Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Ji Lingyao left soon after, leaving only the unfinished hot coffee.

Shan Ling tidied the table, carrying the coffee, teacups, and teapot downstairs and into the back kitchen.

Perhaps because it was approaching noon, and nearby offices were on lunch break, the number of people buying coffee started to increase. Nuonuo alone had to take orders and make coffee, making her extremely busy.

Shan Ling watched Nuonuo grinding and brewing coffee, some customers even requesting latte art, and there were already a dozen order slips posted next to the workstation.

“Do you need help?” Shan Ling asked with concern. “You look like you’re overwhelmed.”

Nuonuo glanced at Shan Ling and smiled: “It’s fine, I’m fast at making coffee. If you want to help, go assist the Boss out front.”

Shan Ling looked outside. A line of people had already formed at the counter, indicating that help was indeed needed.

“Do you need a hand?” Shan Ling walked to the front, watching Shen Qingyi take orders and make change, and asked, “What can I do?”

Shen Qingyi looked at her, thought for a moment, and said, “Go to the back dressing room and change your clothes. There’s an apron and a shirt in the dressing room. When you’re changed, come out and help me deliver coffee to the customers.”

“Okay,” Shan Ling agreed and went back to the kitchen, where she found the dressing room.

The dressing room wasn’t large. It had a folding table, two chairs, and a few common aluminum alloy locker cabinets along the wall. A brown apron and a white shirt were hanging on a clothing rack nearby.

Shan Ling checked the size. It must be Shen Qingyi’s clothes. She took off her jacket and started changing.

The coffee shop’s heating was quite strong, so Shan Ling wore a sweater underneath, covered by Shen Qingyi’s shirt, and then tied on the apron, looking perfectly like a coffee shop employee.

When she came out of the changing room, Nuonuo looked back and was momentarily stunned, then smiled broadly and complimented her: “Xiao Ling, our uniform really suits you.”

“Does it?” Shan Ling smiled and asked, “Do you have a hair tie? I want to tie a ponytail.”

“Yes, check the apron pocket. You should find a black hair tie,” Nuonuo said while making latte art. “You’re wearing the Boss’s clothes, and she usually keeps a hair tie in her apron pocket.”

Shan Ling felt around in the pocket and indeed found a round black hair tie, which she used to quickly tie up her hair.

The high ponytail was simple. Seeing that Nuonuo had finished making a cup of coffee, Shan Ling walked over, took a tray, and carried it out.

“Which table does this cup go to?”

Shen Qingyi looked back when she heard the question. When she saw Shan Ling with a high ponytail, wearing the coffee shop uniform, she paused for a moment.

Shan Ling held the tray, smiling with her eyes curved: “Which table does this cup go to?”

Shen Qingyi finally recovered, checked the order, and said, “Table 19.”

“Okay.”

Shan Ling agreed, walked to Table 19 with the tray, placed the coffee down, and returned, standing beside Shen Qingyi again.

Perhaps it was just a misconception, but Shan Ling noticed that Shen Qingyi made several errors while taking orders. A customer asked for sugar-free, but she entered low-sugar. A customer asked for a coconut milk latte, but she entered an iced latte. Later, when an order was about to be processed, Shan Ling had to remind her before Shen Qingyi realized the mistake.

“I’m so sorry,” Shen Qingyi said awkwardly. “What did you want to order again? Could you please repeat it?”

The customer said helplessly, “Coconut milk latte, sugar-free, large size, for takeaway.”

Shen Qingyi uncomfortably checked the ordering system and finally placed the order.

There were indeed many customers during lunchtime, plus online delivery orders, so Shan Ling diligently helped with running errands, delivering coffee, tidying tables, and packaging takeouts. These were all Shan Ling’s tasks.

Shen Qingyi occasionally looked up to see Shan Ling moving around the coffee shop, feeling an inexplicable sense of peace.

Shan Ling was also very diligent. She was inherently serious about work, and even helping out casually, she was meticulous. She held the coffee tray steadily, thoughtfully reminding customers to be careful of hot drinks, and would proactively wipe clean tables that hadn’t been cleared. She also made sure delivery orders were correct before handing them to the delivery person.

With the addition of a third person, everyone’s work proceeded smoothly. When the rush died down, Nuonuo came out from the back kitchen and leaned against the door, saying, “Xiao Ling, why don’t you come work for us? Our Boss is so nice, and you get free coffee.”

Shan Ling looked up at Nuonuo and smiled: “But then I’d have to rent another place to live.”

Shen Qingyi didn’t look up; she was organizing the day’s orders, but her ears were perked up.

Nuonuo, being a quick-witted girl, immediately said, “Xiao Ling, you can rent a less expensive place. The rents in the nearby communities aren’t expensive, and transportation is convenient.”

Shan Ling thought for a moment, glanced at Shen Qingyi, and said, “I’ll think about it. I don’t have any savings right now, so if I change jobs, renting and food will be a problem.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingyi spoke: “Okay, you must be hungry after working so hard. I’ve ordered some takeout. We’ll eat together in a bit.”

“Great,” Nuonuo said happily. “I’m starving. I’ll make you guys something to drink. Boss, coffee? What about you, Xiao Ling?”

Shen Qingyi said, “Coffee is fine.”

Shan Ling thought for a moment and said a little shyly, “What do you have besides coffee? I’d like something sweet.”

