“Ding-ling~”
When she opened the door, the small wind chime by the side gently swayed, producing a pleasant sound.
The shop was filled with the delightful aroma of coffee beans, and a young clerk was tidying up the various machines in front of her.
There weren’t many customers—some gathered in small groups, while others worked on their laptops.
In the corner of the shop stood a piano, currently in a somewhat poor condition, with a worn piano bench placed behind it.
Jiang Lingwei walked over, reached out, and gently touched the piano. Suddenly, a little black cat darted out from under the piano lid.
“….”
“…Meow?”
The girl and the cat stared at each other for a few seconds before Jiang Lingwei opened her arms, and the kitten immediately jumped into her embrace.
Sensing the two soft cushions beneath it, the kitten rubbed against her, then rested its head on Jiang Lingwei’s arm and settled down.
“Alright then.”
Now there was no way to put the kitten down.
Cradling the kitten, Jiang Lingwei walked to the counter. “I’d like to have a…”
She quickly glanced over the menu. “An oat latte, please.”
“Got it.”
The clerk nodded and smiled at her. “Looks like Black Bean really likes you.”
“So this little one’s called Black Bean, huh.”
Jiang Lingwei freed a hand to scratch Black Bean’s chin, making the kitten close its eyes contentedly and purr softly.
At this moment, the clerk finished operating the computer and pointed at a small device.
“Ah ah…”
Jiang Lingwei didn’t know what it meant.
She was able to use the taxi service because of a recharge card made by Jiang Yao, and the operation was straightforward.
But… what did this mean?
She had completely forgotten that she originally came looking for a job, not just to have coffee.
Who knew that upon seeing a familiar shop name, she would impulsively order a latte.
So, how was she supposed to pay now? This must mean payment, right…
On the other side, the young clerk had no idea what the unique and elegant-looking older sister in front of her was thinking.
She gently reminded, “Shall I scan for you?”
(Scan?)
Another new word.
In Jiang Lingwei’s mind, an image appeared of someone sweeping a small brush across her face and then bringing her a cup of coffee.
(No, no, that can’t be right.)
Just a while ago, she told her daughter it was fine, yet here she was, unable to even figure out how to buy a cup of coffee.
This made Jiang Lingwei feel a bit embarrassed.
But she couldn’t keep the clerk waiting any longer, whose face was already showing confusion!
After holding back for a while, she finally took out her bank card. “C-can I pay by card?”
“Yes… you can…”
The clerk took the card, rummaged under the counter, and found a card reader that hadn’t been used in a long time.
It really wasn’t her fault; she had never seen a customer pay for a single coffee by card.
Nowadays, people wouldn’t even use cash, let alone swipe a card.
This customer was obviously young, but her payment method was old-fashioned. Who exactly was she?
“Oh, right.”
After completing the payment, the clerk was about to turn when Jiang Lingwei stopped her.
“I want to ask, is the owner of this shop here?”
“Ah.”
The clerk responded while taking out a box of coffee beans.
“The owner just stepped out… She’ll be back, but it might take a while.”
“Will she be back today?”
As she asked, Jiang Lingwei’s heartbeat grew loud in her ears.
“She will.”
The clerk answered.
“In that case, I’ll wait here.”
Cradling the little black cat, Jiang Lingwei sat by a table in the corner and waited quietly.
“Meow.”
Black Bean softly meowed, jumped out of her arms, and strolled with a perfect cat’s grace to a sunny spot on the windowsill.
Curled up, it fell asleep in a perfect feline ball.
“Ugh…”
Seeing the kitten like that, Jiang Lingwei couldn’t help but lay her head on the table.
This was when having a large chest became a disadvantage.
She had grown used to being a girl, but now, as a full-grown woman, it was her first time.
Wanting to lie down, she didn’t know how to handle her ample bosom.
If she put it forward on the table, it was uncomfortable and squashed; if she leaned back against the edge, it was stiff and painful.
