Waiting for You to Say You Love Me GL - Chapter 2
“…Change table 18 to mocha.”
“Table 20, add milk.”
“…Refill on the black coffee.”
The foot traffic at LEFT had always been light, so the part-time job Jian Jie found was relatively easy. Besides, Jian Yi had previously worked hourly shifts at KFC—being a coffee shop attendant was naturally no challenge for her.
As she cleared the cups and dishes, Jian Yi occasionally glanced toward the counter. Yun Xin gave off a very unique vibe. Theoretically, she was a businesswoman, yet Jian Yi couldn’t detect even a trace of the typical shrewdness or slickness in her.
Opening a café like this in the bustling city center—Jian Yi admired Yun Xin for that. The way she sat at the counter grinding coffee beans almost made Jian Yi see the kind of life she herself yearned for.
After tidying up the last table, Jian Yi’s attention was drawn to a painting on the wall—a landscape oil painting. But the color palette… it felt vaguely familiar, as if she’d seen it somewhere before.
“You’re quite skilled—have you done this before?” Yun Xin asked with interest. She hadn’t expected this seemingly delicate girl to be so efficient and precise in her work.
Jian Yi stared at the painting, lost in thought, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where she’d seen it. She didn’t even notice Yun Xin walking over to her with a latte in hand.
“This is for you. Sit.”
Flustered, Jian Yi took the latte and murmured a quiet “thank you,” though her gaze remained fixed on the painting. “Yun Xin…”
“Hmm?”
It was the first time Jian Yi had called her by name, and it still felt awkward. She didn’t know Yun Xin’s exact age, but she was definitely older. Should she call her “sis”? She wasn’t that familiar with her yet. Maybe it was just the initial awkwardness of meeting someone new—Jian Yi told herself that.
“This painting… was it done by Yuna.S?”
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. After a few seconds, Yun Xin finally looked up at the painting. “No, a friend brought it back for me. I don’t know much about oil paintings.”
Somehow, Jian Yi had thought she’d found a kindred spirit. Even though Yun Xin had said that, she still found it puzzling. The design and décor of LEFT were meticulously curated—if Yun Xin had no connection to this painting, why would she hang it in the most prominent spot?
Before she knew it, it was almost noon. Jian Yi remembered her afternoon thesis defense. “It’s getting late—I should go. I have my graduation defense this afternoon.”
In a hurry, she carried the empty cups to the kitchen and changed back into her own clothes in the staff room. Watching her flustered rush, Yun Xin suddenly called out to her, “Jian Yi, I can drive you—”
“No need, no need, thank you…” With that, she pushed open the glass door and hurried outside.
In the now-empty café, Yun Xin leaned back in her chair, quietly gazing at the scenery outside the window. No matter how noisy the world beyond the glass was, she couldn’t hear it—the soundproofing was indeed excellent. With a deliberately casual smile, she stood up and stared at the oil painting on the wall, lost in thought…
As for her thesis defense, Jian Yi had prepared everything the night before. That afternoon, she rushed straight to Lecture Hall No. 1, where quite a few people had already gathered. By the randomized order, Jian Yi was the second to present. Though it was a bit early, she was confident.
When the professor asked the top ten students presenting their theses to transfer their defense PPTs to the shared computer in advance, Jian Yi froze instantly. She had placed both her graduation thesis and USB drive in a single document folder, which was too large to carry conveniently, so she had been holding it in her hand. After changing clothes at LEFT, she hadn’t seen it since—it must have been left in the changing room. Yes, that had to be it!
But the round trip from LEFT to Auditorium No. 1 would take at least half an hour, and she was scheduled to present second. Would she make it in time? It was unrealistic… The only option now was to see if she could plead with the professor to adjust the presentation order, but who would be willing to swap with her? After all, going second didn’t offer any particular advantage…
Still, she had to try. Normally, she was meticulous—today, she had been far too careless.
“Jian Yi, come here.” Just as she was racking her brain, Professor Yang waved her over. “Be more careful next time. How could you forget something so important?”
“Professor Yang?” Jian Yi took the familiar folder—her graduation thesis and USB drive—but was puzzled. How had it suddenly appeared here?
“Lucky for you, you left it with Yun Xin. Consider yourself fortunate.” Professor Yang seemed a little confused. How did these two know each other? “Do you know Yun Xin?”
Yun Xin? Jian Yi glanced toward the auditorium entrance and saw a tall figure walking away in the distance. It was indeed Yun Xin—once you saw her, it was hard to forget. “Professor, you know her too…”
“We were alumni when studying in the UK. She saw my name listed as your advisor on your thesis and reached out to me… By the way, are you close with Yun Xin?”
That question was far too difficult to answer. If she said they were close, they had only met half a day ago. If she said they weren’t, Yun Xin had gone out of her way to return her materials…
“Alright, go prepare for your defense. Do your best.”
“Mm, thank you, Professor.” Thankfully, the topic had been sidestepped. She could deal with everything else after the defense.
