Chapter 20 [Your Boss is Really Unlucky]
At six in the morning, Chen the Expert slowly walked out of the Extreme Internet Cafe.
There were already some breakfast stands on the roadside.
Chen Yan rubbed his eyes and yawned, then found a breakfast stand he used to go to and sat down at a small table set by the roadside.
"Boss, one bowl of tofu pudding, two pieces of fried dough sticks."
Chen Yan sat on a small stool, looking at the morning street.
In the winter morning, it wasn't quite bright yet, and there were few people on the street. There was even a hint of lingering mist.
The morning breeze was cold; if you inhaled too much, it would hurt all the way from your nose to your forehead.
A street cleaner had already started working in the distance, and the breakfast stand was run by a middle-aged couple.
The man was frying the dough sticks, while the woman was collecting money and serving tofu pudding.
When she wasn't doing that, she was standing beside them wrapping wontons.
Well... Chen Yan had tried their wontons before, they weren't as good as the tofu pudding.
Hmm... This scene, over the past four years, he didn't even know how many times he had seen it.
After graduation, it had been a few months since he last came.
In the future...
Probably he would come even less, right?
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People in Jinling Prefecture eat savory tofu pudding.
In the snow-white tofu pudding, one spoon of soy sauce, sprinkle some shrimp shells and chopped vegetables, and a handful of peanuts, and finally a pinch of cilantro.
The soft and hot tofu pudding, with the freshly fried crispy dough sticks—this had always been the best breakfast in the world for Chen Yan over the past four years.
After eating it, his whole body felt warm. Chen Yan asked the boss to pack another bowl of tofu pudding, then he took it and turned back to the internet cafe.
The lady boss at the counter was dozing off but still staying up to watch dramas.
Her addiction was really something... Chen Yan sighed inwardly.
He put the tofu pudding on the counter.
"Lady boss, here's something for you to eat."
The lady boss looked up, and when she saw what it was, she beamed with joy, "Ah, Xiaoyan, you really know how to care for people! How much was it? Let me pay you."
"Oh, don't be so formal," Chen Yan said with a smile while waving his hand. "Just eat it, and make sure to get some sleep after you finish. Staying up late to watch dramas ages you quickly."
"Get lost!" As expected, women couldn't bear to hear the word "old."
Chen Yan chuckled, turned around, and left the internet cafe.
Time to go home and sleep!
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Actually, Chen Yan and the lady boss always had a good relationship, knowing she loved this tofu pudding from this stand.
She seemed fierce, but she had a soft heart.
During the four years of school, whenever Chen Yan was particularly broke and had no money to surf the internet, he would come over, talk sweetly to her across the counter.
She would always pretend to be impatient and toss him a token, "Go, go, have some fun!"
It wasn't giving him credit; she just let him surf for free.
Sometimes, when she saw him starving and broke in the middle of the night, she would even give him a bowl of instant noodles.
But strangely, this privilege was only for Chen Yan. Other people didn't get it.
Because of this, Chen Yan even suspected... could it be that the lady boss had feelings for him?
Honestly... it wouldn't be bad!
The lady boss was beautiful, kind, and quite wealthy, even though she was a few years older.
Chen Yan thought to himself: such a wonderful lady boss, I can handle it!
But later, he realized that wasn't the case at all.
It was because... the lady boss said he looked like her younger brother.
Not the three gatekeepers from the store.
The youngest of five siblings.
She was the eldest, and the ones standing guard at the store were the second, third, and fourth siblings.
Chen Yan looked like the fifth sibling.
Chen Yan had never seen her fifth sibling, but he had asked about him casually in a chat.
With a faint tone, she said, "He's been gone for many years."
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Chen Yan didn't ask further about her family after that.
As their relationship got better, Chen Yan wouldn't shamelessly come and freeload internet access.
When he had money, he would always pay properly. When he didn't...
When he didn't, he would still sweet-talk his way to freeload.
But every now and then, he would bring the lady boss some treats.
A bowl of tofu pudding, a bag of sunflower seeds, a bag of roasted chestnuts...
Once or twice, the lady boss seemed to imply she wanted to recognize him as a younger brother.
But Chen Yan always laughed it off.
He had no parents and was brought up by an elderly lady.
He didn't feel the need to recognize any kin outside.
Elder sisters or younger brothers, just stay as not-too-distant friends.
Other than the old lady, Chen Yan didn't feel like having any relatives or wanted to have any.
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When Gu Girl walked out from the storeroom, she saw the lady boss alone at the counter, slurping tofu pudding.
"Boss, good morning. Eating?" Gu Girl greeted politely.
The lady boss straightened up and looked at the girl before her.
Though she herself didn't look bad, every time she looked at this girl, the lady boss couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Look at her, how she grew up.
"Do you want a bowl too? Xiaoyan just bought it for me."
"Xiaoyan?"
"Yeah, the boy who asked you to make instant noodles last night. Isn't he quite handsome?" The lady boss chuckled.
Gu Girl's expression turned cold, "Oh, your friend, his last name is Yan, right."
With that, she just picked up a rag and started wiping the counter.
