Xu Yecheng’s expression turned a little helpless.

A handsome guy? Whatever. She was here to make money—whether there was a handsome guy or not had nothing to do with her.

Still, to make it look more convincing, Xu Yecheng put on an interested expression and replied, “Really?”

Seeing that Xu Yecheng seemed a bit intrigued, Dou Yuwei immediately nodded. “Trust my eye. That handsome guy comes by from time to time and always sits in the same window seat, quietly reading by himself…”

Xu Yecheng frowned. From the sound of it, he seemed like a rather self-disciplined person, someone with a refined lifestyle.

She reached up to adjust her clothes and went up to the second floor. After tying on her apron, Xu Yecheng got to work—she was just there to help out, so there wasn’t much for her to do that required skill.

Business at the café was pretty good, with quite a few customers.

Compared to the first floor, the second floor had a more modern style. Large floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light, and the blue-and-white color scheme made it feel brighter and more open. Compared to the classical feel downstairs, Xu Yecheng preferred this kind of spacious atmosphere.

And so the busy work began.

When there were no customers, she helped with cleaning. Xu Yecheng had done plenty of this kind of work before, so she handled it quite smoothly.

The person mainly responsible for cleaning was a thin-looking guy with long hair, giving him an androgynous appearance.

Once the crowd picked up, Xu Yecheng began to feel overwhelmed.

Her main duty was serving.

When the front desk gave instructions, she had to bring coffee up from downstairs and deliver it to the designated customers.

Xu Yecheng took the coffee from the counter and went upstairs, placing it in front of the customer.

“Hello, here’s your coffee and dessert. Please enjoy~”

She said it with a smile, though she really felt like her face was about to freeze.

Even though it was just a short walk, after only a few trips back and forth, Xu Yecheng felt utterly exhausted.

The weight on her chest made it hard for her to breathe.

Was this body really that weak…?

She took a deep breath. When she returned to the counter, she finally got a moment to catch her breath.

Dou Yuwei handed her a cup of water. Xu Yecheng took it and tilted her head back, downing it in one go.

Dou Yuwei and the other girls at the counter all froze.

Xu Yecheng puffed out her cheeks, slowly swallowing the water in her mouth, and only then noticed their surprised gazes.

“What?” she asked blankly.

Seeing her confused look—the rosy lips still wet, her clear eyes reflecting everything in front of her—Dou Yuwei could clearly see her fair, delicate skin, even the tiny capillaries beneath it.

“It’s nothing… it just feels like… Ningning is very different, very distinctive,” the girl standing behind Dou Yuwei said with a smile.

Xu Yecheng looked even more confused. “Distinctive…?”

She really couldn’t figure out what was distinctive about her.

“Yes,” Dou Yuwei nodded in agreement. “That’s how I feel too.”

“Huh?” Xu Yecheng let out another puzzled sound, but the girl at the counter immediately reminded her to go pick up the next order.

Xu Yecheng sighed helplessly, put down the cup, and headed downstairs again.

She glanced at the order slip—table twelve. She was too lazy to double-check the details and picked up the tray. It was a coconut latte.

“Oh, table twelve? That’s probably that handsome guy,” Dou Yuwei said teasingly. “Make sure to take a good look. He’s really handsome.”

The rich aroma of coffee carried a faint hint of coconut milk, giving it a refreshing quality.

Xu Yecheng carried the coffee upstairs. Maybe because she was tired, her hands felt weak, her arms trembling slightly as she held the tray.

But no matter how tired she was, she had to do her job well. When delivering the tray, she still had to put on her signature smile.

After all, customers could rate the service after ordering on their phones…

And that rating directly affected her pay. She couldn’t afford to slack off.

Table twelve…

It seemed to be by the window.

Her gaze swept around. As she passed table eleven, her eyes naturally shifted to the next one—and when she saw the guy there, her whole body tensed up.

The boy had a slightly parted fringe. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling window, casting a soft glow over He Xiaohan’s features. Already delicate and refined, he now looked even more hazy and gentle.

Xu Yecheng froze in place, her expression instantly turning awkward.

How had she not realized that the “extremely handsome guy” Dou Yuwei mentioned was He Xiaohan?!

Xu Yecheng panicked.

No—why was she panicking? This wasn’t like last time when she’d been cornered in the bathroom.

Maybe because of that previous experience, seeing He Xiaohan in this identity made her feel uncomfortable all over.

Calm down. It’s just delivering coffee—what’s the big deal?

And here she’d been fantasizing about wearing a mask and dramatically slapping the scumbag in the face.

She took a deep breath. It was fine—steady heart, steady hands. There was no way He Xiaohan would recognize her. She really was overthinking it.

She walked up to the table. He Xiaohan put down his book and looked up at her, surprise flashing across his face.

It’s her…

“Your coffee,” Xu Yecheng said calmly.

“Mm, thanks. Just put it on the table,” He Xiaohan replied, then lowered his head to continue reading.

His indifferent reaction actually surprised Xu Yecheng a little.

But it also made her relax.

See? Nothing happened. What was she so worried about?

She carefully picked up the tray, her gaze accidentally landing on the book in his hands.

Dense English text…

Could she interpret this as him showing off by reading something like that in public?

Annoyance crept into Xu Yecheng’s eyes.

He Xiaohan turned the page, his leisurely manner somehow irritating her.

She turned and walked away with the tray, but the next second she heard his voice behind her.

“Miss, wait a moment.”

Xu Yecheng stopped in her tracks, panic surging through her chest.

Did he notice…?

She turned back to the table, her expression nervous, though she still forced a stiff smile. “Yes?”

“Did the front desk forget to give me sugar?” He Xiaohan said, glancing at the empty saucer beside him.

Xu Yecheng’s heart sank, her expression instantly turning awkward.

Damn it—she must’ve been too tired. She hadn’t even noticed something so important.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll get it for you right away.”

“Okay,” He Xiaohan replied, lowering his head to read again.

Xu Yecheng let out a quiet breath, her face burning.

She couldn’t believe she’d messed up such a small thing. If He Xiaohan gave her a bad rating, she’d be finished.

Though she felt he probably wasn’t that nitpicky.

Seeing Xu Yecheng rush downstairs in a fluster, her face flushed, Dou Yuwei immediately sensed something unusual.

Oh? Blushing again—looks like she’s been charmed by that handsome guy?

From a distance, she watched Xu Yecheng deliver the coffee to him. Even from afar, she could tell Ningning was nervous—otherwise, why would she hesitate so noticeably before going over?

Then she saw the handsome guy stop Ningning, and Dou Yuwei felt like there was some juicy gossip brewing.

Next came Ningning rushing downstairs, her face red and flustered.

But even with Dou Yuwei’s powerful imagination, there still wasn’t enough information.

A while later, Xu Yecheng came back up with a small dish of sugar cubes. Dou Yuwei glanced at her. Xu Yecheng ignored her look and quickly went to He Xiaohan.

“Your sugar,” she said.

“Mm, just put it there,” He Xiaohan replied, not even looking up this time. “Thanks.”

Xu Yecheng quietly let out a breath and walked away.

Just thinking about how he’d called her “miss” earlier made her scalp tingle.

So polite now…

She snuck another glance at him.

Did he really think he was the male lead in some TV drama?

After mocking him like that in her head, Xu Yecheng felt much better.

Seeing Dou Yuwei clearing another table, she went over to help.

Unexpectedly, when Dou Yuwei saw her, a sly smile immediately appeared.

“So? Handsome, right?” Dou Yuwei said, looking rather pleased.

“Mm-hmm, very handsome,” Xu Yecheng replied, her face darkening, her tone turning lifeless.

