I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 131
Chapter 131: We Are Alive
Through Li Chen’s description, the image of Ouyang Xue in my heart gradually became more vivid. Initially, when I applied for the café, I thought she was just a mature and rigorous adult woman with a profound understanding of youth culture. Later, I found that she seemed different from most bosses and leaders. Not only did she not put on airs at work, but many things in the store were handled without causing trouble for the staff. Moreover, our relationship with her was also good, and she rarely got angry. She didn’t seem like a typical manager.
As time went on, I slowly learned more about Ouyang Xue from Chef Wang, and I saw the hard work she put into the café. Perhaps due to her frequent exposure to such matters from a young age, the biggest difference between Ouyang Xue and other managers is that… she personally handles things when issues arise and has very strict expectations of herself.
I used to think that Ouyang Xue might have doubted my ability or thought I was too kind to burden me with so much work as a new employee because of my young age. However, after hearing Ouyang Xue’s story, I fully agree with Li Chen’s opinion—Ouyang Xue truly lacks a sense of security, both in relation to the world and herself.
Based on my work experience from graduating university to growing into a mature adult, I can categorize bosses into three types. The first type is what people commonly refer to as the “heartless boss.” They often wear a stern face, don’t care if you work or not, and will exploit you to the fullest. They don’t approve leave even if you’re sick. They treat employees as if they were livestock, feeling superior because they are the boss and maintaining a condescending attitude when talking to employees.
The second type of boss is the most common in today’s society. When you talk to them, you’ll find that this boss is particularly refined and easygoing, giving the impression that they are easy to talk to. They often maintain a smiling face, occasionally engage in heart-to-heart conversations, invite you for meals and drinks, and preach a set of grand principles. This makes you feel the impulse to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to the company, thinking, “I’ve found such a good boss, I can give my all for the company.” However, when there are issues in the company, the boss will always pleasantly delegate the tasks to you. Despite working for several years, your salary remains stagnant. When you ask about it, the response is that young people should endure hardships, or the company’s performance is not good, and we must advance and retreat together. They encourage young people to have ideals and dreams.
In short, they are easy to talk to about everything except money. When it comes to discussing salary, they divert the conversation to dreams.
The third type of boss is the pragmatic type, similar to Ouyang Xue. However, I haven’t worked in such a company for more than three months because those companies all went out of business.
“After you go back, remember to take the medicine I gave you, rest on time, eat on time, and don’t stay up late again, okay?”
As Li Chen and I chatted in the corridor, a young man in his late twenties, wearing glasses and seemingly recovered from illness, was preparing to be discharged. He was dressed in loose clothes and carried a large backpack on his back.
“Alright, alright, I understand.”
Facing the doctor, the young man, whose complexion clearly didn’t look healthy, had a submissive appearance. “Do I need to come back for a follow-up?”
“It’s best to come for another check-up in two weeks or a month,” the doctor replied, glancing at the large backpack behind the young man. “You didn’t leave anything behind, right?”
“No, no…”
As I watched the young man pass through the corridor outside the ward, looking visibly unwell, I remained silent for a few seconds. Then, I stood up from the chair and said, “Well, Li Chen… uh, Brother Li Chen, I’ll leave Ouyang to you.”
Saying this, I took out my phone, glanced at the time, and smiled faintly. “I feel like if I don’t go back now, Ouyang might scold me.”
She wouldn’t really scold me, Ouyang Xue has always been patient with us. The main reason I wanted to go back was that I sensed something not quite “normal” between Li Chen and Ouyang Xue.
They should have that kind of… how should I put it, a relationship beyond friendship but not quite lovers. Li Chen and Ouyang Xue must have known each other for a long time. From Li Chen knowing about Ouyang Xue’s uncle in their hometown and knowing that Ouyang Xue has raised a kitten, even if they are not the “childhood sweethearts” often seen in anime, they are at least “close friends since childhood.”
Although there isn’t much apparent difference between them and ordinary colleagues when they are in the café, and Ouyang Xue’s attitude toward Li Chen is completely different from her attitude toward us, the maids, I can vaguely sense that Li Chen has feelings for Ouyang Xue. As for Ouyang Xue’s attitude towards Li Chen, it’s probably… she finds this man particularly annoying, but not dislikeable.
In this situation, if I stay here, I would really be a third wheel.
“Hey? Boss, it’s me, Xiao Huang. Um, I… I’ve recovered from that illness.” The young man who had just been discharged from the corridor passed by us and made a phone call, his voice sounding a bit weak. “It’s about my perfect attendance this month… you see… Oh, okay, huh? Go over later? But I… alright, um… sure.”
