Chapter 532: End of the New Year Holiday

Lu Yunque released Yun Zijin, turned, and left the courtyard, hurrying back to his own.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he really wouldn’t be able to control himself.

Tuesday morning, the first day after the New Year’s holiday.

Since they were leaving for school from the Lu Family’s Old Mansion, she had to get up early, even though she didn’t have an 8 AM class. Otherwise, she’d be late.

Lu Yunque woke up promptly at 6 AM. After he washed up and confirmed with the kitchen that breakfast was underway, he went to the courtyard where Yun Zijin had slept to wake her.

Yun Zijin was still groggy at first. Even when she had an 8 AM class, she rarely woke up as early as 6.

Lu Yunque stood beside Yun Zijin’s bed and scooped her up like a child.

At that moment, Yun Zijin was still hovering in that space between sleep and wakefulness.

Lu Yunque carried her into the bathroom, set her on the vanity, and helped her brush her teeth, wash her face, and apply her skincare.

By the time Lu Yunque had finished, Yun Zijin finally, slowly opened her eyes. Her system had finally booted up.

“Mmm… what time is it?”

“It’s still early. You can doze a bit more. Once you’re done brushing your teeth, we can eat breakfast.”

Lu Yunque had hauled her out of bed this early because they might hit morning rush hour traffic.

But even though he had managed to get her up, she was still only half-awake.

Even after “booting up,” Yun Zijin’s eyelids were still drooping.

After he finished brushing her teeth, Lu Yunque carried her out of the bathroom.

“Breakfast is ready. Let’s eat.”

At this hour, no one else in the house was up yet. Lu Yunque led Yun Zijin to the dining room, and the two of them sat down to breakfast.

Whenever she tasted something particularly delicious, her eyes would light up, and she’d share a bite with Lu Yunque.

Lu Yunque loved seeing her like this. He happily accepted every bite and would offer his own review.

Naturally, their tastes weren’t always perfectly aligned.

Still, Lu Yunque was more than happy to indulge her, which already put him head and shoulders above most guys.

As they ate breakfast, they could hear the sounds of people talking outside.

As they finished breakfast and were about to leave, they saw the seven members of Zero One approaching from a distance.

’I knew I forgot something,’ Yun Zijin thought. ’I can’t believe I forgot about my bodyguards.’

Thankfully, they knew how to find her on their own, so she wasn’t worried about them getting lost.

When they got near the university, it was still too early for Yun Zijin’s class. Not wanting to go back to her dorm and see two people she couldn’t stand, she had Lu Yunque drop her off at the Wangyou Milk Tea Shop.

After Lu Yunque dropped her at the Wangyou Milk Tea Shop, Yun Zijin turned and gave him a quick kiss before hastily getting out of the car.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, opening the door, and hopping out were all done in one smooth motion.

By the time Lu Yunque processed what she’d done, he could only chuckle in resignation.

’Was there any need to run off so quickly? Am I really that scary?’

’Of course I don’t think Lu Yunque is scary,’ she thought. ’I just don’t want to be overly affectionate in public.’

’A quick peck and a fast escape is much better than being pinned down for a make-out session in the car.’

“I’m off! You don’t have to pick me up after class; Zero One and the guys will drive me home.”

Since she’d said so, Lu Yunque didn’t press the issue. He was completely at ease with her bodyguards escorting her to and from school.

With that, Yun Zijin ran into the Wangyou Milk Tea Shop. Qin Sitong was there, though she wasn’t personally making the Wangyou Milk Tea.

Instead, she was supervising the process. Each time an employee finished a drink, it had to be checked by Qin Sitong to ensure it met the standard.

The most important quality of Wangyou Milk Tea wasn’t its flavor, but the feeling it evoked after being drunk—a sense of life’s past joys.

It would temporarily lift a person’s spirits, making them forget their troubles.

However, this was only a fleeting sensation. Some might scoff at it, while others desired it desperately.

After all… for someone who has lived in darkness, any glimmer of light is a desperately needed salvation.

From what Yun Zijin understood, many of the shop’s regulars didn’t buy Wangyou Milk Tea for themselves, but for friends suffering from depression. She’d even heard that it had a real therapeutic effect.

However, the system’s description never mentioned it could treat depression, so Yun Zijin was careful never to include this claim in the Wangyou Milk Tea’s advertising.

Otherwise, if someone with depression drank it and their condition didn’t improve, the consequences could be severe.

Therefore, without any scientific basis, Yun Zijin would never add it to their marketing slogans.

Instead, Yun Zijin had instructed Qin Sitong to make it clear to any customers buying the drink for someone with depression that Wangyou Milk Tea was just milk tea, and it could not be consumed as a medical treatment.

Seeing Yun Zijin, Qin Sitong quickly came out from the drink preparation area.

“What are you doing here?”

She didn’t have an 8 AM class today and had woken up early, so she’d decided to drop by the shop. She never expected to see Yun Zijin here this early.

“I stayed at the Lu Family’s Old Mansion last night. It’s pretty far from here, and I was worried I’d be late for class if I didn’t leave early, so here I am.

I couldn’t be bothered to go back to the dorm, so I figured I’d wait here.”

Thanks to its growing word-of-mouth reputation, the Wangyou Milk Tea Shop was crowded, even in the morning.

When the customers saw Yun Zijin, the regulars all greeted her.

“Boss Yun, we haven’t seen you around in a while!”

“Yeah, yeah, Boss Yun! I’ve been hoping to try a Wangyou Milk Tea made by you personally. I wonder, am I lucky enough to get one today?”

Hearing these people wanted her to make Wangyou Milk Tea for them again, Yun Zijin just smiled without answering.

’What a joke. I’ve barely made it for myself a handful of times, so why would I make it for them?’

Qin Sitong also thought the customer’s request was out of line. She took Yun Zijin’s hand and led her deeper into the shop, finding a corner for her to sit down.

“Just sit here for a bit. We can head to class together later. Don’t pay any attention to what those people are saying.”

’Qin Sitong had a good idea of what those customers were thinking. They just saw Yun Zijin as some rich girl.’

’They figured, as customers, they could get a rich girl to serve them. That one incident would give them bragging rights for a year.’

But Qin Sitong wasn’t about to give them the chance.

Never mind the fact that even Qin Sitong herself rarely made the Wangyou Milk Tea anymore. If they got swamped and the staff fell behind, Qin Sitong would be the one to step up, never Yun Zijin.

Seeing that Yun Zijin had sat down in such a secluded spot, the others stopped trying to get a rise out of her.

They were just testing the waters. Whether they succeeded or not, it was no loss to them.

It was now clear that their hopes of getting Yun Zijin to make a drink for them were pretty much impossible.

Qin Sitong, however, returned to the prep area and made a Wangyou Milk Tea for Yun Zijin, bringing it over to her.

Yun Zijin sat at her table, with the seven members of Zero One occupying the table next to her. Their presence instantly deterred anyone who might have wanted to approach her.

By the time her class was about to start, Yun Zijin had nearly finished her Wangyou Milk Tea.

The two friends left the Wangyou Milk Tea Shop together.

However, just as they stepped out the door, they saw a familiar face.