September 13, Saturday

Even on weekends, the Security Department at Biyang Girls Academy has to do patrols, so my sister left early for work.

She really loves that job. Sure, the high salary is part of it—but the real reason is that she gets to see cute girls in school uniforms every day. That’s what keeps her going.

I didn’t sleep in. After all, I had a shift at the manga café today. I needed to be there before ten to change into uniform. It was only eight now—I had more than enough time to walk to Tianping Commercial District and save a few bucks on transport.

Just as I was slipping on my shoes at the entryway, my little brother, Li Manxing, came running out from the back room.

“Big bro, you’re heading out again today?”

“Yeah. I’ve got work. You’re on home duty today—make sure to take care of Dad and the kids.”

“Aw, when can I start working too?”

Because of how things are at home, he’s been wanting to find a part-time job even though he just started the second year of middle school. Says it’s a man’s duty to shoulder family responsibilities.

I admire the drive, but he’s got that dangerous tendency to throw away his studies—and that’s the last thing I want.

“You’re still a student first. School’s important. Don’t give up on it just to work.”

He scowled and ran off, clearly not wanting to hear it.

The little house under the bridge was a pain to get into. The key and lock were both a little rusty, so the two didn’t mesh well. The door creaked open, and the damp stench of mold rushed out. Not surprising, since the place was basically right next to the riverbed.

I called up Chang Kai.

“Chang Kai? Oh—sorry, did I wake you? Yeah, I’ve got a shift today too. I’m already at the ‘changing room.’ Mind contacting Xiao Lei for me?”

And then—like a miracle—there it was.

A flash of brilliant white light, blinding and pure, filled my vision. I lost all sensation of my body. Something was changing, transforming.

Honestly, I’m used to it by now. After a few times turning into a girl, you just get familiar with the process. Wearing women’s clothes? Easy. Being in a female body? Not mysterious at all anymore. I could even look straight down at my own chest without blinking.

Before I left, I paused and glanced around the tiny room. Nothing inside but a wooden bed frame and a cabinet. I couldn’t help but wonder: why had the senior sister Chang Kai mentioned rented out this empty house in the first place?

I hadn’t even arrived at the café yet when I spotted the glint of light bouncing off a giant bald head by the entrance.

“Morning, boss! I’m here!”

The front door was open, though no customers had shown up yet. The café owner, old man Yuwen, looked like one of those retirees selling newspapers at the entrance of a housing complex—camped outside in a folding chair reading the paper. Frankly, I think some people saw him and lost all motivation to step inside.

“Oh, it’s you, Saki? Xiao Jiu won’t be in till later this afternoon. You good to handle the lunch crowd alone?”

“No problem.”

Chang Kai was right. With this kind of hourly pay, you had to deliver the goods—and I had to live up to this maid uniform.

Once I changed and came out, the old man packed up his chair and slipped behind the bar, disappearing into the back room through a hidden door. He never let me in there. God knows what’s inside.

He’d barely vanished when the first customers showed up.

“Welcome back, masters—whoa?!”

Three guys walked in. The first was this husky dude in a bandana. Despite his bulk, he moved with shocking speed and planted himself right in front of me, practically radiating “overenthusiastic otaku energy.” I staggered back three full steps on instinct.

“Whoa whoa whoa, so you’re the new maid, huh?”

“Ah… yes.”

He started circling me, and before I knew it, he’d pulled out a DSLR camera—an expensive one too. I’d seen similar models when I worked part-time at a photo studio.

“Mind if I snap a quick pic? I’ll do some edits and send you a retouched copy—you’ll look amazing…”

Before he could finish, the ponytailed guy behind him gave him a swift kick in the rear, sending him flying into a sofa booth.

“Hey! Are you saying she doesn’t already look amazing? Can’t you see she’s nervous enough as it is?”

“Captain, this camera’s expensive!” the round one yelped, hugging his DSLR like a life preserver, curling into a meatball.

The ponytail guy—”Captain” apparently—had sly, narrow eyes that made you think of a fox. He and another neatly tied-up guy sat down beside their round friend, then glanced over at my nametag.

“Saki-chan, right?”

“That’s me!”

