The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Ye Shu has been incredibly busy lately.

It seems that Sister Chen Xing is really going to speed up the handover process and completely step down from the front line.

She hasn't been late or left early lately, and she even asked Ye Shu for one-on-one tutoring from a renowned teacher.

Arrive at the store an hour early every morning and stay an extra hour after closing time, taking advantage of the quieter atmosphere before and after opening to hold classes.

Ye Shu had to get up an hour earlier in the morning to rush to the coffee shop, and then, under Chen Xing's guidance, she started preparing materials, preheating the machines, and debugging the new products from start to finish.

After seeing off the last guest in the evening, I still had to attend Chen Xing's mini-class to listen to her share practical business tips.

This has led to Ye Shu not wanting to cook at all when she gets home now; she's just too tired, really tired.

I didn't get home until after nine o'clock at night. Then I had to cook dinner, eat, and wash the dishes. It was already past midnight.

So when I go back at night, I just turn into the nearby food street and buy some ready-made snacks to tide me over.

Occasionally, when I pass by a farmers market and see fresh, vibrant vegetables, the thought of "It's been so long since I've cooked a proper meal" might flash through my mind, but it's only fleeting before it's quickly pushed away by thoughts of "coffee bean growing region characteristics" and "loss rate control."

Moreover, you don't know until you learn. Once you learn, Ye Shucai deeply realizes that there are so many twists and turns behind opening a store.

He always thought it was as simple as selling drinks.

Chen Xing's mini-lectures are very detailed, starting from the very beginning of the supply chain.

They have specific preferences for suppliers, such as which coffee beans are of good quality, which milk offers the best value for money, and which syrup has the most authentic flavor. They even have preferences for suppliers of packaging cups, straws, and napkins.

Ye Shu bought a notebook and took notes while listening. He filled several pages with the phone numbers of various suppliers.

Since the classes started, Ye Shu no longer needs to clean after closing time; he can focus on attending classes and studying.

The cleaning and other cleanup work was left to Chen Xing's boyfriend, whom Ye Shu called her brother-in-law.

I studied during the day and crammed at night, working from dawn till dusk, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

That night, it was almost 10 p.m. before I got home.

Carrying several bags of dinner, I opened the door.

The lights in the living room were off, and a TV drama was playing at a very low volume.

Zhi Qiu was wearing a slip dress, propping her head up with one hand, and lying on her side on the sofa watching TV.

She turned her head when she heard the door open.

"I'm back."

Her voice was still so gentle as she got up from the sofa and came to greet her.

As Zhi Qiu approached, Potato Chips had already gathered around Ye Shu's feet, wagging its tail and pawing at his trouser legs with its two front paws, whimpering excitedly.

"Yes, I'm back."

Zhi Qiu reached out and took several plastic bags from his hand. She looked down at the lunch boxes in the bags, then looked up at the weariness in Ye Shu's eyes.

Ye Shu wasn't particularly fat to begin with, but she seems to have lost a bit of weight these past few days.

Zhi Qiu, carrying the bag, looked at Ye Shu squatting at the door changing her shoes with heartache in her eyes. She spoke up to discuss the matter:

"Little Shu, look how tired you are... It's only been a short time, and you've already lost weight. How about... we talk to your boss and say we're quitting? Don't overwork yourself like this."

She genuinely felt sorry for Ye Shu, believing that Ye Shu didn't need to suffer like this at all.

In her opinion, with her family's capabilities, it would be no problem at all for Ye Shu to enjoy life in a relaxed manner.

Ye Shu changed his shoes and then casually patted the little dog's head, which was eagerly waiting to be petted. The little dog immediately licked his hand.

He then got up and went to the bathroom to wash his hands and eat.

Hearing Zhi Qiu's words, he shook his head:

"No way! Sister Chen Xing is genuinely teaching me things, and she's teaching me practical skills. This is such a rare opportunity."

He turned on the tap, and because of the sound of running water, he spoke a little louder:

"Besides, what's a little bit of tiredness? Isn't this much easier than carrying sand on a construction site? You don't have to be exposed to the wind and sun, and you can even learn new skills."

Zhi Qiu had already placed the bags on the dining table. Then she walked to the side of the corridor, crossed her arms, leaned against the wall, and watched Ye Shu come out of the bathroom.

"You can't compare them like that."

Zhi Qiu doesn't quite agree with Ye Shu's comparison:

"Working on a construction site is unavoidable; it's tough. But you clearly have better options now, why are you forcing yourself like this?"

Ye Shu walked to her side, and Zhi Qiu glanced at the undisguised exhaustion on Ye Shu's face. She leaned closer to Ye Shu and said, half-coaxing and half-pleading:

"It's not like I can't support you. Our family doesn't need your salary. If you really can't stand being idle and feel bored at home, come work at my shop. Be the shop manager, or do whatever you want, I'll pay you. It'll definitely be better than you working yourself to the bone here, much easier, how about it?"

She really couldn't bear to see her little brother Shu working so hard. He could have lived a comfortable life, so why did he have to work so hard?

She wanted Ye Shu to relax, so much so that she didn't think too much about it.

Ye Shu and Zhi Qiu walked to the dining table and sat opposite each other. He reached into the plastic bag and took out dinner, placing one portion in front of Zhi Qiu first.

"Sister Zhi Qiu, eat it while it's hot."

He said that first, then raised his eyes, looked at Zhi Qiu across from him with eyes full of heartache, and said:

"That's different."

"What's the difference?"

Zhi Qiu was opposite him, but she wasn't in a hurry to eat.

"Is Xiao Shu afraid people will say you're a kept man? Do you feel embarrassed?"

She knew that Ye Shu had his pride deep down, but Zhi Qiu also had a way to give him a better life while helping him preserve that pride.

Ye Shu picked up a piece of fried noodles with his chopsticks, blew on it, and took a big bite. He was starving, and this bite was truly satisfying.

He then shook his head, watching Zhi Qiu chew as he said:

"No, it's not that important. I'm thick-skinned, these things don't mean anything to me, you know that."

He swallowed the large mouthful of fried noodles, then took a sip of his drink to moisten his throat. It felt really good.

With nothing in his mouth to stop him from speaking, he then spoke earnestly to Zhi Qiu:

"I just want to work hard to give myself more resources to love you all better. So that when you need me, I can have the confidence and strength to tell you that I'm here for you."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and took a big bite of fried noodles, then took a piece of starch sausage from the plastic bag next to him and took a bite.

The restaurant quieted down, with only the sounds of TV dramas and potato chips making drooling noises.

Zhi Qiu looked at Ye Shu, who was silently eating across from her. The things he had just said made her feel very complicated.

He wasn't rejecting your kindness, he wasn't being stubborn, and he wasn't concerned about saving face; he simply wanted to "love you all better."

For these six words, he was willing to work from dawn till dusk, and willing to give up an easier life that was within his grasp.

I still feel heartache, but now it's not just heartache, there's also a sense of pride.

Her little brother, Shu, is really trying to become stronger.

Zhi Qiu lowered her head and silently ate a bite of noodles. For some reason, the noodles were so delicious that her eyes felt a little hot.

She lowered her head, using the act of eating to conceal her emotions, before speaking softly:

"The noodles taste pretty good today."