Chapter 4: Admitting It
After stepping into the break room, Ye Ziming gently closed the door behind him. Now, only he and Lin Muqing were in the room.
There was a long table in the break room, with a few chairs placed around it.
Ye Ziming slowly walked over to the other side of the table, sat down across from Muqing, and looked at her.
“Lin Muqing,” he softly called her name.
Earlier in the office, he had already seen Muqing’s employee file. It said she was a second-year high school student at a certain school, the same high school he attended.
Everything in the file clearly told him that this was his deskmate. The quiet, small, and slightly shy boy who had sat next to him for a whole year.
But now, looking at her in a maid outfit, sitting across from him… Ye Ziming still found it hard to believe.
Was this really the same Lin Muqing he had known all year?
She’s way too cute!
“Y-you’ve got the wrong person…”
Muqing was sweating nervously, her eyes avoiding his. She turned her head to the side, doing her best not to let him see her face.
She was so nervous that her little hands twisted together in her lap like she was a kid about to get scolded by a teacher.
“All summer, you kept saying you were busy. So… this is what you were doing?”
Seeing how flustered she was, Ye Ziming couldn’t help but find it funny.
But he didn’t laugh out loud. Instead, he raised a hand and gently covered his mouth, trying not to let her see the smile creeping onto his lips.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hearing his question, Muqing got even more nervous. Her eyes wandered around as she replied in a soft, unsure voice.
Ye Ziming had now asked two questions. Even though Muqing didn’t answer either one directly, he had already gotten the answers he needed.
With understanding in his eyes, Ye Ziming looked at Muqing, then glanced at her maid outfit again. After thinking for a moment, he spoke in a calm voice.
“I can keep your secret.”
“Really?”
As soon as she heard those words, Muqing’s whole mood changed. The tension on her face vanished, and she looked at him with bright, hopeful eyes.
“Of course.”
Ye Ziming was a bit surprised by how quickly her attitude changed.
He had originally planned to just nod and say yes. But the way Lin Muqing looked at him, so cute and full of trust, made him want to tease her a little.
“Waaah~ You really are my best bro! I’m so touched. You have to keep this secret for me, okay?”
In less than one minute, Muqing had gone from stranger to best friend.
She looked super moved. If the table wasn’t between them, she might have jumped over and hugged him tightly to show her thanks.
“But… I have one condition.”
Just as Muqing was still celebrating, Ye Ziming spoke again.
“Huh?”
Her smile disappeared instantly. Her face turned into one of total shock, with a bit of puppy-dog sadness in her eyes.
“Ahem… it’s just a small favor. I won’t make it hard for you.”
Even Ye Ziming himself was surprised at how much power Muqing’s cute gaze had over him.
He couldn’t even last a few seconds before breaking his calm, it was game over.
“Oh oh, that’s great then! So, what do you need help with? Just tell me, I’ll definitely help you out, bro!”
Hearing that, Lin Muqing instantly switched back to her cheerful self.
The sudden change of expression was like a face-change performance from Sichuan opera, quick and professional.
“No rush. I’ll tell you next time.”
Seeing Muqing smile again, Ye Ziming also smiled without realizing it. He didn’t even know why, he just felt happy seeing her happy.
“Alrighty.”
Trusting her good bro completely, Lin Muqing didn’t ask any more questions and happily started chatting with him.
Since Ye Ziming didn’t seem angry and was even willing to keep her secret, Muqing finally relaxed. At least she wasn’t as nervous as before.
After all, this part-time job was a great one. Easy work, good pay, and a super nice environment. Muqing didn’t want to lose it.
So now, her next goal was to make the new boss happy.
Luckily, since Ye Ziming was just starting, there were lots of things he didn’t know. Muqing had already worked there for two months, so she could explain everything clearly to him.
But something did feel a little odd to her. Normally, this job should’ve been handled by Sister Yu, since she was the temporary manager. Nobody knew the place better than her.
Outside the break room, the cafe had just opened. There weren’t many customers yet, and Sister Yu was standing at the counter, watching how things were going.
“Sister Yu, what are they doing in there?”
A maid quietly walked up beside Sister Yu and asked in a sneaky whisper.
That one question instantly got the attention of several nearby maids, who all gathered closer, clearly curious and ready for gossip.
“The new manager just started, so there are a lot of things he doesn’t know yet. If someone could act as his assistant, helping him understand the cafe and supporting his work later, that would be perfect.”
Sister Yu said with a calm smile, glancing at the staff and the still-quiet cafe.
“Wooow~”
“No wonder Sister Yu is the best!”
“Hehe~ Like they say, ‘When there’s work, the secretary does it. When there’s no work… heheh…’”
After hearing Sister Yu’s explanation, the maids became even more excited. They were already imagining what might happen next between Muqing and the new manager.
For a moment, gossip burned bright in the cafe. Some were already dying to tell everyone or sneak a peek into the break room.
“Ahem. Customers are coming, back to work.”
Sister Yu didn’t really mind the gossip. In her opinion, as long as it didn’t affect the job, it was fine.
So, the cafe ran as usual, and the maids greeted every customer with full energy and smiles.
Still, during their shifts, many maids would casually glance toward the break room, eyes sparkling with curiosity, and smiles full of meaning.
Inside the break room…
“Umm… that’s all I know. If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask Sister Yu.”
Lin Muqing explained the cafe in detail to Ye Ziming, sounding a bit proud as she spoke, because she knew everything about this place.
(Or at least she thought she did.)
After she finished talking, she put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin with pride, looking just like a smug little kitten.
“That’s more than enough.”
Ye Ziming smiled quietly. But his eyes were focused on Muqing, and his notebook was still nearly empty.
From earlier until now, he had kept reminding himself. His deskmate for the past year was definitely a guy. He had confirmed that long ago.
But Muqing’s voice didn’t sound like a boy’s at all. It was clearly a girl’s voice, sweet and a little cute.
She even spoke in a cute way without realizing it. Her big eyes blinked now and then, it was adorable.
Seriously, what boy talks like this? He had never seen one.
And then, he accidentally looked down a little…
And was shocked to see, Muqing’s chest actually had a noticeable curve… and it wasn’t small.
Wait a minute…
Why does “my bro” have such… prominent chest muscles?