The internet was buzzing, but in reality, Yang Yi remained calm and composed, not even bothering to check the book review section. Ever since he had seen some disparaging comments about his book last time, he decided there was no need to visit it again. He wrote his books, recommending works he loved to this world—those who liked them could stay, and those who didn't, why should he care?
The coffee shop operated as usual, opening promptly at ten in the morning with its sign hung out. When there were no customers, Yang Yi would read a book or listen to music.
Actually, no—today a few customers did show up!
"Jingle, jingle, jingle..." The wind chimes at the door broke the shop's tranquility—even though Yang Yi was still playing music, let's call this uneventful atmosphere "tranquility" for now!
Yang Yi put down the book in his hand and stood up from behind the counter.
The customers were four young women in the prime of their youth, chatting happily in pairs, holding hands. They looked like dormitory sisters out on an outing together.
When they saw Yang Yi standing behind the counter, they felt a bit nervous, after all, Yang Yi wasn't one to greet customers warmly, and he wore a faint, indifferent smile.
Fortunately, one girl with a short bob cut was bolder. She stepped forward and asked, "Boss, what kind of coffee do you have here? Could I see a menu?"
Yang Yi actually found this question a bit annoying—almost every customer asked for a menu, but he had no interest in printing stacks of them! Besides, the coffee he sold wasn't like Starbucks' standardized offerings; what he served today depended entirely on which coffee beans he had in his jars.
"It's all written here." Yang Yi pointed to the small whiteboard on the wall behind him, where he had written the day's menu with a marker.
"Mocha, thirty yuan a cup; Robusta, forty yuan a cup; Santos, fifty yuan a cup..." Before they could finish reading, the girls all let out a small, simultaneous gasp. "So expensive!"
Yang Yi was a bit speechless but patiently explained, "The coffee here is all ground from beans, made by hand."
It was normal for it to be expensive! Yang Yi even felt his prices were too low. At decent coffee shops, instant coffee cost dozens of yuan. He wasn't trying to make money from this shop, so he hadn't added much markup beyond covering costs.
"It's this expensive—maybe we should forget it? There's a coffee shop at the east gate that's only about twenty yuan a cup!" one of the girls whispered.
Yang Yi found it both amusing and exasperating, so he kept his mouth shut.
That kind of coffee shop probably served instant coffee, watered down at that. How could it compare to his? Oh well, if they didn't want it, Yang Yi wouldn't force them.
His corner shop sold sentiment; those who couldn't appreciate it probably wouldn't feel it.
But the girl with the short bob cut said, "Come on, we've been to that place so many times. We said we'd try something new today, so let's give it a shot!"
Alright, they ended up staying. Besides the short-bob girl, another girl who seemed well-off ordered a Santos and a Robusta out of curiosity, while the other two ordered the cheapest mochas.
After ordering, they sat by the window near the flower bed and started chattering away again.
Thanks to his internal martial arts training, Yang Yi had sharp ears and eyes, and he could hear their conversation from a distance. He didn't intend to eavesdrop, but when he caught that their topic seemed to be about him, he perked up and listened for a bit.
"The shop owner looks pretty handsome."
"Who says that? I think he looks grumpy!"
"I agree, he looks fierce. Just look at his eyes—they seem like they could eat you!"
"Isn't that an exaggeration? I think the shop owner just doesn't like to talk much."
"You guys are probably just mad he didn't give you a discount because you're the belle of the wind instrument department, so you're badmouthing him, hehe!"
"No way! Xiao Yin, you tell me—aren't his eyes especially cold?"
These young girls!
Yang Yi shook his head helplessly, refocused his mind, and concentrated on brewing the coffee.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder. Had he not fully integrated into this environment yet? Did his eyes still carry a hint of killing intent? That wouldn't be good—it would isolate him from society.
Suddenly, Yang Yi remembered the glasses that Hu Da and Qiang Zi had worn when they visited recently, and an idea struck him.
Two mochas, one Santos, and one Robusta—Yang Yi took some effort to brew them, then placed them on a tray along with a sugar cube jar and a fine sugar shaker he had bought a few days ago, and carried them over.
Just as he approached, they were discussing the music playing in his shop.
"Please enjoy." Yang Yi preferred to keep a low profile, so after setting down the coffee, he quietly left.
But his ears still caught their conversation.
"I used to be a big fan of Mofei. I thought her song 'Strangers' was amazing—it was a must-sing at KTV, you know? But she disappeared for a few years, and it broke my heart!"
"I heard she got blacklisted for not following her agency's arrangements."
"Who knows? She hasn't sung in years, and now I hear she's trying to make a comeback. Does she think the entertainment industry is still the same as before? Come and go as she pleases!"
"Didn't Li Manman say in an interview recently?" one girl said, covering her mouth with a laugh. "'You call her a diva—have you considered my feelings?' Li Manman is so blunt, it's adorable!"
"Back then, Li Manman was just a third-tier singer! Now her influence is no less than Mofei's. She has every right to say that!"
"But I think Li Manman's singing skills can't compare to Mofei's. She's not bad, but I feel she got chosen as a diva purely because she's popular, pretty, and loves to show off in the media. Mofei isn't like that—her success came step by step, very solidly!"
This argument was immediately challenged.
"Jiajia, don't be so naive. Mofei's success probably had a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Haven't you heard? Her mother was a singer too, so she definitely had a ton of resources handed to her on a silver platter. And you say she relied on her own efforts?"
"Mofei's not doing well now. I read reports that she's started taking commercial gigs, but she keeps singing the same old songs. I've listened to the new tracks she released online—they're mediocre and won't get popular."
"I think so too. Didn't someone leak that her comeback album is full of old songs? I wouldn't want an album like that—whoever wants it can buy it!"
"Didn't Mofei have a scandal before? Teacher Liu Shifang from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music—we've all performed his piece 'The River's Children'—he criticized Mofei, saying she was disrespectful and ungrateful."
"Huh? I didn't know she was like that!" the short-bob girl named Jiajia exclaimed. "Forget it, I guess I won't be a fan of hers anymore!"
Behind the counter, Yang Yi turned his back, but his expression was serious.
It seemed Mofei's situation wasn't looking too good.