The situation was resolved, but the issue of hiring a new barista turned into a new problem.
Noah didn't have the time or energy to investigate every applicant—checking credentials, spending money, and exhausting his efforts.
It was already overwhelming just to narrow down the candidates from those who had applied.
He had two options: either temporarily scale back some of the more complicated coffee drinks or turn the shop into a cake-only business.
But doing so would definitely lead to a significant drop in foot traffic.
For example, the mornings were typically the busiest time in Noah's shop, and such a change would lose him a lot of customers.
...
Noah lay on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling, muttering to himself in frustration, "What should I do? What should I do…"
Where could he possibly find a reliable, skilled barista?
He held up his phone, scrolling through his social media feed to pass the time.
It seemed like everyone else was doing just fine.
Some were off to hot springs with family, others had just had their first baby, or gotten a promotion and raise...
Everyone had their own life and their own happiness.
Noah couldn't help but think of Ethan, and as he flipped through posts, there were only two pictures that caught his attention.
It seemed that once he caught Ethan, there was no longer a need to manage his own social media.
He let out a small hum and then closed the app.
Still, he found himself watching Ethan's swimming video again. His physique was definitely impressive.
The video reminded him of a girl who had been hanging around the shop lately. He remembered their first meeting when she was wearing a fresh, soft pink coat.
But the man next to her… why did he look so familiar?
Ugh, it was on the tip of his tongue but he just couldn't place him.
Sure enough, university students always have such colorful feeds.
Today's caption read: "Tom Cat and Jay Mouse"
The picture attached was a classic image of Tom and Jerry, both smiling at each other.
"Wait… Jay? Is that Jay?!" Noah sat up abruptly, causing his phone to drop onto his chest, making him grunt in pain.
Ignoring the discomfort, he focused intently on the phone, comparing the photo with the face in his memory. Slowly, the images aligned.
"That's him! Isn't he supposed to be going back to his hometown for something urgent?"
Noah noticed that the location tag on the post was indeed in A City.
Though he didn't want to interrupt directly, Jay was a barista, so he might know some reliable people.
Noah decided to reach out to Tina. She had expressed concern when the issue with the shop first started.
Noah sent her a message:
"I'm urgently looking for a reliable barista. Do you happen to know anyone? If you help me out, I can offer you a week of free eats."
She replied quickly, as expected from a university student constantly online.
Tina: "My brother is a barista! I'll ask him for you. Your cakes are so delicious, you definitely need to keep the shop running!"
What Tina didn't know was that Noah's shop used to be owned by her brother. She was a fan of the milk tea and small cakes, not realizing the full history.
She called over to Jay, who was in the kitchen preparing some meat.
"Tina, you know a barista?" Jay asked, casually flipping a piece of beef jerky with tongs.
"Yeah, I know a shop owner who's looking for a barista. Can you ask around for me?"
Jay's response was a simple, "Sure, I know people."
Tina gave him a skeptical look.
"Seriously? After so many years in the coffee industry, you don't have any good connections?"
The look on Tina's face almost made Jay laugh. If he didn't know someone, it'd be a pretty bad sign.
"Okay, okay, I'll help you out."
He reluctantly agreed, tossing the beef jerky into Tina's plate.
"Anyone who can start right away, and not the type who's difficult to deal with."
Now Tina had his full attention. Most of the baristas Jay knew were business owners themselves, so finding someone willing to work for someone else was rare.
"What? You doubt me now? You think I don't know anyone?"
Jay couldn't take the teasing. But when he checked his contacts, he realized he truly didn't know many who were looking for work.
Finally, with a deep breath, he said, "Fine, I'll go. I'm free right now anyway."
After getting a positive answer, Tina happily messaged Noah.
"Where's the shop? You didn't mention that!"
Jay cleared his screen, organizing the pork belly for cooking, and quickly remembered the sound of sizzling oil.
"Hmm?" Tina took a bite of her lettuce. "It's the coffee shop I've been going to lately."
"Alright, give me the owner's phone number."
Tina swiped her phone and quickly sent the details.
Jay, busy cooking, made sure the lighting was good for Tina's photos.
"Hold on, let me snap a pic first."
He leaned back, holding the tongs in one hand and adjusting his position.
"Done yet? At this rate, the pork belly will burn."
Tina finished taking the photo and set the phone aside. "Okay, okay, it's ready to eat."
At the table, there was only one pair of tongs and one scissor.
Jay carefully assembled the dish: a piece of lettuce, a strip of marinated pork belly, garlic slices, and a bit of pickled cabbage.
Once wrapped up, Tina opened her mouth, enjoying the burst of flavors in every bite.
"Honestly, do you just love eating with me?"
Every time they ate together, Jay became the unofficial waiter.
If it was barbecue, Tina barely lifted a finger, while Jay did all the work.
If it was a buffet, he was the one fetching the food, following Tina's every request.
But Jay didn't mind. His little sister was lively, smart, and sweet—how could he not pamper her?
Having a sister like Tina meant he had to be good to her, and of course, raise her standards when it came to boyfriends.
Otherwise, she'd end up being fooled by a couple of milk teas and breakfast combos, and Jay would have nowhere to cry.
Tina grinned. "Of course, my brother is so handsome and considerate. Who wouldn't like him?"
As Jay copied the phone number from Messenger into the dial screen, the system automatically matched it to Noah's contact.
...
Jay cursed under his breath, then remembered he had already agreed to help. If he backed out now, his sister would probably make him regret it for the rest of his life.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
"It's not a big deal, not a big deal," he repeated, pacing nervously in the living room. "I just need a good reason, a legitimate reason."
