MC - Chapter 9

After arriving at the company and clocking in, Zhang Rufan had just settled at her workstation when Yuan Shuang couldn’t resist leaning over to ask, “When you told Boss Shen earlier that ‘the technician will come to check the apartment in the evening,’ what did you mean?”

Yuan Shuang was curious, not gossipy, so Zhang Rufan didn’t find it annoying. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “He lives downstairs from me. The bathroom floor in my rented apartment leaks, and it affects him.”

“You live right above each other?” Yuan Shuang seized the key point and pressed further, “Was it planned?”

“No.” Zhang Rufan denied it before explaining, “It’s a coincidence. I didn’t know he lived in Jinghua Garden before I moved in.”

“You two are seriously fated—high school classmates, living in the same building… But it’s not that strange. The residential areas near OW are mostly in Jinghua Garden, and lots of people rent there.” Yuan Shuang then asked, “Are you close?”

Zhang Rufan hesitated. Her relationship with Shen Mingjin was complicated, but in terms of familiarity, she shook her head slightly and said, “Not close.”

“You two did seem a bit distant just now, but that’s normal. I’m the same when I meet my high school classmates—polite but not close.” Yuan Shuang took a sip of her coffee, squinting in satisfaction. “Ah… I’m alive again. Your classmate seems all smiles and unreliably handsome, but he’s seriously skilled at making coffee.”

Zhang Rufan glanced at the coffee on her desk, her expression slightly complicated.

Shen Mingjin opening a café truly surprised her. He had gone to a sports university—even if he couldn’t be an athlete, she assumed he’d work in a sports-related field. Being a barista obviously had nothing to do with athletics.

“Your classmate said coffee should be drunk while it’s hot. Go on, take a sip.”

Zhang Rufan hesitated slightly.

When she told Yuan Shuang she didn’t drink coffee, it wasn’t just a polite excuse. Strictly speaking, aside from coffee, she also didn’t drink milk tea, soda, or flavored beverages. Her usual drink was warm water, and she always carried a thermos in her bag when going out.

This habit was ingrained since childhood. When she was still studying in Shangjing, Zhang Shengyi would put a thermos in her schoolbag every day, reminding her to drink more water.

When she was even younger, other kids loved flavored milk drinks, and so did she. But Zhang Shengyi only allowed her to drink plain fresh milk. He forbade her from drinking those “messy” beverages, saying they were unhealthy and would foster bad habits.

In her second year of high school, a “bubble tea craze” swept through the school. Once, a classmate treated the whole class to milk tea, and Zhang Rufan got a cup too. She brought it home but was caught by Zhang Shengyi before she could drink it. What followed was a scolding and a punishment of writing a self-criticism. In the end, she never got to taste that milk tea.

In the third year, academic pressure was intense. Many classmates stayed up late studying, leading to daytime drowsiness, so coffee became the class’s go-to pick-me-up. Zhang Rufan also often burned the midnight oil, leaving her sluggish during the day. But even though everyone said coffee helped, she never drank it—back then, she categorized it as one of those “messy” drinks Zhang Shengyi had banned and consciously avoided it.

After leaving Shangjing for university, Zhang Shengyi could no longer control her, but her personality and habits were already set. While other girls enthusiastically pursued “milk tea freedom,” she remained indifferent, never forgetting to fill her thermos with water every day.

Zhang Rufan didn’t drink beverages or eat snacks. She was an overly disciplined person—in some ways, she and Zhang Shengyi were alike.

Yet despite her rigidity and dullness, Shen Mingjin had once liked her.

Zhang Rufan snapped out of her daze and stared solemnly at the coffee on the table. After a long pause, she resolved herself, picked it up, removed the lid, hesitated briefly, and took a small sip.

… 

On her second day at work, Zhang Rufan was still adjusting to the new environment. Sun Lu only assigned her to draft a promotional plan for a small store. Such minor events were straightforward, and after communicating with the client to understand their needs, she finished the proposal in an afternoon.

With little work, overtime was unnecessary. In the evening, Zhang Rufan texted her landlord in advance and left the office as soon as the workday ended.

After taking the subway back to Jinghua Garden, the doorbell rang shortly after she arrived. Peering through the peephole and seeing the landlord and the repairman, she opened the door.

