Chapter 52: Overwhelmed with Orders – “Step aside, let me handle it!”

Yihuan’s eyes widened in astonishment. “What did you just say?”

Liu Hexiao stepped closer, his tone serious: “You didn’t mishear. From today onward, I’m staying at Shengjing Dessert Shop.”

Yihuan exclaimed, “Why?”

Next to her, Ah-miao was equally stunned, her jaw practically dropping as she stared at the two of them.

Liu Hexiao’s expression darkened as he explained, “It’s because my father kicked me out. Since he no longer recognizes me as his son, there’s no need for me to acknowledge him as my father either.”

He continued, with a hint of grievance: “And my so-called friends? The moment they saw I’d fallen out of favor, they scattered like rats. I had nowhere else to go, so I came to you.”

Yihuan pursed her lips and said, “This courtyard belongs to the young master. I can return it to you, and we can move back into the dessert shop.”

Liu Hexiao’s expression shifted. “Why?”

Yihuan smiled faintly. “Your Highness’s status is far too noble for us. We are worlds apart, and it’s inappropriate for an unmarried man and woman to share a space. It would only provoke gossip.”

Liu Hexiao frowned and retorted, “I don’t care! I want to live here with you!”

He quickly amended his words, stammering, “I mean… in the same courtyard, that is…”

As he spoke, the tips of his ears turned red.

Before their argument could escalate, Lin Yiran came running toward them. The moment he spotted Liu Hexiao, he cried out excitedly, “Master!”

Liu Hexiao turned, his face lighting up with joy. “Ah-Ran!”

Scooping Lin Yiran up, he poked the boy’s cheek playfully. “From now on, Master will teach you martial arts every day, how about that?”

Lin Yiran’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Really?! That’s amazing! Xiao Rui has been saying how much stronger I’ve gotten recently!”

But then, Liu Hexiao feigned a troubled expression. “The problem is, your sister doesn’t want me to stay here…”

Yihuan: “…”

Lin Yiran turned to Yihuan, pleading earnestly, “Sister, please let Master stay… I’m begging you…”

Yihuan’s lips twitched slightly. “Ah-Ran, your martial arts are already quite advanced. You don’t need to learn any more.”

Lin Yiran shook his head solemnly. “Master said that learning has no limits, and one mustn’t become complacent.”

Yihuan’s eyelid twitched, while Liu Hexiao’s face brimmed with smugness.

Feigning innocence, Liu Hexiao added, “It’s getting late. Why don’t we rest for the night and discuss this tomorrow?”

Resigned, Yihuan sighed softly. “Fine… come inside for now.”

Liu Hexiao and Lin Yiran exchanged triumphant smiles.

—-

That night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, as Yihuan and Ah-miao approached the dessert shop’s entrance from the courtyard, they were startled by the scene before them.

Dozens of people crowded the entrance to Shengjing Dessert Shop, chattering noisily as they waited.

Yihuan, perplexed, grabbed Ah-miao and tried to squeeze through the crowd. But a brightly dressed young woman gave them a disdainful glance. “The line starts back there! How dare you cut in?”

“Cut in?” Yihuan echoed in confusion.

Another young woman turned and admonished them, “Shengjing Dessert Shop’s ice cream is so delicious! We’ve been waiting in line since early morning. And you show up late and think you can skip ahead?”

Yihuan was stunned. She glanced toward the shop entrance and spotted Qing Nu standing there, managing the restless crowd. He was trying his best to calm them down. “Everyone, please be patient. The shop hasn’t opened yet. Kindly wait a little longer!”

Yihuan smiled faintly at the two women. “If you don’t step aside, how are we supposed to open the shop?”

The two women froze for a moment before blurting out, “You’re…”

Ah-miao puffed out her chest proudly. “This is my mistress, the owner of Shengjing Dessert Shop!”

Immediately, all eyes turned toward Yihuan.

Yihuan walked confidently through the crowd and approached the shop.

“Qing Nu!”

Qing Nu turned and, seeing Yihuan, gave an embarrassed grin. “Miss Yihuan… I’ve already resigned from my other job. I came early today to see if I could be of help, but when I arrived, so many people were already here. I couldn’t find you, so I took it upon myself to organize the line.”

Yihuan nodded in approval. “You did very well.”

With that, she and Ah-miao opened the shop.

Qing Nu, diligent and resourceful, began directing the customers inside.

Yihuan handed Qing Nu a stack of menus and said, “Our food can be eaten in-store or taken to go. Since there are so many people today, encourage them to choose takeout. Ah-miao and I will prioritize preparing to-go orders. How does that sound?”

Qing Nu nodded enthusiastically. “Got it!”

The three of them worked together seamlessly, and the shop quickly sprang to life.

“Miss, what would you like?” Ah-miao asked with a warm smile.

“Uh… ice cream!?” the young lady opposite hesitated. She had only heard that the ice cream was delicious but had never tried it herself. Looking at the menu, she asked again, “Are there different flavors?”

Ah-miao nodded. “Yes, we have strawberry, mango, and original…”

Yihuan interrupted with a smile, “Young ladies usually like strawberry flavor. Would you like to try it?”

Hearing this, the young lady nodded. “Alright, I’ll have a strawberry one.”

Yihuan added, “Miss, strawberry ice cream paired with a cream puff is a perfect match. Would you like to try them together? If you buy both, you can save two wen.”

The young lady appeared tempted and turned to her maid. “What’s a cream puff?”

