His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 2

Apart from his face and money, that guy had nothing…

A girlish giggle sounded.

Su Yinuo raised her head in confusion but didn’t see anyone unusual, so she lowered it again to tend to the vegetables in the soup pot.

“Auntie Zhang, sixteen. I’ve paid.” A customer picked up a box of prepared food, not even handing over the container, and directly scanned the payment code.

Su Yinuo gave an absentminded “Mhm,” then heard a long, exasperated sigh.

She quickly looked up and saw the customer who had just paid take a few steps away before a pale hand reached out from the side of the food cart and yanked the strap of his crossbody bag.

“Auntie! This guy took twenty-eight yuan worth of skewers!” A sharp, commanding female voice rang out beside the cart. Then, a petite but formidable figure stepped forward, dragging the dine-and-dasher by his bag. “Scan another twelve! Hurry up! Which company do you work for? Show me your ID badge!”

“Who the hell are you? Mind your own damn business!” the man snapped.

“How is this not my business? Working in the same place as trash like you who can’t even pay a few yuan is embarrassing! Stop wasting time, pay up! If you don’t, I’ll skip work today, and we’ll settle this at the police station!” The woman’s fierce aura made the onlookers shudder inwardly.

The man immediately caved, paid the money, wrenched himself free, and bolted through the crowd.

Su Yinuo stared in awe at the heroine’s back. As someone naturally timid, she was utterly impressed by the woman’s boldness.

When the heroine turned around, Su Yinuo’s eyes widened even further. For a moment, she felt like she was looking in a mirror.

She looks so much like me! But her eyes are completely different, and her aura too, she’s so confident! Wow, her lipstick is such a pretty color! And her earrings are gorgeous, are those designer?

“Auntie, do you have any idea how much money you’ve lost in just ten minutes?” The woman walked up to Su Yinuo, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Huh? What?” Su Yinuo was bewildered.

“Twenty! And that’s not counting the twelve yuan just now!” the woman fumed. “I’ve been watching for ten minutes, three people just threw out random prices without even calculating, and you even gave them extra food! I’m so mad I could laugh. Li Jinmiao has never in her life seen someone run a business like you, Auntie. At this rate, you’ll lose two hundred fifty yuan a day!”

Though the words were scolding, Su Yinuo didn’t feel angry at all, just embarrassed and ashamed. “I’m sorry,” she blurted out.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Li Jinmiao sighed, then turned and shouted to the snack buyers on the street, “Listen up! Everyone working here must have at least a decent education. Don’t embarrass your alma mater or your company by scamming a couple of yuan, got it?!”

“Nice!”

“Well said!”

Some people cheered in agreement.

“Boss Li, well said!”

Someone recognized Li Jinmiao, shouting and jumping excitedly.

Wow, she’s actually a big boss! And so young!

Su Yinuo was filled with admiration.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through, causing the plastic sign hanging from the cart’s roof to sway violently before its hook snapped, sending it hurtling toward Li Jinmiao. Su Yinuo’s heart lurched, and she rushed forward, grabbing the sign just in time.

Li Jinmiao turned around just in time to see the strong wind blow off Su Yinuo’s hat and mask, revealing an overly young and familiar face.

Li Jinmiao’s eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, “Auntie! oh, no, little sister, we look so alike!”

Su Yinuo flusteredly nodded with an awkward smile, quickly putting her mask back on and picking up her bucket hat.

From then on, Li Jinmiao visited Su Yinuo’s snack stall every day, always stopping by at noon to call out, “Nuonuo, give me a weight-loss meal!”

The first time she heard the term “weight-loss meal,” Su Yinuo froze for a full ten seconds before blurting out, “Huh?”

But now, she had it down to a science. Mushrooms and chicken boiled, broccoli, bell peppers, and shredded carrots blanched, cucumbers and tomatoes sliced fresh, topped with a boiled egg and a sprinkle of seasoning, done!

Ingredients like boiled eggs, shredded carrots, and cucumbers weren’t commonly used in spicy hot pot, but they were specially prepared for Li Jinmiao’s weight-loss meals. Surprisingly, within just a few days, the weight-loss meals became unexpectedly popular.

Su Yinuo was swamped with work every day, only getting a bit of respite on weekends.