Once he had a plan in his mind, Jay sent a friend request to Noah. The other person quickly accepted it.
Noah didn't immediately ask about the urgent matter Jay had mentioned earlier, but Jay had already prepared his explanation. He felt that if he didn't bring it up, he'd feel uncomfortable.
Jay: "It was because my dad suddenly had a stroke, so I had to go back and take care of him for a while. Now he's with me, so you don't need to worry about my work hours."
Jay silently prayed: Sorry, Dad! You're tough as an ox, but I still had to do this.
Noah: "I should be the one thanking you for helping me out in such a pinch. Otherwise, I honestly wouldn't know where else to find a good barista."
Jay, being online himself, had an idea of what was going on.
Ever since he learned that Noah was hiring, Jay had watched the related videos.
As a fellow barista, Jay was appalled by Caleb's behavior—such underhanded actions weren't something any decent person would do!
At the same time, he couldn't help but admire Noah, who had handled the situation so smoothly.
Now, the tables had turned, and more and more people were starting to promote Noah's coffee shop on their own, boosting its visibility.
It was safe to say that Noah had used this wave of attention to his advantage and had successfully made a name for himself.
They agreed on a time to meet up and stopped chatting.
The main reason Jay kept quiet was that he feared further questions would eventually unravel his story. One lie always required many others to cover it up.
As night fell, Ethan arrived as promised.
Seeing the beautifully wrapped cake, Noah was a bit surprised.
"Why did you buy this too?"
Ethan smiled lightly.
"Of course, it's to celebrate you—this perfect comeback."
Noah carefully opened the packaging, and as he lifted the lid, he froze in place.
...
Well...
How should he say it?
The rough frosting and uneven dollops of cream didn't seem to match the elegant wrapping.
"I also brought candles. Let's make a wish." Ethan placed the candle into the cake and lit it with a silver lighter.
When the lights were turned off, the orange glow of the candle lit up a small corner of the dark room.
Noah took Ethan's hand. "Let's make a wish together."
"I wish that those who care about me, and those I care about, will always be happy and healthy, and may everything go their way."
Noah opened his eyes before Ethan did. In the soft light of the candle, he gazed at Ethan's profile.
His eyes carried a tenderness that couldn't quite be described. It felt as if nothing else in the world mattered, just the person before him.
He stood on tiptoe and gently kissed Ethan's cold cheek.
Ethan, usually distant and reserved, had a smile that was bright and warm, but otherwise, his face often gave off a sense of detachment.
Now, his eyes opened, looking at Noah with a gentle warmth, filled with something that could only be called affection.
Ethan pulled Noah closer, one hand around his waist and the other supporting his neck.
Noah had expected a kiss that would be wild and passionate, something forceful and stormy.
But instead, Ethan's lips gently brushed his, trembling slightly.
It was an innocent, almost shy kiss.
But it made Noah's heart race, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest to show the person in front of him just how much he cared.
Noah could feel Ethan's breath, messy and warm, brushing against his face, sending tingles all over.
The kiss felt like the first taste of forbidden fruit, shy and sweet, leaving them both flushed and breathless.
But at the same time, it felt so good that they both wanted more.
When the lights came back on, the cream on the cake had started to melt.
Noah, suddenly a bit shy, couldn't bring himself to look at Ethan.
"I… I'll put the cake in the fridge to chill for a bit. How about you wash the vegetables while I do that?"
After speaking, he hurriedly carried the cake to the fridge, only to realize that it was filled to the brim with food from the previous day.
He fumbled to find a spot for the cake, making the whole process awkward.
Ethan, watching from behind, suggested, "Why don't you put the cake down and tidy up first?"
Noah sighed, realizing that it was only after holding the cake that he felt how clumsy the situation had become.
Finally, he set the cake on the counter and began to tidy up the fridge, trying to make space.
Noah didn't know if it was because the air conditioner was turned on too high, but the temperature on his face couldn't be lowered.
Although he was tidying up, his hot cheeks began to crave the coolness of the refrigerator, causing his head to go deeper and deeper.
When he was almost done, Noah carefully put the cake into the refrigerator, but was reluctant to close the door immediately.
Finally, Ethan couldn't stand it anymore, so he pulled Noah's collar back and closed the refrigerator door that Noah was reluctant to leave.
"What are you doing!"
Noah jumped back in fright, covering his lower lip which was still a little painful.
"You, you...what are you doing...suddenly biting me..." Noah stuttered, his eyes wandering, and finally fell on the tip of his shoes.
"We are lovers, and we will do more intimate things than today in the future."
"I like you, I will want to hug you, kiss you, and communicate with you at a distance in bed. These are normal desires for a person to treat a partner."
"You are the person I like, so I will desire you and want to do more intimate things with you."
Noah covered his face with one hand, revealing only a pair of watery eyes.
He knew without looking in the mirror that his face must be red.
His sight finally shifted from the tip of his shoes to Ethan's handsome face.
Noah's eyes were full of shock. He didn't understand how Ethan could say such a serious thing.
But soon he found that even if the emotions were not on his face, the red ear tips had already conveyed the owner's thoughts.
Ethan was also shy.
"I know, I don't hate close contact with you, on the contrary I like it."
"But...how to say...I can't describe it for the time being, what kind of state am I in now..."
Noah became more and more excited as he spoke, and he couldn't explain it clearly. For this kind of thing, he was looking forward to it and afraid at the same time.
The conflicting thoughts intertwined together, making Noah unable to see his own heart.
He looked at Ethan, trying to seek recognition and understanding from his eyes.
Ethan didn't say anything, took two steps forward, took Noah into his arms, and gently stroked his back.
"It's okay, we have a long way to go. These can all be done slowly."