As Su Nanzhi and her roommate walked out of the café after lunch break, the midday sun shone directly on the glass doors, so bright it made their eyes ache.
Xiao Xia was still grumbling.
“Nanzhi, that owner really turned you down?”
Su Nanzhi smiled without answering.
“I mean, what gives?” Xiao Xia complained indignantly. “You’re A University’s campus belle! The guys chasing after you could line up from the library all the way to the next campus gate! He’s just the owner of a little café. What right does he have to reject you?”
“That’s perfectly normal.” Su Nanzhi’s voice was calm. “I’m not some irresistible heartthrob. If he rejected me, then he rejected me.”
Although she said it lightly, her fingers tightened ever so slightly.
Xiao Xia didn’t notice and continued rambling.
“I just can’t figure it out. And that smile of yours, what guy could possibly resist it? Yet he didn’t react at all…”
Su Nanzhi said nothing, but her hand slowly clenched into a fist.
She didn’t know why.
She just felt uncomfortable.
Some instinct deep inside her told her that this young man shouldn’t have been so indifferent toward her.
Her phone vibrated.
Xiao Xia pulled out her phone and immediately looked dejected.
“Secretary Lin says President Gu wants this batch of interns to conduct research on different industries.” She opened the spreadsheet and glanced through it. “The two of us got assigned to the hot spring industry. The report’s due next Friday.”
Su Nanzhi took out her own phone as well.
The intern group chat contained only their batch of interns and Secretary Lin.
They hadn’t even met the legendary President Gu.
“I thought with someone as handsome as President Gu, Hongtai would turn into some kind of romantic drama.” Xiao Xia sighed. “Turns out we’re all just corporate workhorses.”
“Yeah.”
Su Nanzhi softly agreed. It was completely different from what she had imagined.
Meanwhile, back in the café…
Yu Wan sat behind the counter, looking at Li Yi’s profile as he washed cups, while her thoughts were a complete mess.
This misunderstanding had become far too serious.
Li Yi believed her affection for him had increased.
He believed he had finally won her over.
He believed their relationship had finally made progress.
But what was the truth?
Those five affection points belonged to Su Nanzhi, the real heroine.
They had absolutely nothing to do with her.
Lowering her gaze, Yu Wan unconsciously traced the rim of her coffee cup with her fingertips.
She remembered every one of Li Yi’s thoughts.
She remembered how he had walked her home the previous evening and stood beneath the streetlight, staring absentmindedly toward her window.
She remembered him saying, “Thank goodness the heroine is her.”
She remembered him saying, “From now on, I’ll take care of her.”
The male lead really was a good person.
Good enough that she couldn’t bear to deceive him.
…But wasn’t that exactly what she was doing?
She clearly knew she wasn’t the heroine.
She clearly knew this was all one big misunderstanding.
Yet she had continued accepting his kindness with a clear conscience.
What right did she have?
Yu Wan’s fingers slowly tightened.
“Li Yi,” she called softly.
Li Yi was washing cups.
Hearing her voice, he turned around. His brows relaxed as he smiled with complete innocence.
“What is it, Wanwan?”
His bright eyes looked at her as though she were the most precious thing in the entire world.
Yu Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
But in the end, she merely shook her head.
“…It’s nothing.”
Looking puzzled, Li Yi turned back and continued washing the cups.
Leaning against the back of her chair, Yu Wan let out a melancholy sigh.
I’m sorry, Male Lead.
She still couldn’t bear to give up that fifty thousand yuan monthly salary!
To Yu Wan’s surprise, Su Nanzhi never came back over the next few days.
Then again, even if she had wanted to come, she couldn’t.
The café had closed temporarily.
Li Yi had decided to renovate it completely.
“I think you were right. Our shop is too small.”
On Friday morning, Li Yi held a proposal in his hands as he explained his plans to Yu Wan.
“Since we’re opening the nation’s first café of this kind, we have to make a big splash. Besides gathering research over the past few days, I’ve already rented the two neighboring storefronts. We’ll renovate all three together.”
Looking at the design sketches for the renovated café, Yu Wan had no idea whether she should praise Li Yi for his ambition or warn him that he might be biting off more than he could chew.
…Could this really make money?!
But forget that.
There was only one thing Yu Wan truly cared about.
“How long will the renovations take?”
“About two months.” Li Yi calculated briefly. “The café will stay closed during that time, but don’t worry, you’ll still receive your salary.”
Yu Wan’s eyes lit up.
Two months of paid vacation? Something this wonderful actually existed?
“However…” Li Yi changed the subject. “During the renovations, I’ll need someone to help test the robots. Since you’ll be free anyway, come to the lab on weekdays and help me.”
Yu Wan looked at him suspiciously.
“What could I possibly help you with?”
Could someone as extraordinary as the male lead really need her assistance?
“You understand coffee!”
“My lab is full of technical people. They either drink Luckin Coffee or instant Nescafé.” Li Yi spoke with complete seriousness. “I only realized yesterday that they can’t even tell the difference between a latte and a cappuccino. Expecting them to distinguish coffee beans would be harder than killing them.”
“…”
Yu Wan hesitated.
Getting along well with the male lead’s team…
Wasn’t that supposed to be the heroine’s job?
What was a villainous second female lead doing taking over that role?
Li Yi noticed her hesitation.
His solution was wonderfully straightforward.
“I’ll add another twenty thousand yuan a month during these two months as consulting fees for helping the lab.”
Yu Wan answered without hesitation.
“Deal!”
Looking at the sparkle in Yu Wan’s eyes, Li Yi couldn’t help smiling.
Sometimes he felt Yu Wan was actually very easy to understand.
…The only problem was that increasing her affection level was unbelievably difficult!
“How about this afternoon?” Li Yi suggested. “I’ll introduce you to everyone in the lab during a team outing. You can officially start work on Monday.”
A team outing…
That wasn’t a bad idea.
“Where are we going?” Yu Wan asked.
“A hot spring resort.”
Friday afternoon, Hot Spring Life Center.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, the lounge area was still fairly empty.
The dozen or so members of the lab, both men and women alike, were sprawled across beanbag chairs in the lounge without exception.
Nearby, piles of fruit were stacked as high as little hills.
“Boss, can we do more gatherings like this in the future?”
Chen Siwei sighed with emotion.
“We’re not getting any younger. Can we please stop doing escape rooms and Werewolf games?”
His words immediately resonated with the rest of the team.
“Exactly! No more trips to Universal Studios!”
“And no more climbing the Great Wall!”
“The boss is still full of energy. Unlike us, I’d rather come to work than go outside.”
“You guys don’t get it.” Liang Ming leaned over with a mischievous grin. “It doesn’t matter where you go. What matters is who you’re going with.”
The moment he said that, everyone’s curiosity was ignited.
“What do you mean?”
Li Yi opened his eyes and stared expressionlessly at him.
“Liang Ming.”
His tone carried an obvious warning.
But Liang Ming wasn’t someone who was easily intimidated.
Most of the group had been classmates back in university. They had started their business together while still in school and knew one another inside out.
Ignoring Li Yi completely, he leaned toward the others with a grin.
“You guys don’t know this yet, do you? The boss has been chasing a girl lately!”