I don’t know what the “boss” on the other end of the call said, but I caught a glimpse of the young man’s already exhausted face, which suddenly became even more worn out. “I have something here, can I bring it to the company later?”
“……”
“I’ll drive you back.”
Upon hearing that I was leaving, Li Chen took out the car keys from his pocket. “I’m really sorry for the trouble Ouyang has caused you.”
“No need, I’ll just take the bus back, it’s only a few stops.”
I signaled with my eyes towards the ward door next to us, “You should spend more time talking to Sister Ouyang. The doctor said she’ll be in the hospital for several more days, and it’s best to have a familiar person to accompany her. Having someone to chat with every day can help with her recovery.”
“Well… that’s okay.” Li Chen seemed not very adept at conversation or perhaps uncomfortable talking to girls. He awkwardly scratched his head, “So, should you go and say goodbye to Ouyang first?”
“Director Liu…”
At this moment, the young man with glasses who had walked past us towards the staircase came back and approached the nurse station. He asked a doctor inside, “Are there any cake shops or dessert places nearby?”
“Cake shop?” The doctor who had reminded the young man to “eat on time” earlier stood up from the chair, “Oh, I remember now. Today’s your birthday, right? Haha, happy birthday, young man. There’s a cake shop just to the left when you exit the hospital building. They sell small birthday cakes. Do you want a big one or a small one? You might need to pre-order a big cake.”
“A small one is fine. I’m eating it alone.”
“For a small one, it’s up to you. There are many small cakes in the cake shop. I bought one for my wife last time, around ten bucks.”
The doctor chuckled, “These days, take good rest at home. Don’t think too much. Our stomach, although not scientifically proven yet, is considered our second brain. Our daily negative emotions, like anxiety, can easily affect the digestive system. Since you’ve just recovered, go home, play some games, watch happy movies or cartoons, and for now, avoid working or stressing yourself. You’ve taken leave with your boss, right?”
“Uh… yes.”
The young man seemed unwilling to dwell on this topic any longer. He put away his phone and waved to the doctor, “Thank you, Doctor. I’m leaving.”
“Sigh…”
Shifting my gaze back from the young man and the doctor, I nodded at Li Chen in front of me. “Okay, I’ll go talk to Sister Ouyang. Actually, it’s still not too late to return to the café now. She keeps talking about the signature dishes. Going back, Sister Ouyang can be more at ease.”
In a sense, Ouyang Xue is right. In the world, there are indeed many things… or opportunities. If you don’t cherish them and put in effort when you most need to, it’s useless to try to make up for it later.
Take web novels, for example. I may not have the skill to write a bestselling, popular novel, but back when I was still a “big brother,” playing games and chatting with Pipi, Marisa, and others on voice chat, I heard them mention this more than once.
Novels are divided into many periods: the new book period, the recommendation period, the on-shelf preparation period, the on-shelf period, the explosive update period, the level-up period…
The author has started a new book, entering the new book period. During this period, editors don’t have specific update requirements because there aren’t many readers. Even if some readers come in and bookmark the book, they just add it to their shelves, and with too few words, no one will follow along closely. During this time, the author can write 2,000 or 4,000 words a day, and even if there are irregular updates, it won’t have a significant impact because no one is reading, and the new book won’t achieve perfect attendance.
However, once the new book reaches a certain word count and the website gives it a recommendation, discontinuation is not allowed. This is especially critical during the recommendation period. If a book discontinues during this time, it can greatly affect readership, and the impression on the editorial side will plummet. It’s highly likely that the book won’t receive recommendations in the future. Such behavior is equivalent to pronouncing the death sentence on the book.
After successfully passing through the new book period and recommendation period with decent data, it’s time for the on-shelf preparation period. Once preparation is complete, it’s time for explosive updates before and after going on the shelf. During this time, regardless of anything, the author must update frequently to attract as many readers as possible. The fate of most books depends on the recommendations and explosive updates around the on-shelf period.
During the on-shelf period, you need to compete with a large group of authors who are also releasing books. There are only a few recommended slots available, and there are only a few readers during this period. If you don’t update, readers will go and read other books, unsubscribe, and allocate their monthly tickets to those books that update diligently.
There is no room for any mistakes. A book must have explosive updates during its on-shelf period. It’s like the café, which prepared for several months and absolutely cannot afford to say, “I’m sick, something came up at home, writer’s block, no inspiration…” None of those excuses work. If you can’t write during the critical period, your book is as good as dead. No bookmarks, no subscriptions, no recommended slots. If your subscriptions drop, editors will be disappointed in you, and they will allocate more resources to other authors under their management. Subsequently, your book either hastily concludes or painfully continues, with tears streaming down your face as you write every day according to schedule.
