Xiao Yuxia arrived in the classroom a bit late, her backpack slung over one shoulder.
She paused at the doorway, her nose catching a sweet, caramel-like aroma lingering in the air.
"What is this sweet smell?"
She muttered to herself, glancing around curiously.
Her eyes scanned the classroom, landing on several classmates sipping from cups of milk tea, chatting excitedly.
Before she could piece it together, her best friend, Zhixin, bounded over, a wide grin on her face.
"Yuxia, you won't believe it!"
Zhixin exclaimed, holding up one of the cups triumphantly.
"Jiang Che brought these amazing Milk Teas to sell today. They're incredible!"
Xiao Yuxia blinked, surprised.
"Jiang Che? Selling milk tea? Since when does he do that?"
Zhixin giggled.
"Since today, apparently. And good thing I saved one for you!"
She placed the cup into Xiao Yuxia's hands.
"Here. I knew you'd be late, so I bought an extra one just in case they sold out."
"Thanks, Zhuxin!"
Xiao Yuxia said, touched by her friend's thoughtfulness.
She inspected the cup curiously. The tea inside had a rich, golden-brown hue, with dark pearls nestled at the bottom.
The aroma was warm and inviting, making her mouth water.
"Everyone's saying it's amazing," Zhixin said, nudging her.
"Try it!"
Xiao Yuxia hesitated for a moment, then poked her straw through the lid and took a tentative sip.
The moment the creamy, caramel sweetness of the brown sugar syrup hit her tongue, paired with the robust tea flavor and the soft, chewy pearls, her eyes widened in surprise.
"This… this is so good!"
She exclaimed, taking another sip, this time longer and more indulgent.
"I know, right?"
Zhixin grinned, clearly pleased with her reaction.
"I've never had anything like it before. It's way better than the store-bought stuff!"
Xiao Yuxia nodded in agreement, savoring another sip.
"Did Jiang Che really bring this?"
Zhixin nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep! He and Zhang Wei brought a whole box to class and sold out in no time. Everyone's already pre-ordering for tomorrow."
Xiao Yuxia raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Then she remembered her encounter with Jiang Che in the morning when she thought that he was waiting for her.
( Perhaps Jiang Che was on his way to get this Milk Tea rather than see me? )
Her cheeks flushed at the realization.
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed likely that Jiang Che hadn't been waiting for her at all.
Xiao Yuxia groaned internally, her embarrassment mounting.
( Oh no… I really lectured him about relationships and focusing on studying… )
She remembered it clearly—her self-righteous tone, the serious expression on her face as she told him that relationships should be kept for after graduation.
When in reality, he wasn't even thinking about it. She can't help but feel like a fool who is too self-conscious.
She sneaked a glance at Jiang Che, who was still busy collecting orders from their classmates.
His demeanor only made her feel worse.
Quickly, she looked away, her face burning.
( What must he think of me?)
She wondered, keeping her head down to avoid drawing any attention to herself though that would be a challenge in itself.
"Xiao Yuxia, do you like milk tea? How about I buy you one tomorrow?"
One of the boys eagerly offered.
He wasn't the only one, though. One after another, the boys began to gather around, each vying for her attention.
Seeing Xiao Yuxia enjoying the drink, they all had the same idea—buying her a cup to impress her.
Xiao Yuxia shook her head politely and said with a soft smile.
"There's no need for anyone to buy it for me. I can buy it myself if I want to."
The boys exchanged glances, their eagerness dimming slightly, but they still lingered, hesitant to leave.
On the side, Liu Yan watched the scene with a growing sense of irritation. Her fingers clenched tightly around her pen as she bit her lip.
( Hmph, what a vixen! Always acting so pure and perfect. Why do all the boys fawn over her like that? )
She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Not a single boy had ever made such an offer to her.
( Do they think I don't like milk tea? Or am I invisible to them? )
Her gaze flicked toward Xiao Yuxia, who still maintained her graceful composure, and her irritation deepened.
( Pretending to be modest when she's clearly enjoying the attention. It's so fake! )
Liu Yan huffed under her breath, her frustration boiling over.
After the boys had left Xiao Yuxia alone, her mind couldn't help but think about her embarrassment in the morning.
Her fingers fidgeted with the empty cup in her hands, the smooth plastic somehow grounding her in the moment.
She didn't know what to say to him, nor did she think she could face him right now.
All she could do was sit there, her embarrassment gnawing at her, while Jiang Che carried on as if nothing had ever happened.
"I should probably apologize during lunch!'
Xiao Yuxia muttered to himself.
On the other hand, Jiang Che didn't even think about what happened in the morning and was occupied with thinking about how to expand his milk tea business.
Making the Milk Tea was a huge waste of time and he couldn't really work when he was in school.
He needed to employ someone and it should be someone who can be trusted.
"Hahaha… Jiang Che, we are rich. Your plan really worked!"
Zhang Wei couldn't stop smiling as he counted the money.
They bought 20 Cups of Milk Tea and everything was sold for 10 Yuan and earned them 200 Yuan in a single day.
Moreover, the preorder money has easily exceeded 500 Yuan.
Even if the cost was subtracted, they had easily made 300 Yuan in profit.
For someone like Zhang Wei who is just a student, earning such an amount of money could be considered something akin to a miracle.
"Jiang Che, when shall we sell it to other classes?"
Zhang Wei asked.
If the profit from just one class could be this much, he couldn't help but think about the profit he could have gotten if he had sold to other classes as well.
"Don't be hasty. Today I was just testing water. Moreover, you and I alone can't really bring more than 20 Milk Tea. We need to bring in some students to deliver the Milk Tea."
Jiang Chen said.
"Haha… Jiang Che, don't worry. I have many friends in other classes. I will ask whether there is anyone who wants to work."
Zhang Wei immediately came forward to address the issue.
Jiang Che didn't see any problem as he also thought about asking a few students for help.
Even in his last life, most of such work was usually handled by Zhang Wei and he trusts him enough to know that he will handle it well.
Moreover, he also didn't have any time as he needed to bring some people who could work full time in his Milk Tea Shop.
( The real work starts now! )