Waste Utilization

When it comes to chasing girls, you’ve got to have a thick skin.

Succeed, and you’ll win the beauty’s heart, making all your buddies green with envy.

Fail? Just laugh it off—it’s not like you’re losing a piece of flesh.

Of course, if these were just ordinary girls, the two of them wouldn’t be sticking around like stubborn glue. But these two rare, wild little beauties were something else—who knew when the next chance like this would come around?

Strike while the iron is hot.

The leaner guy walked into the café from behind, instinctively straightening his clothes a little. He muttered under his breath,

"Be more polite this time, take it slow. You were way too obvious earlier."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Like you’re any better," the taller guy shot back, giving his buddy a sidelong glance.

After his own failed attempt, this so-called "good brother" had immediately gone up to the JK-clad little cutie to ask for her number.

The two whispered to each other as they strode side by side toward the corner of the café—right to the table where Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue were sitting.

"What a pain," Gu Ximan muttered under her breath.

The reappearance of these two clingy pests ruined most of her excitement for the delicious desserts on the way.

Lu Xuexue frowned slightly and scooted further inside, clearly wanting as much distance from these tagalongs as possible.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to order?" The waitress, seeing the two new customers approaching, stayed put to take their orders along with the girls’.

Hearing this, the taller guy flashed a warm, humble smile and said gently, "I’ll have a black coffee."

Then, as if to emphasize, he added, "No sugar, no milk, thank you."

The leaner guy caught on immediately and cleared his throat with exaggerated seriousness. "Same for me, just black coffee. It’s our usual."

Of course, this was all an act—just a facade to appear mature and sophisticated.

In reality, their usual outings involved clubbing, drinking, hitting on girls, and massages. They had zero interest in sipping coffee, let alone the self-inflicted torture of black coffee.

The waitress nodded politely but offered a gentle warning. "Understood. Just a heads-up, our black coffee uses a dark roast of Yirgacheffe beans—low acidity but very bitter."

"No problem," the taller guy replied with a casual smile, then gestured toward Gu Ximan’s table. "I’ll cover both tables. We’re friends."

"......"

The waitress had seen all kinds of people and could tell these two were just here to hit on the girls.

But as staff, it wasn’t her place to comment. She simply glanced at Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue for confirmation.

"No need. We’re not friends with them. We don’t even know them," Gu Ximan said coldly, deliberately mimicking Luo Shuhe’s signature icy tone.

"Got it."

The waitress offered an apologetic smile (though it was clearly forced) before walking away.

At the same time, another server brought over breadsticks and lemon water for both tables.

Undeterred, the taller guy gave the girls another charming smile. "What a coincidence running into you here. We’re regulars—love our coffee breaks."

"......"

When neither beauty so much as glanced his way, he swallowed his embarrassment and pressed on:

"Do you two like coffee as well?"

Still no response.

Not wanting the conversation to die, the leaner guy jumped in:

"Actually, coffee’s got a lot of nuances."

The second the words left his mouth, he regretted it.

What did he know about coffee? Just that it kept you awake. He couldn’t explain a thing about it.

"Alright, alright, no need to show off just because you know a little," the taller guy cut in, sensing disaster.

He did know a bit about photography, but coffee and beans? Zero interest.

That said, their teamwork wasn’t half bad.

Gu Ximan didn’t pick up on the act—she just thought these two were idiots. But Lu Xuexue saw right through them and decided to call their bluff.

"If you’re so knowledgeable, what’s the difference between black coffee and Americano?"

The two exchanged glances, completely stumped.

Wasn’t Americano just black coffee?

"Well, the... the taste. Yeah, the taste is different. I prefer black coffee," the taller guy forced out, scrambling for an answer.

It was a shaky response at best, but at least it was something.

Meanwhile, he was mentally cursing his idiot friend for getting them into this mess.

Lu Xuexue took a small sip of her lemon water before explaining softly, "Americano is made by adding hot water directly to brewed espresso, resulting in a lighter taste."

"Black coffee, on the other hand, usually refers to drip or pour-over coffee, which retains more oils and aromatic compounds, giving it a richer, fuller flavor."

"......Right. Exactly," the taller guy said, dying inside but keeping up the act.

