SBAB Chapter 12

When Lin Xin and the others were in their positions, it was the first peak period for the maid café—lunchtime.

The Culinary Club’s culinary skills were undeniable, but for a restaurant that didn’t rely on repeat customers, the quality of the food wasn’t as important as the gimmick behind the business.

Just like the maid café’s focus is on the maids, and the cat café’s focus is on the cats. Whether there’s coffee being sold inside hardly matters to anyone.

First, Xiaoxia’s petite frame, slender build, and twin tails made her a natural fit for the loli maid role. She was adept and professional, almost like a real maid.

He Xiangtong, on the other hand, was even shorter than Xiaoxia, but had a unique charm that wasn’t found in other maid cafés.

As a key member of the Culinary Club, He Xiangtong not only served as a maid but also took on the role of a strongman. Her maid outfit was off-shoulder, emphasizing her biceps and broad back muscles when she carried heavy trays.

Then there was Cheng Shiyin’s unexpected addition. Her devil maid appearance was stunning, and her unhappiness at being unexpectedly drafted only added to her aristocratic, aloof demeanor as she busied herself with work, cheeks slightly flushed. This cute contrast made every student passing by want to stop and savor her beauty.

Lastly, there was the surprising revelation of Gu Nian’s entertainment—a reminder that a man who is good-looking enough can even pull off wearing a maid outfit.

Xiaoxia, seeing Cheng Shiyin hustling around with a sour expression, felt a pang of conscience. She called the Culinary Club’s president to the back and pointed to Cheng Shiyin, saying, “This girl with the horns isn’t one of our helpers.”

The president only needed to say three words to Xiaoxia, and she knew Cheng Shiyin was now a permanent fixture.

He said, “I know.”

The president had known from the start that Cheng Shiyin wasn’t a maid-for-hire. He even knew she wasn’t a student at the school and that she was Gu Nian’s girlfriend. It was why Gu Nian, after just escaping one trap, had jumped into another.

He then directed Xiaoxia, “Have the butler handle tables 3 and 6. The unidentified beauty can take care of tables 4 and 5. You and He Xiangtong keep your positions—He Xiangtong at the first row, you at the last row.” He then pushed Xiaoxia away without any further explanation and went back to the kitchen.

Xiaoxia reluctantly relayed the message to Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin, leaving them both confused.

Due to space limitations, the café wasn’t large, with only eight tables split into pairs. Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin, after the president’s new arrangement, were assigned to the left table of the second row and the right table of the third row, respectively, while the other was mirrored. This arrangement was far from ideal; Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin could easily collide if they weren’t careful.

Xiaoxia, with her more experienced eye, couldn’t ignore the deeper intent behind the president’s arrangement.

Before long, she realized something: Lin Xin’s butler outfit suited him far better than the maid’s did.

With his dark ponytail tied high and a slightly oversized, vintage chain-link pair of glasses held up with a finger, Lin Xin looked like a dashing butler from the medieval era, painting a picture of a fallen noble boy forced into service.

The little lord’s clumsiness was thankfully offset by a proud but kind-hearted maid beside him.

But this maid wasn’t just any ordinary maid; her true identity was that of a demon, lingering by the young master’s side to savor a taste of his purest soul.

The above is the story concocted in the minds of all the onlookers when Lin Xin accidentally bumped into Cheng Shiyin, and Cheng Shiyin asked him, “Are you okay?” after the simple accident.

But the story isn’t quite over yet.

Gu Nian heard the screams coming from the café—the excited screams of the customers—and thought something had happened to Cheng Shiyin. He hastily dropped the promotional board in his hands and rushed inside.

However, in the eyes of the customers, it held another layer of meaning:

The young master’s romantic feelings were doomed from the start, and his love interest was another maid—she loved women, not men.

Gu Nian approached the two, seeing Lin Xin sprawled on the ground while Cheng Shiyin struggled to keep the plate steady without freeing her hands. He reached down and helped Lin Xin up. Lin Xin looked up and said “Thanks,” tears welling up from the fall added a tender, endearing quality that touched a soft spot in Gu Nian.

Cheng Shiyin was a tough, resilient woman who never cried in front of him, so he couldn’t help but linger for a few more seconds.

Meanwhile, the excited customers clasped hands, eagerly shouting, “Ah, it’s real! Worth it, worth it!” and they ordered another round of coffee.

Gu Nian didn’t have a chance to say anything before the president of the Culinary Club ushered him outside to continue his role as a “poster boy.”

Everyone was still thrilled; after all, it’s a classic villain!

Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin, because of the fall, moved more cautiously, but still couldn’t avoid the scheming traps laid down by the president.

The more engaged the audience got, the more they tipped and ordered refills, and the more Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin got busier and made more mistakes. Meanwhile, Gu Nian could only sadly peer inside from the doorway.

The demon eventually gave up on her old lover and chose to stay close to the young master instead.

“I want to see what happens when the young master grows up!” each customer with five or six coffee cups on their table thought in unison.

Xiaoxia, seeing that the café had no empty seats since lunchtime and noticing the never-ending line outside, sighed deeply. She grabbed the passing-by president of the Culinary Club and asked, “Might I ask for your esteemed name?”

“I am Wu Lian,” the president replied.