemed to keep her warm.

While Ming Shuyan was looking at the fish, Ming Shuzhen snapped a quick photo of her shirt and ran it through Taobao’s image search.

The search only identified the style—a string of English from some brand without an official Taobao store.

Ming Shuzhen didn’t know many luxury brands, and the English was unreadable to her. A quick search revealed the unassuming shirt cost over 2,700 yuan.

A shirt as expensive as her coat? Highway robbery…

No wonder the boss wasn’t cold. Wearing 2,700 yuan would make anyone feel warm.

Ming Shuzhen stared at Ming Shuyan’s shirt, dreaming of buying a fancy one herself someday to look the part.

Not a 2,700-yuan one, though—that was too much. Maybe a 700-yuan one.

“What’re you spacing out for?” Ming Shuyan’s voice snapped her out of her daydream.

“Huh?” Ming Shuzhen looked at the boss. “Nothing, just looking at the fish.”

Ming Shuyan gave her a skeptical glance. “Let’s buy from this stall. The fish look lively.”

“Okay,” Ming Shuzhen nodded, grabbing a net by the tank. “Boss, you scoop.”

The net wasn’t large, and the fish in this tank were small.

Ming Shuyan glanced at the net, said nothing, and didn’t take it.

“…” Ming Shuzhen wondered if the boss was afraid to scoop fish.

She pulled the net back, forcing a laugh. “I’ll do it, haha.”

Truthfully, she’d never scooped fish either. But since they were small, it shouldn’t be too hard.

The little goldfish in the tank swam energetically.

Ming Shuzhen dipped the net in, picking left and right, feeling every fish was nice but not quite perfect.

She left the net in the water, hoping a fish would swim in on its own.

Gripping the handle, she leaned forward, waiting for a fish to take the bait.

Nearby, other buyers boldly scooped up handfuls of fish.

Ming Shuyan stood beside her, shielding her from the water splashed by others.

She looked at the empty net floating in the tank without rushing her.

Luckily, the tank was full, and soon a small goldfish swam into the net.

Its tail fin fanned lightly, leaving a trail of ripples.

Ming Shuzhen lifted the net, checked for missing scales, and quickly transferred the fish to a small bucket nearby.

With the first fish caught, she went for a second.

She dipped the net back in, waiting again for a fish to “bite.”

The second took longer.

The water was unsettled from the first catch, and no fish swam her way.

Finally catching another, Ming Shuyan couldn’t watch anymore and took the net from her.

Her hand suddenly empty, Ming Shuzhen looked at the person now beside her.

For her first day, she’d done full makeup, though her skills were basic—usually just some primer.

The boss’s makeup, though, was flawless, with perfectly defined brows.

Ming Shuzhen’s brow grooming was cautious, leaving stray hairs or stubble.

But Ming Shuyan’s brows? Not a single stray.

“Boss, do you use a brow razor?” Ming Shuzhen asked foolishly, watching Ming Shuyan roll up her sleeves to scoop fish.

Ming Shuyan turned to her, not answering, her gaze lingering on Ming Shuzhen’s brows for a few seconds.

“Your brow shape’s good. No need to groom.”

“But I have stray hairs,” Ming Shuzhen muttered, as if chatting with a close friend about makeup.

Except this was her boss.

“You can’t tell unless you’re up close,” Ming Shuyan said, glancing at her.

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen wanted to ask what she used but figured a 2,700-yuan shirt meant expensive tools too.

She couldn’t afford that.

Better not ask.

Ming Shuyan, unaware that Ming Shuzhen had priced her shirt and rated her makeup, plunged the net into a swirl of fish, scooping up a bunch.

“Isn’t that too many?” she asked Ming Shuzhen.

Ming Shuzhen nodded. The tank by the elevator was small, and she wanted to choose carefully.

She took a smaller net and released the less lively fish from Ming Shuyan’s haul back into the tank.

“These should do. Let me count them,” Ming Shuzhen said as Ming Shuyan poured the fish into the bucket.

“Grab some fish food too,” Ming Shuyan suggested.

‘The boss thinks of everything,’ Ming Shuzhen thought, but didn’t say it, worried it’d sound like flattery.

The stall also sold filters, aquatic plant lights, and decorative stones. Ming Shuyan asked if they needed any.

Ming Shuzhen shook her head. Meilin hadn’t mentioned those, so they probably weren’t needed.

Besides, the tank was small—adding decorations would make cleaning tricky.

The fish were sold by weight. Ming Shuyan handed the bucket to the vendor.

