I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 301
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Chapter 301: If You Want to Find Me, Cross the River
In my impression, it seemed to be the first time I saw Li Chen so angry.
This young man, who always looked gentle and behaved like a hardworking person, usually drove a small truck silently to deliver goods early and return late.
Whenever the café needed something, he would quietly come back, put on his work clothes, make milk tea, clean up, deliver meals, play with cats, and clean up cat litter. He hardly ever took any holidays.
Apart from Ouyang Xue, I felt that Li Chen was the most exhausted person in the café.
Even during our usual meetings, Li Chen wouldn’t come over to listen unless we discussed something related to the café’s needs, such as purchasing goods, transporting items, or inventorying goods.
After he knew, he would just say “oh” at most and then start working. He never asked why we needed to do things that way, nor did he express his opinions.
From his appearance, Li Chen wasn’t outstanding, at least not compared to Su Yunjin. He was just like an ordinary person, someone who silently worked and rested on time, without much attention.
What I admired most was that Li Chen didn’t have many bad habits.
I’ve never heard him smoke, drink, play cards, or gamble. He rarely gave off that oily feeling.
Occasionally, when he had free time, he would joke and chat with us, but it was always within the appropriate boundaries, knowing what to say and what not to say.
Someone like Li Chen probably wouldn’t get along well if he went to the “Wujia Apartment” where I used to stay before. He might even end up like another Uncle Yin Shiren.
However, when it came to matters related to Ouyang Xue, especially regarding Ouyang Xue’s “health,” Li Chen would be exceptionally serious, as if he could endure suffering and hardship alone, but Ouyang Xue couldn’t.
However, during this period of time, through my observation, it seems that Li Chen hasn’t held much status on Ouyang Xue’s side. He’s like one of those introverted guys, silently watching over and caring for Ouyang Xue.
He gets angry when he sees Ouyang Xue mistreating herself, but he doesn’t know what to do about it. He can only advise her to rest more, drink more water, and such.
He hasn’t figured out his exact position or “role” in Ouyang Xue’s heart, so he doesn’t dare to advise her much, fearing that Ouyang Xue might dislike him.
But this time, Li Chen seemed to be pushed to his limits by Ouyang Xue, especially since similar incidents had happened before.
“How many times have I told you? Your health is weak. You should rest more often. You just spent a few days in the hospital, and your stomach hasn’t fully recovered, yet you still insist on pushing yourself. Have you forgotten the promises you made earlier?”
Inside the room, Li Chen’s tone was like scolding an ignorant child.
“Why did you meddle with those workers? They were sent by Tongmeng Net and they’ve been paid. I reckon their hourly wage is higher than ours. You helped them work without any income!”
“Who said there was none!”
Ouyang Xue wore a defiant expression.
“I saw they were working too slowly and I thought they might not finish in time. So, I helped move some things. If we didn’t do well last night and there were problems on the ground floor today, wouldn’t that affect our reputation and customer satisfaction?”
“What if it does? Even if you’re the manager here, you’re still working for the capitalists from Tongmeng Net!”
Li Chen frowned. “Even if you make this place big and famous, what’s the use? We don’t have any shares! You’re just an acting manager!”
“Work should be approached with a work attitude!”
Although Ouyang Xue said this, she still slightly avoided Li Chen’s gaze, seeming a bit guilty.
“I… I’m just used to it.”
“……”
Li Chen fell silent for a moment. “Do you… have an aversion to cats?”
“Huh?”
Ouyang Xue became flustered.
“What are you talking about? I… I don’t have any aversion to cats. I really like cats.”
“I think I understand what Su Yunjin did.”
Li Chen scooped up a spoonful of medicine. “Enough talking, drink this.”
An aversion to cats?
It took me several seconds to process what I heard at the door.
Right, Ouyang Xue did have a cat before, during her time as an idol. But later, perhaps because she wasn’t focused on work and was unwilling to be flexible, her monthly bonus decreased slightly or something, and coincidentally, the cat got sick. There wasn’t enough money for treatment, so she had to watch the kitten die…
There was also another incident during that time. Ouyang Xue’s only relative became seriously ill, but she didn’t have enough money to afford his medical treatment, so she could only opt for conservative treatment. Eventually, that relative passed away.
These incidents have caused serious psychological trauma to Ouyang Xue. I reckon her current habit of being “meticulous in her work” stems from these experiences. Hmm… Actually, I can understand Ouyang Xue to some extent. After all, I’ve had similar experiences before. Though it wasn’t my fault, death is irreversible.
