Xia Shiyao ordered another pile of drinks, even though she knew she couldn’t finish them all.
Yin Lin was jotting down the orders while sneaking a glance at Xia Shiyao. That one glance was immediately caught, and their eyes met.
She hurriedly looked away and kept writing on the order slip.
Xia Shiyao grew even more suspicious. “Did you do something to betray me?”
“Nope.” Yin Lin denied it right away, then added, “We’re not even close. Even if I did something, what’s it got to do with you?”
Xia Shiyao narrowed her eyes, scanning Yin Lin from head to toe, even sniffing her.
Noticing this woman was getting suspicious, Yin Lin didn’t dare write the orders anymore.
She quickly scribbled some codes to replace the various drinks and hurried out of there.
Watching Yin Lin leave with her hands covering her backside, Xia Shiyao’s suspicion deepened.
She’d never seen Yin Lin so cautious before, not even when she was flying.
Why was it that just drinking milk tea and working a shift today, she was covering both her front and back?
Either it was a classic case of “there are no 300 taels of silver buried here,” or something had really happened and she’d developed PTSD.
What followed was a peaceful period. Xia Shiyao didn’t do anything, just kept watching—almost like guarding or surveilling, to prevent Yin Lin from doing anything stupid.
Thinking back to when Yin Lin mentioned that plan yesterday—going to actively attack a Cadre-level Demonic Creature?
Hearing that almost scared Xia Shiyao sick.
Once upon a time, Xia Shiyao had been just as arrogant, thinking herself invincible, looking down on Cadre-level Demonic Creatures.
And then she got taught a lesson.
So now, when Yin Lin started acting foolish, Xia Shiyao’s job was to keep an eye on her, to stop her from seeking death.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
Xia Shiyao picked it up and checked. It was a message on Weixin.
[A Hong: Did you find her?]
Xia Shiyao typed back: [Found her]
[A Hong: Did you stop her?]
Xia Shiyao replied: [Keeping watch]
She put down her phone and looked at Yin Lin, who had just returned to the bar counter.
Xia Shiyao got up and walked over, looking down at Yin Lin, who was a head shorter behind the bar.
Their eyes met.
Yin Lin had a bad feeling, silently praying: Don’t cause trouble, please don’t cause trouble, just let me get through these two days in peace.
Xia Shiyao said blandly, “Meeting in a faraway place, enjoy the delicacies.”
Her tone was utterly flat and emotionless, like she was reading off a script.
“This counts? Store Manager!” Yin Lin looked at the Store Manager.
The Store Manager nodded. “Sure, it counts. At least you said it, just a bit perfunctory.”
Not everyone could shout it out excitedly like Zhou Pangzi.
So, Yin Lin had no choice but to make Xia Shiyao’s Juice—there was quite a lot, and it felt like she was going to get a hand cramp.
She made a glass of Orange Juice and, very reluctantly, brought it over to her.
Just as she was about to walk away, Xia Shiyao grabbed her wrist.
She asked softly, “You’re hiding something from me.”
It was a statement, not a question.
This action was a bit much—already physical contact.
The customers nearby all gasped, whispering among themselves. The Store Manager came over directly. “Miss, we don’t allow physical contact here.”
Only then did Xia Shiyao let go.
Yin Lin hurriedly slipped away.
Slowly, noon arrived. Several batches of customers had come and gone. Zhou Pangzi was still there, sitting and playing mobile games with his friends.
Xia Shiyao was still there too, leisurely drinking her fruit tea—not playing with her phone, not doing anything else, just resting her head on her hand, tilting it to watch the busy Yin Lin.
It was ridiculous—she could watch for hours without getting tired.
Suddenly, noises came from outside, and the door was pushed open.
Yin Lin broke out in a cold sweat again—it was Group Leader Huang Yijun.
It was lunch break now, and yet he was wasting his precious break in this Milk Tea shop.
He greeted Zhou Pangzi, squeezed in, and sat down beside him, even knowing how to snag a seat.
An old man squeezing in on the kids’ seats—his face was thick enough.
He ordered a cup of Milk Tea, and when Yin Lin came over, he shouted the slogan too.
His tone was high-spirited, his face full of happiness.
It was obvious he’d run all the way here—he was soaked with sweat.
