I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 298

Chapter 298: Just Like Angel’s Wings

 

Returning to the staff lounge with a kettle of hot water, from a distance, I could see Ouyang Xue still buried in the documents Su Yunjin had sent over, while Yin Xiamo stood casually by the door. Upon my return, she merely gestured with her eyes towards Ouyang Xue inside the room.

 

“Sister Ouyang.”

 

I knocked on the door of the lounge adorned with cat ear decorations, above which hung a sign I had written in a cute font that said “Staff Lounge, No Entry without Permission Meow”.

 

“Hot water.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Ouyang Xue looked up. “Just leave it anywhere. I’ll take my medicine in a while.”

 

“Sister Ouyang…”

 

I placed the kettle on the table, hesitating for a moment.

 

“I still hope you can rest more. There are so many people in the store today, there shouldn’t be any problems. Don’t worry too much.”

 

Although Lan Jiajia had taken leave to visit her hometown these past few days, there was me, Yin Xiamo, Fei Luo, and Gabriel taking care of things. Surely, there wouldn’t be any issues.

 

Leaving aside everything else, just the words “Xiao Mo is here” were enough to reassure anyone.

 

The first time Ouyang Xue fell ill and fainted, if Xiao Mo’s expression hadn’t remained relatively unchanged, I would have probably panicked, thinking that the approachable café manager I had finally found might be seriously ill.

 

I’ve… seen too many people leave.

 

Most of the children abandoned and sent to welfare institutions have congenital diseases. Many of them don’t survive to adulthood. In my memory, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched familiar good friends leave before my eyes.

 

Those sudden diseases, where despite efforts in the hospital, they couldn’t be saved, seeing each other for the last time, waiting for the hospital’s verdict to end, is considered a fortunate scenario. What I least want to face is the kind of chronic illness that can’t be cured but is deadly.

 

It’s those friends from school, sitting in class one moment, then suddenly receiving a notice to return to the welfare institution to accompany someone on their final journey. Then we’d all take leave and come back, watching our former playmates gasping for breath, or feverish and delirious, or struggling to speak until they closed their eyes for the last time.

 

It’s in such an environment that when I reached university, I had very few familiar friends left at the welfare institution. In the classmate lists from middle school and high school… there were hardly any left to contact.

 

It feels like… when we were kids, everyone at the welfare institution took a family photo together. As I grew up, one by one, the people in the photo turned to dust, leaving only me behind.

 

So, when I entered society, the people I could roughly call “friends” were only some of my university classmates. But given my humble background, I had to work during university and study diligently.

 

While my dorm mates could come back and play games or do various activities together, I was either delivering takeout or wiping tables in a milk tea shop. Hence, over the four years of university, my relationships with those dorm mates didn’t reach a level where we could keep in touch regularly.

 

It’s because of these experiences and my life that I’m particularly sensitive to things like “life.” To be serious, Yin Xiamo’s essence is a reaper of life. Harvesting life. I guess I’m directly opposite her.

 

Perhaps this is also the reason why I can quickly awaken the spirit mode and gain the “Heart of Nature”.

 

“I’m mainly worried that you, Nuo’er, won’t be able to handle it alone.”

 

Under my gaze, Ouyang Xue rubbed her head. “There are even more customers today than in our opening days.”

 

I smiled bitterly. “It was the same during the opening. Sister Ouyang also sick that time.”

 

“It’s an old problem. I get anxious when I’m busy, and the more anxious I am, the easier it is to forget the time. Last night, I was so anxious that I forgot to keep warm and ended up sweating all over.”

 

Ouyang Xue took some medicine from the shelf behind her, poured it into a cup, then took the kettle from me.

 

“It might be the aftermath of being an idol back then. The baggage of being an idol can’t be shaken off. Whenever I see all the insults and criticisms online, I always tend to reflect on whether I did well enough, and then I can’t sleep, I get anxious, and all sorts of cold viruses take advantage of it. Ah…”

 

I hesitated. “Does Sister Ouyang also get anxious because of those negative comments in the food delivery review section?”

 

“Although I really want to tell you that I don’t, but the truth is… I do.”

 

Ouyang Xue sighed. “I’ve been to a psychologist before, and they said I have a people-pleasing personality and often have… a pessimistic attitude. If I encounter something unpleasant or see someone’s very negative evaluation of me, I’ll think whether everyone is like that, always preparing for the worst.”

