Su Nuo glanced at the time—it was already past ten o’clock.
“They should be arriving soon,” the girl said as she picked up the small apron on the chair.
“I’ll start making some desserts first.”
“Wait!”
Suddenly called out, Su Nuo turned around in confusion to see Lin Yingluo approaching her.
She gently adjusted the collar of Su Nuo’s outfit and said, “Don’t worry. Among the people coming today, a few are friends, but most are subordinates, so… just be casual about it. They’re probably more nervous than you.”
“Oh.”
The girl stepped into the Baking Room, and Lin Yingluo slowly put her phone back into her pocket.
It’s best to keep an eye on things when free, or you might forget when you really need it.
***
“Lin Chu Xi, thank goodness for you.”
The Subject Group’s teacher couldn’t help but sigh.
Though unaware of the details, since yesterday’s discussion ended, the group members had collectively turned into withered eggplants—completely lacking energy and motivation.
Half of them had applied for leave and gone home early.
After all, the thesis wasn’t due until next semester; they could work on it slowly over Summer Vacation.
Most of the remaining ones were just slacking off, leaving only Lin Chu Xi to continue working as meticulously as always.
“That’s only natural,” the girl with long black hair said, “My sister told me once: once you start something, don’t give up easily.”
The teacher sighed again, muttering that differences between people really begin with their upbringing.
Taking a short break, Lin Chu Xi leaned against the window, her gaze drifting off into the distance.
What she said wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t entirely accurate either.
Her sister hadn’t been teaching her just about persistence back then, but something else.
Her sister had said that to appear effortless in what you do—especially when facing things you’re not good at—you must prepare thoroughly by studying more materials and strategies.
And once so much preparation is done, the sunk cost of quitting halfway is too high, so don’t give up easily.
Her sister always wanted to mold her into someone like herself, but how can people be the same?
It was like how she now liked a cute girl—can that be the same?
“Lin Chu Xi,” the teacher suddenly returned, handing something to her.
“I just found this. Consider it a reward for being an outstanding group member.”
“What’s this?”
Lin Chu Xi held the round object in her hand and looked at it in the Sun.
It was a fairly exquisite metal coin, engraved with a cute rabbit.
“It’s a Club Commemorative Coin. They made it when they hit a hundred thousand followers. Your Senior Su personally carved it,” the teacher smiled, “But obviously, Senior Su isn’t skilled at everything. He spent a lot of effort making this, but there’s a noticeable flaw, so he gave up. It’s a rare collector’s item now.”
A noticeable flaw?
Lin Chu Xi didn’t see any flaws at first. After a moment’s thought, she flipped the coin over.
The same rabbit appeared on the back, but a scratch beneath the image made it look like the rabbit’s foot was broken.
“Doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? But from one perspective, the flaw is quite serious,” the experienced teacher pointed at the scratch on the rabbit’s foot.
“In some places, there’s a saying about the Lucky Rabbit, and its luck comes from its foot. This rabbit’s foot is broken, so it changes from lucky to unlucky.”
She paused, then added with a smile, “You can flip this coin later—one side lucky, the other unlucky.”
The teacher’s words made Lin Chu Xi listen casually, but as her fingers traced the coin, her heart suddenly thumped.
She remembered the movie she watched with Su Nuo—the double-faced man who went dark.
His coin had one side burned in the fire, so he would flip it when facing someone: heads sparing them, tails meaning a gunshot.
The girl shook her head.
How strange, why does she keep thinking about such odd things?
Maybe she missed Su Nuo too much, so all the memories with her came flooding back.
“Since everyone’s like this, I won’t force you anymore. Take the thesis home and work on it slowly during Summer Vacation,” the teacher told her.
“Tomorrow, organize the materials; the day after, tidy up a bit in the morning, then you’re free.”
***
Just past eleven, guests began arriving one after another.
The first was Lin Yingluo’s friend Jiang Qin, though strictly speaking, she had come a few days early and just went to their usual spot.
“Where’s Lin taitai?”
Jiang Qin asked as soon as she walked in.
“Let me see her.”
Lin Yingluo rolled her eyes.
“You know her well enough.”
“I know, but I never thought she could win you over.”
Jiang Qin thought back to when she chatted online with that cute girl, not noticing anything special except that she was pretty and had a generous chest.
But on the other hand, reality and the Internet are two different places.
People always have two sides, and you can never be sure which one is real.
“She’s in the Baking Room, over there,” Lin Yingluo pointed in the direction, “But don’t rush. Come see me in about ten minutes; I have something to tell you.”
Jiang Qin glanced toward the door.
Several guests were walking in—it seemed they were Lin Yingluo’s subordinates.
She nodded knowingly, “Got it. Like before: work first, then private matters, right?”
“Just briefing them,” Lin Yingluo said.
That much was obvious from the timing.
In the Baking Room, Su Nuo held a jam gun, carefully squeezing out jam drop by drop, drawing a little rabbit on the cake.
“Lin taitai, I came to see you. Whoa, you have skills?”
The girl was startled.
The rabbit’s foot was drawn crooked.
She turned to see a woman she didn’t recognize standing at the door.
“I think I vaguely remember,” Su Nuo thought to herself after just waking up, “That’s Jiang something… Oh right, Jiang Qin. A Net Friend who helped make the introduction. I’ve seen her photos.”
Oh, Jiang Qin.
Su Nuo steadied herself and greeted her politely.
Though close friends, Jiang Qin’s style was completely different from Lin Yingluo’s—not so sexy, but without an overbearing aura either.
Instead, she looked very friendly and talkative, like the receptionist at an office who could chat with anyone for half an hour.
In any case, Su Nuo was grateful she introduced the big sister.
“No need to thank me. I didn’t expect you really could get Lin Yingluo, that woman,” Jiang Qin lowered her voice.
“Tell me, are you two together yet?”
Su Nuo scrambled to her feet and glared.
“Shut up!”
How mean—staring with eyes like that.
“I don’t quite understand, but Jiang Qin, want to try some of these cupcakes?”
Su Nuo handed her a small plate.
“Just baked, fresh out of the oven.”
Jiang Qin took it, her eyes appraising Su Nuo.
“Calm and unflappable, poised and confident—totally different from online. No wonder you got Lin Yingluo… Online, you were like a kid.”
Su Nuo was so mad she wished she could come back to life.