My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

Although Lin Jiu wasn't sure why Wang Yuting felt tired, he could offer support in other ways to ensure her well-being. Perhaps it was the heat; not drinking enough water in the sweltering summer could easily cause dizziness and lightheadedness. He suggested going downstairs to pick out some fruit tomorrow…

"I love all the dishes Jiu'er makes~"

Wang Yuting responded slowly.

Perhaps because she was thinking of Lin Jiu's delicious food, she subconsciously opened her mouth, a faint glow appearing at the corner of her lips. She suddenly felt a little hungry; if only she could lie on Lin Jiu's lap and comfortably eat snacks.

Wang Yuting's craving for snacks has been increasing lately, and her tastes change daily. One day she might like potato chips, and the next she'd crave peanuts and sunflower seeds, or things like preserved plums and candy that she can keep in her mouth for a while. Unfortunately, Lin Jiu's control over Wang Yuting's snacks is second only to her control over her beer, especially after Wang Yuting's secret stash of money was exposed, her daily snack intake has decreased significantly.

"Then I need to work even harder, not only to supplement nutrition, but also to satisfy you in terms of taste."

Lin Jiu smiled and said, running her fingers up Wang Yuting's cheek and gently gathering her hair.

Perhaps it was the "girlfriend filter" that made Lin Jiu prefer Wang Yuting's hair to Ling Lin's. His favorite girl was lying on his lap, just like before they officially started dating. What Lin Jiu found strange was that this fluttering feeling hadn't lessened after they started dating; in fact, his heart was beating even faster.

Lin Jiu pondered that she had probably been in a closed-off state of mind back then, and Wang Yuting had forcefully opened a crack in it, allowing her to perceive Wang Yuting's extraordinary charm. Now that she had completely opened her heart to her, she could feel Wang Yuting's loveliness in every way. Perhaps that was why her heart was beating so fast?

"Hehe... Jiu'er's legs... hehe..."

Wang Yuting gradually drifted into a comfortable sleep, as if enveloped in a layer of sweet honey, sleeping soundly. She unintentionally climbed up to Lin Jiu's legs, affectionately rubbing her cheek against them, her drool staining Lin Jiu's skirt.

Lin Jiu silently covered her cheeks.

At that moment, Lin Jiu suddenly realized the real reason for his racing heart. His body had been trained by Wang Yuting to react instinctively to certain movements of hers. It was like going to the gym regularly each week, following a systematic training plan to develop muscle memory and ensure that every movement was perfectly executed.

"Honestly, you have to take responsibility for how I ended up like this."

Lin Jiu murmured softly to the sleeping Wang Yuting, then unfolded a folded blanket from beside the sofa and covered Wang Yuting's stomach. Because the room was air-conditioned, sleeping on the sofa for a long time could easily cause her stomach to get cold.

"Mmm~"

Wang Yuting pursed her lips slightly, as if she had been awakened by Lin Jiu's actions.

Lin Jiu kept covering her with the blanket, thinking that she would only sit up properly once she was sleeping more soundly.

Wang Yuting turned around in a daze, leaning her head against Lin Jiu's abdomen. The warmth from her breath seeped through her thin shirt, carrying a subtle dampness.

"Um..."

Wang Yuting subconsciously raised her hands to hug Lin Jiu's waist, lazily rubbing against him, her hair tickling Lin Jiu. Finally, she found a comfortable position, a silly smile on her face, her mind drifting into a sweet dream.

Lin Jiu was also feeling a bit sleepy.

Unfortunately, he can't sleep at all now.

"That idiot..."

Lin Jiu said in a low voice.

He pulled the blanket that was pressing down on Wang Yuting's abdomen and covered her with it again.

There was only one blanket beside the sofa; the other was in the closet, and Lin Jiu couldn't easily get it right now. Getting up would disturb Wang Yuting's sweet dreams, and to let her rest properly, Lin Jiu was prepared for his thighs to ache and go numb from her weight. However, Lin Jiu didn't feel cold; he had the warm and cozy Wang Yuting in his arms, warming both his body and soul.

Lin Jiu gently hugged Wang Yuting, smiled slightly, and lowered his head to kiss her hair.

Sweet dreams.

Chapter 424 The Iron Fist of a Beloved Wife

"Well……"

Lin Jiu wandered around the Tea Cat Cafe absentmindedly.

