MC - Chapter 8

Zhang Rufan got up, washed up, and took out a pre-matched outfit from the wardrobe to change into. It was still early, so she made herself breakfast. While eating, she watched the morning news and left for work with her bag when she figured it was about time.

While on the subway, her landlord sent a message asking when she’d be available today to have a technician inspect the bathroom.

The inspection required cooperation from the downstairs neighbor. Zhang Rufan had forgotten to ask Shen Mingjin about his availability and didn’t have his contact info. Momentarily stuck, she thought it over and told the landlord to schedule the technician for the evening, figuring Shen Mingjin would most likely be home by then.

She was used to leaving early. The subway ride was only five stops, and when she exited the station, she still had half an hour before work started. Not planning to linger outside, she headed straight to the OW Mall. Just as she reached the office building entrance, she heard Yuan Shuang calling her name.

Yuan Shuang rushed over, brushed her windblown bangs aside, and smiled. “You’re here so early!”

Zhang Rufan nodded.

“I stayed up late last night and need coffee to survive. Want to come with me?”

“I don’t drink—”

“You don’t have to drink coffee to go to a café,” Yuan Shuang said, linking arms with her and winking. “Showing up early doesn’t get you a raise. Come on, I’ll take you to see a handsome guy.”

Zhang Rufan hesitated briefly. Yuan Shuang had helped her a lot since she joined yesterday, and she didn’t want to dampen her mood. With time to spare, going to a café seemed fine.

“Okay.”

Behind OW was a cultural street, lined mostly with shops selling cultural goods. Shangjing’s largest bookstore was located there. The area’s strong cultural vibe attracted many artsy types who came to unwind. OW and the street shared a symbiotic relationship, with customers flowing freely between them.

Yuan Shuang led Zhang Rufan past the mall and onto the cultural street, pointing ahead. “See? That’s the café I told you about—the one with the handsome owner.”

Zhang Rufan looked up and saw the sign: Jindu.

“This café’s only been open a year, but business is booming. Lots of our coworkers come here at lunch to perk up.” Yuan Shuang stretched her neck to peek inside through the glass door and muttered, “Wonder if the owner’s in.”

“Let’s go in.”

Inside, Zhang Rufan scanned the space and was surprised by the interior. In her mind, cafés were supposed to be artsy and cozy—but Jindu wasn’t like that at all.

The walls were built of gray bricks, with silver pipes visible above. The furniture was in cool tones. The only warmth came from the pendant lights hanging from the ceiling—like little flames flickering in snow.

As Yuan Shuang tugged her forward, Zhang Rufan’s eyes drifted across the shelves stacked with coffee beans from various regions. Just as she was zoning out, Yuan Shuang said excitedly, “Lucky, the owner’s here!”

Snapping back to attention, Zhang Rufan looked up and saw a familiar face behind the counter.

She instantly remembered what Liu Ziyue had said about Shen Mingjin quitting sports after an accident. Back then, she’d doubted it. But now the truth was right in front of her—she had to believe it.

She never would have imagined that Shen Mingjin, once an athlete, would become a barista. One profession was full of motion, the other quiet and still—completely opposite.

While Zhang Rufan was still in shock, Yuan Shuang pulled her up to the counter and waved. “Boss Shen, morning!”

Shen Mingjin was packaging coffee while chatting with a customer. He turned at the sound of her voice, and when he saw Zhang Rufan, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. His smile froze slightly.

But he quickly composed himself, masking his emotions. He handed the coffee to the waiting customer with a cheerful grin. “Don’t argue with your boss today. It’s almost year-end—get fired now and you’ll miss your bonus. Not worth it.”

“Good point. I’ll hang in there. Can’t mess with money,” the woman said, taking her coffee but not leaving. She lingered, gazing at him with interest. “You’re fun to talk to. Can I add your WeChat?”

“The café’s official account QR code is right here,” he said, pointing casually.

“I already follow the official account. I want your personal WeChat.”

“Obvious intentions,” he joked.

“Exactly,” she replied boldly. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Shen Mingjin instinctively glanced at Zhang Rufan before replying smoothly, “The shop doesn’t have a Lady Boss yet.”

“So do I have a chance?”

Despite the direct question, Shen Mingjin didn’t show the slightest awkwardness or smugness. His smile stayed bright, and his refusal was clean and firm. “No.”

Blunt but not harsh, his manner left no room for discomfort.

Perhaps it was simply that his brightness lit up others too—putting people at ease, even in rejection.

“You won’t even give me a shot?” the woman teased, not at all angry. Her gaze on him only grew more captivated.

“Sorry. I sell coffee, not myself.”

The customer laughed and didn’t linger further, tossing out a “I’ll be back” before sauntering off.

Zhang Rufan had witnessed the entire exchange from the sidelines, surprised by his composure and frankness, yet it also felt inevitable—everything about it suited Shen Mingjin perfectly.

So it wasn’t just her who couldn’t get Shen Mingjin’s WeChat. She let her mind wander briefly.

“Boss Shen, that girl just now was really pretty. Weren’t you a little too quick to reject her?” Yuan Shuang propped her elbows on the counter, then lowered her voice to ask, “You’re not—”

The implication was clear. Shen Mingjin immediately dropped his smile and clarified solemnly, “I’m as straight as they come. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“If you’re straight, why’d you turn down such a pretty girl? Don’t you like good-looking people?”

Shen Mingjin coughed. “It’s not that.”

Yuan Shuang blinked and stared at him. “Now I’m really curious about your dating standards.”

Shen Mingjin instinctively almost glanced at Zhang Rufan but restrained the impulse. Uncharacteristically, he didn’t take the bait and changed the subject. “The usual americano?”

“Yep.”

Shen Mingjin paused for two seconds before openly looking at Zhang Rufan.

