My Second Life As A Secretary

Chapter 9.2 – A Midnight Coffee Break

He Zening chuckled and despondently said, “Of course. Who else goes out in the middle of the night just to buy coffee in their business attire?”

“It must be hard for you to get off work so late,” he replied. “But drinking coffee so late is not good for sleep…”

After hearing this, He Zening couldn’t help but sigh. “I haven’t gotten off work yet.”

“But it’s already so late?” The staff was also taken aback. As he glanced at the clock in the store, his expression became even more shocked. “It’s almost midnight. Even so, you’re still working?”

“You’re also working very hard,” He Zening commented instead. “You’re still working at the cafe even at this hour.”

“It’s no big deal for me. In fact, I live here. We also don’t open until the afternoon,” he replied cheekily.

He Zening felt that something wasn’t quite right. This must not be an employee, but a boss, right…? Minus her, how could there be such a dedicated staff?

“Oh, are you the boss here?”

“Yes,” the man replied with a smile. “Don’t I look like one?”

He Zening was suddenly enlightened and she patted her forehead, feeling foolish. She must have gotten stupid working overtime; she had lost even her basic judgment ability. She laughed. “I see. I was just about to say your boss should raise your salary if you were a staff member. Your work ethic is really good.”

He laughed in reply. “Although I can’t raise my own salary, I still want to thank you for your compliment.”

He Zening chatted with the boss while waiting for the coffee. Not once did she feel that the waiting time was boring. After the coffee beans were ground, the whole room exuded the faint aroma of coffee. Although she didn’t like drinking coffee, it still smelled good and delicious. The boss also had a good personality, akin to a fresh, spring breeze. He was gentle and funny.

The other party also told her about his life experience. He originally studied abroad, and he did not want to work in a company after returning to the country. Thus, he opened a coffee shop as he happened to also like coffee.

This was the life that He Zening dreamed of. Opening a small shop where there was no need to make a lot of money; where she just needed enough to cover her living expenses. She would love it if she didn’t have to get up early, where she could just chat with customers in the shop and watch movies when she was bored.

Of course, she knew that if she wanted that kind of life, she needed capital. Not everyone could be their own bosses. From their conversation alone, she could glimpse that the owner’s family background wasn’t too bad, or common.

He Zening grounded herself back to reality. Thinking about it rationally, she knew she should not set an unrealistic dream. It might be better if she excels in her job and saves a considerable amount of money first before talking about those kinds of dreams.

After many minutes of waiting, the coffee was finally brewed. The owner packed the coffee in a paper bag. Then, pausing for a minute, he took out two small paper bags from the cabinet and placed them inside the packaging bag. He handed it to He Zening and explained, “I don’t know if you have had dinner tonight. I had two oatmeal muffins left in the store. You can have them,” he said, smiling.

‘This boss is so nice!’ He Zening was initially physically and mentally exhausted after working overtime for so long. But now that she suddenly encountered someone who cared about her, she was almost moved to tears.

“Oh, how can I… it must not be easy for you to open a store,” she said, almost stumbling with her words.

The owner was still smiling. “It’s all right. All these breads have to be disposed after today. It’s a waste to throw them away… but I can’t eat them all alone. You’re actually doing me a favor.”

‘So these are the benefits as a passerby!’ He Zening thought. The novel’s plots may sometimes be absurd, but she couldn’t deny that this heartwarming scene made her appreciate her transmigration journey a bit.

Still, she felt responsible. “How about this, I’ll buy them,” she said. He Zening took out money for the muffins. Although the boss wanted to refuse, her attitude was very firm. “I can’t let you make a loss. At most, you could give me a discount the next time I visit.

In the end, the owner had no choice but to accept it. He handed He Zening a business card. “The next time you need coffee, you can call me directly. You don’t have to come down.”

He Zening beamed at him. “Oh, thank you! It’s really convenient to have your contact,” she said. She took the business card and glanced at it. The name, address, and contact number of the cafe were on the front. The menu was written on the back. “The design is so beautiful…” she couldn’t help but utter with a sigh.

“I did it myself.”

“Wow, you’re really amazing!” He Zening couldn’t help but wonder if the other party was merely a background character or played an important role. If he was the former, then he was such an excellently-written extra!

“You’re flattering me. I can only rely on myself as the business is small. I try not to spend money on problems I can solve by myself,” he replied.

‘And he’s even humble!’ He Zening was suddenly curious. “By the way, what’s your surname, sir?” she asked.

“My surname is Qin. I’m Qin Muzhou.”

Originally, He Zening just wanted to ask for his surname, but she didn’t expect the other party would share his whole name. So, she also introduced herself. “My surname is He. My name is He Zening.”

“Miss He, you have a very nice name.”

“O-oh… Thank you, your name sounds nice too.”

He Zening was not good at occasions where people complimented each other. She could compliment others without a problem… but when she heard others compliment her, she felt a tad bit shy. “Well… then, I won’t interrupt your rest. I’ll head out first!”

“Okay. Good luck on your work,” the boss smiled in reply.

As He Zening came out of the cafe, she suddenly felt that her mental state was much better than before. Despite the late hour, she felt refreshed, and with some enthusiasm, she thought, ‘All right! Let’s work hard to achieve our dreams!’