Universe Infinite Canteen

The bonus injected a new vigor into the long-emptied bodies of He Xiaoqian and Shen Yue.

After cleaning up the store, they left one after another. Ma Lu didn't hurry off; instead, he and Old Wang checked the remaining ingredients, noted what needed to be restocked, and also tidied up the sanitation in the kitchen area.

Overall, the first day of the store opening went smoothly, yet Ma Lu couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something.

It wasn't until he turned off all the lights and was about to lock the door that he looked up unintentionally at the pitch-dark second floor and smacked his forehead in realization.

"Oh shit, Zhen Ye!"

Zhen Ye's old room had been remodeled, finishing up around the same time as Ma Lu's store renovations, and it had been airing out for nearly a week, the smell almost gone.

Most of the better quality paints these days are zero-VOC, and of course, some furniture and auxiliary materials still contain formaldehyde, but as long as ventilation is maintained, the concentration can generally be kept within a healthy range.

Ma Lu had planned to bring Zhen Ye along for the store's opening to send her back home, but after witnessing the burning of the Witch, he forgot about it upon his return and also forgot to deliver a meal to Zhen Ye.

So, he hurriedly reopened the store door, had Old Wang prepare another rice dish, then hopped on his tricycle and rushed to the housing complex where he rented an apartment.

Only after the tricycle vanished at the corner did a figure emerge from behind a roadside paulownia tree.

Yu Yitong quietly approached the entrance of Universe Infinite Canteen, placed the flower basket she was carrying there, with a card that bore no name, just a line reading "I'm sorry."

After positioning the basket, Yu Yitong turned to leave like a thief, but after a few steps, she returned, took the card away.

That apology was too conspicuous, instantly revealing who it was from.

And Ma Lu was likely to recognize her handwriting.

Yu Yitong retrieved the card, walked to the corner, but once again returned and took the flower basket too.

She called for a Didi, rode back to her rented apartment, swapped her shoes for slippers, set the flower basket next to the fridge.

Then, she pushed open her bedroom door, swiftly removed her coat and skirt suit, one-handedly unclasped her bra, and collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the duvet.

About half a minute passed, and her phone started vibrating.

Yu Yitong picked it up to see a message from Xiao Ji asking where she was.

Yu Yitong typed back—in home.

Soon, Xiao Ji sent another message—Did you apologize?

—I didn't see him.

Yu Yitong lied.

—Oh, did you work overtime again?

—Yeah.

—I guess the rumors of overwork in internet companies are true. But then, what about your flower basket? It wouldn't have the same meaning if not sent on the opening day, right?

—I'm thinking… maybe just let it go.

—Let it go? What do you mean?

Xiao Ji then sent a relaxed bear emoji with a question mark.

—When I think about it, we probably won't meet again anyway. What does it matter how he sees me? Whether he despises me or forgives me, it makes no difference.

—How can there be no difference, there's a huge difference for goodness' sake. No matter what your relationship was, shouldn't you be honest about what happened?

—But it's my fault. I shouldn't have agreed to help with the advertising for his new store that day. I had no authority to make such commitments.

Mike was always waiting to pick on me, and Cindy had warned me too. Yet, I was still naively hopeful that it might all work out, only to have Mike change it at the last moment before the article was published. I was so stupid to make such a basic mistake.

—But it wasn't you who ended up saying The Universe's Number One Snack Stall was inferior to the well-known hotels—it was Mike. Don't you think you should clear this up with him?

Xiao Ji's message was sent quickly.

——Mike was just taking the company's perspective. After all, what we do is rate restaurants, not snack stalls, so in the end, he certainly wants to steer everyone's attention back to the restaurants. It's just a commercial tactic.

——Are you sure he's just thinking from a business perspective?

Yu Yitong turned over.

——What else could it be? But Mike's actions will definitely impact the Universe Infinite Canteen. The monthly active users on the review site have already reached 80 million, and it's especially influential among young people.

Many people will think after reading that article that the Universe Infinite Canteen only does well with snacks, but when it comes to taste, it can't compare with those well-known restaurants. Sigh... thinking about it now, I really shouldn't have interviewed him in the first place.

After typing the last word, Yu Yitong lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank gaze.

After a while, she received another message from Xiao Ji.

——So are you just going to let it go?

——What else can I do? It's been over a year since we broke up, and he must hate me now.

——I was talking about the interview draft.

——Oh.

Yu Yitong felt embarrassed, and after a moment continued typing, "I'm just a newbie who has just joined the company, and there's not much I can do. I have no power to modify or take down the draft, and anyway, many people have already seen it."

——Giving up so easily doesn't sound like the Yu Yitong I know.

Xiao Ji said.

——Now you're working at the review site, and he happens to have opened a restaurant. You should be able to find an opportunity to make it up to him.

Yu Yitong took a deep breath.

Xiao Ji reminded again.

——And remember to apologize.

She sent an emoji of a relaxed bear with crossed arms.

——I'll... look for an opportunity then.

But Yu Yitong chickened out again, trying to be evasive, which the ever-perceptive Xiao Ji on the other side of the screen easily saw through.

——Don't wait for another opportunity. You've been waiting until his new shop has already opened. You should clear things up quickly, otherwise the longer you wait, the greater the misunderstanding.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

——Got it, busybody.

——Hehe, wasn't it you who sent me 'I'm doomed' ten times after that article went up? If you don't want me to meddle, then perk up yourself.

——Fine, enough nagging. I'm going to sleep, I have a ton of work tomorrow.

After chatting with Xiao Ji, Yu Yitong did indeed feel a bit more relaxed.

She went out to get a glass of water to drink, then saw the flower basket leaning against the fridge.

"It really… should be left there, I guess."

Experience exclusive tales on empire

Yu Yitong murmured to herself.

"But could it arouse his girlfriend's suspicions? Come to think of it, which of the two who left last was really his girlfriend? One of them looked somewhat familiar, like she might also be a student at Aerospace University... This guy, how many girlfriends did he have?

"Wait, why am I concerning myself with this? It's not like it has anything to do with me."

Yu Yitong drank her water, and since her mind was elsewhere, she bumped her shin against the coffee table in the living room on her way back to the bedroom, causing a loud clang and leaving a bruise on her leg.

Yu Yitong winced with pain, squatting on the ground and rubbing vigorously at her leg.