"Crash!"
A sharp sound of shattering ceramic suddenly filled the air, as pieces of a broken cup scattered across the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'll clean it up right away."
Lin Youqi quickly snapped back to reality, hurriedly wiping off the coffee that had splashed onto her wrist before crouching down to clean up the shards and spilled coffee on the floor.
Guan Qingtong touched her cheek where she had been kissed and looked over at the flustered Lin Youqi. She understood why the usually composed woman had dropped the cup.
"Don't let it happen again," Su Yirao said coolly as she turned her head away. "This kind of mistake is too basic. Go to the back and take a break; don't let the customers see you like this."
Lin Youqi wasn't foolish; she could tell that Su Yirao was subtly suggesting she take a moment to compose herself in private.
It was this quiet concern that reignited a spark of resentment in her heart.
She couldn't understand—what did Guan Qingtong have that she didn't?
She felt a lump forming in her throat.
Suppressing her emotions, Lin Youqi lowered her eyes to hide her feelings and whispered, "Thank you, Sister Yirao."
"Such authority, coming from the owner of a small café," Yu Xingye remarked sarcastically.
Su Yirao wasn't bothered by his mockery. She chuckled softly, "And yet, even a small café is enough to make you desperate to poach my staff, isn't it, Yu Xingye?"
She was done arguing with Yu Xingye and made it clear he was no longer welcome. "Yu Xingye, have you seen enough? My people aren't going anywhere with you. Finish your coffee and leave; our humble establishment can't accommodate someone of your stature."
Despite the kiss on Guan Qingtong's cheek, Yu Xingye wasn't fully convinced that Su Yirao's preferences had changed so suddenly.
However, it was clear that Su Yirao wanted him gone, and Yu Xingye wasn't the type to insist when he wasn't wanted.
He quickly took out his business card and handed it to Guan Qingtong.
"This is my card. The doors of Yu Group are always open for you. If you ever want to switch jobs or need any help, feel free to contact me."
This gesture was at least polite.
Guan Qingtong hesitated briefly but decided it would be rude to reject his card, so she stood up and accepted it with equal courtesy.
"Sister Yirao, I have some work to go over with you. Let's go," Su Yirao said.
"Okay," Guan Qingtong replied softly as she followed Su Yirao out.
Seeing his target leave, Yu Xingye quickly lost interest in his coffee and left "Qi Yu" Café soon after.
...
Following Su Yirao to the back room, Guan Qingtong eagerly dragged a small stool over to sit beside her.
Su Yirao's fingers flew over the keyboard, her typing faster and louder than usual, the keys clacking with more force.
Guan Qingtong, sensing the tension, opened the business card Yu Xingye had given her and placed it under Su Yirao's nose.
"Move it; don't block my work. It's bad luck."
"What about this?"
Guan Qingtong smiled, quickly tearing the card into pieces and tossing the fragments into the trash bin at Su Yirao's feet.
"Sister, you can't find those fragments unlucky, can you?"
Meeting Guan Qingtong's gentle smile, Su Yirao felt a strange mix of embarrassment and frustration.
"Maybe I've spoiled you too much. Your courage has grown, and now you're even teasing me?"
"I didn't, I swear!" Guan Qingtong denied with a grin, struggling to hold back her laughter. "Sister, don't pin that on me. I respect you too much to ever be disrespectful."
Su Yirao rolled her eyes at her. "Yeah, right!"
"Come on, Sister. If I can forgive you for kissing me out of the blue, you can forgive me for accepting his card, right?"
"And just so you know, I never blamed you for taking his card. I'm not that petty."
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault for overthinking and misunderstanding your intentions."
But even as Guan Qingtong said this, her lips curled into a suppressed smile, making Su Yirao feel like something was off.
She reached out, gripping Guan Qingtong's chin.
Staring into her eyes, she used her other hand to lift the corners of Guan Qingtong's mouth.
"Still holding back a laugh, huh? Making fun of me?"
"Not at all!"
Guan Qingtong tried to pull away, her gaze darting around in search of an escape.
"Sister, Lin Youqi must have seen you kiss my cheek just now. I think she'll finally give up now, just like you wanted." She was trying to change the subject.
"Oh."
Su Yirao responded absentmindedly, her gaze drifting from Guan Qingtong's lips to the cheek she had kissed.
Her prolonged stare made Guan Qingtong's cheek feel like it was burning all over again.
Her heart pounded like a drum, her pulse racing as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
"Sister..." Guan Qingtong found it hard to breathe, trying to pull away.
"Don't move," Su Yirao ordered, frowning slightly. "Your cheeks are uneven in color now. The one I kissed is much redder and brighter."
Instinctively, Guan Qingtong glanced at Su Yirao's lips, noticing their vibrant color.
"Well, of course, it's got your lipstick on it."
Su Yirao suddenly realized, "Oh, right. But having uneven cheeks isn't very attractive. Let me even it out for you."
"What? Even it out?" For some reason, her voice trembled.
"Of course, with lipstick."
As she spoke, Su Yirao let go of Guan Qingtong's chin and pulled out the lipstick she was wearing today, carefully spreading a little on her fingertips.
"Oh, with lipstick..." Guan Qingtong wasn't sure what she felt.
But her heart finally returned to its normal rhythm.
"Why do you sound disappointed?"
Su Yirao never missed a chance for revenge. Earlier, Guan Qingtong had teased her, and now she had the perfect opportunity to tease her back.
"Did you want me to kiss the other cheek too? To even out the color?"
Guan Qingtong's cheeks flushed bright red again.
She touched her burning face and said, "Sister, stop teasing me!"
"Hahaha, you're right! Any more and your blush will cover up all the makeup."
Before Guan Qingtong could react, Su Yirao leaned in close.
"Don't flinch, or your makeup will smudge."
Su Yirao planted a quick, light kiss before pulling away.
"You... Sister, why did you..."
Having been caught off guard again, Guan Qingtong wanted to say something, but she didn't know what.
Victory!
Su Yirao covered her mouth, hiding her laughter, and offered a smooth excuse as she used her fingers to blend the lipstick into Guan Qingtong's cheeks. "It's the best way to apply makeup evenly."
In reality, she had just wanted to tease Guan Qingtong a little more.
Her shy and flustered reactions were simply too amusing.
Before Guan Qingtong could say anything, Su Yirao immediately put on a serious expression, pulling out a small mirror and touching up her own makeup with exaggerated focus.
"Sister, did you know..."
"Know what?"
"I've picked up your sense of revenge too."
Su Yirao paused her makeup routine, glancing down at her with a smirk, and pointed to her own cheek. "Oh? Do you want to kiss me back?"
Suddenly, Guan Qingtong felt like the air had thinned again.
"Huh?"
The thought she hadn't dared to fully explore had been laid bare, and facing Su Yirao's confident and shameless demeanor, Guan Qingtong suddenly felt a lot less bold.
"Thinking about it, but too scared to do it?" Su Yirao teased. "You're still young and easily embarrassed. In the end, you're always the one blushing and at a loss for words."