Chapter 22

Successfully attracting two distinguished customers should have counted as a milestone victory, yet an unexpected little incident caused the two of them to start arguing with each other.

“Guo, that’s where you’re wrong. The director is the one who oversees the entire production and has the final say. Take the famous dance in the snow from Scorching Stone and Flowing Gold. That wasn’t filmed according to the original script.”

“That scene came about because Sister Wan and I repeatedly discussed and analyzed the dialogue, which eventually inspired her to improvise. What did it have to do with you?”

“What kind of thing is that to say? How could any shot on set have nothing to do with the director? You need to correct that way of thinking. If it hadn’t been for me—”

Two unyielding voices filled the air, one booming and the other firm.

The two were said to clash constantly both at work and outside it. They were a famously argumentative pair within the company. Judging from the scene before her, those rumors clearly held some truth.

Seeing that the two distinguished guests showed no sign of stopping anytime soon, then glancing at her flustered employee beside them, Qin Cheng decided she had better intervene.

“Excuse me, both of you, but look—my little sister is nearly in tears. Could you stop arguing?”

She inserted herself into the conversation with a pleasant smile and set down a box of freshly cut fruit.

“Consider this a peace offering from the shop, as well as our welcome to Director Jin.”

At that reminder, the two people caught up in their argument looked toward the young employee at the same time.

Seeing that the girl truly looked so anxious she was on the verge of tears, they finally came back to their senses.

Once she realized what had happened, the screenwriter fell silent again. She redirected her attention to the food and concentrated on eating without saying another word.

The plump old man, meanwhile, coughed lightly and looked at Qin Cheng with some embarrassment, searching for something to say.

“What? You recognize this old fossil too? I thought young people these days only paid attention to famous stars.”

Of course Qin Cheng recognized him.

In fact, she had identified him the moment he entered the shop the previous evening. Otherwise, why would she have worked so hard to serve such a difficult customer after closing?

Her original plan had been to pretend she did not recognize him, even if she did. At least on the surface, she would treat him as an ordinary customer, allowing him to feel more relaxed.

But Nuonuo had accidentally exposed the truth, so there was no longer any need to continue pretending ignorance.

The fact was that Qin Cheng not only knew Read on BaiLianTales Director Jin, but had watched every film and television drama he had directed over the past few years.

Some of them she had watched repeatedly.

There were two reasons.

First, she had plenty of idle time while she was ill.

Second, she wanted to contribute at least a little to a certain company’s box-office revenue and ratings.

There was so little she could do for that woman these days. Whenever there was anything within her power, Qin Cheng always tried her best.

Since she could no longer pretend ignorance, she might as well behave like a fan.

After all, she had genuinely studied several of his works, and with Nuonuo already setting the precedent, she was merely following the natural flow of events.

Although she had no professional background in the film industry, Qin Cheng was articulate and had thoughtful interpretations of the works.

She soon found plenty to discuss with the mischievous old Director Jin.

With the young fan beside them listening with shining eyes despite rarely speaking, and the screenwriter bailiantales.comoccasionally inserting a sentence or two at crucial points, they ended up chatting at length before finally leaving.

After that, the old man became a regular customer.

Unlike Miss Guoba, however, Director Jin was publicly recognizable and fairly famous. To avoid paparazzi and other trouble, he generally did not appear during the day.

He would secretly slip in only after eight or nine at night, once the shop had closed.

He truly was a rather special customer.

Still, the most frequent visitor remained the screenwriter Guo Wenyu.

Perhaps the old man disliked being alone. Although the two constantly argued, nine times out of ten, he still dragged the younger woman along with him.

Since the screenwriter herself also loved sweets, she came during the day and returned again at night without seeming to find it troublesome.

As their visits increased, the two gradually learned more about the shop.

Naturally, Qin Cheng carefully concealed everything that needed to remain hidden. What they mainly discovered was Nuonuo’s condition.

When Director Jin learned that the eighteen-year-old film fan was autistic, he felt great bailiantales.comtenderness toward her. From then on, he even lowered his voice considerably whenever she was present.

