Lin Momo looked at the closed apartment door with some regret.
“There are still two small steamed buns left uneaten!”
Jiang Shining said with annoyance, “If you eat any more, we’ll really be late.”
She didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s situation.
Lin Momo sighed and turned around, “Then let’s just… Brother Qin!”
When she met the figure standing next door, Lin Momo immediately straightened up.
Jiang Shining was taken aback, then turned her head to look to the side.
Qin Wang looked at her, “Going to work?”
Jiang Shining nodded.
Qin Wang: “I’ll take you.”
Jiang Shining shook her head, “No need, Momo and I can squeeze onto her electric scooter.”
Qin Wang didn’t reply, just glanced faintly at Lin Momo beside him.
Lin Momo immediately understood and looked at Jiang Shining apologetically.
“Ning! My electric scooter wasn’t fully charged last night, it can’t carry two people. You should go with Brother Qin!”
Jiang Shining: “…”
The boat of friendship capsized in an instant.
In the end, Jiang Shining arrived at the café on Qin Wang’s motorcycle.
She looked at Qin Wang, who was still standing in the shop, “Aren’t you going back?”
Jiang Shining put on her apron, but the waist tie was first taken by another hand with distinct knuckles.
Qin Wang lowered his head, helping Jiang Shining tie the apron, “I’m free today, I want to keep you company.”
Jiang Shining: “The café doesn’t hire male part-timers.”
Qin Wang paused his hands tying the knot, curling his lips into a smile, “But I’m not here to work part-time, I’m a customer.”
“Can you tell me which coffee here is the most delicious?”
His hand rested on Jiang Shining’s waist, his head leaning slightly on her shoulder as he took her hand and slid it down the menu, pointing at each item one by one.
“Iced Americano, Cappuccino, or… you?”
Qin Wang said each word deliberately, placing her at the very end of the coffee list, as if she too had become one of the options to savor.
Jiang Shining’s ears suddenly flushed red.
Qin Wang was either robotic or truly knew how to flirt.
Ding-dong.
The café’s wind chime rang.
As soon as Lin Momo entered, she saw the two standing together and felt a bit awkward.
“You two carry on!”
After saying that, she was about to retreat.
Jiang Shining broke free from Qin Wang’s embrace and called out to her.
“Wait!”
“Why go back? Time to work.”
Jiang Shining pulled Lin Momo to the café’s back kitchen, glancing at Qin Wang, who stood there looking resentful.
“You should just order an iced Americano!”
At least it has ice, which might cool him down.
Qin Wang was seated at the innermost corner of the café, with a cup of iced Americano placed on his table.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shining stood at the café’s cash register.
“Hello, welcome.”
When it came to work, Jiang Shining was absolutely professional.
Whether handing out flyers or working as a café waitress.
Seeing the female student staring at her in a daze, Jiang Shining smiled faintly, “Would you like me to make a recommendation?”
“Y-yes, please.”
The female student blushed.
The summer heat was intense, and as soon as she pushed open the café door, she was greeted by a stunningly beautiful woman. The female student couldn’t be happier.
“The new coffee beans are from Arabica. Today’s specialty is the Caramel Macchiato. Would you like a Caramel Macchiato made with Arabica beans?”
Jiang Shining made the recommendation based on the café owner’s introduction.
But the student in front of her was lost in thought, just staring at her.
What is she mumbling about? She’s so pretty…
Jiang Shining tilted her head, “Customer?”
The female student, utterly charmed, finally snapped back to reality and quickly nodded.
“Sure.”
Jiang Shining handed the printed receipt to the student. “Your seat is over there. You can rest first.”
She pointed to an empty seat in the café and gave the student a gentle smile.
Considerate, gentle, and beautiful.
Blushing, the student walked toward the seat, glancing back every few steps. Just as she reached her spot, she noticed the man in the corner radiating a low-pressure aura.
Her first thought: How intimidating.
She immediately lowered her head.
Her second thought: He’s actually kind of handsome.
The student secretly glanced at him again out of the corner of her eye.
But when she met Qin Wang’s gaze, she swallowed hard and looked down again.
In this chaotic neighborhood, everyone instinctively avoided troublemakers.
The student chose a seat far from Qin Wang before finally sitting down.
“Here’s your caramel macchiato. Enjoy.”
Jiang Shining placed the coffee in front of the student.
“Oh, okay.”
The student blushed as she looked at Jiang Shining standing before her and nodded.
Just as Jiang Shining turned away—
Click.
The sound of a phone camera shutter went off.
Jiang Shining paused and turned back.
The student hurriedly covered her phone, embarrassed at being caught taking a photo without permission.
“Sorry, I just thought you were really pretty. I… I’ll delete it right away.”
Jiang Shining smiled. “No need, it’s fine.”
Sunlight streamed through the café’s glass door, casting a warm glow on Jiang Shining, making her appear even more elegant.
!
Watching Jiang Shining return to the counter, it took the student a long while to calm down.
Suppressing her racing heart, she grabbed her phone and opened Xiaohongshu.
[Girls, there’s a super gorgeous girl at the ANYTIME café in Xingguangyao. Come check it out ASAP!!]
The student used three exclamation marks for emphasis.
The student was Song Ya, who had over eight thousand followers on Xiaohongshu.
Sweet Potato User 2345: [Really?]
Song Ya: [Pics or it didn’t happen. Absolutely stunning.]
…
Ding, ding, ding.
Notifications kept coming.
The post about this small café unexpectedly spread quickly.
So quickly that even Mr. Gu, who had just finished handling company matters and was planning to visit the municipal hospital, was pushed this post.
“Café?”
Looking at the photo of Jiang Shining smiling gently, reminiscent of a first love, Gu Yan frowned.
Yesterday, she narrowly escaped danger.
And today, she’s already back to work?
Gu Yan couldn’t help but recall what the doctor had said earlier.
Working part-time to support oneself through school was commendable, but health was paramount.
“Is she that short on money?”
Gu Yan murmured softly. Glancing at the location tag on the post, his low voice echoed in the car.
“Head to the ANYTIME café in Xingguangyao.”
“Yes, Mr. Gu.”
ANYTIME Café
Lin Momo’s arms were shaking so vigorously they might as well have sparked.
She looked despairingly at the growing crowd at the entrance and the incessant ding-dong of the café door, feeling like crying.
“Ning! I’m begging you, sis—can I call you sis? Please, just stop smiling!”
In three hours, she had made at least eighty cups of coffee. Her arms were about to fall off.
Jiang Shining, who had just finished printing an order, paused and turned to Lin Momo with a puzzled look.
“Why?”
Tears streamed down Lin Momo’s face as she clutched the meter-long order slip.
“Everyone here, inside and outside the café, came because of you. If you keep smiling, I might not even have the strength to ride my electric scooter home.”
Jiang Shining was taken aback.
She looked at the students sitting in the shop with confusion.
“Are they here for me?”
She wasn’t the female lead, nor did she have any particular persona—what could they possibly want from her?
Jiang Shining couldn’t figure it out.
She glanced at Lin Momo, who stood with her hands hanging limply, exhausted from overwork.
“Can you still shake it?”
Lin Momo shook her head frantically. “No, I really can’t.”
If she kept shaking, Lin Momo felt her hands would give out completely.
Jiang Shining sighed and walked toward Lin Momo.
Lin Momo took a step back, looking at Jiang Shining with fear in her eyes. “Jiang Shining, what are you doing?”