Lin Shuang posted a job listing on a local labor website, looking for a milk tea shop assistant. The job offered flexible hours with one day off per week, though the base salary wasn’t particularly high. The workday started at 10 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m., with peak times being around lunch and after school.
After a few days of interviews, she hired a young girl named Nana, who had bright red hair. The first things Nana learned were cleaning, memorizing recipes, and preparing ingredients. Lin Shuang oversaw the cash register while letting Nana handle the milk tea. Located near Beiquan High School and some tutoring centers and art studios, the milk tea shop gradually started to attract some customers after a few days.
During summer vacation, male students often returned to school to play basketball. After a game, a group of sweaty boys spotted the newly opened milk tea shop across from their school and decided to stop by.
They pushed open the door and were met with cool air and bright spotlights. The young shop owner sat at the bar, reading a magazine. Her hair was bold, her features striking, and her skin practically glowed. The boys, sweating profusely, were instantly frozen at the entrance, too stunned to move.
“Welcome,” Lin Shuang said with a smile, putting down her fashion magazine.
“What would you like to order? We’re offering discounts during our soft opening.”
To these boys, Lin Shuang was so stunning that they could barely function. They timidly placed their orders, grabbed their drinks, and quickly left, only regaining their composure once they were outside in the scorching sun.
“Dude, the owner is ridiculously pretty. I couldn’t even speak,” one of the boys stammered.
“Is she real? Am I hallucinating?” another chimed in.
“Should we ask for her WeChat?”
Zhou Zheng and some of his colleagues were playing basketball.
During a break, he guzzled half a bottle of water and overheard the boys talking as they passed by. Zhang Fan, a PE teacher and Zhou Zheng’s former roommate, nudged him and winked. “I heard the milk tea shop across from the school is run by a super pretty owner.”
Zhang Fan had since moved out after buying a place, but he and Zhou Zheng still had a good relationship.
“Really?” Zhou Zheng wiped his sweaty forehead with the hem of his shirt.
“Wanna check it out? Hey, Zhou Zheng, where are you going?”
Zhou Zheng dunked the ball and passed it back to Zhang Fan. “Not interested. Let’s keep playing.”
Just then, the door to the milk tea shop chimed, and a group of two men and three women walked in. Lin Shuang recognized one of the men, Zhou Zheng, and guessed that they were likely teachers from Beiquan High School.
Before opening her shop, Lin Shuang had thought teachers spent their summers traveling or relaxing at home. Now, she realized they had duties like shifts, training sessions, and meetings, so they weren’t entirely free.
One of the women, Xie Xiaomeng, locked eyes with Lin Shuang, carefully scrutinizing her from head to toe.
Zhang Fan had invited the group for milk tea, mentioning how good the shop was and emphasizing in front of Xie Xiaomeng that the owner was “even prettier than our goddess Xiaomeng.”
Xie Xiaomeng, an English teacher with two years of experience, was known as the most stylish and attractive female teacher at the school. She had a high opinion of herself and was considered a “cold beauty.”
Since the shop uniforms hadn’t arrived yet, Lin Shuang tied her hair in a bun and wore a long T-shirt cinched at the waist to keep things simple and comfortable. Her beauty was striking and glamorous.
“The shop looks great,” Zhang Fan said casually, leaning on the bar.
“Thanks,” Lin Shuang replied with a smile.
The female teachers were busy inspecting the shop's decor. Xie Xiaomeng approached the counter and asked, “Any recommendations?”
“It’s a hot day, so I’d suggest something with fruit or ice cream. We’re offering 20% off this week, so you might as well go for the most expensive one,” Lin Shuang said candidly.
“Alright, I’ll have the berry milkshake,” Xie Xiaomeng replied. The other women made their own choices, and Zhang Fan ordered iced tea.
“What about you, Mr. Zhou?” one of the teachers asked.
“I’ll have the lemon black tea,” Zhou Zheng said, choosing the same drink Lin Shuang had let him sample last time. He remembered how good it tasted.
On the shop’s projection wall, an old movie was playing—Marilyn Monroe in a dress, tap dancing. It was enough to keep customers entertained while they waited.
Zhou Zheng ended up paying for everyone since he had lost a bet to Zhang Fan during the game. He pulled up his mobile payment app at the register, and Lin Shuang, seeing this, smiled and reached out a slender finger, pressing lightly on his phone screen. She pushed the phone away and mouthed silently with a playful smile, “It’s on me.”
