AD Chapter 11

Xiang Nan was the first to react. He took a few steps forward and asked, “Need money? Want to take on a side job?”

Shen Du didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on Qin Yi, waiting for his answer.

Niao Niao pushed Xiang Nan aside, saying, “Stop interfering, quickly see what gift Brother Qin gave you.”

Xiang Nan was about to say something to Shen Du, but upon hearing the word “gift,” he immediately moved aside.

Everyone in the room had something in hand, and Shen Du quickly glanced over.

“Are you here to apply?” Qin Yi asked, looking at him.

Shen Du nodded, “Yeah, you heard me right.”

“We’re hiring staff, it’s not much different from being a waiter,” Qin Yi said. “Can you handle it?”

His tone was quite neutral, as if it was a routine question, but Shen Du somehow felt like he was being looked down upon.

“Why can’t I? Stop looking down on people.”

Qin Yi’s lips moved silently, as if he wanted to say something, but Shen Du didn’t give him a chance. “Not everyone is born a young master. I have hands and feet, how could I mess it up?”

Aside from studying and cooking, he had never encountered any real difficulties in his life.

“You tell me what to do, I’ll definitely do it well.”

Qin Yi didn’t understand how things had turned out this way, but seeing the boy so excited, he figured it was pointless to say anything and casually said, “Then make a cup of tea.”

Shen Du narrowed his eyes. “You really look down on me?”

Qin Yi replied, “I don’t look down on you.”

As he said this, he couldn’t help but laugh, though he couldn’t quite explain why.

Shen Du was annoyed. “What’s so funny?”

“No,” Qin Yi said.

“Do you think making tea is too simple for me?” The man raised his chin slightly, his gaze sharp. “Can you make tea? Try it.”

Only then did Shen Du notice the tea set and tea leaves on the table in front of Qin Yi.

It was all new, still unopened, clearly something he had brought back from another place.

Shen Du pointed at the items. “You want me to use this?”

Even though it was just a quick glance, he could tell the tea set was quite valuable. Not to mention the tea cake packaging that read “Xinyang Maojian” in four characters.

This was probably auction-grade tea, the rarer and more expensive kind.

Wait, do tattoo artists make this much money these days? Tea worth hundreds of thousands per pound, just like that?

Qin Yi asked, “Can’t do it?”

Shen Du gave him a deep look, walked over, and sat down opposite him, carefully unwrapping the tea leaves and tea set.

He ground the tea, warmed the cups, prepared the whisk, and poured water to make the paste.

People who were good-looking made everything look pleasant. What had started as casual chatter among the crowd gradually became more subdued as they were slowly drawn in.

When Shen Du was young, he had learned to make tea with his grandfather for a while. Back then, his grandfather was still in good health, teaching him hand by hand while also educating him on the history of tea-making.

To make tea well, you had to pile the foam into a mountain.

After three rounds of pouring water, the tea paste was almost ready.

It had been a long time since Shen Du had made tea, and his hands felt unpracticed. Earlier this year, when he went back home to clean, he found several tea sets in his grandfather’s cabinet. The sight of them brought back memories, and he showed off his skills to his dad and mom.

His tea-making skills were inherited from his grandfather, so the taste of the tea was naturally quite similar.

After his dad drank it, he was very moved, took many photos, and posted them on social media with a long message about father-son love—his father, his son—and even strongly requested that Shen Du and his mom also post, saying that a family should be complete. Shen Du couldn’t argue and didn’t want to post a long message, so he only uploaded a photo of the three of them together, with the background being his grandfather’s study and the table in front filled with tea sets.

A nostalgic expression appeared on Shen Du’s face.

He immersed himself in his own world, not noticing that Master Cao and the others were discussing him.

“Boss’s friend is quite easy on the eyes.”

They had obviously misjudged their relationship. When Shen Du had come to the shop before, they had all been in the studio, so they hadn’t seen him.

There was no need to explain this, and Qin Yi didn’t bother to correct them.

Before long, the tea was ready. Shen Du placed the whisk aside and pushed the tea bowl forward, his eyes gleaming with confidence: “Please.”

Qin Yi stared at his face for a moment before leaning forward to take it.

He took a sip but didn’t rush to give his opinion. Instead, he asked, “Why did you suddenly want to apply?”

From Shen Du’s angle, he couldn’t tell if Qin Yi was satisfied or dissatisfied with his performance.

“It wasn’t sudden,” Shen Du held up three fingers and said, “I’ve been thinking about it for three days.”

Qin Yi gave a faint smile, “What difference does that make?”

“Three days is already enough. Did other applicants think about it this long? At least it proves I wasn’t just acting on a whim.”

Niao Niao agreed, “True.”

But Qin Yi still asked, “Why?”

Shen Du raised an eyebrow. “Do I really need a reason?”

Qin Yi didn’t speak, but his expression said it all.

