MC - Chapter 30

Thanks to the alcohol, Zhang Rufan slept soundly through the night and woke the next day with no hangover. Since she hadn’t drunk to the point of blacking out, her memories of last night remained clear.

She still remembered her conversation with Shen Mingjin, and her own bold words. Thinking back, she felt a touch embarrassed—but it was precisely because of the alcohol that she’d shed her burdens and been able to pour out her true feelings.

Now, they had confirmed each other’s hearts, and from here on, there would be no more barriers.

After getting ready in the morning, Zhang Rufan left home. Entering the elevator, she pressed “1,” but as it began to descend, a faint anticipation rose in her heart.

On the 20th floor, someone called the elevator. Seeing Shen Mingjin, she wasn’t surprised, but she was still pleasantly delighted.

"Are you accompanying me on the subway again today?" she asked.

"Answering the nation’s call—energy conservation, emission reduction, green travel," Shen Mingjin said as he stepped in.

Zhang Rufan pressed her lips into a faint smile. "Actually, you don’t have to do this. At the café..."

"Xiao Mu and the others will handle it."

"But—"

"Already tired of me on just the second day?" Shen Mingjin cut her off deliberately.

Zhang Rufan quickly denied it: "I’m not."

Shen Mingjin chuckled. "Just relax. Don’t stop me from fulfilling my duties as a boyfriend."

"Accompanying me to work is a boyfriend’s duty?"

"Mhm."

"Then what are a girlfriend’s duties?" Zhang Rufan asked sincerely, hoping Shen Mingjin would teach her—just as he had once taught her how to pursue him—how to be a good girlfriend.

She asked, "What should I do?"

"You should—" Shen Mingjin drew out his words, lowered his head to meet her inquisitive gaze, his eyes glinting slightly as he smiled. "Just be responsible for liking me."

"Ah?"

"Do you remember what you said to me last night?" he asked.

"I’m not conservative," Zhang Rufan replied in all seriousness.

"...," Shen Mingjin was caught off guard. After a light cough, he said, "Not that one."

Zhang Rufan thought for a moment and ventured, "That I’ve liked you for a long time?"

Having achieved his goal, Shen Mingjin was elated to hear these words from her again, as if listening to celestial music, his smile stretching all the way to his ears. Radiant with joy, he said with a laugh, “You don’t need to do anything special—just keep liking me.”

Zhang Rufan wasn’t someone whose emotions were easily stirred, but in just these past few days, whenever she faced Shen Mingjin, his words and actions always managed to make her heart rise and fall with him.

Moved, she said, “Then being your girlfriend is almost too easy.”

Shen Mingjin shrugged, speaking with great understanding: “You ‘worked so hard’ to chase me down—now it’s time to enjoy the results.”

As they spoke, the elevator reached the first floor. The doors opened, and Shen Mingjin extended his hand, his tone lively as he said, “Come on, let me escort you to work.”

Zhang Rufan smiled gracefully, lifted her hand, and placed it into his palm.

Since she had left early today, Zhang Rufan wasn’t in a hurry to clock in at the office. She went along with Shen Mingjin to Jindu. Entering the shop, she saw a line at the ordering area and instinctively joined the back of the queue.

Shen Mingjin went behind the counter, turned, and when he saw Zhang Rufan at the end of the line, he couldn’t help but laugh, raising his hand to beckon her over.

Thinking it improper to cut the line, Zhang Rufan shook her head. Shen Mingjin didn’t press her. When it was finally her turn to order, he asked, “What would you like to drink today?”

Zhang Rufan ordered a latte. She pulled out her phone, opened her payment code, and aimed it at the scanner, but after trying several times with no response, she looked up.

Shen Mingjin explained with a smile, “I didn’t print the receipt.”

The customer behind Zhang Rufan, who seemed to be a regular, overheard and teased with a laugh, “Boss Shen, that’s some careless work.”

“I did it on purpose,” Shen Mingjin answered openly.

“Oh?” The customer glanced at Zhang Rufan with amusement. “And this one is… a VIP?”

“More than that,” Shen Mingjin replied with deliberate mystery. “She’s a VVIP.”

“Oh—” The customer nodded knowingly.

Zhang Rufan’s cheeks warmed slightly, but she still held up her phone and said, “Please print the receipt.”

“You now have the right not to pay.”

Zhang Rufan wasn’t the type to take advantage. Pressing her lips together, she said earnestly, “Didn’t we agree before—a friendship price.”

“That was before, when we were only schoolmates.” Shen Mingjin winked at her and said brightly, “From now on, when you buy coffee, it’s the love price—free.”

The few customers behind them immediately started teasing, and even Xiao Mu was struck numb by his boss’s bold declaration of love, rubbing at the goosebumps on his arms.

Embarrassed by Shen Mingjin’s open favoritism but still responding positively, Zhang Rufan thought for a moment and said, “Then at noon I’ll come find you, and we’ll eat together?”

“Sure,” Shen Mingjin agreed readily. He personally made the latte, packed it, and handed it to Zhang Rufan, saying, “Message me when you’re on break.”

“Okay.”

Leaving the café, Zhang Rufan went on to her company. After clocking in, she had barely settled at her workstation when Yuan Shuang, who came in just a bit later, approached her before even putting her bag down.

“You and Boss Shen made it official?”

“Hmm?”

“A colleague from another department just asked me about you. They said they ran into you at the café this morning, and Boss Shen introduced you as his girlfriend.”

Zhang Rufan thought back to what Shen Mingjin had said earlier. That was no different from announcing their relationship in public. Since she had never intended to hide it, she wasn’t troubled that her colleagues knew.

“Boss Shen really moves fast. You’ve only been back a month, and he’s already won you over.” Yuan Shuang sighed. “Looks like he’s not only skilled at brewing coffee but also at courting girls.”

Zhang Rufan took the coffee out of the paper bag. Hearing this, she turned her head and clarified, “I was the one who pursued him.”

"Ah?" Yuan Shuang was genuinely surprised. "You pursued him?"

"Mhm."

Yuan Shuang blinked, seeming unconvinced. "Xiao Fan, you... know how to pursue someone?"

Zhang Rufan’s expression was completely serious. Having known her for some time, Yuan Shuang knew she wasn’t one to joke, which only shocked her more.

Surprised and curious, she asked, "How did you pursue him?"

Zhang Rufan thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "Talked to him, asked him out for meals and movies."

"That’s it?"

Zhang Rufan nodded.

Yuan Shuang looked utterly incredulous. After all, Shen Mingjin was famously single in the OW business district—handsome, good-natured, and admired by many girls from the surrounding office buildings. Those who pursued him spared no effort, and from what she’d heard, their methods included, but weren’t limited to, sending flowers, ambushing him, and even renting out the entire café.

Despite all these elaborate pursuits, none had succeeded in winning him over. Privately, Yuan Shuang had heard many say that Shen Mingjin was difficult to chase; no matter how earnest the pursuer, he would reject them outright, leaving no chance at all.

And yet, this supposedly unapproachable Shen Mingjin had been effortlessly won over by Zhang Rufan.

Yuan Shuang recalled when Shen Mingjin once delivered coffee to their company, saying it was Zhang Rufan’s treat for all the colleagues. At the time, she had thought it was out of character for Zhang Rufan. Now, thinking back, the mystery was solved.

Turns out, whether someone is hard to pursue depends entirely on who’s doing the pursuing.

At noon, Zhang Rufan went to find Shen Mingjin, and together they ate at a nearby restaurant. Since it was close to their workplaces, they ran into quite a few acquaintances. Naturally, Shen Mingjin knew more people, and when asked about Zhang Rufan, he introduced her openly as his girlfriend.

After sitting down, Zhang Rufan could still occasionally feel gazes coming from all around.

Concerned she might feel uncomfortable, Shen Mingjin asked, "Should we switch to another place?"

Zhang Rufan shook her head. "No need—they’ll stop looking soon."

Shen Mingjin poured her a cup of tea, chuckling softly. “Jindu suddenly has a lady boss—they’re very curious about you."

Taking the cup, Zhang Rufan recalled what Yuan Shuang had said that morning about all the girls who pursued Shen Mingjin. Pressing her lips together, she hesitated briefly before asking, "Will dating me… affect the café’s business?"

Shen Mingjin was puzzled. "Why do you ask that?"

"You’re not single anymore."

Only then did Shen Mingjin understand her meaning. He couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. Suppressing his smile with effort, he asked with mock seriousness, "Are you saying Jindu’s coffee isn’t good, and the business only thrives because I sell it with my looks?"

"No." Flustered, Zhang Rufan hurried to deny it. "That’s not what I meant."

Shen Mingjin had only been teasing her. He immediately broke into a smile and said, "There’s no coffee on the menu called 'Single Coffee,' so why would business decline just because the owner isn’t single anymore?"

