After the onset of autumn, the weather in Hong Kong quickly turned cold. Although the weather forecast mentioned that a late autumn heatwave was still lurking, with warmer days to come, the chill of the past few days made everyone dress in long sleeves and pants. Most customers stopped ordering cold drinks like slushies and ice cream.
Despite the climate change, Yi Ji had strategies in place.
Jiayi prepared a list of small ingredients for her older brother, all of which could be added to milk tea—cheese, cream, red beans, mung beans, crushed Oreos, coconut jelly, crushed cocoa, etc., much like making porridge.
Moreover, different combinations of these ingredients with various beverages resulted in different names.
It seemed possible to endlessly introduce new products.
What Jiayi and her brother decided was to try one combination at a time: sell it for half a month, and when everyone had had enough, introduce a new milk tea. Gradually build a reputation for each type and then slowly expand the drink menu.
The first milk tea of this autumn was the ‘Fresh Coconut Oolong Milk Smash’.
Coconuts were plentiful in Hong Kong.
This drink, which would become a signature product in many milk tea shops in the future, was believed to make its mark in this era as well.
Indeed, the romantic encounter of fresh coconut, oolong tea, and warm milk not only warmed the bodies of Hong Kong’s residents chilled by autumn, but also delighted their taste buds and fattened the Yi family’s wallet.
Even the rough men at the meat stalls in the market would wipe their greasy hands, come over to order a cup, and joyfully sip the milk tea held in their plump, round hands.
With the production of Yi’s Ice Delight reduced, Fresh Coconut Oolong Milk Smash immediately took over, continuing the customer base without needing any promotion.
The new milk tea instantly became popular among students, spreading from one to ten and ten to a hundred. Many nearby students came to drink and also to taste other delicacies offered by Mr. Yi, like pineapple buns, siu mai, char siu, and fish balls, all selling even better.
Wealthier young people also tried the big dishes, such as eight-treasure duck, ancient-style steamed chicken, and roasted squab, all of which saw rising sales. With increased customer traffic, Yi Jiadong had to buy an extra freezer to store more ingredients.
Fortunately, they had Sun Xin, a full-time employee, to help out.
But in reality, after Sun Xin joined, Yi Ji became even busier.
Firstly, pickled radish was continuously supplied. As soon as guests sat down, they were served a small plate of it; the sour, sweet, and spicy flavors exploded in their mouths, significantly increasing their appetite and the amount they ordered, making Yi Ji busier.
Then, Sun Xin added two superbly fresh dishes to Yi Ji’s menu: Mapo tofu and beef offal, starting with tasting sessions from local neighbors and shop owners next door, and quickly spreading by word of mouth. Many people came specifically to try these new dishes…
Thus, the milk tea counter often had a queue.
The main hall was too crowded to seat all the customers, forcing Yi Jiadong to buy a few more tables and a dozen hard plastic round stools, adding more seating outside.
Such cycles are easy to remember, vibrant, and bustling with activity.
Today, the Yi family specially hired someone to install a canopy; there was no choice, as the elderly woman upstairs always dripped water from her clothes down below. Occasionally, objects would fall from above too. Though they weren’t dangerous, the dust and debris that came with eating and drinking were a nuisance, necessitating the canopy.
They purchased a collapsible canopy frame and hired a robust, good-natured temporary worker from the construction site to set it up. After erecting the canopy, he would earn 48 Hong Kong dollars and a meal.
After a busy afternoon, the canopy was finally set up by dinner time.
As the temporary worker, Qin Xiaolei, quietly cleaned up the trash, a sticker stuck in the crack of the cement road suddenly sprang out, hitting a lady sitting by the doorstep of the Yi’s house on her back.
The woman exclaimed as she stood up, rubbing her back while angrily asking, “Who’s there? What are you doing?”
Startled, Qin Xiaolei dropped his broom and rushed to the woman, immediately beginning to apologize profusely. Yi Jiadong also came running out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron, and said with a smile:
“I’m really sorry, we were setting up the canopy today, and things got a bit messy. Does it hurt much?”
“Of course it hurts, why don’t you try it yourself?” the woman retorted, taking off her shirt which she wore as a light jacket, checking the spot on her back.
The sticker left a rust mark on the back of the shirt, which didn’t come off even after wiping with a tissue.
She had come specifically to try the highly recommended mainland cuisine at this old alleyway eatery. Old and cramped, it was nothing like the pristine restaurants and banquet halls she was accustomed to.
She had barely started to enjoy the food when this incident occurred, reinforcing her belief that such shabby places in small alleys were risky.
“This shirt is very expensive, do you know that?” she glared intensely at Yi Jiadong, then turned her stern gaze to the nervous and remorseful Qin Xiaolei, demanding aggressively:
“How will you compensate?”
“How much is it? I’ll compensate you, miss,” Yi Jiadong said, continuing to sweat but keeping his smile.
“I… I can try to wash it off,” Qin Xiaolei offered, his eyes fixed on the rust spot on the shirt, knowing how to remove such stains.
“Can you really clean it?” the woman looked at him skeptically.
“Yes,” Qin Xiaolei said, seeing that she seemed not entirely opposed to the idea, his eyes brightened as he nodded vigorously. The shirt looked expensive, and he had only earned 48 dollars for an entire afternoon’s work; he couldn’t afford to compensate.
The woman pursed her lips, not immediately responding. Instead, she slightly lifted her head, eyeing up the man in front of her—
Qin Xiaolei’s overly broad shoulders, sturdy chest, tapering waist, and the outline of his hips marked by his pants.
Below the faded jeans, his muscular thighs and large feet in cloth shoes.
When she looked up again, there was a slight smile on her face. She brought the shirt up to her nose, sniffed it, and then handed it to Qin Xiaolei:
“Here.”
Standing on the sidelines, Yi Jiadong inexplicably read a hint of sexual suggestion from the woman’s act of sniffing the shirt.
He subtly glanced at Qin Xiaolei, who seemed completely oblivious, merely asking to borrow some lemon and other items needed to remove rust stains, then went to the back kitchen and diligently washed the clothes.
His rough, large hands were gentle, handling the shirt with extra care and precision. Yet, Qin Xiaolei appeared utterly disinterested in the scent of the woman’s intimate garment.
Once the clothes were washed, Jiaru gave Qin Xiaolei a hanger to temporarily hang the shirt in the small cabin where Sun Xin lived, setting it up to air dry.
When Qin Xiaolei came out after wiping his hands, Yi Jiadong had already prepared dinner for him. The rustic, burly man took the bowl and plate, chuckling as he sniffed the delicious aroma of the food and found a table to sit.
The red-haired woman saw him come out and immediately waved at Qin Xiaolei, “Come, join this table.”
At this dinner time, everyone was joining tables. Qin Xiaolei hesitated for a moment then naturally went over to sit opposite the woman on a small stool, promptly burying his head in his food, completely unaware of the pretty and dignified woman sitting across from him.
The woman seemed to detect a hint of provocation during this time, as most of the men in the store frequently glanced at her.
Especially after she took off her shirt, the tight-fitting tank top accentuated her upper body curves, leading to even more frequent sneaky glances from the men.
Yet, the burly man in front of her seemed to have no interest in her, as if the meal in front of him were tastier than her.
Seeing that the man was quickly finishing his meal, the woman twirled her red hair at the temples, propped her cheek, and asked, “Do you know how to clean a range hood?”
“Ah?” Qin Xiaolei finally looked up.
“I’ve been using it for a while, and it’s all clogged up and doesn’t ventilate. Since you know how to wash out rust spots from clothes, can you clean the range hood?” the woman leaned slightly forward, her cleavage subtly visible.
“That’s easy, I can handle all sorts of tasks inside and out, just give me the materials, I can even build a house,” Qin Xiaolei boasted, as if these were tasks any man should be able to do, and of course he could!
“How much is the boss paying you for helping with the awning here?” the woman’s voice became softer and more enticing.
“48 yuan, and that includes this meal,” Qin Xiaolei said with a hint of pride, as if it were a generous compensation.
“I’ll give you 100 yuan to clean my range hood, how about that?” the woman thought for a moment and then said:
“My home also has a sliding door that’s rusted shut; it makes a loud clack every time it’s pulled, very noisy. And my table seems to have one leg longer than the others, or maybe a screw is loose, it wobbles badly, you can help me with that too… I’ll give you an extra 50 yuan for these.”
Qin Xiaolei muttered to himself, adding it up to 150 yuan, just for doing some simple odd jobs, that’s too good to be true!
“Alright!” he quickly shoveled a few more bites of food, nodding vigorously, his eyes burning with anticipation, as if afraid the money might escape.
The woman snickered, her meaning unclear.
After dinner, carrying the shirt, the two left the shop. Yi Jiadong watched their backs, always feeling that the woman had her eyes on Qin Xiaolei’s physique.
He couldn’t help but look down at himself—tall and well-proportioned with a handsome face, surely a man of talent.
Why did even Qin Xiaolei, dressed so sloppily and poorly, have women choose him, while he, at least a restaurant owner, went unnoticed?
As he wallowed in self-pity, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside. Looking up, he saw Fang Zhenyue and others brushing past Qin Xiaolei, who had just left.
Yi Jiadong laughed and went to greet them at the door, setting up a table there, “I’ve put up an awning today, let’s sit outside. It’s airy and the tables and chairs are new.”
The detectives took things from Yi Jiadong’s hands, setting up the table and chairs themselves, “Brother Jiadong, you’re busy, we’ll handle this.”
“I’ll order.” Fang Zhenyue pulled up a chair and briskly ordered eight dishes.
“What’s the good news, Sir Fang?” Yi Jiadong greeted with a smile.
“The new case has made progress with the confirmation of the victim’s identity. These unlucky guys seize every chance to make me treat them, so I had to come and patronize again.” Fang Zhenyue sternly faced Liu Jiaming and others, but his actions were generous, sparing no expense on meat and seafood.
Jiayi secured a spot next to Sir Fang and got up to help her brother while waiting for the dishes.
Serving and running around, the people who had brushed past her when entering left no impression on her mind.
If Jiayi had paid close attention to those two, she would have noticed that the beautiful woman, mostly hidden behind the robust Qin Xiaolei, was the very killer from the Changsha Bay case that she had seen in her mind’s images.
…
…
Standing in the elevator, She Jingjing continuously stroked her red hair, while the rugged Qin Xiaolei stared intently at the elevator’s numbers.
Country bumpkin.
She Jingjing’s home was brightly lit and spacious, a mansion Qin Xiaolei had never seen before.
As soon as he stepped inside, he was hit by a strong scent of perfume, so overpowering that he sneezed uncontrollably.
After removing his shoes, Qin Xiaolei felt embarrassed by the holes in his socks, but She Jingjing seemed unfazed by his discomfort, instead showing unusual warmth.
She kicked off her shoes and, barefoot with her tender white feet, led him to the kitchen to work.
Throughout, she sometimes handed him a cup of hot water, sometimes came close to watch him work, often making him uncomfortable—it was just getting in the way of his work.
A man rough and poor from childhood, he never believed anyone would fancy him, especially not a woman like She Jingjing.
Qin Xiaolei harbored no fantasies and no expectations, dedicated solely to helping her clean the kitchen and do repairs, soon sweating profusely.
After several unsuccessful attempts to engage, She Jingjing simply sat on the living room sofa, sipping orange juice and watching him work intently, oddly deriving some satisfaction from it.
She enjoyed Qin Xiaolei doing work for her—it was a feeling of being consciously powerful, possessing rights, as if she had become the most charming woman in the world.
She thought, this is the special treatment a beautiful woman should have; all men should submit to her, with no exceptions.
No exceptions!
The joy that Qin Xiaolei brought her was immense, and he hadn’t even taken any advantage of her; he just foolishly did so much work.
Everything old and broken in her house was fixed by him, clanging away; the range hood buzzed and vented, making her feel refreshed.
Especially when she thought about Qin Xiaolei foolishly slaving away for her, oblivious to what was about to happen, She Jingjing couldn’t help but smirk.
She glanced at the table in front of her, at the orange juice Qin Xiaolei had drunk most of, leaning against the couch, she touched the dagger hidden in the crevice.
It was a fruit knife, as long as two palms, colossal and incredibly sharp, emitting a bloodthirsty metallic cold light.