The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"Ladies upstairs, come down and serve our customers!"

Ye Shu sat bolt upright almost instantly, quickly reaching out to turn off his phone alarm. He glanced at the time—6:30 in the morning—and then slumped back onto his pillow.

He set this alarm clock when he lived alone, but turned it off after staying here for a few days and forgot about it.

I don't know if the people in the other room heard me, I need to find another one quickly...

Ye Shu stretched and yawned in bed like a mutated zombie before getting up, washing up, and tiptoeing into the kitchen.

I fried two eggs, heated up some milk, and made two small bowls of fried rice with eggs.

He quickly finished his portion, carefully sealed the portion for Xia Qing with plastic wrap, and put it in the pot to keep it warm.

He walked to Xia Qing's bedroom door, listened carefully, but there was no sound inside. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to knock and disturb her, and instead found a note on a piece of paper in the living room.

Breakfast is in the pot, remember to eat. I'm going to work now, call me if you need anything.

He placed the note on the coffee table, weighed it down with the TV remote, stared at it for two seconds, then turned around, changed his clothes, and quietly closed the door before leaving.

He left home almost an hour early; it was his first day at work, and he absolutely couldn't be late.

At 8:30, he stood at the entrance of "Corner Tea House" on time. The door was still closed, and it looked rather deserted compared to the surrounding shops that were opening one after another.

Ye Shu wasn't in a hurry and sat down on a bench at the shop entrance.

The morning air was cool and refreshing. He looked at the office workers who looked utterly hopeless and the elderly walking their dogs and spitting on the ground... A long-lost feeling of belonging to "society" washed over him.

"Hey, handsome young man, you're here so early? Were you waiting impatiently?"

A slightly languid female voice came through.

Ye Shu looked up and saw Chen Xing carrying a large canvas bag, yawning as she walked towards him. Today, she had her hair tied up in a neat bun, with a few strands of hair casually falling beside her cheeks. She had no makeup on, but exuded a unique freshness.

Good morning, Sister Chen Xing.

Ye Shu quickly stood up and smiled:

"I wasn't in a hurry. It's my first day at work, and I wanted to get familiar with things as soon as possible."

"That's very insightful! I like it!"

Chen Xing reached out and patted his shoulder, then pulled out his key and unlocked the door with a clang:

"But next time you don't need to be so early, just arrive at 8:50 and leave ten minutes to prepare. We're a small business, we don't do that capitalist thing of clocking in early."

The glass door was pushed open, and Chen Xing was the first to walk into the still somewhat dimly lit store and turn on the lights.

Warm yellow light instantly fills the small space, with natural wood tables and chairs, green plants, and a wall of sticky notes... During the day, this little shop looks even more cozy.

Chen Xing casually shoved his handbag under the counter, stretched, and then bent down to rummage through the cabinet.

A moment later, she pulled out a black apron with the "Turn Corner Tea Talk" logo printed on it, turned around and tossed it to Ye Shu.

"Here, your work clothes. Try them on and see if they fit."

Ye Shu put on the apron and tied the straps. It was the perfect size, and there was even a small pocket on the chest.

"Not bad, you look quite energetic."

Chen Xing crossed his arms and sized him up, nodding in satisfaction. Then, his tone shifted, and a sly grin, like someone conscripting a soldier, appeared on his face:

"Well then, Ye Shu, congratulations on becoming our proud new employee. Your first task today is..."

She gestured in a circle, pointing to the entire storefront:

"Clean the store inside and out, wipe the tables and chairs clean, mop the floor, tidy up the worktable, check and replenish the materials, and then open the door to welcome customers at nine o'clock sharp."

She counted on her fingers, then yawned:

"As for your gentle and considerate boss... I stayed up until 3 a.m. watching dramas last night and desperately need to recharge and catch up on some sleep. I'll leave this shop to you for now! I believe in you; you'll definitely do a good job, right?"

After saying that, before Ye Shu could react, she had already walked towards the small rest area separated by a curtain at the back of the shop:

"Ha...it seems pretty cool to be the boss ordering around your employees..."

Ye Shu stood there, looking at the rag in her hand, then at the small room separated by the curtain, and then at the rest of the shop. For a moment, she was at a loss as to what to do.

Well, on my first official day at work, I'm all alone.

At 9:00 sharp, Ye Shu flipped the wooden sign on the glass door that read "Preparing" to reveal the words "Open for Business".

Sunlight streamed through the glass door, illuminating the tables and chairs that were polished to a mirror-like shine, making the whole shop bright and cozy.

Almost simultaneously, the curtain of the rest room was lifted, and Chen Xing walked out with a big yawn and a messy bun.

She squinted as she surveyed the cleaned shop, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm—not bad, not bad at all, Xiao Ye. Here's a little red flower as a reward."

She walked behind the counter, turned on the coffee machine to preheat it, and the rich aroma of coffee beans began to spread.

As she took two coffee cups from the cabinet, she said to Ye Shu without looking up:

"You've worked hard, let me buy you a drink. What would you like? Americano or latte?"

"Ah, a latte, please. Thank you, Sister Chen Xing."

"Don't mention it."

Chen Xing waved his hand and began to focus on fiddling with the coffee pot and filter cup. His movements were very skillful, although his eyes were not fully open and he looked sleepy.

As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something, bent down and rummaged in the drawer under the counter for a while, then pulled out a notebook that looked quite old, with curled edges, and handed it to Ye Shu.

"There aren't many people around this morning, so it's a bit quiet. You can take a look at this first. This is my exclusive recipe, passed down only to women... oh no, I'm passing it on to you now, so keep it safe!"

Ye Shu curiously opened the book of exclusive recipes. The first page had the words "Exclusive Recipe" written in watercolor, with a crooked cup drawn next to it.

It turns out that the name of the exclusive formula is "Exclusive Formula," which suddenly gave Ye Shu the feeling that the Wi-Fi password is the "password."

Turning to a page, it was filled with densely packed handwriting, all in a slightly flamboyant style, but not ugly.

But after reading only one page, Ye Shu's brows furrowed slightly.

[Signature Bubble Tea]

Black tea: a handful

Creamer: Good enough is fine

Syrup: Use less

Pearls: Cooked until chewy and bouncy

Ice cubes: Add to half the glass

Water: Fill to the top

Soul: Shake it! Shake it hard! Shake it until it foams!

Ye Shu turned to another page with a head full of questions, only to find that it was still the same.

【Jade Lemon Green】

Green tea: a handful

Lemon: Squeeze half a lemon, it tastes better when it's a bit sour.

Syrup: a tiny bit

Honey: a small spoonful

Ice cubes: Depends on the situation

Key point: Crush the lemon slices vigorously! Bring out the aroma!

Ye Shu's lips twitched more and more as she looked at it. What kind of units of measurement were these, "a handful," "a tiny bit," and "you decide"?!

He took a deep breath to calm himself, pointed to the "pack of black tea," and asked Chen Xing, who was still brewing coffee:

"Sister Chen Xing, how many grams is this 'handful' approximately?"

Chen Xing was focused on brewing coffee and, without even looking up, replied matter-of-factly:

"A handful is a handful. Just grab a handful and see if it feels about right. What's so hard to understand?"

"..."

He felt his STEM soul throbbing with pain; this was completely a stream-of-consciousness operation!