“We have fruit tea bags,” Nuonuo thought for a moment and said, “I think we have lemons in the back kitchen. Would you like lemonade? It’s sweet and sour and very refreshing.”

“Yes, please,” Shan Ling agreed. “I love fruits.”

Nuonuo first made a cup of coffee for Shen Qingyi, then sliced a lemon and made two large cups of lemonade.

As soon as they were ready, the takeout Shen Qingyi ordered arrived.

The takeout looked quite good: three portions of home-style dishes, including meat and vegetables, and a portion of Fuqi Fei Pian (spicy sliced beef and offal). Coincidentally, they all liked spicy food, so they ate happily.

There weren’t as many customers in the afternoon. Nuonuo really liked Shan Ling and joined her, chatting in the back kitchen when there were no customers.

At 5 PM, the coffee shop closed.

The three of them changed their clothes, and Nuonuo and Shen Qingyi locked the door together before walking outside.

It was already dark at 5 PM in winter, but the streetlights were bright. Nuonuo was bundled up in her padded jacket and scarf, only her eyes and forehead visible. She told Shan Ling, “I’m going to take the subway from here. I won’t go with you two. Boss, please drive safely.”

Shen Qingyi nodded and said, “You too.”

After Nuonuo left, Shan Ling shivered and said, “It’s so cold.”

Shen Qingyi looked at her, took off her scarf, and wrapped it around Shan Ling in the night wind.

“Huh?” Shan Ling looked at her in confusion. After the scarf was wrapped, she asked, “Why are you giving your scarf to me? Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine,” Shen Qingyi said. Just as she finished the sentence, a cold gust of wind blew by, making both of them shiver.

No, no, too cold.

Shan Ling was wearing a lot but was still cold. Even she, who was often called a ‘small stove,’ couldn’t take it anymore. She stomped her feet and said, “Let’s get in the car first. Standing here, we’ll freeze into idiots.”

Shen Qingyi was also cold. She and Shan Ling quickly got into the car and turned on the heater, which made things better.

The car was dimly lit, allowing them to see the view outside the windshield.

The night wind whipped the tree branches, making them look like menacing demons under the dark sky, clawing with their branches.

Shan Ling could even imagine the eerie howling sounds the wind made as it blew through the treetops, a sound like ghosts weeping.

Fortunately, she had Shen Qingyi, and Shen Qingyi had a car, which gave them a place out of the wind and rain.

“Shan Ling.”

Shen Qingyi suddenly spoke in the quiet car, causing Shan Ling to turn to her in confusion.

“What is it?” Shan Ling asked curiously.

Shen Qingyi looked at her, paused for a moment, and said, “Actually, if you really come to work at my shop, you don’t need to go out and rent a place. Like I said last time, we can live together.”

Shan Ling blinked and said nothing.

Shen Qingyi continued, “The shop doesn’t provide meals, but if we live together, I can cover the food costs. Actually, your cooking is very much to my liking. If possible, I’d also like to hire you to cook three meals a day for me alone. This way, you can hold two jobs and won’t have to worry about food or accommodation.”

After saying all this, Shen Qingyi felt a bit nervous, but she had thought it through carefully.

She admitted that she had feelings for Shan Ling.

However, Shen Qingyi’s mental health issues meant she couldn’t confess like a normal person.

Shen Qingyi was destined to be alone in this life. From the moment she realized she might also lose her mind one day, she stopped hoping for love or friendship.

Her confession would be a burden to anyone, and Shen Qingyi didn’t want to make things difficult for Shan Ling.

If possible, she hoped she could continue with Shan Ling this peacefully for a long time, until the feelings settled, so it wouldn’t be so painful.

Moreover, Shen Qingyi felt that a good girl like Shan Ling shouldn’t be working 12 hours a day at an amusement park and living in a crowded company dorm.

While Shen Qingyi couldn’t offer Shan Ling an absolutely excellent working environment, she could at least ensure she wasn’t so exhausted, worrying over a small amount of money and developing dark circles under her eyes.

Shan Ling still didn’t speak. She sat on the seat, looking down at the sneakers Shen Qingyi lent her, and after a long time, finally said, “If I live with you, would you mind?”

Shen Qingyi said without hesitation, “I wouldn’t mind.”

Shan Ling looked up at her, her ears quietly turning red, and said somewhat hesitantly, “Then, are we sleeping in the same bed?”

“We can’t change to bunk beds right now, so we can only sleep in the same bed.”

“I cook for you, and you pay me a separate salary?”

“Besides cooking, you don’t have to do anything else. I’ll do the housework I can do, and for the rest, Aunt Jiang will come once a week to clean.”

“Are there any other benefits?” Shan Ling tilted her head and asked.

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment and said, “Commuting with you every day, picking you up and dropping you off anywhere you need to go, being your free chauffeur. How does that sound?”

Shan Ling wiggled her feet, blinked, and said, “You can’t expect me to give you an answer right now. You have to let me think about it for at least a week.”

Shen Qingyi looked at her and knew Shan Ling was tempted, which made her smile: “Fine, then give me a definite answer in a week.”

“Mhm,” Shan Ling nodded and said, “Now, should we go eat first, or should you take me back to the dorm?”

Shen Qingyi started the car and said, “Let’s go eat first.”

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