23 – vol.2 Hazelnut Latte
Qi Mingjun’s startled tone completely caught Pei Zhixiu’s attention.
He looked up in that direction.
On the gray marble coffee table in the office, several porcelain-white food containers from a five-star hotel were neatly arranged, with utensils placed beside them—all delivered by Ding Yan just moments ago.
As for the desserts—
He had recently started ordering one on his own whenever he dined out.
Ding Yan was a very meticulous assistant. Even the slightest changes in Pei Zhixiu’s habits were noted by Ding Yan. The desserts delivered were likely Ding Yan’s initiative, added according to his preferences.
Yet, he felt little interest in these foods.
Especially the desserts—no matter how many he tried, none tasted like what he truly wanted.
Pei Zhixiu reached forward and pressed the phone button, dialing the internal line. The call connected quickly, and he issued a cold order:
“Ding Yan, come in and clear everything on the coffee table.”
He then stood up, his tall figure moving to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant scenery beneath the curtain of night.
Ding Yan was highly efficient, entering silently soon after to remove the food containers.
Qi Mingjun rubbed his nose.
Growing even more puzzled.
He had only casually mentioned it—surely that wasn’t reason enough for his assistant to clear away untouched food.
And with the sweets—was he trying to heal himself with dopamine from sugar?
His friend had indeed been acting strangely lately.
Qi Mingjun quietly turned around and asked Pei Zhixiu’s somewhat lonely back, “Ah Xiu, what’s been going on with you lately? Ever since you returned from Pucheng, you’ve been like a dragon without a head—nowhere to be seen.”
Pei Zhixiu didn’t turn around, only saying:
“Nothing. Just busy with work.”
As he spoke, he seemed somewhat evasive.
The moonlight of the deep night filtered through the glass, spilling onto the gleaming white floor tiles.
The city began to sink into profound darkness. The man stood at the pinnacle of a towering skyscraper, overlooking the vibrant, bustling metropolis—its dazzling lights and magnificent nightscape.
The liveliness of the city only accentuated the loneliness within.
In the quiet of the night, thoughts swirled endlessly.
Pei Zhixiu watched the countless men and women moving and lingering below, lost in his own reflections.
He heard Qi Mingjun say, “…By the way, my wife’s best friend runs a cake shop. She just opened and sent a bunch to our home. I tried them, and I have to say, her skills are pretty good. I’ll take you to try them sometime when you’re free.”
Cake.
He thought of that coffee shop in Pucheng.
Those fair, delicate hands would serve him a rich cup of Mandheling coffee and a plate of sea salt mousse cake; he still remembered that gently smiling face, pure and beautiful like a student among a group of boys;
And those eyes, like dazzling stars in the pitch-black night sky, blinking in a way that made one’s heart tremble.
She had asked if the cake tasted good, if he remembered what happened at the bar, if he was leaving.
Pei Zhixiu took a deep breath.
His cold, handsome features grew even frostier.
He found it difficult to explain these inexplicable emotions himself.
After finishing work, with his mind empty, it felt like something was missing. And he kept thinking of that person.
Pei Zhixiu turned around, meeting Qi Mingjun’s gaze, and coldly retorted, “Did you come here just to say this?”
Qi Mingjun was taken aback.
Stunned.
He didn’t understand where Pei Zhixiu’s sudden irritation had come from.And this excessive display of emotion was completely unlike his usual style of never letting anyone glimpse even a fraction of his inner thoughts.
Therefore, Qi Mingjun chose his words even more carefully.
To be honest, he still felt somewhat inferior in front of Pei Zhixiu. Pei Zhixiu was a formidable figure, someone he admired.
Qi Mingjun smiled, trying to smooth things over. “No… I just haven’t seen you since you came back from Pucheng, so I came to check on you. Also, I wanted to ask if you’re interested in hanging out together this weekend?”
Pei Zhixiu turned his head back.
Once again, his gaze fell outside the window.
The massive glass window reflected his tall figure, a dark silhouette that made it impossible to discern his emotions.
He was acting very out of character.
This, Pei Zhixiu was acutely aware of in his heart.
He rarely took an interest in anything and seldom dwelled on past events.
Yet lately, he couldn’t help but think about that person.
That woman who always seemed to have various men around her.
There was a line in his heart.
Reason held him back.
Logically, as a work machine, he never worried about anything nor lingered over any matters.
But since returning from Pucheng, his otherwise uneventful life seemed to have gained a tiny spark of something different.
An unprecedented urge kept tempting him, making him eager to cross that line, step over it, and then obtain and possess.
Pei Zhixiu clenched his hand into a fist.
After a long while.
He finally said, “Not interested.”
Qi Mingjun didn’t leave just because he was rejected.
He walked over and sat down on the sofa, saying, “Ah Xiu, there’s no need to reject me so quickly. You’ve been working so hard for so long; even a tightly wound string needs to loosen eventually, or it’ll snap one day. People need a balance between work and rest, right?”
His tone was seasoned, effortlessly easing the awkward atmosphere.
Although Qi Mingjun was a playboy.
He wasn’t completely clueless when it came to emotional intelligence.
When facing a friend in a bad mood, he knew how to gauge the situation and speak in a way that softened the tension.
Pei Zhixiu didn’t respond at first, and in the end, he only said:
“We’ll see.”
Meanwhile.
Wen Ruosui was also tactfully declining Xia Yilin’s invitation.
The two were standing in a dessert shop called Vanilla in the city center of Beicheng. This was a new shop Wen Ruosui had opened, specializing in high-end custom cakes. It had been open for a month and a half, and business was just starting to pick up, with a steady stream of customers.
Xia Yilin said to Wen Ruosui, who was busy working, “Suisui, come out and have fun with me in a few days.”
Wen Ruosui shook her head, still engrossed in her cake design sketches, and said, “No, I’m still busy.”
Xia Yilin glared at her work-obsessed friend.
Soon, her red lips parted slightly as she chided, “Suisui, you’ve been busy for so many days now. The shop is up and running, and customers are coming to you. It’s about time you went out and relaxed a bit.”
After a pause, she added, “Tell me, are you still thinking about that scumbag Yan Heng?”
Yan Heng…
Wen Ruosui finally looked up from the marble counter.
She paused thoughtfully for a second before calmly saying:
“Of course not.”
She had tossed that scoundrel out of her mind ages ago. All she wanted was to work hard and earn money, with no other thoughts in mind.She said to Xia Yilin, “What are you thinking? How could I remember that man? I’ve just been busy with the new store opening.”
“It’s been over a month already. How can it still be a new store opening?” Xia Yilin retorted. “I’m telling you, money can never be fully earned. You need to know how to balance work and rest. Anyway, things have been pretty much settled recently. Come out with me on Friday night.”
Xia Yilin was quite insistent about certain things. She made the decision directly: “No refusals. I’ll come pick you up then.”
And that settled it.
The matter was decided.