Chapter 7: “Apologize. Clearly. Now.”

The next day was Saturday.

At 7 a.m., Xia Zhicha was woken up by her phone’s vibrating alarm.

To avoid disturbing Jiang Lili, she had set it to vibrate. After turning it off, she got out of bed quietly and began her morning routine.

Jiang Lili had always slept well, and after drinking the night before, she remained fast asleep, her breathing soft and steady even after Xia Zhicha had washed up and changed.

Xia Zhicha let out a breath of relief and slipped out the door.

Besides occasionally tutoring during weekdays, she worked a part-time job every weekend at a milk tea shop near the school’s shopping district.

When she arrived, her coworker had already opened the rolling shutter and greeted her.

That coworker, Chen Mao, was two years older than her. She hadn’t gone to college, started working early, and was a full-time employee at the shop. Chen Mao was a straightforward, efficient girl—her only flaw was a love of gossip.

“Hey, let me tell you—yesterday I saw a guy bring two different girls here to buy milk tea. One in the afternoon, one at night. The one at night was all clingy, calling him hubby and even kissing right in front of me. I was like, holy crap…”

Xia Zhicha hadn’t even made it to the back room yet when Chen Mao was already sweeping and gossiping enthusiastically. Xia Zhicha replied every now and then while entering the workroom and putting on her apron.

Just as she was tying it, her phone rang.

The caller ID said: “Uncle.”

She picked up, and her uncle, Chang Chunyu, asked, “Zhizhi, do you have enough money after school started?”

Xia Zhicha smiled faintly. “Yes, I’ve been working part-time recently, so don’t worry.”

Her parents had died when she was very young. Since then, her uncle and aunt had raised her. They were both working-class people with modest income and a sickly younger son who needed frequent medical care.

Even so, they never treated her like a burden. They raised her as their own daughter and cared deeply about her education—sometimes even more than they did for their own son, Chang Mingsui.

Grateful as she was, Xia Zhicha also felt guilty. After receiving a scholarship in college, she stopped accepting money from home. But her family still insisted on giving her some financial support.

“You’re a girl—living expenses always end up higher. And now you don’t even ask us for money anymore. Of course we’re worried…” Her uncle sighed on the other end.

She listened quietly, her eyes curving gently with a soft smile. Then she naturally changed the subject. “How’s Suisui’s health?”

“The doctor said there’s no need for further treatment after the surgery. As long as recovery goes well, he won’t need meds anymore. He’s basically cured.” Her uncle’s voice lightened at that.

Relieved, Xia Zhicha asked, “Will you guys miss me this National Day holiday?”

“We were hoping you’d come back,” her uncle said with a bit of disappointment, but then asked, “Will you?”

“…Probably not,” she said after a pause. “I have some tutoring sessions lined up. I’ll definitely come back during winter break.”

Besides, tickets between Beijing and Yuncheng were outrageously expensive during the holiday.

“All right. Your aunt and that kid miss you a lot,” her uncle said, still a bit reluctant but understanding. “Don’t overwork yourself at your part-time job. If you’re short on money, ask us. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I got it—” Xia Zhicha coaxed him softly before he finally hung up.

After the call, she immediately transferred ¥1,000 to her uncle.

He returned it.

She sighed and walked out of the back room, now fully changed.

It was just about time to open the shop, and several online orders had already printed from the machine.

“Why are they all ordering iced Americanos this early?” Chen Mao frowned. “Is it really that good?”

“It wakes you up,” Xia Zhicha replied while checking the machines. “Morning classes start at 8. No one’s really awake yet.”

“They’re still killing themselves with school even in college?” Chen Mao was shocked. “I thought college meant freedom!”

Xia Zhicha just smiled and didn’t reply. She focused on making the coffee.

This early in the morning, customers were few, so things were calm. After finishing the drinks, she slowed down while packing.

Then—

“One iced Americano.”