The maid explained, “I’ve heard that the filling inside a cream puff is as soft as clouds—sweet and delicious.”

The young lady immediately made up her mind. “Alright, I’ll take one of each.”

Yihuan smiled brightly. “Got it!”

As she packed the items, she leaned toward Ah-miao and whispered, “Ah-miao, if the customer seems new, they’re likely here for the first time. You need to guide them when they order. Otherwise, it’ll slow everything down and disrupt the flow.”

Ah-miao nodded knowingly. “Understood, Miss. I’ll remember.”

Yihuan glanced toward the entrance of the dessert shop. It was already bustling with people, most of them are young men and women. Yihuan estimated that the Flower Queen Parade from the previous night had been effective in drawing interest.

As Ah-miao gradually became more efficient at taking orders, Yihuan joined her in preparing takeout. Looking back into the shop, she noticed that Qing Nu was handling tasks with remarkable agility. He was already delivering dishes to customers inside.

One gentleman handed over a silver ingot, saying, “I’ll settle the bill!”

Qing Nu smiled politely and replied, “Sir, please step to the entrance and hand the silver to Miss Yihuan directly.”

Yihuan’s lips curved in approval.

Qing Nu quickly cleared a table and invited the next group of waiting customers inside. This wave consisted of young ladies, who couldn’t help but blush as they stole glances at Qing Nu’s striking features—thick brows, large eyes, and a handsome face.

Qing Nu took it all in stride and asked courteously, “What would you like to eat?”

One of the ladies softly asked, “Sir… what do you recommend here?”

Without missing a beat, Qing Nu replied, “Strawberry ice cream is very popular right now. If you enjoy cold treats, you can try that. If you prefer something warm, I’d suggest the hot pearl milk tea.”

His smooth and thoughtful response left them charmed.

The lady asked again, “I heard the Flower Queen ate something from your shop. What was it?”

Qing Nu froze for a moment. Yihuan stepped in swiftly, saying, “The Flower Queen, Miss Yunming, has enjoyed our strawberry mousse cake before and couldn’t stop praising it. Would you like to try some? Strawberries are excellent for keeping the skin soft, improving complexion, and enhancing beauty.”

(Indeed, strawberries are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber—great for health and appearance!)

The young ladies lit up with excitement. “Yes, yes! We’ll all take one!”

Qing Nu nodded. “I’ll bring them to you right away!”

After delivering the dishes, Yihuan pulled him aside.

Yihuan spoke softly, “With so many customers today, those waiting outside might grow impatient if it takes too long. Let’s hand out menus to them in advance.”

Qing Nu quickly caught on and added, “Miss Yihuan, you mean having them place orders while they wait in line? That way, we save time on taking orders, and it gives customers something to do, so they won’t get bored and upset.”

Yihuan smiled. “Smart thinking.”

Qing Nu grinned bashfully. “I’ll need to keep learning from you, Miss Yihuan.”

As they were speaking, a sharp voice interrupted, “What are you two doing?”

Yihuan froze, turning around to see Liu Hexiao standing at the entrance with a displeased expression.

He had woken up to find no one in the courtyard and had come to the shop, only to see Yihuan chatting and laughing with an unfamiliar man.

Yihuan explained, “This is our new person, Qing Nu.” She turned to Qing Nu and said, “This is… the Liu Shizi, Liu Hexiao.”

Qing Nu’s face stiffened. He had heard of Liu Hexiao before—how his sister had tried to curry favor with him only to be swiftly dismissed. Remembering this, his expression tightened, but he still managed to bow slightly. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Liu Hexiao gave him a cold glance before pulling Yihuan aside. “How could you hire someone with an unknown background?”

Yihuan smiled calmly. “He’s Hongyu’s younger brother, hardly someone with an ‘unknown background.’”

Liu Hexiao frowned. “And how well do you even know Hongyu?”

Yihuan hesitated. “Not very well… I just happened to need help, and Qing Nu seemed like a good fit.”

Liu Hexiao’s tone grew colder. “Why didn’t you consult me? I might have found someone better for you.”

Yihuan shook off his hand and replied, “This is Shengjing Dessert Shop’s business. I don’t need to ask Your Highness about everything, do I?”

Liu Hexiao’s face stiffened, though he suppressed his displeasure. “Am I not your partner?”

Yihuan countered, “Partners don’t meddle in daily operations; they only share profits.”

Liu Hexiao protested, “Why can’t I be involved in operations?”

Yihuan shrugged nonchalantly. “There are two kinds of partners. The first contributes both money and effort, gaining a say in operations and decisions. The second—like Your Highness—provides resources or funds but doesn’t participate in daily management. Thus, you have no authority over hiring.”

Liu Hexiao frowned deeply. “Who says so?”

Yihuan, though making it up on the spot, maintained a straight face. “That’s just how business rules work.”

Having no real knowledge of business practices, Liu Hexiao was forced to relent. “Then… then I want to switch to the first type. I’ll be involved in operations and decisions.”

Yihuan smiled faintly and declined. “But we already have enough staff. There’s no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself.”

At the mention of staffing, Liu Hexiao shot another glare at Qing Nu.

Feeling the weight of his gaze, Qing Nu muttered, “Miss Yihuan, I’ll go wash the dishes in the back…”

Before he could leave, Liu Hexiao barked, “Who gave you permission to go?”

Qing Nu froze. “But… there are too many customers today, and we’re running out of clean dishes…”

Liu Hexiao took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves, and declared, “Step aside. I’ll do it!”

 

Strawberry ice cream: