Now that the renovation of the shop was complete, there wasn't much left to do. Just let the room air out, wait for the raw materials to arrive, and prepare for the grand opening. Lin Shuang, exhausted from the past few days, decided to take a break and relax at home for a few days.
Having transformed from an unemployed person into a shop owner, Lin Shuang felt it was necessary to present a fresh image for the new shop opening. She went to Miao Cai’s store to get a new manicure, followed by a visit to a beauty salon for a facial and massage, and finally, she stopped by a hair salon.
Lin Shuang’s hair had been styled in big waves during the winter, but with the arrival of warmer weather, she wanted a lighter, fresher look. She chose a milk tea-colored wavy hairstyle. However, Tony, the stylist, accidentally added an extra step during the coloring process. When her hair was washed and conditioned, it turned out to be a shade of rose gold with a hint of pink mixed into the milk tea color. The entire salon gasped in awe.
Several young women who were getting their hair done in the salon saw her new hair color and immediately requested the same: “This looks amazing! I want this color too.”
Even the salon owner came out to take a look. “Miss Lin, would you be willing to be a hair model for our salon? We’d like to take a few photos to promote this season’s trending hair color. As compensation, we can waive the cost of your treatment.”
Lin Shuang didn’t need the money and politely declined the owner’s offer, but she was in such a good mood that she decided to sign up for a membership at the hair salon.
By the time the milk tea shop was ready to open, Beiquan High School had already started its summer vacation. The entire school was deserted, and the once-bustling student street was now almost empty.
The teachers at the school rarely had a chance to catch their breath during the brief summer break. Since Zhou Zheng was single and didn’t have many hobbies, he was known for being easygoing and frequently volunteered to cover for his colleagues at the school’s administrative office. One day, as he went downstairs to pick up a registration form, a colleague handed him a cup of milk tea. “Mr. Zhou, would you like a cup too?”
“Where did this come from?”
“Old Zhang, the security guard, said it was from the milk tea shop across the street.”
Lin Shuang had been practicing her milk tea-making skills in the shop and had sent some to the neighboring stores as a friendly gesture. She had a few cups left over, so she brought them to the school’s security office, hoping to make a good impression.
Although the milk tea shop wasn’t officially open yet, the protective film had already been removed from the windows. Cute tea-themed stickers adorned the walls, and the electronic screen by the window displayed enticing images of various drinks.
Lin Shuang was sipping and sampling the milk tea when she noticed Zhou Zheng entering the shop. She asked, “Mr. Zhou, are you on duty again today?”
He saw her new hairstyle and paused at the entrance, nodding almost unconsciously. “Have you opened already?”
“I’ve been preparing the ingredients these past few days,” Lin Shuang replied, handing him a cup. “But we haven’t officially opened yet. Could you help me taste this? How’s the flavor?”
Zhou Zheng wasn’t much of a beverage drinker, so he couldn’t provide any constructive feedback. He could only nod truthfully, “It tastes great.”
Leaning against the bar, Lin Shuang asked him slowly, “Mr. Zhou, when does the school start summer classes?”
Zhou Zheng glanced at her and replied earnestly, “The school doesn’t support summer classes during the break.”
“But,” he paused and added in a very formal tone, “the school actively encourages students’ enthusiasm for learning. Starting from July 25th, the self-study classrooms will be open to all upcoming seniors. The sophomore year students will start their self-study sessions gradually from August, with teachers taking turns to maintain order. The other grades, including the middle school and freshmen, will begin on September 1st.”
It was the first time Lin Shuang had heard him speak so seriously while stretching the truth, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Tsk, the education bureau’s complaint hotline must be very busy this year.”
A slight smile appeared on Zhou Zheng’s face as well. “Both the school and the students have their own perspectives.”
It was early July, and there was still some time before the summer classes for seniors began. With over two or three thousand students in Beiquan High School’s senior class alone, Lin Shuang started considering setting the milk tea shop’s official opening date for July 25th.
Seeing her checking the calendar, Zhou Zheng thought for a moment and added, “Actually, a large number of students will be returning to school on the 24th. Many of them are boarding students or repeat students from nearby counties and cities. Their parents often accompany them. On that day, the students will be getting familiar with the school environment and preparing their supplies, so it should be quite lively.”
“Is that so? Thanks for informing me, Mr. Zhou.”
As the senior students returned to school, Lin Shuang wanted to create some opening buzz for her shop. An idea suddenly struck her. “Mr. Zhou.”
“Hmm?”
“Senior students really value their college entrance exam questions, don’t they? I remember there’s a popular study guide called *Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests*.”
“Uh, yes…”
She smiled. “When the students return, I’m thinking of doing a themed promotion: buy a milk tea and get this year’s college entrance exam questions as a bonus. What do you think? Will they go for it?”
If it had been Lin Shuang ten years ago, she would have scolded this milk tea shop owner for being completely insane and then swallowed the drink in front of him.
Zhou Zheng was at a loss for words. “Well… I can’t say for sure if the students will like it, but I’m certain all the parents will love it…”
A college entrance exam paper wouldn’t be a rip-off, instead, it would be a bargain. The students could balance studying and relaxation, making it a win-win for both their minds and bodies.
Lin Shuang’s milk tea shop quickly became the talk of the campus.
With a smile, Lin Shuang asked Zhou Zheng, "Mr. Zhou, could you help me download this year's provincial college entrance exam papers?"
"Of course," he agreed.
She added him on WeChat, saying, "Thank you, just send me the electronic files."
Putting aside the awkwardness of their blind date, it wasn’t a bad idea to become friends with him in this context.
---
Even though classes weren’t in session, the milk tea shop still needed to operate, so Lin Shuang hung up a sign at the entrance that read "Soft Opening."