“We’re regulars here. Saw on the café’s Weibo that a new cutie joined the staff, so we had to check it out…”

This café has an official Weibo? Who’s running it?

The Captain leaned in close, smelling faintly of cologne, and squinted at my face.

“Damn, the rumors were true. Even with only light makeup… Wait, you’re not even wearing makeup, huh?”

“Um, no. I haven’t really learned how to do that yet.”

Though come to think of it, makeup probably is a must for maids—or any women working in service, really. I’ll have to ask Sis for some pointers.

“Tch. And your skin’s still that good…”

Was that… envy I heard?

“Your hair’s nice too. Is that dyed? And your voice is really sweet—a totally different vibe from Xiao Jiu.”

All the praise made me flustered. “Master, please don’t tease me like that…”

“No teasing! Saki, you’re like a raw gem—polish you up, and you’ll be a top-tier maid.”

Even the round guy nodded earnestly at that.

This café runs on a prepaid seat fee system. You pay upfront for your seat, and the cost of drinks gets deducted from that fee—it’s basically the minimum spend requirement.

The seat fee is 158 yuan. Sounds like a lot, but honestly, that just covers about three to four drinks.

Of course, there are also special items that aren’t covered by the seat fee.

Take, for example, the infamous MoeMoe Maid LoveLove Omurice. It’s just a regular omurice cooked in the back, but then the maid uses ketchup to write words on it—supposedly “infusing it with magical power”… And that thing alone costs the full 158 yuan! Masters, I beg you—please don’t order this. I’ll seriously feel guilty about it!

And that’s not even the worst rip-off. The true scam here is the Refreshing MoeMoe Maid Shaved Ice—priced at 78 yuan.

At first glance, it looks half the price of the omurice…

But it’s literally just ice and syrup. That’s it. There’s not even any calories in it! I’ve sold this kind of stuff on the street for 8 yuan and still made a profit, okay?! What exactly is supposed to be “refreshing” here—the master’s spirit or their wallet?

Oh, and by the way—the best value on the menu is actually the MoeMoe Tenchou LoveLove Omurice, only 28 yuan. But then, no one ever orders it.

Surprisingly, business was booming. This place really had a loyal following.

Come lunchtime, people wanted more than just drinks and snacks.

“Saki-chan! One MoeMoe Maid LoveLove Omurice, please!”

There it was. Someone actually ordered it. Wait—really?

I turned to look—of course it was the fox-like “Captain” guy from earlier.

Then the kitchen sent it out… and the egg wasn’t even properly whisked. Sure, it looked alright, but you could clearly see clumps of egg white. Sloppy. Unforgivable.

My inner omurice chef awoke.

“Boss! Can I eat that one as my staff meal? Let me make the one for the customer!”

The café owner looked up from the coffee machine. “Sure. Make it however you like.”

“Yes!”

I heard the Captain shout behind me, “You guys hear that?! Saki-chan’s making it herself! It’s a genuine MoeMoe Maid LoveLove Omurice!!”

…I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t hear that.

The real trick with omurice is flipping it perfectly so the egg wraps the rice cleanly. Not a problem for me. When I used to work kitchen shifts, they called me The Future of Omurice for a reason. I may not be a pro chef, but when it comes to omurice—I’m cracked.

Time to shine. Tilt, flip, plate—perfection. A flawless golden dome. Behold: Omurice-G.

“Here you go, dear master. Your MoeMoe Maid LoveLove Omurice~ What message would you like written on it?”

People started gasping—not just the Captain, but other customers too. Phones came out. They were taking pictures like I’d summoned Excalibur from rice and eggs.

“Write ‘Saki-chan ❤️ Xiao Wu!’ I’m Xiao Wu, by the way. And if you can… could you feed it to me?”

“F-feed you?!”

I hesitated. Feeding a grown man felt… kinda wrong. But I eventually nodded.

“Understood. Then allow me to serve in place of your hands, Master.”

At that exact moment, the old man scurried over, slapped a sticky note on the menu, and handed a bill to Leader.

Special Service: Maid Feeding Experience – 100 yuan per session

…Boss, that’s straight-up robbery.

“Only 100? What a deal! Feed me!!”

Wait—what?! EH?!