My Girlfriend Is a Cello Player-Chapter 9: A Much Better Job Than Foot Massages

The day's classes ended in the blink of an eye. At six o'clock, as soon as school let out, Lin Tian and Xu Yong hurried across the street to their part-time job at "SWING," a popular tea restaurant well-loved by students and young people alike.
Though called a "tea restaurant," it was more of a fusion between a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng and a Western bistro. The menu offered everything from roast duck platters to steaks and pasta—a perfect blend of East and West. With its artsy decor and retro charm, the place attracted a trendy crowd despite its slightly steep prices. At around 70-80 yuan per person, it wasn't cheap, but it was still within reach for students looking to treat themselves occasionally.
Today, however, was special—it was the restaurant's anniversary celebration, and the place buzzed with activity. Barely had Lin Tian and Xu Yong stepped through the door when Manager Wang ushered them into action.
"Quick, quick! You two are late today," he said, waving them over impatiently. "No time to change uniforms—tables 7 and 8 just got customers. Go!"
Without even putting down their backpacks, Lin Tian grabbed his notepad and weaved through the bustling aisles toward table 8.
"Hello~ ladies, what would you like to order?" Lin Tian asked with a practiced smile, instantly slipping into work mode.
"One Swiss double-cutlet rice plate, and…" one woman trailed off, her eyes glued to the menu as she deliberated.
Her friend nudged her discreetly under the table. "Hey, look."
The woman glanced up, saw Lin Tian, and her face lit up. "Young man, are you still in school?"
"Yes," Lin Tian replied politely.
"You must be from Seventh High across the street, right? Such a handsome boy—you must have lots of girlfriends at school!"
Lin Tian chuckled lightly. "Our school doesn't allow dating."
"Ah, that makes sense. Someone as hardworking as you wouldn't waste time on frivolous things." The woman openly admired him, her gaze lingering on his face.
"What else would you like to order, ladies?" Lin Tian smoothly redirected the conversation back to business.
"Oh! Right, sorry about that." The woman flipped through the menu again. "Let's get a double-cheese pineapple bun, some fried rice…"
"The chicken cutlet here is a specialty—only 38 yuan," Lin Tian suggested.
"Great, add that too."
"And our sirloin steak is excellent quality for just 89 yuan."
"That sounds good, go ahead and add it."
Her friend tugged at her arm nervously. "Are you sure? Just the two of us won't finish all this…"
"It's fine, don't worry!" The woman beamed at Lin Tian. "If we can't finish, we'll leave the rest for our cute waiter to enjoy~"
With a polite nod, Lin Tian took the menu and retreated, effortlessly sealing another generous order.
Scenes like this weren't uncommon for Lin Tian. Standing tall at over six feet with a strikingly handsome face, he was the quintessential high school heartthrob moonlighting at an upscale restaurant after class. His charm—and perhaps a bit of strategic flattery—often earned him hefty tips and glowing praise from female patrons. Some even tried to exchange contact information with him, though he always declined, citing his busy academic schedule. Most women understood, leaving comments like, "What a good student!"
For Lin Tian, the arrangement suited him perfectly. What started as a 30-yuan-per-hour gig had quickly escalated to 40 thanks to his stellar performance. Among the high schoolers working part-time at SWING, no one earned more than he did.
A handsome face truly made life easier, regardless of the industry. Compared to washing feet or giving massages, this job felt downright luxurious.
Xu Yong, meanwhile, couldn't help but seethe every time they compared paychecks. Despite clocking in the same hours, Lin Tian consistently earned tens of yuan more. It was infuriating.
---
The dinner rush hour—the busiest period—finally passed, leaving Lin Tian and Xu Yong leaning against the wall for a brief respite. As Lin Tian idly scanned the dining area, his attention landed on the table where he'd taken orders earlier. The two women now had their phones propped up, hands moving rhythmically in front of the camera.
Curious, Lin Tian nudged Xu Yong. "What are they doing?"
Xu Yong followed his gaze and immediately recognized the scene. "Oh, they're filming TikTok. Probably one of those trending hand-dance challenges."
"TikTok?"
"Yeah," Xu Yong replied, suddenly remembering something. "I forgot you don't use social media much. TikTok's huge these days. Our city's been promoting itself as an influencer hotspot for the past couple years. If you walk around, you'll see people filming everywhere."
He snickered derisively. "Those two aren't great, though. They've only got mediocre bodies, so they rely on heavy filters and stick to upper-body shots. Real pros would've already busted out full-body choreography."
"Speaking of which," Xu Yong added smugly, "TikTok's given tons of former foot massage workers new careers online."
Lin Tian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Does TikTok have music videos too? Like instrument performances?"
Xu Yong brightened at the question. "Of course! There are loads of them. For example, there's this piano player who films videos showing only her legs, using an overhead angle focused entirely on her chest area. Talk about provocative! One day without watching feels like accumulating bad karma; two days? Forget about it."
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow. He suspected the same performer probably had a presence on Bilibili, though he didn't find her content quite as scandalous as Xu Yong described. Then again, maybe spending too much time on forums skewed Xu Yong's perspective.
But speaking of pianos…
Lin Tian noticed something odd. In the center of the restaurant stood a decorative piano usually covered with a cloth and surrounded by fake flowers. Tonight, though, the cover had been removed.
"Why's the piano uncovered?" Lin Tian pointed it out to Xu Yong.
"Oh, that? It's the anniversary celebration. I guess they're letting customers play instead of hiring a professional pianist. That stingy manager will do anything to save money," Xu Yong explained dismissively.
Lin Tian stared at the piano, lost in thought.
"What's with you?" Xu Yong turned to him, noticing his intense focus. Following Lin Tian's gaze to the piano, realization dawned, and he smirked. "Don't tell me… you're thinking of playing?"
Lin Tian remained silent, his eyes fixed on the piano.
Xu Yong's expression shifted to alarm. "Wait, seriously? Don't mess with me. You didn't watch some ‘Easy Yet Impressive Piano Songs – Super Simple Finger Tutorial' online and think you can pull it off, did you? Those videos lie!"