14 – vol.2 Assorted Fruits
By the window table, Zhou Wensen’s attention was also drawn by the lively scene at the bar.
He remarked with a touch of nostalgia, “Watching these young people really reminds me of my own college days.”
Pei Zhixiu followed his words and glanced toward that direction.
Within his line of sight, a swarm of young men crowded around the bar and glass display case, their tall figures blocking the entrance completely. Naturally, that slender and gentle figure was also hidden from view.
He immediately felt displeased.
A complex, indescribable emotion flickered in his calm, dark eyes, and the atmosphere around him suddenly turned cold.
Frowning, he asked Zhou Wensen in a low voice, “Do many students usually come here?”
“Yes, there are several universities nearby, as well as a park. Many college students and tourists passing by stop here to sit for a while.”
“Which universities?”
Zhou Wensen thought for a moment before replying uncertainly, “I think it’s the University of Technology, but I’m not entirely sure.” After a pause, he added, “Anyway, quite a few male students come here on weekends, and some even study here. Suisui usually doesn’t shoo them away and keeps the shop open late.”
Hearing this, Pei Zhixiu’s frown deepened.
An inexplicable irritation rose within him, difficult to suppress.
Compared to the displeasure caused by Zhou Wensen’s earlier words, the arrival of the young men now made his expression even colder. His thin lips pressed tightly together, and a chill gleamed in his eyes.
Before he could look away, he heard Zhou Wensen say beside him:
“Suisui is a very nice person—friendly, kind, and easy to get along with. Everyone who comes here likes her.”
Likes her.
Hmph, that much is obvious.
Watching the woman surrounded by the young men and overwhelmed with work, Pei Zhixiu felt nothing but restlessness and irritation, unable to stomach anything.
After only two or three bites of the small cake, he impatiently set down his fork, no longer in the mood to savor it.
He picked up a napkin from the side. The top napkin had some printed words on it, but he paid no attention, simply crumpling it into a ball and tossing it aside.
No longer in the mood to stay, Pei Zhixiu spoke coldly, “What’s the situation with the project?”
Zhou Wensen, still immersed in the previous topic, didn’t react immediately.
He turned to look at Pei Zhixiu and noticed his tightly pressed lips, an unusual display of visible irritation.
The sudden displeasure on the other man’s face made Zhou Wensen’s heart skip a beat. He stammered, “…The project, just a moment, Mr. Pei. I’ll check right away.”
With that, he quickly picked up his phone to check messages and called the boss.
But the boss still hadn’t resolved the issue and asked him to try to stall a little longer.
This was troublesome.
While complaining inwardly about the project, Zhou Wensen pondered how to keep the man across from him a little longer.
There was no room for excuses now—he had to be honest.
“Mr. Pei, the truth is, there’s been a minor hiccup with the project. It’s being urgently resolved right now and should be sorted out soon. Would you mind waiting a bit longer?”
Pei Zhixiu had long been aware of the underlying complications.
His decision to wait here today had been a whim.
Now that his interest had faded, he naturally had no desire to stay any longer.He expressionlessly took a fresh napkin, wiped his lips, and said only to Vincent, “No need to wait, let’s go directly.”
His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
Some people are like that—a single sentence already exudes a powerful presence, a mesmerizing force of intimidation.
Zhou Wensen had originally wanted to persuade him to stay.
But seeing the silent, surging undercurrent in Pei Zhixiu’s expression, he ultimately found himself unable to speak up and could only say, “Alright, then I’ll take Mr. Pei over directly.”
Pei Zhixiu adjusted his cuffs and stood up from the table. His back was ramrod straight, his brow stern, and with slender fingers, he gathered the edges of his suit jacket toward the center before lifting his foot and turning away without a hint of reluctance.
As Zhou Wensen watched the important figure’s retreating back and then glanced at the table full of desserts, he couldn’t help but feel regret.
What a waste of the food Suisui had so carefully prepared.
And that sea salt cake—he had only taken a few bites.
But more disheartening than all of this was the fact that once he met with the boss, he was certain to be scolded, or even held accountable.
The two assistants seated at another table noticed the commotion here and, with keen awareness, immediately walked over. Sensing that their superior was about to leave, they promptly instructed the driver via their earpieces to prepare for the next leg of the journey.
Meanwhile, following closely behind Pei Zhixiu, one of the assistants respectfully inquired, “Mr. Pei, there’s still a meeting with relevant personnel from the Pucheng government agencies later. There’s about an hour left until the meeting. Would you like me to inform them to postpone it?”
“No need,” Pei Zhixiu said.
His long legs moved swiftly, and with each broad stride, his silhouette took on a touch of arrogance. He uttered a stern remark: “It’s a small project; it won’t take much time.”
The assistant nodded in acknowledgment and said nothing more.
But inwardly, he felt a chill: The project was indeed small. Yet, for such a project, they had already wasted twenty minutes in this café. Subtracting the travel time, wouldn’t that leave only about ten minutes to inspect the project? What was there even to see?
So, the collaboration with this company was likely doomed.
For any company, losing the opportunity to partner with Huarui Capital would be a significant loss.
It seemed this manager was about to take the blame.
The assistant silently mourned for the young manager, who was now following along in a state of confusion.
The group hurried toward the entrance.
The young men, noticing the few men in suits emerging from the window-side seats, were somewhat surprised and said to Wen Ruosui:
“Miss, you have people coming here to discuss business? That’s rare.”
Wen Ruosui understood what he meant.
She looked up and said, “Yes.”
As she raised her head, she caught sight of several hurried figures emerging in her peripheral vision.
Pei Zhixiu walked at the forefront, his tall figure brushing past Wen Ruosui, who stood behind the counter, without his gaze lingering on her for even a moment.
Were they leaving already?
Why so quickly?
Wen Ruosui was taken aback by the speed of their departure. She hadn’t expected that they would leave so soon after she had just delivered the items, especially since so little time had passed.
Without time to think, she removed her plastic gloves, set down the cup in her hands, stopped what she was doing, and rushed out from behind the counter.
Deep down, she didn’t want them to leave so soon.