24 – vol.3 Hazelnut Latte
Friday night.
It was the anniversary celebration of Qi Mingjun’s bar.
Wen Ruosui had tried every excuse to get out of it several times. But she couldn’t resist Xia Yilin’s insistence and ended up coming anyway.
When picking out her outfit that morning, she agonized over it for a long time.
Xia Yilin had urged her to dress exquisitely and beautifully, preferably in a way that would immediately catch everyone’s eye. However, exquisite and beautiful attire meant it would definitely be inconvenient for her to work on desserts today.
After much internal debate, she ultimately chose comfortable clothes:
A white top and a pair of jeans.
Simple and low-key was best. After all, a bar anniversary celebration wasn’t particularly appealing to her.
Right after dinner, Xia Yilin indeed came to the shop to fetch her. And this outfit earned a complaint from her senior: “My dear, why are you dressed so conservatively? You’re going to have fun, not to school.”
“I have to work at the shop, so this is more convenient.”
Pressing for time, Xia Yilin didn’t have a chance to say much more.
She practically dragged Wen Ruosui into the car and drove straight to an upscale bar in the northern part of the city.
Qi Mingjun’s bar was located on the 108th floor of a hotel owned by his family’s group, offering a panoramic view of the entire northern city’s nightscape. The sea of city lights made one feel expansive.
The overall ambiance was dim, with lush greenery arranged throughout under the soft lighting, creating a feeling of being in a jungle.
In the main hall, musicians were playing instruments—some on the piano, and occasionally a saxophonist performing at a couple of tables. The enchanting notes flowed through the air, instantly elevating the atmosphere and sense of sophistication.
Perhaps due to the anniversary celebration, the main hall was bustling, with many young and beautiful women taking photos.
Compared to the chaotic nightclubs, this venue was much cleaner. It also offered better privacy, attracting mostly social elites or children from wealthy families.
This private high-altitude lounge bar was considered one of the city’s more upscale entertainment spots.
It was Wen Ruosui’s first time in such a place.
Aside from that one time she accidentally wandered into a bar, she rarely visited such venues, always feeling a bit out of place.
Xia Yilin pushed her onto a sofa in the private room and said, “Suisui, sit here for now. More people will come later, and it’ll get even livelier.”
As she spoke, she didn’t sit down herself but instead seemed ready to leave.
Wen Ruosui was puzzled and looked up to ask Xia Yilin, “Senior, why aren’t you sitting down?”
“I need to help my husband and greet everyone. You can entertain yourself for a bit.”
“Hey…”
Wen Ruosui wanted to stop Xia Yilin, but it was too late. Xia Yilin’s graceful figure quickly disappeared from sight.
The private room was quite crowded, with most people dressed stylishly, creating a lively atmosphere. After all, it was an anniversary celebration, and many influencers had been invited to add to the excitement.
Wen Ruosui moved to an inconspicuous spot.
The room was dimly lit, with retro-luxurious decor and the colorful reflections from liquor bottles, giving off a slightly decadent vibe that added to the ambiance of the private room.
The menu was also quite interesting.
The names were so unique that it was hard to tell what the drinks actually were.
However, she wasn’t particularly interested.
In such settings, she preferred to avoid them whenever possible, as they didn’t appeal to her much. Today, she simply couldn’t resist Xia Yilin’s enthusiastic invitation.
Sitting next to her was a very refined man named Gu Yue.According to others, Gu Yue was also from a wealthy family, with his family running a catering group. He had been working in the family business for several years, so he had a lot of insights into management and was clearly someone who got things done.
However, this young master didn’t look down on her just because she ran a small shop. Instead, he was happy to discuss business strategies with her.
The two of them had a lot in common to talk about.
For a while, the conversation was quite pleasant.
“I know how hard it is to start a business. For a woman to keep a coffee shop running for two years, it’s really not easy.” Gu Yue paused and then asked, “Where is your cake shop? I’d like to try it sometime when I’m free.”
“It’s in the city center of North City, on the commercial street. It’s called Vanilla.”
“I see. I’ve passed by there quite often before. There seems to be a square nearby with a large sculpture installation, right?”
Wen Ruosui nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, I chose that location precisely because of the foot traffic from the square.”
“That’s good. It’s a smart choice. There are office workers on weekdays and tourists on weekends, making it perfect for a dessert shop.”
The bar’s lighting was dim.
Gu Yue had handsome features and a well-defined face. He was a very good-looking man.
From time to time, women came over to strike up a conversation with him.
Out of politeness, he didn’t ignore them. He whispered to Wen Ruosui, “Sorry.”
He seemed a bit reluctant.
But he didn’t show this emotion openly.
He answered their questions one by one but didn’t say anything unnecessary.
When it was finally over, he turned to Wen Ruosui and said:
“Sometimes, I really find it hard to handle overly enthusiastic girls. It’s also hard to outright reject them.”
“I understand.” Wen Ruosui nodded. “Mr. Gu is a charming man, so it’s no surprise that girls approach you. People are naturally drawn to beautiful things.”
“Since Miss Wen has praised me like that, I should return the compliment. Miss Wen is intelligent and graceful. You don’t seem like someone without a boyfriend.”
Wen Ruosui replied honestly, “I just broke up. I’m not mentally prepared to enter a new relationship yet.”
Gu Yue had a good impression of this girl. It wasn’t romantic interest, just pure admiration between people.
He knew she had been brought by Xia Yilin.
But surprisingly, she wasn’t the type to flatter or curry favor.
She carried herself with a relaxed and comfortable demeanor, which made people feel at ease.
“What a coincidence.” Gu Yue curved his lips into a smile. “Me too.”
The two of them exchanged a knowing smile.
There was a rare sense of understanding between them.
“It seems we’re better off talking about business.”
Wen Ruosui nodded. “Indeed.”
In truth, both of them understood that there wasn’t any romantic interest between them. They just got along like old friends, comfortably and without crossing boundaries.
“Hey, Gu Yue, long time no see. You’re free to come today too.”
“Qi Mingjun’s warm invitation, how could I refuse? Besides, it’s the opening, so I had to come and show my support.”
“Then please don’t stand on ceremony. Eat and drink as much as you like.”
Wen Ruosui asked curiously, “What’s wrong with you?”
“My husband has a friend coming over. He went to pick him up, so I came here to rest for a bit. I’ve been entertaining a lot of people, so I’m a bit tired.”
Wen Ruosui handed her a glass of water. “Drink more water. Your voice sounds like it’s about to give out.”Xia Yilin took it in one gulp, tilting her head back to finish it in a single swallow.
Wen Ruosui looked at the slightly excited girls around her, feeling somewhat puzzled.
“What’s going on with everyone?”
Each of the girls began pulling out their makeup mirrors, using powder compacts to touch up their makeup and applying lipstick… as if preparing for a major event.
Xia Yilin blinked her eyes: “Someone important is coming soon. I guess everyone has heard the news.”
“Someone important?” Wen Ruosui asked, confused.
“Mm.” Xia Yilin nodded. “You know my husband—though he isn’t much of a go-getter in business, the people around him are all either wealthy or influential. That Mr. Gu you were just sitting next to, for example, is the heir to a famous restaurant group.”
It was true.
Qi Mingjun might not involve himself in the family business, but he was far from a failure—he knew how to handle things well.
“As for the one who’s coming now—” Xia Yilin paused for dramatic effect, whispering into Wen Ruosui’s ear, “I’ll tell you more later. I should go greet him too.” With that, she headed outside again.