Chapter 136

Page Twenty-Nine: Chrysanthemum and Autumn Grass

Senior Chāngpú looked at the waitress, Miss Jiū, in disbelief. The latter felt uncomfortable under her gaze and rubbed her goosebumps on her arm.

The shopkeeper also found this strange and asked, “Do you two know each other?”

“No, we don’t.”

Miss Jiū denied vehemently, but her eyes involuntarily darted towards Zhao Zhào and Xiǎo Lěi, looking guilty as charged.

It was clear they knew each other! Yet, Zhao Zhào and Xiǎo Lěi couldn’t recall… these two fools were truly unreliable.

“Since you don’t know each other, let me introduce her.”

Although he was dressed as Master Turtle Hermit, the shopkeeper wasn’t short. He patted Miss Jiū’s shoulder and introduced, “This maid is Miss Jiū. She’s been here for two weeks. She works efficiently and decisively. Most importantly, she has a heart of service. Do you understand what that means? A maid without a heart of service is just a hollow fake!”

He kept mentioning ‘heart of service.’ Who could really understand that? And weren’t they supposed to keep quiet in the store?

Wait, this old shopkeeper’s tone seemed familiar…

“I get it!”

Zhao Zhào suddenly roared, then tearfully confessed:

“The fake maids in those maid cafes pretend to call us ‘Master,’ but in their hearts, they treat us guests like cash cows!”

Zhao Zhào’s words resonated with many, and there were approving murmurs from the booth area.

No wonder people would think that way. Those who go to maid cafes are essentially cash cows!

“You’re something else, kid! We hit it off well! So, little girl, do you have a heart of service?”

The shopkeeper threw the question to Senior Chāngpú, but she was still staring at Miss Jiū, lost in thought. Xiǎo Lěi silently nudged her.

“Oh! Sorry, what did you say?”

She hadn’t heard a word, which was a big no-no during an interview.

“Do you have what it takes? I heard from this kid that you came to work due to your poor family background. But I won’t pity you. I don’t need someone without capability.”

“Truly sorry! I won’t be distracted again!” Hearing the possibility of losing the job, Senior Chāngpú apologized nervously.

The old shopkeeper nodded and said,

“Well, then, introduce yourself.”

Senior Chāngpú hesitated before speaking, “Lǐ Chāngpú, I have experience working in coffee shops, teahouses, and bookstores.”

She had given herself a name, and both Lotus and Chrysanthemum are aquatic plants.

“Oh? You share the same surname as me? How long did you work at the coffee shop? Can you make coffee?”

Senior Chāngpú whispered, “Two weeks, a bit.”

“Two weeks? What can you learn in two weeks? How long was your longest stint working?”

Senior Chāngpú didn’t dare answer, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing her reaction, the shopkeeper guessed correctly and sighed, “If there were better-paying part-time jobs elsewhere, you’d leave again, wouldn’t you?”

Indeed, her frequent job changes weren’t viewed favorably by the shopkeeper because of instability.

Zhao Zhào was getting anxious too, complaining, “Old man, you always complain about not finding the right person, yet now someone comes along and you still nitpick?”

“Kid, do you think Chrysanthemum is suitable? Our shop is special; maids need to build up popularity over time.”

“She’s diligent in her work.”

Zhao Zhào’s immediate affirmation made sense.

As a waiter at the buffet, she gave us thoughtful tips; as a bookstore clerk, she gently recommended books to me and Lǐn Huā; I still remember her skillful stir-frying techniques at the Water World.

Her dedication and excellence in every job were evident.

“You still don’t get my point. Part-time jobs have no contract, and I don’t want a runaway maid… Let her speak for herself.”

“I learn quickly! Please, sir, give me a chance. This time, I’ll stay long-term!”

To secure the job, Senior Chāngpú naturally made all sorts of promises.

“Oh! I remember! You are—uh!”

