Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 24

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Starlight Cafe,
casting warm, dappled patches of light onto the polished wooden floor.

It was a weekend afternoon.

The rush hour had just passed, and the pace inside the cafe had slowed down.

A speaker tucked in the corner played mellow jazz tunes.

“Ding-a-ling-”

The wind chime hanging on the glass door rang out crisply,
breaking the afternoon tranquility.

A tall young man walked in against the light.

His short black hair was neat, and his features were sharp and well-defined.

His innate roguish charm made the female staff at the front desk slow their movements, their eyes lighting up.

They immediately stopped chatting, tidied their hair and aprons.

One of the bolder girls put on a professional smile and stepped forward, her voice suddenly eight degrees sweeter than usual.

“Hello, sir, welcome! How many in your party?”

The young man didn’t look at her.

He first scanned the cafe,
his gaze settling on Qiao Nian, who was behind the bar, carefully polishing a glass.

He strode past the eager waitress,
walked straight to the bar, and tapped his knuckles on the counter.

“Qiao Nian, order.”

His voice was low, magnetic, and not loud.

Qiao Nian, who had been focused on her work, paused in surprise.

She looked up, and when she recognized the newcomer, her lively doe eyes widened instantly.

A clear blush, like a drop of rouge in clear water, quickly spread from her neck to her fair, delicate earlobes, finally coloring her entire face.

“Lu-Lu Ze, Brother Lu Ze… You… Why are you here?”

Her voice was softer than usual, with a hint of barely noticeable shyness.

The boy called Lu Ze curled his lips into a smile.

“What, am I not welcome to patronize your business? Why does the little bunny look at me as if she’s seen a ghost?”

“No… Not at all!”

Qiao Nian lowered her head even further, nervously picking at the corner of her apron.

“Then why aren’t you serving me?” His gaze locked onto her, his roguish smile deepening.

“I-I…”

Seeing the girl bite her soft pink lips, her unconscious allure was impossible to ignore.

His eyes darkened, and he stopped teasing her.

“I’ll have an iced Americano.”

“…Okay.”

The female staff at the front desk gathered around, both curious and gossipy.

“Wow, Nian Nian, you know this handsome guy?”

“Judging by your reactions, your relationship isn’t ordinary~”

Qiao Nian blushed even deeper under their teasing, her lips moving but unable to utter a single word.

Lu Ze chuckled and answered for her, “We grew up together.”

“Wow-”

“Childhood sweethearts!”

A chorus of envy and playful teasing filled the air.

“No wonder Nian Nian never accepts any boys’ advances. Turns out she’s already spoken for.”

“That’s-not true!” Qiao Nian waved her hands quickly. “We’re just… just…”

“Just what?” Lu Ze raised his eyebrows, looking at her with a half-smile.

Qiao Nian glared at him, her big watery eyes lacking any intimidation, only adding to her adorable pout.

“Oh, stop teasing her,” one of the girls with a ponytail laughed, trying to smooth things over. “Nian Nian, go take care of your childhood friend. We’ll handle things here.”

Qiao Nian nodded and led him to a seat by the window.

The light outside fell across her profile, her brows and eyes outlined in soft contours.

I came down the stairs carrying an empty tray, just in time to witness this scene straight out of a romance drama.

Several male colleagues resting nearby saw what was happening and started making comments befitting background NPCs.

“Tch, another rich kid with a fancy car.”

Their sour tone was so strong you could smell the jealousy from three meters away.

“Look at that flashy sports car at the door-bet it’s his.”

“Damn, some people have all the luck, while others get nothing,” another grumbled.
“We work ourselves to the bone here, while some people are born right at the finish line. Just look at Qiao Nian’s blushing face-she’s probably already been taken care of.”

I put the tray back in its designated spot, finding their pointless jealousy nothing but noisy.

“Alright, they’re a golden couple, a match made in heaven. They look perfect together.”

I reminded them, “Stop with the sour comments. Rest up and get back to work. If the supervisor catches you gossiping, watch out for a pay deduction.”

Mentioning wages immediately doused the little flames of their ridiculous envy.

The group fell silent, dispersing in resignation.

I turned and headed for the kitchen.

Finally, peace.

—

8:30 p.m.

Half an hour left until the café officially closed at 9.

According to store policy, two part-timers stayed each night to handle the closing tasks.

The work wasn’t heavy-mainly cleaning the coffee machine, tidying the bar, and doing the final hygiene check.

According to the schedule, tonight it was me and Qiao Nian.

The other colleagues changed and left one after another.

Only the low hum of machines and the splash of water rinsing metal utensils remained in the café.

I was in charge of cleaning the grinder and sorting the trash, while Qiao Nian carefully wiped water stains from the bar.

“Thanks for your hard work today, Brother Huihui.”

The girl’s voice was especially soft in the quiet space. “The trash bag over there is really heavy. I’ll help you carry it in a bit, okay?”

“No need.”

I replied as usual, curt and to the point.

Qiao Nian was used to my energy-saving mode, just responding with an “Oh” and saying nothing more.

Most of the lights in the shop were already off, leaving only a few warm spotlights above the bar.

On her pure, gentle face, a hint of girlish thoughts lingered.

I paid it no mind and continued with my tasks.

When I tied up the last trash bag, the cleaning was nearly done.

“Phew… finally finished. So tired…”

Qiao Nian took off her work cap, letting her thick, seaweed-like chestnut hair fall to her waist.

She stretched with a big yawn, her white work shirt pulling up with the motion, clinging tightly to her delicate figure.

The fabric outlined the full curves of her developing chest without reservation.

Her slender waist formed a breathtaking line under the dim lights.

As she stretched, her body-an alluring blend of innocence and maturity-rose and fell gently, half hidden in the shifting light and shadow.

She rubbed her sore shoulders, then turned to me with a dimpled smile.

“Brother Huihui, let’s finish up quickly and go home. I’ll put all the cups back in the sterilizer, and you can mop the floor, okay?”

“Mm.” I picked up the mop leaning in the corner.

Qiao Nian hummed an off-key tune, weaving between booths to collect the forgotten cups and plates.

The somewhat stiff work uniform did nothing to hide her beauty.

Instead, the contrast between its neatness and her soft, delicate aura created a tempting mix of innocence and allure.

I silently mopped the floor, the water leaving dark streaks that slowly evaporated under the air conditioning.

Just as the quiet was about to reach its end-

“Bang-!”

The glass door was slammed open from outside with tremendous force.

The wind chimes hanging on the door jingled incessantly.

Both Qiao Nian and I froze in our tracks.

A woman with flawless makeup and a fierce aura strode in on high heels.

She wore a tight red dress under an expensive coat, a limited-edition handbag swinging from her wrist.

Her eyes were like two ice-forged blades, full of menace.

From the moment she entered, her gaze locked viciously onto Qiao Nian, who stood by the bar, stunned.

I didn’t know what was going on,

but I knew for sure-this visitor meant trouble.

My fingers tightened silently around the mop handle.

…As if this crappy shift wasn’t annoying enough.

Can’t I just finish work in peace?