The two were having a serious discussion when a group of drunkards suddenly entered the café.
"Hey, hey, this looks good. Not too many people here—let's check it out! " one of them said, leaning heavily on his friend's shoulder. He held a bottle of sake in one hand, swinging it around recklessly.
"This smells like trouble," Ron muttered. His eyes darted around the café. Noticing the active camera, he stayed silent and kept watch.
Ye Xiu, wearing headphones, didn't seem to notice them and continued playing his game.
The three drunkards staggered toward the counter. Seeing Ron standing nearby, one of them held back a little.
"Hey, mister—"
But his tone changed instantly when he noticed the manager behind the counter.
"Ye Qiu! "The drunkard shouted, slamming his hand on the counter. The name made Ron freeze.
Startled, Ye Xiu looked up. His gaze narrowed slightly. "Liu Hao…"
It seemed Ye Xiu knew the drunkard personally—and not in a good way.
"Ye Qiu! What the hell are you doing here!? " Liu Hao shouted, glaring at him. His grip on the bottle tightened until it almost cracked. There was clear bad blood between them.
"I'm working here," Ye Xiu replied calmly, unfazed by the hostility.
"Hah! " Liu Hao chuckled bitterly. He clutched his head and sneered, "After we kicked you out of the Alliance, you ended up as a café manager? What a sore loser you've become! Hahaha! "
"Guess he deserved it, Brother Liu! "
Liu Hao's friends laughed, but Ye Xiu said nothing. It was true—after they conspired to get rid of him, he'd fallen from captain of Excellent Era to a simple café worker barely getting by.
"Hey, Brother Hao," one of them said, smirking, "maybe he doesn't even have money for a drink. Why don't you give him one? "
Understanding the mockery, Liu Hao grinned arrogantly.
"Oh? Here—take this, Captain. A gift from your precious junior."
He poured the sake over Ye Xiu's head.
That was enough for Ron. Before the situation could escalate further, he grabbed Liu Hao's wrist, startling him.
"I think that's enough," Ron said coldly. "If you go any further, it won't end well for you."
"It's fine… I'm used to dealing with children," Ye Xiu said calmly. He wiped his head with a paper towel, unbothered. His composure only made the drunkards angrier.
"You're shameless! "
Fueled by alcohol, Liu Hao and his friends lost control completely. Their anger drowned out reason. It wasn't enough to have kicked Ye Xiu out—they wanted to bury him.
"Bastard!"
Still restrained by Ron, Liu Hao swung a haymaker aimed at Ron's head—bottle in hand. A single hit could be dangerous.
Ron released his wrist and leaned back, narrowly avoiding the attack as his back hit the counter.
Ye Xiu was taken aback. If the fight escalated, it would become a huge scandal that could ruin their team's reputation. Despite everything, he still didn't hold a deep grudge against them. As their former captain, he had to stop it.
"Liu Hao! Chen Yue! That's enough! Any more of this and it'll be disastrous for you! "Ye Xiu! " he shouted.
But it was already too late.
One of Liu Hao's friends tried to kick Ron in the stomach. They had no personal grudge, but if he was protecting Ye Xiu, that made him an enemy.
Ron raised his hand and caught the kick by the ankle, stopping it mid-air.
"What—!?"
Despite their aggression, the three were pro players—people who sat all day and rarely exercised. To Ron, they were nothing more than amateurs throwing tantrums.
"Hey! Who's causing trouble!? "A voice shouted from upstairs. Chen Guo's furious voice echoed down the stairwell, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing down.
"Shit! " Liu Hao cursed. "Let's get out of here! If they find out we were in a fight, we're done for! "
"Ye Qiu! This isn't over, you bastard! " Liu Hao spat one last time before fleeing the café with his friends.
When Chen Guo and Tang Rou arrived, the culprits were already gone. The sight of a broken sake bottle and fallen chairs made it clear what had happened.
"Hey! What happened here? " Chen Guo demanded.
Ron quickly caught on to Ye Xiu's intention—he didn't want unnecessary trouble, and the fact that they'd called him "Ye Qiu" hinted at a secret past he wanted to keep hidden.
So Ron stepped forward.
"Sorry, boss. I… tried drinking a bit, but I got dizzy and dropped the bottle. I'll pay for the damage—just don't kick me out, okay? I really like it here."
"Really? " Chen Guo eyed him suspiciously. As a drinker herself, she recognized the brand—it wasn't sold anywhere nearby. And Ron didn't look drunk at all.
Still, she decided to let it go. "Fine. I won't charge you, and I won't kick you out—but you'll have to work here from now on."
She had her reasons. The brawl happened in her café; if anything else occurred later, she wanted to keep an eye on him. Besides, it was an adult's responsibility to guide the younger ones.
"No problem! Many thanks, boss! " Ron said with a polite smile.
"I guess we're co-workers now! " Tang Rou joked, offering him a handshake.
"Yeah," Ron said, shaking her hand with a grin. "Pleasure working with you."
They shared a brief laugh—as if the chaos moments ago had never happened.
Chen Guo headed back upstairs to finally get some rest, while Tang Rou, as usual, returned to her seat to continue leveling up her character.
When the café quieted down and only the two of them were left, Ye Xiu stood beside Ron and lit a cigarette. The two leaned against the wall, gazing out the window.
"Thanks for your help earlier," Ye Xiu said. "I was worried something might happen."
"It's not a big deal. Everyone has their own secrets," Ron replied simply.
He was right—everyone had something they didn't want others to know. Ye Xiu knew Ron was no exception. His hands were too refined, his movements too precise—clearly trained, like someone used to playing a musical instrument. On top of that, his composure in a fight and his ease with complex work didn't come from an ordinary background. Ye Xiu was certain: Ron's childhood wasn't normal. He probably came from a prestigious family.
"..."
Ye Xiu gave him a subtle glance but said nothing more. The quiet between them lingered longer than either expected.
"I'll head back first," Ron said, finally breaking the silence before heading off.
Ye Xiu remained where he was for a while, lost in thought, then took one last drag of his cigarette and returned to his game.