Ling Yun was delighted, only then realizing that the owner of the coffee shop was an acquaintance of his. Why had he bothered calling Xia Zhen? It would be best if Su Bingyan arranged a private room for him, but he didn't know if it would be convenient with so many people. He just wanted a place to sit and not to disturb their business.
"Hi, Su Bingyan, long time no see." Ling Yun greeted her with a smile. After not seeing her for several days, Su Bingyan looked even more beautiful. Her flawless, cold and beautiful face couldn't help but remind Ling Yun of that mysterious and stunning young assassin from that night of fierce fighting.
"Ling Yun...you've finally come." Su Bingyan gazed deeply at Ling Yun. Her reserved nature prevented her from laughing freely. Although her expression remained calm, her beautiful eyes, filled with deep mist, seemed to betray her inner feelings. Seeing this ordinary young man again, seeing his deep, ocean-like smile, her once tranquil heart suddenly began to flutter uncontrollably. All the memories that seemed to have faded away suddenly became vivid again—that warm embrace...that trustworthy gaze...all of which Su Bingyan missed dearly.
"You rascal, do you even think of me at all?" Su Bingyan thought silently, suddenly feeling a little sad, almost wanting to cry, yet wanting to rush to him without hesitation, to lean against him in his arms like that night, it felt so comfortable and reassuring.
From the day she left, she waited happily like a little girl, hoping that Ling Yun would appear at her coffee shop the next evening. However, a day passed, and the girl couldn't help but feel disappointed; Ling Yun did not appear.
"Fine, you won't come then. Did I beg you to come?" This blockhead thought resentfully, her proud personality preventing her from bowing her head. Although her heart was still filled with worry and longing.
The second day, the third day... a week passed, and Ling Yun still hadn't shown up. Pretending to be nonchalant, and taking advantage of the crowded coffee shop, Su Bingyan asked Chen Jiaxuan, who seemed so carefree and genuinely affectionate, several times. Finally, Su Bingyan learned that Ling Yun still hadn't returned to school.
Despite her outward composure, she was inwardly extremely anxious. Had Ling Yun encountered some danger? That day, when Ling Yun urgently urged her and her brother to leave first, Su Bingyan had sensed something was amiss. However, she knew that Ling Yun's skills far surpassed hers and Su Binglong's, and that staying would be of no use; she would only become a burden to him.
The courageous girl took the best possible strategy and ultimately didn't return to Ling Yun's side. However, after a few days of calm back at school, Su Bingyan couldn't suppress her worry and went to Xia Zhen to inquire about Ling Yun's whereabouts. Rumor had it that the famous school beauty and Ling Yun had a very special relationship, seemingly like a boyfriend and girlfriend. After much deliberation, Su Bingyan finally mustered up the courage to go to Xia Zhen.
As it turned out, Xia Zhen didn't know Ling Yun's whereabouts either, and was even more anxious than Su Bingyan. This made Su Bingyan feel both disappointed and secretly pleased; it seemed the school beauty wasn't Ling Yun's girlfriend. Otherwise, why wouldn't Ling Yun tell her where he went if he disappeared?
However, Su Bingyan soon discovered that Yang Yuqi was also inquiring about Ling Yun's whereabouts. This gentle and refined girl, as graceful as a lily, naturally searched for Ling Yun through her circle of friends, eventually reaching Xia Zhen as well. Meanwhile, the usually carefree Chen Jiaxuan went directly to Xia Zhen, asking about Ling Yun's location, leaving the young woman quite frustrated. She had no choice but to declare that she wasn't Ling Yun's representative and genuinely didn't know where he had gone.
However, this also led to a deeper understanding between the several beautiful girls. Since they were attracted to each other, they began to frequently meet at the coffee shop, becoming a highly anticipated and admired alliance among men. Of course, girls' friendships aren't as solid as men's; they maintained a subtle distance from each other. Especially when sensitive emotional issues came up, they would immediately part ways at the slightest touch. Sometimes, during a conversation, the girls would inadvertently veer towards a particular person, and then the atmosphere would fall silent until the gathering ended.
