Chapter 676 : Idiot, Marry Me!
“Why does this feel... kind of embarrassing?”
Zhao Rui, dressed in a maid outfit, appeared before Ling Ning. She seemed to sense the awkwardness of her attire and reached out to tug at the hem of her skirt, which was neither too long nor too short.
Even her perpetually cheerful face now bore a slight blush.
Seeing her like this, Ling Ning grinned with delight and said, “See? Doesn’t this suit you perfectly?”
“What suits me...”
At that moment, Chu Mengyao stepped out from behind Zhao Rui, smiling mischievously. “Yes, it’s exactly this kind of shyness! Everyone else in the café has already passed this phase. It’s true—the initial awkwardness of wearing a maid outfit is simply the best.”
“Mm-hmm-hmm!” Ling Ning nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Looking at the two in front of her, Zhao Rui suddenly regretted taking this job. But she quickly reminded herself that Ling Ning often worked in the same outfit, so she decided not to say anything further.
As Ling Ning was about to say something else, her gaze fell on the sign in the café, which displayed a closing time of 5 PM today. This puzzled her—knowing Chu Mengyao’s character, it seemed unlikely she would close the café so early, especially since there were more customers expected later.
Sensing Ling Ning’s confusion, Chu Mengyao chuckled softly. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Huh?”
Seeing Chu Mengyao’s mysterious smile, Ling Ning blinked but decided not to dwell on it. There was still plenty of time to figure out what Chu Mengyao was up to.
“Senior, come along. I’ll introduce you to the café’s operations and the team while I’m at it.”
“Oh~ By the way, Ling Ning, aren’t you changing into a maid outfit?”
“I’m just here to bring my Senior along today, not to work. Besides, since we’re closing soon, it’d be more trouble than it’s worth to change,” Ling Ning explained.
Leading Chu Mengyao on a tour around the café, she introduced her to the staff and demonstrated the typical duties.
Watching Ling Ning’s skillful movements, Chu Mengyao blinked in surprise. Ling Ning seemed so competent—her professionalism even outshone those who were fully dressed for the role.
Time passed quickly. Once the last customer was sent off, Ling Ning started helping Chu Mengyao tidy up the café. Perhaps because there were now two extra pairs of hands, the cleaning was finished in no time.
Afterward, Ling Ning poured a cup of coffee for everyone and sat by the counter, waiting for Chu Mengyao’s big reveal. With how mysterious she’d been acting earlier, Ling Ning expected to be pleasantly surprised.
Just then, Luo Xiaoning emerged from one of the rooms. Seeing everyone still gathered in the café, she asked curiously, “Hey, aren’t we done cleaning yet?”
“No, I asked them to stay behind for a bit—as witnesses,” Chu Mengyao replied with a bright smile, stepping in front of Luo Xiaoning.
“Huh?”
Hearing this, the room fell silent. Ling Ning and the others exchanged sharp glances, piecing together the situation from Chu Mengyao’s earlier words. Could it be... a proposal?
Their guess turned out to be correct.
Under their astonished gazes, Chu Mengyao pulled a small box from her pocket. When she opened it, a dazzling diamond ring inside caught the light, its brilliance captivating everyone.
“Idiot, marry me!”
As soon as Chu Mengyao spoke, Jiang Xue reflexively gasped. None of them had expected the boss to gather them here to witness her proposing to Luo Xiaoning!
Zhao Rui tugged on Ling Ning’s sleeve and whispered, “Should we be shouting something like ‘Say yes!’ right now?”
“Even if you ask me, how would I know?!”
While they whispered, Luo Xiaoning, who had been frozen in place, turned as red as a tomato. Covering her mouth, she mumbled incoherently, at a complete loss for words.
After a long while, Luo Xiaoning finally composed herself. She looked at Chu Mengyao, who stood before her, and replied calmly, “I refuse.”
“Huh?!”
The collective shock from the onlookers was palpable. Before they could recover, Luo Xiaoning added, “If anything, you should be the one marrying me!”
Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel that Chu Mengyao looked as though she was ready to throw hands.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Mengyao calmly snapped the ring box shut. “If you’re refusing, then forget it.”
“Wait! I didn’t say I didn’t want it!”
Seeing Chu Mengyao’s reaction, Luo Xiaoning panicked. She quickly leaned closer, trying to snatch the box from Chu Mengyao’s hands.
The sight of the petite Luo Xiaoning hopping up and down in front of the taller Chu Mengyao gave Ling Ning the impression of a child being teased. Where did this strange déjà vu come from?
Chu Mengyao gazed at Luo Xiaoning and, taking advantage of her focus on the box, pulled her into a firm embrace. Without hesitation, she leaned down and kissed Luo Xiaoning on the lips.
“This PDA is... really something.”
Ling Ning muttered, shaking her head. She waved her hand at the others, signaling for them to leave. The rest of the time should be left to the two of them.
It wasn’t until an indeterminate amount of time later that Chu Mengyao finally released a breathless Luo Xiaoning. Seeing the dazed expression on Luo Xiaoning’s face, Chu Mengyao smiled faintly. However, it was only then that she realized the café was empty.
“Looks like they got the hint~” Chu Mengyao chuckled to herself.
Meanwhile, outside the café, the others were still processing what had just happened. Jiang Xue instinctively glanced at her mentor, seemingly lost in thought.
As for Li Si, she appeared completely out of it, still struggling to react.
The only ones who remained composed were Ling Ning and Zhao Rui. The former had already guessed what would happen, while the latter was no stranger to such scenes—she’d even witnessed a “bro proposing to another bro” once.
“Ahem, that’s it for today. Everyone, head home. Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day—or Grill Day~” Ling Ning quipped before heading off toward home.
But after just a few steps, she paused and turned back to Zhao Rui. “Senior, Sister Mengyao mentioned that if you’re serious about taking this job, you’re welcome anytime.”
“Mm, thank you.”