If one day, due to not taking work seriously enough, I couldn’t afford to treat my best friend’s illness, leading to her passing away, I would carry a psychological shadow for most of my life.
Work must be done to the best of my ability. Every project must be completed on the same day, and there must be sufficient money at home… If not, there will be no sense of security, only anxiety. It might even lead to insomnia and nervous breakdowns… So, I’d rather face the pressure or physical exhaustion and deal with every aspect of work, just to seek peace of mind.
Cat Café, as the name suggests, has many cats.
For Ouyang Xue, who witnessed her own pet cat’s death, it’s impossible to relax while seeing so many cute little creatures here every day.
Maybe… every time she sees these cats in the café, Ouyang Xue recalls that past, remembering the kitten that couldn’t be treated due to lack of money, and had to be buried with her own hands…
Yeah, I should have realized it earlier. I glanced sympathetically at Ouyang Xue, who was drinking her medicine with a downcast expression at the door.
Most people only have one type of companion pet in their lifetime, such as cats or dogs. Especially for those who have raised cats or dogs for more than seven or eight years, they might not get new ones after their longtime companions pass away. This situation, in a sense, is akin to the “lifespan theory” often seen in cartoons.
Watching their pets grow older and eventually reach a point where they can’t go on after about ten years, while they themselves still have decades of life ahead, is a form of lifespan theory. In that case… is Xiao Mo also seeing the former “hero” in this way?
I turned around and glanced cautiously at someone outside. Yin Xiamo, who was scrolling through her phone, just briefly lifted her head to look at me before lowering it again to focus on her phone.
“I’ll go to the hospital with you later. Once your fever subsides, rest for a day before coming back.”
During the time when Li Chen was feeding medicine to Ouyang Xue, he spoke in a very calm voice.
“You’re on your period today, don’t strain yourself or catch a cold.”
Ouyang Xue raised her head. “How did you know I’m on my period?”
Li Chen paused for a moment. “Do you remember the day we first met?”
Ouyang Xue glanced at me. “And there’s a child here.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t say anymore. Anyway, I’ve said my piece for today. Take your medicine, go to the hospital, and then rest. Nuo’er and I will take care of things here.”
Li Chen continued to give the medicine. “Besides, Su Yunjin is going to transfer you elsewhere, so this place won’t matter to you anymore.”
“I trust Nuo’er wouldn’t be so heartless.”
Ouyang Xue looked towards me at the door. “Right, Nuo’er? It’s okay for us to come and visit in the future, right?”
“Definitely no problem.”
I smiled and gave Li Chen a glance. “Brother Li Chen, can I borrow Sister Ouyang for a moment?”
“Sure.” Li Chen set down his utensils. “Supervise her to finish this.”
“Okay.”
Watching Li Chen leave the rest area and casually close the door behind him, I approached Ouyang with a box of dragon milk in hand.
“Sister Ouyang, I just went home for a bit and brought something over. Can you guess what it is?”
The sunlight outside was strong, and the milk that had been frozen was now almost thawed. While Li Chen and Ouyang were talking, I discreetly warmed the milk I was holding, so this cup of “Fei Luo Dragon King Milk” would definitely be fine for Ouyang at this moment.
“Milk,” Ouyang Xue said, looking at me with the same look one might give to a silly cat.
“Local produce? It should be fresh milk.”
Fresh milk differs from pure milk. Fresh milk generally has a limited delivery time and a short shelf life, but it retains the nutrients well. If one isn’t too busy and cares about the quality and nutrients of the milk, many people nowadays recommend children to drink fresh milk.
They install a milk box at the door, then go to a well-known local milk company to order, one bottle per day, for health and longevity. It’s much better than pure milk, which often has a shelf life of five or six months.
“Wrong answer!”
I took the medicine Li Chen had left on the table. “Sister Ouyang, drink this first before I tell you.”
“Why all the secrecy?”
As if dealing with a child, Sister Ouyang picked up the medicine on the table and downed it in one gulp.
“Okay, spill it. If it’s not milk, then what is it?”
“It’s Dragon Milk!”
I placed the milk box in front of Ouyang.
“It’s from a giant dragon from another world… Oh no, it’s the milk of the Black Dragon King. It’s like soft gold from another world. After ordinary people drink it, it can greatly improve their physique, especially for minor illnesses and ailments. It has a significant healing effect.”
“Ha…”
After listening to me, Ouyang chuckled and took the milk box.
“It suits your style, Nuo’er, just like a little kitten, occasionally being a bit dramatic.”
