Chapter 539 : She’s Really Not a Masochist
“Can Li Si really pull off the plan?”
After hanging up the phone, Chu Mengyao muttered to herself. Though Li Si was typically efficient at her work, she could be painfully awkward in other areas. Chu Mengyao just hoped nothing would go wrong.
Luo Xiaoning, curious after seeing Chu Mengyao’s contemplative expression, approached and asked, “What’s up? You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
“Nothing much. I’m just wondering how Li Si’s little operation is going.”
“Oh, is that all? Why not go check on her? The café’s pretty dead today anyway. It’s not like anyone will notice if you’re gone,” Luo Xiaoning suggested with a mischievous smile.
Chu Mengyao considered this for a moment and nodded. Luo Xiaoning had a point. Still, why did she suddenly feel an urge to pin this airheaded coworker down and give her a stern talking-to? Did she really have to badmouth her own workplace like that?
Sighing lightly, Chu Mengyao stood up and said, “Alright, you’re in charge of the café today. Since I started this whole thing, I’d better go oversee it. Call me if anything comes up.”
Patting her flat chest confidently, Luo Xiaoning replied, “Don’t worry! I promise I won’t sneak off to play games!”
Chu Mengyao’s expression darkened. “Remember those SM training materials we watched together yesterday?”
Blinking innocently, Luo Xiaoning nodded.
“If I catch you slacking off, I’ll make sure you get to experience everything the female lead did. I mean it.”
With that ominous warning, Chu Mengyao headed to the changing room to swap out her maid uniform for casual clothes. After all, she was going to tail someone, and only an idiot would do that dressed as a maid.
Meanwhile, Ling Ning, who was out shopping with Li Si, suddenly sneezed. She instinctively tightened her coat around herself. Despite wearing plenty, the cold still managed to seep in.
“I-I’m definitely not skipping work!”
Luo Xiaoning stammered, shivering at the thought of Chu Mengyao’s threat. She regretted encouraging her boss to leave—now she couldn’t even sneak off to play games. She really wasn’t into SM!
Dressed in casual attire, Chu Mengyao reemerged in the café. She sent Li Si a message, instructing her to enable location sharing and activate "Plan B."
On the other side, Li Si complied without hesitation, even though she didn’t fully understand why Plan B was suddenly necessary. Now Chu Mengyao could track her and Ling Ning’s whereabouts.
Noticing Li Si staring at her phone, Ling Ning curiously leaned over. “Playing a game?”
Startled, Li Si quickly locked her screen. “N-No, I was just checking where we should go next. By the way, Ling Ning, your scarf is really pretty.”
“Hehe~ Of course it is! Ye Ye gave it to me as a gift~” Ling Ning replied with a warm smile, clearly treasuring the scarf her daughter had given her.
“Speaking of scarves, you’re not wearing one, Xiao Si Si. There’s a store nearby that sells scarves. Let’s take a look!”
Before Li Si could respond, Ling Ning grabbed her hand and led her into the shop.
Being a weekend, the store was moderately crowded, but it didn’t hinder their shopping.
“Let’s see... This one looks nice~” Ling Ning said, holding up a beige scarf and comparing it against Li Si.
Not quite satisfied, Ling Ning picked out another scarf and stepped closer to drape it around Li Si’s neck.
As Ling Ning’s face drew nearer, Li Si found herself captivated by Ling Ning’s lips, an irresistible urge to kiss her surfacing. Fortunately, she managed to suppress it. There were too many people around, and she wasn’t sure how Ling Ning would react.
“Perfect! This one looks great on you and matches your outfit nicely,” Ling Ning said with a satisfied nod.
“R-Really, I don’t need a scarf. I’m not that sensitive to the cold,” Li Si murmured, looking away in embarrassment.
It was true—Li Si didn’t feel the cold much. Her current outfit was all about fashion over function, a choice encouraged by Chu Mengyao once she learned of Li Si’s resistance to chilly weather.
Ling Ning tried several scarves on Li Si, ultimately settling on the first one. Without hesitation, she took it to the cashier.
Li Si attempted to pay, but Ling Ning refused, insisting it was a gift. Her determination left Li Si no room to argue.
As they left the store, Li Si’s sharp eyes spotted a familiar figure bundled up like a walking dumpling. It took her a moment to recognize Chu Mengyao.
When Chu Mengyao noticed Li Si had spotted her, she discreetly nodded and pointed to her ear, signaling Li Si to activate her hidden earpiece.
Confused but compliant, Li Si turned on the device.
“Can you hear me?” Chu Mengyao’s voice came through the earpiece.
Li Si nodded slightly in response, prompting Chu Mengyao to continue.
“Don’t overthink it. Just consider this my way of making sure everything goes smoothly. Enjoy your date—I’ll be supporting you from the sidelines.”
Ling Ning, noticing Li Si’s distracted look, waved a hand in front of her face. “What’s wrong? You spaced out for a moment there.”
“N-Nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew, but I must have been mistaken.”
“Oh~ Happens to me all the time. So, where to next?”
Just as Li Si was about to answer, Chu Mengyao’s voice cut in through the earpiece, prompting her to change her response. “Let’s find a place to eat. I know a spot with great food.”
“But it’s only eleven. Isn’t it a bit early?”
“It’s fine. The place is a bit far, so we can walk there and browse the shops along the way.”
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Author’s Note:
It’s all fake. Epic potions are fake. Shiny items are fake!