Wait!
How did this turn into a café?!
What was wrong with this second male lead? Was he really trying to throw money at her just so he could humiliate her later?
Yu Wan was dumbfounded and immediately refused.
“Brother, I don’t want it. I… I just took a part time job because I had nothing better to do. I have absolutely no interest in owning a café.”
Gu Chiyuan glanced at Yu Wan.
She didn’t look like she was refusing out of politeness.
Even Gu Chiyuan himself didn’t know what had gotten into him.
Before Yu Wan turned eighteen, he had always found this little sister rather annoying.
She was spoiled, flamboyant, vain, and constantly clung to him and their father, asking them to buy her things.
But over the past few years, Yu Wan has changed completely.
She had become much quieter, stopped pestering him for gifts, suddenly started working hard at school, and had even secured a recommendation for graduate school.
She hadn’t touched the supplementary credit card he had given her even once.
She had even secretly gone out to find a part time job…
For some reason, all of this made Gu Chiyuan feel uncomfortable.
He felt that buying Yu Wan something might make him feel a little better.
“Then how about I buy you an apartment?” Gu Chiyuan suggested again. “I heard from Dad and Mom that you’re going to Shanghai for graduate school in September. Having your own place would be more convenient.”
“I don’t want one…”
“Then I’ll buy you a car?”
“No.”
“Then…”
“I don’t want anything!”
Yu Wan raised her voice.
Turning toward Gu Chiyuan, she looked at him with complete sincerity.
“Brother, if someone refuses three times, they really mean it. I genuinely don’t want anything.”
“…”
The car drove silently to the Gu family mansion.
Mother Yu was pleasantly surprised to see her daughter unexpectedly return and immediately took Yu Wan’s hand, asking one question after another.
“Didn’t you say you had something to do? Why did you suddenly come back?”
Before Yu Wan could answer, Gu Chiyuan naturally took over.
“I happened to run into her on the way, so I brought her back with me.” After a brief pause, he added, “She happened to be working a part time job nearby.”
Uncle Gu, who had been sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, abruptly lowered it.
“Why are you working a part time job? Are you short on money?” His face filled with concern before he frowned at Gu Chiyuan. “Did you lower the credit card limit?”
Gu Chiyuan suddenly found himself taking the blame for something he hadn’t done.
Mother Yu naturally knew Yu Wan had never used her card.
Since Mother Yu knew, Uncle Gu knew as well.
But Gu Chiyuan didn’t. Narrowing his eyes, he vaguely sensed that something wasn’t quite right.
Yu Wan nearly jumped in fright.
How had the conversation ended up here?!
If they kept talking, the truth would come out!
“It’s not because I don’t have enough money!” she interrupted hurriedly. “I was just… curious. My classmates are all working part time, so I wanted to try it too.”
Only then did Uncle Gu relax, though he continued asking with concern.
“Where are you working?”
“At a coffee shop,” Yu Wan answered.
“Is it tiring?”
“Not at all.” Yu Wan quickly changed the subject. “Where’s the fish? Didn’t Uncle Gu say he personally made braised fish? I want fish!”
Uncle Gu slapped his forehead.
“Right, right! Come on, everyone must be hungry. Let’s eat.”
Yu Wan sat at the dining table with the plate of braised fish in front of her.
The fish had absorbed the rich sauce and looked absolutely delicious.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Gu Chiyuan seemed to be watching her the entire time.
It scared her enough that she buried her head in her rice, not daring to look up.
One bite of fish, one bite of rice.
The fish was tender and had very few bones.
As she ate, Yu Wan’s eyes gradually grew hot.
Uncle Gu knew she loved fish but hated picking out bones, so every time he cooked fish, he deliberately chose a variety with very few bones.
But in that dream, it had also been because of her that Uncle Gu became so furious he suffered a stroke.
He had spent the rest of his life bedridden, unable to even take care of himself.
With tears welling in her eyes, Yu Wan continued stuffing rice into her mouth.
She practically finished the entire plate of braised fish by herself.
Mother Yu and the housekeeper cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.
Gu Chiyuan and Uncle Gu sat by the tea table discussing company matters over tea.
Yu Wan collapsed onto the sofa, clutching her stomach, and let out a burp.
She was stuffed.
Mother Yu placed a plate of sliced fruit in front of her.
“Eat some fruit after dinner. It’ll help with digestion.”
Looking up, Yu Wan carefully studied her mother.
Her memories of her biological father had already become blurry.
She vaguely remembered that the man had rarely come home. After squandering the family business left behind by her grandparents, he had accidentally injured someone and ended up in prison.
After the divorce, Yu Wan followed her mother and took her mother’s surname.
During those difficult years, Mother Yu worked outside for the first time in her life.
She often cried bitterly at night.
Fortunately, Mother Yu was an extraordinary beauty.
A few years after divorcing her ex husband, she married Uncle Gu and once again began living a comfortable life.
Now she was nearly fifty years old, yet after living comfortably with the Gu family for so many years, she looked younger than ever, more like a woman in her early thirties.
She had also become more and more like the proverbial canary in a gilded cage.