The clerk brought the coffee over, and Jiang Lingwei finally stopped struggling with herself.
Sitting upright, she looked out at the bustling street, listened to the soothing music in the café, and sipped her coffee slowly.
The consequence of not sleeping well the previous night was showing; even with coffee, Jiang Lingwei still felt a bit drowsy.
That drowsiness deepened as time passed while she waited.
Eventually, unable to hold on any longer, Jiang Lingwei randomly found a comfortable position, laid her head on the table, and fell asleep completely.
She had a dream that felt very real.
In the dream, Jiang Lingwei experienced everything from a first-person perspective.
She seemed to be touching her belly.
A voice beside her asked, “What will you name the baby?”
She heard her own voice answer:
“If it’s a boy, I’ll leave the naming to you. But if it’s a girl, I want to call her…”
“Yao.”
“That’s the name of the café we often go to.”
Her vision blurred, and Jiang Lingwei felt like she was crying.
At that moment, a gentle hand wiped away her tears.
“It’ll be alright, I promise, everything will get better.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Lingwei agreed in the dream and turned around.
Behind her was nothing—just a headless black shadow!
“Ah!”
Eyes wide open, Jiang Lingwei straightened up and abruptly sat up from the table.
The dream had already become hazy; she only remembered it was a nightmare, but no details could be recalled.
“Are you okay, miss? Did you have a nightmare?”
Looking up, she saw a middle-aged woman dressed elegantly, exuding a noble aura, worry evident on her face.
The years had left many traces on the woman’s face, but even so, it was clear that she must have been a beauty in her youth.
She gently said to Jiang Lingwei, “I’m the owner of Yaoguang Cafe. Xiao Wang told me you wanted to see me?”
Meeting her gaze, Jiang Lingwei said nothing but suddenly reached out and grabbed the woman’s sleeve.
“Huh? What are you doing?”
Still silent to the woman’s question, Jiang Lingwei pressed down on the sleeve of her expensive clothing.
“Miss.”
The woman didn’t struggle but frowned slightly. “If there’s something to discuss, we can talk in detail, but please release me immediately.”
However, her sharp gaze met Jiang Lingwei’s eyes.
The woman was startled; in the depths of the other’s pupils, she sensed an intense emotion.
“Swipe!”
Before the woman could react, Jiang Lingwei tugged the sleeve—revealing the Black Dragon tattoo on her forearm.
“Ohho.”
Seeing the mark, Jiang Lingwei finally exhaled, smiling. “It’s been years, and your right hand still seals the Dark Flame Dragon?”
“Wh-what…”
The woman was caught off guard by those words, as if struck by a great shock, quickly pulling back her arm.
“How do you know that? Who are you?”
The woman asked cautiously.
“Sigh, Sister Quan.” Jiang Lingwei suppressed her excitement and sighed heavily. “Do I look that different from before?”
“You…”
The woman narrowed her eyes, scrutinized her for a long moment, then suddenly widened them. “You’re… you’re Xiao Jiguang! My heavens!”
“That’s right, it’s me, I…”
“Xiao Jiguang!!!”
Before she could finish, Jiang Lingwei was pulled into a tight embrace, so strong it nearly took her breath away.
“Where have you been all these years?” The woman cried, tears falling onto Jiang Lingwei’s neck. “Where did everyone go? That day, I waited at the base all day. I knew it was your magical girl showdown, but I waited two whole weeks! Two weeks and you never came back!”
“Where… where did you all go…?”
Ignoring the curious stares of the other customers in the café, the middle-aged woman sobbed loudly, holding the helpless young woman tightly.
Jiang Lingwei gently patted her back, doing her best to comfort her.
This feeling brought back memories of old times.
Because Sister Quan had always been like this, and even after so long, she had never changed.
Wenya Quan—a completely ordinary person who had joined their magical girl team by pure accident.
At the same time, a name and demeanor so utterly mismatched.
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