Even though Chen Jian felt that half the world was on the verge of finding out, and he certainly didn’t look down on people with fewer brain folds, if Lao Wu ended up finding out, it would still leave a strange, indescribable taste in his mouth.
—To think even HE knows!
That exact feeling.
Right now, he couldn’t give Lao Wu any room for wild imagination; he had to cook up an excuse on the fly.
However, his own brain folds had just weathered an earth-shattering event, smoothing them out considerably. He couldn’t immediately come up with an alibi for where they could have possibly been on shift.
“We finished talking business in the office and went straight to the front desk,” Shan Yu chimed in smoothly. “If you sat out here until tomorrow morning, you’d barely even spot Mushroom.”
Oh, right!
Exactly!
Chen Jian glanced at Shan Yu. Some people really were born prodigies at lying through their teeth.
“Didn’t see Store Manager Chen on rounds,” Lao Wu rubbed his face and sighed. “I thought he went to sleep in the office.”
Chen Jian couldn’t help staring at him for several seconds, confirming he truly was the real Lao Wu.
“I’ll go sit at the front desk for you for a bit,” Shan Yu said, then whispered close to Chen Jian’s ear, “Chat with him for a minute. It’s the New Year—don’t let anything stupid happen.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian acknowledged.
Shan Yu turned and bolted back inside. It felt less like his primary motive was covering the front desk shift for Chen Jian and more like he simply couldn’t endure the freezing wind and had retreated to safety.
Chen Jian tugged his coat tighter, pulled up his hood, and walked over to lean against the outdoor table facing Lao Wu on the bench.
“I’m fine,” Lao Wu said.
“Stop acting tough,” Chen Jian said. “Just getting dumped shouldn’t produce this kind of dramatic effect. You’ve chased plenty of girls before, and you never acted like this.”
“What do you know?” Lao Wu glared at him. “Those past ones were just messing around. This time, I was genuinely in love!”
“Messing around? More like you never caught any of them,” Chen Jian said.
“If you don’t know how to talk, keep your mouth shut,” Lao Wu fished a cigarette from his pocket, shot him a look, stood up, and began walking toward the back gate. “Didn’t die from heartbreak, but I’m about to die of anger from you.”
Chen Jian smiled without replying, walking alongside him toward the rear gate, treating it as an outdoor patrol round.
Lao Wu obediently walked all the way to the pavilion at the fork in the road before flicking his lighter. Taking a drag, he exhaled a long, brooding puff of smoke—only for his dramatic performance to instantly fall apart. The very next breath of smoke was slapped right back into his face by a gust of wind, bringing fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.
He raised his forearm, roughly wiping his face with his sleeve.
“I really, truly liked her,” Lao Wu muttered. “Whatever she wanted, I bought it for her…”
Chen Jian raised an eyebrow. “How much did you spend on her?”
“Spent all these past months’ wages on her,” Lao Wu said. “I don’t regret the money. As long as she liked it…”
“Did you borrow money?” Chen Jian cut him off. “Did you borrow from anyone? Did you take out loans anywhere?”
“No, just my wages,” Lao Wu looked at him. “Is money the only damn thing in your eyes?”
“Are you sure? Aside from your wages, you didn’t spend any other money?” Chen Jian pressed.
“And the bonus Boss Shan handed out. Nothing else,” Lao Wu said.
Chen Jian was slightly speechless, knitting his brow: “Are you absolutely sure?”
“Sure, sure, sure!” Lao Wu glared back. “Chen Jian, did paying off debts fry your brain so hard that cash is all you have left? This is love! My true love!”
“Say that one more time?” Chen Jian fixed his eyes on him.
Lao Wu shut his mouth immediately. After holding his gaze for a couple of seconds, his eyes darted away: “You know I talk without thinking.”
“Have you two met in person?” Chen Jian asked.
“Twice,” Lao Wu said. “She lives in the old town. Ran into her when I went with Erhu-ge to drop off linens for washing.”
“And now that you won’t spend money on her, she’s ignoring you, right?” Chen Jian asked.
