### 324. Big Dog’s Milk Tea Shop
==============================
“Let’s play some games!”
Lin Nan wasn’t actually making Chen Yao kneel on a washboard.
After all, men have their dignity, right? Lin Nan had once been a guy herself—though now she was a full-fledged girl—but a lot of her thought processes still aligned with male logic.
If she were still a man, and had a girlfriend or wife, being forced to kneel on a washboard would absolutely hurt her pride.
As long as she knew Chen Yao’s feelings for her, that was enough.
Even though this guy was overwhelmingly straight.
As soon as Chen Yao heard the word “game,” he was off like a shot to tinker with the game console.
“Zelda! I’ve heard it’s amazing for years, but never had the cash to buy it.” Chen Yao gleefully hooked up the console to his computer screen, grabbed the controller, and plopped himself down on the couch, blissfully diving into a game he couldn’t play on his computer.
Lin Nan settled down next to Chen Yao, stole a glance at his expression, and silently chuckled.
She had grumbled about the price of the game console and that she might return it, but here he was, practically laughing like a pig in delight.
She leaned in closer, tilting her head toward the screen, before casually resting her head on Chen Yao’s shoulder.
Lin Nan didn’t quite get the fun of these open-world games; she preferred intense competitive games like League of Legends or Sekiro where battling against others was endlessly enjoyable, or the thrill of constantly pushing her limits.
The world of Zelda was just beginning to unfold, and to Lin Nan, it seemed rather boring. Leaning on Chen Yao’s shoulder, a cozy sense of security wrapped around her, making her yawn several times—she was surprisingly starting to feel a bit sleepy.
“If you’re tired, you can go sleep in the room?” Chen Yao tilted his head down to catch a glimpse of Lin Nan, who was nestled against him like a cat. He chuckled, “I’ll try this game today, and tomorrow we can buy two games you’re interested in to play together, how’s that?”
“Mm.” Lin Nan responded without much thought, shifting her position slightly, curling up on the couch and using Chen Yao’s thigh as a pillow.
Chen Yao’s eyes crinkled with a smile as he gently brushed Lin Nan’s hair aside; her hair was soft and silky, gliding like smooth satin through his fingers.
“Should I wake you up later?”
“Let’s make it five o’clock. I’m afraid if I sleep too long, I won’t get to sleep tonight.”
Lin Nan adjusted her position again when all of a sudden she felt something warm rising and pressing against her ear.
“……”
She shot up in surprise, glaring at Chen Yao with an annoyed expression.
Chen Yao turned beet red, awkwardly grinning as he stumbled over his defenses: “I’m a normal man!”
“Pfft! You’re just a pervert!”
Disgruntled, Lin Nan stood up from the couch, feeling like Chen Yao had somehow let her down.
Boyfriend plays games, girlfriend naps on his leg… what a warm scene! Too bad it lasted less than a minute.
The sleepiness had faded, and Lin Nan was about to head back to her room for a little more snoozing when she suddenly remembered that Chen Yao hadn’t eaten lunch today.
“Shall I go downstairs and grab you something to eat?”
She rubbed her stomach, unsure if it was the hotpot she had eaten earlier digesting too quickly or just plain old cravings, but she found herself wanting a bite too.
“How about some rice bowl?”
“Then I’ll grab chips for myself.”
“Can you even eat chips when Aunt Flo is visiting?”
“As long as it’s not ice-cold, it should be fine.”
With that, Lin Nan snatched her keys, pushed the door open, and exited the rental apartment.
It was Saturday, a week into the new school year, and students had mostly been cooped up at home for months due to the pandemic. With the long-awaited weekend, everyone was buzzing about with thoughts of going out.
As Lin Nan emerged from the alley, she noticed the Snack Street behind the school was nearly packed with students.
The school wasn’t very large, and this was the closest hangout spot. As Lin Nan scanned the street, she spotted a few familiar faces from her class.
Another glance, and a very familiar student approached.
“Lin Sis, what a coincidence!”
Lin Nan blinked in confusion at the charming smile—the overly familiar one belonging to Big Dog from the next dorm. Behind him was Tu Junhui, engrossed in his phone.
It was only then that Tu Junhui noticed Lin Nan, his eyes widening in surprise: “Nan Nan, what are you doing here?”
“Big Dog, Tu Tu? What are you two doing together?” Lin Nan glanced over Tu Junhui’s shoulder, but didn’t see Xiong Da around. “Did you leave Xiong Da all alone in the dorm?”
“He pulled an all-nighter last night and is still sleeping,” Tu Junhui scratched his head, grinning like a dunce. “Big Dog wanted to open a milk tea shop and is renovating it, so I came to check it out.”
“Opening a shop, huh?”
Lin Nan’s face lit up with envy, momentarily forgetting about Chen Yao waiting for dinner back at the apartment, “Big Dog, you’ve become a rich guy, huh? Is it far? I wanna check it out too.”
If she’d known back when she helped Big Dog rank up that she should have just asked for cash instead!
“It’s just up ahead.”
The three of them strolled side by side toward the milk tea shop Big Dog was setting up.
After the pandemic, many places had put up signs for rent, and the popular Maid Café from last semester was now closed for business. The transfer price was significantly lower than usual, so Big Dog seized the chance and borrowed over a hundred thousand from his family to sh**t for the stars with his new venture.
Lin Nan wasn’t well-versed in business, but she’d heard that milk tea shops opened ten and nine of them fail.
Arriving at the entrance of the shop Big Dog had rented, Lin Nan peeked inside, observing that renovations were almost complete.
“Lin Sis, do you want to come work part-time as a server in my shop when we open?” Big Dog excitedly threw out the offer, clearly knowing Lin Nan was a bit tight on money. “But you’d have to wear a maid outfit and hand out flyers to attract customers.”
“Say that again and I’ll wake up!” Tu Junhui’s eyes lit up instantly, jumping in to persuade Lin Nan as well, “Big Dog is generous! Just a little sacrifice of your beauty, and you could earn three to five thousand a month!”
Lin Nan crossed her arms, unimpressed as she looked at the milk tea shop’s façade, shaking her head: “I could dress up as a doll, but a maid outfit? No, thanks.”
“What’s fun about dressing as a doll? You’re pretty, so shouldn’t you wear something nice to make the most of your looks and earn some cash! Besides, you’d be giving me, a mere onlooker, a feast for the eyes!” Tu Junhui had an expression that screamed ‘obviously.’
“If I can’t accept a maid outfit, then a bunny girl outfit will do!” Big Dog quickly switched tactics.
“Why not just throw that idea out?!” Lin Nan distanced herself from both of them in disgust, “Ugh, men. I’ve got things to do, so I won’t chat any longer.”
“I’m being sincere!” Big Dog quickly tried to retain her.
“Same here! I really want to see it!” Tu Junhui unabashedly drooled, nearly spilling his own saliva.
Lin Nan turned back, shaking her little fist. Immediately, Tu Junhui recalled the high, swollen bruise on Chen Yao’s cheek from a few days ago, and sweat broke out on his brow as he took two steps back, looking timid.
Big Dog was still oblivious to the situation; while he had asked Chen Yao about it, Chen Yao hadn’t revealed the guilty party, and he was still trying to convince Lin Nan, all bright-eyed with enthusiasm.
But then, as he took a step forward, Tu Junhui’s plump hand held him back.
“The last guy who got beaten had to drink porridge for three days, are you sure about this?”
“???”
