The next day at seven sharp, the phone buzz buzzed by the pillow.
It was messages from Mu Siyi, popping out one after another.
“Get up Jiejie!”
“I’m already out the door, twenty minutes to your downstairs.”
“Don’t pretend you’re not there, I know you’re idle to death～”
Mu Yan stared at the ceiling in a daze.
Twenty minutes.
Even specially left her twenty minutes.
Really generous, was she supposed to be grateful too.
She dawdled changing clothes and washing her face; when she went downstairs she saw the person already standing at the apartment entrance.
White T-shirt paired with denim shorts, ponytail tied very high, two cups of soy milk and a bag of baozi in her hands, steam rising from the bag opening.
“Good morning Jiejie! The soy milk is still hot.”
Mu Yan took it and sipped a mouthful.
“…Thanks.”
“Let’s go! Job hunting!” Mu Siyi grabbed her wrist in one hold and yanked forward.
“There’s a convenience store hiring on the street ahead, first go take a look.”
“…I can go by myself.”
“That won’t do.”
Mu Siyi looked back and smiled at her.
“You grew a face that says ‘I’m easy to trick,’ going alone you wouldn’t even know if you got sold.”
The one who most wants to sell me isn’t you.
The two walked forward along the plane tree shade.
Morning breeze wrapped the fragrance of youtiao and soy milk, steam rising from the steamer baskets at the roadside breakfast stalls.
Mu Siyi commented on the roadside hiring notices all the way, that posture like a foodie scoring shops on a tour.
“This convenience store no good, shop too small. That bookstore ahead looks okay… two days off a month? That won’t do, you won’t even have time to play with me.”
“…Why do I have to play with you.”
“Because I’m your little sister.” Mu Siyi blinked. “Although not blood, but last night we already slept in the same bed, isn’t this relationship iron enough?”
Says it like I volunteered. I was hoop-locked as a body pillow the whole night, my waist still remembers that force even now.
After walking another hundred-odd meters, Mu Siyi suddenly stopped, staring at her phone screen for a few seconds; when she looked up her eyes were bright as if discovering treasure.
“Jiejie! I found a job that’s absolutely perfect for you!”
Mu Yan’s alarm bells immediately blared.
What suitable thing could she find? Most likely wanting to toss her around again.
“…What.”
“Right ahead! Turn the corner and we’re there!”
Mu Siyi pulled her around the street corner and stopped in front of a shop.
Pink signboard, white lace curtains, a small blackboard at the entrance written in colored chalk—“Moe Meow Pavilion Maid Café · Today’s Special: Chocolate Lava Cake + Meow-Meow Latte Art”, a crooked cartoon cat drawn in the corner.
Maid café.
Mu Yan turned and walked back.
Her wrist was grabbed in one hold.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Don’t! Look they posted hiring, even wrote no experience required! So suitable for you!”
“Where’s it suitable?”
“Everywhere is suitable!” Mu Siyi counted on her fingers.
“First, you look good, wearing the uniform will definitely have effect; second, no need to move heavy things, just serve coffee and cake, that little strength of yours is just enough; third, the shop has AC! And fourth—”
She came close, eyes curving into crescents. “I want to see you wear a maid outfit.”
So the first three were all padding, the fourth is the real talk. Too lazy to even make up the padding seriously.
“Not wearing.”
“What if it’s just an ordinary apron? First go in and take a look, no loss.”
Mu Siyi dragged and pulled the person inside.
The wind chime ding-donged.
Warm yellow lights, white round tables spread with lace tablecloths, a fake cherry blossom tree standing in the corner, a bunch of cat paintings hanging on the walls.
Behind the counter stood a woman with chestnut short hair, wearing thin-frame glasses, organizing coffee cups—wearing a white shirt and black trousers, not a maid outfit.
Mu Yan quietly let out a breath.
“Welcome… aiyo, Siyi?” The proprietress looked up seeing her, paused. “Why are you here? Xiao You went to make-up class today, not here.”
“Not here to find Xiao You.” Mu Siyi pushed Mu Yan forward half a step, both hands on her shoulders, like displaying some newly arrived treasure. “Boss lady, didn’t your door post hiring? I brought you a suitable one.”
The proprietress’s gaze landed on Mu Yan’s face, scanning up and down a circle, eyes going from confusion straight to delight.
“Aiyo this kid is really pretty! Skin white face still small. Siyi, this is your friend?”
“My jie,” Mu Siyi opened her mouth and came out with it, “from a distant relative’s family, recently moved to Jiangcheng, looking for work.”
Distant relative? When did she make up this setting?
The proprietress nodded, the more she looked the more satisfied.
“Image really good, temperament also special, cold and indifferent not loving to talk, wearing maid outfit the contrast will absolutely be amazing. Done waitressing before?”
“…No.”
“No experience no problem, good at learning, just take orders and serve things. Base pay two thousand eight plus commission, noon twelve to afternoon six, six hours a day. How about it, try?”
Mu Yan had just opened her mouth to refuse when the hand on her shoulder pressed lightly, Mu Siyi speaking before her. “She’ll try!”
?
Mu Yan turned her head to look at her.
Mu Siyi smiled at her, lowering her voice.