As for Miss Guoba, although she did not outwardly show much sympathy toward Nuonuo, she became slightly more harmonious with the old director and initiated arguments far less often.

Over time, the two even began treating the shop as a second office.

Whenever they had a controversial topic to discuss, talking about it there made the atmosphere less tense.

There was food, drink, and attentive service as well, so both body and mind felt more comfortable.

Speaking of food, drink, and service, Qin Cheng naturally put a great deal of thought into them.

The screenwriter was easy to satisfy. Anything sweet would do, so Qin Cheng always served her the freshest fruit from the small realm.

Director Jin required more consideration.

Although the old man was full of energy, his large belly suggested that he almost certainly had problems with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or high cholesterol.

Qin Cheng therefore served him more carefully controlled foods, such as blended fruit-and-vegetable juices.

At present, the vegetables used in those drinks included carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and similar ingredients. Aside [Read on BaiLianTales]from the large tomatoes, the rest were purchased online.

Even the purchased vegetables were higher quality than those sold at ordinary stalls, because she bought them directly from farmers while they were still fresh and crisp.

Once stored inside the small realm, that freshness could be preserved at its peak.

Their nutrition and flavor remained in optimal condition, making them incomparable to vegetables that had spent an unknown number of days in a vendor’s hands.

The more care one invested, the more one received in return.

After eating and drinking this way for some time, Director Jin clearly began to notice changes in his body.

Older people were generally more sensitive to changes in their health than younger people and paid closer attention to them.

So when he discovered that his general’s belly had shrunk slightly and his blood pressure had fallen a little, the old man was delighted.

He attributed everything to his frequent visits to the shop and his daily consumption of fruit-and-vegetable juice, believing that he had finally begun living the legendary healthy lifestyle.

Unlike the screenwriter, who was absorbed in her work and mentioned the shop only within her own department at most, Director Jin loved wandering around whenever he had nothing to do.

He also genuinely liked the shop.

So wherever he went within the company, he casually mentioned it, boasting about his vigor in old age while recommending that everyone try the place.

Through one recommendation after another, the old man eventually wandered into the Administration and Human Resources Department one day and encountered the general manager’s assistant returning with a takeout lunch box.

“Oh, let me see. Little Jiang, this isn’t right. Why do you keep buying porridge?”

At a glance, Director Jin recognized the name of the porridge shop printed on the container and immediately shook his head.

“Porridge doesn’t keep you full for long. Be careful you don’t leave your boss hungry.”

“She’s eating smaller meals more frequently. There isn’t much else she can eat.”

Jiang Rong checked her watch as she replied, walking quickly as she tried to move around him.

“Director Jin, please don’t hold me up. President Chu has another meeting soon. I need to deliver this quickly.”

Unexpectedly, he grabbed her arm.

“Wait a moment!”

The plump old man’s expression became much more serious.

“I don’t mean to interfere, but what’s going on with you, Little Jiang? Why is her schedule packed so tightly?”

“And what do you mean there’s nothing else she can eat? There are so many good shops, yet you know only one?”

“How about I give you an address? Go buy their soy milk. Little Chu is guaranteed to like it!”

“Director Jin, even if I arrange her schedule, President Chu has to agree to follow it.”

Jiang Rong looked wronged.

“According to the schedule, she should have taken her lunch break an hour and a half ago, but just look at the situation…”

The plump old man was one of the company’s most respected directors and senior figures, so Jiang Rong did not mind being lectured by him. She simply defended herself.

After complaining, however, she thought for a moment.

She hesitated, then lowered her voice [read the original at bailiantales.com]and added softly, “To be honest, I don’t know why, but President Chu suddenly stopped liking soy milk these past few days.”

“Brother Zhang recommended a shop once too. President Chu directly said she didn’t want any.”

“Later, I bought a bag from the convenience store, but she took only two sips before throwing it away.”

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Rong would never reveal her superior’s private matters behind her back so easily.