“Sigh, if only my boyfriend could be that good-looking,” Dou Yuwei said helplessly.

Hearing that dangerous remark, Xu Yecheng’s expression turned serious.

“Better stay away from that kind of person…” she muttered.

“Huh? Why? Do you know him?” Dou Yuwei asked in surprise.

A wave of irritation surged through Xu Yecheng’s mind, her focus scattering.

“He’s my roommate.”

“…Huh?”

Dou Yuwei froze on the spot.

Xu Yecheng froze too, her chaotic thoughts instantly collapsing.

“Ah—no, I mean, a friend,” she said hastily.

Crap. She’d been distracted and let something slip.

This could totally expose her…

She came back to her senses and found Dou Yuwei staring at her suspiciously.

The look made Xu Yecheng uneasy.

“Ningning, why do you look so nervous…?” Dou Yuwei said, leaning in a little closer.

Cold sweat began to bead on Xu Yecheng’s forehead.

“I… I misspoke,” she said softly.

That’s way too close!

Dou Yuwei really was good-looking. Xu Yecheng’s entire face flushed red.

Seeing her shy reaction, Dou Yuwei immediately understood.

“Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend?”

“Huh?”

Even the tips of Xu Yecheng’s ears turned red.

“Get lost, how could he be? I—” she blurted out instinctively, but snapped back to her senses when she saw Dou Yuwei’s shocked expression.

Dou Yuwei’s look shifted from shock to slight hurt.

Uh-oh… she might’ve said something too harsh.

“Uh… sorry, I spoke without thinking,” Xu Yecheng said apologetically.

“I was just joking…” Dou Yuwei said softly.

“He’s really not my boyfriend,” Xu Yecheng repeated patiently.

Her scalp tingled. What was wrong with this girl? How did she even get that idea?

“But I still don’t believe you’re just friends. Otherwise, why are you so shy…?”

Xu Yecheng took a deep breath, suddenly unsure how to explain.

She couldn’t exactly say that what made her shy was Dou Yuwei. Two girls interacting—what was there to be shy about? Saying that would only make things more suspicious.

“It’s just… kind of awkward to be seen working part-time here,” she made up an excuse.

Dou Yuwei nodded, understanding.

“So that’s it. Then why stay away from someone like him…?”

“He’s a scumbag,” Xu Yecheng said bluntly.

That sentence completely fried Dou Yuwei’s brain.

“Ah… then why are you friends with him?”

Xu Yecheng’s brain short-circuited too.

“Uh… we just know each other. We were on the same team for an event before,” she said quickly, making up another excuse.

“Oh. Then how do you know he’s a scumbag?”

“I heard it from others,” Xu Yecheng replied casually.

Dou Yuwei thought about it for a while, her expression turning worried.

“Did Ningning get hurt before…?”

Xu Yecheng was speechless.

Girl, you’re really something.

“I really just heard it. I don’t have any real relationship with him.”

“Oh~” Dou Yuwei smiled awkwardly. “Well, Ningning is pretty too. I don’t think it’d be strange if your boyfriend were good-looking.”

“Heh, thanks,” Xu Yecheng said, taking a deep breath.

Dou Yuwei looked puzzled again.

Why did Ningning seem so disdainful? Maybe it was just her imagination, but some parts of Ningning didn’t quite feel like a typical girl…

The front desk called Xu Yecheng away. Dou Yuwei glanced at He Xiaohan again, confusion rising in her heart.

He came in and read all afternoon. Dou Yuwei had seen girls ask him for his WeChat, but he turned them all down.

A guy like that—a scumbag?

She still couldn’t quite believe it.

Thinking this, she finished tidying up and sent things to the back.

On the stairs, she saw Xu Yecheng, looking exhausted, carrying coffee and dessert upstairs again.

Dou Yuwei’s expression filled with doubt once more.

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As long as I don’t say I’m taking a break, there will definitely be updates—no need to worry.