“You can’t squat in the rental apartment every day, right? Convenience store still has to move drink crates, can you move them? Here at most serving plates, much easier.”
This also isn’t a reason for you to agree on my behalf.
In the two seconds of hesitation, the proprietress had already fished a registration form from the drawer.
“Fill a form first. Brought ID card?”
Mu Yan pulled out her ID and handed it over.
The proprietress took it and glanced, paused, then pushed up her glasses and came closer, comparing her face and the ID photo back and forth.
“This is really your ID?”
“Mm.”
“Born ’99?”
“Yes.”
The proprietress flipped the ID over looking at the light, then looked up at Mu Yan’s round doll face, plus her height under 160 cm, expression growing more and more subtle.
“Siyi ah, tell Auntie the truth… is this kid of age?”
Mu Siyi leaned on the counter, already laughing so hard she couldn’t straighten up.
“Of age of age! Look at the ID, ’99, eighteen this year, just of age.”
“I look at her like fifteen.” The proprietress muttered glancing at Mu Yan again. “Little girl, tell Auntie the truth, did you take your jie’s ID to come?”
Mu Yan felt her cheeks heating a bit.
“…It’s me.”
“Really?”
“…Want me to recite the ID number.”
The proprietress paused, then laughed out loud. “This kid is pretty tough. Siyi, is your jie usually like this too? Looks like a doll, talking is quite sharp.”
“She’s like this.”
Mu Siyi wiped the tears from laughing.
“Talking is especially interesting. Look at that face, clearly angry, yet looking like she’s in a daze. Super cute.”
I’m not angry… no, I am a bit angry. What do you mean angry looks like in a daze?
The proprietress took her phone to photograph the ID for filing, Mu Yan lowered her eyes waiting for the result.
Beside her Mu Siyi leaned on the counter, raising her phone sneakily aiming at her side face, clicked a shot.
“Mu Siyi.”
“Ah?”
“Delete it.”
“Not deleting.” She hid the phone behind her back, laughing nonstop.
“This expression is amazing, that ‘I’m annoyed but I won’t say’ vibe, posting to Moments is just right, caption: My jie first day of work.”
“I haven’t started work. And I have no expression.”
“Yeah! You have no expression and I can still shoot emotion out of it, means my photography skills are good.”
You sneak-shooting still photography skills.
After a while the proprietress set down her phone and handed the ID back.
“Okay, if it’s the person then fine. Mainly we have rules can’t use minors. This face of yours, later in the shop guests will probably ask your age every day, prepare yourself mentally. When the time comes no need to explain much, just say of age—although saying it probably no one will believe.”
“…Oh.”
“Uniforms issued uniformly, you wearing XS should be enough. Trial period three days, come to work tomorrow at noon twelve.”
After filling the form, Mu Siyi pulled her to sit at a window seat, both hands cupping her cheeks, smiling brilliantly.
“How about it? I said it suits you. Environment good, has AC, can also wear pretty clothes. Did you see that maid outfit on the hanger? Black and white, lace on the skirt hem, bow at the collar, wearing it will definitely look good.”
“You wear it.”
“I’m not of age yet, they don’t hire. Can only be you.”
“…I’m leaving.”
“Wait! Boss lady, I’ll take Jiejie to look around the shop!”
The proprietress poked her head from the back kitchen. “Look freely! There’s a staff break room in the back, fitting room right beside. By the way Siyi, wait a moment.”
She walked out, pointed at Mu Yan then pointed at Mu Siyi, face full of curiosity.
“You just said this girl is your distant relative? How come I never heard Xiao You mention? Didn’t she say you only have one gege, that kid who had the accident?”
The smile on Mu Siyi’s face didn’t disorder half a bit, waving her hand.
“Yeah, this is a distant relative from my ge’s side. She also called Mu Yan, same name as my ge, coincidental right? My mom said this is fate, told me to take extra care of her.”
The proprietress oh’ed, nodded and didn’t chase further.
“Then okay, come on time tomorrow noon. Anything you don’t understand just ask Siyi, she often comes to the shop to play with Xiao You, the process is very familiar.”
Coming out of the shop, the sun had already risen high, plane tree shadows shrinking into a small clump.
Mu Siyi walked in front, holding the sun umbrella humming a song, mood good as if winning a prize.
Mu Yan followed behind, staring at her swinging ponytail in a daze.
“Jiejie,” Mu Siyi suddenly looked back, “starting tomorrow you’re a maid café clerk! Looking forward to it?”
“…Not looking forward.”
“Doesn’t matter, I looking forward is enough. Tomorrow noon I’ll come pick you up, first day of work can’t be late.”
“No need to pick up.”
“That won’t do. What if you run? Finally stuffed you into the maid café, I can’t let you slip away.”
Even “stuffed”? She admitted it! She doesn’t even hide that she’s manipulating my career planning!
Mu Siyi waved at her, turned and bounced toward home, after walking a few steps looked back and shouted, “By the way! Tomorrow wearing the maid outfit remember to take a photo and send me! Must take it!”
“Not taking.”
“No! This is little sister’s privilege!”
After shouting she ran off laughing, ponytail swinging under the sun.
Mu Yan stood in place, looking expressionlessly at her back, silent for five seconds.
Little sister’s privilege?
This privilege is a bit too big.