Chapter 24: Ordered Three Thousand Cups of Coffee

“It was bad,” he replied, perhaps because last night, he had thought of some unpleasant things from the past.

“Does this happen often?” she asked, looking at Qi Yanjing.

He nodded, “Often.”

Wen Zhixian frowned slightly. “If it’s frequent, you should see a doctor.”

“I’ve been to the hospital, but it didn’t help much,” he said reassuringly. “These past couple of days, my sleep quality has actually improved a lot compared to before.”

He had even seen a psychologist, who had eventually asked him if he was married and suggested trying to spend time with someone he resonated well with.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of Zhixian, but spending time with her had indeed been comforting. Their conversations felt harmonious and easy.

“Then try drinking some calming tea before bed. I swear by it—it really works,” she suggested earnestly.

Qi Yanjing chuckled. “If I drink all of yours, won’t you run out?”

“It’s fine; I’m not as stressed as I used to be. Ever since I graduated, whenever I get too upset, it’s not that I can’t sleep—I sleep so much I can’t wake up.” She laughed lightly, recalling how after breaking up with Gu Yuchen not long ago, she had nearly “slept to death” in her dreams.

After breakfast, he cleaned up the table and prepared to leave. On his way downstairs, he thoughtfully took out the trash.

At the Coffee Shop

When Wen Zhixian arrived at 8:30, one of the temporarily free employees greeted her with a knowing smile.

“What’s going on?”

Lili, who had just finished making coffee, leaned in with a grin. “Boss, that super handsome guy—188 cm tall—came looking for you at noon yesterday. He even asked if you were in the shop.”

“We told him you were married,” another employee chimed in with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Boss, spill—what’s the story here?”

Wen Zhixian chuckled. “What story? Next time, I’ll have my husband bring you all some afternoon tea.”

Yue Qi’s voice piped up from the side, “Sounds good to me. Brother-in-law is the best!”

“In that case, we won’t ask anymore. It’s out of respect for Brother-in-law,” the group joked, deciding not to dwell on the 188 cm guy.

She laughed, amused by their antics. “Get back to work.”

Afterward, she went to the back to review the accounts. The recent sales figures were quite satisfying.

Pulling out her phone, she saw a message from Zhaoli:

[No wonder Uncle Wen agreed to this.]

Attached was a screenshot. She opened it to find a brief profile of Qi Yanjing.

Zhaoli had intended to investigate which university Qi Yanjing was affiliated with. After all, a university professor could be a strong asset—or a major scandal if things like infidelity or domestic violence occurred.

To her surprise, he turned out to be a professor with even more renown than expected. Any unethical behavior would send him crashing from the heights of his reputation.

[Are you marrying Qi Yanjing because of Gu Yuchen?] Zhaoli asked.

Her eyes lingered on this question. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before typing:

[Yes, but not to provoke him or out of spite. I want to let go. I was always at a disadvantage, liking him first. I feared I’d keep lowering my standards and losing myself.]

[Gu Yuchen isn’t worth it,] Zhaoli replied.

Just last night, after hearing what Song Kairui had said, Zhaoli felt that Gu Yuchen didn’t deserve anyone’s genuine affection. He should swallow a thousand needles for his deeds!

Wen Zhixian replied briefly: [Anyway, I’m doing quite well now.]

As she was chatting with Zhaoli, Lili came running in, beaming as she whispered, “Boss, there’s a super handsome, mature, and elite-looking guy outside asking for you.”

Wen Zhixian’s first thought: Qi Yanjing?

He shouldn’t be here—he should already be at school.

“The 188 cm handsome guy?” she asked while sending a quick reply to Zhaoli: [Got to work now, talk later. Mwah!]

She put away her phone and walked out with Lili.

Lili shook her head. “Not him, but also very handsome. He said he has business with you.”

Business?

Could it be another company ordering a few hundred cups of coffee for employee benefits?

Lili pointed to a man by the window. “That’s him.”

Wen Zhixian walked over. “Hello, how can I help you?”

The man gestured to the seat across from him. “Please, have a seat.”

She sat down opposite him. No wonder Lili said he was incredibly handsome—he really was. Mature and refined, the type of man one rarely sees.

The man briefly assessed her before speaking. “How should I address you?”

“My last name is Wen,” she replied.

The man nodded. “Ms. Wen, I’d like to place an order for some coffee for my employees.”

Now she was certain. Just as she thought, employee benefits or afternoon tea. And this boss was kind enough to handle it personally.

At most, it would be one or two hundred cups—company orders like this weren’t uncommon.

She grabbed her notebook and pen to jot it down. “How many do you need, and when?”

The man’s lips curved slightly. “Three thousand cups.”

Wen Zhixian was about to write but froze mid-stroke. Slowly, she raised her head to look at the man across from her, setting her pen down. Her expression remained calm.

The man raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Ms. Wen?”

She smiled. “Sir, are you here to make trouble for my shop?”

The man seemed momentarily taken aback. “I’m not.”

His reaction didn’t seem like someone causing trouble…

Strange.

She maintained her composure. “Sir, the thing is, making three thousand cups in one day isn’t feasible. Even if our machines were running at full capacity until they smoked, it wouldn’t be possible.”

Even if the machines didn’t overheat, her employees would have to go without eating, drinking, or sleeping to meet that number.

“Would you like me to provide additional machines?” the man asked.

Wen Zhixian stared at him for a few seconds, dumbfounded. His words sounded disruptive, but his demeanor didn’t match.

What was he trying to do?

“Sir, my point is, we can’t produce that many in one day. And if I focus solely on your order, how would I serve the other customers coming and going?”

She added, “Are you sure you’re not joking?”

The man’s lips twitched slightly into a smile. “Then how about 500 for today?”

“That works,” she agreed, realizing he might not be joking after all.

The man pulled out his phone and placed a payment QR code in front of her. “You can charge me now.”

She brought over the payment terminal, still skeptical. What if this guy is crazy and the transaction fails due to insufficient funds?

She entered the price for 500 cups—15,000 yuan. If this goes through, then this boss is genuinely generous, picking quality coffee for his employees.

“Wait,” the man stopped her as she announced the total.

Wen Zhixian fell silent. Was he about to mess with her?

“The full amount—for three thousand cups.”

She didn’t know what to say. Resetting the amount to 90,000 yuan, she watched as the payment went through successfully.

This was officially the biggest order she had ever taken.

“How should I address you?” she asked, putting away the POS machine and looking up at the man.

The man opened his mouth as if considering his response, but in the end, he didn’t provide his name. Instead, he stood and said, “No need. My assistant will come by this afternoon to pick them up.”