At the Ocean Restaurant, waiters would proactively approach customers at their tables. Xiao Mo was a fan of Xu Baichang, so of course she was excitedly anticipating seeing him.
So when Xiao Shulang appeared in front of her, her disappointment was written all over her face; she was practically about to let out a sigh.
Xiao Mo lamented: It was already a pity it wasn't Xu Baichang, but it had to be Xiao Shulang, that guy with so many scandals! Even Luo Tian would have been better!
Despite her disappointment, Xiao Shulang remained completely unaffected, a comfortable smile on his face as he handed her the menu: "Hello, welcome to Ocean Restaurant. Would you like to order something?"
This was Xiao Mo's first time here. Many items on the menu looked delicious, but her wallet couldn't afford to try them all. Frowning, she muttered, "What should I order..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shulang asked, "Do you need any recommendations?"
Xiao Mo realized she had accidentally blurted out her true feelings. Faced with Xiao Shulang's attempt to strike up a conversation, she hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "I'd like to order drinks and desserts."
Xiao Shulang: "Would you like a hot or cold drink? What are your preferences for dessert?"
Xiao Mo was going through a special time when she couldn't drink ice water, and she suddenly felt that Xiao Shulang was quite considerate. Plus, with his smiling face rushing towards her, the awkwardness in Xiao Mo's heart gradually faded away.
"Hot drinks and desserts should not be too sweet."
The original owner of this body had been to this ocean-themed restaurant before, so Xiao Shulang remembered it. He said, "For hot drinks, I recommend our signature 'Blue Ocean,' which is a milk tea. For dessert, you can try the blueberry honey heart pancakes; they're moderately sweet and a bestseller."
Xiao Shulang bent down and showed her the corresponding pictures on the menu. They did look quite good. The closer Xiao Shulang got to the table, the more attractive his face became. Xiao Mo suddenly stammered in front of his face, "Okay, okay, I'll take these two!"
Xiao Shulang placed his order on the electronic screen: "Okay, please wait a moment."
After Xiao Shulang left, Xiao Mo touched her face and found that her face was inexplicably hot.
Hmm... Xiao Shulang seems quite kind in person, not as bad as people say online...
Not only her, but also the viewers watching the live stream noticed this. Some people opened the live stream to take a look while catching a glimpse on their way to work. They were super tired because of work, but when they opened the screen and saw Xiao Shulang's smiling face, they were instantly healed.
The waiter was responsible for several tables by himself. Compared to Yin Xingzhi, who was already starting to get flustered, Xiao Shulang was not only in control but also exceptionally attentive. Both the audience and the customers had to admit that he performed well.
In particular, one of the customers at a table came up to him and complained without any politeness: "Why is it you? Can't you let Luo Tian do it instead?"
His words were dripping with disdain, and those in the audience who disliked him were all waiting for a good show. Unexpectedly, Xiao Shulang just smiled nonchalantly: "I'm sorry, Luo Tian's service tables are already fully booked. Seeing me might disappoint you, but I guarantee that the food and scenery in the restaurant will not disappoint you. Would you like to have some delicious food to change your mood?"
His move not only stunned the guests, but also made the audience's hearts skip a beat—wow, they were totally charmed!
After settling things with this table of customers, Xiao Shulang waited for his order at the food service counter. Qin Shuang happened to be there too, and casually asked, "Aren't you tired?"
Xiao Shulang: "?"
"I'm not tired."
Qin Shuang had been serving the table next to him, so he overheard Xiao Shulang's conversation with the customer. He looked at Xiao Shulang's expression and found that he was indeed unaffected by those harsh words.
It wasn't that I was forcing myself to be cheerful; I genuinely didn't take it to heart.
Qin Shuang smiled, a rare occurrence for her.
"You have a good attitude."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shulang understood that Qin Shuang's question, "Are you tired?" did not refer to physical exertion, but rather to mental exhaustion.
I feel cared for.
Qin Shuangduan needed to collect the dishes he was responsible for, so he picked up the tray and left. As he passed by, Xiao Shulang said, "Thank you."
Their interaction, coupled with Xiao Shulang's performance, finally prompted many people in the live chat to raise questions.
Is Xiao Shulang really as bad as the rumors suggest?