“This isn’t being dramatic!”
I leaned on the glass table with both hands. “I begged Xiao Mo for a long time to get this. It really can prolong life and improve health. You should try it!”
I knew the effects of Dark Dragon Milk. Even for someone like me with a “perfect gene,” I could feel a sudden surge of energy every time I drank it, feeling refreshed and energetic. For an ordinary person like Ouyang Xue, the effects would likely be even stronger. Yin Xiamo also mentioned that this stuff had a pretty strong effect on regular people.
Ouyang Xue herself is a very sharp and sensitive woman. After drinking it, she would definitely be able to discern the authenticity of this stuff. Given this premise, the effectiveness of Dark Dragon Milk would certainly not be hidden. It’s better to just lay it all out.
Ouyang Xue is very intelligent. After spending these days together, I know that even if she’s aware of the effects of this dragon milk, she might have some doubts like “Could Nuo’er and Xiao Mo really be from another world?” However, she definitely wouldn’t spread rumors or directly come to us and ask, “Is Xiao Mo really a demon from another world?”
Anyway, I understand Ouyang Xue’s character. Whether it’s from the little details of our interactions or from what we just mentioned about “negotiating with the capitalists to prevent them from controlling the café,” in my mind, Ouyang Xue falls into the category of a trusted friend.
Though she may appear as our boss on the surface, this older sister… genuinely treats everyone in the café, including the cats, as her own.
To put it in simpler terms, she treats us like brothers.
Even if we consider the worst-case scenario, Ouyang Xue’s emotional intelligence is quite low. If she suspects that this stuff really comes from another world and comes to me directly to ask what’s going on, I could play dumb— “Oh? Does it really work? Actually, that day I was just being silly. That milk was a gift from a friend, and I’ve been drinking it lately too. If you like it, Ouyang, you can order some!”
“You only countered the ‘middle school syndrome’ and not the little kitten?”
Ouyang Xue chuckled as she took the box of dragon milk, glanced at the liquid inside, and drank it all in one go, showing a puzzled expression as she placed the box on the table.
“Hmm? What kind of milk is this? It’s delicious. It’s the first time I’ve tasted this flavor…cat milk?”
“It’s not cat milk either!”
Seeing Ouyang Xue finish the milk, I casually took the box.
“Well then, I won’t disturb you and Brother Li Chen’s private time. Rest well!”
With that, I opened the door and spoke to Li Chen outside, “All done.”
Li Chen glanced into the room. “She finished all the medicine?”
“She did, she’ll be fine.”
I casually pulled Xiao Mo, who was playing with her phone.
“I’ll go rest for a bit!”
“Oh, thanks, Nuo’er. I’ll treat you to a meal another day…”
“No need for a meal…”
Walking out of the rest area, I noticed Xiao Mo was still on her phone. I instinctively leaned over.
“What are you looking at?”
“I’m reading the comments under our Tongmeng Network account.”
“Any praising comments about me?”
I became even more curious. “Are there more compliments about me or about Xiao Mo?”
I don’t know when it started, but Xiao Mo and I really liked this kind of quirky “comparison.”
For example, after we posted a group photo on our social media in the morning, we would lie together on the small bed at night, turn off all the lights, and then put our heads together to read the comments under our account.
If there were compliments about me, I would proudly boast to Xiao Mo. If there were criticisms, we would playfully tease each other for a while, then turn off the phone screen and cuddle together peacefully to sleep.
Occasionally, if our Tongmeng account hadn’t updated any posts and there weren’t many comments, we would read the comments under that yuri novel together.
Because that book was mostly written by me based on the little things in our daily lives, and as the word count increased, more and more people started reading it, and the comments were often varied. Almost every time we encountered negative comments, Xiao Mo would gently tap my head –
?You see, the readers all say this chapter is too plain.?
?This reader even gave you a hundred yuan as a tip, and you forgot to reply to them.?
?Do I appear so unimpressive in Nuo’er’s eyes? Remember to make the female lead more authoritative in the next chapter.?
Occasionally, I would be quite indignant, pick up a pillow, and throw it at Xiao Mo.
“Slice of life… Slice of life novel is good, how can you call them plain!”
“You dare to talk back.”
Then Xiao Mo would pick up a pillow and throw it back. “Looks like Little Kitten is going to flood the river today.”
In the end, after all the sweating, we would obediently go wash the bed sheets.
“Recently, Nuo’er’s fans on the internet have been increasing.”