Xiǎo Lěi, who hadn’t spoken, slapped her forehead and exclaimed in realization, but before she could say anything, Miss Jiū pinched her cheek, making her emit embarrassing sounds.

This Miss Jiū had incredible strength! She lifted Xiǎo Lěi to the booth area with one hand while whispering something to her. Xiǎo Lěi’s desperate nodding back made her look pitiful, almost crying!

Seeing Xiǎo Lěi treated this way, Zhao Zhào felt uneasy.

“Shopkeeper… who is this new waitress?”

The shopkeeper, resembling Master Turtle Hermit, scratched his bald head and vaguely replied,

“She claims to be a high school girl from Bìyáng Girls’ School, but you know, I never ask where people come from when they work here.”

“You should ask! There’s no such thing as a super-strong high school girl! No, upon reflection, there might actually be…”

While Zhao Zhào criticized the shopkeeper, I noticed Senior Chāngpú’s expression was unnatural. She was staring at Miss Jiū, completely unaware that I was observing her.

She indeed knew this Miss Jiū, and Miss Jiū knew Zhao Zhào and Xiǎo Lěi. What was their relationship? Why did Miss Jiū forcibly take Xiǎo Lěi aside?

It felt like all the pieces were almost in place. I activated the DHA in my brain, and my thoughts started to spread and overclock…

It connected!

“Mr. Shopkeeper, ‘Miss Jiū’ is more like a nickname or stage name, right? Can you tell us her real name?”

Before the shopkeeper could answer, Senior Chāngpú’s surprised gaze confirmed my suspicion.

At the same time, Miss Jiū rushed to the wheelchair, her grip already on my mouth, strong as pliers.

Like she did with Xiǎo Lěi, she lifted me from the wheelchair and placed me on a sofa booth, signaling Zhao Zhào to stay back with her eyes.

“Ah, Chairman, you were caught too?”

Xiǎo Lěi scratched her hair and greeted me reluctantly.

Miss Jiū pressed against my shoulder, towering over me.

“Though I don’t know what you’ve figured out, I advise you not to say anything unnecessary.”

Foolish! This panic only strengthens my bargaining position. I rubbed my sore cheek.

“What do you know?” I asked Xiǎo Lěi.

Under Miss Jiū’s pressure, Xiǎo Lěi hesitated to speak.

“Let me start. Does Miss Jiū know Li Jiànlián?”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you know my brother?”

Sure enough, not just knowing him, but your brother is interviewing behind us!

Oh, now she’s a sister.

“Hahaha… hahaha!”

My lips curled uncontrollably, unable to hold back my laughter.

Damn, I might be a deduction genius!

The key piece was the shopkeeper’s question, “You share the same surname as me?”

The shopkeeper’s surname was Wǔwén. Combined with Senior Chāngpú’s behavior towards Miss Jiū, I had this suspicion. Asking about her name was merely to confirm my guess.

“So, Miss Jiū isn’t a high school girl from Bìyáng Girls’ School, right? Senior Li Jiànlián told me about her family. You should be working already.”

She’s certainly not a high school student. Is she pretending to be younger to get this part-time job? And she chose such a cute name…

“She’s not a high school student. She’s a member of the security force at the girls’ school.”

With Miss Jiū’s spirit broken, Xiǎo Lěi spoke up, revealing a shocking truth:

“And she definitely doesn’t have a heart of service. She treats you boys like monkeys!”

Combining Xiǎo Lěi’s information with my deductions, the mystery of Miss Jiū’s identity was solved.

“You guys are something else. What do you want?”

She sat down on the opposite sofa, crossing her long white legs, glaring angrily at me and Xiǎo Lěi, completely losing the image of a maid.

“Please don’t be so aggressive. I’m not a monkey who broke into the boys’ school… By the way, may I ask your name?”

She replied irritably, “Li Qiuluó, autumn grass of the chrysanthemum.”

With a “kind” smile, I clapped my hands.

“Then, Miss Qiuluó, shall we make a deal?”