Chapter 17

Zhou Qingluo was a bit mad, but he was angry at himself.

He didn’t want to have anything to do with Song Ling, but he couldn’t help softening his heart every time.

Once his heart softens, they would naturally intersect more, and with more contact, he would turn into a substitute.

Between him and Song Ling, if he refused to act as a substitute, then sooner or later, they would each go their own way.

(TN: ‘Roads return to being roads and bridges return to being bridges’.)

The ups and downs in Song Ling’s life wasn’t something he could control.

Right now, the Song Ling standing in front of him wasn’t just a mere villain on paper, but a living person. A person that hadn’t started taking revenge on society yet.

But such a person would end up killing himself one day.

Everyone wanted to know the future, but who knew that knowing the future was such a complicated thing?

It would be better if he didn’t know anything.

Zhou Shoulin saw that Zhou Qingluo kept poking his food and asked, “Qingluo, what are you thinking about?”

Zhou Qingluo questioned, “Dad, if you could predict the future of a person that had nothing to do with you and their future isn’t good, would you want to change them?”

Zhou Shoulin was taken aback for a moment and chuckled, “Silly boy, how could people know the future?”

“I’m saying what if.”

“There’s no what if.” Zhou Shoulin looked at him with a smile, “I also predicted that you would never be fully independent, muddling through life just like that. Qingmu’s studies would stop here, and I would also be like this, getting through the days with hard work and succumbing to illness in the end.

“But everything’s slowly getting better. You’re more independent now, Qingmu’s going abroad to study, and I can also earn money without leaving the house. My health’s also getting better.

“All of this is because you changed, causing a butterfly effect.”

Zhou Qingluo was a bit embarrassed by the praise, “Dad, I’m just doing what I should do.”

“Exactly. If you do what you need to do, you will have a good future.”

Zhou Qingluo fell silent.

Could both people and things change?

Could he really change all of this?

Will all this really have a happy ending?

*

Lou Yang changed his job and went to Oath Café to work. Zhou Qingluo delivered the meal to Oath Café’s first floor and used the excuse of other work to have Lou Yang help send it to the third floor instead.

He still didn’t want to see Song Ling.

But Lou Yang refused, “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but the third floor is our store’s super VIP. Our boss personally serves him, and normal people aren’t allowed up.”

Lou Yang would have never imagined that the King of Hell that strangled someone in the elevator the other time was actually this store’s super VIP. The one that owned the entire third floor. It sure was the rich and willful.

For a moment, Lou Yang didn’t want to do this job anymore.

Fortunately, the King of Hell usually ignores people when he comes, wearing a ‘the whole world owes Laozi’ expression. It wasn’t nearly as fierce as that night.

You could even say that it was good.

Zhou Qingluo used ‘provocation’: “It’s not because you’re scared and don’t dare to, right?”

Lou Yang shook his head dully: “Provocation is useless.”

Just in time, Cui Zi came in. She had a dark face and carried a document with her, walking in with momentum on her 10 cm heels.

Zhou Qingluo originally wanted to ask her for a favor, but it seemed that now wasn’t a good time.

Last time, Cui Zi contacted him and said that their store was recruiting a delivery person. The salary was 20,000 yuan before tax, which was ridiculously high. Her mother probably wanted to set them up and helped him open the back door.

What Zhou Qingluo didn’t expect was that Song Ling gave that casual sketch he drew to Cui Zi, and Cui Zi wanted to use it as the image for the fourth anniversary.

That was just some random scribbling.

After all, this café was modeled after Oath’s style, and his style had nothing to do with Oath’s. Using his sketch as the card image was completely inappropriate.

With Cui Zi’s business vision, she definitely wouldn’t do such a stupid thing.

This back door was opened a little too wide, wasn’t it?

When Cui Zi saw him, her face immediately changed from overcast to sunny, “It’s Qingluo.”

Cui Zi heard her mother talk about how hardworking, enthusiastic, and likeable Zhou Qingluo was. After meeting a few times, she also thought that he wasn’t bad.

Sadly, Zhou Qingluo was the boss’s cabbage, and she didn’t dare to make a move. Sure enough, excellent men were liked by all genders.

Zhou Qingluo: “Sister Cui.”

After exchanging greetings, Cui Zi resentfully walked to the front desk.

Lou Yang ran over like a dog, “What’s wrong, Boss?”

Cui Zi: “Do you know PS (Photoshop)?”

Lou Yang shook his head.

Cui Zi sneered: “Don’t you know how to repair computers? Why don’t you know PS?”

Lou Yang was stunned for a moment with the depression of ‘I can be scolded by my boss even if I’m not wrong’. He said, “Even though I don’t know PS, I can install PS…”

Cui Zi: “…”

Cui Zi took a deep breath and then breathed out slowly. She spread out the poster in her arms, “Look at this, our fourth anniversary promotional posters were turned into this broken thing. They even took almost a whole month to make it! Just this?!”

Zhou Qingluo looked on curiously.

The poster was exactly to the book—the layout was average, the colors were average, and there was nothing special about it. At first glance, it was like a template downloaded off the internet.