Today was Saturday. As she handed the packed weight-loss meal to Li Jinmiao, she asked with a smile, “Miaomiao, you’re working on the weekend too?”

“The project’s internal testing is at the end of the month, just pushing to meet the deadline,” Li Jinmiao sighed deeply, revealing for the first time the exhausted demeanor of a corporate drone.

Su Yinuo naturally didn’t understand why Li Jinmiao, who was her own boss, was still so tired. She smiled and earnestly encouraged her, “Then hang in there, Miaomiao!”

“Thanks!” Li Jinmiao immediately perked up, turning to head toward the office park. But after a few steps, she ran back and asked, “Nuonuo, are you free this afternoon? Let me treat you to coffee?”

“Huh?” It was the first time Su Yinuo had ever been invited for coffee. She was both excited and terribly flustered, stammering, “I…I usually go shopping for veggies in the afternoon for tomorrow, and then buy meat for next week, and then skewer the ingredients, but since tomorrow’s Sunday I don’t need to prep as much today, but I still have to set up the stall later so I need to go home and wash the seasoning trays and soup pots and stuff, so maybe…”

“So, no time?” Li Jinmiao thought Su Yinuo was just being polite in refusing and replied dejectedly.

“No, no, no!” Su Yinuo waved her hands frantically, embarrassed. “It’s just, I might only be free around three or four. Would that still be okay for coffee?”

“Of course it’s okay!” Li Jinmiao laughed heartily, giving Su Yinuo a casual pat on the shoulder. “Then it’s settled! Meet me at the Left Leaf Café in Building 5. Just message me when you get there, anytime’s fine!”

That afternoon, Su Yinuo rushed home at top speed. She washed, chopped, and skewered ingredients 50% faster than usual, leaving Zhang Lihua utterly stunned.

After storing the prepped ingredients in the fridge and loading the cleaned dishes back onto the cart, she dashed into her room. She changed into the outfit her mom had bought for her college days, tied her hair into a high ponytail, slung a cheap little crossbody bag she’d bought online over her shoulder, and hurried out.

“Mom, a friend invited me for coffee!” Su Yinuo announced excitedly, her face glowing with pride as she walked past Zhang Lihua.

“Oh? Nuonuo, is it a male friend or a female friend?” Zhang Lihua was worried her daughter might be deceived, her voice tinged with concern.

“It’s a girl,” Su Yinuo laughed heartily as she dashed out the door, turning back to wave at Zhang Lihua. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll be back soon.”

Once inside the software park, Su Yinuo’s demeanor changed completely. Clutching the straps of her crossbody bag, she pressed her lips together and cautiously scanned her surroundings, her heart pounding with nervousness.

What if someone asks to check my work badge?
What if someone questions why I’m wandering around during work hours?
Ah! What if that security guard thinks I’m acting suspiciously and kicks me out?
No, no, stop overthinking!

Taking a deep breath, Su Yinuo shook her head and strode quickly toward Building 5, searching for the Left Leaf Café inside.

The café was located in the central lounge area on the third floor of Building 5. The lounge was bustling with people on phone calls, and the small café was nearly full. Everything around her felt unfamiliar. Keeping her head down, Su Yinuo found a corner seat and dialed Li Jinmiao’s number.

Soon enough, Li Jinmiao appeared at the café entrance in a whirlwind of energy. Su Yinuo quickly stood up and waved at her with a smile. Unexpectedly, two people from a nearby table also rose to their feet, flustered as they greeted Li Jinmiao with awkward grins. “Uh, Boss Li, what brings you here? We were just, uh, discussing some requirements.”

Li Jinmiao’s temper flared. She glared at them and hissed, “The beta test is at the end of the month, and you’re still discussing requirements? Get back to fixing those hundred-plus bugs in your team!”

“Right, right…” The two hastily grabbed their coffees and scurried away.

Witnessing Li Jinmiao’s intimidating side, Su Yiruo’s smile stiffened, and she slowly lowered her hand, suddenly feeling tense.

Li Jinmiao walked over, ordered two coffees and a dessert, then softened her tone and demeanor. After some small talk, she smiled and asked, “Nuonuo, how much do you usually earn in a day?”

