"Manager, are you all right?" The maid waiting outside saw the man flee and hurriedly pushed the restroom door open. Inside, Yun Mingyue leaned against the stall door, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue—looking thoroughly flustered, as if something *had* happened.

"Hiss—" Several maids sucked in sharp breaths, making a 'notable' contribution to global warming.

"Does the manager look... a little too pleased?"

"Obviously! This place, this timing—just thinking about it sends chills down your spine."

...

Yun Mingyue’s train of thought—how to counterattack—was cut short by the chatter. Too lazy to explain, she simply smoothed her uniform and led the way out.

Just then, a male customer approached to handle his 'business.' Spotting a swarm of maids exiting the *men’s* restroom, he froze, then stumbled backward.

Even after they vanished, he stood staring blankly at the restroom sign.

*Wait... could they actually be... guys?*

...

Zhou You returned to the private room to find Ning Mengmeng bidding Chen Youzi farewell.

"Going home?"

"Mm. Mom said my aunt’s visiting—I have to leave now," Ning Mengmeng murmured, shoulders hunched, voice soft with regret.

She’d planned to sneak in some mischief after Zhou You came back—'accidental' touches, maybe something bolder.

Guess it’d have to wait.

After she left, dinner continued. Chen Youzi tried everything: brushing hands 'by accident,' uniform-flirting... Zhou You barely reacted. Disappointing.

Truth was, Chen Youzi couldn’t hold a candle to Yun Mingyue. Fresh off Yun Mingyue’s teasing, Zhou You felt zero spark for this girl.

*Yeah... a fragrant, soft, mature woman really is the best.*

The dinner—full of forced-but-failed intimacy—ended. Zhou You settled the bill; Youzi went to change.

The cashier maid sized him up, then leaned close, whispering: "Master, our manager’s waiting for you in the back. *Alone.*"

Zhou You knew Sister Hua’s timing wasn’t innocent. Given her usual style and his rare bold move earlier? She wouldn’t let it slide. He’d expected retaliation—but not *tonight*. Still... he couldn’t avoid her forever.

"Where?"

" Straight down this hall. Office at the end."

He walked slowly, mind racing.

What *was* this between them? Not dating. Maybe... a tiny hint of something? They’d never confessed feelings, yet Yun Mingyue approached him earnestly; he never pulled away. Just... lingering.

Was this how adult relationships worked? Not shy like youth, but a silent volcano—direct yet missing something. Too much calculation? Too long drifting in society? Fear of rejection? Failure?

He couldn’t untangle it. Only thing left: go with the flow, like Sister Hua said.

He stopped before the door. Someone waited inside. What was she planning?

*Knock, knock, knock—*

"Come in."

He opened the door. Yun Mingyue sat arms crossed like a CEO—maid uniform and all.

"You actually came." She’d calculated he’d probably run.

"Even if you did something to me," Zhou You said lightly, "I wouldn’t lose." (She’d joked before: with her status, men would pay *her* to be with her.)

He sat. Yun Mingyue caught the shift in his mood and adjusted her plan.

"Come to think of it... I still don’t know your real name, Sister Hua."

"Yun Mingyue."

"Yun Mingyue." He memorized it.

"But keep calling me Sister Hua," she said, stepping closer. "It’s ours alone. I like it."

"I like it too."

Her finger touched his lips. "The *like* I mean is..."

Eyes locked. "*That* kind of like. Understand?"

Zhou You leaned back, avoiding her finger. "What kind?"

"Don’t make me spell it out. It’s my first time too."

...

*Sister Hua, you’re making it impossible not to misread this.*

Heart pounding, he stammered: "I... Sister Hua... what are you—"

"Stop hesitating." She tugged off her headband, flipped her hair. Strands brushed his cheek.

"Why are you undressing?!" Zhou You yelped.

She blinked, innocent. "Changing. Can’t go home in this, can I?"

"R-Right..."

"Then *go*." She ushered him out. "That’s all. Go home."

Outside, Zhou You watched the door close. *Something’s off... Did I just fall for Sister Hua’s trick again?*

*So unpredictable.* He shook his head and left.

Inside, Yun Mingyue peeled off her white stockings, balled them neatly. Her untouched feet—porcelain skin, toes like tender lotus shoots—pressed against the cool, dark chair back.

"Phew~~"

She arched her feet slightly, hand flying to her cheek to hide the blush blooming there.

She was only human. Lonely sometimes. Angry sometimes. Shy sometimes.

"I acted on impulse... but Sister Hua really is..."