At my gesture, Yin Xiamo clicked on a video titled ?The True Elf at the Comic Con, Stunning the Audience. ?
“After watching those videos, many people left comments below, and there are quite a few malicious ones. I’m wondering if I…”
“If they’re malicious, they’re malicious! Just don’t look at them! Do not abuse your power!”
I quickly interrupted the girl in front of me and took out a flyer from the pocket of my maid’s skirt, printed with ?Shenzhen Nanqi 96 Marathon? on it.
“Look what I found?”
“A marathon?”
Yin Xiamo was puzzled. “Meaning a long-distance race?”
“Don’t you know, Xiao Mo?”
I wondered, “Hasn’t Xiao Mo been living here for several years already?”
According to the flyer, this marathon seems to be unique to the “Nanqi District,” organized by the official government of Nanqi District. It has been held for 42 sessions so far, and this is the 43rd.
As far as I remember, Nanqi District didn’t seem to exist over forty years ago. Without any surprises… this should have been one of the activities of Nanqi District back when it was still a “township.” It’s quite remarkable to continuously hold this event for so many years.
As for the prizes listed on the flyer, they seem quite generous to me: everyone gets a participation prize, which is a large bag of four-pack toilet paper. To qualify for it, you need to run at least half the race distance.
If you complete the entire course, there are additional rewards: first place wins an oversized TV, second to fifth places win electric bicycles, and sixth to tenth places win small household appliances like rice cookers.
According to the marking on it, this marathon covers a distance of 42 kilometers, running along the main roads of the Nanqi District, starting from around 11 in the morning and lasting until about 6 in the evening, just before dusk when the sun sets, and participants can drop out at any time.
Speaking of half of 42 kilometers… that’s 21 kilometers. Can I still manage that?
I roughly estimated the requirements of this marathon in my mind.
Even though I’ve become a girl, I’ve been exercising regularly for the past two months. When I was still at the “Wujia Apartment,” I tested myself and found that I could jog three to four kilometers before dinner without feeling significantly tired.
Based on that feeling, I’m sure I can manage around ten kilometers now. And in elf mode, my weight will be lighter, and my endurance will be higher, so twenty kilometers shouldn’t be a problem. The toilet paper around the twenty-kilometer mark is definitely manageable.
But the problem is, I don’t have time tomorrow. I have to take care of the café.
It seems like this event in the Nanqi District is more of a reminder for people to pay attention to exercising, which is good.
“Oh, that one.”
After a brief glance at the contents of the flyer, Yin Xiamo showed a sudden realization.
“I know, it’s held once a year, but in the past few years, I was focused on you, Nuo’er, and didn’t pay much attention… Do you want to participate, Nuo’er?”
“No, we both have to work tomorrow.”
I shook my head. “I mean, can we let Dolly give it a try?”
“In that case, the runners will probably feel hopeless.”
Yin Xiamo handed me the flyer. “It’ll probably cause a sensation.”
“Dolly… Is she fast?”
“Are you referring to her mother or the current little Dolly?”
“The current little Dolly.”
I said seriously, “The one you mentioned might come tonight or tomorrow.”
“She’s the reigning champion from the last race, the fastest among over two million horses in the entire centaur tribe.”
Yin Xiamo chuckled. “Let’s not even talk about the running speed of ordinary people here. Even a cheetah at full speed isn’t her match.”
At full speed, a cheetah… How fast was that again? I remember it being over 100 kilometers per hour, right?
Could a girl run at speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour? Isn’t that… like a little race car?
No, wait, I shouldn’t think of girls from another world like that, especially since that Dolly is a centaur girl.
“Can they run marathons?”
“Of course she can. The marathon here is over forty kilometers, right? But in our area, the race on the great grassland covers a distance of a full 100 kilometers. Dolly’s record is… converted to Earth time, about 42 minutes and 39 seconds.”
Terrifying…
In my mind, I instantly envisioned a girl in uniform sprinting on the highway.
A petite girl, wearing a cute uniform, her feet moving so fast they left only a blur, matching the speed of cars on the highway, and she could easily greet people inside and outside the cars — ‘Hello, sir, allow me to introduce our great leader, the racehorse who, despite her bad luck, has still created countless miracles, Miss Empress of the Eastern Sea.’
What kind of scene would that be?
So for Dolly, the distance of this little race is at most just a warm-up.
Seeing me lost in thought, Yin Xiamo rubbed my head.
“Nuo’er, you should consider how to arrange for her to deliver takeaway without revealing her speed.”