 

“Like those two negative reviews yesterday, when I saw them, I started to doubt whether I’m cut out for this job, whether the café is really suitable for delivery services, whether our products are truly subpar, whether we’ll disappoint the expectations of Tongmeng Network, whether I’ll lose my job, whether I won’t find work… and so on, a whole bunch of worst-case scenarios, I’ve considered them all.”

 

Pouring hot water into the cup, stirring the medicine in the bowl with a small spoon, Ouyang Xue turned away.

 

“Su Yunjin is right. I’m really not suited for this managerial job. This café manager position is actually more suitable for Su Yunjin. He’s the type of manager who smiles on the surface, very good at capital operations…”

 

“You see, now that he sees the café’s business is good, exceeding expectations, he decisively made the decision to open a branch. If it were me… I definitely couldn’t make such a decision.”

 

Su Yunjin?

It seems… there’s indeed that feeling.

 

Su Yunjin usually interacts with us in a jovial manner. Because he’s quite handsome, most people don’t have any negative impressions of him at first sight. When discussing work, he often speaks in more tactful terms, like a caring boss, showing concern, taking care of you, and involving you in various company decisions, discussing them together.

 

But if you think about it carefully… Su Yunjin isn’t really that “kind”.

 

Earlier, he mentioned planning to set up electronic sports in the basement of the café. Although he phrased it as a discussion, looking back now, there was actually no discussion to be had.

 

Tongmeng Network was going to open electronic sports, and we had to cooperate to find an “angel” to manage that area. Even though Su Yunjin said it very tactfully that it would be okay if we couldn’t find an angel at that time, he actually put pressure on us.

 

In my impression, this is the feeling a boss from a big company should have. They make you feel like they’re a good boss, make you believe that your boss is understanding, caring, hardworking, cares about the company, gives you the feeling of a loyal subject finding a wise ruler, and then swear to coexist and perish with the boss and the company in the future.

 

In reality… just a little thought and you’ll realize that working under such a smiling tiger, the benefits aren’t great, the salary doesn’t increase, even though the company is indeed getting better and better, the boss changes the car that picks you up for business trips one after another, whether it’s a happy or sad occasion.

 

“Negative reviews don’t matter, there will always be negative reviews.”

 

Seeing Ouyang Xue, who was running a low fever, feeling a bit down, I subconsciously comforted her, “It’s more like… it’s not right if there are no negative reviews. That means our restaurant has cooled down.”

 

“Yeah, so I figured it out last night and went to bed at two or three.”

 

Ouyang Xue blew on the hot water in front of her.

 

“I was fine when I woke up in the morning, no symptoms at all. But after being busy and coming over here to rest for a bit, I started feeling feverish again.”

 

“Maybe the air conditioning was set too low.”

 

I turned around. “Well, Sister Ouyang, take good rest. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

 

“Wait.”

Ouyang Xue stopped me.

 

“Su Yunjin mentioned in this document that he wants me to come over next month. Nuo’er, you need to prepare to take over as the café manager this month. If you have any questions about the manager’s job in these few days, you can…”

 

“I got it! I can ask Sister Ouyang, right?”

 

I interrupted her, speaking confidently. “Let’s wait until Sister Ouyang is feeling better to discuss anything. I’m sure I’ll be fine as the café manager. Besides, if anything happens, I have Xiao Mo!”

 

As I spoke, I pointed to Yin Xiamo outside the door.

 

“She’s the Grim Reaper over here, the strong demon from another world. With just a casual remark… whoosh, she can cause mountains to crumble and oceans to overturn, annihilating everything. She’s very powerful.”

 

“Hehe…Nuo’er with his chuunibyou is really cute.”

 

“It’s not chuunibyou!”

 

I deliberately put on a serious expression. “Xiao Mo is really strong, and of course, so am I.”

 

“Alright, alright.”

 

Ouyang Xue signaled that I could leave.

 

“You guys take a rest too. Isn’t it Nuo’er’s rest time at this hour?”

 

“Yeah, just started. I have an hour for break time. It’s okay, I can just take a ten-minute nap at noon every day.”

 

Just as I was about to leave and close the door of the lounge, I heard Ouyang Xue’s somewhat hoarse voice behind me.

 

“Earlier, when Su Yunjin and I went to the Tongmeng Network headquarters to discuss the bonus for solving the live streamer issue with the angel you brought back, I asked them for a condition.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The condition is, if in the future, you all fully take over the café, Tongmeng Network, under any circumstances, cannot kick you out, even if they were to dismiss you four, you must still hold at least fifteen percent of the shares of the café.”

