Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Shan Ling was leaning against the coffee shop window, watching the large snowflakes fall outside, and couldn’t help but feel shocked.

“The snow is heavy,” Nuonuo, who was leaning on the glass with Shan Ling, lamented: “With this much snow, business is definitely going to be slow today.”

“Yes,” Shan Ling agreed: “Most people are definitely going to be late.”

Shan Ling’s complaining was justified, as she and Shen Qingyi had left half an hour earlier than usual today, yet still ended up being two hours late due to traffic and various issues.

Two hours!

Shan Ling was utterly shocked; she felt she could have flown over in that time!

Perhaps because of the heavy snow today, there wasn’t a single customer in the coffee shop. Shan Ling and Nuonuo were idle, sitting by the lake-view window, watching the flurry of large snowflakes.

“A timely snow promises a good harvest,” Nuonuo stretched and said: “It’ll be the Spring Festival next month. I hope we get a couple more days off.”

Shan Ling looked at her curiously: “How many days off do we usually get?”

Nuonuo whispered: “I only started this year and haven’t experienced the Spring Festival holiday here yet, but we definitely get the statutory public holidays.”

The previous years saw very few customers, maybe only three to five a day, so the holiday time was extended.

Now that the customer base had grown, Nuonuo wasn’t sure if Shen Qingyi would grant them an extra two days off.

Just as she was thinking this, Shen Qingyi brought two cups of coffee and one lemonade to the table, set them down, and sat with them.

Nuonuo: ?

“Boss,” Nuonuo picked up the coffee and took a sip: “Since no customers are coming in, are the three of us going to sit here and enjoy the snowy view?”

Shen Qingyi crossed her legs and chuckled: “Isn’t this quite nice?”

Nuonuo turned her head towards the window: “Stealing half a day of leisure in this fleeting life—it really is good~”

Just then, a woman wearing a white cotton coat walked along the path outside the coffee shop door. She wore a black baseball cap covered in snow. As soon as she entered the shop, she quickly took off her hat, but much of the snow had melted the moment she stepped inside, leaving the hat damp.

With no other customers, the appearance of this person was particularly noticeable.

Shan Ling waited for the person to take off her scarf and realized it was Fang Ran.

“Assistant Fang?” Shan Ling held her warm lemonade, looking at Fang Ran’s appearance, and wondered: “Why didn’t you bring an umbrella in this heavy snow?”

Fang Ran rubbed her frozen face, smiled, and walked over, saying: “I thought it was just snow, and I could just brush it off.”

“Even though it’s snow, you should still carry an umbrella,” Shan Ling considerately stood up, took a towel from behind the counter, and offered it: “Wipe yourself off.”

After Fang Ran cleaned the snow from her body, Shen Qingyi asked: “Would you like some coffee?”

“One cup, please.” Fang Ran looked at Shen Qingyi and asked: “I actually have something to discuss with you. Regarding that book Song Qinglan sold to you, the one we talked about. I can exchange it for a similar, autographed, used book. Does that agreement still stand?”

Shen Qingyi looked at her: “Did you find it?”

Fang Ran nodded: “I came to find you as soon as I got it today. Shall we… talk privately?”

Shan Ling self-consciously went to the counter with Nuonuo. Nuonuo started making coffee, while Shan Ling aimlessly glanced around.

The downy snow fell very quietly. In the customer-less coffee shop, only Shen Qingyi and Fang Ran were conversing, but they spoke so secretly that Shan Ling couldn’t hear a thing.

Fang Ran seemed to say something to Shen Qingyi. Shen Qingyi frowned in thought, then spoke again.

They sat and talked for one or two minutes, and finally, Shen Qingyi nodded, stood up, and said something more to Fang Ran from above, before turning and walking towards the counter.

Did they reach an agreement?

Shan Ling speculated suspiciously, then took the packaged coffee from Nuonuo.

When she finished packing the coffee, Shen Qingyi walked over and told Shan Ling: “Ms. Fang will be sitting here for a while. Could you take her the coffee?”

Shan Ling nodded and asked: “What were you two chatting about? I was too far away to hear…”

Shen Qingyi heard this and laughed softly: “She said she found the autographed original edition, and suggested I give her that book first. I agreed.”

After speaking, Shen Qingyi glanced at Shan Ling and told her: “I’ll go to the car to retrieve the book first. You take the coffee to her.”

Shan Ling nodded and told Shen Qingyi: “The snow is heavy outside. Remember to take an umbrella.”

Shen Qingyi’s eyes curved gently, and she smiled: “I know. I’ll be right back after I get it.”

Shan Ling watched her leave, then carried the coffee over and placed it in front of Fang Ran. A moment later, Shen Qingyi returned from outside, holding the book The Longest Confession in her hand.

“Thank you,” Fang Ran thanked her, then looked up at Shan Ling, paused, and asked: “Ms. Shan Ling, can I talk with you for a bit?”

With the snow being so heavy today, there would definitely not be many customers. Shen Qingyi didn’t say anything, just nodded to Shan Ling, who then sat down opposite Fang Ran.

The warm coffee emitted an aromatic scent. Fang Ran picked it up and took a sip, her gaze drifting into the distance.

Didn’t she say she wanted to chat? Why is she looking at the scenery now?