“It started because I was bored,” Shen Du paused halfway through. Master Liu, more impatient than him, quickly asked, “And then?”

“Then…” Shen Du smiled slightly, his gaze drifting around the room before finally resting on Qin Yi’s hand holding the tea bowl. “Then, I don’t know, I just wanted to come.”

According to Niao Niao, he had been thinking about it since the day they started hiring. Even after three days of consideration, the desire to apply had grown stronger.

— Maybe he was just really bored.

Master Cao and the others immediately understood and looked at him with a more intrigued expression.

Shen Du realized they might have misunderstood, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain and simply pretended not to notice.

Qin Yi, on the other hand, didn’t seem to understand the silent exchange between Master Cao and the others. He showed no reaction. He just brought the tea bowl to his nose, sniffed it, and took a sip.

When Shen Du saw him relax his brow, he felt relieved. “So, what do you think?”

“Not bad,” Qin Yi nodded.

Shen Du raised an eyebrow. “Not bad?”

Qin Yi calmly rephrased, “Very good.”

Shen Du slightly lifted his chin, looking quite smug. “So, with my skills, can I apply?”

The boy had a handsome face, and when he made such an arrogant expression, instead of making people angry, it somehow seemed strangely cute.

“Did I say you couldn’t?” Qin Yi smiled faintly. “If you want to come, then come.”

“Then how much will you pay me?”

“How much do you want?”

So easy to negotiate? Shen Du smiled and lowered his head. “I don’t need too much. You can decide.”

“Or I can use this as payment.”

He pushed the tea set on the table toward Qin Yi.

“Like it?” Qin Yi said directly. “It’s yours.”

Quite generous.

“That won’t do,” Shen Du replied.

“They all have gifts,” Qin Yi paused before adding, “You have one too.”

Shen Du met his gaze. They didn’t know how many times they had locked eyes today, but Shen Du had never been able to read anything from Qin Yi’s eyes.

“I won’t take advantage of you.”

Shen Du looked away, waved his hand, and began packing up the tea set, preparing to wash it. “Just deduct it from my salary.”

Whether the salary would be enough was still a question.

Qin Yi didn’t argue with him. Instead, he looked at the others. “What are you still sitting here for? Go do what you’re supposed to do.”

The others, who had been watching what might have been a play, saw there was nothing more to do and slowly stood up to go eat the small lobsters they hadn’t finished earlier.

“I opened a bottle of beer earlier, where did it go? Did you guys hide it?”

“Who would hide something like that?”

Qin Yi looked at the person still standing there, confused.

Shen Du cleared his throat. “You still haven’t given me what’s in your hand.”

Qin Yi: “…”

He handed over the tea bowl he had been holding. “Want me to wash it for you?”

“No need.” After taking such a big advantage, he could wash one tea bowl himself.

“From now on, please take care of me, Boss Qin.”

Qin Yi glanced at him, his response somewhat perfunctory. “Okay, take care.”

In the afternoon, since there were no customers, they finished work at four.

Shen Du grabbed his bag and started walking out, but Xiang Nan, still not giving up, came over. “You really won’t take on a side job?”

“Really won’t.” Shen Du sighed. “I’m not as desperate for money as you think. I’m just bored. If you want to play, you can call me, and if I have time, I’ll join you. But I won’t take on a side job.”

Xiang Nan was skeptical. “Really?”

Shen Du laughed. “Why would I lie to you?”

He realized that the boy seemed fierce on the outside but was actually soft-hearted and kind inside. He wondered where Qin Yi had found such a gem.

“Alright, we’re not going the same way, so let’s part here. See you tomorrow, young man.”

After sending him off, Shen Du leaned against the railing by the street to hail a cab.

At that moment, Niao Niao rode over on her electric scooter. “Shen Du, do you need a ride?”

Shen Du glanced at her pink, small scooter and quickly said, “No need, I’ve already got a cab. You go ahead.”

His house wasn’t far from here, but it was too hot to walk back, so it was better to take a cab.

Shen Du began to consider whether he should buy a car.

The new tenants had moved into 1602. When he went out, the movers were bringing things in. Shen Du peeked inside and saw that the layout was similar to his place, but the apartment was slightly bigger.

At this moment, he still hadn’t seen his new neighbor.

After taking a shower, Shen Du moved a chair to the balcony, listening to the thudding noises from next door, enjoying the evening breeze, and feeling quite at ease.

At 9 o’clock, he started his live stream on time, chatting casually.

As a voice streamer, the content was usually quite boring—either chatting with fans or having voice calls with them.

“Today I found a part-time job to kill time.”

“I’m not lacking money, just bored. All my friends are out of town, and I’m stuck at home, about to suffocate.”

When Shen Du saw that [Dreamy Feelings] had joined the stream, he softly greeted them before continuing.

“It’s at a shop I know. I’m familiar with the manager, so they shouldn’t be trying to scam me… Oh, and he’s actually my landlord. Did I ever tell you guys that?”