Pipi mentioned that he had a book like that before. The new book was ready for explosive updates, and the editor had even granted a recommended slot. However, his daughter fell ill, and he had no choice but to accompany her in the hospital. He took his laptop to the hospital to write, but the daily update count was low, resulting in poor recommendation effects. The book missed the recommendation, missed the golden period of a new book, and missed the best time to attract attention around the on-shelf period. No matter how many explosive updates or remedies afterward, it couldn’t catch up with the books released at the same time.
“Ouyang sister.”
Pushing open the door to the ward, I walked to Ouyang Xue’s bedside, slightly bending down. “How about I go back to the café first and let Brother Li Chen take care of you here.”
Ouyang Xue’s face on the hospital bed was still very pale, the kind of pallor associated with anemia. Li Chen was right, fortunately, Ouyang Xue collapsed near the café, and both Yin Xiamo and I happened to be nearby. If she had lost consciousness and ended up somewhere with no one around, people in the café might have thought she went out to purchase supplies. They might not have found her until late at night. If it were a bit more dangerous… suppose Ouyang Xue had walked onto a busy road outside with vehicles coming and going, collapsing on the road. That would have been much more perilous.
Now that Li Chen, who is most familiar with Ouyang Xue, has arrived, and considering how concerned this manager is about the café’s revenue, my best course of action is, of course, to go back to work and have Li Chen take on the role of accompanying Ouyang Xue in the ward. This way, Ouyang Xue wouldn’t have much reason to object.
“Huh? Leave this blockhead here?”
On the hospital bed, Ouyang Xue looked at Li Chen with a disdainful expression. “With him here, I might never recover from this illness. If I don’t get irritated to death by him, that would be considered fortunate.”
“Alright then.”
Li Chen seemed to share a similar thought with me. He crossed his arms, saying, “Then, let Nuo’er stay here and I’ll go back to attend to customers. It doesn’t matter.”
“You…”
Ouyang Xue wanted to say something, but I quickly stepped forward. “Sister Ouyang, don’t argue with this guy.”
“Li Chen, say a bit less too. Ouyang Xue is unwell…”
“What’s wrong with her? Why didn’t she say anything earlier? I told her not to behave like this days ago. If she’s not feeling well, she should have told everyone. Well, forget it, I won’t say anything more.”
“Hmph, for Nuo’er’s sake, I won’t argue with you.”
Letting out a feigned “hmph,” Ouyang Xue seemed to attempt using her left hand, with an IV drip attached, to reach for the phone on the bedside. After realizing her left hand wasn’t very flexible, she shifted and seemed to be planning to use her right hand.
“Do you need the phone?”
I quickly handed the phone over, asking, “To make a call?”
“No, it’s not necessary. I don’t need my phone either.”
Ouyang Xue turned towards me, “Nuo’er, isn’t your phone the latest model? High resolution, right? How’s the camera quality?”
“Pixel… My phone emphasizes high memory and large storage. I haven’t really looked into its camera features.”
I asked, puzzled, “What do you want to take pictures of?”
“Take a few shots of the medical records on the bedside and the room. Capture several from different angles,” Ouyang Xue gestured towards the documents on the bedside. “Make sure the medical records and the instruments are clear, and you should be able to read the diagnosis and machine models.”
“Oh…”
Somewhat understanding, I took out my phone and snapped several shots of the documents and instruments, capturing different perspectives.
“Help me take a couple too.”
With her somewhat mobile right hand, Ouyang Xue adjusted her bangs and revealed a weak smile. “Li Chen, take a couple of shots for Nuo’er too.”
“What’s this for?”
Li Chen, obviously as puzzled as I was, couldn’t figure out what Ouyang Xue was up to. “We’ve been here several times already. Are you afraid the hospital is trying to rip us off?”
“You blockhead, I won’t tell you.”
Ouyang Xue gave him a disdainful look. “Nuo’er is so smart, she must have figured it out.”
“Uh…”
After careful consideration, I asked, “Are you planning to post these photos on the official account?”
“See, I knew Nuo’er would figure it out.”
Ouyang Xue once again shot Li Chen a disapproving look. “It’s a good thing I didn’t let you handle important matters for the café. With your wooden head, the café would have closed within a few months.”
“No, it’s not…”
Li Chen seemed somewhat unwilling, “What official account are you talking about? Why would we post these on the official account? Are you referring to that Tongmeng Network official account?”
