Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 492

Qiao Luoxin found it amusing.

“Why do you think opening a café will definitely make money? Don’t you know most people who open cafés end up losing money?”

There were some things she left unsaid.
That was, Xu Xiuwen knew nothing about coffee. How confident must he be to believe his café would turn a profit?
From her understanding, nearly 90% of people who opened cafés ended up losing money—consistently losing money—until they had no choice but to shut down.
And that’s for people who at least had some knowledge of the business.
For someone like Xu Xiuwen, who didn’t know the first thing about coffee, the outcome was practically set in stone.

It was just that, at the time, the term average guy complex hadn’t come into use yet.
Otherwise, Qiao Luoxin would have definitely labeled Xu Xiuwen as one.

Xu Xiuwen, of course, was oblivious to Qiao Luoxin’s thoughts.
He smiled and said, “I may not know coffee, but I’m confident my café will make money. Have you heard of Coffee Prince?”

Qiao Luoxin had no clue what Xu Xiuwen was thinking either.
She hesitated, then shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”

“It’s fine if you haven’t. I wrote the book. It’s really popular on the Jinjiang website right now, and I’m about to adapt it into a drama. Once the drama becomes a hit, my café will blow up too. It’ll be easy money.”

Seeing how confident Xu Xiuwen was, Qiao Luoxin grew a bit intrigued.
She was about to ask more questions when her cousin, Qiao Yumin, walked over with two cups of tea.

“Mr. Xu, you’ve been chatting for a while. Have some tea first. The tea leaves here aren’t the best, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

“Luoxin, you have some too.”

“Thanks, Sister Yumin.”

Qiao Yumin placed the cups in front of the two of them.
She didn’t leave immediately but instead asked, “Mr. Xu, how’s your conversation with Luoxin going?”

Xu Xiuwen took a sip of tea—it was a bit hot.
He set the cup back down and said, “A student from Shangshi Normal University working part-time at Starbucks? That’s a bit surprising to me.”

Qiao Yumin chuckled. “Haha… Mr. Xu, Luoxin has always wanted to open her own café. Unfortunately, her parents don’t support her. They’ve been pushing her to go to the U.S., but she’s as stubborn as they come. She absolutely refuses. Now, her parents have even cut off her allowance.”

Through Qiao Yumin, Xu Xiuwen learned some new information.
He glanced at Qiao Luoxin, a glimmer of admiration flashing in his eyes.
This only made him more intrigued by the girl in front of him.

He couldn’t help but ask, “You want to open a café. If you went to the U.S., you could open one there too. Why are you so unwilling to go?”

Qiao Luoxin replied calmly, “I’ve lived here for 20 years. I’m used to it. Besides, I don’t want to go to U.S. to make coffee for foreigners. I just want to create coffee that our own people will love.”

This attitude of hers made Xu Xiuwen like her even more.

He began to think that if she became the barista at his café, it might not be a bad idea.
So, he couldn’t help but say, “If I invited you to be the barista at my café, would you accept?”

Qiao Luoxin had originally planned to spend the day doing nothing.

Then, she received a call from her cousin.
Her cousin told her she wanted to introduce her to a job as a barista.

That’s why Qiao Luoxin came out.

She’d assumed her cousin was introducing her to some newly opened café.
It turned out it really was new—so new that the shop had only just been purchased.

Qiao Luoxin didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she asked, “I won’t work at just any café. If my requirements aren’t met, I won’t take the job no matter how high the salary is.”

“What are your requirements? Salary? If you perform well, salary isn’t an issue. I’m not stingy,” Xu Xiuwen replied.

Qiao Luoxin shook her head. “I don’t care about the salary. I have one condition. If you can’t meet it, no amount of money will convince me to work at your café.”

“Go ahead, what’s your condition? As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll agree to it,” Xu Xiuwen said.

Qiao Luoxin glanced at him and continued, “I don’t make cheap coffee. You can decide on the menu, but the choice of ingredients must follow my standards.”

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t expected her condition to be this.
He was momentarily stunned before a smile spread across his face.

He had never intended to sell cheap coffee. Cheap coffee, as the name suggests, is inexpensive—so inexpensive that even bubble tea shops on street corners could make it. The advantage was its low cost.

As for taste and other qualities, people who drank cheap coffee didn’t care about those.