How can that be arranged? Over a hundred kilometers, a person running would leave only a blur. As long as they avoid the cameras in the city, who knows what that would be…
“Is Dolly stable when she runs?”
Suddenly thinking of this question, I turned to Yin Xiamo. “Wouldn’t she accidentally spill the takeaway or something?”
“Our magic users, especially the spellcasters, have far higher requirements for stability when they need to cast large-scale magic, much higher than the level of takeaway spilling.”
Yin Xiamo shook her head. “Don’t mention soup spilling from takeaway, even if it’s tofu pudding… When it’s delivered, it looks like how it was when it was sent.”
It seems Dolly really is suited to be a delivery driver.
Looks like I need to step up too.
Next month, Ouyang Xue will be transferred, and I’ll take over as the manager here. There will definitely be a lot more to handle.
“Sister Nuo’er!”
Back in the lobby on the first floor, all of Zhou Xiaofei and Li Denghua’s Dragon Boat Festival specialty dishes were already served. At this moment, the two kids were eating while playing mobile rhythm games with one hand each. When they saw me and Xiao Mo, they both greeted us eagerly.
“Good afternoon!”
“Good afternoon to both of you.”
I walked over. “How’s everything tasting?”
“Very delicious, especially the sticky rice and pan-fried fish with duck eggs.”
Li Denghua sighed. “It’s better than what we have at home.”
“Oh?” I asked with interest. “What do you usually eat at home, Denghua?”
“It’s usually some food made by Mom if she’s at home… Well, not very tasty meals. If the nanny comes, it’s a little better, but neither Mom nor the nanny makes this kind of food.”
Li Denghua pointed at Zhou Xiaofei. “Xiaofei said her grandma and mom can make a lot of delicious food. I’m planning to go to her house tomorrow to learn!”
“That’s great.”
For some reason, I thought of the story “The Old Man and the Sea” and instinctively asked, “By the way, Xiaofei, is your grandma in good health?”
“No problem at all, my grandma is very healthy.”
Zhou Xiaofei said instinctively, “The large vegetable garden behind our house is usually managed by my grandma.”
“I heard your house is close to the Nanqi Tower.”
I tried to guide the little one to talk. “Have you ever been to the Nanqi Tower with your grandma?”
“The Nanqi Tower? We’re not close to there. There’s no road from our house to there.”
Zhou Xiaofei had an innocent look. “When I was very young, my grandma took me there once. People around said there was a strange old man managing the Nanqi Tower, and my grandma was worried I’d be taken away by the old man, so she didn’t let me go there again.”
“Have you never been there since then?”
“We haven’t been there. There’s nothing there, just a tower and the sea. When we need to buy groceries, we take another route to the market.”
Zhou Xiaofei widened her eyes. “Sister Nuo’er, are you very interested in the Nanqi Tower?”
“Ah… indeed, I heard that you guys are familiar with that area, which reminded me that the Nanqi Tower seems to be quite famous on our side. I remember there’s a legend circulating in the city about ‘The Old Man and the Sea.’ Have you heard of it?”
“The legend of The Old Man and the Sea?”
Zhou Xiaofei was puzzled. “I haven’t heard of it. Can you tell us about it, big sister?”
“Well, I heard it from others too. I plan to visit the Nanqi Tower when I have some free time.”
I sat down next to the two children. “So, this legend of The Old Man and the Sea…”
For the next few minutes, I briefly told Zhou Xiaofei about the story of “The Old Man and the Sea” that I had heard, emphasizing the part where “the old man is still waiting for his wife to come back.” Then I hinted that Zhou Xiaofei could tell this story to her grandmother.
“If your grandma is alone at home, Xiaofei, you can tell her stories. For example, the story of The Old Man and the Sea that I heard from another old lady.”
“Mmm…”
Zhou Xiaofei seemed lost in thought. “Then I’ll tell Grandma about it when I get back. Now that you mention it, Nuo’er, the Nanqi Tower seems mysterious again.”
“It’s nothing mysterious, just everyday life.”
I stood up from my seat. “Alright, I’m going to rest for a bit and then get back to work. If you want anything to eat, you can come find me at the massage chairs over there.”
“Okay, got it!”
After saying goodbye to the children, I went to the massage chair by the window and sat down.
“Ah, finally, I can take a break.”
“It seems like Nuo’er is enjoying being the big sister.”
Under my gaze, Yin Xiamo lifted me up as if I were a little kitten, then sat down on the massage chair and placed me on her lap.
“Now it’s my turn to be Nuo’er’s big sister.”
“……”
……
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