Restaurants at this time were commonly named "Dàzhòng Fànguǎn" (Popular Restaurant), "Qúnzhòng Fànguǎn" (Masses Restaurant), or "Xiàngyáng Fànguǎn" (Sunshine Restaurant).
Ordinary restaurant names were very down-to-earth. If it were a Western restaurant, the names would be so foreign and incomprehensible that people couldn't understand them. The contrast between foreign and local was stark.
Suddenly, a restaurant with a completely different name, one with a distinct ancient charm, opened, attracting quite a few people.
Some elderly people began to reminisce about how restaurants and taverns in the capital were named decades ago.
The younger generation, however, felt that the name Yīmíngxuān had artistic merit and sounded much better than names like "Popular" or "Sunshine."
Of course, some people felt that such a name was not good, suspecting a hint of nostalgia for feudal remnants.
In short, the opening of Yīmíngxuān created a small trend in the capital.
Most people have a herd mentality. Since the name had already attracted a lot of attention, people naturally came to experience it.
Without any advertising, Yīmíngxuān attracted many customers on its opening day.
These customers came from all walks of life.
This situation was normal at the beginning of the business.
After all, a stable customer base had not yet been formed.
Only as time went by, and unsuitable customers were gradually eliminated, would a stable customer base eventually be formed.
Su Xiaotian and her siblings had not yet started school, so they all swarmed to help out at the restaurant.
The Su family's children were all very sensible. They busied themselves, managing the entire restaurant in an orderly fashion.
Chi Yiyuan also voluntarily put on an apron and helped out inside and out. He had previously helped Grandma Su sell breakfast for a period, so he was very familiar with these tasks, even more so than the Su siblings.
Su Xiaotian didn't want to help in the kitchen and wanted to serve dishes and meals. Grandma Su worried that she was too young and might get scalded by hot liquids, so she didn't let her.
Thus, the only thing Su Xiaotian could do was to greet guests.
There were quite a few guests today. Yīmíngxuān had over twenty tables, both upstairs and downstairs, and they were more than half full in a short time.
Su Xiaotian was sweet-mouthed and liked to smile. While busy greeting guests in the hall, she did a commendable job.
The others were busy with their own tasks. Seeing that Su Xiaotian was not in danger, they let her get on with it.
Su Xiaotian had also worked in a restaurant in her previous life, so she handled these tasks with ease. She guided each guest to their seats and could even liven up the guests' moods with a few words.
The guests were very surprised to see such a young girl greeting them.
In fact, some guests praised her highly.
After escorting a table of guests to a private room upstairs, Su Xiaotian happened to glance at the entrance.
At that very moment, she saw a familiar face!
This familiar face belonged to none other than Xiao Rui.
Su Xiaotian was somewhat afraid of this girl with a not-so-bright mind. Seeing this familiar figure, she wished she could just facepalm and tell these people directly that her family did not do business with people like them.
She wailed inwardly, lamenting: What kind of karmic debt is this!
How could two people who should have had no intersection constantly meet inexplicably?
If possible, she really wanted to refuse them outright.
But as a business owner, one must be tolerant.
A guest is a guest, and there is no reason to refuse a guest entry!
To avoid conflict, Su Xiaotian made a decision almost immediately.
She quickly dodged and rushed directly into the kitchen.
Xiao Rui did not see Su Xiaotian.
After entering the restaurant, she scanned the surroundings.
It was at this glance that she saw the person she had been longing for.
Xiao Rui didn't know why, but she was so interested in a man she had only met once!
But the feeling of longing was too unbearable. Even though her parents wanted to take her out for a meal today, she had no interest.
At this moment, she couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had come along.
The surprise came so quickly!
Subconsciously, Xiao Rui scanned the surroundings again. She was sure she didn't see Su Xiaotian.
Her face lit up with joy. She quickly told her parents and then ran directly towards Chi Yiyuan.
Xiao Rui's father frowned immediately when he saw his daughter happily running towards a young man.
But in her excitement, Xiao Rui forgot that her parents might object to such an important matter.
Xiao Rui's mother suddenly looked at her daughter's pretty face, beaming as she ran towards a young man, and was very surprised.
