As She Wished (GL) - Chapter 5
Tao Xian took a sip.
She didn’t even need to taste it to know it was perfectly made.
Long Island Iced Tea is a common cocktail, so being able to make it wasn’t too impressive. Everyone gathered around, curious, asking, “Can you make a Sfumato?”
“Yes.”
“A Margarita?”
“That too.”
A customer sitting at the bar suddenly spoke up, “Is there any drink you can’t make?”
“…”
Fu Jing thought for a moment, then casually picked up the drink menu beside her and honestly said, “Anything not on this list, I can’t make.”
She gave a slight smile to the inquiring customer, handed over the menu, and casually asked, “Anything you’d like to order?”
The customer took it, surprised, “Then… an Alexander, please.”
“A sweet drink,” Fu Jing hummed, her smile melting like cream. “It suits you very well.”
It was a casual remark.
But the young lady with mid-length hair cupped her cheeks, smiling so widely only her double eyelids showed. “More like it suits *you* ~ You’re so sweet. This is what I wanted to order for you to drink ~”
Fu Jing lowered her long lashes, chatting idly, her bartending motions unaffected. “But I don’t drink alcohol.”
“Then what do you usually drink? Soda?”
“Water or tea.”
“Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed…”
The two slowly started chatting.
Tao Xian marveled that you can’t judge a book by its cover; Fu Jing even had the accompanying chat function of a professional bartender.
Turning her head, she glimpsed Gu Qingci still lingering nearby.
Her gaze seemed to still be fixed on them.
“…”
Tao Xian’s heart instantly sank.
She adjusted her expression, moved through the crowd, and asked with a feigned nonchalant smile, “Why haven’t you left?”
Gu Qingci asked, “What are you having her do?”
“Mixing drinks, covering a temporary shift.”
“…”
Gu Qingci’s lips held an unchanging smile as she looked at Tao Xian, her gaze understanding. “Still putting on an act, it seems you really like this kid.”
“No, I don’t,” Tao Xian quickly waved her hand in denial. “Isn’t it busy right now? I can’t find anyone else to cover on short notice, and this is a business, how can I just kick a customer out without reason…”
As Tao Xian spoke, she eventually admitted it.
Gu Qingci had told her to refund the money, the subtext being that Fu Jing shouldn’t come anymore. She understood but pretended not to.
“Alright, you go sit upstairs for a bit,” Tao Xian suddenly realized something else was off. Half-testing, half-giving in, she asked, “I’ll have her mix a drink and send it over later. See what you think. If she’s good, she stays; if not, she leaves. How about that?”
Gu Qingci was silent for a few seconds, lost in thought. After a moment, she lightly nodded, her expression seeming noncommittal. “It’s up to you.”
At these words, Tao Xian’s eyebrow lifted, and she suddenly laughed, relaxing.
She then started talking about Fu Jing again. “I thought she was quite arrogant, but she’s just shy. Look, as soon as you’re here, her face is all smiles, and now she’s willing to talk to strangers.”
“Shy, and she’s not scared when I’m here?” Gu Qingci found it amusing. “How does your logic work? I have no relation to her.”
Tao Xian didn’t respond.
She stared at the increasingly crowded bar area nearby, idly twirling a curl of hair, and tutted, “Look at your little girl, being surrounded and pursued by ‘bees and butterflies’ in the crowd.”
Gu Qingci followed her gaze and asked, “Shouldn’t you go watch?”
“She’s quite good at mixing drinks, and she won’t set the place on fire,” Tao Xian said deliberately, “Watch what?”
Gu Qingci glanced at her and said blandly, “Watch the show.”
She started walking over.
*Tsk*, watching the show, huh?
Tao Xian curved her lips, immediately followed, and muttered softly, “I wonder what kind of show you want to watch. That little girl has nothing to do with you.”
••••
Around the bar.
Customers continuously ordered cocktails, sitting there and telling Fu Jing, “It’s a pleasure to watch you mix drinks.”
Fu Jing just smiled.
When she used tweezers to pick up garnishes, her hand didn’t shake at all, and her stirring motions were professional. Pouring liquid into the jigger was even more skilled; she poured almost the exact amount needed every time.
She was like a master bartender with years of experience returning to work.
The bar staff stared at her, unblinking. “Who are you? So young, you usually only order tea, never alcohol, but you can mix such difficult drinks?!”
Tao Xian quickly came over, heard their words, sat down, and said, “Fu Jing, you are so reliable!”
Fu Jing had undergone years of academic training and performed complex biochemical experiments. Mixing drinks, by comparison, was just pouring liquids with a few more steps.
