LIGHTNOVELWORLD 113. Stirring Things Up~
“Oh no! Oh no! I’m going to be late!”
Jiang Xue rushed out of her house, a half-eaten slice of half-priced bread from yesterday clamped between her teeth. Her hair was still a tangled mess. She’d stayed up until 4 a.m. drawing, completely losing track of time. Her alarm clock hadn’t been able to wake her this morning, which meant she had overslept.
As she chewed on her bread, Jiang Xue pulled out her phone to check the time—only ten minutes left until she was officially late. It would take at least fifteen minutes to walk to the cafe.
Gulping down the last of her bread, Jiang Xue started jogging. If she was late again today, that would mean she’d been late every day for an entire week. The boss would definitely kill her. But there were still ten minutes left; maybe if she sprinted, she could just barely make it…
As Jiang Xue imagined Chu Mengyao’s devilish smile, she shivered involuntarily, and her pace quickened. If she could just get through this alley, she’d be almost at the cafe. She felt a glimmer of hope.
However, life is never that easy.
Just as she was about to enter the alley, Jiang Xue noticed a few stray dogs rummaging around for food. She had always been terrified of dogs ever since she was bitten as a child. The fear had never gone away, no matter the type of dog.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xue tried to walk past the stray dogs quickly, but the moment she approached, they all lifted their heads to look at her.
“No, please, no…”
Without another word, Jiang Xue turned on her heels and walked away. She dared not move too fast. Years of being chased by dogs had taught her that running was never the right choice.
With the alley blocked, Jiang Xue had no choice but to take a longer route to the cafe. The consequence of that detour was obvious.
“My dear Jiang Xue, congratulations on achieving the honor of ‘A Whole Week of Tardiness,'” Chu Mengyao said in a flat tone.
Jiang Xue, the cafe’s newest hire, was actually pretty good—hardworking and dedicated, except for her habit of being late every morning. Most of the time, she seemed dazed, and without someone giving her clear instructions, she’d just stand around, not knowing what to do.
“Um… I… uh…” Jiang Xue stammered, unable to come up with a good excuse. The truth was, she had overslept.
Chu Mengyao sighed and shook her head. “Alright, go change. If you’re late again, I’ll have to start docking your pay.” She had repeated that threat countless times, but had never actually deducted Jiang Xue’s wages.
When Jiang Xue entered the cafe, she immediately noticed Ling Ning dressed in a maid outfit. There was something oddly familiar about her.
“Is she new here?” Jiang Xue wondered.
Then she noticed the two adorable little girls in maid outfits.
“Wait!? Does this place hire child workers now?”
Though puzzled, Jiang Xue knew it was work time, so she went straight to the changing room.
“Is she the new employee you hired?”
“Yeah, she’s alright, but a bit clueless sometimes,” Chu Mengyao said with a hint of exasperation.
“Oh~” Ling Ning nodded. When she’d pretended to be Zhou Xiaoxiao’s boyfriend recently, she’d stopped by here, so she knew a little about the new full-time maid.
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Today, Zhou Xiaoxiao and Ye Xuan weren’t around, but with Ling Ye and Qin Sirou’s help, things moved smoothly. The two little ones didn’t do much actual work—they didn’t need to. All they had to do was be cute.
And don’t underestimate these two little ones. Their cuteness had considerable power. Many of the customers who came to the cafe almost got nosebleeds from the sight of the two adorable girls. Especially those with a thing for lolis—they all expressed… um, they all politely asked for photos with the little girls.
Chu Mengyao watched the scene with a big smile. They might be lolis, but taking a photo with them wasn’t free. It seemed having the two little ones wear maid outfits was a brilliant idea.
“I’ll take 70%, and you get 30% of the photo money.”
Out of nowhere, Ling Ning appeared beside Chu Mengyao, wearing the same smile.
“No way. I’ll take 70%, and you get 30%.” Chu Mengyao’s smile didn’t waver as she replied.
“Let’s be reasonable here—I’m the one who brought them in. How about I take 60%, and you get 40%?”
“But I’m providing the outfits and the venue. Let’s split it 50-50—no more, no less.”
“Deal. I’ll bring these two over more often then.” Ling Ning had already intended to split the profit evenly, so when Chu Mengyao proposed it, she immediately agreed.
“Alright then. Make sure to bring them by often.” Chu Mengyao and Ling Ning exchanged knowing smiles.
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Two young men dressed in a tacky, country-style punk fashion were strolling down the street. Every time a girl walked past, they couldn’t help but let their eyes roam, making no effort to hide it.
“Damn, Er Gouzi, why do all the city girls dress so provocatively?” the blonde young man suddenly asked.
Er Gouzi rolled his eyes. “How should I know? Why don’t you ask them yourself?”
“I can’t take it anymore. I need to find a place to blow off some steam.”
The blonde rubbed his crotch as he spoke, oblivious to the disgusted stares of passersby and the empty space that seemed to form around him.
“Boss sent us out to buy food, not to go looking for girls. Didn’t he just tell us to keep a low profile?” Er Gouzi said, trying to talk some sense into him.
The blonde frowned. He hated how Er Gouzi was always bringing up what the boss said, acting like he didn’t know himself.
“I’ll ask you once—are you coming or not? If not, buy the supplies and wait in the car. If you are, then stop complaining,” the blonde said impatiently.
“I…”
Er Gouzi hesitated.
Seeing his hesitation, the blonde continued, “Come on, think about it. We’re in a big city now. How could we not have a little fun? Think of our village—where would you find so many beautiful women? We’re just going to let off some steam, not cause trouble. The boss won’t care.”
Er Gouzi took a deep breath and then nodded firmly. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
“That’s the spirit, my good brother.” The blonde patted Er Gouzi’s shoulder with a grin.
“But do you even know where to go?” Er Gouzi asked, puzzled.
“Uh…”
The blonde was momentarily at a loss. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Just then, he spotted Jiang Xue taking out the trash in front of the cafe.
“Of course I know. Right there.” The blonde pointed at the cafe.
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Author’s Note:
Third update of the day. This salted fish is almost dead~