"Old Zhou, what is Xiao Rui doing?"
Xiao Rui's mother was not present on the day Xiao Rui took her exam, so she had not met Chi Yiyuan.
However, after sizing up Chi Yiyuan, especially seeing him wearing an apron and seemingly helping out in the restaurant, her expression turned very displeased.
Xiao Rui's father also recognized Chi Yiyuan.
His face was dark, but he still patiently answered his wife's question.
"When I took Xiao Rui to her exam, I happened to see a classmate. Xiao Rui seems to be interested in him."
The more he spoke, the more Xiao Rui's father felt that he might have caused trouble.
As expected, the next second, his wife's voice clearly reached his ears!
"Nonsense, how old is Xiao Rui? This is the time for her to focus on her studies. How can she have such messy thoughts?"
"She's just a child..." Xiao Rui's father tried to explain.
"What child? Can such matters be taken lightly? A girl of thirteen or fourteen already understands some things!" Xiao Rui's mother said sternly.
"I'll go call her back now!"
Although Xiao Rui's father said this, his feet did not move.
"Just look at these people. Someone working in a restaurant, how can he be allowed to interact with Xiao Rui? Old Zhou, you were supposed to watch your daughter for a day, what did you find out?"
"He should be a student," Xiao Rui's father explained.
"Look at the apron he's wearing, the grease on his hands, and his face. Does he look like a student at all? Old Zhou, you've disappointed me too much!"
Xiao Rui's mother spoke with a very unpleasant tone, even blaming Xiao Rui's father.
She believed that it was because Xiao Rui's father had not watched her properly that this problem occurred.
If she had known, she should have taken Xiao Rui to the exam herself, and there would not have been problems like Xiao Rui's diarrhea affecting her score.
Nor would her daughter have been attracted to such a lowly person.
Although Xiao Rui's father always put on the airs of an education bureau leader, appearing quite imposing to outsiders,
In reality, Xiao Rui's mother was the one in charge.
Meanwhile, Xiao Rui had already reached Chi Yiyuan.
Chi Yiyuan also recognized Xiao Rui.
It was too late for him to avoid her. Xiao Rui stood before him with a smile. Her originally pretty face, which Chi Yiyuan had avoided like the plague before, made him even less inclined to greet her proactively.
Chi Yiyuan frowned and decided to ignore her.
"Why are you like this? Can't you say a word to me?" Xiao Rui felt extremely wronged.
She had taken the initiative to greet him, how could she be treated like this?
"I'm sorry, we're not familiar with each other!" Chi Yiyuan's tone remained very cold.
Xiao Rui, however, was persistent and wanted to talk to Chi Yiyuan about something.
Chi Yiyuan, annoyed, looked around for Su Xiaotian.
He had no experience dealing with such a spoiled and willful girl, so he wanted Su Xiaotian to handle it.
The Su brothers and Chi Yiyuan had developed a habit: when encountering a girl, they would let Su Xiaotian resolve the issue.
However, Su Xiaotian, not wanting to see Xiao Rui, had already hidden in the kitchen and couldn't be found.
"Can you tell me your name? Maybe we'll be classmates in the future!" Xiao Rui insisted.
"I will never be your classmate!"
Chi Yiyuan already knew that this inexplicable girl was taking the same exam as Su Xiaotian, and he had applied for the second year of high school.
"Even if we can't be classmates, can't we be schoolmates?"
It had to be said that Xiao Rui had some redeeming qualities. At least in terms of talking to herself, no one could match her.
Chi Yiyuan wanted to leave, but Xiao Rui blocked his path, unless he pushed her aside.
As a boy, Chi Yiyuan really couldn't bring himself to push a girl aside.
While he was in a difficult position, he suddenly heard a cold female voice.
"Xiao Rui!"
Chi Yiyuan looked up and indeed saw a middle-aged woman who bore a resemblance to Xiao Rui.
"Mom!" Xiao Rui quickly said.
"Have you no manners?" Xiao Rui's mother's words were very stern.
Xiao Rui instantly cowered.
"Mom, I, I just met a classmate..." Xiao Rui was not afraid of her father, but she was afraid of her strict mother.
