Cinderella Innocent and Boss Charming - Chapter 201

Chapter 201 Take Care of Yourself
Du Xiaoxian got out of the car and looked around. It was really quiet here. She did not expect that a coffee shop could be opened in such a secluded place. But it looked very stylish.

She pushed open the door and entered. There were only a few guests inside, which was a little bleak. Someone waved at her in the corner. Although the lights were dim, she recognized it was Xia Xiaowan.

When she got closer, Xia Xiaowan smiled and asked, “Was it hard to find this place?”

“Not really. The driver knew the address.” Du Xiaoxian sat down and untied her scarf to put it aside.

“What do you want to drink?” Xia Xiaowan called for a waiter.

“Just give me a glass of water,” said Du Xiaoxian.

Xia Xiaowan asked, “Don’t you like coffee because it’s bitter?”

“No, I just can’t get used to it.”

Xia Xiaowan said to the waiter, “Give this young miss a glass of boiled water.”

The waiter took the order and then turned around and left. Soon, he brought a glass of boiled water. Du Xiaoxian saw that there was a small list in the tray. She picked it up and saw that the glass of boiled water was actually eight yuan. She was a little surprised. She looked up at the waiter and said, “You even charge the boiled water?”

“Yes, Miss,” replied the waiter half-bent respectfully. “We don’t offer anything free.”

“But eight yuan for a glass of boiled water is far too expensive. It’s just a glass of water. A pot of boiling water can fill many glasses.”

“The water itself is not expensive,” explained the waiter patiently. “It’s the environment and the service that are expensive, which are both included in the cost.”

Du Xiaoxian did not quite understand, “Environment can also be sold for money?”

“Okay, I’ll answer that question for you.” Xia Xiaowan raised her chin at the waiter. “Just leave us alone. Please…”

“Oh, absolutely.” The waiter nodded knowingly and turned to leave.

Xia Xiaowan looked around and said to Du Xiaoxian, “Look at the decoration and furnishings here, they are all very exquisite. Every table has flowers on it. The expense alone on that will not be small, and their service is also very thoughtful. It really makes people feel at home. The coffee is freshly ground with a rich fragrance and a good taste. Compared to the instant coffee outside, it’s naturally different. Therefore, it’s reasonable to sell a cup of boiled water for eight yuan. Do you understand my explanation?”

“Does that mean that even if you don’t order anything, just sitting here alone costs money?”

“They don’t set a minimum consumption, but who would come into such a place and just sit? Since we come in, we always ask for something to drink.”

Du Xiaoxian understood. Those who could enter this place naturally wouldn’t care about this little bit of money. People without money didn’t dare to enter such a place.

“Young Master… Is he doing alright?”

“He’s fine,” Xia Xiaowan stirred the coffee with a spoon. “He just doesn’t want to see you.”

“I know. I’ve made him sad.”

“He told me everything that has happened between you two,” Xia Xiaowan put down the spoon and took a sip of coffee. “It’s better to say that he doesn’t know how to face you than that you’ve made him sad.” Xia Xiaowan hesitated and rubbed her fingers on the coffee cup as if she didn’t know what to say.

“Actually, he still likes you, but when he faces me… You know that he and I have known each other since childhood. He used to like me, but now he… “Xia Xiaowan sighed. “He should have come to tell you himself, but he doesn’t know how to face you, and this kind of thing can’t be entrusted to anyone else, so… ”

Xia Xiaowan hesitated and said brokenly as if she was in a difficult situation. However, Du Xiaoxian understood the meaning behind her words.

“Young Master still likes you, but he feels sorry for me, so he doesn’t know how to face me, does he?”

“He often tells me that you are silly and dull, but I think you are a smart girl, so there are some things that even if I don’t say it, you will understand.”

Xia Xiaowan looked a little guilty and took out a narrow piece of paper from her bag and handed it to Du Xiaoxian. “Brother Nianbin asked me to give it to you. If you don’t think it’s enough, you can ask for more. Or if you have other requests, you can also say it at the same time. And, he asked me to apologize to you for him!”

When Du Xiaoxian heard this, she knew what Xia Xiaowan meant. But she did not take it, and she was not interested in how many zeros there were on the cheque. She thought she would cry, but she did not. Her voice was unexpectedly calm, “Young Master has always treated me well. He doesn’t need to apologize. I’m the one who should apologize. He has given me too much, so I can’t take anything from him anymore. I won’t request anything either. Miss Xia, please tell him that I thank him for taking care of me these days. I hope he could be happy and wish you two happiness!”

“Xiaoxian, you’re a nice girl,” Xia Xiaowan said sincerely. “It’s right because you’re so nice that Brother Nianbin feels guilty. Don’t hate him. He’s really in a dilemma.”

“I know.” Du Xiaoxian lowered her head. She was so sad, but she lifted her head again after a while, “I won’t hate him.”

Xia Xiaowan smiled. She picked up her coffee and drank it slowly. Her slender fingers curled up slightly. The light shone from behind, spreading a faint halo all around her. Although she was against the light, it could be seen that her makeup was exquisite. She wore a faint layer of lipstick, and her dense and curly eyelashes made her eyes look shiningly dark like the stars in the sky. She wore a short pink coat that had a large white shawl collar. She also wore a scarf with wash painting around her neck, with her wavy hair hanging over her shoulders. She looked very casual, with a faint and beaming smile on her face.

This was the first time Du Xiaoxian had looked at her so carefully. She felt that she was really beautiful. And she was the kind of woman who should stand beside Gu Nianbin.

“You,” Xia Xiaowan smiled, seemingly embarrassed, “when are you leaving? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean anything else, it’s just that Brother Nianbin might go home to get his clothes. He’s afraid of bumping into you, so…”

Du Xiaoxian thought for a moment and said, “Don’t worry, if I can’t leave tonight, I’ll definitely leave tomorrow morning.”

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry.” Xia Xiaowan asked, “Have you found a place to stay? Do you want me to find a house for you? After all, I know a lot of people and have more connections.”

“No need, thank you,” Du Xiaoxian bit her lips and slowly stood up. “If there’s nothing else to say, I’m leaving first.”

Xia Xiaowan nodded and said, “Take care of yourself.”

Du Xiaoxian wanted to smile at her, but she couldn’t. So she could only quickly turn around and leave.

It was only five o’clock in the afternoon, but it was already dark. The dim daylight occupied everywhere, and the lights on the streets were not on yet. The entire world seemed to be enveloped in a heavy gray, giving off an endless sense of decadence. It was as if everything was hopeless. It really was. Du Xiaoxian did not know where her future lay. She could not see it, only felt that nothing mattered anymore. It didn’t seem like she was sad. She was just like a soulless person, slowly wandering around the streets.

Vehicles flew along the road, making loud noises. People came and went with expressionless faces. Because of the cold, many people hid their faces in hats and scarves. Du Xiaoxian could not see them clearly as if they were just blurry backgrounds. Although she could not see their faces clearly, she knew that they were all in a hurry. She was the only exception. She walked slowly as if she was strolling in a quiet courtyard.

As Du Xiaoxian walked, she suddenly stopped and looked around blankly. The crowd was so silent but they all quickly passed by her side, groups after groups, seemingly endless. She was very panicked. These people seemed to have a clear destination. They might be going home or meeting someone, but she did not. She did not have a home, nor did she have anyone to meet. She only had herself. It seemed as if she had returned to her childhood when there was only herself accompanying herself.

She stopped here, but the world would not stop, and Gu Nianbin would not stop. No one would stop, and no one was interested in her. She was just a pitiful, lowly, and small person like dust. She should not have expected anything.

She stood there for a long time. She seemed to have thought about many things, but she didn’t seem to think about anything either. She still remembered that when she first moved in with Gu Nianbin, he drove her to school. When she returned home, she usually got out of the car on the way and walked home. At that time, she felt that everything was new and beautiful. She would feel very happy and satisfied by walking slowly while enjoying the scenery. It was only a few months ago that she strolled along the same streets, but she could no longer feel her original state of mind.

Perhaps it’s time to get off work, and the traffic was starting to get stuck on the road. The sound of cars speeding past gradually faded away, which was replaced by the sound of horns, one after another. It was so noisy that it was annoying. When the evening lights were lit, it seemed countless tiny moths were flying in the dim yellow light. Du Xiaoxian looked for a long time before she realized that it was raining lightly. The sky became darker and darker. She thought that it was going to rain heavily. She had no umbrella, so she had to hurry home.

But when she lifted her foot, she actually didn’t know where to go. Where was the place she should go? She was a little confused, like a lost child, looking around helplessly.

The rain gradually began to fall heavily. She put on the hat of her clothes, put the small bag across her shoulder, and began to run forward. She was all alone, so she could not get sick. She had no money, and no one cared about her anymore.

She ran to the bus stop and jumped on a bus. There were no empty seats, so she stood beside a man wearing glasses and held the pull ring while swaying around along with the bus. After a few stops, she realized that something was wrong. This was not her way home. At the next stop, she got off the bus and braced herself up to look at the bus line information. She finally found the right line to go home. However, after waiting for a long time, the bus still did not come. The originally crowded platform gradually became deserted. Everyone had waited for the bus that would take them home, leaving only her. The world forgot about her again.

The bus finally came. Du Xiaoxian got on the bus with tired paces. There were only two or three people on the bus. The driver was a middle-aged man. He looked at her and actually started a conversation with her, “Have you been waiting for a long time?”

“Yes,” said Du Xiaoxian. “I’ve been waiting for long.”

The driver said, “It can’t be helped. There are very few buses on this line. The time interval is longer.”

Du Xiaoxian asked, “Why so few?”

The driver patiently explained to her, “Because that area is a place where rich people live. Only a few people will take buses, and it can’t earn money for the bus company, so there are naturally fewer buses!”

Du Xiaoxian suddenly came to a realization. So it was like this. She turned around and walked slowly towards the back, but the driver stopped her and said, “Little girl, you haven’t paid yet.”

“Ah, sorry.” She quickly turned around, swiped the card on the machine, and then found a seat to sit down.