The lock clicked.
Liang Yu turned the sign on the front door from OPEN to CLOSED, the café now bathed in warm amber light as the sun dipped behind the skyline. Outside, the street traffic dwindled. Inside, the coffee machines exhaled their final sighs of the day.
Yin Yue stood behind the counter, spinning a clean spoon between his fingers, pretending to clean but mostly just avoiding eye contact.
"So," he said, voice echoing louder than it should've, "do we usually get spy girls and workplace flirtation missions in one shift? Or was that just special for my first day?"
Liang Yu didn't look up from the floor he was sweeping. "That was the quiet shift."
"Oh no," Yin Yue whispered.
They worked in tandem for a few minutes-Liang Yu rinsing pitchers and stacking mugs, Yin Yue wiping tables with a rag.
For once, there was no arguing. No insults. Just... shared space.
Yin Yue caught himself glancing at Liang Yu. Noticing things. His collarbones under that black shirt. His long fingers when he adjusted the tamper. His stupidly perfect hair even after a ten-hour shift.
I'm in trouble, he thought. I'm actually starting to like him. He hasn't even threatened to fire me in the last ten minutes.
Then it happened.
They both reached for the same coffee bag at the end of the counter.
Fingers brushed. Just lightly.
But it felt like sticking a fork in an emotional socket.
Yin Yue jerked back instinctively, nearly elbowing the tip jar.
Liang Yu didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't look away.
In fact, his expression softened-not dramatically, but noticeably. The corners of his mouth weren't turned down. The space between his eyebrows had relaxed.
"...You're not terrible," he said finally, voice low. "For a first day."
Yin Yue blinked. "I-wait, was that a compliment? Do I log it in my diary or... tattoo it on my arm?"
Liang Yu turned back to the sink. "Don't push it."
But Yin Yue grinned anyway.
"You know," he added casually, "you're not as terrifying as you pretend to be."
"No?"
"I mean, sure, you look like you sell a poisons on weekends. But you helped me clean up. And you didn't call me a disaster even when I spilled milk on you."
"That's just because I assumed you'd do it again."
"I still might."
Liang Yu let out a very soft exhale. Almost a laugh. Almost.
They fell into silence again.
This time, it felt... companionable.
The last towel was folded. The final cup was shelved. The soft music that had been playing all day faded into a quiet hum.
Yin Yue pulled off his apron, let it fall over the counter with a sigh. "So," he said, "am I showing up tomorrow, or do I get fired via strongly worded text?"
Liang Yu looked at him. Really looked.
"You're annoying," he said simply. "But not completely useless."
Yin Yue blinked.
Then smirked. "Coming from you, that's basically 'I'd die for you.'"
Liang Yu didn't reply.
But he handed him a warm cup-tea, not coffee.
Yin Yue took it with both hands, fingers brushing again just slightly, accidentally-on-purpose.
They stood like that for a beat longer than necessary.
And then-
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
❤️ Daily Summary: Progress Logged.
ML Affection: 5/100
Host Ego: 9000/10
✨ Day One Complete.
The next morning, Yin Yue stood in front of Café Fated's glass door, holding a croissant and radiating with energy.
"Five minutes early," he muttered, admiring his reflection in the glass. "Personal growth."
He adjusted his apron, which still smelled faintly like steamed milk, then pushed open the door.
The bell jingled.
Liang Yu was already inside.
Not just inside he already deep into prepping the espresso station, steam hissing behind him. He didn't look up when Yin Yue entered. Just measured beans with precision and poured it.
Yin Yue blinked. "Good morning," he said, cheerful.
Liang Yu glanced up. "You're early."
"Please, don't sound so surprised. I'm capable of personal development."
Liang Yu didn't respond. He finished grinding beans, tamped them down with mechanical grace, and slid the portafilter into place with a crisp, practiced motion.
Yin Yue sidled up beside him. "Did you miss me?"
"No."
"That's just muscle memory talking."
"I don't have muscle memory for chaos."
"I prefer the term 'emotional enrichment.'"
Still no smile. No reaction. Nothing but the soft hiss of milk frothing.
Yin Yue squinted. "You're pretending yesterday didn't happen."
"What happened?"
"I made you smile. Remember?."
"I remember cleaning spilled milk off my collar."
"You laughed. There was nasal exhale. It counted."
Liang Yu handed him a rag.
"What's this?"
"Wipe the windows."
"Romantic."
Liang Yu leveled a look at him so flat it could be used for ironing shirts. Yin Yue took the rag with exaggerated grace.
As he began wiping the front glass, he muttered, "This is workplace discrimination against the charming."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
✨ Welcome Back, Host! Day 2 Objective Generating…
🎯 Mission: Identify the Male Lead's Emotional Weakness
🔍 Hint: It's not coffee.
"Obviously," Yin Yue whispered back. "He has the emotional warmth of an unplugged toaster."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520: You're doing great, sweetie. 😘
Yin Yue glared at the corner of his vision. "I will pour syrup in your code."
Liang Yu glanced over. "Talking to yourself again?"
"Only when I'm in love," Yin Yue shot back automatically.
Liang Yu didn't blink. "Tragic."
The rag slipped from Yin Yue's hand.
As he bent to pick it up, he thought: Okay. New goal. Crack the man's emotional firewall. Make him human. Make him flustered.
He looked up just as Liang Yu leaned slightly over the counter, as he reached for a jar on the top shelf.
Yin Yue stared.
But instead he straightened up, clapped his hands, and said, "Right! Day Two. I'm going to be an excellent employee today. Maybe even average."
Liang Yu said nothing.
Then: "Don't touch the grinder."
Yin Yue grinned. "You say that like it's a challenge."
"It's a threat."
Their eyes locked. Briefly. Warmth bloomed in Yin Yue's chest.
Then Liang Yu handed him the mop.
"Floor. Now."
Yin Yue took it, holding it like a reluctant sword. "You're really bad at foreplay, you know that?"
Liang Yu turned away, unfazed. "That's what the customers said when you made conversation yesterday."
Yin Yue gaped. Then laughed—soft, surprised. "Okay. One point to you."
But inside, he thought: That was banter. We're bantering. That's basically the foreplay of enemies-to-lovers, right?
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
📊 Affection remains at 5/100
📎 Progress: Flat. Like the ML's tone.
⚠️ Mission Unlocked: Emotional Weakness must be triggered today!
Yin Yue narrowed his eyes at Liang Yu's back.
"Challenge accepted."