Chapter 3
Chapter Summary: Male, Boyfriend?
The story is as follows: Yao Ye's family runs an art class on the fifth floor of the Baili Shopping Mall. Its full name is Tulip Children's Art Class, and it is currently mainly managed by her older sister, Yao Qin.
Boss Yao recently wanted to develop some more interactive experiential courses, so he encouraged everyone to speak freely at the staff meeting. Yao Ye, who was sipping guava milk tea, casually remarked...
“I noticed that almost every parent waiting for their child to finish school had a drink in their hand, and even the kids love milk tea. How about we organize a milk tea experience activity? Let them see how a cup of milk tea is made, and experience the complicated process behind this small beverage. Then, we can combine it with creative art activities like drawing and pasting.”
Yao Ye was just saying it casually because her older sister, the boss, was so arrogant and insisted that everyone speak, not even sparing her, a part-time employee.
To her surprise, Yao Qin's eyes lit up. She thought the idea was excellent. "It's interactive, offers educational experiences, and is a topic that students are interested in. We can give it a try. So, where should we go?"
Teacher Liu Yue said, "The location definitely has to be inside the Belle Shopping Mall. Kazamado is a good choice. Xiao Yao goes there to shop every few days, and it seems like he's quite familiar with the staff there."
So Yao Qin made the decision, "Sister, you go and communicate with Kazamado."
Yao Ye was initially quite reluctant, "Oh, I was just saying it casually. Talking about cooperation is too troublesome. Kazama-do also needs to do business. It's not appropriate for us to bother them like this..."
Yao Qin interrupted her rambling, "We can discuss a reasonable venue rental fee. If the feedback is good afterwards, I'll give you a bonus."
Upon hearing the word 'bonus,' Yao Ye immediately changed her tune, smiling broadly as she said, 'Alright, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!'
………………
So this Saturday afternoon, Kazamado closed its doors to the public and booked the entire venue for a workshop for the children of Tulip Art School. Mr. Li personally demonstrated the entire process of brewing tea, preparing the dipping sauce, cutting fruit, and mixing drinks.
The children watched with great interest, constantly surrounding the bar and asking questions, which Li Fengjian patiently answered one by one.
"Some teas can be brewed with hot water, but some varieties need to be boiled to bring out their aroma."
"Different ingredients, such as tapioca pearls and taro balls, require different cooking times. The right cooking time is essential for the best texture."
"These time labels are to remind the staff about the freshness of the ingredients. Once the time limit is exceeded, they have to be thrown away and prepared again... There's no other way, the taste will deteriorate after the time limit is exceeded."
After the initial demonstration, the children rolled up their sleeves and tried to mix their own drinks, drawing as they drank. One little girl with short, ear-length hair even asked Li Fengjian for the remaining tapioca pearls, carefully sticking them one by one onto her milk tea drawing, making it even more realistic. Teacher Liu Yue couldn't help but praise her.
"Hu Xiaokui, that's very creative!"
Hu Xiaokui looked proud and then glanced at Yao Ye. Seeing that Yao Ye also gave her a thumbs up, she became even more smug. She put down her artwork and ran over to Yao Ye, coaxing, "Teacher Yao, so this is Kazamado! I've often seen you holding a milk tea cup with 'Kazamado' written on it."
Teacher Liu joked, "Kazama-do is Teacher Yao's favorite. She keeps saying she wants to lose weight, but that doesn't stop her from sipping cup after cup."
Yao Ye smiled sheepishly and turned to guide other children on their work.
Hu Xiaokui returned to the table, picked up her paintbrush, and muttered to herself as she painted, "So this is where Teacher Yao's favorite Kazamado is. I must remember to tell my brother this news."
These words inadvertently reached Li Fengjian's ears. He paused for a moment, then stepped forward to greet the little girl.
"Hello, I'm the owner of Kazamado. I just demonstrated how to make milk tea for you."
"Hello, Mr. Li!" Hu Xiaokui greeted him crisply.