There wasn't a single customer in the shop this afternoon, which made everyone else quite happy to have some free time.

Lin Jiu, however, couldn't sit still. He picked up the cleaning tools and began a thorough cleaning.

"Um……"

Lin Jiu was busy working while pondering things in her mind.

Although Lin Jiu's mind was filled with thoughts of Wang Yuting, his work efficiency did not decrease; on the contrary, it increased significantly.

Hazuki was scalded by Xu Yang's cunning and ruthlessness, and her eyes flashed with a strange light. She was surrounded by a cunning and ruthless aura, and her eyes gleam ...

Because Ye Yue's family uses a allowance system, and most of the money is managed by Tong Yingyu, Ye Yue always spends all her allowance. When she gets a craving, she has no choice but to set her sights on her family's shop, taking advantage of her position as the shop manager to get all sorts of freebies. When the other shop assistants see this, instead of learning from her, they feel they have to prove themselves and not be as shameful as their manager.

We're all adults here; it feels pathetic to be happy about scraps of food.

When Hazuki learned of the other employees' thoughts, she felt no shame whatsoever; rather, she felt her actions were educational. Because of her example of sneaking food, everyone's moral character improved, which was a good thing for everyone. Hazuki could satisfy her cravings, the employees could improve their conduct, and everyone had a bright future.

"Wow!"

Hazuki couldn't help but swear.

She emerged from the kitchen, eating ice cream at the bar, when the opulent exterior caught her eye. She was so stunned she dropped her ice cream tub. The café looked as if it had undergone a complete renovation; the entire place was so clean it shone brightly, which, frankly, wasn't good for her eyesight. The floor was also so shiny it reflected light; it would look terrible if she were wearing a short skirt.

Looking at the floor, which was almost as smooth as a mirror, Ye Yue almost couldn't resist calling Ling Lin, who was on his day off, to come to work.

What is going on here?

Hazuki didn't recall ever hiring anyone to renovate the shop. The shop was still relatively new and could withstand some maintenance. If it needed renovations every year, Hazuki's wallet wouldn't be able to keep up; it wasn't some high-risk entertainment venue.

Hazuki quickly found a contractor to renovate the shop.

"Master, what do you do for a living?"

"what?"

Lin Jiu wrung out the rag and turned around blankly.

He looked at the ice cream scoop in Hazuki's hand, then at the stains on her clothes, and frowned slightly.

Lin Jiu went over to take a look and found the ice cream bucket lying on the ground. He frowned and stared at Ye Yue.

Hazuki instinctively put the ice cream scoop in her mouth, indicating that she wouldn't give it up.

Lin Jiu rolled his eyes at her; he wasn't there to steal the food.

"Honestly, they don't even know to pick things up when they drop them on the ground."

Lin Jiu waved Ye Yue away to the corner of the bar, picked up the ice cream tub from the floor for her, and checked the floor. Fortunately, there wasn't much left in the tub, so the only thing that needed cleaning was the spilled ice cream. Even so, they couldn't be careless. The bar floor needed to be cleaned every night with hot water and dish soap; otherwise, accidentally spilled syrup could attract insects, and the floor would become sticky, increasing the risk of slips and falls.

TeaCat Cafe regularly hires professionals to perform pest control and disinfection every month. Before the process, they use plastic bags to isolate food, kitchen utensils, and beverage containers to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. After the pest control and disinfection, the morning shift staff arrives early the next day to dispose of the plastic bags used for isolation and turn on the fresh air system to maintain air circulation. This is essential; otherwise, people would feel dizzy if they stayed there for too long.

Lin Jiu deftly wiped the bar floor clean. Looking up at Ye Yue's clothes, he couldn't resist helping her clean the stains as well, at least covering them up. Before leaving get off work, he told Tong Yingyu to add some baking soda to Ye Yue's clothes when washing them, to rub them carefully a few times to force the dirt out, and then soak them in clean water.

"stare……"

Lin Jiu's gaze lingered on Ye Yue's round-framed glasses in her shirt pocket, and she wondered if she should wipe them clean as well.

"Stop!"

Hazuki clutched her chest.

She felt Lin Jiu's aggressive gaze, which was so intense that it frightened her.

"You have a girlfriend, so please have some self-respect!"

"...I'll return those words to you verbatim."