Yin Lin didn’t say anything, just obediently went to make the Milk Tea.
Huang Yijun started chatting with the chubby kids about high-level Demonic Creatures. From yesterday’s fight to today, the battle still wasn’t over.
The Demonic Creatures finally couldn’t hold back and started heading toward the City, leaving the Suburb.
That was not a good sign.
The humans realized that the high-level Demonic Creatures might be trying to use the City as cover, so they ramped up their firepower, dispatching Bombers to drop Aerial Bombs.
Those things packed a punch.
For humans, even if they landed ten meters off, an Aerial Bomb could blow a person to pieces.
Of course, Demonic Creatures could still take it.
When fighting Demonic Creatures, shield-breaking efficiency was high—they could usually break a layer of shields in a few minutes.
It had turned into a war of attrition.
Even at No. 8 Café, you could hear the constant explosions, echoing from far, far away, though it wouldn’t affect this place.
Huang Yijun drank Milk Tea for an hour, had some desserts, and then left.
He left with a big smile on his face—no one knew why he came here, but he looked completely satisfied.
Xia Shiyao still didn’t leave, staying all the way until dinnertime.
Yin Lin finished her shift. Strangely, she didn’t change clothes today. She just took off her wig and left the Milk Tea shop like that.
Seeing Yin Lin about to get off work and leave, Xia Shiyao quickly followed. “Let me treat you to dinner.”
Yin Lin refused immediately. “No, we’re not close.”
Xia Shiyao said, “You sure you want to be polite before force? I’m offering to treat you as a courtesy. Do you want me to get rough?”
Maybe Yin Lin didn’t expect her to come out so directly, so she kept pretending. “Big sis, what are you trying to do? I’ll call the police!”
Her acting was decent—not Oscar-level, but above average. She played the image of a nervous, frightened girl quite convincingly.
Xia Shiyao suddenly took a step closer.
Yin Lin instantly covered her skirt and her chest.
The two of them faced off for a few seconds. She started sweating again, vaguely sensing that Xia Shiyao knew something and was getting suspicious.
Xia Shiyao didn’t make any further moves, which made Yin Lin breathe a sigh of relief.
She quickly sped up and left the Milk Tea shop, heading for the subway.
“What are you even acting for? I’m absolutely certain you’re Yin Lin, and you’re still pretending.” Xia Shiyao chased after her.
She grabbed her wrist again, stopping her from leaving.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Yin Lin’s number, her gaze locked on this girl who looked so much like Yin Lin.
Trying to call?
Pulling this trick?
Old Song was, of course, prepared.
He was delighted inside, but his face was full of reluctance.
“What are you doing! Don’t pull me like that, are we that close?”
Xia Shiyao frowned at her. There was no ringtone coming from her, so where was the phone she’d given her?
At that moment, the call actually connected, and Drillmaster’s voice came from the other end.
“Hello? What’s up?” Drillmaster asked.
Xia Shiyao asked Drillmaster on the other end, “Why is it you? Why do you have Yin Lin’s phone?”
Drillmaster replied, “Yin’s taking a shower, not convenient to answer.”
Heh, Old Song was a 34-year-old man who’d eaten more rice than Xia Shiyao had fought Demonic Creatures. He’d already predicted Xia Shiyao’s move.
He’d deliberately given Yin Lin a phone, then suddenly called to expose Yao Ruoning’s real identity in person, leaving her with no way to deny it.
Such simple palace intrigue tricks—Old Song had seen through them long ago.
But there was still a flaw in this plan.
Yao Ruoning and Yin Lin couldn’t appear at the same time, so Drillmaster had to answer the call, and Yin Lin couldn’t answer herself.
Xia Shiyao probably realized this too. “Drillmaster, bring the phone into the bathroom. I have something urgent for Yin Lin.”
Drillmaster: “Not convenient, Yin said she doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
Xia Shiyao was clearly still suspicious.
“Don’t hang up. I’ll wait until she’s done showering—ten minutes, an hour, ten hours, I can wait.”
Here comes the obsessive one, forgetting Xia Shiyao’s extraordinary persistence. Last time, just to get the name ‘Yao Ruoning,’ she tailed Old Song in her car all night.
If this woman said she’d wait ten hours, she really could wait ten hours.