Honestly, how could someone who acts like a diva behave like this? He seems to have an incredibly good temper!
[If he was faking it, then he's incredibly patient. If he can tolerate it, why would he act like a diva and get sidelined?]
I went back and looked through all the dirt on him, but I realized there wasn't much concrete evidence. Hmm, something suddenly feels off.
Wang Hao, who was watching the live comments, relaxed and wished he could grab a megaphone and shout: That's right, you all should come and see, he's really, really good, exceptionally good!
Even a fool could guess that the online trolls were hired by Luo Tian. Wang Hao focused on cheering for Xiao Shulang, cursing him every day: "You dog Luo Tian!"
Chapter 6 Oh dear, what a pitiful little green tea b*tch!
The discussion on Xiao Shulang has shifted somewhat, and some rational remarks are finally being taken seriously.
I was a fan of his looks back then. To be honest, Xiao Shulang hasn't had many press releases or updates since his debut, so where would he get the opportunity to act like a diva?
[Talking about private life is even more absurd. You're just talking nonsense, right? Show me the evidence!]
But some people still didn't believe it and spared no effort to stand on the side of criticizing him. Everyone held their own opinions, and another round of debate ensued.
During lunchtime, many people watched live streams while eating, which increased the number of viewers in the live streams. As a result, more people were eating their main meals in the restaurant, and the staff were extremely busy.
Because of the nature of the business, restaurant employees eat at different times than usual.
The Ocean Restaurant's staff are required to eat at 1:30 PM, and they can only start eating after finishing their tasks. Xiao Shulang and his assistants are no exception.
When a person is starving and busy as a spinning top, it's easy for their mood to be affected. Yin Xingzhi was like that at the moment, and he was already starting to hold back his temper.
In particular, when he discovered that the other five guests had finished what they were doing and gone to the back to eat, while he still had two tables left to clean, the anxiety of being left alone made him even more flustered.
People who lose their composure are more likely to do things poorly. While tidying up the tableware on a certain table, he grabbed at it in frustration and accidentally cut his finger with a knife.
Yin Xingzhi winced in pain, and the knife and fork he had just picked up fell back onto the table with a clinking sound.
Restaurant staff who were cleaning up nearby heard the commotion and looked over to see Yin Xingzhi clutching his hand, which was bleeding.
The wound wasn't big, but blood comes out of the finger very quickly, and it could flow out in a stream in an instant.
An employee rushed to his side: "Oops! You cut your finger? There are band-aids in the break room, go and get it fixed!"
Yin Xingzhi put down his work temporarily, pressed the blood with a tissue, and hurried back to the lounge. Xiao Shulang and the other four were having lunch inside. Everyone was too hungry to notice who came in at the door.
Yin Xingzhi started to make a big fuss while rummaging through the medicine box, attracting everyone's attention.
You can immediately see the napkin that was temporarily wrapped around his finger, with traces of blood on its surface.
Luo Tian was the first to speak: "Are you injured?"
Yin Xingzhi pursed his lips: "Yeah, I accidentally cut my hand."
The medicine box was placed in the cabinet, and you had to reach up to get it. Luo Tian immediately said, "Let me do it. It's inconvenient for you to use one hand."
Yin Xingzhi was waiting for this, but he still pretended to be nonchalant: "It's okay, I'll get it right away, no need to bother you."
Luo Tian stood up: "It's no trouble at all. Please come and sit down."
Yin Xingzhi helped him out of a predicament yesterday and showed obvious favor. Luo Tian enjoys being liked and admired, so he doesn't mind showing it off.
Whether he likes other people or not is another matter.
Yin Xingzhi smiled shyly, feigning reluctance, and said, "Thank you."
The interaction was so obvious that the live chat wouldn't let it pass.
Luo Tianren is so kind!
[It's true that Yin Xingzhi has feelings for Luo Tian, right? Yesterday's text message showing his affection can also be interpreted as evidence.]
Having achieved his goal, Yin Xingzhi sat down contentedly. The others also showed some concern for his fingers, and it felt quite nice to be cared for by a group of people.
Yin Xingzhi remembered that there were still tables to be cleaned. He didn't want to go anymore, so he decided to let someone else do it because of his hand injury. But who should he ask?
