Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 12: I Must Figure Out How to Win Him Over

“Old Lu, do you want a girlfriend?”

Tang Yang asked tentatively, Shao Linlin pricked up her ears nervously, and Lu Li froze when he heard it.

Lu Li thought for a moment and asked seriously, “Are her legs long?”

Tang Yang glanced backward and nodded.

Lu Li pinched his chin and answered slowly, “I’d better pass.”

“Why? That girl is really pretty.” Tang Yang couldn’t understand.

Lu Li clicked his tongue and laughed. “Pretty means nothing; it’s just a high-school romance. Love managed by two clueless kids is as fragile as a pair of monkeys.”

Tang Yang frowned. “Why would you say that?”

Lu Li said blandly, “They wouldn’t need a third party to break them up; throw a single banana and they’d start fighting.”

Tang Yang: “…”

Shao Linlin was also stunned; she couldn’t understand a word of what Lu Li had just said.

At that moment the class bell rang, so they each returned to their seats and the farce came to an end.

Afternoon arrived quickly; Beiyun High School offered evening study hall, but attendance was not mandatory.

Because he still had a part-time job, Lu Li grabbed his backpack the moment the dismissal bell rang and pedaled out of school.

Tang Yang walked over to Shao Linlin, saw her frowning, sighed, and placed ¥50 beside her textbook.

“Don’t be upset; the job didn’t get done, so here’s your money back.”

Shao Linlin didn’t take it; she blinked her big eyes and looked at Tang Yang in confusion. “Why does he think we’d fight over a banana? I don’t get it.”

Tang Yang rolled his eyes. “It’s just a metaphor, a metaphor, you dummy.”

Tang Yang stomped off in annoyance.

Shao Linlin slumped over her desk in frustration, her face buried, her full chest almost bending the desktop, and clasped the edge with both hands, her pink lips murmuring:

“I still don’t understand. If there were only one banana, I’d definitely let him have it.”

“How would that start a fight?”

“Ah, dating is harder than math.”

She picked up her math book and skimmed it, only to feel stabbing pain in her brain as if a steel needle were stirring her mind; she immediately tossed the book aside and the symptoms subsided.

Patting her chest repeatedly, she wiped her sweat and showed a look of narrow escape.

“Sure enough, math is even harder! I’d better stick to dating.”

“Lu Li can solve such difficult math problems; he’s really amazing!”

“I have to find a way to win him over!”

Shao Linlin picked up her schoolbag, ready to head home; as for evening study hall?

‘Heh, Lu Li = capable guy, Lu Li skips evening study = becomes capable, therefore, people who skip evening study will become capable.’

‘So I’m skipping study hall and heading to Dad’s martial arts club!’

…

At dusk, Lu Li rode his bike to the Snow Honey (TL: Not Mixue~, its Xuemi) Milk Tea Shop and found the manager.

“Manager, once I finish today, I won’t work part-time here anymore; please settle my weekly pay,” Lu Li said politely.

The manager was a capable man in his 30s with a good heart; when he first learned that Lu Li was a high-school student he had hesitated to hire him, but after learning about Lu Li’s family situation he took him on.

Other part-timers made only ¥15 an hour, yet he broke the rules and paid Lu Li ¥20, telling him secretly not to mention it.

Hearing Lu Li’s request, the manager smiled faintly. “You have only half a year before the college entrance exam; you shouldn’t have been doing part-time work here anyway.”

He took out his wallet and handed Lu Li six red Chairman Mao bills.

Lu Li stepped back quickly. “Manager, you gave me two too many. It’s Thursday, and five hours of work tonight is only ¥400.”

The manager chuckled. “That’s a bonus, just take it. You work diligently and you’re easy on the eyes; quite a few young ladies come here just to see you, so you’ve earned it.”

Lu Li puffed up with pride and laughed, “If I’ve earned it, then I won’t be shy.”

Lu Li reached for his uniform to put it on, but the manager stopped him.

“Just head home today. The college entrance exam is coming, and every extra day of study helps.”

Lu Li said, “It’s fine. I’ve already qualified to take Yongning University’s special admission exam; as long as I pass, I’ll get into Yongning University.”

“Get into Yongning University? Stop bragging!” The manager couldn’t hold back a laugh. “When I was your age I bragged even more… I told everyone I’d either get into Yongda or Huaqing, and I ended up roasting sweet potatoes. Ha, we all have bright futures.”

Lu Li looked at him quietly, his eyes as calm as water.

The manager’s heart suddenly thumped, and he asked, breathing hard, “You… you really do have special admission qualification, don’t you?”

Lu Li spread his hands. “What else could it be?”

Manager: “!!!”

He had only known that Lu Li’s grades were decent; he hadn’t expected them to be outstanding.

“So can I finish this last shift now?” Lu Li reached for the uniform again.

The manager slapped his hand away and snorted, “Uniform, my foot! Getting to sit for special admission doesn’t guarantee you’ll pass. Now get lost and study to raise your chances… go, go, go!”

Lu Li said, “But with one less waiter, you’ll be short-staffed.”

The manager pulled the uniform over himself. “I’ll do it, okay? Go study. It’s my shop, I don’t need you worrying.”

“Then I’ll go? You really don’t need me?”

“Go, go. After you get into Yongning University, come back and see me. Then I can tell everyone my shop produced a Yongning University top student… ha ha ha, that’ll make me look good!”

Lu Li sighed and turned to leave.

Watching Lu Li walk away, the manager showed a relieved smile, but when he lowered his head he spotted a red ¥100 note on the counter.

He realized at once that it was Lu Li’s pay for tonight.

“That kid keeps his own accounts. Come to think of it, these days he’s really brought in a lot of female customers.”

The manager chuckled softly. “But am I that much worse than the brat? Back in my day I was the handsomest lad for miles… every girl would sneak at least a couple of glances at me. With me serving customers today, business might just double or triple.”

“Boss.”

While he was day-dreaming, a pretty short-haired girl walked up.

Because she had a sweet face, the manager recognized her; he knew she often came for milk tea.

The manager perked up. “What would you like to order?”

The girl stepped closer and asked hesitantly, “Boss, where’s the guy who used to work here?”

The ‘guy’… she meant Lu Li?

The boss smiled. “Oh, he quit… just left today.”

The girl backed away in disappointment. “So he’s gone…”

The manager asked with a smile, “So, what can I get you?”

She shook her head and turned to leave. “Forget it, nothing.”

The manager froze and explained, “I taught that young man how to make milk tea, and mine actually tastes better than his. You can trust me.”

She still shook her head. “I don’t come here for the tea. I come because that guy was kinda cute.”

The manager poked his cheeks with both index fingers and tilted his head, trying to act cute. “Am I not even a little bit cute?”

The girl glanced at him and burst out laughing. “You look a little ridiculous.”

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie