The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 12

He was indeed quite surprised; he hadn’t expected to run into Li Man here.

The main difference is that she was dressed completely differently today than at school—a beige blazer, paired with a light gray silk shirt and black trousers, and her hair was down, unlike her ponytail at school.

Dressed like that, sitting there, there’s not a trace of a high school student left.

He came over with the tray, not even thinking about her.

I should have avoided this table.

“Working?” Li Man stared at him, her brows furrowing. “What kind of work are you doing here?”

“Working while studying,” Han Xuetao said.

He turned slightly to the side and nodded to Li Jiquan and Gu Aizhi: “Uncle and Aunt, please call me if you need anything. I still have a few tables of guests over there.”

After saying that, he took half a step back, turned around, and left.

With a measured pace, he carried the tray steadily, and after a few steps, he even stepped aside to let a waiter carrying hot soup pass—a standard waiter’s posture when leaving the table, without a single flaw.

Li Man watched him walk away, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

“This student is quite polite,” Gu Aizhi picked up her fork and poked at the steak on her plate. “His name is Han Xuetao, right? How are your studies?”

“It’s alright,” Li Man said, looking down and fiddling with her pasta with her fork.

“What do you mean ‘not bad’?” Gu Aizhi glanced at her. “Isn’t your class an honors class? Those who can get into honors classes should all have pretty good grades.”

“I guess I was in the top five of my grade,” Li Man said vaguely. “I also applied to Ninghai University this time.”

“Ninghai University?” Li Jiquan put down his wine glass. “Then you might even be able to attend the same university as me.”

Gu Aizhi nodded and glanced again in the direction where Han Xuetao had disappeared.

“This male classmate is quite good-looking,” she lowered her voice and leaned closer to Li Man. “Even though he was wearing a mask, you could still tell from his eyes and eyebrows. It’s just that his family situation… might be a bit difficult.”

Li Man pursed her lips and didn’t reply.

Li Jiquan became serious: “It’s rare to find a filial son from a poor family. While others go out to play during summer vacation, he comes out to work to ease the burden on his family. It’s not easy for him. He has good grades and still works to support himself. This kind of boy is rare.”

He looked at Li Man and said, “You should learn from your classmates’ strengths.”

Li Man paused with her chopsticks.

Should I learn from him?

She thought to herself: Dad, Mom, you’ve been fooled by his appearance. Just a few days ago he was wearing his school uniform to the mahjong parlor!

But she pursed her lips and didn’t say it aloud.

After eating for a while, Li Man looked up.

Han Xuetao was tidying up a table not far away, wiping it and setting the tableware in one smooth motion. After finishing, he stood at the bar with a tray between his legs, his back ramrod straight.

Li Man put down her fork.

“I’ll be right there.”

She got up and walked towards the bar.

Gu Aizhi turned to look at her, then at Li Jiquan. Li Jiquan shook his head, indicating that she should mind her own business.

Li Man walked to the bar, where Han Xuetao was standing, holding a rag in his hand, but glancing westward.

“Han Xuetao”.

Han Xuetao looked away and turned to look at her.

“Why did you decide to come here to work and study?” Li Man asked.

Han Xuetao put down the rag: “I’m going to college soon, so I’m trying to earn some money for my tuition and fees.”

How much money can I earn working here?

“Five yuan a day. One hundred and fifty yuan a month.”

Li Man was stunned for a moment.

One hundred and fifty.

She treated Luo Diandian to cake and milk tea these past few days, spending almost two hundred yuan.

That means that what she ate and drank these past few days was equivalent to what Han Xuetao did here for more than a month?

She suddenly felt a little uneasy.

But she immediately remembered something else, her expression changed, and she lowered her voice to ask:

“I’m asking you, did you go to the mahjong parlor a few days ago?”

Han Xuetao paused, looking at her.

“Someone saw you,” Li Man said, staring into his eyes. “And you even went there wearing your school uniform.”

Who saw it?

“Luo Diandian’s dad,” Li Man said, “He manages more than a dozen neighborhood committee aunties. If you go into a mahjong parlor wearing your school uniform, someone will report you that very day.”

After listening, Han Xuetao was at a loss for words.

Was he deliberately wearing a school uniform to lower the guard of Liu Jun’s people?

I never imagined that the neighborhood committee aunties were so capable these days.

“You still haven’t answered me,” Li Man stared at him. “Did you go?”

Han Xuetao glanced at her: “I went. But not to play cards.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Work-study program,” Han Xuetao said. “I help them with odd jobs, order boxed lunches, and clear tables.”

Li Man was stunned.

So that’s how it is?

“Then why aren’t you going again?” she asked.

Han Xuetao looked at her, his lips twitching slightly: “How did you know I wasn’t going?”

Li Man’s face flushed slightly.

“Luo…Luo Diandian told me,” she said in a lower voice. “I was even thinking about whether to report you to the homeroom teacher so they could arrest you.”

“We’ve moved here,” Han Xuetao said. “We won’t go back over there.”

After hearing this, the feeling that had been nagging at Li Man for several days suddenly dissipated.

It turns out I had misunderstood him.

She bit her lip, then remembered something else.

“That day at the karaoke bar,” she asked, “what exactly happened between you and Zhang Lu?”

Han Xuetao glanced westward—a waiter was coming out of a private room carrying an empty tray.

“A customer is looking for me over there,” he said. “I’ll go over there.”

He carried the tray away.

Li Man stood there, watching him walk away, and softly hummed.

She turned her head and saw a waitress standing next to her, peeking in her direction.

“Hello,” Li Man leaned closer, “I’d like to ask, are you still hiring for work-study programs here?”

The waitress was stunned: “Huh?”

…

After finishing their meal, the family of three left Chunmei Restaurant.

A night breeze blew by, carrying a pleasant feel. Li Man walked between her parents and suddenly spoke:

“Mom, I’m not going on vacation.”

Gu Aizhi was taken aback: “What’s wrong?”

“I think Dad is right,” Li Man said. “We should learn from the students who do well. I’ve decided—I’ll come here to work and study tomorrow.”

Gu Aizhi stopped and looked at her as if she were some kind of rare and unusual object.

“You’re here? To serve dishes?”

“What’s wrong?”

“You don’t do any chores at home,” Gu Aizhi said. “You’ve barely washed any dishes.”

“How could you say I’ve never done it?” Li Man retorted, “Didn’t I make dumplings for you guys last time?”

Gu Aizhi opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything.

They did make dumplings, but they were unbearably salty. She and Li Jiquan managed to eat a few, drank half a vat of water, and then threw the rest away.

Li Jiquan laughed heartily beside him.

“Okay,” he patted his daughter on the shoulder, “If you want to exercise, then come on over.”

…

The next afternoon.

Han Xuetao arrived at Chunmei Hotel on time, changed his clothes, and walked into the sixth floor through the staff entrance with a tray.

He habitually glanced in the direction of 612 first—the door was closed, but he could hear faint laughter and chatter inside, so Liu Jun and the others must have already started.

He looked away, walked towards the bar, and prepared to start working.

Then he froze.

There was a person standing next to the bar.

Wearing a red waitress uniform—the Chunmei Hotel’s female staff uniforms are more fitted at the waist than the men’s, with a small black bow tie at the neckline, and the skirt falls just below the knee. This uniform, on Li Man, accentuated her waist and legs, making her look like she was wearing borrowed clothes when standing next to the actual waitresses.

She had a tray tucked under her arm, tilting her head and looking at him smugly.

Han Xuetao walked over and looked her up and down.

“Why are you here too?”

Li Man’s lips curled up: “If you can come here to work and study, why can’t I?”

Han Xuetao looked at her: “Your family of three spent 650 yuan on that meal yesterday. Are you someone who’s short of 150 yuan?”

Li Man raised her chin: “What’s wrong? Can’t I work a summer job to earn back the money for yesterday’s meal?”

Han Xuetao opened his mouth, but didn’t know how to respond.

At that moment, Manager Wang from the floor came over.

Manager Wang, in his forties, was tall and thin. He was usually quite strict with the waiters, but today he had a smile on his face, a smile that seemed rather subtle.

“Little Li is here?” He walked up to Li Man, his attitude unusually amiable. “Here’s what we’ll do: you’ll follow Little Han, let him guide you. Ask him if you don’t understand anything, and do whatever you see that needs doing. The pay is five yuan a day.”

He paused, then added, “It’s a work-study program, so there’s no need to be so strict. If you get tired of standing, you can find a place to sit down.”

Han Xuetao listened from the side, raising an eyelid slightly.

Manager Wang’s attitude is strange.

Little did he know, the general manager personally called Manager Wang in today and gave him some instructions—Secretary Li’s daughter from the Discipline Inspection Commission was coming to experience life here, so he needed to be careful and take care of her, but not too obviously…

Manager Wang was at his wit’s end.

Now it’s fine, just give this one to her classmate, since people your age are easier to talk to anyway.

Li Man was very polite and assured Manager Wang, “Manager Wang, don’t worry, I will do my job well.”

Manager Wang left with a smile.

Han Xuetao stood there, looking at Li Man, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

What is he here for?

They came to set a trap for Zhou Cheng.

Now it inexplicably has an extra tail?

But since Manager Wang had already spoken, he couldn’t say anything.

“Alright,” he glanced at Li Man, “Manager Wang instructed that from now on, you have to listen to me when you work here.”

Li Man snorted: “Okay.”

He thought to himself: Listen to you? Sooner or later I’ll surpass you and make you listen to me.

Han Xuetao said, “Let’s start with how we address each other. From now on, we won’t call each other by name—I’m waitress number six, and you’re waitress number seven. We’ll call each other by our numbers.”

Li Man blinked. “Okay, waitress number six.”