Of course, she quickly picked it up.
Fu Jing heard them all say that, and although she didn’t understand why bartending would be considered difficult, she was very happy to be praised.
So she nodded.
Her lips curved into a smile, and she even gave herself a thumbs-up against her chest, assuring them, “Oh! I’m very reliable.”
Her earnest expression was especially naive and endearing.
She looked soft and easy to bully.
Everyone around them inexplicably burst into laughter.
Fu Jing turned to find a miniature umbrella. Just as she was about to place it by the glass as a garnish, she suddenly saw Gu Qingci, who had followed Tao Xian.
Their eyes met, and her hand trembled.
The decorative paper umbrella directly fell into the cocktail, floating.
“…”
Fu Jing immediately blushed with embarrassment. She frantically looked up and quietly said, “I’m so sorry! My mistake, this one’s on me.”
“It’s fine,” Tao Xian said understandingly, glancing at Gu Qingci, and clapped. “Mistake, Sister Ci Gu!”
“…” Fu Jing bit her lip, saying pitifully, “I really didn’t mean to!” Her hands didn’t stop, and she immediately started making the drink again.
She didn’t dare to look at Gu Qingci anymore.
Beauty causes trouble.
Fu Jing tried to hypnotize herself that Gu Qingci wasn’t there, lowering her long lashes and focusing intently on the task at hand.
Concentrate, just like doing a chemistry experiment…
Pouring the wrong thing might cause an explosion.
So, no mistakes, absolutely no mistakes!
This self-hypnosis was very effective.
Fu Jing’s bartending skills returned to normal. She inserted the small paper umbrella at a perfect angle, and a beautiful cocktail was placed on the tray. A server carried it to the customer.
Fu Jing quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up again and found that Gu Qingci was really gone.
She turned her head, searched carefully, but still couldn’t see her.
Her expression instantly fell.
Why did she leave…?
“Little Fu Jing, mix a drink for your Sister Ci,” Tao Xian, seeing her changing expressions, couldn’t stop smiling. “You can work part-time here from now on, interested?”
“My Sister Ci…” Fu Jing’s heart raced, and she almost dropped the glass again. She tried to maintain her composure but couldn’t hide her radiant smile. She nodded and agreed, “Of course I’m interested!”
••••
The night’s work finished.
Tao Xian delivered the drink Fu Jing had mixed to Gu Qingci upstairs, then came back down to find Fu Jing mingling with the staff. They were eagerly discussing what kind of girls Gu Qingci might like.
Ye Xinyi said earnestly, “She probably likes naive, sweet girls.”
Fu Jing nodded, patted her chest, and said, “That’s me, a naive, sweet girl!”
“No way,” someone disagreed. “I feel like she’d like really smart people.”
Fu Jing’s eyes lit up, and she immediately raised her hand: “That’s me!”
“She probably likes lively people.”
Fu Jing: “That’s me!”
“No, I think she likes quiet and elegant ones.”
Fu Jing: “That’s me!”
Everyone: “…………”
“About that,” Tao Xian suppressed a laugh and walked over, deliberately tricking them. “I once heard Gu Qingci herself say that she likes girls with good figures.”
Fu Jing looked down at her chest in surprise. After half a second of dejection, she resumed her confident tone, saying, “I’m still young. If she puts in the effort, there might be a lot of room for growth…”
The scene went silent for a few seconds, and everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
They didn’t know what to say.
Fu Jing’s expression was innocent, her almond eyes pure as clear water. It was as if she had just discussed the weather.
Was she making a suggestive joke about herself in the most innocent tone?
No, that didn’t seem right either, considering the pronoun “she” in her sentence specifically referred to a certain person.
So… was she earnestly making a suggestive joke about Gu Qingci?
Several self-proclaimed “veterans” among her friends had changing expressions, finally displaying some complex, hard-to-understand looks.
Tao Xian laughed for a long time, then cleared her throat and discussed the future part-time job with Fu Jing. She then repeated Gu Qingci’s earlier statement about “not cheating a kid out of their money.”
Then she told her her idea.
No charge for consumption, no salary paid.
This way, the bill would be balanced.
“…”
Everyone listened, extremely happy, and no one found anything wrong with it.
Fu Jing blinked, silent for a few seconds, then suddenly gave her a thumbs-up, exclaiming, “Your math is terrible, but you’re so good at business!”
Gu Qingci had told her to refund the money she had previously spent.
Adding her part-time bartending wages, Fu Jing should have received two sums of money.
However, with Tao Xian’s calculation, Fu Jing ended up with not a single cent.
A genius…