Zhou Zheng hesitated for a moment but shook his head, pushing the phone back toward her. Lin Shuang raised an eyebrow, her expression playfully chiding, as if to say, “You’re not listening.” She tapped his phone screen again with her crystal-studded nails and then turned to prepare the drinks.
Meanwhile, Xie Xiaomeng and the other teachers were discussing a colleague’s upcoming wedding. With the new school year about to begin, many teachers scheduled their weddings during summer or winter breaks.
One of the female teachers asked, “Zhou Zheng, did Mr. Song invite you to his wedding? Are you going?”
“Of course! Zhou and I are both groomsmen,” Zhang Fan said, laughing. “Are you all going to be bridesmaids?”
Another teacher teased, “Zhou Zheng as a groomsman again? Last winter, after all that drinking, he slept for a whole day.”
Zhou Zheng put away his phone and said, “This time, Zhang Fan’s drinking. I’m not touching a drop.”
As the drinks were served, Zhang Fan grinned and asked Lin Shuang, “Can I add you on WeChat? That way, we can pre-order next time.”
Lin Shuang smiled but politely declined. “Sorry, we don’t offer WeChat ordering yet. You can call the shop, or once we’re on delivery platforms, you can order through there.”
Zhang Fan scratched his head. “Alright, then.”
As the group left the tea shop, a car pulled up at the curb. A tall, handsome man stepped out, holding a bouquet of roses. He glanced up at the tea shop, taking in the scene before him.
The man’s good looks and graceful movements caught the attention of Xie Xiaomeng and her colleagues, who nodded politely in his direction as they passed.
Several female teachers were stunned for a moment as the man brushed past them and entered the milk tea shop.
"You’re here?" they heard the surprised but delighted voice of the shop owner, Lin Shuang.
Zhou Zheng glanced back, watching Lin Shuang step out from behind the counter with a beaming smile to greet the man.
The female teachers whispered among themselves, "He’s so handsome."
"Is that her boyfriend?"
"My goodness, what a perfect couple. They’re a sight for sore eyes."
Zhang Fan also took notice, clicking his tongue as he nudged Zhou Zheng. "That car is worth over 700,000. If we save every penny for ten years, do you think we could afford one?"
Today, the man in the polo shirt was dressed in a crisp white business shirt. The fabric was soft but tailored sharply, giving him an upright and imposing appearance. Lin Shuang, however, thought he looked better in the black polo shirt—more casual and understated. In the white shirt, he came across as trying too hard to show off.
Zhou Zheng remained calm, carrying his milk tea back to his office. He packed up his teaching materials and left the school. Passing by the milk tea shop again, the expensive car was gone. Lin Shuang wasn’t there either, only the red-haired employee was sitting at the counter, playing on her phone.
The polo shirt man had brought Lin Shuang a bouquet of red roses from a nearby flower shop. Lin Shuang cradled the flowers, thanking him, "I used to think roses were tacky, but now I’m strangely happy to receive them. I wonder if it’s me who’s become more ordinary or if the flowers have gotten more beautiful."
"Maybe you’ve finally understood the meaning of the rose?"
"Not really," Lin Shuang mused, thinking carefully. "Maybe I just saw too many fake roses back home, those gaudy, glitter covered ones. Oh, and don’t forget those cheesy phone stickers! Remember the ones with poorly cut-out roses, twinkling edges, and big, bold letters that said 'Good morning, family and friends'?"
She shrugged. "But now, those fake flowers and stickers are long gone, and the roses I see are all clean and beautiful."
The man chuckled heartily.
Later that evening, Lin Shuang changed into a black dress, the hem flaring out to reveal her slender legs. She paired the dress with black satin high heels, perfectly complementing the polo-shirt man's attire.
It was getting late, and Lin Shuang took him to a local restaurant known for its specialty dish, a veggie roll called *Feicui Bao*. It was a paper-thin green bean wrap filled with various colorful ingredients, freshly made and served steaming hot. The server urged them to eat it while it was still warm.
The polo-shirt man found the dish fascinating, and Lin Shuang elegantly explained it to him while washing her hands and delicately serving him.
He watched her, visibly pleased.
"Are you in Beiquan for a business trip?" she asked.
