Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 42: Mother and Daughter

Lan Yixian placed a stack of steaming bamboo baskets on a customer’s table.

The customer, a middle-aged man in his forties, let his gaze linger on her as she bent over, adjusting her apron.

Sensing the man’s stare, Lan Yixian instinctively lowered her head, avoiding eye contact, though she hadn’t noticed the inappropriate nature of his gaze.

“Shiyan, if you’re going to be late for class, just leave. I can manage here,” she called out toward the back of the shop.

“It’s fine, Mom! I can skip morning self-study,” Zhou Shiyan replied cheerfully.

Petite and nimble, Zhou Shiyan had her sleek black hair tied up in a neat bun. She swiftly picked up a tray of dumplings and carried them to a customer.

Watching her daughter, Lan Yixian’s face softened into a smile.

Life… seems to be getting a little better.

Despite being a full-time student, Zhou Shiyan had begun helping out at the family’s breakfast shop in the mornings. The school’s morning schedule often coincided with the shop’s busiest hours, making her assistance invaluable.

Initially, business was slow, but over the past couple of days, there had been a surprising influx of customers.

Because of her excellent grades, Zhou Shiyan had been granted permission by her teachers to skip morning self-study, provided it didn’t affect her academic performance.

“A basket of steamed dumplings and a bowl of soy milk,” said a tall man as he sat down.

“Yes, coming right up!” Zhou Shiyan responded quickly, seating him at a free table.

She placed a basket of dumplings before him, then dashed to the back to fill a bowl with soy milk.

As she hurried back to the table, her foot caught on something. She stumbled slightly, and some of the soy milk splashed out.

She didn’t fall, thanks to the man’s quick reaction—he reached out to steady her.

When Zhou Shiyan glanced at the soy milk, her face turned pale. What had been a full bowl now had a noticeable spill.

Her gaze drifted to the man’s pants, where a wet patch had formed on his right thigh.

Setting the soy milk on the table, her expression turned panicked.

“I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to—”

The man withdrew his hand, then grabbed some napkins from the table to blot at his pants.

“It’s fine, really. I’m okay—that’s what matters,” he said with a reassuring smile.

Looking at the man’s face, Zhou Shiyan froze for a moment. There was something about him that seemed… familiar.

Hearing the commotion, Lan Yixian hurried over.

“What happened?”

“Mom… I accidentally spilled soy milk on the customer’s pants…”

Lan Yixian’s face filled with apology as she turned to the man.

“I’m so sorry! This meal is on us as compensation.”

“No need, boss. It’s really not a big deal—it’s just a small spill, and it’ll dry soon enough. I’ll pay for my meal, no problem. Don’t worry about it.”

He smiled warmly and added, “You should get back to work. Your daughter is very diligent, helping out at her age. What grade is she in? Third or fourth?”

Lan Yixian glanced at her daughter, then chuckled softly.

“You’re quite the joker. My daughter’s in middle school, not elementary!”

The customer’s expression froze momentarily at Lan Yixian’s remark about her daughter being a middle schooler. The awkwardness quickly took over, and he bowed his head, pulling out the disposable chopsticks to focus on eating.

Lan Yixian and Zhou Shiyan, seeing that the customer no longer wished to engage, returned to their respective tasks.

As he ate his dumplings, Liu Changqing couldn’t help but feel the lingering embarrassment.

That girl looks just a little taller than my daughter, and she’s in middle school? And I asked such a dumb question…

He shoved another dumpling into his mouth, letting its flavor distract him.

These are pretty good.

He compared the dumplings to the last place his son had brought breakfast from. Those had been mostly dough with barely any filling, leaving him feeling like he’d eaten steamed bread.

But this place gets it just right—perfect ratio of dough to filling.

The only downside was that it was out of the way. Otherwise, Liu Changqing thought it would have been great to bring breakfast home from here for his kids.

What a pity…

Zhou Shiyan barely made it to class on time again, slipping in just moments before the teacher entered.

She hurried to her seat, pulling out the textbook for the next subject and preparing everything she needed. Her breathing hadn’t even settled yet.

From across the room, Zhao Xuanwen noticed her.

“Why has Zhou Shiyan been coming late so much lately? She used to always be here early!” she whispered, poking Liu Zhiyue with her pen.

Turning his head slightly, Liu Zhiyue responded, “How should I know? And weren’t you ignoring me yesterday?”

At this reminder, Zhao Xuanwen’s curious expression froze. She turned her head away abruptly, shutting her mouth tight as if sealing a promise.

Watching her, Liu Zhiyue couldn’t help but smile faintly.

She kept her resolve for the entire lesson, staring straight at the blackboard as though deeply engrossed. However, her wandering gaze made it clear she wasn’t understanding much.

When the lesson ended and the teacher left the classroom, Liu Zhiyue stood up, holding the notebook he had borrowed from Zhou Shiyan.

“Let me out. I need to return this,” he said to Zhao Xuanwen, who remained seated and unmoving.

“…”

She ignored him, continuing to stare at the now-empty blackboard.

“The class is over. Why are you still staring at the board?”

“…”

Still no response.

Liu Zhiyue sighed in exasperation.

He tried squeezing past her chair, but it seemed Zhao Xuanwen had anticipated this and scooted her chair backward, leaving no space for him to pass.

Realizing he couldn’t get through, he asked, “Why aren’t you letting me out?”

“…”

She remained silent, her eyes fixed on the blackboard as if he didn’t exist.

At that moment, Zhou Shiyan walked to the back of the classroom. Stopping beside Liu Zhiyue and Zhao Xuanwen, she extended her hand.

“My notebook.”

“Here. I was just about to return it, but I’m stuck…”

Relieved by her presence, Liu Zhiyue handed over the notebook.

Zhou Shiyan took it, her gaze shifting between him and Zhao Xuanwen, who sat puffing her cheeks and looking upset.

Without a word, Zhou Shiyan accepted the notebook and turned her attention back to Liu Zhiyue.

“What?” he asked, noticing her lingering stare. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No, nothing.”

After giving him one last glance, Zhou Shiyan turned and walked away.

Completely puzzled, Liu Zhiyue watched her retreating figure and scratched his head.