“Seventy-two yuan. Fish food’s free,” the vendor said, weighing the bucket, pouring the fish into a bag, and pumping in oxygen.

Ming Shuyan scanned the payment code and picked up the bag.

“Boss, send me the payment screenshot. I’ll get it reimbursed,” Ming Shuzhen said, having missed her chance to pay earlier.

Ming Shuyan glanced at her. “No need.”

“It’s on me, for Team Two,” she added.

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen blinked, saying nothing more.

On the way back, Ming Shuzhen sat on the scooter’s back seat, holding the bag.

“You good?” Ming Shuyan turned to check, a bit concerned.

“Mm,” Ming Shuzhen nodded, though holding the bag meant she couldn’t grip anything, and her back ached from sitting.

They rode back to the company in the cold wind.

“You go up. I’m not heading back yet,” Ming Shuyan said, parking the scooter.

“Okay, thanks, Boss,” Ming Shuzhen waved politely.

Carrying the chill and the bag of fish, she entered the building.

The receptionist spotted her from afar. “Shuzhen, you went to buy fish?”

“Mm,” Ming Shuzhen nodded, her glasses fogging up again.

“Let me take those off for you,” the receptionist said, deftly removing her glasses.

With her hands full, Ming Shuzhen’s vision cleared instantly.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “What’s your name, sister?”

“Hah, I’m Ke Mingpeng,” the receptionist said, her cheerful face matching her lively personality.

“Wow, what a bold name,” Ming Shuzhen noted.

“Go on up. I’ll press the elevator,” Ke Mingpeng said, tucking the glasses into Ming Shuzhen’s coat pocket.

“No, no, I got it,” Ming Shuzhen said, not wanting to trouble her further. She shuffled forward quickly.

Using her elbow to open a regular elevator, she let out a long breath.

Finally feeling some warmth, she still found it unbelievable that the boss wasn’t cold in so little clothing.

On the fourth floor, Meilin greeted her with a cheer as she stepped out.

“You’re back! Was it cold out? Did you take the subway? How much was it?” Meilin took the bag without rushing to put the fish in the tank.

She set the bag gently on top of the tank, where it tilted slightly due to buoyancy, the fish sliding to one side.

Ming Shuzhen rubbed her hands and put her glasses back on.

“A bit cold. I rode the scooter. Seventy-two yuan, and they threw in fish food,” she said, pulling out the food to show Meilin.

“Hah,” Meilin laughed at her earnest tone.

“Send the payment screenshot to finance.”

“Uh…” Ming Shuzhen hesitated, then came clean. “The boss went with me and paid. She said it’s her treat for Team Two.”

“!” Meilin had been the only one nearby, but now the whole team looked up at Ming Shuzhen.

Uncomfortable under their stares, she stopped rubbing her hands.

“Should I… transfer the money to the boss?” It didn’t feel right using her money.

Maybe the boss was just being polite, and she’d been too clueless to insist on paying.

“No!” Meilin said loudly, laughing. “No need, haha.”

Qian Duoduo came over, eyeing the fish and exchanging a glance with Meilin, her freshly applied lipstick vibrant.

“Why’d you ride the scooter? That’s so cold,” Qian Duoduo said, pulling Ming Shuzhen closer. “Let Dou Youmi get you something warm.”

Meilin snapped to attention, hugging Ming Shuzhen tightly to share some warmth.

“Didn’t your family get you a car? Riding a scooter?” she asked.

“I got my license but haven’t driven much. I’m a bit scared to hit the road,” Ming Shuzhen said.

“That’s not right. You should at least have a driver,” Meilin said, based on her assumptions about wealthy people.

“Come on, scooters are eco-friendly,” Qian Duoduo said, handing Ming Shuzhen hot tea from Dou Youmi. “It’s about living the real life.”

Ming Shuzhen took the tea. Though she’d worn gloves, her hands were cold, and the warmth felt good.

She didn’t get Meilin and Qian Duoduo’s talk of drivers and “living the real life.” For eco-friendliness, wouldn’t a bike be better?

“Um, Sister Meilin, so I really don’t need to pay the boss back?” she asked again, worried she’d been too literal and missed the boss’s polite gesture.

“No, no,” Meilin said, even more emphatically, waving her hands.

She pulled Ming Shuzhen close and whispered, “Tell the boss Team Two is super, super grateful.”

“Look at these fish! So red and black,” Qian Duoduo said, inspecting the bag with a “tsk tsk tsk.”

“Fish bought by the boss are just better.” “Why do these fish seem extra lively?”