Chapter 1 : The Handsome Butler Coffee Shop

The door swung inward with a soft groan. A delicate chime, suspended above the entryway, tinkled merrily, signaling the arrival of a newcomer.

"Welcome to the Handsome Butler Coffee Shop, Ladies!" A group of handsome, tall men in colorful suits said in unison as they beamed at the group of office ladies, who just walked through the door.

The oldest butler, known as the Head Butler, was a commanding figure, his masculine features sharp and precise. His long, dark blue hair, meticulously combed, was gathered into a sleek ponytail secured by a black ribbon. He cut an imposing figure in his formal attire, a vintage ensemble that seemed to have stepped straight out of a Shakespearean play.

This man stepped closer to the group of gushing newcomers, put a hand across his chest, and gave them a little bow.

"Good morning, ladies," the Head Butler began, his voice rich and smooth. "I'm delighted to welcome you to our humble establishment. Allow me to introduce myself; I am the Head Butler of this Handsome Butler Coffee Shop. Today, we have three exceptional gentlemen at your service."

Said three butlers quickly lined up in front of the three young ladies.

"First, we have Butler Luo, who will brighten your day even when it is raining heavily outside," he said, gesturing to the enthusiastic young man who waved excitedly.

"Next is Butler Yang, whose friendly demeanor is matched only by his impeccable service," he continued, pointing to the butler with the half-moon glasses.

"And finally, the charming and ever-gentle Butler Shen," he concluded, his gaze resting on the blond-haired butler who tilted his head to the side and offered the ladies his signature smile.

"You can only select one butler to serve you today. Please go ahead and make your pick."

The ladies were momentarily dazzled by the stunning lineup of handsome men before them, a spectacle nearly as blinding as the sun. However, one of them quickly regained her composure and, with a touch of hesitation, asked the Head Butler, "Excuse me, but is Butler Jin not supposed to be available today?"

Ah, the third visitor who asked the same question this morning.

Those who had keen eyes would notice the smiles on the butlers' faces falter for a split second, only to come back stronger than before, not unlike phoenixes reborn from their ashes.

"I am deeply regretful to inform the ladies that Butler Jin fell sick this morning and was thus unable to come," the Head Butler sighed as he shook his head.

It was a big, fat lie.

Everyone knew that Jin Zhuo received an invitation to a closed-call audition yesterday and begged Head Butler Wu for a whole day's leave.

"Oh..." the lady who popped the question was somewhat disappointed. She then turned to one of her friends and whispered, "According to Weibo*, Butler Jin is the number one butler in this coffee shop. But you know what, Yanran? It is your birthday after all. Why don't you pick the butler of your liking?"

Li Yanran, a newcomer to the coffee shop, was visibly nervous. Her gaze flitted between the three butlers, assessing each carefully. Meanwhile, the dazzling smiles plastered on the butlers' faces were beginning to strain their cheek muscles.

"I... I... I choose this one!" she finally announced, at which point the butlers almost exhaled out of relief. All except for the chosen one, of course.

Butler Shen Jingwei stepped forward and extended his hand to Li Yanran, who made a small shrieking sound when she placed her hand in Shen Jingwei's.

"Hello, my name is Shen Jingwei. I am honored to serve you today," he said.

Li Yanran's face was tinted the color of a fresh, ripe tomato.

"M-m-my name is Li Yanran, it is so very nice to meet you!"

The other ladies began to squeal and started introducing themselves one by one.

Honestly, the introduction was pointless, because the coffee shop received over two hundred visitors a day on average. The butlers only worked part-time, thus they couldn't possibly remember every visitor's name, especially those who only came by once in a while.

But of course, this was not something that Shen Jingwei would tell the lovely visitors. Instead, he led them to an empty table by the window, enough for six people to sit on.

"I heard that it is your birthday today," he said to Li Yanran after he pulled chairs for her and her friends.

"Yes! Yes!" Everyone cried out in unison.

Like a magician, Shen Jingwei flicked his hand and plucked a red rose seemingly out of thin air before handing it to Li Yanran, whose mouth turned into a perfect, round O in response. Of course, she was not the only one who fell victim to Shen Jingwei's charm.

"Oooooooh!" Everyone squealed in unison.

"Happy Birthday," Shen Jingwei murmured, his voice as soft and tender as a summer rain. His eyes, shimmering with a depth of emotion, held a gaze that spoke volumes of affection and care. "May your days be filled with sunshine, your heart with joy, and your life with abundance."

The Handsome Butler Coffee Shop enforced strict adherence to standard operating procedures for all its butlers.

First, charm the clients and make them fall in love with you.

Check.

Second, present the menu.

Shen Jingwei whipped out five booklets and distributed them among the ladies.

Third, sell yourself.

...

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Author's note :

*Weibo = Chinese social media.

To be very honest, this author is so deeply immersed in finishing Ascension that initially, she did not want to join another CQ at all.

But the theme of the new CQ just has to be LGBT+!

*shakes fist at Webnovel for the very, very awful timing*

In an attempt to preserve my pride as one of the prevailing BL writers on this platform, this author *sobs* decides to join after all.

Please enjoy, and please support the author so she can win a CQ at last, wuwuwu...

P.S. : No, I am not dropping Ascension. In fact, I am writing the second to last arc, woot!!!