"Where did you get the money to live here?" Murphy asked, her eyes full of suspicion as she looked at Yang Yi when she came to pick up their daughter and saw his new address.
It wasn't that Murphy was being overly suspicious for no reason. The place Yang Yi used to live in and the place he was living now were worlds apart. Even Murphy herself felt a twinge of envy!
"Mommy, don't scold Daddy. Daddy said you can live here too!" Xixi quickly ran over, wrapping her arms around her mother's long legs to plead.
"Who wants to live here?" Murphy was taken aback, then spat out dismissively.
With his previous life's temperament, Yang Yi wouldn't have put up with this ill-tempered woman. But somehow, after spending a few days with Xixi, his edges seemed to soften.
He just raised an eyebrow at Murphy's attitude, not bothering to argue with her.
Lazily, he pulled a rental contract out of a drawer and handed it to Murphy. "Here, rented for one yuan. You could say I got lucky and met a kind person."
Murphy couldn't believe something so good could happen. Frowning, she examined the contract over and over but couldn't find any flaws.
Finally, she gave up and reluctantly handed it back, though her doubts lingered. "Why are you renting such a big place?"
The changes Yang Yi had shown her this time were just too much, too drastic!
Was this still the same honest, simple Yang Yi? The same stubborn, unrepentant father of Xixi who used to drive her up the wall?
"To open a coffee shop," Yang Yi said.
A coffee shop? You? The guy who doesn't even drink tea, just plain water, wants to open a coffee shop? Murphy felt a wave of dizziness. "Do you even know what coffee is?" she asked irritably.
Yang Yi rolled his eyes. "Don't underestimate me, okay? Want me to brew you a cup and see?"
"Forget it, I don't drink instant coffee," Murphy snorted.
Yang Yi couldn't be bothered to bicker with her and turned to head to the bar. On the second floor of the restaurant, there was a small bar counter. The old man who used to live there probably used it for drinking—red wine, given his classical music tastes. But now, Yang Yi had taken it over, setting up his coffee bean equipment.
At first, Murphy's cold, sharp eyes were filled with distrust, but gradually, that gave way to surprise.
She watched as Yang Yi carefully ground the coffee beans with a hand-cranked grinder. Every motion was delicate, nothing like a beginner fumbling around.
This scene left Murphy utterly astonished. She could hardly believe her eyes.
"How does he know how to do this? And with a hand grinder?" Murphy was baffled.
Most coffee drinkers nowadays preferred using all-in-one coffee machines to brew their coffee. Murphy was one of them—she drank coffee to stay alert but didn't enjoy the fuss.
Only true enthusiasts would use such a traditional method to grind beans, right? They savored the process, and supposedly, this technique produced finer, more uniform grounds, bringing out the best flavor in the coffee.
But Murphy had tried it before, and at her level, she couldn't tell the difference...
As Murphy was lost in thought, Yang Yi had already brought the freshly brewed coffee over. He gently set it on the counter in front of her and gave a polite little smile. "The beans aren't top-notch, but please, give it a try."
Given Yang Yi's burly build, the word "gentleman" didn't exactly come to mind, but somehow, Murphy felt a flutter, her heartbeat quickening.
Murphy was used to being aloof, so her expression didn't betray her. But to hide the panic in her eyes, she picked up the coffee and took a big gulp.
"..." Yang Yi was speechless at the sight.
Who was it just now who said he didn't know coffee? And now this woman was drinking it like a bull chewing on peonies?
Once Murphy calmed down, she noticed the rich aroma and the faint bitterness of the coffee. Hmm, it was actually pretty good!
"Did you add sugar?" Murphy looked at Yang Yi.
"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't like it black," Yang Yi said flatly. He himself drank his coffee without sugar.
So he had added sugar for her! A warmth spread through Murphy's heart, but what secretly pleased her more was—how did Yang Yi know her taste? Had he studied it just for her?
But then Yang Yi, oblivious, ruined the moment. "Studies show that women, on average, add one and a half spoons of sugar to their coffee. Guess there's some truth to it."
The warmth in Murphy's heart vanished instantly. She clenched her fists, nearly grinding her teeth in frustration.
"Fine, I'll believe you can open a coffee shop for now." Murphy pursed her red lips and started rummaging through her bag. "I want to invest in your coffee shop. I want half the shares!"
What?
Yang Yi stared at her in surprise.
"What, not welcoming my investment?" Murphy shot back, glaring.
Of course, Yang Yi didn't want that. He was opening this coffee shop out of sentiment, not expecting to make money. He'd put in his own funds, and if it failed, the loss was his alone—especially with no rent to worry about, it wouldn't be much.
But the problem was, why did this woman have to stick her nose in?
Yang Yi felt like someone had their eye on a toy he loved. In his previous life, he'd have torn Murphy apart for this!
"Yeah, not welcome," Yang Yi refused outright.
Murphy was furious. She was trying to slip him some money to ease his financial burden, and he was rejecting her so bluntly. "This is Xixi's home too. Why can't I invest?"
"No," Yang Yi replied, simple and blunt.
"Then where are you getting the money for renovations? For startup costs?" Murphy was ready to fight him, her words coming out through gritted teeth.
"I have money." Yang Yi felt like he was getting into a tight spot. After all, he couldn't explain where that money came from. "Give it up."
He should never have gone through the trouble of earning that money! Yang Yi sighed inwardly. Why was this woman so troublesome, always prying? He needed to find a legitimate way to make money and launder this cash!
There was no need to keep this up. Making money honestly wasn't hard, but now he'd have to come up with excuses. What a headache.
Unknowingly, Yang Yi's thinking was starting to align with a normal person's.
But Murphy was livid, like a powder keg ready to explode.
Just then, little Xixi came pattering over from the nearby couch. She grabbed her mother's hand and tugged it, whining, "Mommy, don't be mad at Daddy. Let me show you my room, okay?"
She didn't understand what her parents were arguing about, but she could feel the tension.
In the end, Murphy let her daughter lead her away, casting a resentful glance back at Yang Yi. Of course, the big star maintained her composure, snorting to herself.
"Fine, I don't care! Dead Yang Yi, I hope your shop goes under fast. Then we'll see if I bother to help you out!"