Chapter 72 - Self-Rescue Manual of a Villainess

Although Nan Yin had tied on an apron and began fiddling with the pastries on the counter, her assistance was clearly just for show. Miao Luo noticed the silver-haired girl's distracted air, so when Chen Yi actively proposed that Nan Yin take a day off for the three of them to chat, both Miao Luo and Nan Yin quickly agreed to the suggestion. Of course, the conversation was not lacking in topics—Nan Yin had just sat down when she expressed her intention to quit her job. "Quit your job?" The beautiful woman with a pair of fox ears raised them slightly in surprise. She then looked towards Chen Yi, and upon seeing her husband's puzzled face, Miao Luo immediately asked, "Xiao Yin, why do you want to quit? Is there something unsatisfactory about working here, or is it too tiring?" Hearing this, Nan Yin felt somewhat amused. In other places, employees worry about performing poorly and getting fired by their bosses, but here, it seemed Miao Luo was concerned about driving her employees away. However, Nan Yin was also clear on how well this couple treated her, so she quickly shook her head and explained with a smile, "What are you saying, Sister Miao? The work here is easy, and I enjoy being here." "Then why do you want to quit, Xiao Yin? Or are you dissatisfied with the wages?" Miao Luo voiced her confusion, which again left Nan Yin feeling bemused. Chen Yi, on the other hand, seemed to gather some other meaning from Nan Yin’s expressions. After taking a sip of tea, he asked, "Xiao Yin has some more important things to take care of, right? Let me guess, is it possible you are planning to start your own business?" Young people nowadays are quite proud, and considering Nan Yin would become of age in another year, Chen Yi naturally assumed she did not like working under others and thus wanted to start her own venture. Establishing an underground empire... that counts as starting a business too, right? Nan Yin mused inwardly without betraying her thoughts, merely nodding with a smile. "I see," Miao Luo exclaimed as if she'd had an epiphany before her curiosity got the better of her. "So what exactly are you planning to do, Xiao Yin? You can share with us so Chen Big Brother and I can offer some advice. After all, you’re new to society, and your experiences are still quite limited." "I'm planning to open a café which also serves some meals," said Nan Yin, thinking about the café she had seen earlier in the day and deciding to use it as a pretense. "A café with dining services isn't bad. While it might not yield high profits, it does provide stability. As long as the cooking is decent, you shouldn't lack for customers," Chen Yi nodded, giving a moderately positive appraisal. Miao Luo was very cheerful, "In that case, Xiao Yin, you might want to consider including pastry services. If there's anything you don't understand, I can teach you. After all, while I may not have much say in other matters, I do have some authority when it comes to pastries." Nan Yin naturally handled each response with a smile, and with that, her decision to quit was settled. Miao Luo immediately stated she would give Nan Yin two months' salary to help her through the initial period of her venture. Although Nan Yin, whose assets had already exceeded a million, surely didn't care about these twenty thousand yuan, she chose not to refuse Miao Luo's kindness in order not to reveal her substantial and ambiguously sourced income in front of Chen Yi, the police superintendent. Later, Nan Yin discussed with the two elders about the specifics of starting a business. It wasn't until Chen Yi went inside to change the tea leaves that Nan Yin casually brought up her real reason for visiting that day. "Sister Miao, I heard you are from the Shenhuang Qingqiu fox clan?" As she spoke, Nan Yin's eyes glittered with curiosity as she stared at Miao Luo's fox ears and tail, looking like a young girl purely curious about her origin story. "Hmm, my natal family is indeed from Qingqiu, but we are just a small, obscure clan... Why do you ask, Xiao Yin?" Miao Luo tilted her head with a smile. "Well... um, I recently fell in love with a web novel that states the Shenhuang Qingqiu clan is exceedingly skilled in sealing techniques. Back when the Divine Emperor was waging wars