Chapter Twenty: Contempt

Song Waning nodded. "Yes, that's me."

"Then come with me and change into your uniform."

She followed the older woman into a changing room, and after putting on her work clothes, the woman explained, "You're in charge of Area A, so you'll be responsible for taking orders and serving food..."

The woman went on with a long list of reminders, talking endlessly. Song Waning remained attentive, but the viewers in the livestream had already started nodding off.

[This auntie can really talk, just like the lady next door to me—she can go from sunrise to sunset without pausing.]

[Reminds me of my math teacher. I'm about to fall asleep.]

[I'm curious how Song Waning managed to smile through the whole monologue.]

Just as the woman finished, saying, "That's all for now, you can get started," the viewers revived.

[Thank goodness, finally it's over.]

But before their joy lasted, the livestream suddenly went dark.

[Seriously? So short today?]

[Is it already finished? Director, you’re slacking!]

[It’s all because of what happened with Jian An’an this morning!]

[What do you mean by 'our Jian An’an'? If Song Waning had paused, would Jian An’an have fallen? Would any of this morning’s drama have happened?]

[So you’re blaming Song Waning?]

[Who else!?]

[Enough, stop arguing. Didn’t the director say they’ll announce the truth after investigating? What’s the point of fighting here!]

...

The once peaceful livestream was now in chaos again.

Compared to the turmoil online, Song Waning's side was much calmer.

Working in the restaurant was certainly preferable to being a gardener—not exposed to wind and sun.

There was even air conditioning; as long as she didn’t mess up orders, it was easy enough.

The restaurant was busy that morning, and Song Waning was rushed off her feet.

Suddenly, a customer called out her name loudly, "Song Waning! Come here now."

Hearing her name shouted so directly, Song Waning immediately sensed trouble. As a server, people usually called her "waitress"—few would use her full name. Besides, she wore a hat and mask, making it hard for anyone to recognize her.

She handed the dish in her hands to the next customer and hurried over.

At the round table sat three women.

One wore a red dress with long curly hair, another a white floral dress with short brown hair, and the third a green long dress with straight black hair.

But in each of their eyes, there was a look of provocation.

Song Waning feigned ignorance, facing the curious gazes of the entire restaurant, and approached the trio politely. "Hello, is there something I can help you with?"

The woman in the red dress spoke first. "We never ordered this Iberia Black Label ham. Why did you bring it to us? Do you know how much this platter costs? It’s at least forty thousand! If I hadn’t noticed and we had eaten it, would the restaurant demand compensation? How do you even do your job!?"

Song Waning listened calmly and asked, "Are you certain it’s Iberia Black Label ham?"

"If it’s not, then what is it?"

The woman in the white dress interjected, "What are you trying to say—are you setting us up to pay for your mistake?"

Other patrons, seeing Song Waning’s unaffected demeanor, whispered amongst themselves.

The commotion quickly alerted the other staff; someone had already gone to fetch the manager.

Song Waning took out her order tablet. "When I took your order, I showed you the menu before submitting it. Now you blame me for the wrong order?"

The woman in the red dress retorted, "So what? Customers can make mistakes. Are you so careless as a server?"

"This was your request. I only placed the order because you asked. And look over there," Song Waning pointed.

The woman glanced in the direction, but saw nothing. "It’s just a flowerpot. Don’t change the subject!"

"There’s a security camera there. I can tell you clearly—it was your friend in the green dress who ordered it. If you insist on blaming me, let’s check the footage. Facts speak for themselves."

As she finished, Song Waning saw the faces of all three women change color.

She was now certain—they were here to cause trouble.

Soon, the manager hurried over to Song Waning’s side, nodded to the three customers, and asked, "Is there a problem?"

The woman in the red dress immediately replied, "You’re the manager, right? I want to complain about this server. Not only is her attitude terrible, she insults customers. Is this how your restaurant operates, bullying guests?"

Having heard Song Waning mention the surveillance, the woman seemed nervous and changed tactics, attacking Song Waning’s demeanor.

Song Waning responded calmly, "I’ve neither hit you nor insulted you. I’ve addressed your concerns and worked to resolve them. Now you claim I have a bad attitude—are you trying to frame me for the ham, then find another excuse?"

"Manager, look at her! This attitude is infuriating!"

Although the manager had just arrived, he immediately understood who was truly causing trouble.

He grew stern. "Miss, if our server has done something wrong, we’ll deal with it at once. But if you’re deliberately stirring up trouble, don’t blame me for taking the evidence to the police!"

The three women, hearing he might call the police, instantly panicked.

The one who had spoken the most feigned bravado, "Hmph! Just our bad luck today. We’ll never dine here again!"

She left in a huff, untouched food in hand.

The other two quickly followed.

As she passed Song Waning, the woman in the green dress muttered, "Petty and proud. How could someone like you compare to our An’an!"

Song Waning raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and smiled as she watched the three foolish women leave.

So that was it—fans of Jian An’an, disgruntled over this morning’s incident, had come to make trouble.

After the women left, the manager bowed to Song Waning. "Miss Song, I’m sorry for the inconvenience."

Song Waning waved her hand. "No, I should apologize for troubling you."

"Actually, Young Master Wen asked me to come."

Song Waning was surprised. "Wen Jingxing?"