“…Pretty much,” Lao Wu sighed. “Honestly, that’s normal. What girl in a relationship doesn’t want her boyfriend to be generous?”
“A normal relationship isn’t like this, is it?” Chen Jian said. “This girlfriend of yours sounds like she’s coin-operated.”
“Fuck you, Chen Jian! How can your mouth be so poisonous?!” Lao Wu hollered.
“Afraid you won’t wake up,” Chen Jian thought it over. “I’m withholding next month’s wages for now. You eat and sleep at the inn anyway, so you have zero expenses. If you want to smoke, I’ll buy your packs.”
“What do you mean?” Lao Wu froze.
“Worried you won’t cut things off cleanly,” Chen Jian said, turning on his heel to walk back.
“Fuck!” Lao Wu yelled behind him. “Just you dare try it!”
Chen Jian ignored him. Entering the courtyard, he jogged all the way back inside. The wind was picking up, and having thrown on only light layers when heading out, the chill had thoroughly penetrated his bones.
Under normal circumstances, he wasn’t this vulnerable to the cold, but today… carried an indescribable sensation. Perhaps the aftershocks of the earlier intensity lingered, leaving his body feeling somewhat sore and tender.
Shan Yu was sitting obediently behind the front desk, the small basket of biscuits pulled right beside his elbow.
“Hungry?” Chen Jian asked.
“Mm,” Shan Yu glanced at him. “Cold, right? Even your nose is red.”
“Strong wind,” Chen Jian dragged a chair over beside him, hesitated for a split second, placed a small cushion onto the seat, and sat down. “Whipping right in our faces.”
“Uncomfortable?” Shan Yu asked in a low whisper.
“You’ll find out sooner or later,” Chen Jian said. “No need to be so curious.”
Shan Yu blinked, then burst into a chuckle: “So aggressive, Store Manager.”
“Come here,” Chen Jian looked at him.
Shan Yu leaned forward, bringing his face close: “Hm?”
Chen Jian pressed a soft kiss to his lips: “There. All comfortable now.”
Shan Yu pinched his chin: “If you’re sore, go lie down in the office for a bit.”
“I’m fine,” Chen Jian said. “I trust you when it comes to big business, but I genuinely don’t trust you with the daily operations here.”
“I only answered a phone call—how badly could I mess that up?” Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“Excuse me, who answered the phone earlier?”
Just before 8:00 AM, the first guests of the day stood at the front desk to check in—a family of six: a middle-aged couple, their child, and the grandparents. The woman inquired curiously from across the counter.
“Hm?” Chen Jian glanced up while processing their room cards. “What happened?”
“Didn’t sound like your voice,” the woman looked over at Shan Yu beside him. “Was it him?”
Shan Yu said nothing, simply shaking his head with an innocent expression.
Goddamn it!
It was definitely you!
The second you realize someone recognized your voice, you don’t even dare open your mouth!
“Did something fall short of expectations?” Chen Jian asked politely.
“He didn’t know the answer to a single question, but he was quite polite,” the woman said.
“That was probably one of our temporary helpers, my apologies, jiejie,” Chen Jian said hurriedly. “Feel free to ask me whatever you need.”
“We just wanted to ask if we could cook our own meals, what the breakfast hours are,” the woman said, “and whether you could help book tickets…”
“You are welcome to cook your own meals, though the variety of fresh ingredients around town might be a bit limited during the New Year. Alternatively, you can eat with us; quite a few guests do that,” Chen Jian explained smoothly. “Breakfast runs from 7:30 to 10:30 AM. For attraction tickets, just let the front desk know a day in advance. All local town activities are open as usual, except for today and the first day of the New Year.”
“Wonderful, thank you so much, handsome,” the woman smiled and nodded, glancing at Shan Yu once more. “Are you sure it wasn’t him on the phone earlier?”
“He’s our boss,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu stood up and offered the woman a charming smile.
“Oh, the boss,” the woman said. “Then it probably wasn’t him.”
It literally WAS him!
“Apologies for the inconvenience, jiejie,” Chen Jian said.
