There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Chapter 35.2

The camera above rotated slightly to follow them. The electronic display screen beside the door remained black, but a middle-aged woman’s voice came through—

“Please come in, both classmates.”

As the voice spoke, the main door of the villa also opened.

On the steps, a middle-aged woman in casual home clothes nodded to greet them.

Gu Xinqing instinctively shrank back a bit, whispering, “Oh my, Ke Ke, she looks like our high school counselor, seeming very serious and strict.”

“…”

Qin Ke smiled helplessly and pulled Gu Xinqing inside.

Despite its four-story height, the villa seemed almost empty and quiet inside.

Apart from seeing two or three people dressed as housekeepers, Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing followed the middle-aged woman up to the third-floor study without encountering anyone else.

Entering the study, the middle-aged woman invited Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing to sit on the sofa, then spoke calmly.

“Starting from next weekend, Miss Qin Ke will begin tutoring here.”

Qin Ke was stunned, “I thought I was here for an interview?”

“Interview?”

The middle-aged woman smiled and shook her head.

“No need for an interview. We’ve seen your school grades, which are excellent. I don’t think we could find a more suitable young tutor in Qian City.”

Qin Ke was even more confused.

“Then why did you ask me to come today…”

“Ah, just to gather some basic information.”

As she spoke, the woman produced a hardcover folder as if by magic, took out a pen, and carefully compared the questions recorded on the white pages inside the folder.

After a moment, she looked up.

“If it’s convenient, shall we start now?”

“…”

Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing exchanged a glance, then Qin Ke hesitantly turned back and nodded.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Alright. The first question, Miss Qin Ke, when is your birthday?”

“?”

Qin Ke, who had been mentally reviewing the core knowledge points of her high school subjects, was stunned. A few seconds later, she hesitantly looked up, “What?”

The middle-aged woman patiently repeated. “Your birthday.”

This time, sure she hadn’t misheard, Qin Ke’s expression became peculiar, but she still answered truthfully.

“November 27th.”

“Alright, November 27th.” The middle-aged woman quickly wrote it down, then moved her pen to the second question. She looked up, “What are your favorite foods and least favorite foods? — You can list multiple examples.”

Qin Ke: “………..?”

After a ten-minute long interview that felt like a questionnaire, the middle-aged woman left temporarily, leaving Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing sitting in the large study, staring at each other in bewilderment.

Gu Xinqing: “Ke Ke, when did you become famous without me knowing? Are they hiring you as a tutor or inviting you for a TV interview?”

Qin Ke: “I feel like I just filled out a yearbook.”

Gu Xinqing recalled the questions and nodded in sincere agreement.

“Those questions were indeed… very yearbook-like.”

After the two discussed this strange employer in hushed tones for a while, the middle-aged woman reappeared in the study.

After having a servant bring new red tea for Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing, the middle-aged woman smiled and asked Qin Ke the final question.

“Do you need an advance on your salary?”

“An advance?”

Qin Ke looked up in surprise.

The middle-aged woman nodded with a smile, “You’re a very nice young lady, so I’ll be honest with you—my child is extremely difficult to teach. Many tutors have quit in frustration, completely unable to communicate with him. To avoid this happening again, and considering that someone your age tutoring likely has urgent financial needs, I’d like to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

Qin Ke thought for a moment, then nodded, “Please go on.”

“It’s simple. We’ll sign a tutoring contract. You just need to work for the specified time in the contract, and we can advance you part of your pay.”

As she spoke, the middle-aged woman took out a new document and placed it in front of Qin Ke and Gu Xinqing.

She gave a calm yet meaningful smile.

“If you’re worried about the truthfulness of what I’ve said, you can even take the contract to consult with a lawyer.”

“…”

Qin Ke didn’t rush to speak. She took the contract and quickly looked through it.

It was just a draft contract, very simple in content. Relatively speaking, there were more protective clauses for Qin Ke, seemingly confirming what the middle-aged woman had said—they were just using an advance payment to ensure they could keep Qin Ke, an academically excellent young tutor.

But Qin Ke still felt a bit uneasy.

After double-checking the contract contents, Qin Ke looked up at the middle-aged woman.

“May I ask, is your child a girl or a boy?”

The middle-aged woman smiled calmly, seemingly prepared for this question.

“A girl.”

Qin Ke nodded and asked again, “Then what percentage of the payment can be advanced?”

“30%.”

“…”

As soon as the middle-aged woman said this, Qin Ke’s eyes lit up slightly.

“When is the earliest I could receive the advance?”

“As soon as you sign the contract,” the middle-aged woman said. “Of course, Miss Qin Ke needs to guarantee the tutoring hours specified in the contract.”

Qin Ke lowered her eyes slightly.

—

This 30% of the salary was crucial money for her current situation.

Not only could it help her leave the Qin family, but it might also solve her biggest worry about Huo Jingyan’s birthday…

After thinking for a few seconds, Qin Ke looked up.

“I’ll sign.”