Chen Jian had asked the question quite naturally, just a casual inquiry.
However, Shan Yu’s response made him pause, leaving him unable to continue the conversation.
My question didn’t cross any boundaries.
You were the one who crossed boundaries with your answer.
To avoid the awkward silence of an uncontinued conversation, Chen Jian lowered his head and took a large bite of his burger, slowly eating in silence.
“I was very unruly when I was little.” Shan Yu didn’t continue eating his burger, turning his face to look at the lights downstairs. “So my dad set a lot of rules for me: rules for eating, rules for sleeping, rules for studying…”
He was unruly when he was little, and he hasn’t changed much now either.
It seems those rules weren’t very effective.
“The only rule I still keep is no talking while eating,” Shan Yu said.
“Why?” Chen Jian asked.
“Because it’s the easiest one to follow,” Shan Yu said as he picked up his burger and started eating.
Chen Jian couldn’t help but chuckle.
Shan Yu smiled, said nothing, and continued eating his burger.
Chen Jian finished off the remaining half of his burger in two bites, took a sip of Coke, and leaned back in his chair to think. “My family didn’t seem to have many rules. Neither my dad nor my mom really disciplined me much.”
“Sometimes leading by example is more useful than verbal instruction,” Shan Yu finished his burger and cleared the items on the table into the takeout bag. “You can see traces of your parents in you. They are both very good people, very kind.”
“Then you…” Chen Jian didn’t finish his sentence.
“You can see traces of my parents in me as well,” Shan Yu said.
Traces of banditry?
Even thinking this sentence internally, Chen Jian was somewhat cautious.
“Knowledgeable and well-mannered,” Shan Yu said.
“Pfft,” Chen Jian really couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
Shan Yu tsked. “Do you have an issue with that?”
“No,” Chen Jian said with a smile.
Thinking about it seriously, although Shan Yu’s self-assessment carried a bit of humor, to Chen Jian, it wasn’t completely unfounded.
Whether Shan Yu was knowledgeable or not, Chen Jian didn’t know—after all, his highest official education was high school. But when Shan Yu wasn’t throwing a temper, he was indeed very well-mannered.
As long as one didn’t provoke him, Shan Yu was likewise a kind person, and attentive to detail.
“Are your parents teachers?” Chen Jian followed up on the “knowledgeable and well-mannered” comment with a question.
“Not both. My dad is a…” Shan Yu paused, looking at him, “…university professor.”
“…Damn,” Chen Jian was stunned. “For real?”
“My mom owns a company,” Shan Yu said.
“Ah…” Chen Jian continued to stare blankly.
Shan Yu smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“Just felt… quite miraculous,” Chen Jian thought for a moment. “A world very far away from me.”
“It’s not that far,” Shan Yu said. “I’m sitting right in front of you.”
“Putting it that way,” Chen Jian smiled, “I suppose so.”
Shan Yu didn’t say anything more, slowly sipping his Coke while looking downstairs.
Chen Jian didn’t speak either, taking two hard gulps of Coke to finish off the rest in his cup.
When talking about his family, Shan Yu had no taboo, giving a very casual and simple statement.
However, Chen Jian didn’t continue the topic any further.
Shan Yu would mention his parents, but he hadn’t brought up their relationship. During his time at Dayin, Shan Yu didn’t seem to have contacted home either. From what Liu Wu implied, it seemed his parents didn’t even know where he was or what he was doing.
“Are you taking over Hu Pan’s shift tonight?” Shan Yu asked.
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded. “Felt like she really wanted to go to the barbecue, and Liu Wu invited her too.”
“Why didn’t you go?” Shan Yu glanced at him. “Liu Wu couldn’t have failed to invite you.”
“On shift,” Chen Jian said. “No one’s at the front desk.”
“I’m on shift,” Shan Yu said.
“…If Hu Pan heard you say that, she wouldn’t even go to the barbecue,” Chen Jian said. “She’d run right back to cover her shift.”
“Sigh…” Shan Yu let out a sigh. “The struggle of being a boss.”
“I’m going down for my shift,” Chen Jian stood up and looked down. “Sanbing finished his patrol; he’s probably eating right now. There are quite a few people coming over on short notice looking for a place to stay these days…”
“The struggle of being a manager,” Shan Yu remarked, leaning back in his chair with his arms pillowing his head. “Go on, money-grubber. I’ll head to sleep in a bit, feeling a little tired today.”
