It was truly shameless to be so overtly seductive in broad daylight.
Shen Yue must have seen the burning desire in Manager Li's eyes; his gaze was so obvious that only a blind person wouldn't notice. She was likely just playing dumb. Old habits die hard.
A trace of disgust flickered in Xie Jiangsheng's eyes. He touched the cigarette pack in his pocket and looked away.
Manager Li had been around the block and seen many beautiful women, but none as stunning as this. It somewhat improved his already gloomy mood. He took out a few bills from his wallet and offered them to Shen Yue, "This is for you, take it."
Shen Yue didn't take them, instead asking, "What do you mean, sir?"
Manager Li smiled, "Nothing, just a tip."
Shen Yue tucked the money into her pocket without counting it.
Besides their regular wages, the coffee shop staff sometimes received generous tips. The manager never interfered with that; it would be foolish to refuse money.
"You're young; you should focus more on proper pursuits in the future." Seeing Shen Yue accept the money, Xie Jiangsheng's gaze grew more mocking. He spoke a phrase of unclear meaning.
Manager Li's eyes widened in surprise at the man's words. He looked at Shen Yue with a hesitant gaze, tinged with an uncomfortable curiosity.
Shen Yue was silent for a moment, her dimples disappearing. "Okay, sir."
Seeing Shen Yue neither explain nor argue, Xie Jiangsheng's mood worsened, and he turned to leave.
Meanwhile, a young and pretty female employee who was clearing tables overheard. She had a radiant smile and a sweet demeanor.
Shen Yue saw her struggling to clear the tables alone and went to help. Su Tao thanked her with a sweet smile.
As Shen Yue diligently wiped the table, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. She looked up to see Su Tao's face filled with surprise and envy.
"Wow, Shen Yue, that bracelet is a haute couture piece from AJerg! It must cost tens of thousands."
Su Tao's face flushed with excitement, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the bracelet. The grip on Shen Yue's wrist involuntarily tightened.
The pain on her wrist made Shen Yue uncomfortable, and she pulled her hand back. Her sleeve perfectly concealed the bracelet. She simply smiled politely and said nothing.
Su Tao hadn't seen enough but was too embarrassed to keep looking. However, her mind began to stir. Shen Yue clearly wasn't a serious person; the clothes she wore to work every day were designer brands, costing tens of thousands each.
This coffee shop was also high-end and formal, with prices leaning towards the expensive. Many successful individuals and second-generation rich frequented this place.
Could it be that Shen Yue came here to catch a wealthy man?
The number of customers was higher today, so they finished work later than usual.
Hearing Shen Yue's words, the employee didn't say anything further. However, when there were more people, she would still find time to help Shen Yue.
The manager noticed Shen Yue's increasingly poor complexion throughout the day. Since there weren't many customers, she let her leave work early.
Shen Yue thanked the manager, changed out of her work uniform, and left.
---
The sun was already setting in the west, and the sky was dyed a fiery red by the sunset. The tender green leaves were also bathed in warm, golden light.
Shen Yue stood at the bus stop, waiting for the bus. The wind was a bit strong; autumn was approaching, and the breeze carried a hint of chill.
She tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen onto her cheek behind her ear.
After waiting for nearly ten minutes, the bus finally arrived.
There were quite a lot of people boarding, a jostling crowd. Shen Yue waited to the side, letting everyone else get on before she slowly boarded.
A small situation arose.
The man in front of her stood by the fare machine, fumbling in his pockets. He searched for a long time but couldn't find a single coin from his flat pockets.
As time passed, the people crammed into the bus grew impatient. Many eyes were drawn to the scene, urging him on.
The man seemed to become even more nervous.
He was tall, almost six feet three inches, a truly large man. He stood out in the narrow, crowded bus. Even in his old-fashioned clothes, his good physique was undeniable, with solid yet not exaggerated muscles and smooth lines that exuded a powerful presence.
But at this moment, he was awkwardly patting his pockets. So many eyes on him seemed to put him under immense pressure. He lowered his head timidly, his thin lips pressed tightly together, revealing a sense of anxious restlessness.
"Does he have any money or not? Stop wasting our time, please!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's annoying! I need to get home."
"Driver, ignore him, just drive."
Each impatient voice made the man more flustered. He apologized in a low voice, not wanting to delay anyone further, and was about to get off when a fair, beautiful hand holding two coins inserted them into the fare machine.
The hand was exceptionally white, slender, and graceful, with delicate, beautiful blue veins.
He blinked in a daze, a little slow to react.
"Hurry and get on."
A gentle, soft voice reached his ears, like a crisp autumn breeze, bringing a glow like the ink-black sky.
The man immediately stammered his thanks, "Th-thank you."
He was nervous and shy, his head bowed even lower. Despite being a large man, he appeared remarkably easy to bully.
Perhaps it was due to extreme nervousness, but his speech was stiff and faltering.
Unlike the others who looked at him with disdain, Shen Yue's eyes were gentle and serene. She said softly, "It's okay."
The bus soon moved on. The small space was packed with people. Shen Yue held onto the railing to steady herself.
With so many people, bumping into each other was inevitable.
Shen Yue looked out the window at the passing scenery, not paying attention to her surroundings.
The man stood behind her, subtly shielding her from everyone's touch. However, Shen Yue's body would still sway with the bus's movements, occasionally bumping into the person behind her.
Habitually keeping his head down, the man's gaze couldn't help but fall on the fair, jade-like fingers holding the railing.
His reddened ear tips betrayed the turbulence in his heart. Every time Shen Yue accidentally brushed against his chest, his heart would race, and his mind would go blank.
After nearly twenty minutes, Shen Yue reached her stop.
The apartment was located in a prime area of the city; even the plants and trees cost money.
Although Shen Yue had amnesia, it didn't mean she was foolish. Her bank account didn't hold much money, yet the jewelry she wore was designer, alarmingly expensive.
Everything about her exuded a sense of incongruity.
But she had amnesia, and besides Xie Jiangsheng, she had no memory of anyone else.
Despite her confusion, she couldn't resolve it.
Tired after a long day, Shen Yue bought some fresh vegetables and fruits at the supermarket and made a hearty dinner to reward herself.
After washing up, she set her alarm, played on her phone for a while, and then fell into a deep sleep.
---