"The café’s coffee tastes good. People who enjoy coffee will naturally come. Those who don’t, even if they buy a few times for other reasons, won’t stick around."

Zhang Rufan thought it over carefully and found his reasoning sound. Setting down her cup, she leaned forward slightly and said with utmost sincerity, "When the 'Coffee Fair' is held, I’ll help promote Jindu properly. The café’s business will definitely get even better afterward."

Shen Mingjin’s shoulders shook as he raised a hand to his forehead, laughing helplessly. Zhang Rufan’s overly earnest way of expressing affection delighted him, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

When his laughter subsided, he lifted his head with bright eyes and agreed with firm confidence: "It will definitely get better. So you don’t need to worry that business will suffer because I’m no longer single. This is what you’d call losing a sesame seed but gaining a watermelon."

Afterward, Shen Mingjin recalled Zhang Rufan’s words and her expression as she spoke—so earnest, as if reassuring him that being with her would never be a loss.

He shook his head lightly and smiled to himself.

This version of Zhang Rufan—even without flowery words or coquettish flattery—was exactly the way he liked her.

After ordering, the server brought their food. Shen Mingjin ladled a bowl of soup for Zhang Rufan, but just then, his phone rang. He placed the soup bowl by her hand before picking up the call.

Hearing him say “Grandma,” Zhang Rufan couldn’t help but glance up.

Whatever the person on the other end said, Shen Mingjin suddenly looked at Zhang Rufan and said very seriously, “Grandma, I have a girlfriend now.”

“The one I mentioned to you last time.” He paused, then a faint smile surfaced in his eyes. “Mm, I was pursued and caught.”

Zhang Rufan stayed silent until Shen Mingjin hung up, then asked, “Was that your grandma calling?”

“Mm.” Shen Mingjin set down his phone, looked up, and said, “She’s telling me to go on a blind date.”

“Blind date?”

“Oh, she wants to introduce me to her former colleague’s granddaughter.” Shen Mingjin picked up some food for Zhang Rufan and said helplessly, “Elders just love matchmaking.”

Zhang Rufan lowered her eyes, unconsciously poking her rice twice with her chopsticks. A few seconds later, she looked up again and called Shen Mingjin’s name.

“Mm?”

“You said before, once I succeeded in pursuing you, you’d take me to meet your grandparents.”

Shen Mingjin was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile. “You want to meet them?”

Zhang Rufan nodded.

“Alright.” Shen Mingjin thought for a moment. “This Friday evening I’m going to Grandma’s for dinner. Want to come along?”

Zhang Rufan smiled, nodded, and said, “Okay.”

Seeing her agree, Shen Mingjin raised his brow and asked with a laugh, “Are you worried Grandma will think I’m bluffing, and later set me up with someone else, so you want to show your face in front of her?”

Zhang Rufan didn’t deny it, following his words: “She’ll believe you once she sees me.”

Shen Mingjin felt elated.

Though Zhang Rufan was somewhat inexperienced in love and completely without guile, precisely because of that she didn’t overthink things. When they were together, she was unselfconscious and unafraid to show how much she cared for him.

Shen Mingjin realized that before, she had always followed his lead in pursuing him. Now, she was beginning to take the initiative in moving their relationship forward.

Not even two days into their relationship, after nearly giving herself away last night to him, she was already about to go home with him to meet his family.

1. 老板娘 (Lǎobǎn niáng) – Boss’s wife/Female proprietor

2. 咖啡集市 (Kāfēi jíshì) – Coffee Fair; an event where Zhang Rufan plans to promote the café.

3. 姥姥 (Lǎolao) – Maternal grandmother; informal, affectionate term.

4. 姥爷 (Lǎoye) – Maternal grandfather; informal, affectionate term.

5. 相亲 (Xiāngqīn) – Blind date

6. VVIP (Wēi-Wēi-Ài-Pì) – Very Very Important Person

7. 友情价 (Yǒuqíng jià) – Friendship price; a discounted rate given to friends.

8. 爱情价 (Àiqíng jià) – Love price; meaning free

9. 芝麻和西瓜 (Zhīma hé xīguā) – Sesame seed and watermelon; an idiom meaning giving up something small in exchange for something much greater.

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

This statement is so true: "Turns out, whether someone is hard to pursue depends entirely on who’s doing the pursuing." If they like you, they'll never be hard to pull lolll.

Enjoy! 😂