“When Ouyang sister fainted, there were many customers in the café, including several live streamers and content creators,” I explained. “If among them, someone likes to stir things up or create drama, secretly taking a video or photo claiming that we run a shady business, making employees work until they faint, it will be challenging to debunk the rumors. So, we can keep this evidence just in case we need to explain later if someone starts spreading false information.”
From this, it’s evident that Ouyang Xue has indeed experienced many dark aspects of society and has developed a resilience to handle such situations.
In the past, when I worked in a small restaurant, I occasionally encountered unreasonable customers. Even though the issues were perfectly resolved at the time with apologies and compensation, three months later, the same customer would return to cause trouble, claiming we had assaulted him three months ago, leading to his hospitalization and thousands of dollars in medical bills, demanding compensation.
At the time, my boss scolded me and taught me that when dealing with troublesome customers, regardless of how well the issue is resolved and how friendly the customer seems initially, all evidence must be preserved. No matter what, we must be prepared for the worst outcome. After the lecture, my bonus for that month was deducted.
However, even now, I haven’t learned this kind of “malicious speculation.” If Ouyang Xue hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have thought to take photos for evidence.
“Send me the photos later. If it’s convenient for you, Nuo’er, you can also post a status update on your personal account, saying you were taking care of me in the hospital this afternoon,” Ouyang Xue spoke to me without the impatience she showed towards Li Chen. “This way, customers from our café won’t travel all the way from other cities and find nothing. It prevents any rumors.”
“Sure.”
Right in front of Ouyang Xue, I opened my Tongmeng profile and, accompanied by the recent photos, posted the first status update for this account.
?Look at our café manager, pushing through work even with a severe cold. Good kids shouldn’t follow her example.?
“Here.”
After posting, I showed the screen of my phone to Ouyang Xue, “Is this okay?”
“It’s fine.”
Ouyang Xue then showed a relieved expression, “Nuo’er, you go back first. The café must be very busy right now, and they won’t be able to handle it alone.”
“Alright.”
I tidied up my maid dress a bit, “Ouyang sister, take care of yourself. If I have time tomorrow, I’ll come by to see you.”
“No, having this fool around is enough. You three will be busy tomorrow and the day after, it’s the weekend.”
Ouyang Xue gestured towards the phone, “If you really want to see me, why not start a video call?”
True.
“Li Chen, go and see her off.”
“Okay.”
At Ouyang Xue’s request, Li Chen led me out of the hospital room.
“Goodbye, Sister Ouyang.”
“Goodbye, take care of yourselves.”
“……”
Once outside the room, Li Chen and I took the elevator at the end of the corridor and went downstairs.
“We’re good here. The bus stop is right outside.”
Seeing that this young man was still thinking of coming out, I quickly said, “I’m not a child. You don’t need to see me off.”
Li Chen blurted out, “Aren’t you a child?”
“At least not in terms of age!”
I couldn’t help and said, “Alright, alright, go back quickly!”
Why is everyone saying the same thing? So what if I’m a bit shorter!
Feeling frustrated, I walked along the small path outside the hospital to the bus stop. I checked the station name on the sign, verified the direction of the bus, and made sure it was heading in the right direction. After confirming that it wasn’t a bus going in the opposite direction, I adjusted my little skirt and found a corner to sit down.
Just like inside the hospital, I stood out in the crowd at the bus stop, dressed in this maid outfit with white knee-high socks. My turning heads rate exceeded 100%, and people continuously cast surprised or curious glances my way.
“The bus is arriving. Please hold on and take your seat. The next stop…”
During the time the bus I was waiting for slowly pulled into the station, I saw the young man who had just been discharged from the same hospital room as Ouyang Xue hurriedly running over, still carrying a small cake in his arms.
“Huff, huff, huff…”
Perhaps due to the rush, the small cake, contained in transparent plastic, tilted and smeared a large amount of cream on the packaging in the young man’s arms.
“Two yuan per person, don’t squeeze in the front, move to the back.”
The bus wasn’t too crowded, but the driver was fierce. After paying the fare and garnering the attention of the people around me, I headed straight to the back of the bus and casually took a seat.
Before long, the doors closed, and the bus started moving.
The young man holding the cake took a seat on my right near the window.
“Boss… Boss…”
As the bus started, the young man seemed to be calling his boss again, “Um… I’m thinking of not going to the company tonight. Can… can I? I want to rest at home for just one night, and I’ll go tomorrow morning… Ah… Oh, can’t Liu handle that document? Well, alright then, remember to count me as present this month.”
