The sunlight was golden, and birds sang among the green shade.
How wonderful!
It would be even better if I didn’t have to sit here idle.
Ding! “You have a new delivery order. Please process it in time.”
The machine beside her chimed and spat out a slip of paper.
Jiang Jialie pressed the order slip down with a cup, glanced at the contents carefully, and hurried to the back to make the milk tea.
After making the milk tea, packing it in a bag with the order slip attached, Jiang Jialie sat back down in her chair.
Looking at Li Mi and Guo Ziyi, who had barely appeared in the back, she hesitated for a moment and asked, “Are you both this free?”
Stopping the motion of scrolling on her phone, Li Mi glanced at Jiang Jialie.
“No, it’s just that there aren’t many people today.”
Guo Ziyi also stopped scrolling.
Wrapping a strand of hair that hung from her ear around her finger, Jiang Jialie answered in an uncertain tone, “I guess so?”
“Then the store manager is usually pretty good to you, right? Even though she tricked you into working here.”
Toward the end, Guo Ziyi’s tone became less confident.
After all, this morning Gadelia had brought a timid Jiang Jialie to the store and her first words were, “This is the new employee. I went through a lot of trouble to trick her into working for me.”
Guo Ziyi still remembered the shock and helplessness on Jiang Jialie’s face at that time.
It felt so pitiful.
“Not really that good.”
Jiang Jialie replied to Guo Ziyi.
She actually wanted to say very good, but thinking about how Gadelia had helped Zhou Ming and herself, she suppressed her dissatisfaction and didn’t speak ill of Gadelia.
“That means it’s very good.”
Li Mi took over the conversation, then leaned close to Jiang Jialie and whispered in her ear, “Do you want to know some things about the store manager? Just tell us what you know about her, and I’ll tell you. How about it?”
Jiang Jialie’s face was full of hesitation.
She really wanted to know other aspects of Gadelia, but thinking about exchanging information, she couldn’t help feeling nervous.
‘How would I know anything about Gadelia? Do I have to tell them about Gadelia competing with me for Zhou Ming?’
‘So embarrassing! There’s no way I can say that.’
“I… I, let me think.”
“Li Mi, don’t fool people again!”
Guo Ziyi stepped forward and pushed Li Mi.
“What stories do we even have to tell! The store manager only came once in the past two or three days. She’s nice to us, but she hasn’t told us anything.”
After scolding Li Mi, Guo Ziyi quickly comforted Jiang Jialie.
“Jiang Jialie, don’t let Li Mi fool you. She likes to pry information out of people.”
“Then why are you still working for the store manager?!”
Li Mi looked shocked and incredulous.
She pointed at Jiang Jialie and turned to Guo Ziyi, “She hasn’t signed a contract yet, has she?”
“Is that so?”
Jiang Jialie was confused.
Guo Ziyi shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“Indeed, I haven’t signed a contract.”
Jiang Jialie sighed, confirming their words.
“But, Gadelia… she and my childhood friend… their relationship…”
Jiang Jialie hesitated for a moment, but still brought up her connection with Gadelia.
However, before she could finish, she was interrupted by the exclamations of Li Mi and Guo Ziyi.
“Wait! Then you and the store manager are…”
After exchanging a glance with Guo Ziyi and confirming she nodded, Li Mi finally said, “Love rivals?!”
“Mm.”
Jiang Jialie nodded in agreement.
“Then why did you come here? Shouldn’t the store manager be alone with your childhood friend right now?”
Guo Ziyi was puzzled and found Jiang Jialie’s behavior incomprehensible.
This is too pitiful!
Guo Ziyi didn’t know how to describe Jiang Jialie’s current situation.
“That’s not it.”
Completely denying the unpleasant thoughts in Li Mi and Guo Ziyi’s minds, Jiang Jialie didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Gadelia.
Could she tell them that it was her one-sidedly viewing Gadelia as a love rival?!
‘Absolutely cannot say that!’
“Zhou Ming is my childhood friend. He’s pretty busy right now, and he’s not with Gadelia.”
“Zhou Ming!”
Li Mi and Guo Ziyi exchanged glances.
“Does he have superpowers? He was hospitalized a few days ago.”
“He saved our lives and the store manager’s life before. The store manager even went to take care of him for a few days!”
Li Mi said to Jiang Jialie.
“I see!”
The two said in unison.
Jiang Jialie understood.
Gadelia’s actions toward Zhou Ming were a repayment of a life-saving debt.
Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that there might be romantic feelings.
But it probably wasn’t much.
After all, the emotions Gadelia showed toward Zhou Ming weren’t as strong as her own love.
She still loved Zhou Ming the most!
And with her relationship with Zhou Ming, it was a sure thing!
They didn’t know she already had the upper hand.
What a pity.
Li Mi and Guo Ziyi, on the other hand, had a different thought.
What a poor childhood friend!
To encounter a mature and charming woman like the store manager, what misfortune!
She was still holding unreasonable expectations for the store manager.
What a pity.
At the same time, both sides showed pity for each other in their eyes.
So pitiful.
They didn’t know anything.
“What are you doing? It’s already the third order, and you still haven’t started.”
Gadelia was there to find Jiang Jialie.
Seeing Jiang Jialie and Li Mi staring at each other with undisguised pity in their eyes, she couldn’t help but speak.
“Store manager!”
“Gadelia!”
Gadelia rubbed her temples and rolled her eyes at the three.
“Orders!”
Seeing the three order slips on the counter, the three quickly got to work.
“Wait, Jiang Jialie, come here.”
Gadelia waved at the busy Jiang Jialie and sighed softly.
Although there were many voices in her head, Gadelia could still discern the thoughts of the three.
Truly a bunch of geniuses.
Maybe only by experiencing more things could Jiang Jialie grow.
“Gadelia, what is it?”
“Let’s talk outside.”
Gadelia turned and went out the door.
“You can leave work early today. You don’t have to do anything more.”
So, under the envious gazes of Li Mi and Guo Ziyi, Jiang Jialie gloriously ended her shift.
“Have you been able to contact Zhou Ming before? Can you still reach him?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t get in touch with him, so I came to find you.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Jialie took out her phone and dialed Zhou Ming’s number.
It didn’t go through.
“This… Zhou Ming couldn’t have had an accident, could he?”
Gadelia rubbed her earlobe.
Jiang Jialie saw worry in Gadelia’s eyes, and her heart also tightened.
‘Please don’t let anything happen!’
“What if Zhou Ming’s phone just ran out of battery, or the signal is bad?”
Jiang Jialie still held onto a sliver of hope.
Gadelia was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “That would be the best outcome.”
It’s over.