Chapter 307 : A Blessing Upon This... World!
"Why do you look so tired, Ling Ning?" Chu Feng asked, watching her slumped over the coffee bar. It had been a while since he’d seen her at the café, and she looked completely drained.
"Sigh~"
Ling Ning let out a long sigh at Chu Feng’s question. She’d spent the past few days keeping Lin Xi company, doing all sorts of activities with her—even staying up late to play online games together.
Despite her fatigue, Ling Ning had rediscovered the thrill of gaming, and she’d almost given in to the urge to open her payment app and drop some cash on the game. But she’d resisted. She didn’t have that kind of disposable income.
Today, with Lin Xi finally looking better after her breakup, Ling Ning had planned a relaxing day to herself. But then her daughter had gone out with her friend, leaving Ling Ning alone and bored. She decided to come to the café to pass the time and earn some pocket money.
After all the late nights, though, Ling Ning felt her skin had suffered. Her dark circles were so pronounced that not even makeup could fully cover them. It made her feel utterly defeated.
"I’ve just been busy the past few days. Don’t mind me," she said, managing a small smile. "Speaking of, have you tried out the advice I gave you? Did you manage to meet any cute girls at the convention?"
At the mention of cute girls, Chu Feng’s eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly. "With your advice, I finally managed to chat up a cute girl at the convention!"
Once he started talking about the girl he’d met, Chu Feng couldn’t stop, eagerly filling Ling Ning in on every detail. The only catch was that every time he met up with her, she showed up in cosplay. He’d gathered a lot of information so far, but he didn’t plan to reveal his identity until he knew her a little better.
"Is that so?"
Ling Ning chuckled awkwardly. She’d only been joking with her advice, but apparently Chu Feng had really managed to hit it off with someone. Hopefully she isn’t one of those girls with suspiciously large "assets," Ling Ning thought wryly.
“Oh, by the way, Ling Ning, things are going great with that girl, but there’s always this guy hanging around her. Whenever I try to get some one-on-one time with her, he shows up out of nowhere. It’s so frustrating!"
Chu Feng sighed in exasperation. Though he’d managed to ditch Sun Jie and Zhao Dezhu, a new rival named Wei Suozhai kept popping up. Every time Chu Feng went on a date with his crush, Wei Suozhai would show up by coincidence, leading him to suspect Wei Suozhai was a stalker.
He even investigated him but was surprised to find that Wei Suozhai wasn’t tailing them; each encounter had genuinely been a coincidence.
"Honestly, this isn’t a novel or an anime. How are there so many coincidences?"
"I’m not sure I can help with that… Oh, by the way, have you noticed your regulars, Sun Jie and Zhao Dezhu, haven’t been around lately?" Ling Ning asked.
"Oh, them? I’m not sure what happened, but I saw the two of them holding hands coming out of a hotel last time."
"…"
Ling Ning didn’t know what to say to that. All I can do is bless this world that’s either yuri or yaoi.
At that moment, the café door opened, and in walked Li Si, dressed in a simple but stylish outfit. Her transformation was striking. She now sported a chic, ear-length bob and wore a crisp white blouse with jeans, which suited her perfectly.
As soon as Li Si entered, she spotted Ling Ning slumped over the bar. It had been a while since she’d seen her, and she was surprised to see her here so early.
“Hey there, Li Si! You’re looking great—I almost didn’t recognize you!” Ling Ning called out.
Li Si’s face turned red as she stammered, “N-no, I haven’t changed that much… What brings you here so early?”
“Oh, I just missed you, of course,” Ling Ning said with a playful smile.
“Huh!?”
“Pfft! You’re still as easily embarrassed as ever, huh?”
Li Si’s face flushed deeper. She knew Ling Ning was teasing her, but somehow her heart always raced around her. Why was she like this? She’d gotten plenty of experience working at the café, so why did Ling Ning make her feel so flustered?
Eager to avoid further teasing, Li Si rushed into the staff room to change. She quickly slipped into her maid uniform, a task that had once made her feel shy but now felt completely routine. Guess you really can get used to anything.
When she emerged in her maid outfit, her earlier embarrassment had faded, and she looked as confident as ever.
Ling Ning gave her a smile. “So, how’s the job treating you?”
"It’s great!" Li Si replied seriously. She’d become proficient at her tasks, had built a steady customer base, and was on track to save up her tuition fees for the upcoming term, with a bit of pocket money to spare. The café atmosphere was nice too, though she still didn’t understand a word the manager said.
“Good to hear. I was a little worried you might not get used to it.”
“Not at all! I should be thanking you for helping me find such a great job,” Li Si said earnestly. If it hadn’t been for Ling Ning, she didn’t know what she’d be doing now.
In the corner, Xia You quietly watched Li Si and Ling Ning chat, a strange smile on her face. She discreetly pulled out her phone, found a contact labeled “Apprentice,” and dialed.
As she chatted with Ling Ning, Li Si suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something ominous was about to happen.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author's Note:
Today, the Lazy Fish had three duels with “Li Er Hong” and lost. Newton, I love you; Fuxi, I love you… I have some choice words, but I’ll keep them to myself.
Today’s Lazy Fish is double-updating as usual~