“Yeah, I’ve already boarded. It’ll take about twenty minutes to reach the company… Okay, sure.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw the young man sigh deeply after finishing his call. He looked bitter as he pocketed his phone and placed his backpack on the floor, letting the small cake lie between his legs. He then opened the packaging.
At that moment, the small TV on top of the bus concluded the news broadcast, and during the intermission, it started playing the song “Remaining Fragrance” —
? Strike a match to illuminate the lazy night… ?
? You leap into the wine glass, dreams henceforth drown… ?
? Perhaps, in laughter, you have long forgotten, while I, in the tumult, have experienced a world of weariness… ?
Amidst the melancholic hum of the bus engine and the somewhat sorrowful melody from the overhead TV, the young man bit his lower lip. His eyes were red, and he took out a fork and knife from his bag, apparently intending to eat the cake right there.
I noticed that he seemed to be trying hard to control his emotions, his nose twitching, but tears still uncontrollably streamed down his face.
“Drip, drip.”
As the first tear fell, the young man couldn’t stop his tears anymore. They began to fall in large drops.
Most of these tears landed on the small cake, while a few dropped onto his pants, leaving scattered dark marks on the unremarkable fabric.
Just as the young man picked up the fork and the plastic-wrapped knife, ready to open the packaging, the bus suddenly braked sharply!
“Squeak—”
Sensing something was wrong in advance, I grabbed onto the handrail in front of me. The young man, unprepared for the sudden stop, only managed to protect the cake on his thighs. His body slammed into the seat in front with a “bang,” and the fork and knife in his hands flew forward with a “clatter,” scattering all over the floor.
“Are you out of your mind!”
The driver in the front rolled down the window and shouted angrily at a delivery guy crossing the road, “What’s wrong with you driving!”
“Sorry, sorry, I’m in a hurry…”
The delivery guy said just this one sentence before twisting the throttle and quickly speeding away.
“You lunatic, you’ll meet Yama sooner or later.”
The driver grumbled as he restarted the engine, and the music from the small TV in the bus resumed —
? A new lock on the door, the key is in your hands… ?
? Longing needs time to slowly nurture… ?
? La la la la… ?
I noticed the young man looking bewilderedly at the place where the fork and knife had fallen, and he had just unpacked the cake on his thigh. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to pick up the utensils or to rewrap the cake.
The surrounding passengers remained indifferent, showing no signs of taking any action.
“……”
Silently, I stood up from my seat and walked towards the young man.
My previous seat was quickly taken by someone who boarded midway. I didn’t mind and approached the young man holding the cake. I picked up the fork and knife from the floor and handed them to him, saying, “Here.”
The young man looked at me, then at the utensils in my hands. His eyes were still red, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“Today is your birthday, right?”
I directly placed the fork next to the cake on his thigh and said in the gentlest voice possible, “Happy birthday!”
The guy, who had just managed to stop his tears, couldn’t control them anymore. Like a waterfall, they poured down along his pale cheeks. His voice, shaky, expressed gratitude, “Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
In response, I just smiled, tiptoed a bit, and held onto the overhead handrail, choosing not to look at this young man who had lost all composure.
Soon after, the bus arrived at the station, and I walked towards the back door, getting off the bus.
Well… everyone goes through such times.
I once worried about not getting the monthly perfect attendance award of 500 yuan and went to the company with a high fever, so… I can understand.
“Xiao Mo.”
After getting off the bus, on the way to the café, I called Yin Xiamo: “I’m almost there. How is it over there?”
“There are a lot of people, and I can’t break away. Ai Luodi is exhausted.”
Yin Xiamo seemed to be busy attending to customers on the other end of the phone: “Many customers want to see you, take photos with you, and say they won’t leave without seeing Nuo’er… Hurry up.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Ask them to wait for a few minutes.”
Following the small road next to the bus, heading north, uphill, I arrived at the familiar forest path. From a distance, I could see the café with its unique orange mushroom-shaped structure and coconut trees planted and installed with frames around the house.
“Nuo’er!”
“Wow! You’re finally back. Our trip wasn’t in vain!”
“You’re just as cute as in the videos!”
Outside the café, there were already quite a few customers who enjoyed outdoor dining. Upon seeing me, these customers greeted me one after another.
“Thank you!”
After a brief response to the customers outside, I pushed open the door of the café—
“Master! Welcome back!”
As soon as I entered the café, Yin Xiamo, who seemed to have been “ambushed” inside, came forward directly, with a mischievous look on her face.
“Master~, would you like to eat first or take a bath?”
“Or… have me first?”
“……”
……