Ling Yun, how many romantic entanglements have you incurred? So many beautiful girls are thinking of you. Su Bingyan smiled bitterly, filled with an indescribable mix of resentment and longing for the vanished boy.
The surge in popularity of Bingyan Café as a result was something Su Bingyan hadn't anticipated. Although the café was located on campus, Su Bingyan only intended it to be a peaceful place to rest and nourish her soul, to alleviate the violence and mental exhaustion brought on by the endless fighting in the underworld. She never thought about making money from it, especially since she wasn't short of money.
Left with no other option, she couldn't afford to offend the customer, so she hired new staff to provide the best possible service to the increasingly busy café. However, to her surprise, the doorman, who had only been on the job for a few days, kept Lingyun, the man she had been longing for, out of the café.
The café was silent, with nearly a hundred eyes fixed on Ling Yun and Su Bingyan. Anyone with half a brain could see the meaning behind the excitement and anticipation in Su Bingyan's gaze. Lovers are especially perceptive, and they already knew that the beautiful proprietress had fallen for him.
Half of the boys who came to see the pretty girl were heartbroken. Good heavens, their goddesses were giving such tender looks to that plain-looking guy! What a waste! Many cried out in their hearts, "Where's the Axe Gang? Get them! Kill that kid!"
The other half of the boys, accustomed to the aloof and arrogant demeanor, nearly dropped their jaws. They exchanged bewildered glances; those without glasses quickly rubbed their eyes, thinking they were seeing things. Those with glasses hurriedly wiped their lenses with the corner of their clothes, desperately trying to clear their vision. Was this really the same girl with the icy, aloof air of a peach blossom? She didn't seem like it at all. Finally, someone let out a low "oh." It turned out she had changed her appearance after seeing that country bumpkin! The group suddenly understood, and a sense of imbalance began to rise within them. Some of the more aggressive boys even contemplated how to teach Ling Yun a lesson.
Many couples were quite surprised, especially the few who had just walked over and were secretly laughing at Ling Yun with the doorman. They looked at Ling Yun with a mixture of envy and jealousy, thinking that this guy was really lucky with women. It turned out that he did have a girlfriend, but that his girlfriend was too beautiful. It would scare people to death if they told them.
But the most embarrassed person was the doorman. His handsome face, which had been quite elegant just moments before, was now filled with extreme frustration. He looked at Ling Yun furtively as if he had seen a ghost, unable to believe that this student, who seemed so ordinary in every way, could have won the heart of the proprietress, whom he had always considered a goddess.
It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover. The doorman was now filled with regret. He shouldn't have stopped Ling Yun from coming in, and he had even made sarcastic remarks about him. Now, he was the one who had embarrassed himself.
Chapter 109 Ling Yun's Changes
"Ahem, Su Bingyan, I didn't expect your business to be so good, you're not even letting single people in..." Ling Yun had to interrupt Su Bingyan, who was practically staring at him absentmindedly. While it felt nice to be looked at so affectionately by a beautiful woman, the feeling was somewhat sour when simultaneously subjected to the gazes of hundreds of others filled with jealousy, surprise, and envy. No matter the time or place, Ling Yun always tried to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention.
Before gaining his superpowers, he had indulged in passionate daydreams, fantasizing about becoming a hero who could rally the world to his cause. However, his thoughts had changed drastically. Or rather, Ling Yun had matured and was now more willing to be a sleeping lion, revealing its claws unexpectedly.
Su Bingyan was startled, snapping out of her reverie. Seeing the group of intense, complex gazes around her, even with her independence and experience, she couldn't help but blush slightly. She inwardly scolded herself for suddenly losing her composure. But being bold and experienced, she quickly regained her composure with a slight smile: "Is this a couples' café? It should have some unique features. The doorman is new and didn't know, so please don't blame him. Why didn't you come to me? I'm the owner; I could have at least given you a private room."
The doorman almost knelt down before Su Bingyan with tears in his eyes, saying, "My parents gave me life, but my boss understands me." If he knew a bit more classical Chinese, he would probably say, "I would give my life to repay your kindness, boss."