 

I turned around. “Is that the reward I brought back with Fei Luo and Gabriel a few days ago?”

 

“Yeah, remember when we joked that the ten thousand yuan bonus wasn’t enough? Su Yunjin joked that we could negotiate, and I took it seriously. So I took him to the headquarters, and we talked for a long time. I guess the people at headquarters also saw the terrifying prospects of the café and agreed to these conditions.”

 

Ouyang Xue continued from behind me, “At that time, I mentioned that if I were transferred, and Nuo’er or Xiao Mo became the café manager, this café must be yours. Tongmeng Network can profit from the background, invest, sponsor, but they cannot directly interfere with all your decisions.”

 

I was touched for a moment. “Sister Ouyang…”

 

“I’ve been through similar situations and know the darkness behind capital, so I clarified almost everything that needed to be discussed. We recorded it, signed contracts. Originally, I thought we would argue for hours over conditions that weren’t favorable to capital expansion, but to my surprise, those people agreed. You should know, even Mayor Ye was present that day.”

 

Ouyang Xue sighed, “I feel like Su Yunjin should also be on your side. He said a lot of good things.”

 

Ye Yuqing was there too?

Then it’s probably not just Su Yunjin helping…

 

“Thank you, Sister Ouyang.”

 

Now that I roughly understood what was going on, I waved to Ouyang Xue inside the room, “Sister Ouyang, take a rest today. Xiao Mo and I can handle everything.”

 

“It’s nothing. It’s just that when you came eagerly to apply for the job back then… it reminded me of my past self. Hehe, there’s no camera here, so I’ll just casually mention it to you. Don’t spread it around when you go out.”

 

“I know, I’m a tough guy, I don’t like gossip!”

 

“Just you… a tough guy? Haha…”

 

“I am a tough guy! When I manage the café well, you’ll see how tough I am, Sister Ouyang!”

 

“Even if you’re tough, in my eyes, you’re just like Dingman and the others.”

 

“I’m not a cat!”

 

“……”

 

Leaving the lounge and gently closing the door, I turned to Yin Xiamo, who had been waiting outside the door the whole time.

 

“Xiao Mo, is Sister Ouyang… really okay?”

 

“Hmm? Are you asking about her health condition?”

 

Yin Xiamo said plainly, “It’s just a common viral flu. Even if she doesn’t take medicine, with her immune system, resting for a day or two should be enough to get through it.”

 

“That’s not what I’m asking…”

 

I felt worried. “What I mean is… it’s about Sister Ouyang… her physical condition… you see, last month on the opening day, she was hospitalized because of a stomach bleed, and now, she caught a cold so easily…”

 

“You’re asking if her poor health might lead to a short lifespan?”

 

“Yes, exactly.”

I looked at Xiao Mo hopefully.

 

“Sister Ouyang is okay health-wise, right? She should be able to, like most people, find her own love, start a family, and live out her years peacefully, right?”

 

“Directly asking questions only the ‘main god’ can answer, Nuo’er, you’re quite cunning.”

 

Yin Xiamo looked at me as if I were a mischievous child. “But Nuo’er, you might have a misconception. Just because someone gets sick often doesn’t mean they have a short life.”

 

I instinctively tilted my head. “Isn’t that so?”

 

“Whether it’s in another world or here on Earth… life is full of unexpected events. As long as it’s not a fatal disease, sometimes people with weaker constitutions end up living longer than those who rarely get sick.”

 

Yin Xiamo explained, “Because those who have been prone to illness since childhood, constantly catching colds and fevers, frequenting hospitals, are familiar with their bodies and the medical system. When they’re sick, they take medicine, immediately get checked if any symptoms arise, and treat accordingly. Although such people may seem frail, they generally suffer from minor illnesses constantly and rarely from serious ones.”

 

“And those who have been healthy since childhood may have become accustomed to their good health and strong immunity. They might not pay much attention to minor symptoms, thinking they’re just minor ailments. By the time they can’t bear it anymore and go for a check-up, it’s often already a terminal illness.”

 

“So you can’t generalize who has a short life just based on overall health. Ouyang Xue may just have slightly weaker resistance to viruses like the common cold. If she doesn’t risk her life for work like before, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

 

So that’s how it is.

It’s similar to what I’ve read in novels and my past experiences, right?

I always feel… as long as Xiao Mo is by my side, there’s a sense of security, a little happiness.

