“Hey, I’m back~”
After a long rest and a small snack, Ling Ning and Jiang Xue finally returned to the café.
It had to be said—the café was bustling today. The mont Ling Ning stepped inside, she was greeted by the sight of custors filling every available seat. Even Chu ngyao, who usually stayed at the counter as the café’s poster girl, had rolled up her sleeves and joined the action.
Hearing Ling Ning’s voice, Chu ngyao handed her task to Luo Xiaoning and walked over with a smile.
“Well, if it isn’t our Lady Ling Ning. I thought you might have run off with my adorable little employee~”
“What? No way! I was diligently helping your cute employee distribute flyers. Without , Xiaoxue would’ve been handing those out until noon,” Ling Ning replied calmly.
“But by my calculations, with your help, the flyers should’ve been done long ago. So why are you so late? I have my suspicions…”
Ling Ning chuckled. “Even handing out flyers has to follow basic routines. Besides, it’s freezing today, and there weren’t many people out on the streets. Coming back late is perfectly reasonable. If you don’t believe , feel free to go out and see for yourself~”
Chu ngyao imdiately shook her head. No way was she stepping outside in this weather!
Standing off to the side, Jiang Xue gazed at her Master with admiration. As expected of her Master—she could effortlessly silence even a fearso boss like Chu ngyao.
Chu ngyao sighed lightly. “Alright, I won’t press further. You’ve seen the situation here, so I’ll have to trouble you today~”
“No problem, but you know the terms of my paynt, right~”
“Of course, you can count on .”
Ling Ning and Chu ngyao exchanged knowing smiles, the atmosphere thick with an unspoken “friendly transaction.”
Blinking in curiosity, Jiang Xue wondered about the nature of her Master’s compensation but wisely chose not to interrupt.
After reaching an agreent with Chu ngyao, Ling Ning headed to the changing room. A mont later, she erged in a maid outfit—though this one was noticeably warr than her usual attire, given that it was winter.
With Ling Ning’s help, the staff’s workload lightened considerably. Even Chu ngyao had to admit that Ling Ning was the café’s most exceptional maid. No matter the task, Ling Ning handled it with ease, contributing wherever she was needed.
However, the day’s high pace proved challenging for Su Ya, who, as a novice maid, struggled to keep up. Holding a cup of coffee, she froze, unable to rember which table it was ant for.
Just then, Ling Ning’s voice ca from beside her. “That coffee is for Table Four. Oh, and the guest there likes sweet coffee—bring two packets of sugar.”
With Ling Ning’s guidance, Su Ya finally found her rhythm. She stopped thinking too hard and simply followed Ling Ning’s directions without question.
It was unclear how much ti had passed, but eventually, the crowd began to thin, giving the staff a mont to catch their breath.
“Alright, everyone, take a break. Let’s get ready for lunch~”
Chu ngyao’s face bead with satisfaction. Although it had been a tiring day, the high volu of custors ant an equally high volu of inco—a win-win situation.
anwhile, Su Ya collapsed onto the sofa, utterly spent. She had encountered busy days before, but nothing had ever left her this exhausted.
As she caught her breath, a familiar scent reached her nose. Turning instinctively, she found Ling Ning sitting beside her, grinning mischievously.
“Well? Regretting not going shopping now?”
“Not at all. Honestly, I quite enjoyed it. If I get the chance in the future, I’d like to open my own café,” Su Ya replied with a hint of longing.
“That sounds great. So, future café owner, will you need a lady boss? If you do, how about ?” Ling Ning leaned in with a teasing smile.
Su Ya gave her a sideways glance. “You… can co on as a server. As for the lady boss…”
“Eh?! Xiao Ya, how an! I’m cute and lovable, yet I can only be a server? Don’t tell becoming the lady boss requires so… unspoken rules? If it’s you, Xiao Ya, I wouldn’t mind~” Ling Ning teased, her tone dripping with playful charm.
Seeing Ling Ning in her maid outfit, her expression coquettish and mischievous, Su Ya’s gaze flickered. Soone as flirtatious as Ling Ning was bound to be “dealt with” one day.
As Ling Ning continued to tease her, a sudden chill made her shiver involuntarily. Looking around, she found the room warm and cozy, so why did she feel cold?
Shaking off the thought, Ling Ning composed herself and asked, “Xiao Ya, do you have plans after your shift? How about dinner together?”
Su Ya shook her head lightly. “After work, I’m heading back to the dorm. I’ve got sothing to take care of.”
“Eh?! But I was planning to treat you to a six-yuan bowl of spicy hotpot!”
“Not interested. Go away!”
As if rembering sothing, Ling Ning stood and walked over to Chu ngyao at the counter.
“Dear ngyao, since the rush is over, can I collect my paynt now~?”
“Sure, but my, aren’t you eager.”
Chu ngyao replied with a smirk as she pulled an envelope from a drawer and handed it to Ling Ning.
Taking the envelope, Ling Ning peeked inside and nodded in satisfaction. As promised, the envelope contained high-quality photos of Su Ya in her maid outfit. Her collection had grown yet again.
“So, Ling Ning, your paynt for working is… these photos?”
“What do you an ‘these photos’? These are pictures of Su Ya in a maid outfit! Just look at that shy expression—it’s absolutely perfect…”
Ling Ning trailed off, realizing sothing was amiss. Turning slowly, she found Su Ya standing right behind her, staring at her expressionlessly.
“Xiao Ya, let explain!”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
It feels like I’ve lost my mind.
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