“Need me to keep an eye on…” Chen Jian paused, “…the café?”
“Nothing will happen tonight,” Shan Yu said. “That barbecue crowd won’t know what time they’ll be back. It’s so lively—if you get tired, just go straight to sleep.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian responded.
When he went downstairs, Sanbing wasn’t eating. Instead, he was standing in the courtyard talking to a young man carrying a hiking backpack.
Chen Jian walked over. Seeing him come out, Sanbing immediately waved his hand: “Manager, we have a guest.”
“Good evening,” Chen Jian greeted him.
The man glanced at him and asked with a very flat expression, “Is it far from here to the path leading into the mountains?”
“Not far,” Chen Jian pointed inward. “If you walk down the road in front of the entrance, you can enter the mountain. Takes about five minutes.”
“Okay,” the man turned around and walked into the front lobby. “I’ll take a standard room.”
“Go eat,” Chen Jian patted Sanbing’s arm, watching the man’s retreating back. This person was likely here for hiking, but his current state didn’t quite look like it—his mood seemed somewhat low.
“Just one person?” Chen Jian walked to the front desk. “Please show your ID card.”
“Just one.” The man handed over his ID card.
Chen Jian scanned it quickly. It clearly belonged to him and showed he was local to the city. From that perspective, nothing seemed wrong, but he still felt a bit uneasy.
“I’ll assign you to a room on the first…” Chen Jian said.
“Sure,” the man said.
“Did you drive here?” Chen Jian asked.
“Yeah, parked my motorcycle in your courtyard,” the man said.
“Alright,” Chen Jian nodded. Quite a few motorcycle travelers came through here as well.
He assigned the man to a room on the first floor, right behind the front desk. In case anything happened, they could notice it right away.
After the man went inside the room, Chen Jian looped around to the garden, holding a flashlight to pretend he was on patrol. Passing by the outside of the man’s room, he noticed the person hadn’t even drawn the curtains after entering; he was just leaning against the headboard playing on his phone.
Looking at it this way, nothing seemed out of order.
Perhaps he was just an office worker whose life energy had been completely drained by work.
By contrast, the Joyful Beans were out absorbing the vital energy of the universe. Having been on the move all day since setting off, they played at the barbecue until two in the morning before gradually trickling back to the guesthouse.
What reassured Chen Jian, however, was that although these “beans” had clearly been drinking and were very excited when they came in, they were relatively quiet and didn’t shout or yell.
When passing by the front desk, they even dropped off two boxes of grilled meat for Chen Jian.
“It’s not leftovers,” one of the guys said. “We specifically grilled them for you guys, and for Big Sister Zhao too. The meat she marinated for us today was super delicious; let her have a taste too.”
“Thanks,” Chen Jian smiled. “How was it?”
“Awesome!” Another guy leaned against the front desk. “The night view is pretty amazing. You can see the Milky Way from here, and the air is insanely good.”
“Get some rest. If you’re going into the mountains tomorrow, you’ll need to wake up early,” Chen Jian said.
“Goodnight, Manager.” Several of the beans supported each other as they went upstairs.
A moment later, Hu Pan returned in high spirits. “Manager, go get some rest.”
“It’s fine,” Chen Jian said. “You sleep; I’ll just finish out my normal shift.”
“No need, no need,” Hu Pan said. “I’m full and need to digest my food right now. If I go straight to sleep, I’ll gain weight to death.”
Chen Jian looked at her.
“Not drunk,” Hu Pan waved a hand. “With that little bit of beer, two trips to the bathroom and it’s all gone.”
“Alright then,” Chen Jian saw her eyes were bright and there really was no issue. He lowered his voice to instruct her further: “Someone just checked into Room 102. Seems a bit… down in the dumps. Keep an eye on any movement.”
“Mm.” Hu Pan glanced toward 102. “Male or female?”
“Male,” Chen Jian said. “If there’s any problem, don’t handle it on your own. Call me.”
“Got it,” Hu Pan laughed. “You’re acting as a manager like you’re my older brother.”