 

“Is there anything I can do for Sister Ouyang?”

 

I asked tentatively, “She might be transferred to the internet café on the commercial street later, which might give her a bit more free time, but I also don’t want her to be constantly ill…”

 

Most importantly, Ouyang Xue genuinely cares about us.

 

Initially, I thought her talk with Su Yunjin about the “bonus” was just idle chatter, or at worst, she would negotiate with the people from Tongmeng Net to increase the bonus from ten thousand to fifteen thousand. I never expected her to directly negotiate conditions…

 

Because of her past experiences being taken advantage of by capital, Ouyang Xue worried that Tongmeng Net might also kick me and Xiao Mo out for their own interests. So she took the initiative to negotiate conditions related to our interests…

 

Normally, wouldn’t a boss at this point just take credit for the employees’ efforts and then ask the headquarters for money? Like saying, “It was under my guidance that Yin Nuo’er found Gabriel,” “I gestured to Nuo’er who had called her friend over,” or simply, “Gabriel is my friend, and I brought in such a strong live streamer for the company. Giving her a bonus of twenty or thirty thousand wouldn’t be excessive, right?”

 

But Ouyang Xue didn’t have any selfish motives at all. She negotiated for the ownership of the café with Tongmeng Net. This… doesn’t at all resemble the behavior of a “qualified” boss.

 

Though she may not be a qualified boss, Ouyang Xue is my good friend, and that’s enough.

 

“Nuo’er’s point is that she hopes Ouyang Xue’s health improves, and she gets sick less often, right?”

 

Yin Xiamo looked at me like a daughter watching her father, as if I could catch stars in the sky.

 

“I’m not very proficient in life magic, but at Nuo’er’s rate of progress, combined with the angelic blessings bestowed by Gabriel, maybe in a hundred years, Nuo’er will be able to learn elf magic to extend human lifespans.”

 

That’s too late!

 

“It’s just a joke. If Nuo’er is feeling impatient right now, there are ways.”

 

Perhaps seeing my pouting expression, Yin Xiamo walked over and patted my head.

 

“You haven’t finished the milk Fei Luo gave you this morning, right?”

 

“No.”

 

I shook my head. “And… um, about half a bottle’s worth of canned cola?”

 

Fei Luo went out with Gabriel again last night, so she ate more. That means Fei Luo’s milk supply would be a bit more abundant.

 

And dragon milk for me is the kind of thing that not only increases satiety but also boosts energy. If I were to drink all the dragon milk in one go when I wake up, I wouldn’t have much of an appetite for breakfast, which would be a disaster!

 

Breakfast without dumplings, fried pancakes, steamed buns, soy milk and fried dough sticks, or rolled noodles in spicy soup… wouldn’t be a complete breakfast at all!

 

So if Fei Luo gives me too much milk in the morning, I choose to drink half of it and put the rest in the fridge, saving it for a happy breakfast. Then, in the evening, I’ll come back and finish the remaining dragon milk.

 

“Fei Luo is several thousand years old, a top-tier forbidden spellcaster on our side, the Black Dragon Princess with hardly any rivals in the entire otherworld. Regular dragon milk is a nourishing tonic for ordinary people, let alone the milk of a dragon king.”

 

Yin Xiamo chuckled. “Nuo’er, your body might be quite unique, and you may not feel it much, but for ordinary people, even a little bit of dragon milk can directly strengthen their bodies, enhance physical strength, and boost immunity, of course… Of course, the effect of dragon milk is too powerful, especially dragon king’s milk. For someone like Ouyang Xue, one drink is enough. Drinking more than that would be too much for her body to handle.”

 

“Really?” I exclaimed in surprise. “So just a small cup of milk?”

 

“Even that would be too much,” Yin Xiamo shrugged. “If you were to give Ouyang Xue all the leftover milk you have today, not only would her current cold and fever instantly heal, her immunity would also improve. The excess power in the dragon milk might even cause her to experience some… um, side effects in the next few days. She might interpret them as lingering symptoms of her cold.”

 

“What kind of side effects?”

 

“I’m not really sure about that. I’m not an expert in this field. Back there, I was only involved in killing.”

 

Yin Xiamo turned to look at Ouyang Xue’s resting room.

 

“But it shouldn’t be too serious, like not being able to sleep at night, feeling the need to get up and run to expend energy, or sensing an excessive amount of strength in the body, unable to control it properly. For example, trying to hold something with the same force as usual might result in accidentally crushing it… like a plate.”

