It was about time, so Chu Yi and Yan Hang got up together and walked towards the coffee shop.

The sidewalks were paved with quite large green stones. As Chu Yi walked over, he tripped on the stone cracks at least three times.

Yan Hang turned his head to look at him: "With your clumsiness, I bet you don't even need to attack when fighting someone. You'd probably just trip over yourself and get knocked down anyway."

Chu Yi glanced at him and stomped his feet on the ground.  

He could still feel the touch of Yan Hang's fingers on his lips. It was already impressive he hadn't face-planted on the way over.

"Let's go in," Yan Hang patted his shoulder. "I'll wander around out here for a bit and come get you later."

"No," Chu Yi immediately looked at him. "You go back, get a taxi, don't pick me up."

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang was puzzled.

"Not safe," Chu Yi frowned. "Don't come out. Just go home."

Yan Hang smiled: "I have a sixth sense..."

"No," Chu Yi cut him off.

"Alright then!" Yan Hang sighed helplessly. "Go back yourself if you want. Do you know the way?"

"Better than you," Chu Yi said.

"Go on in," Yan Hang gave him a push. "Ask for the owner, Miss Liu Xiaoxiang. Call her Sister Xiaoxiang."

As Chu Yi pushed open the door of the cafe, he looked back again. Yan Hang was leaning against a lamppost across the street, waving at him.  

He smiled and entered the cafe.

There were no customers inside, only a girl tidying up behind the bar.

"Hello," Chu Yi walked over to the bar, speaking slowly. "I'm looking for Sister Xiaoxiang."

"Are you... Chu Yi?" The girl glanced up at him. "Yes?"

"Yes," Chu Yi nodded.

"You don't stutter ah," the girl reached out across the bar. "I'm Liu Xiaoxiang."  

Chu Yi hurried to shake her hand.

"You know what the job entails right?" Liu Xiaoxiang beckoned him over. "Come on, get changed."

Liu Xiaoxiang had a husky voice, making her sound like a gangster sister. If Chu Yi hadn't seen her, he might have thought she was a tough gang sister.  

But when she came out from behind the bar, he realized she was very petite, about as tall as he was when he met Yan Hang.

It suddenly hit Chu Yi that he had really grown up. He wasn't short anymore.

Liu Xiaoxiang handed him a uniform, similar to what Yan Hang used to wear at his cafe job. He figured all cafe uniforms were probably alike.

As Chu Yi changed in the back room, Liu Xiaoxiang rapidly rattled off instructions outside: "The menu is on the bar. Dinner is simpler than the day menu. Charge according to the list. Close up at 10pm, leave earlier if no one's here. Take the keys from the top drawer..."

"Okay," Chu Yi responded quickly as he changed, feeling like she would barge in and hit him if he wasn't fast enough.

"Call me if anything's unclear," her voice seemed to move away from the door. "The lock is sticky, use some force..."

"Oh," Chu Yi finished pulling up his pants and opened the door.

Liu Xiaoxiang was gone.  

In fact, there was no one left in the cafe.

Did she leave?

Just like that, machine gun instructions and gone?

Chu Yi stood bewildered next to the bar, looking at the empty cafe.  

After a few seconds, he went behind the bar. On the counter was Liu Xiaoxiang's name card. Chu Yi saved her number on his phone and took the keys from the top drawer.

Then...he had no idea what to do next.

He didn't know how to use the cash register or make anything on the menu. If someone came in now, all he could offer was a glass of water.

What kind of boss was this?

Chu Yi stood confused behind the counter.  

A faint bell rang as the door opened. Someone was here!

Heavens!

A customer!

Hello, we're closed.  

Hello, I can only offer water right now.

Hello...

"Hot milk," said the customer, stopping in front of the bar.

Chu Yi, who had been pretending to be busy, jerked his head up.

"Yan Hang?" His mouth curled up in an uncontrollable smile. "Why...why are you..."

"Your boss left in 5 minutes," Yan Hang said. "I figured you'd be confused."

"She didn't teach me anything!" Chu Yi whispered loudly. "Just said the closing time and left!"

"Of course," Yan Hang laughed. "She wanted an experienced hire who wouldn't need teaching."

"Well I'm not experienced!" Chu Yi panicked at once.  

"It's okay, I'm here," Yan Hang said. "What's there to worry about?"

"Why didn't you go home?" Chu Yi asked.

"What would you have done if I left?" Yan Hang replied.  

Chu Yi didn't respond.  

"Here, let me show you the cash register first, then the coffee machine. It's all automated, very simple," Yan Hang picked up the menu. "Small cafes just have a few standard drinks, easy to make..."

The doorbell rang. Chu Yi saw two girls walk in.  

"Go take their order," Yan Hang nudged him.  

"Oh," Chu Yi responded and took the menu to walk over, although Yan Hang was there, he was still a little nervous facing customers alone. He walked to the table and put the menu down, "Good evening."

The two girls took the menu and studied it for a while: "One cappuccino, one iced latte."  

"Okay," Chu Yi responded and turned around to go back to the bar, whispering to Yan Hang, "Cappuccino and iced latte."

"Mm," Yan Hang nodded, "Watch me make them."

"Okay," Chu Yi stared at him.

Chu Yi had gone to the cafe where Yan Hang worked before, but back then Yan Hang was only a server, he hadn't seen Yan Hang make drinks.

He watched Yan Hang skillfully use the shop's machines, while Yan Hang explained to him in a low voice how much milk and foam to put in cappuccinos and lattes.  

When Chu Yi saw Yan Hang holding a coffee cup in one hand and whipped cream in the other, starting to make latte art, he was shocked: "Do you still... make latte art? I should just quit."

"No need, they have stencils here, just sift some cocoa powder," Yan Hang said, "I do it out of habit."

Chu Yi relaxed after hearing latte art wasn't mandatory. He kept staring at Yan Hang's hands, watching as he effortlessly made a leaf.

So cool.