He considered his words for a moment, "...I just heard you say that you wanted to tell your brother that Teacher Yao's favorite Kazamado is located here. Does your brother... also like milk tea?"
“My brother doesn’t like milk tea, and he won’t let me drink it either,” Hu Xiaokui shook her head.
"Then why did you tell your brother?"
“Because…” Hu Xiaokui was in a good mood, and her words were light and airy, “Because although my brother doesn’t like milk tea, he really likes it…”
Before she could finish speaking, the sound of wind chimes rang as the door opened. It turned out the trial class was ending, and parents were coming in one after another. Hu Xiaokui, holding her artwork, suddenly rushed into the arms of a young man.
"Brother, I just finished drawing! I drew my own homemade milk tea. Isn't it amazing? Teacher Liu and Teacher Yao both praised me!"
The young man, dressed in jeans and a trendy hoodie, had short hair, dark skin, and very sharp features. Even though Hu Xiaokui had just mentioned two teachers, his gaze immediately settled on Yao Ye, a slightly shy smile appearing on his face.
"Yao Ye, thank you."
"You're welcome. Xiao Kui is very talented in art." Yao Ye waved to him.
As the brother and sister packed up their art supplies and were about to leave, the boy turned to Yao Ye and asked, "Are you going to the theory class tomorrow? I mean, if you're not going, I can sign you in."
“I’m going. The professor has been very strict these past few days; being absent will affect the final exam,” Yao Ye said.
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
"Bye-bye!" Yao Ye waved to him with a bright smile.
Her smile was somewhat irritating to Li Fengjian. He quietly moved closer to her while wiping the tables and chairs, and casually asked, "Do you know Hu Xiaokui's brother?"
“Yes, I know him,” Yao Ye said, busy packing up her art supplies. “His name is Hu Xiaojun, he’s my college classmate. He sent his younger sister here to learn painting because he heard I was working part-time at my family’s art class. Hehe, hehehe…”
Li Fengjian frowned. Why did she smile so happily, even unable to stop smiling, whenever Hu Xiaojun was mentioned?
He blurted out, "Are you two very close? Why are you smiling so happily when you mention him?"
Yao Ye turned around, smiling mysteriously, "Do you want to know?"
Li Fengjian frowned slightly, but still nodded.
Yao Ye's lips curled up as she looked around. Seeing that the parents and students had all left, she whispered, "Telling you is fine too, since I'm already so familiar with you, boss, hehehehe..."
"Go ahead and say it."
"Because of my silver tongue, he paid for his sister's lessons for a whole year! So my sister gave me a bonus, hehe, much more than my usual part-time job pay!"
"That's...?"
"What else could it be?" She raised an eyebrow. "Of course, as a classmate, I also tried to get him a discount. I also usually look after his sister!"
"Alright..." Li Fengjian gave a wry smile. Seeing Yao Ye all ready, smiling brightly as she walked towards him,
"Mr. Li, I'm leaving now. I'll settle the remaining payment for the venue tomorrow."
Li Fengjian waved to her, and she left with a smile, like a butterfly fluttering in the wind, muttering to herself as she went, "Off work, off work, finally off work..."
Okay, so the reason she was smiling so happily at the brother and sister was because the pleasant day of getting off work was just around the corner.
Li Fengjian watched her retreating figure and couldn't help but smile. He saw her skip away, then skip back again.
"I'm so tired after a long night, Mr. Li. I'd like a guava milk tea, iced! And 30% sugar, please. Hehe, put it on the art class's tab!"
………………
However, the following evening, when the Hu siblings visited Kazama-do, Li Fengjian could no longer smile.
The younger sister tugged at her brother's hand playfully, "Brother, since you're going to buy milk tea for Teacher Yao anyway, why don't you buy me one too!"
"No, no, milk tea isn't healthy. You already had a cup yesterday."
"Hmph, if you don't buy it for me, I'll go home and tell my parents that you bought milk tea only for Teacher Yao!"
"No, no, no... I'll order you something, what do you want to drink? But nothing cold is not allowed!"
Li Fengjian listened silently, then couldn't help but interject, "Are you buying milk tea for Ms. Yao, the art teacher on the fifth floor? Sorry, she's not here today."
"Oh, really..." Hu Xiaojun paused, then muttered to himself, "But there are no classes tonight..."
Li Fengjian said calmly, "She took the day off today and didn't come. She told me herself."
Then, meeting Hu Xiaojun's surprised gaze, he feigned composure and asked, "So, do you still need to order?"
………………
Yao Ye did indeed skip art class tonight, and she was the one who told Li Fengjian. But it wasn't for any suggestive reason; it was simply because...
"Mr. Li, I promised to come over tonight to pay you the final payment, but I have a fever and am currently lying in my university dorm. I'll settle the payment with you after my fever subsides, since I have the receipt with me."
He had known her for over a year, and they only recently added each other on WeChat because of a private event they were organizing.
Li Fengjian replied, "Don't rush to pay the balance. Focus on getting better." He paused, then asked, "Why did you suddenly get a fever? Is it serious?"
"My temperature just came back to 39 degrees Celsius. I took fever reducer and am waiting for it to take effect."
Li Fengjian thought for a moment and replied, "The temperature difference between day and night has been huge lately, and it's very cold at night. Did you get chilled on your way home from get off work last night?" He vaguely remembered that she had her coat draped over her arm when she left.
"Hmm... I was busy for a long time last night, working up a sweat, and I still felt hot when I walked out of the mall."
"So you didn't wear a coat the whole way, letting the cold wind blow on you?"
"Um... I wore it later."
"And then you were walking around drinking a beverage full of ice?" Li Fengjian couldn't help but sigh. Well, he had made that ice-filled drink himself, even though it was her request to add ice, and even though as a merchant it wasn't his job to discourage customers from drinking iced drinks at night, but...
But suddenly, Li Fengjian felt a deep sense of guilt.
"Oh my, guava milk tea with ice is definitely better!" Fortunately, Yao Ye replied quickly, it seems she wasn't delirious from the fever, but rather had developed a strong craving. "To be honest, my temperature is 39 degrees Celsius right now, and I'm really craving a cup of guava milk tea! That silky smooth texture, that refreshing and slightly sweet taste, plus some pearls, oh my, I have a feeling that if I could have a cup, my fever would go down immediately!"
Li Fengjian sent a wry smile emoji, "Next time Kazama-do runs an ad, I'll definitely give you the copywriting."
But Yao Ye was really craving it, and even asked him, "Boss Li, does Kazamado deliver food? Can you deliver to the X University dormitory area without any problem?"
"Not far, within the delivery range."
“Then I’ll…” she typed, then deleted and resent, “Never mind, I forgot that takeout can’t be delivered into the dormitory area, so it’s all left at the guard’s room, which is quite far from the dormitory building. I’m feeling dizzy and weak in the legs, and I can’t walk.”
"Where's your roommate? Can they help you carry this?"
"They all went out to play, and I'm the only one left in the dorm."
Li Fengjian remained silent for a moment before replying, "Then you should get some rest."
………………
Tonight, all her roommates went out to play, leaving Yao Ye alone in the dormitory.
Her older sister, Yao Qin, asked her on WeChat, "How are you feeling? Are you feeling better? Should I come see you after get off work?"
"No need, it's just a minor fever, it's already starting to go down after taking the medicine," she replied. "You go ahead and work hard, sister, and make some money!"
As they were chatting, a polite knock came at the door. Yao Ye got out of bed and opened the door to find Zhang Jiajia, who lived upstairs. Yao Ye was in the same class as her, but they only exchanged nods of acquaintance. So she looked at Zhang Jiajia with surprise, and saw Jiajia hand her a takeout bag.
"Is this for me?" Yao Ye asked blankly as she took it.
“Yes.” Zhang Jiajia laughed. “To be precise, I was stopped when I entered the girls’ dormitory area. The person asked me to deliver this takeout, and he even said he would give me a delivery fee as a thank you.”
Who is the 'he' that Zhang Jiajia is referring to?
Looking at the three characters 'Kazamado' on the takeout bag, Yao Ye felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Could it be him?
Yet, finding it hard to believe, she asked Zhang Jiajia, "The 'he' you're talking about... do you mean the deliveryman? Or...?"
“Of course it wasn’t a deliveryman,” Zhang Jiajia waved her hand, as if to say a few good words about 'his' sincerity. “It was a tall, thin man, not wearing a deliveryman’s uniform. Look, there’s no address label on this delivery, so it must have been ordered by your boyfriend and delivered personally.”
"Boyfriend?" Yao Ye was taken aback, her face, already flushed from the fever, turned even redder!
“He’s obviously your boyfriend,” Zhang Jiajia said with a smile, covering her mouth. “Don’t be shy, we’re in college now, not high school students dating.”
Yao Ye shook her head vigorously, intending to deny it outright, but then, as if possessed, she asked, "Um... why do you think that?"
"Because it costs fifty yuan."
"ha?"
Zhang Jiajia smiled and said, "At first, he stopped me and sincerely explained that he wanted me to deliver this takeout to the girls' dormitory building and would give me fifty yuan for the delivery. When he saw that I was hesitant, he thought I thought the money was too little, so he directly increased it to one hundred yuan, and even acted as if he could raise it even more. He was too generous, and I felt embarrassed! Later, when I looked at the door number, oh, it's Yao Ye, you. And he also explained that it was because you had a fever and couldn't go downstairs, so I just helped you out."
"I see..." Yao Ye was stunned.
"Look, who else but your boyfriend would care about you so much and be so generous?" Zhang Jiajia chuckled. "Alright, alright, your face is all red from the fever, go and get some rest."
Before leaving, she turned back and said, "Oh, by the way, I didn't take your boyfriend's hundred yuan! It's just a short walk, nothing more."
"Oh," Yao Ye said, still somewhat bewildered, "thank you!"
Back at the table, Yao Ye opened the bag, inside was a cup of guava milk tea, with 30% sugar and pearls, but it was at room temperature.
She then noticed a WeChat message on her phone. It was from Li Fengjian saying, "Don't drink anything cold if you have a fever."
………………
Two days later, Yao Ye recovered. That evening, she went to Kazamado to settle her final payment with the owner, and couldn't help but stare at him expectantly, asking,
"Mr. Li, are you really going to give Zhang Jiajia a hundred yuan for running errands?"
Keep in mind that a cup of milk tea only costs a little over twenty yuan.
Li Fengjian paused as he signed the receipt before saying, "...I just feel that I also bear some responsibility for not stopping you from drinking iced beverages that night, which caused you to have a fever."
"It's not your fault at all. I asked for ice myself."
“…Consider this my special treatment for VIP guests.” He glanced at her. “If you feel embarrassed, then come to Kazamado more often in the future.”
"Of course!" Yao Ye said with a smile, rolling up her sleeves. "I'll patronize tonight, right now! I want to repay Boss Li's kindness with my actions!"
Li Fengjian couldn't help but laugh, "Would you like a cup of the new Musang King Durian Milk Tea? You can use mall points to offset the cost."
"I don't want to use points to offset the cost, I want to repay Mr. Li's kindness with hot cash! Here, let's just order a drink, how much?"
"Fifty yuan."
"What???" Yao Ye's mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg. "So expensive???"
"Musang King durian is very expensive..." Li Fengjian's mouth almost twisted with laughter. "My esteemed VIP guest, I'll give you a 50% discount, and you can also use your mall points to offset the price."
"This... I can't possibly accept this..."
"This is a new product. Please give me your feedback after you've tried it."
"Alright!" Yao Ye finally smiled broadly. "After I finish drinking, let me give you... no... I mean, I'll give you some good feedback!"
………………
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