Xu Baichang and Qin Shuang are popular, so there's no need for him to offend them. As for You Ziang... we don't know what his profession is yet, so we'll be polite to him for now. That leaves Xiao Shulang.
He's a nobody, with tons of negative press online, and he's doing worse than himself.
He's the one.
Yin Xingzhi: "I still have two tables to clean up, Xiao Shulang, you can go and clean them up."
Perhaps it was Luo Tian's overtures that made Yin Xingzhi so excited that he became a little arrogant. As a result, he couldn't control his arrogance and pride when he spoke. What should have been a request for help was delivered in a commanding tone, as if he were issuing orders.
Xiao Shulang had just finished his staff meal and slowly wiped his mouth: "Helping is a small matter, but the tone you're using doesn't sound like you're asking for help."
Yin Xingzhi spoke to Luo Tian first, and his obedient and polite tone at that time contrasted sharply with his next sentence. Anyone with ears could hear the difference, and the contrast was so great that the audience was very puzzled.
[My boss has never used this tone to ask me to do anything before!]
Honestly, with my short temper, I'd have slapped him right away. You think I'm being polite?
[Yin Xingzhi's attitude towards Luo Tian and Xiao Shulang is so different! Does he also dislike Xiao Shulang?]
Xiao Shulang's attitude brought the smug Yin Xingzhi back to his senses, and he was shocked to realize that he had inadvertently revealed his true feelings!
Yin Xingzhi's tone was indeed unpleasant, but it's impossible for him to apologize. Everyone was watching the live stream; wouldn't apologizing be admitting he was wrong?
He reacted quickly, immediately thinking of an escape route, and said in a teasing tone, "Oh, doesn't it seem like it? I thought we were all familiar with each other, and there was no need to be so polite. If you think it's inappropriate, I'll change it."
Yin Xingzhi used a trick; he deliberately guided the audience's perception that Xiao Shulang was stingy, rather than that he had a problem: "We're all so familiar with each other, what's wrong with being casual? Friends sometimes tease each other on purpose, right?"
Xiao Shulang wasn't fooled. He smiled faintly and said, "An acquaintance? I thought you were ordering someone around."
After finishing the last sip of soup, Qin Shuang added a witty remark: "I just arrived, I'm not familiar with it yet."
Yin Xingzhi choked.
The audience was overjoyed. Yin Xingzhi's embarrassed expression was even screenshotted, and it's estimated that it will soon become a meme. There was also Qin Shuang calmly drinking soup, and they even came up with the caption: "Don't mention me if you're not familiar with me."
People also felt that Yin Xingzhi's explanation of "acquaintances" was too weak and did not buy it. Some even discovered his rhetoric and pointed out his scheming.
Luo Tian came over carrying a first-aid kit. He needed to salvage his image, so he pretended to smooth things over, acting as if he was doing it for everyone's good: "It's alright, it's alright. He's injured his hand and it's inconvenient for him. We've all finished eating, so let's all help him clear those two tables. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home."
He single-handedly dragged everyone down, and even acted as a peacemaker, and surprisingly, some people actually supported him.
[The minor conflict was resolved immediately; Brother Luo Tian has such high emotional intelligence!]
[Waaaa, my brother is such a nice person.]
Some people fall for his act, while others don't. Luo Tian hopes that time will heal all wounds and make everyone forget his performance yesterday, but not everyone has a bad memory.
[Hilarious! This is supposed to represent everyone? Why should everyone help Yin Xingzhi? If Luo Tian wants to go, he can go by himself. Aren't the others tired?]
[I also think there's nothing wrong with helping, but shouldn't you at least be polite when asking someone for help? Luo Tian isn't trying to resolve the conflict; he's just giving Yin Xingzhi a way out.]
Yin Xingzhi disinfected his finger, wrapped it with a band-aid, avoided Xiao Shulang's previous topic, lowered his head, looking aggrieved, and stood up, saying, "I'll do it myself..."
Hiss! Xiao Shulang suddenly felt the aroma of tea wafting towards him, its green color and fragrance making him think of a pitiful little green tea.
Luo Tian hesitated upon hearing this: he wanted to smooth things over and salvage his image, but he couldn't be too attentive to Yin Xingzhi.
After all, he's after Xu Baichang!