Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The cafe was a little busier than usual on a weekday. Some customers came specifically for the ambiance and the taste of the two to three hundred RMB coffee.

Because the environment was so beautiful and there were few people, some private conversations would quietly take place in the corners.

Nuonuo was young and a gossip. She had been listening to a couple’s gossip for over ten minutes. It seemed the woman in red was saying that a certain person had found a sugar daddy, only to find out that the man had four or five other lovers besides her, and they all lived in the same neighborhood, living quite comfortably.

Just as Nuonuo was pretending to wipe the plates to slack off, Shen Qingyi came downstairs.

“Manager,” Nuonuo looked up at her, thinking Shen Qingyi wanted a refill. She quickly put the plates back and asked enthusiastically, “Would you like a latte or an Americano this time?”

Shen Qingyi glanced at her and then at the clock, muttering to herself, “It’s already past four…”

“Yeah,” Nuonuo looked at her in confusion. “Is something wrong, manager?”

Shen Qingyi shook her head. She looked at the weather outside. It had been gloomy all day, but the sun had finally come out a bit in the evening. Still, it felt very cold.

She wondered how the little chubby bird was doing now and if it was still mad at her.

Shen Qingyi lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. Then she took off her apron and said to Nuonuo, “I’m going to leave a bit early. You can close the shop yourself when it’s time.”

Nuonuo was used to Shen Qingyi’s easygoing nature of being late and leaving early. She nodded with a smile. “You should go ahead, manager. I’ll take care of the shop.”

Shen Qingyi looked at her and nodded slightly.

The cafe was quiet. Nuonuo was also a person who was content with what she had. She cherished this easygoing job. Most importantly, the manager, Shen Qingyi, was a very nice person. Not only did she not have to work overtime, but she also got free coffee every day.

She watched her boss change and leave. The last two customers also left. Nuonuo glanced at the vintage clock on the wall. She still had almost an hour left until her shift ended.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingyi was driving home. The sunset broke through the thick clouds, casting a golden glow.

The magnificent colors made people marvel at the beauty of nature. Shen Qingyi rolled down her car window, rested her elbow on the ledge, and waited for the long red light.

Shen Qingyi hadn’t felt this way in a long time. As the breeze brushed against her face, she suddenly realized that she cared more about that little chubby bird than she had thought.

For more than a decade, Shen Qingyi had lived alone.

In elementary school, Shen Hongjun would arrange for a live-in nanny to be with her and take care of her daily life. Shen Hongjun was very busy with work back then, and his demands for his daughter were very simple. She could do her homework if she wanted to, and he never cared about her academic performance. He even let Shen Qingyi decide for herself whether she wanted to go to college.

He didn’t care about anything. He just transferred money on time every month and never put any pressure on Shen Qingyi. He even bought her the cafe after she graduated, letting her live a casual life.

Others might envy Shen Qingyi for having such an open-minded and wealthy father, but Shen Qingyi knew that all of this came at a price.

The long red light turned green. The cars in front of her slowly started moving. Shen Qingyi also came back to her senses and drove away with the cars in front of her.

Her cold apartment now had another life in it. Shen Qingyi felt that perhaps in her waking days, she finally had something to depend on.

She arrived home before half past four. The roads were clear, and she even had time to buy some grains on the way.

As she opened the door, Shen Qingyi immediately noticed that Jiang Yi seemed to have been there again. The room was spotlessly clean and well-ventilated. The entire apartment felt fresh.

Shen Qingyi went to check on the little chubby bird first. Shan Ling hadn’t expected Shen Qingyi to come home early today. She was startled when she heard the door open. Fortunately, Shen Qingyi’s attention was drawn to the cleaned living room as soon as she entered, so she didn’t notice anything unusual on the balcony.

Shan Ling stood on the perch, her shiny black eyes fixed on her, looking completely shocked.

“What, are you still mad?” Shen Qingyi opened the cage and held out her hand, gesturing for Shan Ling to come over. “I bought you some grains today. You must be bored after being in the cage all day. Come out and play.”

Shan Ling reluctantly hopped onto Shen Qingyi’s hand. Only then did Shen Qingyi’s eyes crinkle with a smile. “Good girl.”

Shen Qingyi took Shan Ling out of the cage. As she turned, she noticed a pair of pajamas lying in the corner of the balcony.

Shen Qingyi recognized the pajamas. She had worn them a few times before, but later, she thought the pattern on the chest was too childish, so she left them hanging in her closet. Why were they here all of a sudden?

As she thought about it, she walked over and picked up the pajamas, only to find a pair of indoor slippers underneath.

Shan Ling: … (I’m so scared right now.)

Shen Qingyi said “Hmm” in confusion, but she didn’t think much of it, guessing that Jiang Yi might have accidentally dropped them while hanging up the laundry.

“Jiang Yi came again today?” Shen Qingyi looked at the little chubby bird in her hand, holding the pajamas that Shan Ling had worn, and said helplessly, “Why didn’t she wait for me to come back?”

Shan Ling pretended to be a bird, tilting her head to avoid looking at Shen Qingyi.

How strange. I’m the one who helped clean and buy groceries, and now I have to hide like a thief.

Shan Ling sighed softly. She secretly looked up at Shen Qingyi, thinking about what would happen if she were discovered. Would she scare her like in those stories, causing something bad to happen?

In fact, Shan Ling had considered leaving for good today, but after thinking it over, she decided to come back. After all, even if she went back to her rented basement, there wasn’t much for her to do, and besides, she really liked being around Shen Qingyi.

Most importantly, she could gain merit.

Shen Qingyi put the pajamas that “Jiang Yi hadn’t put away” into the closet and looked at the fridge full of food.

On the top shelf were some sparkling waters on sale at the supermarket entrance. Next to them were two sandwiches and a carton of milk wrapped in plastic wrap. The middle shelf had a plate of braised fish and shredded pork with garlic sauce. The bottom shelf had a bag of pears and a small bowl with half a serving of washed grapes.

Shen Qingyi looked at the things in the fridge and felt that something was strange, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Anyway, she wasn’t hungry right now. Shen Qingyi took the half-serving of washed grapes out of the fridge, picked a large, round one, and placed it in front of Shan Ling.

Shan Ling smelled the fragrant grape and tilted her fluffy little head to look at her.

“I heard finches can eat grapes,” Shen Qingyi said, trying to please Shan Ling. “I’ll peel it for you. Please don’t be mad at me anymore?”

Support