This café outside campus has apparently been open for years, and it’s always had a great reputation among students. The prices are cheap, and the coffee’s good, too.

“So aren’t you broke? How can you afford coffee? How do you know the owner?”

“It was really hot on the first day of classes, so I hung out in here to enjoy the air-conditioning. We got to talking, and that’s how we met.”

“Oh~”

Ning Chu followed Wen Yang and pushed open the café’s glass door. The rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans greeted him.

His gaze went straight to the owner.

The owner was actually an older student from his school. She was supposedly almost thirty. Unlike the fresh-faced college girls on campus, she’d already entered the working world, and her whole presence carried a mature allure. Every smile and frown held a bewitching charm. Add the short maid skirt, black stockings, and the cleavage that was impossible to look away from...

Ning Chu instantly went on alert!

He had to admit, the owner was very charming. That mature allure was the deadliest thing for a virgin boy!

What if all the female characters in the story got brushed off one by one, only for Wen Yang to crash and burn here?!

“Sis, I’m here. I brought my roommate, too.”

He quickly glanced at Wen Yang. The guy’s cheeks had already taken on a faint blush. The virgin couldn’t bring himself to look the owner in the eye; his gaze darted all over the place, like he had no idea where to put it.

“You came all the way here in this heavy rain.” Her voice was so gentle it made your bones melt. The owner stopped what she was doing and welcomed them warmly. “You two sit down first. I’ll wipe off the last two tables.”

“Our afternoon military training got canceled, so I had some free time...”

Wen Yang sat stiffly at the counter. He sneaked a glance at Ning Chu and whispered, “Just call the owner ‘sis.’ Whatever you do, don’t call her ‘auntie.’”

“Do you really think I have that little social awareness?” Ning Chu rolled his eyes.

The owner quickly finished tidying up, then walked behind the counter with a smile. Her gaze moved between the two of them before settling on Ning Chu’s face.

“What an adorable boy~” She leaned forward, propped her chest on her hands, and rested them on the counter. “What would you like to drink, little brother? It’s on me.”

That much more noticeable cleavage left Wen Yang even more restless. Even Ning Chu felt awkward about looking at the owner, and he mumbled, “I-I’m fine with anything.”

“Then you can try the new drink I’ve been working on, and have a little cake, too.”

“Mm...”

“And then write your big sis a six-hundred-word essay about what you think of the new drink.”

Ning Chu froze. He was just about to protest when the owner gently poked his cheek with a long finger. As she pulled away, her fingertip brushed his skin, whether deliberately or not.

“I’m teasing you~”

Wait, something was wrong! This situation was all wrong!

Even more confused, he looked at Wen Yang, his eyes full of alarm and panic.

Wen Yang lowered his head to hide a laugh. “You’re being flirted with.”

No! I know!

But why me?! You’re the protagonist!

Ning Chu had considered that maybe the owner really was interested in Wen Yang, which was why she’d invited him to try the café’s new drinks. Or maybe, like the female side characters in the story, she wanted Wen Yang’s body and was using the taste test as an excuse to lure him into a trap...

But he’d never considered that maybe he was the sheep!

While the owner turned to prepare the coffee and make the little cakes, Wen Yang leaned toward Ning Chu with a wide grin, closing the distance between them.

A voice, low and devilish, whispered in Ning Chu’s ear. “The owner obviously likes you a lot.”

“She seems pretty rich. If you put in some effort, you might never have to worry about food or rent again!”

Ning Chu panicked even more, his delicate, boyish face flushing crimson.

Sure, his stomach was bad enough that being kept would suit him just fine, but what kind of place was this? A smutty little novel! Who knew what kind of twisted things came with being kept in a story like this?!

At the thought of keywords like steel wool, master, and M, his lips even turned a little pale.

“Here you go: a latte-art specialty drink. Looks nice, doesn’t it? Your big sis spent a whole month learning how to make it~” The owner had already set several new items in front of Ning Chu. “And a little strawberry cake~”

She leaned over the counter again, unabashedly showing off her womanly charms. “Little brother, my shop’s on the delivery apps, too. You’ll have to support your big sis’s business more often.”

“Huh? Okay!”

“And this one’s yours.” She set another coffee and cake in front of Wen Yang. “You should try them, too. They’re both new items that aren’t on the menu yet. Be honest if you don’t like them.”

Wen Yang looked down at his coffee. “Why doesn’t mine have latte art?”

“That’s just for little brother~”

“Oh~” He nodded knowingly, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger.

He was genuinely happy that his roommate might never have to worry about food or rent again. And Ning Chu’s embarrassed, blushing awkwardness was pretty cute, too. It made him want to watch the owner tease him some more.

Meanwhile, Ning Chu sat frozen, trembling. He didn’t know whether to sit or stand, or what to do with his hands and feet.

At last, he understood what it felt like to have a girl pursue Wen Yang.

It was exciting and nerve-racking, but when a girl made such sweet, gentle advances, it was hard to bring himself to firmly turn her down.

“Go on, try it.”

“Okay!” Ning Chu took a deep breath to calm himself, then picked up the coffee and took a tiny sip. His brow furrowed, and he offered his opinion with a straight face. “Could it be a little too sweet?”

Finish the actual business and get out of here! Trying the new items was today’s task. He couldn’t let the owner keep teasing him like this!

“The cake gets a little rich after a couple of bites. Maybe there’s too much cream...”

Ning Chu snuck a sidelong glance at Wen Yang. The guy was just sitting there, eating and enjoying the show.

“Mm, that makes sense. People care about eating healthy these days, so too much sugar really isn’t great.” The owner rested a finger against her chin and nodded thoughtfully. “How about this? I’ll keep working on it.”

“Okay!”

“How about we add each other on WeChat? Then your big sis can invite you to try the next new item?”

Whoa! She was already asking for his WeChat?! Couldn’t she be a little more reserved, being a girl and all?!

“Sis, don’t you already have my WeChat?” Before Ning Chu could even shake his head, Wen Yang spoke up. “Next time, just invite me. If we’re both free, we’ll come by.”

Wen Yang... You traitor! What did the owner give you to make you volunteer as her wingman and stab me in the back?!

The owner nodded with a smile. “Sounds good.”

“Well, we’ve got something to do, so we should get going?”

“So soon? Why not wait until the rain lets up?”

Wen Yang shook his head helplessly. “We made plans ahead of time. It wouldn’t be good to show up late.”

“All right, all right. Be careful on your way, and come visit again~”

If the owner hadn’t been there, Ning Chu would’ve already given him an earful.

Who pushes their roommate straight into the fire like that?!

Fuming, he followed Wen Yang out of the café. Under the eaves, he glared up at Wen Yang with his almond eyes wide. “What was that about?!”

“Why are you so mad?” Wen Yang looked pretty pleased with himself. He gave a cheeky grin. “You’re always coming up with excuses to stop me from going on dates, too.”

“They were all perfectly valid excuses, sure, but it’s only fair if I get a little payback, right?”

“???”

So you weren’t trying to be the owner’s wingman—you were deliberately making sure she didn’t get my WeChat?

Well played!