 

Is it really that scary?

Then why do I only feel slightly more energized after drinking dragon milk?

 

“So, if I just go home now and bring back the dragon milk for Sister Ouyang to drink, that’s fine, right?”

 

“Yes,” Yin Xiamo nodded.

 

She gestured towards the entrance of the store. “Go ahead, I’ll keep an eye on things here.”

 

“Okay, I’ll go get some food for Denghua and her. The two little ones are probably starving.”

 

Waving to Xiao Mo, I jogged over to a window-side table chosen by Li Denghua and Zhou Xiaofei.

 

At this moment, the two little girls were each holding a cat from the store, grooming their fur.

 

Li Denghua held a ragdoll cat, while Zhou Xiaofei held a tabby cat.

 

From their interaction, it seemed like Li Denghua was being somewhat dominated by Zhou Xiaofei. There was a sense that since getting to know Zhou Xiaofei, Li Denghua had gradually developed a submissive attitude towards this little girl.

 

Perhaps it was like a ferocious little cat encountering its nemesis?

 

“Sorry for being late.”

 

Approaching them from behind, I pulled out a menu. “What would you like to eat? It’s on me.”

 

It seemed that only in front of Li Denghua and Zhou Xiaofei, who were pure “little girls” in terms of age, appearance, mindset, and dress, could I play the role of “big sister”. Sometimes, even I found it somewhat amusing.

 

Even though my inner self is that of an uncle… by age, I’m older than most people!

 

“Ah! Sister Nuo’er!”

 

When she saw me, Zhou Xiaofei turned around and gestured to the tabby cat in her arms, which was purring and rolling its eyes.

 

“What’s its name?”

 

“It’s called Energetic Legs.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Its name is Energetic Legs. It used to be a stray cat. Its owner thought it was obedient, so they brought it home. When they caught it, its legs were kicking around, hence the name.”

 

I explained, “Later, Energetic Legs’s owner went abroad and gave the cat to the cat café. The name has stuck ever since.”

 

“What a strange name…”

 

On the other side, Li Denghua lifted up her oversized ragdoll cat, “What about mine?”

 

“It’s called Nuomi, because it looks like a glutinous rice ball. This fellow is the most mischievous cat in the café, it’s always involved whenever something gets broken.”

 

I casually petted the cat’s long fur. “Denghua, be careful, your clothes will be covered in fur.”

 

“They’re already covered…”

 

Li Denghua pointed to her Lolita skirt covered in cat hair, looking unconcerned, “Sister Nuo’er, just take our order as usual, I’ll pay.”

 

“No need, I said I’m treating you, so I’m treating you. It’s rare for you to come and visit, right?”

 

I gestured for them to look at the menu. “Feel free to order anything as long as it’s not wasteful.”

 

“Then… I’ll have this.” Li Denghua pointed directly at the colorful glutinous rice dish. “Is this a large portion?”

 

“If you both eat together, you should be able to finish it. It’s not too much.”

 

“Then I’ll have one of these, to share with Xiaofei.” Li Denghua handed the menu to Zhou Xiaofei. “Xiaofei, choose the rest.”

 

“Umm…”

 

The little one stared at the various pictures of sticky rice and dumplings on the menu, hesitating for a while. Her gaze landed on the cat paw egg tarts on the side, lingered for a few seconds, then moved away.

 

“Okay, four cat paw egg tarts!”

 

“Huh?”

Zhou Xiaofei was momentarily stunned. “I… I haven’t ordered…”

 

“I told you, it’s on Sister Nuo’er.” I smiled. “Anything else you need?”

 

“Then I… I… um… I’ll have this.” Zhou Xiaofei pointed to the triangular rice dumplings on the menu. “Would the meat-filled ones be more expensive?”

 

“No problem, just the meat-filled ones.” I quickly wrote on the menu I carried with me.

 

“Two meat-filled triangular rice dumplings, and one pan-fried yellow croaker fish, two salted duck eggs!”

 

“Huh? Huh?” Zhou Xiaofei reflexively responded, “I… I didn’t order the yellow croaker fish…”

 

“It’s a gift from Sister. It’s the Dragon Boat Festival, so we have to eat five yellow foods.” I put away the pen.

 

“Okay, that’s all. I’ll go tell the chef, and you can play with the cats for a while. Someone will bring the food over when it’s ready!”

 

“……”

 

……