But Director Jin treated her boss like a younger relative and genuinely cared for her. By saying this, Jiang Rong was also seeking his opinion.

“What’s going on? Has she grown tired of it? That doesn’t sound right. Little Chu is so loyal to the things she likes…”

As expected, the plump old man became worried.

After thinking for a while, he suddenly said, “Could it be that she…”

He raised his eyebrows suggestively at Jiang Rong, conveying that she understood what he meant.

“…was reminded of something painful again?”

Jiang Rong nodded.

“Possibly. After all, it’s a wound in President Chu’s heart.”

“But it happened several years ago. Only those two with the surname Tang probably know anything about the details.”

“I don’t dare ask recklessly, so I can only avoid anything related to it as much as possible. That’s why you shouldn’t recommend soy milk either.”

“Why can’t I recommend it? Even if I don’t recommend the soy milk, I can recommend something else.”

The moment the subject changed, the old man’s argumentative nature returned, and he became animated again.

“That shop is a rare, genuinely conscientious business. Everything besides the soy milk is good too.”

“Look at me. I’ve been drinking their fruit-and-vegetable juice for several days. Hasn’t my belly shrunk by an entire size?”

“I’m telling you, that Guo girl no longer spends all day sleepy and nodding off either. That’s because of what she’s been eating!”

“Doesn’t Little Chu have a bad stomach? You absolutely have to try it, I’m telling you!”

In the end, almost under coercion, Assistant Jiang wrote down the shop’s address.

She was surprised to discover that the name matched the same shop Brother Zhang had recommended previously, and could not help remarking on the coincidence.

Even so, she did not immediately make a special trip there.

Later, however, she noticed that the shop truly had a certain reputation within the company.

Quite a few employees had begun buying from it, and nearly everyone gave positive reviews, saying that the fruit and vegetables were fresh, clean, and genuinely beneficial to their health.

Only after repeatedly hearing that one person’s complexion had improved, another person’s dark circles had vanished, and seeing Director Jin and Screenwriter Guo grow increasingly energetic did Jiang Rong truly begin paying attention.

And so, on the afternoon of the final day of June, Assistant Jiang finally stepped into the inconspicuous little shop hidden in the alley.

Naturally, no one inside was psychologically prepared for her arrival.

The weather was warm and pleasant that day, and business had been fairly good.

Qin Cheng had just seen off two customers and was about to catch her breath when she suddenly saw the figure pushing open the door.

Her mind instantly went blank.

Although she had imagined, planned, and anticipated this moment countless times, Qin Cheng had never truly believed that everything would proceed so smoothly.

Smoothly enough that, within the shop’s very first month, her ultimate target would appear.

That was right.

The ultimate target in Boss Qin’s mind was this personal assistant responsible for her superior’s meals.

As for the superior herself, Qin Cheng did not expect her to come.

Nor did she dare to hope for it.

Someone so important that she barely had time to eat would hardly have the leisure to patronize a tiny shop like this.

What Qin Cheng had not expected was that simply witnessing the assistant enter would make her so excited and nervous.

She became so tense that she temporarily forgot how to speak.

Nuonuo, who knew nothing about the situation, habitually said, “Welcome.”

Because Nuonuo had spoken, Jiang Rong instinctively walked toward her, apparently assuming she was the employee responsible for receiving customers.

“What do you recommend?” she asked. “Anything except soy milk.”

Except soy milk?

Pretending to busy herself with her back to the counter, Qin Cheng frowned slightly.

She did not understand the reason, but could not abruptly send Nuonuo away without making it seem unnatural.

She could only listen more carefully.

Nuonuo, however, was an exceptionally concise girl.

She replied in a clear voice, “Everything tastes good. I’m not lying.”

Then she waited for the customer to order.

That answer said practically nothing.

What kind of employee was this?

Assistant Jiang, who was accustomed to orderly and detailed explanations, felt mildly displeased.

But when she met the girl’s bright, shining eyes, that trace of irritation vanished.