Shan Ling was curious but didn’t speak immediately. Instead, she continued to sense herself.

Whether it was Old Tales of Longcheng or The Little Mermaid, Shan Ling would receive 100,000 virtue points when Shen Qingyi handed the book to the client. But this time, Shan Ling checked herself left and right.

Not a single point increased???

What’s going on?

Is the merit box broken???

It shouldn’t be. She hadn’t heard any of the village elders say that thing could break. And even if it was broken, where would she go to fix it?

Shan Ling’s expression was serious, looking deeply preoccupied, as if contemplating some ‘major event.’

Fang Ran looked at her and, after a long silence, suddenly spoke: “Ms. Shan Ling?”

“Ah?” Shan Ling, quickly pulling back her wandering thoughts, instinctively looked up. Seeing Fang Ran, she remembered the other person wanted to talk to her. She quickly regained her composure and smiled at Fang Ran: “Ms. Fang, please don’t be so formal. You can call me Xiao Ling.”

Fang Ran smiled: “You do look quite young. Did you just graduate from university?”

Shan Ling nodded: “More or less.”

Fang Ran then looked at Shen Qingyi by the counter and asked: “May I ask about your relationship with Ms. Shen? Because last time at Happy Valley, you looked very intimate. I thought you might be friends or… a couple.”

Shan Ling blinked curiously. Was her relationship with Shen Qingyi really so close that Xu Wentao, Nuonuo, and Fang Ran all thought their relationship was something special?

“We’re just ordinary boss and employee,” Shan Ling thought for a moment, then added: “But Yiyi is really kind to me, so I guess we’re friends too.”

“Friends…” Fang Ran chewed on the word. Finally, she turned to look at the snowy view outside and sighed: “The word ‘friend’ truly holds different meanings for everyone.”

Just like her relationship with Song Qinglan—they were boss and employee, and they were also friends.

And a secret crush.

Having worked for so long, Fang Ran knew that Song Qinglan had no interest in women. She truly only saw her as a friend and a highly capable assistant, completely unaware that the person who had been with her for ten years was secretly in love with her.

She wondered when this lie called ‘friendship’ would suddenly be exposed.

Fang Ran sighed softly, seeming to have thought of something heavy.

Seeing her expression, Shan Ling instinctively wanted to comfort her. She glanced at the book by Fang Ran’s hand and asked: “I heard Yiyi say you’ve found the autographed original edition?”

“Yes,” Fang Ran nodded: “I commissioned a few friends to help me find the book, and then asked a friend in Japan to get the author’s signature. It should be mailed over once it clears customs.”

Fang Ran smiled: “Don’t underestimate me just because I’m a small assistant. I do have my ways in this area.”

“That’s impressive.” Shan Ling thought she had only found a used book to replace the one Shen Qingyi had, but she hadn’t expected Fang Ran to go straight to the author for a signature.

But now that she thought about it, it made sense. The book was published a long time ago and had won several awards. An autographed edition would definitely be highly marked up. If she had the means to contact the author, getting a signature directly was simple.

Fang Ran and Shan Ling chatted casually for a couple more minutes before Fang Ran took The Longest Confession and left the coffee shop.

Even after Fang Ran left, Shan Ling still hadn’t received the 100,000 virtue points.

What is going on?

Shan Ling thought miserably, Did the merit box really break?

I don’t know where to go to fix it!!!!

Meanwhile, holding The Longest Confession, Fang Ran sat in a chair in her room, flipping through the sentences she had written in the back pocket as a teenager.

Fang Ran read it over and over again. The room was quiet, devoid of any other sound.

Fang Ran gave the book to Song Qinglan just days before the college entrance exam. At that time, students were exchanging gifts, and when she gave the book, Song Qinglan didn’t pay any special attention to it, accepting it casually.

Then came the exam, and the summer vacation.

That summer was the longest one Fang Ran had ever experienced.

Song Qinglan hadn’t contacted Fang Ran since taking the book, as if she had vanished into thin air. Fang Ran thought the other woman had seen the love letter and was disgusted by her, keeping her distance.

But towards the tail end of that long summer, Song Qinglan reappeared in front of Fang Ran.

She would always remember the beautiful girl, tanned by the sun, wearing a white dress, standing in front of Fang Ran and revealing her pearly white teeth.

“I didn’t have any summer homework for once, so my family and I went horseback riding in Inner Mongolia, sunbathing in Hainan, and even traveled abroad,” Song Qinglan said to Fang Ran, drinking the orange soda that belonged only to her memory: “I posted all of it on Moments. Didn’t you see?”

Fang Ran held the straw and didn’t speak. She hadn’t dared to check the other’s status, afraid that clicking on it would show that Song Qinglan had already deleted her.

“No,” Fang Ran said, pretending to be calm: “I was working during the summer vacation and only recently returned.”

“That’s great,” Song Qinglan leaned closer, smiling like the most dazzling sun in the summer: “Ranran is so diligent and family-oriented. I’ll be jealous of whoever becomes your boyfriend.”

You don’t need to be jealous, actually.

Fang Ran looked at the ‘sun’ in front of her, feeling a tidal wave of emotions about to spill over.

In my life, you are the most dazzling star.

And the person I can never catch up to, for the rest of my life…

Support