"Classmate?" Xiao Rui's mother looked Chi Yiyuan up and down, then let out a disdainful snort.
He was clearly someone helping out in a restaurant. What kind of eyes did this father and daughter have to consider such a person a student?
It had to be said that Chi Yiyuan did not look like a student at this moment.
After all, Chi Yiyuan had not been to school for many years, and his demeanor was completely different from that of a student, even carrying a hint of rustic charm.
It was no wonder that Xiao Rui's mother instinctively felt that Chi Yiyuan was not a student.
"Please excuse me, I have things to do!" Chi Yiyuan ignored the strange behavior of the family of three and spoke directly.
Xiao Rui's mother said to Xiao Rui in a cold voice, "You've learned to lie. Classmate? Really a classmate?"
"Mom, really, it's true. We took the exam for Seventh High School together!" Xiao Rui began to explain stammeringly.
But with just one sentence, Xiao Rui's mother sensed something was wrong.
Did taking an exam automatically make them classmates? A delinquent youth might register, but that didn't mean they would be admitted!
And in Xiao Rui's mother's opinion, Chi Yiyuan was clearly the one who wouldn't be admitted.
"Xiao Rui, you are a child of the Zhou family. You must know your own importance and not casually interact with just anyone!"
Xiao Rui's mother's words were merciless, and her tone was particularly unpleasant.
Chi Yiyuan had no intention of staying any longer. Fortunately, Xiao Rui moved aside slightly, and he immediately walked past her towards the kitchen.
Seeing Chi Yiyuan heading to the kitchen, Xiao Rui's mother became even more convinced of her thoughts.
He was just someone helping out in a restaurant, perhaps a waiter or an apprentice.
In any case, he was not someone respectable enough to be friends with their family.
"Wait..." Xiao Rui's unfinished words were silenced by her mother's cold gaze!
"Let's go back!" Xiao Rui's mother decided on the spot. They wouldn't eat and would go home immediately.
Xiao Rui was unwilling, but what could she do?
In their family, her mother always had the final say. Even her father had to listen to her mother, let alone her.
Despite her reluctance, Xiao Rui left Yīmíngxuān, looking back repeatedly.
When Chi Yiyuan reached the kitchen and saw Su Xiaotian, he couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair.
This little girl was smart, hiding so early.
He decided that if he saw that girl with the deficient brain again, he would also stay far away.
"Oh, Brother Yiyuan, you've messed up my hair!" Su Xiaotian mumbled.
"I told you to hide. You didn't even tell me when you saw that oxygen-deprived person. You're too ungrateful!" Chi Yiyuan ruffled her hair again.
Su Xiaotian giggled, staring at Chi Yiyuan's face, smiling more triumphantly.
"You girl, still laughing!"
"Brother Yiyuan, that girl is captivated by your male charm!" Su Xiaotian said without thinking.
Chi Yiyuan was startled by Su Xiaotian's comment about being captivated by his male charm.
What kind of shocking words were these?
He stared at Su Xiaotian with a dangerous gaze.
"Little girl, don't say such shocking words in the future!"
Only then did Su Xiaotian realize what earth-shattering words she had just uttered.
How could she say such a thing?
She quickly said, "I was just speaking carelessly, I didn't mean anything else, Brother Yiyuan, don't overthink it!"
But then, Su Xiaotian continued, "But she really likes you!"
The affection in her eyes was almost impossible to hide. She had only met him once, and she didn't know why that girl liked him.
Chi Yiyuan didn't think that a little girl of Su Xiaotian's age would know what liking someone meant.
But for the little girl to say the word "like" was wrong!
"Don't say such things in the future, or else..."
He couldn't finish the threat. Chi Yiyuan didn't know how he would punish Su Xiaotian, even if she said something outrageous again.
Su Xiaotian stuck out her tongue and ran off!
When Su Xiaotian came out again, Xiao Rui's family was nowhere to be found.
She even checked every corner of the restaurant before she was sure that Xiao Rui's family had left.
What was going on? They came for a meal, why did they leave without eating?
Could it be that Brother Yiyuan said something unpleasant to Xiao Rui?
This wouldn't do. She would have to tell Brother Yiyuan later that guests should not be turned away.