I’m No Longer Human After Being Blacklisted – CH20

Chapter 20 – My Shop, My Rules

Ling Chen had been expecting this and quickly intervened, blocking the punch with his arm. He grabbed Huo Wei around the waist, pulling him back with all his strength. But Huo Wei clung to Lin Jiu’s clothes, shouting angrily, “How dare you come back?! How do you have the nerve to come back?!”

The elevator door slowly opened, and Ling Chen saw people standing outside, equally shocked by the scene inside. He quickly pressed the door-close button and then hit the button for the basement.

“It’s all because of you! Our group disbanded! Now I’m stuck acting in trashy shows, and Ling doesn’t even have a manager! Meanwhile, you come and go as you please! Do you have any sense of responsibility?! Being in a group with you has been the worst luck of our lives!”

“Shut up, Huo Wei!” Ling Chen scolded.

The elevator opened again, luckily with no one outside. They were all public figures, and if someone caught them fighting, it would be yet another scandal. Dream Group had enough black marks already; they couldn’t afford anymore.

Ling Chen dragged Huo Wei out of the elevator, pushing him away. “Calm down! Do you want to make the headlines for fighting?”

“How can I calm down?! Dream Group disbanded because of him! We worked so hard for three years, only to disband in such disgrace! We didn’t even get a proper farewell concert! We just dissolved amidst the scorn and jeers! I’ve held it in for so long, and now that I finally see the culprit, I don’t care if I end up on the news for fighting!”

Huo Wei lunged at Lin Jiu again, but Ling Chen pushed him back. “It’s not his fault. Stop being an idiot!”

“It’s not his fault? Wasn’t it because of his scandal with the captain that we ended up in this mess? Wasn’t it because he disappeared suddenly that all our events and performances were canceled? Wasn’t it because of him that the group had to disband? How is any of this not his fault?!”

Huo Wei’s furious shouts echoed through the empty parking lot.

Fearing they might attract attention, Ling Chen told Lin Jiu, “You should go. I’ll calm him down.”

Lin Jiu stood still, his gaze steady on the raging Huo Wei. In a calm voice, he said, “I didn’t entangle myself with the captain, and it was wrong of me to disappear suddenly. For that, I apologize.”

“Don’t give me that fake apology! I don’t want it, and I won’t forgive you!” Huo Wei shouted as if he had just swallowed dynamite, his anger explosive.

Lin Jiu, having said his piece, turned to Ling Chen and asked, “Were you really blacklisted?”

Ling Chen shook his head. “No, I just don’t want to write songs.”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?! You should search your name. Almost no one remembers you anymore!” Huo Wei retorted angrily.

Ling Chen sighed, “That’s my own problem. It has nothing to do with A-Jiu.”

“It has everything to do with him! If it weren’t for him…”

“Enough!” Ling Chen cut Huo Wei off. Turning to Lin Jiu, he said, “You should go. We’ll catch up another day. Huo Wei’s temper might make things worse.”

Lin Jiu gave them one last glance before quietly leaving.

Huo Wei was furious. “When did he come back? Why didn’t any of you tell me?!”

Ling Chen replied calmly, “If we told you, would you just go looking for trouble with him?”

“Shouldn’t I? I’ve been busy, but once I have time, I’ll go to his door, splash oil on it, and paint graffiti all over!” Huo Wei kicked the air twice in frustration.

Ling Chen looked at him and sighed helplessly, “A-Wei, you’re two years older than A-Jiu. How can you keep being so rash? You’re not young anymore; it’s time to be more thoughtful.”

Huo Wei glared, “What do you mean I’m not being thoughtful?!”

Ling Chen said, “There are some things you shouldn’t judge based on just one side of the story or appearances.”

Huo Wei was confused. “What do you mean?”

Ling Chen shook his head. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

*

On his way back, Lin Jiu passed a bicycle shop and bought a bike to ride home. He frequently moved around the old streets of the west side, and nothing was more convenient than riding a bicycle.

When Lin Jiu returned to his small shop, it was already past 4 PM, and almost time to open. He parked the bike under the window and opened the door to the store.

Today, there were only three dishes on the menu. Lin Jiu no longer had time to prepare the ingredients for crab congee, nor to cook it, so he took it off the menu, leaving only the seafood rice and sashimi platter.

As soon as the clock struck opening time, Lin Jiu started his business. The first customer, once again, was the elderly man from lunchtime.

Mr. Song was pushed in by Secretary Jin, smiling broadly. “Do you still have seafood rice? I missed out on it at lunch, and I’ve been feeling off ever since. I must have some seafood rice tonight.”

“Yes, what kind would you like?” Lin Jiu walked into the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.

Mr. Song glanced at the menu for the day and sighed regretfully, “I was hoping to try your crab congee, but I see it’s already off the menu. What a pity.”

Secretary Jin, impeccably dressed, said, “It’s no problem. The seafood rice is also a rare delicacy.”

Mr. Song agreed, “Two large portions of seafood rice and one sashimi platter.”

“Got it, just a moment.”

Lin Jiu responded and took a square thermal box from the fridge, filled with ingredients for the seafood rice. These had been prepared in the smart kitchen beforehand and stored in the fridge for convenience.

The kitchen was open, allowing diners to watch Lin Jiu prepare their food. His smooth, practiced movements were a joy to observe.