She could only study the blackboard menu herself for a little longer before tentatively choosing one two-fruit juice and one fruit-and-vegetable juice.

Under ordinary circumstances, Qin Cheng prepared the drinks.

When business became busy, Nuonuo helped wash the fruit.

Business had been good throughout the day, so although only one customer remained now, Nuonuo still turned toward the sink after completing the transaction.

For a time, the shop’s two employees worked silently—one washing and the other peeling.

Neither spoke.

Such a quiet atmosphere, almost as though the customer did not exist, was extremely rare.

After her initial displeasure, Jiang Rong began finding it somewhat amusing.

It left her with the impression that this shop truly was different, along with the question of how Director Jin could possibly enjoy such an atmosphere.

What she did not know was that one employee was originally autistic, while the other woman, who normally handled customers with warmth and friendliness, was afraid of revealing her abnormal emotions and had therefore chosen to remain silent as well.

Perhaps the shop was simply too quiet.

In the end, Jiang Rong could not resist urging them.

“Could you move a little faster? I have a car waiting outside.”

The taller employee paused slightly, then nodded.

Still, she did not speak.

Fine.

Quiet was not necessarily bad.

At least it showed that the shop’s employees concentrated seriously on their work.

Fortunately, the silence did not become unbearably frustrating because the two practiced employees completed the entire preparation process efficiently.

The two juices were finished one after another.

The apple-and-pear juice was nearly crystal clear and transparent, without a trace of residue.

The cucumber-and-kiwi juice was a rich emerald green, smooth and fragrant.

They were completely different in style, yet equally tempting.

While Nuonuo sealed the cups, Qin Cheng hesitated.

In the end, she quietly said, “Please wait a moment,” to the customer at the counter, then entered the kitchen alone.

She stepped into the kitchen, closed the door, gripped the hairpin beneath her clothes, and instantly appeared beside the Taiji lake.

Compared with the emptiness of the beginning, the lakeside was now far livelier.

Of course, lively did not mean noisy or crowded.

It was a kind of lived-in atmosphere created by flourishing greenery and a disorderly collection of household items.

The dark plots of soil were filled with shades of green, both deep and pale.

The broad stone road was covered with various objects arranged in varying degrees of order.

The stone road where she had once placed things casually had now been roughly divided into three sections: a goods storage area, a living and resting area, and a work area.

Qin Cheng first hurried to the goods storage section, but did not take anything already stocked there.

Instead, she carried a fruit picker to the kiwi vines and carefully harvested several fruits at exactly the right stage of ripeness.

Then she went to the strawberry patch and picked several large, bright-red strawberries.

Carrying the freshly harvested fruit, she went to the work area, washed both kinds with bottled water from the small table, peeled and cut them, then packed them into a box.

When Qin Cheng hurriedly left the lakeside with the freshly cut fruit [stolen content]and reappeared inside the small kitchen, less than a minute had passed in reality because she had moved so quickly.

Nuonuo had only just finished sealing the drinks and was placing them into a bag.

“Hello. This is for first-time customers.”

Qin Cheng stepped forward, took the bag, and placed the box of fruit inside as well.

With an air of casual generosity, she said, “It’s only a small welcome gift. Please don’t mind. I recommend eating it before drinking the juice.”

Compared with the shop’s unusually quiet service style, its hospitality was certainly thoughtful.

The fruit also looked exceptionally fresh and succulent.

Although Assistant Jiang was slightly surprised, she had no real reason to refuse.

She therefore carried the fruit box and drinks out of the shop, walking toward the alley entrance at her usual brisk pace.

A black business van was indeed parked by the street outside the alley.

The shop stood only seven or eight meters from the road.

Nervously, Qin Cheng hid behind the open frosted-glass door and watched Assistant Jiang open the vehicle door and climb inside.

During the few seconds while the door opened and closed, she clearly saw Jiang Rong pass the fruit box and drinks to another figure seated in the back.

It was a silhouette Qin Cheng could never mistake, even after seeing it for only a few seconds.