Yuan Shuang caught on and quickly pulled Zhang Rufan over to introduce her. “This is our company’s new beauty planner, Zhang Rufan.”

“Rufan, this is the owner of this shop. We all call him Boss Shen.”

Zhang Rufan looked at Shen Mingjin and hesitated before saying, “…What a coincidence.”

Another coincidence. Shen Mingjin’s expression was serious as he nodded.

Yuan Shuang sensed something was up and glanced between them before tentatively asking, “You two know each other?”

While Zhang Rufan was still hesitating over how to answer, Shen Mingjin responded first, casually saying, “High school classmates.”

“Wow, what are the odds!” Yuan Shuang exclaimed.

Shen Mingjin, now less outgoing than before, politely asked Zhang Rufan, “What would you like to drink?”

“Rufan doesn’t—”

“Flat white.” Zhang Rufan glanced at the coffee menu on the counter and quickly ordered, cutting Yuan Shuang off. Realizing she’d overreacted, she pressed her lips together and slowly added, “Thank you.”

“One moment.”

Shen Mingjin turned to make the coffee while Yuan Shuang looked at Zhang Rufan, her questioning gaze obvious.

Zhang Rufan explained, “Trying something new.”

“Seduced by the aroma?” Yuan Shuang didn’t suspect a thing, thinking her recommendation had succeeded. She grinned and emphasized, “The coffee here is seriously good—rich and full-bodied. One cup keeps you going all day. A lifesaver for office workers.”

Zhang Rufan gave a faint smile, relaxing slightly inside.

Luckily, Yuan Shuang didn’t press further. Otherwise, Zhang Rufan wouldn’t have known how to explain why she’d suddenly ordered coffee after saying she didn’t drink it.

Declaring she didn’t drink coffee in a specialty café, especially to the owner, seemed rude no matter how you looked at it. And since it was Shen Mingjin, she worried he’d think she was being difficult on purpose—after all, she had a “record.”

Zhang Rufan felt she owed Shen Mingjin an apology, which was why she was being so careful around him, as if she’d suddenly grasped social niceties and learned to leave room in interactions. Something her grandmother had tried teaching her for years without success.

Shen Mingjin finished making both coffees and handed one to Zhang Rufan after packing it, reminding her, “Drink it while it’s hot. The flavor changes if it sits too long.”

“Okay.” Zhang Rufan took the coffee, cradling it in her hands. The warmth seeped through the insulating sleeve into her palms.

It was almost time to clock in for work. After hesitating, she pressed her lips together and said to Shen Mingjin, “The landlord scheduled a technician to inspect the apartment this evening.”

The moment she spoke, Shen Mingjin understood. He gave a slight nod. “Got it. I’ll be back in the evening.”

“Okay… goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Shen Mingjin watched Zhang Rufan and Yuan Shuang leave, only relaxing once they were out of sight. He raised a hand to rub his stiff facial muscles, tense for too long.

“Mingjin-ge, do you like one of those two beauties just now?” The barista Xiao Mu peered toward the door. “You were watching them so wistfully.”

“The short-haired one comes here often, and you’ve never shown interest before, so…” Xiao Mu turned to Shen Mingjin, squinting shrewdly. “You’ve got a thing for the long-haired one, don’t you?”

Shen Mingjin’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. He pushed Xiao Mu’s head and deliberately scowled. “Don’t you have anything better to do? Need more cups to wash?”

“Just saying. Why so defensive? If you don’t like her, then you dislike her.”

“Huh?”

Xiao Mu rubbed his forehead and explained, “Usually, you’re grinning like a flower at every customer, as if we’re selling smiles, not coffee. But just now, forget eight teeth—you didn’t even show your front teeth.”

Shen Mingjin paused, suddenly wondering if he’d been too stiff.

At Xie Yiwei’s wedding, Zhang Rufan had avoided his gaze, so he thought she didn’t want to see him. He deliberately kept his distance to avoid burdening her—after all, he’d once confessed to her. If he acted too warmly, she’d surely feel awkward.

Later, he realized he’d overthought it. Forget awkwardness—she didn’t even remember his high school confession. It was all one-sided.

He’d been the one to bring up the confession and regretted it afterward, but it was too late. He could only commit to the aloofness, or else she’d think he still had feelings and feel troubled—after all, she’d firmly rejected him back then.

Now they lived in the same building, just floors apart, and worked so close by. If Shen Mingjin weren’t involved, he’d suspect himself of being a stalker.

Shangjing wasn’t small, yet they had too many coincidences. To avoid becoming a creep in Zhang Rufan’s eyes, Shen Mingjin decided to minimize contact with her from now on.

Whether she remembered the past or not, her stance was clear. He’d do his best to stand firm and not bother her further, leaving all those feelings behind in their high school graduation photo.

1. 津渡 (Jīndù) – Name of the café - In-depth explanation in the notes of Chapter 6.

2. 白咖啡 (Bái kāfēi) – "Flat white", a type of coffee

3. 美式 (Měishì) – "Americano" 

4. 社畜 (Shēchù) – "Corporate slave" slang for overworked office workers

5. 老板娘 (Lǎobǎnniáng) – "Boss’s wife" is often used to refer to a female owner or partner

6. 钢铁直男 (Gāngtiě zhínán) – "Hardcore straight man" slang for a very heterosexual man with no subtlety in romance

7. 司马昭之心 (Sīmǎ Zhāo zhī xīn) – "Sima Zhao’s heart" (idiom meaning "ulterior motives are obvious")

8. 痴汉 (Chīhàn) – "Creep" or "stalker" 

9. 前科 (Qiánkē) – "Prior record" often used metaphorically for past mistakes

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.

Sevyn here ~~~

If only it were that easy lol.