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

Seeing Ye Shu's somewhat obsessive-compulsive behavior, Chen Xing placed two cups of coffee on the bar counter, pushing one towards Ye Shu. She patted him on the shoulder, offering a "I've been there" look of advice:

"Relax, don't worry about it. You'll get the hang of it after making it a lot. This isn't a chemistry experiment. Adding a little more or a little less won't make a huge difference. As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters."

Ye Shu nodded, the rich aroma of coffee wafting towards him. He noticed a latte art design made with milk foam on top, but without giving it much thought, he casually stirred it with a spoon.

Seeing this, Chen Xing's lips twitched and his fists clenched.

Ye Shu picked up the cup and took a sip. The silky milk foam and slightly bitter coffee blended together in his mouth; it was indeed quite good. He nodded.

"It's delicious! Sister Chen Xing's cooking is really good."

"Of course~ My hand-drip coffee is one of a kind on this street!"

Chen Xing proudly raised his chin, thinking to himself:

I'll let you off the hook this time since you're so sweet-talking!

She picked up her own glass, leaned back comfortably against the bar, and started watching a show on her phone, looking every bit the serene and content proprietress.

Time passed slowly, and the hands of the clock on the wall moved along leisurely.

Apart from the occasional passing car, the only sounds in the shop were the TV drama playing on Chen Xing's phone and the rustling of Ye Shu flipping through the book of metaphysical formulas.

It's been over an hour, and the store's business can be described in eight words:

Guests arrive like clouds, yet the sky is cloudless for miles.

Looking at the empty shop and then at the owner leisurely watching TV, Ye Shu finally couldn't help but ask:

"Sister Chen Xing, is business... this morning so... easy?"

He tried to choose a more euphemistic word.

Chen Xing didn't even take his eyes off his phone screen before casually grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds and placing them on the bar counter.

"That's normal. Our shop's main customers are people who come to rest after shopping in the afternoon and students who come home from school in the evening. The morning is basically a time for them to recharge. That's why I said you can come at 8:50."

As soon as she finished speaking, it was as if she was deliberately slapping her in the face.

"Ding-a-ling~"

The wind chimes hanging on the shop door rang once.

Two girls who looked like they had just finished shopping pushed open the door and walked in, bringing with them a wisp of outdoor heat.

Welcome!

Ye Shu subconsciously stood up.

The girls huddled together in front of the menu, whispered among themselves, ordered two drinks, and then found a seat.

"Okay, just a moment!"

Chen Xing put down his phone, raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't pay much attention, and got up to start making it.

Ye Shu watched from the side, trying hard to recall the steps in the manual. Sure enough, Chen Xing grabbed a handful of tea leaves and added sugar and milk by feel. His movements were smooth and fluid, and he exuded an aura of "methodical messing around".

The drinks were ready quickly, and Ye Shu brought over two cups of beverages.

Just as Ye Shu had placed the drink on the table and hadn't yet stood up...

"Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~"

The wind chimes rang again, and this time three middle-aged women came in together.

"Oh my, I never noticed there was a shop here before. Is it newly opened? It looks quite clean."

"Any good drinks you'd recommend?"

A slight crack appeared on Chen Xing's relaxed expression. She answered the aunties while speeding up her work and giving Ye Shu a wink.

Ye Shu understood and quickly went over to help take the order.

Before the aunties had finished ordering, the "ding-a-ling" sounded again, this time from a couple...

Then, as if some mysterious switch had been flipped, customers began to enter in twos and threes.

There were office workers coming down from nearby office buildings to buy coffee, housewives dropping off their children and stopping by on their way, and young people who came after being recommended by friends...

In less than half an hour, the once quiet little shop was more than half full.

Behind the workbench, Chen Xing was practically flying around, brewing tea and shaking the shaker.

"Xiao Ye! Help me cook the pearls!"

"The syrup is almost gone! Get a new bucket from under the cupboard!"

"The mango smoothie for table number three is ready, please send it over quickly!"

Ye Shu also instantly activated his super transformation form, simultaneously handling the tasks of taking orders, delivering food, packing, cashiering, and restocking. He was like a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed.

Customers came and went in waves, and at the most extreme times, there was even a small queue of four or five people outside the store.

Passersby outside the glass window saw this and joined the queue out of curiosity. Many elderly women thought they were being given away eggs and also lined up.

It wasn't until after 3 p.m., when the last group of customers left the store, that Chen Xing and Ye Shu were finally able to catch their breath.

Chen Xing was practically bursting with rage. The workbench looked like a battlefield, with used cups scattered about, dotted with pearls and tea stains—it was a postmodern work of art.

"My God..."

Chen Xing rubbed his lower back and sat in the chair, not wanting to move.

"What's going on today? I've been running this shop for so long, and this is the first time I've been so busy I'm practically running around like crazy!"

Ye Shu was also exhausted and was drinking water in large gulps, so she had no time to respond to Chen Xing's exclamation.

Chen Xing's gaze fell on him, and after looking him up and down, his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Wait... something's not right! Something's definitely not right!"

She stroked her chin and analyzed the situation just like Kogoro:

"Isn't it a coincidence? On your very first day on the job, my shop seemed to have been blessed!"

Ye Shu felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and swallowed the water in his mouth.

"Uh... coincidence? Maybe it's just that the weather's nice today, so everyone's out shopping."

"No, no!"

Chen Xing shook his finger, pointed at Ye Shu, and said with certainty:

"It's you! It must be you! Xiao Ye, you must be the reincarnation of a lucky cat! Look at you, the few hours you've been here have equaled several days' worth of my business!"

Chen Xing found Ye Shu's words increasingly convincing, and stood up to circle around her, his eyes practically sparkling.

"I was wondering why my left eyelid had been twitching these past few days. Turns out, it means I'm about to strike it rich! I've really struck gold! How about I buy you a pair of red underwear to wear, give you a lucky buff!"

Ye Shu could only give this idea an 8.5 out of 10, because he currently has 1.5 words.

Chen Xing became more and more excited as he talked, and he had already started planning how to prepare materials in the mornings.

"Xiao Ye, I knew I hadn't misjudged you! Keep up the good work, and next month... no, this month I'll give you a bonus! Our store will definitely grow bigger and stronger! We'll achieve even greater success!"

Listening to the boss's grand promises and looking at the postmodern art on the workbench, Ye Shu sighed and picked up a rag to start cleaning.

Ye Shu took a rag and carefully wiped the work surface. He was a bit of a perfectionist. Once he started doing something, he had to do it well and strive for perfection.

This isn't obsessive-compulsive disorder; he's okay with sitting anywhere, even in small spaces. It just shows he has a heart that strives for perfection.

When Ye Shu finally had some free time, something suddenly popped into her head.

"I wonder if they've eaten at home yet?"