Chapter 10: I Am the Boss, Let Me In

"What about you? What are you planning to do?" Lin Bai asked.

Qin Ruowei bit her lip. "I don't know. I'll probably head home for a bit."

Qin Ruowei’s home was in downtown Jiangcheng, so it was quite close.

The two stood up and chatted as they walked toward the East Campus cafeteria. Unbeknownst to them, their intimate behavior caught the attention of some students on the playground. One of them recognized Qin Ruowei, pulled out a phone, and snapped a photo from a distance, though it was unclear who they sent it to.

After dropping Lin Bai off at the Mixue Bingcheng bubble tea shop and watching him change into his work uniform, Qin Ruowei grabbed his collar and pulled him close, putting on a playfully fierce expression.

"Behave yourself at your part-time job! No flirting with other girls, or you’ll be sorry!"

Seeing Qin Ruowei clench her delicate fists in a mock-threatening gesture, Lin Bai was filled with joy. Catching her off guard, he gently kissed her on the cheek.

"Yes, my lady!"

Qin Ruowei’s face turned bright red. She shot him a reproachful look, then turned and ran off with a light jog.

Brother Luo, the shop owner, suddenly appeared from somewhere and gave Lin Bai a light punch on the shoulder. "Not bad, kid. When did you two get together?"

Lin Bai smiled. "Just now."

Brother Luo gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive. You managed to snag the campus belle from the College of Foreign Languages. But..." His brow furrowed with a hint of concern as he looked at Lin Bai, hesitating to continue. "Xiao Bai, I don’t want to dampen your spirits, but there’s a saying about 'femme fatales.' Plenty of people are chasing Qin Ruowei. You’d better be mentally prepared."

Lin Bai understood perfectly what he meant. But since he had chosen to be with Qin Ruowei, he was prepared to face any challenge. With his system, he had nothing to fear.

"Thanks, Brother Luo. I’ll be careful."

As two female customers walked into the shop, Brother Luo waved for Lin Bai to get to work and stepped aside.

"Hello, what can I get for you?"

Lin Bai resumed his daily routine. But this time was different; the two girls covered their mouths and giggled upon seeing the handsome Lin Bai, stealing glances at him every few seconds.

"Hello, one Americano and one latte, please. Less sugar and less ice, thanks."

Lin Bai gave a slight smile and began preparing their drinks. While he wasn't looking, the girls secretly took photos of him and posted them on the campus forum.

"Girls, hurry! Location: Mixue Bingcheng on the second floor of the East Campus cafeteria. This is all I can do for you!"

Oblivious to what was about to happen, Lin Bai continued making drinks with focus.

"Here you go, your drinks. Take care, and come back again soon."

***

After the two girls left, Lin Bai sat down, habitually reaching for his phone to kill some time. He hadn't been scrolling for long when a group of three girls rushed in.

"Hello, what can I get for you three?" Lin Bai stood up, smiling.

"A banana milk tea!"
"An overnight lemon water!"
"A snow-topped milk crisp tea!"

Lin Bai entered the orders into the machine and started making them once the payment went through. Halfway through, two more girls burst into the shop, followed by several others. In a very short time, the small shop was packed with students, and the crowd kept growing. As more and more students began taking photos of him, Lin Bai finally realized what was happening.

Brother Luo, who had been chatting with the owner of the shop next door, heard the commotion and came out to investigate. "Oh boy..."

"Everyone, please make way! I'm the owner, let me through!"

Seeing that Lin Bai couldn't possibly handle the rush alone, Brother Luo squeezed in to help. Amidst the noise, he leaned toward Lin Bai. Seeing the desperate look in Lin Bai’s eyes, he held up two fingers.

"Twenty extra per hour!"

Lin Bai’s previous wage was fifteen per hour—thirty for two hours. With twenty added, it was now thirty-five an hour, seventy for two hours! That was a rare, high-paying rate for a part-time job.

Lin Bai, who had been feeling drained, suddenly felt a surge of energy. The two of them went into a frenzy.

...

The post on the campus forum was seen by others, including Qin Ruowei, who had just arrived home, and Chen Shuya, who was sitting in Li Yu’s BMW X3.

Qin Ruowei stomped her foot, ran into her room to grab a few changes of clothes, and ignored her mother’s puzzled calls as she got back into her purple Xiaomi SU7 and headed straight back to school.

As for Chen Shuya, she zoomed in on one of the photos. She felt the handsome man in the picture looked very familiar.

"Mixue Bingcheng, second floor of the East Campus cafeteria... isn't that where Lin Bai works?" Chen Shuya muttered to herself.

Li Yu, who was driving, rested his hand on Chen Shuya's thigh. "What are you looking at, babe? Where do you want to go next?"

For some reason, Chen Shuya lost all interest in traveling. She frowned and thought for a moment. "Honey, I'm a bit tired. Let’s head back."

Li Yu glanced over and hesitated for a second. "Sure. We have been out for four days straight, so it's understandable. You're the boss, let's head back."

...

Lin Bai had no idea how much of a reaction a single photo could cause. He was now so busy he wished he had three heads and six arms. The stream of students showed no signs of stopping; in fact, it was still growing, and the vast majority were girls.

"Here's your tea, classmate. Take care."

After sending off another girl, Lin Bai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He checked the time—less than an hour had passed. He had never felt time move so slowly.

Just as he was busy, his phone rang. He glanced at it and saw an unfamiliar number. As a freshman, he was afraid of missing important calls, so he apologized to the student in front of him and answered.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Lin Bai?" A stranger's voice came through.

"Yes, it is. Who are you?"

"Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm a staff member from the Mercedes-Benz 4S dealership here in Jiangcheng. You purchased our latest GLE model, and I've brought the car over for you. Would you happen to be available now?"

Lin Bai slapped his forehead. He had completely forgotten about the car. Looking at the sea of people in front of him, there was no way he could leave.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time at the moment. Where are you? Can you bring it to the East Campus cafeteria at Jiangcheng University?"

"Yes, yes, of course! And the keys? Where should I deliver them?"

"The keys... I'm working part-time at the Mixue Bingcheng on the second floor of the East Campus cafeteria. Just come over and call for me."

"Understood, Mr. Lin. Please wait a moment."

After hanging up, Lin Bai went back to work. In the parking lot behind the cafeteria, the driver in his uniform parked a brand-new Mercedes GLE, then stepped out, grabbed the keys and the paperwork, and jogged into the cafeteria.

Almost immediately after, Qin Ruowei’s purple Xiaomi SU7 arrived and parked right next to the Mercedes. She stepped out, lingered for a moment on the Mercedes, and then ran toward the cafeteria.

On the second floor, while Lin Bai was swamped, the driver reached the storefront but couldn't even push his way through the crowd.

"Mr. Lin! Mr. Lin!"