Miao Cai brought a group of old classmates to support her, gifting her a floral arrangement and a lucky cat statue, contributing to the first day’s revenue.
The old classmates took pictures all over the shop, posting them on social media while catching up with Lin Shuang.
“Shuang, why haven’t you returned to Beiquan these past few years? We couldn’t reach you for several reunions.”
“Yes, and you changed your phone number too.”
“We all thought you had disappeared.”
“I’ve just been really busy with work,” Lin Shuang replied with a gentle smile.
“Come on, everyone, have some milk tea,” Miao Cai encouraged them. “This ice cream is delicious. Help me finish it. I can’t eat any more, I’ll get too fat.”
Fu Min also brought Qi Shan to visit Lin Shuang. Qi Shan, who had been running wild with his classmates all day, was tanned and glowing. Lin Shuang gave him a bowl of strawberry ice, which he devoured with great relish.
Since she hadn’t hired any staff yet, Lin Shuang was running the shop by herself. Fu Min, looking around the empty store, couldn’t help but worry. “You get so few customers? How much do you make in a day?”
“It’s the off-season, it’s like this,” Lin Shuang replied casually.
With milk tea priced around seven to eight yuan, the cheapest lemonade at four yuan, and the most expensive drink at only twelve yuan per cup, the soft opening also had discounts. Even with the day’s sales, she barely made enough to cover the rent.
Lin Shuang, however, lounged leisurely, showing no signs of concern.
“This is really good. Sis, why don’t you open a store near our school?” Qi Shan suggested, his lips red from the drink. “I’d come every day to support you.”
Lin Shuang, feeling a bit playful, teased him, “If you can get into the affiliated middle school of Beiquan High School, and if my shop hasn’t gone under by then, you can come here every day to eat for free.”
“That sounds tough,” Qi Shan frowned.
After taking a walk around a few nearby milk tea shops, Fu Min returned to Lin Shuang’s store, worrying aloud, “The other shops don’t have many customers either. It should get better when school starts, right? The students will be back in class by then.”
She tried to share some wisdom from running the hardware store she and Qi Xiong owned. “When you run a shop, you need to maintain good relations with the surrounding stores. In the beginning, there might be some people causing trouble, but it’s best to be friendly and make money peacefully. You should install a security camera at the entrance, and if you hire help, keep a close eye on the finances. It’s easy for small amounts of money to go missing.”
People change with age. Fu Min had been pretty cool when she was younger, but now that she was older, she had become quite the nag.
After seeing off Fu Min and Qi Shan, Lin Shuang heard the doorbell ring as someone walked in.
“Excuse me, are you Miss Lin Shuang? Please sign for this delivery.”
It was a large bouquet of carefully packaged flowers, presented in an exquisite gift box.
They were Cappuccino roses, with petals as delicate and smooth as silk, in a soft milk tea color—elegant and romantic.
These weren’t a variety available at flower shops in Beiquan, they had been specially delivered from a florist in Wancheng.
The sender was a certain gentleman from Linjiang, hundreds of kilometers away. Upon hearing that she had become the owner of a milk tea shop, Mr. Polo Shirt had sent Lin Shuang a little surprise.
Lin Shuang asked him, “Why Cappuccino roses and not a money tree?”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “They have a beautiful meaning.”
“The gentle encounter and unending love.”
Lin Shuang updated her WeChat profile picture to one that matched her new hair color with the roses. Resting her cheek against the flower stems, her eyelids drooped slightly, her long lashes like feathers, her expression delicate, her beauty outshining the roses.
Mr. Polo Shirt promptly sent his compliments.
“This is probably the most stunning Cappuccino rose in the world.”
For the next few days, every customer who came to the shop received a delicate rose as a gift.
It was the first time Lin Shuang changed her WeChat profile picture to one of herself, as she had always used internet images before. Miao Cai quickly noticed the change.
“Who sent you the roses?”
“A colleague of your boyfriend.”
Mr. Polo Shirt’s real name was Zuo Yuan. Miao Cai, who followed her boyfriend’s lead in calling him “General Manager Zuo,” hesitated before asking Lin Shuang, “How far have things gone between you two?”
“We’re just ordinary friends who chat occasionally.”
And that’s all it was—just a few casual messages. Their conversations often ended at the most interesting points, never dragging on or becoming tedious.
A bit of light flirtation was pleasant, whether or not it was substantial, and no one cared if it caused goosebumps upon reflection.
Miao Cai tentatively asked, “Do you like General Manager Zuo?”
Lin Shuang admired her freshly painted nails. “Don’t you like good-looking men?”
Especially when Mr. Polo Shirt was also wealthy, visually appealing, and had a decent sense of taste and style.
As for his other shortcomings, Lin Shuang was willing to overlook them.
Lin Shuang had started dating in high school, and all her boyfriends had been handsome, tall, good-looking and youthful.
They were the kind of couples that turned heads when they walked together.
“I heard he has a lot of female companions...” Miao Cai frowned. “Shuang, men like that are usually very fickle.”
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend,” Lin Shuang replied lazily.
She was simply physically attracted to him.
Her phone buzzed with a new message.
It was a photo of Mr. Polo Shirt at a horse farm. The thoroughbred horse was exceptionally beautiful, with sleek, shiny fur, galloping across the grass. The man on the horse... struck a nice pose.
“Next time, I can teach you how to ride,” he suggested.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I was kicked by a horse once and don’t plan on getting near one again,” she replied.
Mr. Polo Shirt was curious. “Kicked?”
“When I was little, I sneaked into a circus and tugged on a horse’s tail. The horse kicked me hard, and I cried for three days.”
Lin Shuang added a crying face emoji.
He slowly typed back three words: “Poor little thing.”
She played along, “Gotta avoid more tragedies, or I might turn into a ‘big poor thing.’”