A shadow appeared at the counter. She hadn’t even looked up when a familiar, slightly hoarse voice reached her ears.

She froze and looked up—

Standing before her was Fu Chiyu.

He wore a wrinkled white T-shirt, probably from staying up late the night before. His dark hair was messy, hanging loosely over his forehead and casting a soft shadow over his sleepy eyes.

Even with his disheveled appearance and half-lidded eyes, he gave off a lazy, relaxed kind of charm.

Seeing that it was her, Fu Chiyu’s eyes flickered slightly. He gave her a casual, crooked smile. “It’s you. You work here?”

She nodded and asked, “Normal ice?”

“Mm.”

Fu Chiyu let out a soft grunt and leaned lazily against the counter, one hand resting on the surface.

Maybe it was the weight of his gaze, but Xia Zhicha’s hands grew visibly tenser.

Thankfully, iced Americanos were simple to make.

Once it was ready, she sealed the lid and handed it over.

He lowered his head to take it—just then, a sharp female voice pierced through the air:

“Fu Chiyu!”

He paused. A trace of irritation crossed his face, and he clicked his tongue, but he still took the coffee from her hand before turning around.

His slight shift allowed Xia Zhicha to see the speaker.

A tall, pretty girl about her age stood glaring at Fu Chiyu. Her hair was curled and dyed chestnut brown, her makeup heavy, and her whole appearance was immaculately maintained.

She stomped forward in heeled shoes and shouted, “What’s your deal? You think you can just break up with someone whenever you feel like it? Nana’s been crying for days!”

Fu Chiyu gave a dry laugh and didn’t even bother looking at her. “Didn’t I make it clear from the start? One month. I got bored. I’m done.”

Xia Zhicha understood immediately.

This girl must be a friend of “Nana”—the one who called Fu Chiyu last night. Here to fight for her friend’s honor.

The girl was clearly stunned by his emotionless response. She stepped closer but was subtly forced back by the coldness of his stare.

“You can’t just leave like this!” she snapped. “Nana really likes you. Can’t you at least have some feelings for her?”

Fu Chiyu didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head down, the contours of his face looking sharper under the light.

Then he gave a short, cold chuckle.

“No.”

His voice was flat, mocking.

“I won’t fall for her. Just like I won’t fall for you. So how about you stop giving me those eyes?”

His words were like a blade cutting straight through her pride. The girl’s face turned white in an instant—flushed with shame and panic.

“W-What the hell are you talking about? Like I’d ever like you, you jerk!” she shouted, her voice rising sharply, making Xia Zhicha wince.

And then—furious—she snatched the coffee from Fu Chiyu’s hand and raised it like she was going to throw it at him.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson for Nana!”

Fu Chiyu’s brows furrowed. He grabbed her wrist in time to stop her.

But in the struggle, the cup slipped—

And crashed to the ground.

The liquid splashed everywhere.

Caught completely off guard, Xia Zhicha was drenched—mostly by the ice-cold drink.

It soaked through her thin shirt.

Worse still, she was on her period, and the cold made her abdomen ache faintly.

She gasped softly in pain and looked up—first at Fu Chiyu’s darkened expression, then at the girl who caused the mess.

…She’d just been dragged into someone else’s drama.

The girl turned pale. Seeing Xia Zhicha’s eyes on her, she snapped defensively, “What are you looking at?”

Xia Zhicha was not someone who liked conflict. She lowered her eyes and tried to clean up the mess quietly, planning to change clothes in the back room.

But—

“Did I say you could leave?”

Fu Chiyu’s voice suddenly turned cold.

Xia Zhicha froze, thinking he meant her, and looked up in confusion.

But he wasn’t talking to her.

He stood there, arms crossed, blocking the girl’s path with a chilled expression. The lazy indifference from earlier was gone—replaced by a sharp, stormy coldness.

Even the air felt heavy.

“Turn around,” he said flatly, his voice eerily calm yet full of command.

“Apologize to her. Clearly. Now.”