Chapter 389 : Entertaining... I Mean, Greeting Guests
"Can I ask why you agreed to Chu Mengyao’s request?" Ling Ning asked, glancing curiously at Luo Xiaoyu, who was dressed in a maid outfit.
Luo Xiaoyu silently looked at Ling Ning and said, "I just wanted to experience it."
"Ah, I see." Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully. "Wait here for a moment; I’ll go change."
Ling Ning walked toward the changing room, feeling a bit nostalgic. It had been a while since she last wore a maid outfit. She wondered if she’d still feel comfortable in it.
"Could you… stop staring at me like that? It’s making me feel self-conscious."
Ling Ning said, noticing Luo Xiaoyu following her into the changing room.
"Don’t mind me. Besides, we’re both girls. There’s nothing to be shy about," Luo Xiaoyu replied indifferently.
"Well, that’s true, but…"
Ling Ning scratched her head, slightly embarrassed. Even though they were both women, being watched while changing still felt awkward.
Seeing Luo Xiaoyu’s indifferent expression, Ling Ning sighed and reluctantly began changing. She couldn’t help but think Luo Xiaoyu had an odd personality—completely different from her over-the-top sister, Luo Xiaoning, despite their identical appearances.
"Could you… help me with something?" Ling Ning asked awkwardly.
"What is it?"
"The zipper on the back is stuck. Could you help me pull it up?" Ling Ning said with an embarrassed smile.
Luo Xiaoyu nodded and stepped behind Ling Ning. She glanced at the half-zipped outfit and the smooth, flawless skin of Ling Ning’s back.
"Your skin is quite nice."
Luo Xiaoyu remarked, brushing her fingers against Ling Ning’s back.
"Please don’t touch unnecessarily," Ling Ning muttered, wriggling uncomfortably.
Luo Xiaoyu tilted her head and pulled at the zipper, finding it completely stuck. To fix the issue, she couldn’t avoid a bit of physical contact. After some effort, she finally managed to zip it up, much to Ling Ning’s relief.
"Let’s go. I’ll show you how to entertain—I mean, greet guests," Ling Ning said, catching herself mid-sentence.
"Okay."
Ling Ning spent some time explaining the ins and outs of customer service, demonstrating proper etiquette repeatedly. Despite Luo Xiaoyu’s indifferent responses, she was remarkably observant.
"Do you want to give it a try?" Ling Ning asked.
"Sure."
Luo Xiaoyu approached a newly arrived customer, her mannerisms perfectly mirroring Ling Ning’s earlier demonstration. Ling Ning, initially worried Luo Xiaoyu hadn’t been paying attention, was surprised to see her execute everything flawlessly.
"Do you need me to explain anything else?" Ling Ning asked.
"No, I’ve been here for two days. If I still didn’t understand how things work, how would I be any different from my sister?" Luo Xiaoyu replied, her tone flat.
Across the café, Jiang Xue suddenly felt a tickle in her nose, as if someone had just taken a dig at her.
"I see. In that case, I’ll go handle some customers," Ling Ning said, turning to leave.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"My sister mentioned you’re a freshman at S University this year, right?"
Though puzzled by the question, Ling Ning nodded. "That’s right. Why do you ask?"
Luo Xiaoyu smiled mysteriously. "No reason. Just curious."
Shrugging, Ling Ning couldn’t shake the feeling that Luo Xiaoyu was somewhat peculiar but couldn’t pinpoint why.
When Ling Ning approached Chu Mengyao, the latter looked confused. "Ling Ning, where’s Luo Xiaoyu?"
"Your sister-in-law’s been watching for two days. She’s already mastered everything," Ling Ning replied.
"Really?" Chu Mengyao blinked skeptically.
Ling Ning pointed toward Luo Xiaoyu, who was expertly attending to a customer. Chu Mengyao’s surprise quickly turned into admiration. "She’s this good after just two days? If only that dummy sister of hers were half as competent, my life would be so much easier."
"My sister has always been a genius," said a familiar voice.
Luo Xiaoning appeared beside them, gazing at her sister with a mix of pride and exasperation. "She’s incredibly talented at everything she does."
"Weren’t you supposed to be working? What are you doing here?" Chu Mengyao asked.
"Look around. The café’s not that busy right now. Luo Xiaoyu and Jiang Xue can handle things just fine," Luo Xiaoning replied lazily.
"Doesn’t having such a talented sister ever feel stressful?" Ling Ning asked.
"Not at all. In fact, it’s quite nice." Luo Xiaoning smiled wistfully. "Because I’ve always been so average—maybe even below average—our parents have focused most of their attention on her."
"That’s probably why they were so quick to accept my liking girls. If it were my sister in my place, they’d never agree."
"You know, being exceptional isn’t always a blessing. My sister spent most of her childhood attending endless classes and tutorials while I got to play outside. It wasn’t until college that she finally had some freedom."
"She lives such a demanding life. If I could, I’d wish for her to live more freely. It makes me feel like a useless older sister sometimes."
With a sigh, Luo Xiaoning fell silent.
Chu Mengyao wrapped an arm around Luo Xiaoning’s waist and whispered, "Don’t dwell on it too much."
The two leaned in close, their lips almost touching, when Ling Ning cleared her throat. "Ahem. Public space. Mind your image."
"Tch." Chu Mengyao released Luo Xiaoning reluctantly. "You ruined the mood. I could’ve scored some points with her.”
"Doesn’t she already adore you?"
"True, but affection has no upper limit. You can never have enough."
"Fine. You win." Ling Ning rolled her eyes.