The lanky guy was already pretending to look down at his phone, screaming internally—I don’t know him, I don’t know him, I don’t know him.

What a masterclass in throwing your teammate under the bus.

Better you than me.

Seeing the two clingy pests across from them get shut down, Gu Ximan’s eyes sparkled with delight, her heart practically singing.

This was exactly how they should be put in their place!

She might not fully understand the nuances, but that didn’t stop her from feeling proud of her loaded bestie.

Hmm, maybe I should pick up some of these tricks too.

The taller guy, humiliated and seeing his buddy still AFK on the sidelines, felt a surge of irritation. Deciding to drop the act, he cut straight to the chase with Gu Ximan:

"Look, gorgeous, I really just wanted to be friends. Even if you’re not interested, did you have to claim you’re both dating the same guy?"

Gu Ximan nearly laughed out loud. Oh, so this princess is happy to share a man with her bestie—what’s it to you? But then, an idea flashed in her eyes.

She fired back, "First, I don’t want to be friends. You’re annoying. Second, who said I’m lying? We like dating the same guy. Got a problem with that?"

The taller guy shook his head with a dry chuckle. "Come on, that’s just pathetic."

Gu Ximan smirked, already texting someone labeled "Stupid Bro (Pig Head)" with a heavily embellished version of events. "Fine, since you don’t believe me, I’ll call our boyfriend over right now."

Lu Xuexue, sharp as ever, instantly caught on. Her fair cheeks flushed pink, and her white-stockinged toes curled slightly under the table.

The guy sighed theatrically. "Seriously? Even if you drag some rando here, it’ll just be a friend—or your brother, at best." He sounded smug, like he’d seen through her bluff.

Gu Ximan ignored him, already plotting how she and Lu Xuexue could milk this chance to shamelessly mess with that idiot Gu Luo.

As her brother, shouldn’t he play along when his little sister’s credibility is on the line?

Besides, they were planning to confess this Sunday anyway—consider this a dress rehearsal.

This? This was just efficiently exploiting these NPC-level nuisances.

Soon, the server brought their orders.

Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue didn’t dig in yet, opting to snap photos first and wait for Gu Luo.

The taller guy forced himself to sip his black coffee, nearly spitting it out from the bitterness. But for pride’s sake, he choked it down, his Adam’s apple bobbing painfully.

Who the hell enjoys this swill?

Might as well chug bitter medicine at home.

The lanky one, meanwhile, didn’t dare drink. He just swirled his spoon in the coffee, embodying the vibe of "just here for the aesthetic."

Lu Xuexue, however, wasn’t letting him off. "Black coffee’s best when hot," she said sweetly.

"......"

The guy forced a smile, took a sip, and nodded with feigned appreciation.

"Not bad. Rich and aromatic."

He took another sip, pretending to savor it.

Inside, he was crying.

Damn it. Once I bag this loli, I’m gonna teach her a lesson.

Just then, the café’s door chime rang.

The new arrival instantly hijacked every female gaze in the room.

Reason? Simple.

Too. Damn. Hot.

One more look, and their hearts might explode.

The newcomer was, of course, the infamous "Stupid Bro"—Gu Luo.

Since the street wasn’t far, he’d rushed over at top speed.

A group of whispering girls abruptly fell silent, their heads swiveling toward the entrance.

By the window, two besties gaped, one jabbing the other. "Look, look—oh my god, he’s unreal!"

Gu Luo stood at the door, his tall, athletic frame instantly outshining every other guy in the shop.

He wore a simple white shirt, sleeves casually rolled to his elbows, revealing toned forearms.

Black casual pants hugged his long legs, paired with pristine white sneakers—effortlessly sharp.

But his eyes stole the show: slightly upturned, with light irises that gleamed like amber under the warm lighting, piercing enough to see through souls.

"Holy crap..." A girl with a messy bun nearby was practically drooling.

Gu Luo, now used to the attention, scanned the room calmly before zeroing in on Gu Ximan and Lu Xuexue in the corner.

He strode toward them.

With every step, the whispers crescendoed.

"Oh my god, how is he this perfect?"

"Is he a model? An actor?"

"Quick, take a pic—we need to find him on socials later!"

"He went that way. No way, is he already taken?"

"......"