"Just passing through," he replied, explaining that he was on a business trip in the province and had taken a detour to Beiquan just to see her.
"Last time, you said you owed me a dinner."
"I thought you were just being polite, but it seems you really meant it," Lin Shuang said sweetly.
The dinner was thoroughly enjoyed by both.
Afterward, they walked around the mall nearby. The polo-shirt man suggested, "I didn’t have time to get you a proper gift. Why don’t we pick something out here?"
Lin Shuang smiled and agreed. At a cosmetics counter, she touched her lips and remarked, "I forgot to bring my lipstick. I ate it all off during dinner."
She quickly picked out a lipstick, turned her back to him, and leaned toward the mirror. Carefully, she applied the lipstick, covering her natural lip color bit by bit. Then she pressed her lips together and looked back at him with a faint smile, "How does it look?"
The bright lights from the counter illuminated her face. Her eyebrows were well-defined, her eyes sparkled with clarity, and her nose had a soft, rosy hue. Her lips, now full and vibrant, curled up into a playful smile, revealing a tiny dimple on her cheek.
The usually unflappable polo-shirt man felt his heart skip a beat.
The lipstick wasn’t expensive, just a common brand. The card machine at the counter was slow, unable to process the payment with the usual efficiency.
After leaving the mall, they passed through a crowd gathered to watch some middle-aged people dancing in the square. As they walked through the crowd, the man took the opportunity to hold Lin Shuang’s hand.
Her fingers were long and soft, her nails smooth and decorated with tiny crystals. For now, her hand obediently rested in his. Feeling her delicate hand, he couldn’t resist squeezing it, changing his grip so that their fingers intertwined.
The parking lot was uneven, and Lin Shuang, in her eight-centimeter heels, walked cautiously. Suddenly, her heel got stuck in a crack, causing her to stumble. The man’s hand slid down and caught her by the waist.
Her heel was wedged in the pavement, her fair toes pointed down, and she half-fell into his arms. Still, she managed a light-hearted, "Thank goodness you were here."
"Be careful," he said, looking down at her.
The lighting in the parking lot was dim, the mood perfect. The man leaned in for a kiss, but Lin Shuang tilted her head slightly, and his lips barely grazed her soft cheek.
She held onto his shoulder and laughed softly.
"Why not?" he asked, his voice low, his fingers gently caressing her cheek.
With a playful smile, Lin Shuang said, "I'm wearing lip stain—it smudges easily."
Her fingers brushed against his shirt as she narrowed her eyes, "And this fabric only dry-cleans. It’ll be hard to get the lipstick out."
For the first time, the man spoke in an oddly poetic tone, "Maybe the shirt likes the color of your lipstick."
She burst out laughing, bending down to free her shoe. "You should submit that to a literary magazine!"
Her heel was slightly bent, so the plan to visit a bar was scrapped. Lin Shuang smiled apologetically, "Looks like you'll have to give me a ride home."
"I could just buy you a new pair of heels," he offered.
Lin Shuang gently declined, "There’s an old saying that when a man gives a woman shoes, it means they’ll part ways. I don’t want you to give me shoes."
She looked up at him with innocent eyes. "You’re leaving early tomorrow, and you should rest up at the hotel."
Despite his disappointment, he remained a gentleman, "Alright."
That night, Lin Shuang’s contact name on his phone changed from "Miss Lin" to " Shuang."
The next morning, the man came by the milk tea shop to say goodbye. Lin Shuang leaned into the car window, speaking softly as they parted. The man’s voice was filled with affection, "Until next time."
"Take care," she replied warmly, "Thank you for the roses."
His eyes lingered on her, reluctant to leave. Sensing his desire for more, Lin Shuang lowered her head just slightly, offering a small taste of sweetness.
He planted a light kiss on her cheek.
Lin Shuang stepped back, standing gracefully and smiling as his car drove away.
As she turned, her gaze landed on the lush green trees across the street, where a young man stood watching her silently from the shade.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou," she greeted.
Zhou Zheng, carrying a bag from a printing shop, walked toward her with a gentle tone and a thin smile. His eyes followed the car disappearing in the distance, "Was that your boyfriend?"
Lin Shuang just smiled without answering.
Her eyes shifted to the bag in his hand, "What do you have there?"
"You mentioned needing some exam papers. I reorganized them for you, thought you might want to take a look."