Xu Xiuwen planned to open a high-end café that could eventually become a trendy spot. Selling cheap coffee would ruin the café’s image—it would feel low-class.

If the café became a trendy location, plenty of women would come for photos and social media posts. If they served cheap coffee, who would want to visit? Posting pictures of it online would just invite mockery from their peers.

Qiao Luoxin’s ideas matched his perfectly.

Although he hadn’t yet seen her skills as a barista, their philosophies aligned completely.

“I can promise you right now: we will never sell cheap coffee in my café!” he said firmly.

“In that case, I’ll consider it,” Qiao Luoxin replied, still not giving a definitive answer.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled. “I’m planning to hire an experienced manager. They’ll handle everything from equipment and ingredient procurement to staff training and daily operations. I probably won’t be in the café much myself.”

Hearing this, Qiao Luoxin raised her eyebrows slightly but found it unsurprising.

Running a café involved so many aspects. Someone like Xu Xiuwen, who didn’t know the business, would definitely need an expert to manage everything.

Qiao Yumin, who had been listening on the side, smiled at his words.

“Mr. Xu, you’re in luck. Luoxin has been dreaming of opening her own café for so long that she’s studied all of this extensively. With her, you won’t even need to hire a manager. She’s highly knowledgeable in this field.”

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “You know how to manage a café too?”

Faced with her cousin’s praise, Qiao Luoxin felt a little embarrassed. But when Xu Xiuwen asked, she didn’t hesitate to nod.

“I’ve always wanted to open my own café, so I’ve done my research, read up on it, and consulted with many people. If my parents had supported me, I might already have my own café by now.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen became even more excited.

Professional matters should be handled by professionals. He had initially planned to hire someone for the job, but since Qiao Luoxin was so knowledgeable, why not entrust it to her?

With a smile, Xu Xiuwen said, “Luoxin, how about becoming the manager of my café? I’ll give you full authority. You can take charge of everything. At most, I’ll just offer some opinions here and there.”

Qiao Luoxin had always dreamed of opening her own café. Beyond learning how to make coffee, she had also studied extensively about running a business.

If not for her parents’ lack of support, she might already have her own boutique café by now.

So, when she heard Xu Xiuwen’s offer, combined with the trust he seemed to place in her, she was both surprised and excited—like a pie falling from the sky.

If she accepted the job, on the surface, she’d be helping Xu Xiuwen open his café, but in reality, wouldn’t it be fulfilling her own long-standing dream?

Qiao Luoxin wanted to agree right away.
But she didn’t.

She wasn’t sure if Xu Xiuwen’s trust was genuine or just an act.
But that didn’t matter—she was confident she could make him fully believe in her abilities.

Suddenly, Qiao Luoxin stood up and asked, “Mr. Xu, do you have time right now?”

Xu Xiuwen was taken aback. “I do. Why?”

“I’d like to invite you to my home.”

Xu Xiuwen froze.
Wasn’t this progressing a bit too quickly?
He wasn’t even prepared for this.

Xu Xiuwen was a rather traditional man. For him, there had to be some emotional foundation before anything physical happened.
So, should he go? Or not? “This is too fast—”

He was about to finish his sentence when Qiao Luoxin said, “I want to make you a cup of coffee myself and let you taste it. I’ll also show you my notes, which contain many of my ideas about opening a café.”

Only then did Xu Xiuwen realize he’d misunderstood.

“What’s too fast?” Qiao Luoxin asked, puzzled.

Even Qiao Yumin looked at him in surprise.

Embarrassed, Xu Xiuwen waved it off. “Nothing. Sure, I have time. Shall we go now?”

“Mm.”

With that, Xu Xiuwen and Qiao Luoxin left the real estate agency together.

Originally, Qiao Yumin had planned to join them, but since she was still on the clock, she had to stay behind.

Xu Xiuwen hailed a cab, and the two of them headed to her home.

Qiao Luoxin lived in International Lido City, a new residential complex that had opened last June.

As they walked into the neighborhood, the landscaped gardens, lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and serene water features gave the place a tranquil charm.
Some areas of the landscaping looked like they belonged in a painting.
Anyone who didn’t know better might think they’d wandered into a tourist attraction.

From this, it was clear that Qiao Luoxin’s family was quite well-off.

She lived on the 9th floor.

When they arrived at her apartment and stepped inside, Xu Xiuwen was momentarily stunned by the elegant and grand decor.

