Chapter 6: 6
"No wonder Rong City is known for being open-minded—such courage!"
"What a cute couple, finally a GL ship with faces!"
"Hey, why did that girl suddenly turn red?"
"Haha, they're both shy girls. With so many people watching, they must be embarrassed."
...
The audience buzzed with chatter as Su Yirao and Guan Qingtong quickly distanced themselves from each other on stage. Despite their efforts to separate, they couldn't move too far away, as they were one of ten couples now standing on the stage.
Guan Qingtong felt her cheeks burning and, almost instinctively, glanced up at Su Yirao. Despite the awkward situation, Su Yirao seemed much more composed.
The emcee's voice echoed in their ears, explaining the rules of the couples' compatibility game and the prizes for the winning pair. But Guan Qingtong wasn't listening; she was too flustered to focus on anything but calming herself down. Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip and edged closer to Su Yirao, as if seeking comfort from her steady presence.
"Sister, should we just leave, or should we clear up the misunderstanding first?" Guan Qingtong asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
Su Yirao glanced at her, noting the panic and embarrassment on her face before looking out at the crowd. There was a glint in Su Yirao's eyes that Guan Qingtong couldn't quite decipher.
"We definitely need to clear up the misunderstanding. Don't worry, I'll handle it," Su Yirao reassured her with a slight smile.
With that, Su Yirao gracefully took the "Qi Yu" café promotional pillow from Guan Qingtong and confidently walked over to the emcee, capturing the attention of everyone in the room.
The emcee had just finished explaining the game rules and was about to hand out answer cards to the participating couples when she was interrupted by Su Yirao's calm voice.
"Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment?" Su Yirao politely addressed the emcee.
The emcee turned to her, surprised and a bit puzzled.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. We're not a couple; we were just pushed onto the stage by the crowd," Su Yirao explained.
"But you were... um, holding each other just now?" the emcee teased, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Or are you reconsidering and deciding not to come out so publicly?"
Su Yirao was momentarily taken aback by the emcee's imagination.
"We're really not a couple. Could you please clarify that for us?" Su Yirao insisted. "I was just helping her steady herself because she almost fell. With so many people here, it's easy for accidents to happen."
Seeing Su Yirao's serious expression, the emcee hesitated before picking up her microphone to address the crowd.
"It looks like we had a bit of a mix-up here," the emcee announced. "These two lovely ladies are not a couple after all. I apologize for the confusion and for mistaking their close friendship for something more. To ensure their future romantic prospects, let's clear that up right now."
There were murmurs of disappointment and other comments from the audience, but Su Yirao paid them no mind. Seizing the opportunity, she stepped up to the microphone and added, "Thank you for the clarification. My sister and I didn't mean to disrupt the event by accidentally coming on stage. To make up for it, we've prepared a little something."
The emcee's smile faltered slightly, her curiosity piqued.
"We're employees at the newly opened 'Qi Yu' café. Since we unintentionally got on stage during our promotion, we've decided to sweeten the deal for today's event," Su Yirao declared confidently, her voice strong and clear.
"If any of today's winning couples from the compatibility game visit our café together, they will enjoy a lifetime of free coffee at 'Qi Yu' café."
The crowd erupted with excitement at Su Yirao's announcement. She raised the promotional pillow that Guan Qingtong had brought, continuing, "This is one of our 'Qi Yu' café merchandise pillows. Today, all drinks are 50% off, and with every purchase, you get a free pillow. We'd love to see you at our café!"
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, with people calling the café generous and expressing eagerness to participate in the next round of the event. Seeing that the audience was now thoroughly engaged, Su Yirao knew it was time to bow out gracefully. She returned the microphone to the emcee.
"You speak with such authority about your café's offerings, and you expect me to believe you're just an employee? I don't buy it," the emcee murmured, her tone layered with insinuation. "Promoting your café at a mall event without paying a dime for sponsorship—well done."
Su Yirao gave a modest smile, shrugging. "The mall event changed so quickly that I didn't have a chance to negotiate sponsorship. If the mall wants a sponsorship fee or promotional charge, they're welcome to visit me at 'Qi Yu' café."
The emcee sighed. "Alright, you'd better get off the stage. The event needs to continue."
"Of course." Su Yirao turned to find Guan Qingtong still standing in a daze, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"By the way, we really didn't mean to cause a scene," Su Yirao added as she pulled Guan Qingtong away from the crowd.
The emcee raised an eyebrow, glancing at the starstruck Guan Qingtong, who stood at the side with a look of reverence. The emcee smirked but said nothing.
As they left the stage, Su Yirao asked, "What's going on with you?" waving her hand in front of Guan Qingtong's face.
After all, it was Guan Qingtong who had suggested clarifying the misunderstanding, yet she had frozen under the emcee's suggestive gaze.
Guan Qingtong snapped out of her trance, her eyes glowing as she said, "Sister, I was just thinking about something."
"What's that?"
"I was wondering when I'll be able to handle situations as calmly as you do, staying composed even in stressful situations," Guan Qingtong explained, her voice filled with awe. "That emcee seemed really smart too."
Seeing her curiosity and admiration, Su Yirao rarely smiled at her and said, "Just learn by watching and experiencing more. You'll grow with time."
"Then, Sister, can I work and learn from you in the future?" Guan Qingtong asked, biting her lip and trying to sound hopeful. "I'm not really interested in making coffee or desserts. Sister Zhou has already agreed, so it's up to you…"
Su Yirao's smile faded, and she firmly replied, "No. I'm used to working alone, and I'm not interested in teaching anyone."
This girl was the heroine, and according to the plot, they were supposed to be at odds. Now that the system was dormant, everything was fine. But who knew when it might wake up again?
To be safe, Su Yirao planned to help Zhou Huiying through the toughest days of the café's opening and then leave again.
Guan Qingtong's expression fell as she responded, "Oh…" She looked genuinely disappointed.
"What time is it?" Su Yirao asked casually.
"Eleven o'clock."
"Damn it! We need to get back to the café immediately—something's going to go wrong!" Su Yirao frowned and quickly headed toward the café.
Guan Qingtong didn't understand what was happening but had no choice but to follow her as they rushed back.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone