Chapter Text
Maomao doesn’t try anything again for a while after that, the sting of defeat causing her to make a tactical retreat.
The days pass as they always have, with the exception being Jinshi showing up to every single one of her shifts.
Seriously, doesn't he have a life?
The cafe is pretty busy for the next week and a half, so they do much more working than talking, which is fine with Maomao. Jinshi irritates her for all the obvious reasons, but there’s also something she can’t quite put her finger on that makes him extra annoying. It’s all positively infuriating.
“Maomao, don’t forget you signed up for the overnight Sunday,” Gaoshun reminds her as she’s hanging up her apron one afternoon. Maomao freezes.
Gaoshun watches her over his fifth cup of coffee. “You forgot,” he says, not accusing, just matter of fact.
“You can’t prove that,” Maomao says, moving once more to shrug on her peacoat.
“Mmhmm,” Gaoshun says, “Just be there please, okay? And don’t forget to wear a costume.”
Maomao’s expression sours, but she continues getting ready to leave. Gaoshun isn’t scheduled to work Sunday night. He’ll be none the wiser if she doesn’t wear a costume.
“I’ll be sure to do that,” she says expressionlessly, and then absconds as quickly as she can. Gaoshun watches after her, exhaustion lacing every single new wrinkle Maomao’s given him.
~
Maomao doesn’t know whose wise idea it was to keep the cafe open until midnight on Halloween, but they’re offering almost double pay for anyone who stays. More accurately, she has to stay until two in the morning, since they’re gonna be expected to set the store up for the holidays as soon as the clock strikes twelve on November first.
Maomao is no stranger to all nighters. It’s how she got through most of college. She’s scheduled from six to two on Sunday, and she suspects it will be moderately busy. They may be the only cafe in the area open so late, but most people will probably be at the bars as opposed to their coffee shop. It’s really a toss up.
She arrives at five fifty five Sunday afternoon to find Xiaolan standing behind the counter dressed as an angel. It suits her well, Maomao thinks. Xiaolan is the purest, sweetest person Maomao knows.
Maomao ruffles her hair as she walks by. “Ready to kill this overnight?” she asks, and Xiaolan’s smile freezes on her face.
“Right, uh, about that…”
Maomao begins to feel her stomach sinking.
“Xiaolan, aren’t you scheduled to work with me?”
“Well, I was!!! But then someone offered to switch, so I’m actually leaving now, and-”
Maomao wants to bang her head against the counter.
“Don’t tell me-”
“Well hello there, ladies!”
Maomao is going to kill someone. Most likely the owner of the voice.
“Jinshi,” she says tightly, “You don’t even work here. How did you ‘switch’ shifts with Xiaolan if you’re not even on the schedule?”
Jinshi waves a hand dismissively. “Semantics. Look on the bright side! Now we get to spend the next eight hours together!”
“You have a real funny idea of what constitutes a bright side. Also, what the fuck are you wearing?”
Jinshi looks down at his suit and cape. His hair is down today, flowing majestically down his back. He looks like a fucking movie star.
Maomao is going to throw up.
“Um, I’m a vampire?” He says, like it’s obvious.
“I got that!” Xiaolan is quick to interject. Maomao glares at her, but Xiaolan just shrugs.
“Anyway, you two, I’m gonna go! Have fun hanging out!” She sings the last part, loud and shrill, and Maomao really does think she’s going to hit her head against the counter now.
As Xiaolan gets ready to leave, Maomao catches Jinshi watching her critically.
“What?”
“You’re not in costume.”
“So?”
“So, the rule is, you have to wear a costume.”
Maomao crosses her arms. “Who are you, the Costume Brigade?”
“No,” Jinshi says calmly, “But I am the son of the CEO. And if he hears you didn’t wear your costume…”
There’s a mischievous glint in Jinshi’s eye that Maomao doesn’t like at all.
“Look, I don’t have one here, so I don’t know what you want me to-”
“I’m so glad you said that,” Jinshi interrupts, “Because I planned for just this scenario.”
And that’s how Maomao ends up with cat ears, fake whiskers, and a tail.
As she’s debating whether she feels more homicidal or suicidal, a thought occurs to Maomao. “Did you sign up for this shift just so you could flirt with me?”
“Wow, don’t we think highly of ourselves,” Jinshi says, frothing some milk idly, “Maybe I just like Halloween.”
Maomao raises an eyebrow, but Jinshi doesn’t relent.
“No, I’m actually serious. I love Halloween but I had no plans, and I figured this would be a fun way to spend it.”
“With a bunch of strangers at a coffee shop?”
“No,” Jinshi says, “With you.”
Maomao has no idea how to answer that.
“Stupid,” is what she finally says, and then turns around to count the tea bags.
~
To Maomao’s shock and disgust, the next three hours of work aren’t awful.
It’s pretty quiet, considering it’s six PM and they sell coffee. They get some tired parents straggling in with their children on the way to trick or treating, and Maomao actually feels sorry for them. It sounds like hell. Parents are braver than any soldier.
The kids love Jinshi.
Every time one of them gets to the counter, he puts on a dramatic Dracula voice, and it sends them into hysterics. One of them asks him if he’s from Hotel Transylvania, and the two of them begin to hotly debate whether the first or second movie is better.
“You’re good with kids,” Maomao notes as the group leaves, the parents desperately chugging the coffee like they wish it was vodka.
Jinshi grins. “I think this is the first time you’ve willingly started a conversation with me,” he says, and Maomao rolls her eyes.
“I’ve decided to regard you as something other than a slug tonight.”
“Wha- excuse me???”
Wait.
Maybe that came out wrong.
She backtracks.
“I mean, we’re stuck together for the next eight hours, and it would be difficult to deal with you if I was constantly annoyed, so I figured…I might as well attempt peace for once.”
Basically, Maomao needs a break from the frustration this man is always bringing out in her. Her attempt at extending an olive branch has clearly failed, though.
She tries again.
“Sorry, I mean-”
“What if I like when you look at me like I’m a slug, though?”
Maomao looks at Jinshi.
Jinshi looks at Maomao.
Maomao blinks at him, ever so slowly, the ears and tail making her look more cat-like than ever.
“I change my mind,” she finally says, “I hate you and we’re doing the rest of this shift in silence.”
Jinshi bursts out laughing, an unbridled sound that echoes through the room.
“No wait, I’m kidding, let’s talk! I want to talk!”
“Were you kidding?”
Jinshi waves the question off.
“I want peace too,” he says, “And I hate silence.”
Maomao, for her part, enjoys silence. But it will be easier for them to work together if they can communicate, and besides, getting to know him will bring her one step closer to winning the bet.
“Alright,” she concedes, “Let’s talk.”