Returning to the dormitory, Chen Jian tidied up briefly and lay down on the bed.
Perhaps because it had passed his normal bedtime, he found it a bit difficult to fall asleep. It could also have been the coffee he drank, or perhaps that cup of Coke.
His phone chimed once.
He picked it up to take a look; it was a message from Hu Pan.
[Who are you]: 102 is snoring, sounds like an earthquake, can hear it clear from the front desk
[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: Got it, if nothing’s wrong, get some rest
After sending this message, Chen Jian felt a wave of sleepiness. He wasn’t sure if it was because knowing 102 was sleeping normally meant nothing would go wrong, which allowed him to feel sleepy.
I really worry too much. When the boss can’t sleep, it’s insomnia; when the manager can’t sleep, it’s because of the guests.
Chen Jian tsked and closed his eyes.
The next day was the day the Joyful Beans went hiking in the mountains. According to Big Bean Liu’s plan, they were supposed to gather at eight o’clock for breakfast and set out at eight-thirty. But by eight-thirty, half of the Joyful Beans had yet to wake up.
“Didn’t I tell you before?” Chen Jian held a cup of soy milk. “If you arrange a barbecue the night before, don’t expect them to wake up before ten the next day.”
“If it were waking up for class, I could understand,” Liu Wu ate from a bowl of noodles, talking as he ate. “This is going out to play; can’t even wake up to play… I’ll go call them room by room in a bit.”
Chen Jian looked at Liu Wu. “Does your family… not have a rule against talking while eating?”
“Only my aunt’s house has that,” Liu Wu said while eating. “My family chats while eating, otherwise how dull would it be?”
Chen Jian smiled without speaking.
“Though let me tell you,” Liu Wu leaned in closer and whispered to him, “only my cousin was required not to talk while eating. His health wasn’t good when he was little, and he didn’t eat properly, just constantly blabbering, so my uncle stopped letting him talk.”
Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, also whispering back: “So in his family, he’s the only one who isn’t allowed to talk while eating?”
“Right,” Liu Wu nodded. “Among all the relatives, he’s the only one.”
Chen Jian couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Is there really such a rule? That’s way too targeted.”
“Even that didn’t curb him,” Liu Wu shook his head.
Shan Yu woke up late today as well, never calling down to request breakfast.
After the Joyful Beans finally assembled around ten o’clock and set out, Chen Jian completed a circuit patrolling the courtyard and prepared to head upstairs, planning to check if Shan Yu was awake when he reached the fourth floor.
“Manager Chen,” Hu Pan suddenly leaned out from behind the front desk and waved at him, covering the telephone receiver with her hand. “Manager Chen…”
“Mm?” Chen Jian walked over.
“Hello, you’re with…” Hu Pan held the phone, pausing mid-sentence. “Hung up.”
“What happened?” Chen Jian asked.
“Sounds like an auntie. She called asking if university students checked in yesterday,” Hu Pan said. “I thought it was one of the students’ parents, so I asked who she was looking for. She said she was looking for the boss.”
“Looking for the boss?” Chen Jian was taken aback.
“Yeah, I thought it was very strange. Sounded just like a student’s parent, but wanted to find the boss,” Hu Pan frowned. “I said the boss went out today and she could speak with the manager, then she hung up.”
“Didn’t say which student’s parent she was?” Chen Jian asked.
“I didn’t even answer her whether there were university students. I just directly asked who she was looking for,” Hu Pan said.
Chen Jian was silent for a moment. “If she calls back, tell her the boss went into the city and have her leave her name and phone number.”
“Mm.” Hu Pan nodded.
“Also,” Chen Jian added, “if she asks, our boss’s surname is Chen.”
Hu Pan paused, then immediately understood. “Got it. His name is Chen Jian.”
“Mm.” Chen Jian smiled.
Probably because the Joyful Beans were staying on the third floor, Shan Yu had slept in the bedroom inside the office last night. When Chen Jian knocked on the door, he had just gotten up and was still in his pajamas.
“Woke you up?” Chen Jian asked.
“No,” Shan Yu leaned back against the sofa and let out a yawn. “My dear cousin called me before setting out, saying they won’t be eating lunch at the guesthouse, and will only come back for dinner.”
“…Did he need to tell you that?” Chen Jian said.
