The woman before him looked about twenty, but her anime-style outfit made her stand out awkwardly in the crowd.

Xuye Cheng took the flyer.

It was covered in colorful drawings.

"Care to come in and sit down? Today’s special: 5% off~" the woman said sweetly.

"Ah… sure," Xuye Cheng stammered, feeling flustered.

Honestly, even though he wasn’t wearing the maid outfit, he still felt like dying of embarrassment.

She gestured for him to enter. "This way, Master~"

Her tone softened instantly, leaving Xuye Cheng stunned by the "Master."

Wait—wasn’t she calling him "customer" just now? Why switch to "Master" the moment he agreed to come in??

Damn, that’s so damn realistic.

Xuye Cheng thought to himself.

This whole role-play thing made him incredibly awkward…

Still, he walked into the café.

Pushing the door open, he saw no maids—just a normal, retro-style coffee shop.

Hmmmm…

He admitted he’d secretly hoped cute maid girls would greet him as "Master" upon entering.

But why weren’t there any?

The air carried a faint, rich aroma—coffee, milk, and roasted hazelnuts mingling together.

Soft violin music played. Xuye Cheng held the flyer, approached the counter, and hesitantly ordered a mocha.

Honestly, the price was steep…

An oat milk latte cost twenty-five yuan—almost Starbucks-level.

And that was discounted.

Places like this were best for occasional treats, just to feel the vibe.

Xuye Cheng thought, but spotted no job postings anywhere.

Probably at the entrance.

He settled at a window seat. The lighting was soft, gentle. The violin melody flowed smoothly. On the small round table, the wood grain was clear, its uneven texture tangible under his fingers.

Xuye Cheng grew puzzled again. He even wondered if he’d entered the wrong shop.

A retro interior with maids? He really couldn’t picture it.

He placed the flyer down and spotted the job ad in the bottom right corner.

Xuye Cheng immediately felt embarrassed.

As expected, they only hired girls.

Reason: testing a maid café business model.

Male staff were hired too, but the pay was lower than his convenience store job.

Every week had one "Maid Day"—everyone knew it meant maid outfits and role-play.

He imagined himself sweetly calling a strange man "Master."

Gross.

Xuye Cheng broke out in goosebumps.

Just then, a waitress brought his coffee. She set the tray down and handed him the cup.

"Your coffee, enjoy," she said.

"Ah, okay, thanks," Xuye Cheng replied after a pause. She picked up the tray.

"Our coffee comes pre-sweetened. Drink it as is. If still too bitter, add sugar," she gently reminded him before leaving.

Xuye Cheng’s gaze fell back on the cup.

Admittedly, it looked exquisite.

The surface held layered heart-shaped latte art. A small plate held two sugar cubes; a napkin sat beside it.

As someone who hadn’t seen much of the world, he never knew coffee could be this fancy, like in short videos.

Though the price was really high.

Xuye Cheng sighed helplessly.

But… how to drink this?

Clueless, he looked it up online—answer: just drink it.

He carefully lifted the cup. It wasn’t large. Xuye Cheng weighed it slightly, feeling it less full than Starbucks…

So this place was pricier after all.

He took a sip. The coffee slid in—smooth milk, a slight bitterness, rich chocolate blending on his tongue.

Initial bitterness gave way to a trace of sweetness.

Perfect for him.

Xuye Cheng disliked overly sweet things.

He felt deeply moved.

In such a classy place, he naturally felt more elegant.

Xuye Cheng scanned the flyer and found the manager’s contact.

His mood grew complicated again.

Sure, no one would recognize Xuye Cheng behind a mask in women’s clothing.

No one would link that masked girl to the utterly ordinary Xuye Cheng, who had zero distinctive features.

But it was so embarrassing.

Xuye Cheng thought helplessly.

Still, he should add the contact. He really couldn’t stand the convenience store anymore—during rushes, he got so overwhelmed he forgot his own name.

Ever since getting that weird mask, Xuye Cheng felt himself becoming more… feminine?

He slowly finished the coffee, feeling a pang of regret.

Thirty yuan gone just like that. That money could buy a game monthly pass for a whole month of fun. Here, it vanished in a few sips.

Xuye Cheng stood up. Should he really earn money by selling his dignity? He was tight on cash now, but could scrape by.

And if he wore the mask and that embarrassing maid outfit here, would anyone spot something off?

After all, he was still a rough guy.

Xuye Cheng decided to give up, but added the manager’s contact anyway, hoping for other jobs. After tasting this luxurious rich life, he left the café.

Honestly, being rich felt amazing.

Xuye Cheng thought, feeling deeply moved.

He figured He Xiaohan must come from a good family.

That guy was always picking up girls. Without cash in his pocket, how could he pull that off?

He Xiaohan was mysterious. Since they became roommates, he’d never contacted his family in front of them.

And Xuye Cheng felt this guy was on a different level from the three losers in their dorm.