"I just got here too," Ling Yun said, scratching his head sheepishly. "Oh, right, I have a friend who asked me to come here at eight o'clock. It would be even better if there was a private room available."
“Friend?” Su Bingyan led him forward, then turned back to give him a deep look: “Hehe, is it Xia Zhen? You went to see her as soon as you got back?”
"Yes." Ling Yun nodded. But inwardly she regretted it a little. If she had known it would be so difficult to get into a coffee shop, she should have told Xia Zhen to go somewhere else. Why did they have to come to this crowded and noisy place when they could talk anywhere?
Su Bingyan silently bit her lip. He went to see Xia Zhen as soon as he got back, but didn't come to me... Could it be that he really likes Xia Zhen? She couldn't help but turn back and take another deep look at Ling Yun. But the young man's face was calm, and his eyes were as still as well water. She couldn't tell anything from him.
The two walked through the cafe's lobby, and Su Bingyan led him to the door of a private room. The solid wood door, made of rosewood, was marked with the Arabic numeral 2. The door was ajar, and through the few centimeters of the crack, it was clear that the room was empty.
"Sit here, Lingyun. Rooms one through three are reserved for special guests or for my own use." Su Bingyan gently pushed open the door, gestured for Lingyun to come in, and then closed the door again. "It's very quiet in here, you can whisper sweet nothings to Xia Zhen without worry." She deliberately emphasized the last two words.
Ling Yun was looking around the quiet and elegant private room, and he was quite satisfied with the environment. However, upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh and cry: "Sweet talk? Do you think I'm qualified to say sweet talk to the school beauty?"
Su Bingyan was secretly pleased that her test had succeeded, and said reproachfully, "Who knew you were such a womanizer, always making girls worry about you."
Ling Yun sighed helplessly and said slowly, "If someone as low-key as me has become a womanizer, then there will be no honest people left in the world. Alas, those who know me say I am worried, those who do not know me ask what I am worried about."
Su Bingyan chuckled at his words, her charm instantly shining through: "I didn't realize you were so honest, yet so good at witty banter."
"I was forced into it," Ling Yun said. "Being around beautiful women all day, you can't help but become sarcastic."
"You get all excited when I bring it up." Su Bingyan smiled and said, "Would you like something to drink? How about Mandheling couple's coffee? It's on me."
“Okay.” Ling Yun nodded. “Anything you order will taste good.”
This guy's quite the smooth talker. Su Bingyan thought sweetly to herself. "Then I'll go out and prepare. When Xia Zhen arrives, I'll call her here."
"OK."
"Lingyun..." Su Bingyan called out softly as she was leaving, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
"Huh? What's wrong?" The boy looked at her in surprise.
Su Bingyan remained silent for a while, then suddenly smiled, revealing her white teeth: "After you finish talking to Xia Zhen, could you come find me? I have something I want to tell you."
"Just say it now." Ling Yun was about to blurt it out, but after looking at the expectant girl, he thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "Okay."
"Mmm." Su Bingyan blushed slightly, then closed the door and left.
A moment later, there was another gentle knock on the door, and then a waiter brought in two steaming cups of coffee and several plates of nuts. The coffee emitted an irresistible, rich aroma. It was topped with a layer of black sesame seeds; just looking at it made one want to take a sip. Ling Yun nodded to himself. It seemed that Bingyan Café's popularity wasn't solely due to the beautiful women; at least the unique characteristics of this coffee were something most coffee shops didn't offer. For a restaurant to thrive in fierce competition, both product and service are indispensable.
He didn't know that Su Bingyan grew up abroad and had received formal training in catering and food while working hard to make a living. She had also received guidance from world-renowned wine and spirits masters. Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to open a coffee shop.
He picked up a cup of coffee, took a small sip, and as the hot coffee went down his throat, a rich aroma immediately filled his nose. Ling Yun couldn't help but praise it inwardly; this was truly excellent coffee, refreshing yet not smoky, and both the ingredients and the preparation were exquisite.
Just as he put down his coffee, Ling Yun's expression suddenly changed: "Who?"