“No? Well, I’m telling you now.”

He saw [Dreamy Feelings] ask why he suddenly wanted to work there.

“There’s no particular reason.” What he had said at the shop earlier wasn’t a lie. There really wasn’t a reason; he just wanted to go, but couldn’t explain why.

Shen Du sat up straighter, looking ready to have a deep conversation. “So, can you guys analyze this situation for me?”

What could the comments analyze? They could only guess blindly.

They asked if there was someone at the shop who was really good-looking. Shen Du immediately thought of Qin Yi’s face and didn’t deny it, saying yes. The comments then asked if the good-looking person was the manager, and Shen Du thought, “This is strange, they guessed right.”

[Hahaha, do we even need to ask why? Obviously, you’re smitten, thinking about him all the time!] [Are you constantly thinking about him?]

Shen Du: “Not really…”

[That’s still thinking about him, isn’t it?]

Shen Du instinctively denied it, saying, “Does that count as thinking about him? I don’t think so.” It felt like he thought about playing games more often.

[It counts! How could it not? Feelings grow subtly over time.] [Suddenly realizing you miss someone, it’s because it’s deep in your bones.]

Shen Du felt a bit uncomfortable with the comments, and the more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. How could he like Qin Yi? The other person was a guy, and he wasn’t gay.

Shen Du quickly denied it, but the comments insisted he was just being evasive. Shen Du said no, but they didn’t believe him, egging him on. Shen Du unintentionally fell into the trap of defending himself: “I really don’t…”

Perhaps seeing him so conflicted, even [Dreamy Feelings] came to offer advice.

[Dreamy Feelings: Why not give it a try?] Shen Du: “Try what?” [Dreamy Feelings: Try observing him.]

Observe…

Shen Du, focused on how to observe, didn’t even question why [Dreamy Feelings] used “he” instead of “she.”

After thinking about it all night, Shen Du woke up before his alarm the next morning.

He brushed his teeth, grabbed two slices of bread from the fridge to fill his stomach, and took the opportunity to clean out the expired food.

For convenience, he had bought mostly ready-to-eat items, many of which were impulse buys or part of a deal. These things went bad quickly, so Shen Du packed two bags, nearly emptying the fridge, leaving only a few bottles of mineral water and canned beer.

He thought to himself that it was time to buy some groceries.

It seemed like the tenant in 1602 had finished moving in. The door was much cleaner than usual, probably because someone was living there now.

At the shop, Niao Niao had arrived early. She was squatting on the floor, washing the rags. She seemed a bit surprised when she saw him. “You’re here so early. Did you have breakfast?”

“Just something quick. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Some customers are coming soon. Could you go clean the floor in the reception area and check if the water’s boiled?”

“Sure.” Shen Du, still thinking about what had happened last night, glanced upstairs and asked, “What about them? When are they coming?”

“Xiang Nan is a night owl, and Master Cao and the others have other jobs. If there are no appointments in the morning, they might not show up until noon.”

“What about Qin Yi?”

Niao Niao seemed a bit surprised that he asked about him specifically. She subconsciously glanced at him but still answered, “As for Brother Qin, there’s no fixed time. Sometimes he comes early, sometimes late, and sometimes he doesn’t come at all. It depends on whether he has something to do that day.”

“Brother Qin is very busy. Did you need something from him?”

Shen Du noticed the smile on the girl’s face, and for some reason, he felt a bit guilty.

“It’s nothing, just asking. I’ll go work now.”

After Shen Du had nearly polished the reception area floor to a mirror-like shine, Qin Yi finally arrived. Shen Du glanced at the wall clock—9:13. The boss, leading by example, was late.

He realized he didn’t know how long he had been scrubbing the same spot and quickly moved to a different area. He vaguely heard Qin Yi talking to Niao Niao, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Then, footsteps approached.

Shen Du immediately made a decision and pretended to be focused on his work.

Qin Yi walked toward him, and Shen Du’s breath immediately lightened. He swayed the mop left and right, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Qin Yi walk straight past him and grab a book from the shelf.

The man stood by the window, his long legs straight. He lowered his gaze, flipping through the pages with his long fingers, turning one page after another, his profile handsome.

Shen Du watched him walk over to the water dispenser, fill a cup, and tilt his head back. His prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down.

Shen Du was so absorbed in watching that he didn’t notice Qin Yi’s gaze suddenly shift and land directly on him.

Qin Yi still held the cup, but the next moment, he tossed the paper cup into the nearby trash bin. The cup hit the metal bin with a soft thud.

The air was quiet. The man’s eyes were dark, and his thin lips were still glistening with moisture. He suddenly asked, “What are you looking at?”

“…” Caught red-handed, Shen Du felt a bit awkward for a moment. “Nothing.”

His face turned red all the way to his ears, and after a long pause, he managed to say, “…Just observing you.”