everywhere, he had many sorcerers from the Qingqiu clan by his side." "Whenever the Divine Emperor defeated a demon god, he would have those sorcerers seal away the demon god's soul... When I read that part, I became very curious. Are the sealing techniques of Qingqiu really that strong?" Nan Yin’s tone was light and playful, as though joking, and Miao Luo appeared to harbor no suspicion of Nan Yin’s genuine motive for broaching the subject. Miao Luo twirled a strand of hair in front of her chest and pondered, "What you're talking about is ancient history. Back then, many powerful beings from the Qingqiu clan had indeed followed the Divine Emperor into battle, and it was during that era that Qingqiu’s sealing techniques were recorded in history." Nan Yin’s eyes lit up at this, but before she could inquire further, Miao Luo shook her head and continued, "However, the sealing techniques of the Qingqiu clan have been completely lost to time. If any still remain, it would only be within those so-called major clans..." "Furthermore, Xiao Yin, perhaps you've never lived in Shenhuang, but over there, whether officially recognized or passed down among the people, the strongest sealing techniques actually belong to the Imperial Demonic Masters personally supported by the Divine Emperor." "So Xiao Yin, perhaps you should spend less time on those web novels; they've got the facts all wrong." Miao Luo playfully pinched Nan Yin’s cheek as if reminding her to study properly. Is that so?... Nan Yin didn't mind the woman's playful pinch on her face. She pondered Miao Luo’s words, initially planning to find some clues about sealing techniques from her, but now it seemed she had inadvertently turned to the topic of Imperial Demonic Masters. Thinking of Imperial Demonic Masters brought to mind the male protagonist, Su Xiao Yu. Could it be that, in the end, she would still need his help? When Nan Yin returned to her residence, it was almost one o'clock in the morning. She thought Jiang Mi and Xia Yi Yi would have been asleep by then, but upon seeing the sight in the living room, Nan Yin couldn't help a speechless facepalm. On the outdated LCD TV, a late-night movie was playing, while two figures, each wrapped tightly in blankets, were engrossed in the screen. "Xia Yi Yi? Jiang Mi? Why aren't you sleeping yet? You still have class tomorrow," Nan Yin softly removed her slippers and approached the couch with hands on her hips. "Xiao Yin? You're back?" Xia Yi Yi's face lit up with joy at the sight of Nan Yin and she immediately flung herself from the armrest of the couch into Nan Yin's arms. "Why aren't you asleep yet? Huh?" Nan Yin pretended to be angry as she pinched Xia Yi Yi’s face. "We were waiting for Xiao Yin! Besides... - this movie is really good, I didn't want to miss it..." Xia Yi Yi nestled her head against Nan Yin’s chest and said in a coquettish, soft voice. "The last part is the main point, isn’t it? Hmph," Nan Yin laughed and pinched the girl's cheeks again then stood up and looked toward Jiang Mi. "This one... how is she already asleep?" Nan Yin stepped in front of Jiang Mi to find the carefree girl had fallen asleep sitting up, still clinging to an unfinished can of something—wait... beer? Nan Yin's expression grew serious. Looking down, she indeed saw several empty beer cans under the couch. "Xia Yi Yi, did you drink?" Nan Yin turned back and asked sternly. "No, Jiang Mi wanted to drink, so I just..." The girl was somewhat inarticulate, but Nan Yin could tell she was telling the truth, and so she didn't press further. "Where did the alcohol come from?" Nan Yin chided the still sleepy Jiang Mi and asked softly. "She bought it from a supermarket on the way," Xia Yi Yi obediently replied. "Alright, turn off the TV. Let's go to sleep now," Nan Yin commanded, and with that, she carried the drunken Jiang Mi to her own bedroom. There was only one bed in Nan Yin's house, but fortunately, it was big enough. Letting this drunken Jiang Mi pig sleep beside her was just right. After all, looking at the sleeping redhead girl before her, she was not going to let her stagger home alone, and Nan Yin wouldn't allow it. "Sigh... why are you so well-behaved when you're asleep?" Nan Yin shook her head, stepped forward to remove the slippers, and knelt beside Jiang Mi. Let's get undressed first.