Just as Lin Jiu finished preparing two portions of seafood rice, a new customer walked in — a young couple. Lin Jiu recognized the young man; he had also been here at lunch.

“What would you like to eat?” Lin Jiu asked while continuing his work.

Shao Yunxi looked at the menu for the day and chuckled. “Other than seafood rice and the sashimi platter, is there anything else to eat?”

Lin Jiu’s face remained impassive. “No.”

“Well, then, two orders of seafood rice and two sashimi platters, please.”

Shao Yunxi was about to find a seat, but his companion pulled him back. “Yunxi, I want to eat Japanese food, not this. What kind of place is this? There’s hardly anything to eat. I don’t want to eat here.”

Shao Yunxi patiently explained, “The seafood rice here is amazing. Just try it, and you’ll see.”

The woman pouted, “I don’t want to try it. I want to go to Chunhe Japanese Restaurant in the city. Take me there!”

“Next time, I promise. Tonight, let’s eat here first, alright?” Shao Yunxi coaxed.

The woman reluctantly agreed, “Is there a private room? I don’t like eating out in the open.”

Shao Yunxi turned to Lin Jiu, “Do you have a private room?”

Without looking up, Lin Jiu said, “No.”

The woman pointed to a room at the back. “What about that one?”

Lin Jiu hesitated, concerned that Si Shen might come by for dinner later. “The private rooms are not available at the moment.”

The woman then pointed upstairs. “What about upstairs?”

Lin Jiu glanced at her briefly. She was wearing a mask, so he couldn’t see her face clearly. “Upstairs is also unavailable.”

Angry, the woman snapped, “Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me? I’m a public figure; it’s inconvenient for me to eat in public. How can you run a business if you don’t have the sense to accommodate that?”

Lin Jiu didn’t respond. He finished plating the sashimi platter that Mr. Song had ordered, then carefully placed the seafood rice, shrimp soup, and sashimi on a tray and brought them over to Mr. Song’s table.

Mr. Song gazed at the bowl of seafood rice, already feeling satisfied just by looking at it. He had been watching Lin Jiu’s response, curious to see how he would handle the current situation.

Lin Jiu held the wooden tray and said to the woman, “If you’re in my store, you follow my rules. If you don’t, no food.”

The woman was stunned by Lin Jiu’s indifference, and her anger reached a boiling point.

Mr. Song hadn’t expected the young shop owner to be so firm and burst out laughing.

The woman was speechless, practically fuming with rage.

Lin Jiu glanced at Mr. Song and kindly reminded him, “Please dine politely, and be careful not to choke.”

“Yes, yes, I just find these ingredients so fresh. It’s truly delicious,” Mr. Song said as he continued to scoop mouthfuls of seafood rice into his mouth, thoroughly enjoying the flavors.

“You’re so arrogant! Your little shop isn’t even worth eating at. You’re not qualified to serve me!” the woman snapped, her temper flaring. “Yunxi, let’s go! Don’t eat in this dump, or we might get sick!”

But Shao Yunxi had already sat down and didn’t seem inclined to leave.

The woman’s head was buzzing with frustration. She swung her bag over her shoulder and stormed out, nearly colliding with two people entering the shop.

“Watch where you’re going! Move!”

Jiang Ge staggered back, baffled. “What the heck? What did I do?”

Hearing the commotion, Lin Jiu looked up and saw that the newcomers were Jiang Ge and Si Xu. As always, Si Xu was wearing a mask, and his gaze met Lin Jiu’s.

Si Xu walked up to the counter. “Are you okay?”

Lin Jiu shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Shao Yunxi, hearing Jiang Ge’s voice, stood up with a smile. “You’re amazing at finding these hidden little gems. It would be a shame if you didn’t become a food scout, with your talent for finding places like this. Thanks for sharing it with your buddies.”

Jiang Ge glanced at the woman who had stormed out angrily, then turned to Shao Yunxi, “Did you bring her?”

Shao Yunxi shrugged, “A small-time actress, a bit spoiled.”

Jiang Ge, familiar with his ways, asked, “How long has this one lasted?”

Shao Yunxi thought for a moment, “Almost five months now, I think.”

Jiang Ge sneered, “Looks like this one really knows how to please you. The infamous Shao Yunxi, who never keeps anyone around for more than three months, has been with her this long.”

Shao Yunxi chuckled, “Yeah, she’s good at being cute and playing dumb.”

Jiang Ge rolled his eyes, “Don’t bring just anyone to this place. The owner is my buddy, so don’t cause any trouble.”

Shao Yunxi protested, “I’m innocent! How could I dare cause trouble here? The owner already said, ‘No food for those who don’t follow the rules.’ I’m hoping to come here often, so I’d never offend him.”

Jiang Ge, still a bit annoyed from being pushed, asked, “Who was that woman?”

Shao Yunxi replied, “That’s Mi Youyou, the one who played the mermaid princess in that popular fantasy web drama a while ago.”

Lin Jiu, who was holding a knife, paused for a moment. He remembered Mi Youyou—she had been in that fantasy web drama where Huo Wei was cast as her supporting actor. But it wasn’t exactly a “hit,” more like it got popular for being so bad.

Lin Jiu wondered if he should start a blacklist for his shop. Anyone who made it onto the blacklist wouldn’t be allowed in.