Jian Yi had always been diligent in her studies, and she was the type to give her all in whatever she did. She had revised her thesis at least eight times and knew it inside out. She handled the professors’ impromptu questions with ease, and as soon as her defense ended, the room erupted in enthusiastic applause.
On stage, she bowed deeply—a full ninety degrees—as if bidding farewell to her four years of university.
After the defense, a few close classmates invited her to dinner. Jian Yi didn’t refuse—after all, opportunities like this would be rare in the future.
Beer and hotpot at an outdoor table—in the past, they would have chatted and laughed carefreely, as if nothing in the world could trouble them. But now, many worries would begin the moment they stepped out of campus.
Jian Yi had little appetite and spent the evening distracted, thinking about what had happened earlier. Should she go back to LEFT to thank Yun Xin in person?
“Graduation season… might as well be breakup season!” A girl who usually appeared refined was now completely drunk, waving a beer bottle and nearly climbing onto the table, saved only by everyone pulling her back. “Once we step out that gate, who’ll even remember who…”
Some graduated into marriage, but most graduated into breakups.
Secretarial Studies was already a female-dominated major, and what was supposed to be a pleasant gathering quickly devolved into a venting session about terrible exes. Jian Yi sat there awkwardly, unable to get a word in edgewise.
Gossip spreads fastest at the dinner table—that’s no lie. Never underestimate the chattering power of a group of women, especially when they’re drunk.
“No offense, but Cancer men… are all trash! Raise your hand if you agree, ladies…”
“Yes! Trash!” A dozen hands shot up in unison, some swaying unsteadily. The synchronization was almost magical. Jian Yi glanced around and realized only she and her roommate, Xie Anni, remained seated, unmoving. They were bound to become the targets of scrutiny.
Jian Yi felt awkward. The group had probably forgotten that her boyfriend was a Cancer. Was she supposed to raise both hands in agreement? The whole dinner had been uncomfortable, but thankfully, she knew her limits with alcohol and was still sober.
“Anni, I have something to do… I’ll head out first.”
“Isn’t Cheng Jin coming to pick you up?”
“He’s working overtime tonight. I’ll go back by myself.” Jian Yi patted her shoulder and stood up. “You should head back early too.”
Xie Anni nodded silently and continued drinking with the others.
Cheng Jin was her senior by a year, a computer engineering major who now worked as a developer at an internet company after graduation. They had been together for over a year, and as for their relationship, Jian Yi could only describe it as “stable”—nothing particularly romantic, nor overly dramatic.
Jian Yi hailed a cab and slid into the backseat. When the driver asked for her destination, she absentmindedly gave the address of LEFT. Maybe, deep down, she wanted to thank Yun Xin in person for the big favor she’d done her today.
About ten minutes later, the car slowed to a stop by the roadside. Through the window, Jian Yi saw that LEFT was pitch black—already closed for the night. A pang of emptiness hit her. “Driver, turn around and take me to West City Apartments.”
At the start of her senior year, she had rented a two-bedroom apartment off-campus with her younger brother, Jian Jie, to make job hunting after graduation easier. But living with him was far from a wise choice, and Jian Yi was already regretting it.
By the time she got back, it was past ten. As soon as she opened the door, the smell of instant noodles hit her. Jian Jie was slurping away on the couch, a laptop open on the coffee table displaying a Word document—clearly his rejected thesis draft.
“Hey, sis, you’re back. Thought you’d be staying at your boyfriend’s place tonight…”
Jian Yi grabbed a throw pillow and smacked him on the head, then flicked his forehead lightly. “Shut up.”
She hated it when Jian Jie called Cheng Jin “brother-in-law.” She had never spent the night at Cheng Jin’s place either. To her, their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet, so his teasing made her uncomfortable.
Jian Jie rubbed his head, putting on a pitiful act. “Just joking, why so serious…”
“Oh, right, sis, you worked hard this morning~” Seeing Jian Yi about to sit, he quickly scooted over on the couch, offering tea and snacks while massaging her shoulders and legs. “So, what do you think?”
“Think about what?”
“Your future sister-in-law! Isn’t she pretty?”
Jian Yi: “…”
“Come on, give me your honest opinion…”
She set down her cup, expression stern. “If you want to act crazy, do it somewhere else. I don’t have time for this.”
Now it was Jian Jie’s turn to freak out. “Sis, I’m serious!”
“Do you know how old she is? She was classmates with Professor Yang from our institute.” Even Jian Yi was surprised by this. Though Yun Xin appeared youthful, her demeanor carried a maturity that indeed rivaled Professor Yang’s.
“What’s wrong with an older woman-younger man relationship? Don’t you know true love knows no age or gender… &^@*#… Hey, sis…”
Jian Yi simply gave him a look that said, “As long as you’re happy,” and headed toward the bedroom. Jian Jie was always coming up with wild ideas—she was long used to it. If she hadn’t met Yun Xin today, she might have half-believed his one-sided claims. But she had met Yun Xin today…
To put it bluntly, if Jian Jie could actually win Yun Xin over, Jian Yi would write her name backward.