"Finally, work is over!" The busiest hours had passed, and Tang Keke slumped onto the bench in the changing room, feeling utterly exhausted. Her whole body ached, especially her shoulders, which had always been prone to soreness. The constant back-and-forth had left her more drained than a gym class ever could.
This shop was way too popular. During peak hours, the crowd was overwhelming—so much so that Tang Keke felt like her limbs weren’t even her own anymore.
"And that manager is so strict. We worked for three hours, and…" Tang Keke did a quick calculation, "Fifty-something yuan."
Bai Yuyou opened her locker and changed out of her stained uniform. After a moment of thought, she murmured softly, "Fifty-seven."
Pausing briefly, the girl added, "So… earning money isn’t easy."
"Of course it isn’t," Tang Keke agreed.
"Fifty-something yuan… about three or four hundred a week." Tang Keke did the math again and realized it wasn’t exactly a small amount.
She turned to Bai Yuyou. "Yuyou, what are you planning to do with this money?"
When asked, Bai Yuyou replied quietly, "Give it to Ye Shuang."
"Huh? Seriously?" Tang Keke blinked in surprise. "Brother Ye Shuang probably doesn’t need money. You worked so hard for this—you should plan it out properly."
Bai Yuyou didn’t quite understand what "planning it out" meant. "How?"
"Well…" Tang Keke grinned mischievously. "If you really want to give it to him, why not use this hard-earned money to buy him a little gift? He’d be so touched!"
"Gift."
"Exactly!" Tang Keke raised a finger, as if lecturing. "Just try to figure out what he likes these next few days, then buy it for him."
Bai Yuyou fell into thought. "Gift…"
The two girls stepped out of the changing room, heading toward the restaurant’s back exit.
Just as they were about to leave, they ran into two men—also employees of the restaurant, who had been assisting in the kitchen.
Since they didn’t know them, Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke stayed silent, but the men greeted them first.
"You two work here?"
"We’re just part-timers," Tang Keke replied reluctantly.
"You’re students from Yinshan Academy, right? My cousin goes there too," one of the men continued, his gaze lingering a little too long on Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou—especially Bai Yuyou, whose striking looks seemed to surprise him. Still, he kept his tone casual.
"Here to earn some pocket money?"
"Yeah." Tang Keke was already uncomfortable. The way they were looking at them felt invasive, making her skin crawl.
The man chuckled. "Since we’re colleagues meeting for the first time, how about I treat you to milk tea? There’s a really good shop next door—I won’t tell anyone else."
The other man chimed in, "Yeah, it’s great. Always has a line."
"Um…"
Tang Keke didn’t want to go at all. Her social anxiety was kicking in, but she couldn’t find the words to refuse.
She instinctively grabbed Bai Yuyou’s hand.
"Thank you, but we don’t want any," Bai Yuyou suddenly spoke up, catching the men off guard.
"Ha, it’s just milk tea—no need to be so guarded. We’re all coworkers here. Do we really look like bad guys?" The man seemed used to this kind of reaction and brushed it off smoothly.
"Come on, it’s really close."
"No." Bai Yuyou’s voice was firm, her calm eyes turning colder.
The outright rejection made the man’s expression shift.
"Yuyou, Keke."
Just then, a voice called out from nearby.
Everyone turned. Tang Keke relaxed instantly when she saw who it was, waving with a smile. "Brother, over here—!"
Ye Shuang had been waiting at a nearby Starbucks, timing his arrival for when the girls were about to finish their shift.
"Ye Shuang…" Bai Yuyou immediately buried herself in his arms, leaving the two men stunned. Was this the same icy girl from before?
"Was the part-time job tiring?" Ye Shuang pinched her cheek affectionately as she clung to him.
The girl in his arms shook her head. "Earning money… is hard."
"Learning that lesson is enough. If it’s too much, you don’t have to keep doing it. It’s just for experience anyway." Only then did Ye Shuang seem to notice the two men.
"Oh, are these your coworkers?"
"Uh…" The two exchanged awkward glances.
"We just asked if they wanted to grab milk tea with us."
"Milk tea?" Ye Shuang smiled. "I see. But these two don’t like things too sweet. Sorry about that."
Ye Shuang was noticeably taller and broader than them, and despite his friendly tone, there was an unspoken edge to his smile—an invisible pressure.
"Oh… guess we’ll go ourselves then."
For some reason, their hearts skipped a beat, and the two men quickly walked away.
Once they were gone, Tang Keke stuck out her tongue and patted her chest. "Ugh, those guys were the worst. Their eyes were practically undressing us, but they acted all serious."
"Yuyou, you were amazing just now! I can’t believe you actually stood up to them."
Bai Yuyou glanced at Ye Shuang. "Ye Shuang said… to learn to refuse."
She looked up at him. "Right?"
"Absolutely. You did great." Ye Shuang ruffled her hair with a smile. "If something makes you uncomfortable, you should always say no."
Bai Yuyou seemed delighted by the praise, her usual stoic expression softening—even her "ahoge" (rebellious strand of hair) perked up.
"Alright, let’s get going." Ye Shuang gestured to the black car parked by the curb.
Over the weekend, he’d bought an Audi Q5. Compared to his sports car, this SUV had no trouble fitting Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke. He’d initially planned to get something cheaper, but after browsing without finding any available models, he ended up with this one.
Luckily, the fierce competition in the auto industry meant even gas cars were heavily discounted, making it a decent deal.
"Hehe, first free meals, now free rides." Tang Keke giggled from the backseat after buckling in.
Ye Shuang chuckled, then noticed something outside the window—the two men who had approached the girls were unlocking shared bikes nearby.
Since Ye Shuang had rolled down the window for ventilation, their eyes met briefly. Seeing their stunned expressions, he ignored them, smoothly raising the window, shifting gears, and pulling away.
Time to go home.