Chapter 2: Surprisingly… She’s a Mute?

Just then, a young man who had been hesitating by the nearby bookshelf for a while walked over to Feng Miwan and said,

“Um… hello, beautiful. Could I… could I get your contact info?”

Zhao Shutong turned her head, her face screaming “this is gonna be good” as she winked at Feng Miwan.

Feng Miwan didn’t even change her posture. She just lazily turned her head and looked at the guy:

“Sorry, I’m in a bad mood. I don’t want to add anyone.”

The guy clearly hadn’t expected such a direct rejection. He froze for a moment, then got even more eager:

“Why are you in a bad mood? Who upset you? Tell me, and I’ll go sort them out for you!”

Feng Miwan paused for two seconds, then said very calmly,

“I jinxed my boyfriend to death. I just came back from the funeral home.”

The guy’s face instantly froze, his expression shifting rapidly from eagerness to shock to horror:

“Ah… oh, like that… s-sorry! Beautiful, my condolences!”

With that, he turned and bolted out of the bookstore without looking back, as if staying a second longer would bring him bad luck.

Zhao Shutong bit her lip hard, her face turning red from holding back laughter.

There were still a few quiet customers reading in the store, so she didn’t dare laugh too loudly.

Feng Miwan turned back as if nothing had happened, resumed her slouch, and asked wistfully,

“Is my iced Americano ready yet? This poor soul desperately needs some caffeine to keep going.”

As she spoke, a cup of iced Americano was handed to her.

Feng Miwan grabbed it immediately, took a big gulp, and sighed in satisfaction:

“Saved! Alright, I’ll go find a spot to read.”

“Go on, go on, don’t hog the front counter,” Zhao Shutong said with a laugh, shooing her away like a little cat.

Feng Miwan took her book and coffee, sat down in a corner by the window, and immersed herself in the book about racing legends.

Time slipped by quietly.

After some time, hurried footsteps approached.

Zhao Shutong bent down, whispered in her ear,

“Miwan! I’ve got an emergency and have to step out—super urgent! Watch the store for me, please!”

Before Feng Miwan could respond, she dashed out the door like a gust of wind, leaving only the tinkling wind chimes behind.

Feng Miwan blinked for two seconds, then resignedly stood up. She hugged her book and coffee and sat down on the chair behind the front counter.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street.

Xiong Yibai was walking along the sidewalk, phone pressed to her ear, brows slightly furrowed.

“Little Bai, not everyone gets a chance like training at Modu Central Hospital. Have you thought it through?”

Her father Xiong Daichuan’s voice came from the phone.

Xiong Yibai adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose and replied as calmly as she could,

“Dad, I’m thinking about it. Don’t rush me. I need to solidify my position at the current hospital first.”

Without waiting for her father to persuade her further, she quickly said, “I’m busy now,” and hung up.

On the other end, in the dean’s office at Tanzhou City Hospital, Xiong Daichuan looked at the hung-up phone and sighed helplessly:

“Sigh, this kid—at 26, she still doesn’t give me a moment’s peace.”

Xiong Yibai pocketed her phone and let out a light breath.

She glanced around, her gaze drawn to a newly opened shop nearby.

“‘Wutong Book Cafe’?” She was mildly surprised. “When did a new bookstore open here?”

Some inexplicable pull made her pause, then push open the glass door and walk inside.

The wind chimes above the door tinkled.

Feng Miwan looked up at the sound.

In walked a tall, elegant woman in a simple beige trench coat.

Her long, slightly wavy hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders, and she wore gold-rimmed glasses that gave her an air of scholarly refinement.

Xiong Yibai scanned the bookstore interior, saw many guests reading quietly, and lightened her steps to avoid disturbing the peace.

She approached the front counter, lowered her head, and quickly typed on her phone screen.

Feng Miwan watched this striking beauty approach, her heart skipping a beat as she froze for a moment.

But she quickly snapped out of it and was about to smile and say, “Hello, what can I get you?”

However, before the words left her mouth, she saw the woman already bent over her phone, typing intently, showing no sign of speaking.

Feng Miwan swallowed her words, puzzled, and waited patiently.

Soon, Xiong Yibai looked up and turned her phone screen toward Feng Miwan.

Feng Miwan leaned in and saw a line of text:

“Hello, could I have a latte? Also, which section has the medical books?”

Feng Miwan suddenly understood: Oh my god! She’s so beautiful, such great vibe, and yet… she’s mute?

She can’t speak? What a shame!

With that thought, the way Feng Miwan looked at Xiong Yibai filled with pity and sympathy.

Xiong Yibai was baffled by her odd gaze, completely clueless.

Feng Miwan thought: How do you communicate with deaf-mute people? Sign language? But I don’t know it! What now?

In her panic, she relied on vague memories and started gesturing wildly at Xiong Yibai, flailing her hands to convey “okay,” “one moment,” and “over there.”

This performance left Xiong Yibai utterly confused.

Forget Xiong Yibai—even a real deaf-mute person wouldn’t understand.

Xiong Yibai frowned slightly:

What is this clerk doing? What are these gestures?

Seeing the woman not understand at all and look even more puzzled only confirmed Feng Miwan’s assumption—

She really can’t hear!

Communication failed completely.

Embarrassed, Feng Miwan stopped, then in a flash of inspiration, pulled out the store’s payment QR code and held it out to Xiong Yibai.

This, Xiong Yibai understood.

Though full of doubts, she scanned the code and paid for the latte.

“Beep.” Payment successful.

The printer whirred to life and spat out a small receipt.

Feng Miwan took it, flipped it over, grabbed a pen, and wrote:

“Okay, latte will take about three minutes. Medical books are on the far right, against the wall shelf.”

She handed the note to Xiong Yibai with an encouraging smile.

Xiong Yibai took it, read it, and couldn’t help but laugh wryly. Now she got it.

This girl… thought I was deaf-mute!

Xiong Yibai opened her mouth to explain,

but seeing the pitying look, the words stuck in her throat.

Explaining would just make it more awkward.

So, she stayed silent, nodded, and took the note.

During those three minutes waiting for the latte, Xiong Yibai stood at the counter, feeling time drag on like never before…

She really wanted to bolt…

Xiong Yibai screamed inwardly.