“No trouble at all, we got the answers now anyway, was just curious.” Taking her room cards, the woman gathered her family: “Let’s head up, our rooms are on the second floor.”
“With all that luggage, take the elevator, jiejie,” Hu Pan, who had just stepped out of the lift, greeted them warmly. “I’ll take you up.”
The moment the elevator doors closed, Chen Jian turned his head to glare at Shan Yu.
“I’m heading back to the office,” Shan Yu said. “I’ll come down later for breakfast.”
“How did you answer them?” Chen Jian demanded. “You didn’t know the answers to those basic questions?”
“I only know when staff meals are served,” Shan Yu defended himself. “How would I know how you guys arranged self-catering for guests?… I’m heading up.”
“‘I only answered a phone call—how badly could I mess that up?'” Chen Jian mocked his exact tone.
“The store manager failed to train me properly,” Shan Yu threw back with a laugh, jogging up the stairs.
Today was New Year’s Eve. From early morning, the crackle of firecrackers echoed from all directions. Liangye set off a long string of firecrackers right against Dayin’s back gate at the crack of dawn, leaving Sanbing and the crew with dark circles under their eyes when they stumbled downstairs.
“Where are our firecrackers!” Sanbing demanded. “I want to light some!”
“Let’s go!” Lao Wu waved.
“Bring Mushroom inside first, don’t scare him,” Chen Erhu instructed.
“He’s not scared,” Hu Pan said. “He wanted to charge out and bite them this morning. Absolute beast.”
“As expected of a dog Shan Yu picked up,” Chen Erhu said.
“Sigh,” Sun Nana yawned. “Anyone want coffee?”
“Yes—!” the entire room roared back.
“Anyone want breakfast?” Chen Jian’s dad came downstairs, asking the crowd.
“Yes—!” they roared again.
“Go take a break, I’ll take over,” Hu Pan walked behind the front desk, flipping through the call log. “Who took these notes?”
“Hm?” Chen Jian glanced over.
– Guest said something, couldn’t hear clearly. Answered: Don’t know.
“That’s Boss Shan’s handwriting, right?” Hu Pan stared at him. “6:00 AM? He was on duty here?”
“…Yeah, couldn’t sleep, so he covered the desk,” Chen Jian admitted.
“And you actually let him answer phones?” Hu Pan burst out laughing. “What kind of notes are these?!”
“The guest even praised him for being very polite despite knowing nothing,” Chen Jian said.
“Oh lord,” Hu Pan doubled over with laughter.
Chen Jian entered the kitchen, where his dad was already kneading dough.
“What are we making?” Chen Jian asked.
“Let’s keep it simple, rolled flatbread wraps,” his dad said. “There are frozen buns in the freezer, we’ll steam those, and blend some fresh soy milk.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded. “Sleep well?”
“Very well,” his dad smiled. “Switched to your bed last night.”
“Liu Yiting’s bed wasn’t comfortable?” Chen Jian asked.
“That kid’s pillow reeked of Florida Water, choked me so bad I couldn’t sleep,” his dad said.
“Probably cheap cologne,” Chen Jian laughed. “Lao Si loves spraying that all over his bed. Cheap perfume is always choking.”
“Did something happen with Chen Ziyang? Cried in the middle of the night, then ran outside,” his dad glanced toward the courtyard. “Haven’t seen him this morning yet.”
“Heartbroken,” Chen Jian whispered. “Don’t bring it up to him.”
“Won’t ask. Grown boy, needs his dignity,” his dad nodded. “Running a crew like this can’t be easy on you.”
“It’s fine. Shan Yu already brought them all to heel,” Chen Jian said. “Even if they don’t listen to me, they listen to Shan Yu.”
“This Boss Shan… really isn’t like ordinary bosses,” his dad said. “Then again, I’ve never dealt with high-end bosses over the years…”
“High-end bosses aren’t like this either; he’s definitely a special case,” Chen Jian said.
He helped his dad get the steamer going. As he prepared to blend the soy milk, his dad stepped up beside him: “Boss Shan’s parents… are they visiting in a couple of days? Heard it from Panpan.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded. “Probably on the second day of the New Year.”
“Will your cooks be back by the second day?” his dad asked.
“No, why?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Would it be awkward?” his dad asked. “Your employees are proper staff, but none of them have family visiting over the holidays. If the store manager’s dad hangs around, would it…”
“The boss’s parents are coming, so why can’t the store manager’s dad be here?” Chen Jian said. “Besides, we hired you to help out.”
“That’s another thing—I came to spend the holiday, yet I’m taking wages,” his dad fretted.
“If you weren’t getting paid, I wouldn’t let you stand in this kitchen right now,” Chen Jian said. “I’d have opened a guest room for you to relax in.”
His dad stared at him, struck silent for a long moment.
“It’s fine, Dad. Don’t overthink it,” Chen Jian said gently.
“You really…” his dad began. “You really…”
Chen Jian remained quiet, waiting for his dad to finish.
Suddenly, a barrage of firecrackers erupted from the backyard, crackling and popping in a deafening crescendo.
“You really look like a proper leader now!” His dad, completely unfazed by the noise, raised his voice with pride, looking him up and down. He gave Chen Jian’s shoulder a hearty smack—strong enough to make him wobble. “You really look like a true store manager! Look more like a leader than the boss at our dispatch station—!”
“The boss at your dispatch station isn’t worth shit—!” Chen Jian shouted back, his blood still boiling at the thought of withheld wages.
“Hey,” his dad chuckled, “no cursing.”
“He deserves it,” Chen Jian muttered.
His dad smiled, turning back to knead the dough: “You’ve changed, son.”
After breakfast, the firework vendor’s van pulled up to the courtyard gate—a passenger van with all the rear seats removed, crammed full of fireworks.
“…You really know how to hustle,” Chen Jian muttered, opening the sliding door in disbelief.
“Boss Shan is generous, so naturally I have to deliver,” the vendor grinned. “It’s the New Year—he wants your crew to have a blast and is willing to spend the money. You guys truly lucked out with a boss like that!”
“Hear that?” Chen Jian glanced at Sanbing standing beside him. “Take notes on how to speak properly.”
“Lao Wu, take notes!” Sanbing deflected immediately.
“Haul!” Lao Wu jumped straight into the van.
“He said however many fireworks you want over the holidays, he’ll deliver on demand,” Chen Jian said later, walking into the office.
“Top-tier service,” Shan Yu remarked, standing before Erge’s enclosure.
“If you paid out cash without even verifying the count, I’d provide that service too…” Chen Jian paused mid-sentence.
“Really?” Shan Yu tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
“Really,” Chen Jian looked at him. “My service is very attentive. When you set off fireworks, I can even serve as a launch tripod for that giant Gatling tube.”
“…Get out,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian laughed: “What’s wrong?”
Shan Yu didn’t answer. Tossing the feeding tongs aside, he crossed the room, grabbed Chen Jian around the waist, and pressed him down onto the sofa.
“Chen Jian! Store Manager Chen!” Hu Pan’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie at Chen Jian’s hip. “Time to make dumplings—! Mandatory attendance for everyone—!”
Chen Jian reached down toward his hip, but Shan Yu pinned his hand down, leaning in to bite his lower lip: “You are relieved of duty for five minutes.”
Chen Jian smiled, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him back.
It certainly didn’t last five minutes—two or three at most. When he grabbed the walkie-talkie to reply, his lip throbbed with a dull ache.
“Coming,” he answered, heading into the bathroom to check the mirror. “Shan Yu!”
“Hm?” Shan Yu strolled over.
“You actually broke the skin?” Chen Jian said, inspecting his lip.
Shan Yu leaned close to inspect it: “Lack of sleep, Store Manager. Must be heatiness.”
Right. The excuse was already locked and loaded.
“Come on, let’s go make dumplings,” Chen Jian said.
“Don’t know how,” Shan Yu said.
“Mandatory attendance, no exceptions. I’ll give you a lump of dough so you can shape little rabbits in the corner,” Chen Jian said.