“That’s why he annoys me,” Shan Yu tsked.
“There’s something a bit strange,” Chen Jian said. “Came right up to let you know.”
“Mm.” Shan Yu looked at him.
“Hu Pan just received a call at the front desk…” Chen Jian recounted what had just happened. “Don’t know if she’ll call again, but anyway, I instructed Hu Pan that if asked, the boss is Chen Jian.”
“Ah, fired once again,” Shan Yu laughed.
“Do you know who this auntie is?” Chen Jian asked. “If she calls back in a moment, how should it be handled?”
Shan Yu tilted his head back against the sofa, letting out a long sigh. “Liu Wu really knows how to bring me trouble…”
“Liu Wu’s mother?” Chen Jian asked.
“Not his mom, it’s my mom,” Shan Yu frowned. “I knew he’d leak the truth. His brain and mouth are like sieves.”
Chen Jian didn’t make a sound, unsure of what to say. He still remembered Shan Yu mentioning before that neither set of parents allowed Liu Wu to hang out with Shan Yu.
“If she calls back in a bit, you answer it,” Shan Yu said.
“What should I say?” Chen Jian asked.
“Don’t know,” Shan Yu said. “Figure it out yourself, Boss.”
“Boss,” Hu Pan handed over the phone, having pressed the mute button. “It’s that auntie again, but she seems to know who the boss is…”
“Let me try to bluff my way through first.” Chen Jian bit his lip.
Being a manager yet having to impersonate the boss to deal with the boss’s elders—just thinking about this kind of thing felt extremely stressful.
And the boss hadn’t given any clear instructions whatsoever.
He cleared his throat and gestured to Hu Pan. Hu Pan pressed the button again to unmute. Taking a breath, he tried his best to speak calmly: “Hello, may I ask…”
“Hello,” a woman’s voice that sounded very gentle came from the other end. “Please have Shan Yu pick up the phone.”
Hu Pan was right.
Before he could even begin to pretend, he was already seen through.
“We don’t have anyone named Shan Yu here,” Chen Jian didn’t know how to phrase it either. “Did you dial the wrong number?”
“What is your surname?” The auntie on the other end asked.
“My surname is Chen.” Chen Jian felt his palms starting to sweat. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Shan Yu walked out. He felt an urge to rush over, grab Shan Yu, and bring him to the phone to speak for himself.
“Manager? Or store manager? Or supervisor?” The auntie asked again.
Can’t answer, can’t answer, don’t fall for it.
“I am the boss here,” Chen Jian answered steadfastly.
Shan Yu walked over, leaning against the front desk table, looking at him.
“She doesn’t believe it,” Hu Pan leaned close to Shan Yu and whispered.
Shan Yu tsked.
“How much salary do you make a month, child?” The auntie said. “Do you know who I am? Do you know what this is about? Stepping up to take responsibility for him?”
“How about this, ma’am,” Chen Jian said. Pretending was out of the question—she hadn’t believed a single word from the start. He could only sell Shan Yu out. “Leave your phone number, and when he gets back, I’ll have him call you back.”
Chen Jian glanced at Shan Yu after saying this.
Shan Yu nodded.
“Hand the phone to him.” The auntie on the other end had been very polite all along, until this sentence, where her tone turned slightly more stern, carrying a command.
To be honest, he was now certain the auntie on the other end of the line was Shan Yu’s mother. The sense of pressure carried within that calm tone was identical to Shan Yu’s.
Shan Yu finally let out a sigh, reaching out his hand: “Give it to me.”
Chen Jian quickly placed the phone into his hand.
“Hello,” Shan Yu put the phone to his ear.
“How long do you plan to hide?” His mom’s voice came through the receiver, carrying a slightly unfamiliar sense of familiarity.
“I’ll call you back in a bit,” Shan Yu said.
“Talk now,” his mom said.
“My place is full of people,” Shan Yu said. “Not convenient to talk.”
“Step to the side,” his mom said.
“How am I supposed to step to the side?” Shan Yu looked at the phone in front of him. “You called our fax machine.”
“Tell me your new number,” his mom said. “I’ll call your cell phone.”
Shan Yu didn’t speak.
“Then stay right there at the front desk and share this call with your employees,” his mom said.