Lin Jiu looked away from Ye Yue's round-framed glasses, stood there stunned for a moment, and then began to clean the bar counter.

"Stop! Don't clean! If you keep going, I'll feel ashamed because the environment is too clean!" Ye Yue stopped Lin Jiu's cleaning enthusiasm and said seriously, "Please leave some living space for trash like me!"

Lin Jiu looked up at Ye Yue with disdain in her eyes, but still said, "Manager, you're not trash."

"Lin Jiu..."

Tears welled up in Hazuki's eyes.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jiu held her in such high regard.

She thought she was just an annoying nuisance in Lin Jiu's eyes, but it seems she underestimated herself.

"If you're trash, then am I working under trash? You might not care, but I have to stand up for my other excellent colleagues. Please reflect on your incompetence when you're alone at home." Lin Jiu waved her hand coldly. "Now, please move aside; you're blocking my work."

Hazuki's expression froze slightly.

She pondered for a long time, then slowly raised her head, bypassed Lin Jiu, and rushed towards the office.

Lin Jiu felt as if a gust of wind had rushed past him. He turned to look at Ye Yue's back and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Did I go too far?" Lin Jiu asked herself. Perhaps she really had gone too far this time, and maybe she had upset Ye Yue. Even if Ye Yue was lazy and idle, never doing anything, and liked to steal food from the shop, showing no authority as the shop manager whatsoever, and always liked to tease the employees like a middle-aged man who was unhappy with life and could only find amusement in the workplace, she was still a girl after all. Being said those things to her face would definitely make her feel bad and uncomfortable…

"I'm back!!"

Hazuki makes a dashing entrance.

He was full of energy and had an excited expression, so that no one could tell that he was even slightly depressed.

"...I don't remember ever slapping you."

Looking at the clear handprint on Ye Yue's face, Lin Jiu wondered if he had been erased from his memory for a period of time. In that timeline, he simply couldn't stand Ye Yue and uncontrollably resorted to violence. However, judging from the finger mark on Ye Yue's face, it seemed to be larger than his own finger, so perhaps someone else had struck him. After all, there was no way to change physical development through effort.

Lin Jiu pondered for a moment. He had maintained a healthy routine of eating and sleeping well every day for two months. This was a golden experience he had never had before. Why then had the nutrients he was consuming failed to promote his physical growth? Where were these nutrients stored, and where were they being lost?

Nutrition doesn't disappear; it only moves around.

"Oh dear, this is my wife's punishment."

Hazuki gently touched the slap mark on her face and said with great pleasure.

"For a fleeting moment, I was moved by your roundabout preaching, which made me question my own love. Fortunately, I immediately found the love of my life and asked her to scold me severely, and I got my reward as I wished." Ye Yue stroked the slap mark on her cheek, smiling foolishly, as if she were eating honey. "Indeed, it is Ying Yu's beatings and scoldings that move me the most."

As if suddenly realizing something, Ye Yue lowered her head and adopted an unprecedentedly serious attitude towards Lin Jiu.

"I'm sorry, I can't accept your feelings. I already have someone I like!"

"...Why am I the one who got dumped?! You look down on me!"

Although Lin Jiu didn't care about Ye Yue's feelings, he still felt a bit annoyed.

It's no wonder you're angry when a woman like this inexplicably thinks it's a confession of love, and then inexplicably dumps you.

"Alright, alright, it's break time now. Come to the lounge and have a cup of tea with me."

Ye Yue's infatuated expression slowly faded, and she waved to Lin Jiu, signaling him to stop what he was doing. If this continued, Lin Jiu would eventually have to change the shop's appearance, and might even scare away those reserved customers. But then again, venting her frustrations on housework was truly Lin Jiu's style…

Ye Yue looked at Lin Jiu with a meaningful gaze, and had to admit that Lin Jiu was truly virtuous and kind.

"The store can't be left unattended, can it? What if customers come in? We can't just ignore them." Lin Jiu raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Ye Yue with displeasure, and reminded her, "Don't make me, a part-time worker, say these things to you. You're the store manager."

"You're right."

Knowing her mistake, Hazuki nodded and said seriously, "In the name of the shop manager, I request that you come with me to the lounge for tea immediately. There are no customers in the kitchen right now, so please leave it to the kitchen staff to keep an eye on things. If you need anything, just call us."