"No," the lady boss sipped her tofu pudding and smacked her lips, "His last name isn't Yan. I call him Xiaoyan because his name has Yan in it. Actually, his last name is Chen..."
Whoosh!
Gu Girl's body suddenly shook, and the cloth in her hand almost flung onto the lady boss's face!
"What's his last name?"
"Chen, Eastern Chen, his name is Chen Yan, the Yan from words."
Gu Girl's eyes widened, and her body started trembling gently.
Chen, Chen, Chen Yan!!!
At the residence of that venerable...
The note with the address they found there, that name, it was clearly Chen Yan!!
Chen Yan!!
Damn Chen family member?!
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These days, she had been roaming around this area because the rented house she found was nearby!
Although the tenant had moved out, Gu Girl guessed that maybe the person didn't move far and found another place nearby?
With that slightest hope, she kept wandering around the area day by day.
She was already feeling a bit possessed by it, thinking everyone she saw looked like a Chen family member.
She did have some obsession.
She had no idea what the Chen family members looked like, so what was the use of wandering the streets?
Even if they met face-to-face, she wouldn't recognize them.
But it had to be this way!
Dammit! I was standing right in front of him last night!
I, I, I...
I even made him a bowl of noodles with my own hands!!!
If I had known he was a Chen family member, I would have slammed that bowl in his face!!
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Although Gu Girl was a bit senseless, she smartly pried more information from the lady boss.
The lady boss didn't think much of it, assuming the girl thought Chen Yan was handsome and couldn't help but ask about him.
What Gu Girl finally learned was:
Chen Yan had attended a nearby university and already graduated.
He probably rented a place nearby.
It all matched! It all matched! Gu Girl internally cheered, the address she found was a nearby rental!
However, the lady boss didn't have his contact information—so, trying to find him through the lady boss wouldn't work.
Asking the lady boss about his new place wasn't an option either.
Although Chen Yan came to the internet cafe often, he didn't add the lady boss on WeChat probably because they mostly interacted at the cafe.
"What's up? Have a crush?" the lady boss said smiling at Gu Girl, "Though he's a recent graduate, he still comes by occasionally. His card here still has unused time, so you might run into him."
All morning, Gu Girl felt a bit out of it.
She would space out sometimes, then clench her teeth in hatred at others.
Today, I'm not leaving to sweep the streets!
I've found him already!
Wait for a chance! The lady boss said he still had some card time left, so he'll come again! He has to!
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"Hey, Xiaozhao, I'm giving you my internet card from the lady boss' place. There's still about forty hours left on it.
Hey! Why would I need that! I live too far now, going there would cost me like fifty bucks just for the Didi. Going all that way just to use the internet, isn't that dumb?
Well, you know the lady boss, just tell her my intentions. From now on, when you surf the net there, just deduct it from my card."
Hanging up the phone, Chen Yan watched as the car drove up to the gate of the villa complex.
Getting out, he strolled towards the gate, seeing a black Mercedes parked at the roadside long before he got closer.
A figure was pacing up and down, smoking cigarettes.
Focusing his eyes, Chen Yan recognized Assistant Yan.
Chen Yan walked up smiling, but before he could greet, Assistant Yan saw him and quickly took three steps forward, grabbing Chen Yan's hand.
"Mr. Chen... No, Teacher Chen, Master Chen!!! You've finally returned!!"
Chen Yan was slightly confused.
How did I become a master?
"No, Assistant Yan, so early in the morning... don't tell me the ritual didn't go as planned?"
"It did, it's done... no, wait! The ritual was completed." Assistant Yan smacked his forehead, "Master Chen..."
"Don't call me Master, that title is unlucky. Many who use it end up in trouble." Chen Yan shook his head.
"Oh... you like to joke.
The ritual was completed by midnight. I came back specifically to find you! I've been waiting outside your house for an hour this morning!"
Chen Yan frowned: "Is there something urgent?"
"Yes, yes, our boss, our boss would like to meet you."
"Meet me?" Chen Yan frowned, looking suspiciously at Assistant Yan, "It's not because your boss wants to renege on the favor I promised, right?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Assistant Yan shook his head hurriedly, "Our boss found out you're a high expert and wants to meet you no matter what!"
With that, Assistant Yan recounted his experience from the boss's office in the wee hours, then grabbed Chen Yan's hand once more: "You truly saved me! This was so miraculous, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it."
Chen Yan smiled lightly, subtly withdrawing his hand: "Listen, no need to thank me. I told you, you earned me 33,000, and according to our school's tradition, we must recompense when taking someone's favor.
You've already paid, so no need for more."
Assistant Yan looked at Chen Yan with eager eyes, "Then, would you... mind..."
Chen Yan pondered for a moment, but Assistant Yan misunderstood, quickly saying: "It's our fault for the lack of etiquette!
Our boss said, considering your high stature, he should be the one visiting you! He and I were preparing to leave the office together.
But just before we left, something happened..."
"What happened?" Chen Yan raised an eyebrow.
Assistant Yan's face turned somewhat odd, eyes reflecting tension and a trace of fear: "Just out of the building, our boss missed a step and rolled down the stairs. Broke a bone on the spot..."
Chen Yan blinked in surprise, "Your boss... that's really unlucky."
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