Chapter 238: Ying Shuang, Busy Beyond Belief
"Se-senior!" The socially awkward Ye Haoran mustered up his courage to look at the girl in front of him, Fu Ya. "I'd like to order a Crab Stuffed with Orange, a basket of Xiaolongbaos, and…"
He hesitated, then added shyly, "and a portion of Tin Foil Roasted Brain Flower."
Fu Ya simply nodded with a smile at her junior's order, jotting it down before heading to the kitchen.
Seeing her reaction remain neutral, Ye Haoran let out a big sigh of relief.
Since the incident two months ago, when he had mistaken Boss Qi for an evil spirit master over a plate of Tin Foil Roasted Brain Flower and caused a massive social faux pas, he had always felt awkward ordering that dish. He was terrified Fu Ya would tease him about it.
Though, to be fair, she never had.
Why did he keep ordering it, then?
Probably because Tin Foil Roasted Brain Flower was simply irresistible to him.
Ye Haoran hadn't tasted anything from Small Shop for a month now.
This long wait had left a void that even the delicious food at Shrek Academy couldn't fill.
Plus…
With the Small Shop closed, he'd been missing opportunities to talk to his favorite senior.
Even if it was just a normal ordering interaction, hearing her gentle voice brought him a quiet joy.
Watching Fu Ya bustle around the restaurant, a spark of admiration flickered in Ye Haoran's eyes.
She really was wonderful, always smiling at him.
And she was amazing, too—she'd represented their school in the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Fighting Tournament and won the championship.
If only… he could ask her to watch the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival with him.
The thought made Ye Haoran's face warm as he imagined himself holding hands with her by the shore of Sea God Lake, watching the festival unfold.
Rumor had it that this year, outer courtyard disciples would be allowed to attend the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival on Sea God Lake.
And not just this year; perhaps in future years, outer courtyard disciples would be able to attend as well.
To outer courtyard disciples, the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival was hardly a mystery.
Since the inner courtyard was a revered place for them, many outer courtyard students kept a close eye on its happenings.
No big event in the inner courtyard went unnoticed by the outer courtyard.
Every year, when the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival ended, gossip would circulate in the outer courtyard the next day.
Stories of a senior professing his love and being turned down, or many beutifull and talented girls competing for the attention of a single boy, were the topics of many lively conversations.
So, when they heard that this year outer courtyard disciples might be allowed to watch, even though the festival was a week away, the outer courtyard was already buzzing with excitement.
Senior Fu Ya would surely enter the inner courtyard someday. He had to work hard to catch up to her and join her there!
Then, someday at the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival, he'd confess his feelings to her!
After all, he was from the Divine Angel family!
His father had always told him that if he liked a girl, he should go after her with courage!
With resolve burning within him, Ye Haoran decided to train even harder from now on.
The young Ye Haoran's heart was set on a big goal, and his eyes gleamed with newfound determination.
"Your food is ready."
"Oh! Thank you." The sight and aroma of the exquisite dishes on his table made Ye Haoran's resolve waver.
Maybe… he could train hard after he finished his meal.
You need energy to work hard, right?
Yes, that was perfectly reasonable.
…
As for Ye Haoran, Fu Ya didn't really pay him much mind.
She'd long forgotten his social mishap.
After serving the dishes, she moved closer to Ying Shuang and whispered, "Would you like me to help out?"
Ying Shuang was busy jotting down orders like crazy. When she heard this offer for help, she felt as if a huge weight had lifted. Without any pretense, she split off a small stack of orders and handed them to Fu Ya. "Thank you, Fu Ya! Can you help me organize these by delivery time?"
On the shop's first day back open, Ying Shuang had definitely been the busiest of the three girls.
Since the shop's seating was limited, Fu Ya's workload hadn't changed much from before. In fact, with Pururu One and Pururu Two assisting, her workload had actually gone down a bit.
The in-store dining remained the same, but the first day back after a month-long break had caused a huge surge in delivery orders.
With so many loyal customers, people took one look at the line and realized there was no chance of dining in for lunch.
Fortunately, they had another option: ordering delivery and enjoying the meal at home, delivered by a charming young lady right to their door.
And a lot of customers chose this option, which made Small Shop's delivery orders skyrocket.
Ying Shuang had so many orders to manage that she was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.
Swoosh
Ji Yunruo's figure flickered as she suddenly appeared in the shop. She adjusted her hat and set her backpack down on the ground, "Ready for the next batch."
"Coming, coming!" Ying Shuang hurriedly labeled each meal box with its respective tag, ensuring Ji Yunruo wouldn't mix them up, then helped her load the boxes into the bag. Watching Ji Yunruo vanish again, Ying Shuang finally took a deep breath and moved on to the next orders.
Most of the lunch delivery orders were actually for dinner, so Ji Yunruo still had a bit of downtime.
But come dinnertime, their cat-eared friend would probably be just as busy.
"All done."
After handing over the sorted orders to Ying Shuang and taking a fresh stack from her, Fu Ya looked up, meeting Ying Shuang's gaze as their hands brushed. Seeing the beads of sweat on her friend's forehead, Fu Ya couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"What's so funny?" Relieved of some pressure by Fu Ya's help, Ying Shuang finally had a moment to ask, curious.
"Oh, nothing." Fu Ya reached out, using her sleeve to gently wipe the sweat from Ying Shuang's forehead, a warm smile on her face.
She remembered three years ago when they both entered Shrek Academy. When they were first assigned to the same dorm room, they clashed constantly.
Back then, Ying Shuang had been raised in a pampered environment. Her temper was short, and she hated dealing with discomfort. She even clashed with teachers several times, leading to some stern discipline that finally calmed her down a bit.
Compared to her, Fu Ya had always been mild-mannered, excelling in all her courses, which irritated Ying Shuang, who saw her as a goody-goody from a poor background.
Living under the same roof, they had plenty of arguments.
But as they spent more time together, they slowly began to see each other's strengths.
Despite Ying Shuang's pride, she had a kind heart, and once she learned about Fu Ya's background, she always looked for ways to help her.
Sometimes her efforts were a bit awkward and immature, even leaving Fu Ya embarrassed, but her sincerity touched Fu Ya deeply.
And Fu Ya, noticing Ying Shuang struggled with many academic subjects, would use her free time to encourage her to study. Ying Shuang would often grumble, but deep down, she was grateful.
Looking at her friend now—who was skillfully recording orders, categorizing them, labeling meal boxes, and organizing everything with precision—Fu Ya felt a surge of nostalgia.
She remembered the lazy, spoiled girl who'd once refused to even carry her own food tray at the cafeteria.
Ying Shuang really had changed a lot.
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