Sophie Summers frowned, her voice tinged with impatience."Why are you still standing here? Go down and turn on the air conditioning in the car."

I groaned inwardly. What had gotten into this tigress today? Without hesitation, I dashed downstairs, thinking to myself: Did Sophie Summers have dynamite for breakfast today?

As soon as I opened the car door, a wave of oppressive heat hit me, as if the entire vehicle were trapped in an oven. Quickly, I turned on the air conditioning, set it to maximum cooling, and shut the door. Seeking refuge, I stepped into the shade of a nearby tree, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. Autumn had arrived, yet the relentless heat refused to subside.

I hadn't even finished my cigarette when Sophie Summers came striding over, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. She snatched the cigarette from my hand and snapped,"Did I say you could smoke?"

Feeling guilty, I stubbed out the cigarette and quickly climbed into the car, ready to assume my role as chauffeur. Sophie slid into the back seat, shutting the door with a brisk motion. I started the car and activated the navigation system.

When we arrived at the destination, she instructed curtly,"Wait here. After I finish lunch with the client, you can drive me back."

"And what about me?" I asked hesitantly, a twinge of dissatisfaction in my tone.

"What about you?" she replied, feigning confusion, a subtle smirk playing on her lips as if she took pleasure in my discomfort.

"I haven't eaten yet," I said, a hint of grievance slipping through as my stomach growled audibly.

"Oh, I thought you'd already eaten," she said nonchalantly, showing no concern for my plight.

Frustration boiled within me, a torrent of curses racing through my mind. You've been ordering me around all morning—when would I have had time to eat?

"Fine. Just find a noodle shop nearby and grab something. I'll give you money." She reached into her bag and handed me a ten-dollar bill, as though tossing a bone to a beggar.

I looked at her with disdain,"Ten dollars is not even enough for a medium portion of noodles."

"How much do you need?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly, her impatience mounting.

"Twenty," I replied bluntly, thinking it was a modest ask to avoid starving.

With an exaggerated sigh, she pulled out another five-dollar bill and thrust it toward me."I don't have any more change. Take it or leave it."

"I saw a fifty in your wallet," I pointed out, inwardly cursing her stinginess.

She snapped her wallet shut and replied coldly,"Take it or don't. I'm leaving."

"Fine, I'll take it!" I grabbed the money, gritting my teeth."Imagine being this stingy as a boss."

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She ignored my muttered complaint, her heels clicking decisively as she walked away, leaving me standing at the hotel entrance, a mix of helplessness and frustration churning inside me.

I glanced at the grand, luxurious hotel and sighed. This kind of place was far beyond my reach. Resigned, I decided to find a bowl of noodles. Nearby, I spotted a modest noodle shop that seemed clean enough.

As I stepped inside, the shopkeeper greeted me warmly."What'll you have, young man?"

"What's the cheapest thing you've got?" I asked, mentally calculating how far my fifteen bucks would stretch.

The shopkeeper chuckled."Small portions start at sixteen, medium at eighteen, and large at twenty."

A sinking feeling washed over me. Fifteen bucks couldn't even buy a small portion. But hunger wasn't an option, so I'd have to add some of my own money. I ordered a medium bowl of beef noodles, silently cursing the overpriced and exploitative nature of this place.

When the noodles arrived, I looked at the few slices of beef, so thin they might as well have been paper, and my mood soured even more. Taking a bite, the taste was nothing to write home about, and I felt deeply cheated.

"Boss lady, why is this bowl of noodles so expensive?" I couldn't help but complain.

The shopkeeper smiled."Young man, this is the best beef noodle we have here, with plenty of ingredients and rich flavor. It's absolutely worth the price."

I inwardly sneered. Plenty of ingredients? Rich flavor? What a joke. But hunger drove me to finish the meal, no matter how unpleasant.

Once I finished, I walked out of the noodle shop, feeling disgruntled. The small table was still stained with a few drops of oil, and the air was thick with the strong scent of sauce. The shopkeeper was busy cleaning dishes, occasionally looking up and giving me a smile that seemed to say,"Come often."

Back at the hotel entrance, I found all the sofas in the lobby occupied, leaving no place to sit. Resigned, I walked toward the parking lot, found my car, and climbed into the driver's seat. I started the engine, locked the doors, turned on the air conditioning, and lay back to rest for a while. The cool air inside slowly eased the heat from outside, and I closed my eyes, drifting into sleep.

I didn't know how long I'd been asleep, but I was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of someone knocking on the window. Rubbing my eyes, I squinted and saw a familiar figure outside, waving her arms. It was Sophie Summers. She was angrily pounding on the window, her face full of anxiety and fury. I quickly unlocked the door, and she yanked open the rear door, stormed inside, and shouted,"Didn't I tell you to leave a crack when the air conditioning is on? Are you trying to suffocate in there?"

I gave an awkward smile."But it was so hot just now. Even with a crack, the temperature wouldn't come down."

Sophie Summers frowned, her gaze full of reproach."And another thing, I told you to wait for me, yet here you are, turning on the air conditioning and sleeping in the car. Do you think the gas is free?" Her tone carried a mix of helplessness and anger.

I was speechless, silently nodding, thinking, Fine, you're the boss. Everything is yours to decide.

She scrunched her nose in disgust."What's that smell in here? It's awful." That's when I realized I had taken off my shoes while sleeping, and the car now reeked of a musty odor.

Ignoring the heat outside, Sophie quickly rolled down the window, letting fresh air rush in."Drive," she ordered, adding,"Next time, I'll fine you."

Damn capitalists, I thought, mentally linking her to every tyrannical capitalist I could think of. But then I remembered, my dad didn't count—he'd gone bankrupt. And besides, he had always treated his workers decently.

I started the car and slowly drove out of the parking lot. Sophie sat in the back seat, pulling out her phone to work, her expression gradually calming. The atmosphere inside the car turned quiet, with only the hum of the air conditioning and the clicking of her phone's keyboard.

"Did you have a good lunch?" she asked softly.

As I drove, I couldn't help but grumble,"It was a medium bowl of beef noodles with three slices of beef so thin you could see through them, and it cost eighteen bucks. By the way, you still owe me three bucks."

She put her phone away and let out a small laugh, her lips curving into a smile.