Cui Zi continued to complain, “How did they manage to make this atrocity? Did they draw it with their eyes closed?!”

When Zhou Qingluo taught himself how to draw, he liked to copy. When he got a bit better, he liked to modify pictures he found online. Over time, seeing bad pictures would make his hands itch and he would want to fix it.

There wasn’t anything wrong with the poster at first glance, but it gave an incredibly awkward feeling. Just when Zhou Qingluo was about to volunteer, Cui Zi paused and suddenly looked straight at him.

Zhou Qingluo: “?”

Cui Zi waved him over, “Do you know how to draw? Come and give it a try.”

Zhou Qingluo: “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

The café was about to usher in its fourth anniversary celebration, and the store was preparing to launch commemorative cards. The card’s illustration was already set, but Song Ling unexpectedly changed his mind and used Zhou Qingluo’s sketch instead of Jiang Shiyan’s drawing.

Regarding art, Cui Zi had been a fan of Jiang Shiyan for many years and naturally knew a thing or two. Although Zhou Qingluo’s sketch was just a few strokes, his style was definitely not ordinary. Clever and ingenious, like the style of experienced professionals.

The boss wanted to recruit him to deliver takeout anyways. If his art skills were up to par, he could even be in charge of artwork in the store. Might as well take this opportunity to see his basic skills and typography.

Zhou Qingluo agreed readily, “Sure, but I have an urgent order right now. Can you send this up for me? Later, send the file to my email and I’ll fix it and send it back.”

Cui Zi: “Deal.”

Cui Zi readily agreed. In the past, whenever Song Ling’s nutritionist delivered his meals, she was always the one who brought it up.

When Cui Zi went to the third floor, Song Ling would usually be typing away at his computer with a cold face. But this time, his computer wasn’t even turned on, his whole person sinking into the sofa, looking outside the window in a daze.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he looked back, eyes lighting up for a moment before quickly dimming. He tilted his head slightly to look behind her.

Cui Zi also looked back subconsciously—there was nothing behind her.

Cui Zi: “Boss, your takeout’s here.”

Song Ling frowned slightly, “Why are you delivering it?”

Cui Zi suddenly understood. So Boss was waiting for Zhou Qingluo.

She absolutely couldn’t deliver this meal in the future.

Cui Zi: “Zhou Qingluo said that he has an urgent order, and there would be a penalty if it’s overtime.”

Song Ling muttered softly: “Deducting money from him is like taking his life.”

Cui Zi didn’t hear him clearly, “Boss, what did you say?”

Song Ling coughed twice, “I said that I recruited you to be a manager, not to send takeout.”

Cui Zi: “Yes.”

“Didn’t you say that you wanted to hire a full-time delivery person? Have you recruited one yet? If yes, then have him send it up in the future.”

Speaking of this, Cui Zi had talked about it with Zhou Qingluo but he rejected, “He refused.”

Song Ling’s eyes turned visibly cold, “Why?”

“His approximate meaning was… the café doesn’t need delivery people, and I don’t need to open the back door for him.”

“Who opened the back door for him?”

Cui Zi: “…” Who do you think?

“How much did you offer him?”

“20,000 before tax.”

“Add more.”

“Huh?”

“Not enough.”

Cui Zi: “…” This back door was opened so wide it practically didn’t exist anymore. She didn’t want to be the general manager anymore. She’d rather be a delivery person.

Before Cui Zi came back to her senses, Song Ling asked, “How’s the promotional picture going?”

Cui Zi shook her head again: “Zhou Qingluo didn’t agree.”

Song Ling almost jumped up, “Why not?”

“He said that our café follows Oath’s romantic style, and it’s different from his. He sincerely recommended that we use something that fits the theme of our café.”

Song Ling laughed angrily, “Is he the boss or am I the boss?”

“…”

“Add money.”

“I did, but he insists on sticking to his principles.”

“…”

Song Ling abruptly stood up, “I’ll go down and talk to him.”

Cui Zi: “Boss, he already left.”

Song Ling ignored her and continued walking.

Cui Zi had never seen Song Ling so flustered, like an ant that had fallen into a sizzling pan.

Forget about it. If he could really do it, then Zhou Qingluo would’ve come over long ago.

Cui Zi: “If he knew that you were actually the boss, would he still come?”

Song Ling pressed the brake button, stalled for a moment, and then slowly walked back. He waved his hand, “Continue to figure out a way to make him work here.”

Before Cui Zi could say anything, Song Ling said: “How about increasing the salary to 30,000?”

Cui Zi thought to herself: ‘You might as well give all of your bank cards to him, or even better, marry him and take him home.’

This back door was opened a little too wide, right?

Cui Zi looked at her boss that had gone into a craze from helplessness, “I think Zhou Qingluo is a principled person. For example, the café’s missing an artist, not a delivery person.

“Or does he have other reasons to not come? The right medicine for the symptoms.”

When Cui Zi left, Song Ling took out his phone and searched.

#What to do if I made someone angry#

#How to coax someone happy#

#Monthly salary for top artist#