The landlord apologized immediately upon entering. After Zhang Rufan explained the situation, the technician inspected the bathroom and concluded that the waterproof layer was likely the issue. He needed to check the downstairs unit to assess the severity before deciding whether to patch it up or redo the entire layer.

The landlord had other matters to attend to and left first. Zhang Rufan and the technician took the elevator downstairs. At Shen Mingjin’s door, she rang the bell. Though she’d mentioned the evening inspection to him that morning, she wasn’t sure if he was home yet.

The door opened after two rings. Seeing Shen Mingjin, Zhang Rufan blurted out, “You’re back.”

“Mm… just got back.” Even though he’d actually returned half an hour ago and had already cleaned the apartment.

Shen Mingjin stepped aside. “Come in.”

The technician went to inspect the bathroom, while Zhang Rufan stayed in the living room.

Shen Mingjin’s apartment had the same layout as hers, but the furnishings were different. Zhang Rufan caught a rich aroma in the air and turned to see a small bar counter in the corner, its shelves lined with bags of coffee beans—just like in his shop that morning. There were also various unfamiliar pots, likely for brewing coffee.

Only now, in Shen Mingjin’s home, did Zhang Rufan truly grasp his identity as a barista.

She turned to look at Shen Mingjin, but he averted his gaze the moment their eyes met, clearing his throat before saying, “Have a seat. It’ll take a while for the technician to locate the leak.”

Standing awkwardly, Zhang Rufan sat on the nearest sofa. Shen Mingjin walked to the bar and asked, “Want some coffee? I just brewed it.”

That sensitivity around Shen Mingjin resurfaced, but she didn’t decline the host’s offer, nodding slightly.

Shen Mingjin poured a cup and asked, “Sugar?”

“Okay.”

From her reply, Shen Mingjin could tell she wasn’t a regular coffee drinker—at least not in specialty cafés. A seasoned coffee enthusiast would’ve said “no” or specified how much sugar to add.

After deliberating, he added one sugar cube to her cup and handed it over. Zhang Rufan accepted it with a polite “thank you” and took a sip under his gaze.

The flat white from that morning had eased her into the taste, so she now found coffee more palatable and could discern its unique flavors. This cup had no milk, making it richer and more bitter than the one from the café, with a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste that lingered pleasantly.

“Pour-over coffee. Does it suit your taste?”

Zhang Rufan cradled the cup in both hands. She knew little about coffee, let alone pour-over, but she still gave positive feedback. “It’s quite good.”

Shen Mingjin studied her expression for a few seconds before looking away and saying mildly, “Glad you like it.”

Zhang Rufan’s thumb unconsciously traced the cup handle. After a quiet moment, she looked up at him and asked cautiously, “Shen Mingjin, can we talk?”

Shen Mingjin’s eyes flickered slightly as he sat down openly. “Sure. What about? That topic from last time—me confessing to you?”

Even though it was a past matter, hearing Shen Mingjin bring it up so naturally still stirred something in her. Remembering her grandmother’s words that night, she pressed her lips together before speaking resolutely, “I’m really sorry about what I said at the rally that day. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“I know.”

“What?”

“I know you didn’t mean it. You were in a bad mood that day.”

Seeing her surprise, Shen Mingjin preempted her question: “How did I know?”

Zhang Rufan opened her mouth but then closed it, simply waiting for his explanation.

Shen Mingjin hesitated unusually before recounting that day. “I saw you crying.”

Zhang Rufan had been repeatedly recalling the rally these past few days, including how she’d cried over family matters.

Her father, Zhang Shengyi, had taught her since childhood to be strong, so she rarely cried. She endured pain and hardship silently, swallowing it all down. The rally was one of the few times she’d lost control. Her breakdown was silent—just a few tears, barely enough to wet her cheeks before she forcibly reined herself in.

She’d always thought no one had noticed her sorrow that day, never expecting Shen Mingjin to have seen it.

“That morning, I slipped a letter into your book, but you didn’t respond all day. When I saw you that evening… I couldn’t help acting impulsively.”