Once separated from the person supporting her, she would no longer be able to survive.
“…Mom, have you ever thought about getting a job?” Yu Wan suddenly asked.
Mother Yu froze before laughing.
“Silly child, why would I go out to work when everything’s perfectly fine? Your Uncle Gu isn’t going to let us go without money.”
“But…”
“No buts.” Mother Yu gently tapped Yu Wan’s forehead. “I know my own abilities. There isn’t much value in me going out to work. I’d rather stay home, keep your Uncle Gu happy every day, and let capable people like them go out and earn money.”
Yu Wan: “…………”
That… actually made a lot of sense.
Mother Yu placed another plate of fruit on the tea table.
Uncle Gu naturally reached over, took her hand, and chatted with her smilingly.
If she didn’t know how the story ended, Yu Wan would have thought this kind of life wasn’t bad at all.
Sigh!
But now she already knew the ending, so she had to force herself to become independent.
If that day really came, she would have to support not only herself but her mother as well.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
With some effort, Yu Wan pulled it out and saw that Li Yi had sent her a message.
He had added her on WeChat while they were signing the contract that evening.
【Li Yi: Wanwan.】
【Li Yi: What are you doing?】
Li Yi’s profile picture was an ugly yet oddly adorable chibi robot.
For the sake of her fifty thousand yuan monthly salary, Yu Wan replied instantly.
【Yu Wan: Nothing much.】
【Yu Wan: I just finished dinner.】
Seeing her respond immediately, Li Yi became even more enthusiastic.
【Li Yi: What a coincidence. I just finished eating too.】
【Li Yi: The coffee shop reopens next Monday. If you’re free this weekend, want to go hiking together?】
Hiking…
Yu Wan vaguely remembered that Su Nanzhi really did enjoy hiking.
She had even joined the university’s hiking club.
It seemed the System had analyzed the heroine Su Nanzhi’s known interests and was feeding that information to Li Yi so he could pursue her.
But Yu Wan didn’t like hiking at all.
【Yu Wan: No! My greatest hobby is lying around and doing absolutely nothing.】
After she sent the message, the other side fell silent for several minutes.
Yu Wan could practically picture Li Yi’s baffled expression on the other end of the phone.
She burst into laughter.
At the tea table, Gu Chiyuan had been quietly observing Yu Wan’s expressions.
The moment he saw that smile, his heart immediately sank.
“What’s wrong?” Uncle Gu followed his gaze. “You kept looking at Xiao Wan all through dinner. Did something happen?”
After hesitating for a long time, Gu Chiyuan finally voiced the suspicion that had been bothering him.
“Dad… Xiao Wan isn’t dating someone, is she?”
The moment those words left his mouth, even Gu Chiyuan was momentarily stunned.
Uncle Gu paused with his teacup in hand and looked up at him.
“Dating?”
Gu Chiyuan said nothing and glanced toward the sofa again.
Yu Wan was holding her phone with the corners of her lips slightly raised. The glow of the screen illuminated her face, making that smile especially obvious.
He had never seen her smile like that before.
Gu Chiyuan withdrew his gaze and took a sip of tea.
The tea had already gone cold.
“Xiao Wan is already twenty two this year,” Uncle Gu said indifferently. “It’s perfectly normal for her to date someone. You’re her brother. Why are you meddling in your little sister’s private life?”
Gu Chiyuan set down his teacup.
The porcelain struck the wooden tea table with a crisp sound.
“I’m not meddling,” he said. “I’m just asking.”
Uncle Gu looked at him, his eyes carrying the knowing understanding of someone with more life experience.
“Alright. Later, I’ll ask your Aunt Yu about it.”
Gu Chiyuan said nothing further.
The kettle on the tea table bubbled away, wisps of steam slowly curling upward.
Meanwhile, over on the sofa, Yu Wan had no idea she had already been suspected of having a boyfriend.
When Li Yi failed to reply for quite some time, Yu Wan rubbed her stomach and prepared to get up for a walk to help digest her meal.
Just then, another message from Li Yi arrived.
【Li Yi: I’m reading.】
【Li Yi: Image】
Yu Wan tapped the picture.
In the photo, a large hand with long, well defined fingers rested casually on the table.
Beside it lay an open book, an original English edition.
Yu Wan: “…”
What was wrong with this male lead?
Why was he suddenly trying so hard to show off?
Before she had even finished complaining inwardly, another message from Li Yi popped up.
【Li Yi: Do you like reading?】
【Yu Wan: …No.】
After a brief two second silence, Yu Wan decided to answer honestly about her interests.
【Yu Wan: I like watching short dramas.】
This time the male lead should finally realize something was wrong, right?
What kind of heroine had such lowbrow hobbies?
To her surprise, Li Yi didn’t become suspicious at all.
【Li Yi: Short dramas? I haven’t really watched many.】
【Li Yi: What kind of short dramas do you usually like?】
He genuinely sounded curious.
Yu Wan pursed her lips.
Suddenly, she felt like causing a little trouble.
【Yu Wan: I like watching My Younger Brother Always Accidentally Sits Facial Cleanser into His Butt.】