Su Yinuo replied sheepishly, “On good days, maybe a little over two thousand. Normally, it’s around fifteen hundred. If I only work half a day, it might be five or six hundred.”

“Wow, that’s pretty good income,” Li Jinmiao said in surprise. “After deducting costs, you could easily make over twenty thousand a month, right?”

Just then, the dessert arrived. Li Jinmiao pushed it toward Su Yinuo and hesitated before speaking. “Nuonuo, I need to ask you for a favor tomorrow. It might take half a day, but I’ll pay you for it, six thousand six hundred.” She grew increasingly embarrassed. “Actually, it might not be appropriate to ask you, but I just can’t take it anymore. I’ll explain first, and it’s totally fine if you refuse…”

Su Yinuo’s mouth fell open in shock, her spoonful of dessert frozen mid-air. Her mind was completely fixated on those words: “I’ll give you six thousand six.”

Six thousand six! What kind of job pays six thousand six for a day? I’ll do it, absolutely!

“Nuonuo?” Li Jinmiao waved a hand in front of her face.

“Huh? Yes, sure, no problem!” Su Yinuo snapped back to reality and quickly agreed.

Li Jinmiao laughed heartily and said, “Nuonuo, I haven’t even said anything yet. What if I’m leading you into a pit of fire? You’re just too easy to fool! Oh, by the way, you’re so young, why aren’t you in school?”

“My family situation isn’t great. My dad passed away a long time ago, my mom is sick and needs care, and we still have debts to pay, so I dropped out,” Su Yinuo replied with flushed cheeks, speaking meekly. “But I can earn money now, so whether I go to school or not doesn’t really matter.”

Li Jinmiao was taken aback. She had never imagined Su Yinuo’s family circumstances were so dire. All this time, she had only seen shyness and nervousness on the girl’s face, never the despondency or despair of someone battered by fate.

This was different from many people she had met. Even employees under her, who had stable jobs and comfortable lives, often seemed weighed down by life, wearing expressions of utter resignation. Li Jinmiao understood them, which was why, despite her sharp tongue, she never skimped on their salaries or bonuses.

Li Jinmiao herself had gone through dark times in life. Back then, the reflection in the mirror had looked like a blade of grass ravaged by a storm. But the Su Yinuo before her now was more like a stubborn sprout pushing through the rain-soaked earth.

Touched, Li Jinmiao lowered her head and took a sip of coffee, sighing, “Nuonuo, you really are such a radiant little sweetheart!”

“Huh?” Su Yinuo’s face turned even redder.

Li Jinmiao laughed again, breaking the somber mood. “Anyway, here’s my situation. My family went through several crises over the past couple of years and nearly went bankrupt. We managed to hold on with the help of Ronghua Capital, but things still aren’t what they used to be. To strengthen ties with Ronghua Capital, my parents arranged a business marriage. The only reason I agreed was because my current startup, though my parents chipped in a bit, relies heavily on Ronghua Capital’s investment. I figured, marrying anyone is the same, and the guy in question happens to be the young vice chairman holding 11% of Ronghua Capital’s shares, the only grandson of its chairman: Qin Cangye.”

She let out a long sigh, then suddenly her eyes sparked with agitation. “But that Qin Cangye, aside from his face and money, has zero redeeming qualities! He’s unbearably arrogant! Cold and hot-tempered at the same time! As if the whole world owes him something! Since our engagement, he’s never once spoken a full sentence to me! It’s always just ‘Hn,’ ‘Tch,’ or ‘Hmph’! I’ve had enough of him. I’m already planning to call off the engagement, but the timing isn’t right yet. At the very least, I need my company to show some results first.”

Su Yinuo listened in wide-eyed astonishment, as if watching some high-society drama on TV, even forgetting to eat her snacks.

“As for our parents, they keep asking when we plan to get married. We’ve been brushing them off by saying we’re too busy with work, but they insist that no matter how busy we are, we must meet for meals a few times a week. Especially my mom, she even does spot checks! Asking if we ate, where we ate, what we ate! So, Qin Cangye and I agreed to just have dinner every Sunday to keep up appearances. But I just can’t stand him anymore, so…”

Li Jinmiao grabbed Su Yinuo’s hand, her big eyes brimming with sincerity as she pleaded, “Nuonuo, could you go have dinner with him in my place tomorrow?”