Shen Mingjin didn’t mention that the rally had been his eighteenth birthday. Narcissistically, he’d felt that turning eighteen made him a man, entitled to confess to the girl he liked. The night before, he’d brainstormed many ways to do it. Given his personality, he wouldn’t have minded declaring his love publicly, but Zhang Rufan wasn’t like him.

Knowing she disliked attention, he ruled out any grand gestures. After much deliberation, he settled on the oldest method—a letter. He drafted several versions, agonizing over the wording, but none satisfied him. Remembering his Chinese teacher’s advice to “focus on the central theme,” he finally wrote just one sentence carefully on the paper.

During a break at the rally, while the class was doing exercises on the field, he sneaked back alone and slipped the letter into a book on Zhang Rufan’s desk. He still remembered the title—Anne of Green Gables. He’d often seen her reading it lately, so he was sure she’d find the letter.

For the rest of the day, he was distracted, his gaze drifting toward Zhang Rufan between classes. Seeing no particular reaction from her, he grew anxious but could only wait.

After the rally, some classmates played Truth or Dare, but he was too distracted to join. Unable to hold back any longer, he went to ask her directly—only to find her sitting alone on the grass, crying.

He was stunned. In his memory, she was someone who never showed emotion.

Seeing her cry upset him, and he longed to offer comfort. But with no legitimate reason, he abandoned thoughts of the letter and, spurred by chivalrous impulse, confessed on the spot—only to crash headfirst into rejection.

Snapping back to the present, Shen Mingjin glanced at Zhang Rufan. Mistaking her solemn expression for lingering guilt, he shrugged carelessly. “What you said that day was pretty infuriating, but it’s not your fault. I was the clueless one who brought it on myself—bothering you when you were already upset. If I hadn’t, you might’ve rejected me more gently.”

He suddenly chuckled. “When you’re angry, it’s like you become a different person. I’ve seen it.”

Zhang Rufan wanted to apologize for her harshness that day, but Shen Mingjin had already justified it for her. He seemed genuinely unbothered by her rejection, even taking the blame upon himself.

She pressed her lips together. “I really was in a bad mood that day because—”

“You don’t need to explain. Even if you’d been in a good mood and rejected me gently, I wouldn’t have been happy.”

“Tch. A rejection’s a rejection—might as well be ruthless and crush my hopes.” Shen Mingjin shrugged. “If I’d known you forgot, I wouldn’t have brought it up. It’s all in the past anyway. From now on, we’re just fellow alumni.”

Zhang Rufan stiffened. More than her scornful words, what Shen Mingjin truly minded was that she had rejected him.

His stance disrupted the explanation she’d prepared. She wanted to clarify that she’d misunderstood him back then and lashed out in retaliation. But as Shen Mingjin said, it was all over. What meaning would clarifying now hold? Even without that misunderstanding, would she really not have rejected him?

Zhang Rufan’s usually rational mind plunged into unresolvable confusion. Before she could sort out her thoughts, the technician emerged from the bathroom, announcing he’d found the leak—a localized issue not severe enough to require redoing the waterproof layer, just patching.

The technician needed to reinspect upstairs, leaving Zhang Rufan no reason to stay. She walked out with him but couldn’t help glancing back once more.

Even though Shen Mingjin had forgiven her, she felt no relief—only a growing heaviness in her chest.

Unwilling, yet helpless.

1. 京桦花园 (Jīng huà huāyuán) – Jinghua Garden, the name of the residential area

2. 手冲咖啡 (Shǒu chōng kāfēi) – Pour-over coffee (a manual brewing method, could also be called drip coffee, I think?)

3. 防水层 (Fángshuǐ céng) – Waterproof layer (construction term for leak prevention)

4. 白咖啡 (Bái kāfēi) – Flat white

5. 检讨书 (Jiǎntǎo shū) – Self-criticism essay like a written apology/reflection

6. 奶茶自由 (Nǎichá zìyóu) – "Milk tea freedom" slang for indulging in milk tea without guilt

7. 保温瓶 (Bǎowēn píng) – Thermos, insulated bottle for hot drinks

8. 真心话大冒险 (Zhēnxīnhuà dà màoxiǎn) – Truth or Dare 

9. 绿山墙的安妮 (Lǜ shānqiáng de Ānnī) – Anne of Green Gable

10. 校友 (Xiàoyǒu) – Alumni

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.