The apartment was spacious—roughly 200 square meters by his estimate.
The centerpiece was the massive living room, about 10 meters long and 6 meters wide. It was open and airy, directly connected to a balcony with excellent natural lighting.

The whole living room seemed to glow with sunlight.

“Have a seat. I’ll get you some tea,” Qiao Luoxin said.

Xu Xiuwen waved her off with a smile. “No need for tea; we’ll be drinking coffee in a bit anyway.”

Realizing this, Qiao Luoxin nodded. “Alright, wait here for a moment.”

She then headed to the kitchen and returned shortly after with various tools: filter paper, a dripper, a gooseneck kettle, and more.

“What flavor do you like?” she asked.

“What are my options?”

“If you prefer something a bit acidic, there’s Yirgacheffe or Gesha. For something richer, you can go with Guatemala or Mandheling. Or, if you’d like something more balanced, there’s Brazil or Mexico.”

“Let’s go with Guatemala.”

“Alright.”

Qiao Luoxin began brewing a pour-over coffee, and Xu Xiuwen quickly realized the process involved more steps than he had imagined.

Throughout the process, Qiao Luoxin explained each step in detail, her tone cool and composed, as if she were teaching a lesson. She shared not only how she was doing things but also why each step was essential.

Her calm, reserved voice carried an understated allure, and before long, the coffee was ready.

Xu Xiuwen was the first to take a sip.

The initial taste had a light citrusy acidity, delicate and unique. As he savored it, there was a smoothness to the texture. The front notes carried a faint fruity profile, while the finish delivered rich hints of chocolate and nuts.

In short, it was delicious. Even someone like Xu Xiuwen, who wasn’t particularly experienced in appreciating coffee, could recognize the quality in the flavor.

“How is it?” Qiao Luoxin asked, watching him expectantly.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Xu Xiuwen decided it was best not to joke around and risk disappointing her. He didn’t have the kind of cruel humor that found enjoyment in teasing others.

Nodding, he said, “The flavor is unique—really good.”

Hearing that, Qiao Luoxin finally relaxed.

But then Xu Xiuwen added, “It’s excellent, but I think it’s still not enough. For a café, the coffee also needs to look appealing.”

Qiao Luoxin gave a faint smile. “I understand what you mean. Give me a moment.”

“Alright.”

She stood up and headed back to the kitchen, resuming her work there.

Xu Xiuwen, now curious, put his cup down and followed her.

Qiao Luoxin’s kitchen was nearly five meters long and four meters wide, spacious and well-organized.

But what struck him wasn’t the size—it was the equipment.

On the upper cabinets, there were several transparent glass jars filled with different coffee beans, each labeled. On the countertop were an espresso machine, a coffee grinder, a juicer, a blender, and more.

Anyone unaware might mistake this kitchen for a small café, given how fully equipped it was.

Even the cabinets were filled with various cups and mugs in different shapes, colors, and styles—some were elegant, others quirky.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but exclaim, “You could practically open a café right here at home.”

Qiao Luoxin smiled and explained, “I’ve bought all of this bit by bit. I just enjoy tinkering with these things.”

In Xu Xiuwen’s mind, Qiao Luoxin’s image as a professional barista became even more firmly established.

Watching her work, he found himself growing a little bored. He eventually asked, “Which one is your bedroom? Can I take a look?”

Qiao Luoxin hesitated briefly before nodding. “Sure. It’s the second room on the left.”

With her permission, Xu Xiuwen left the kitchen and made his way to her bedroom.

He wasn’t some kind of pervert trying to sneak a peek at a girl’s private space.

He was simply bored and wanted to get to know Qiao Luoxin better.

In his opinion, a girl’s bedroom often reflected her personality. If a girl appeared elegant and put-together outside but her room was a chaotic mess, it would tell you something important about her true nature.

A girl like that could only be described as gold and jade on the outside. Naturally, one could never feel fully at ease.

Xu Xiuwen had already decided to hire Qiao Luoxin and intended to give her a lot of authority, entrusting many tasks to her. But how could he fully trust her if he didn’t get to know her better?

This was the real reason Xu Xiuwen wanted to visit Qiao Luoxin’s room.

After explaining his thoughts to himself, Xu Xiuwen pushed open the door to Qiao Luoxin’s room and walked in.

And he was not disappointed.

Qiao Luoxin’s room was impeccably clean, almost spotless.