9 – vol.3 Strawberry Milk
The client Zhou Wensen mentioned was the man sitting in the private room of the bar that night—
The man who had helped her.
His face was truly unforgettable; even after only a brief encounter, it was easy to recognize him.
Under the afternoon sunlight, his pale complexion finally carried a faint hint of color, while his thin lips remained as crimson as ever. With sharp contours and deep-set features, his every gesture exuded an effortless air of nobility.
Unlike that night, today he wore a meticulously tailored dark satin suit, paired with a straight-collared shirt and a dark gray fine-striped tie knotted at his neck.
Perhaps due to the formal setting of a business meeting, even the button at his collar was fastened with precision. The immaculate attire accentuated his cold and imposing demeanor.
He exuded a kind of…
Innate aura that radiated from within.
Following closely behind him were two men, both dressed in identical black suits, slightly shorter in stature, wearing earpieces, and carrying themselves with respectful deference—likely assistants of some kind.
Wen Ruosui stared at the scene before her, stunned into silence.
Zhou Wensen followed the two assistants inside, gently closing the glass door behind him, and politely said, “Mr. Pei, this is the café I mentioned to you.”
The man raised his eyes slightly and gave a faint nod. “Mm.”
After stepping into the café, he paused near the entrance, his narrow eyes habitually scanning the surroundings.
For a moment, Wen Ruosui distinctly felt his gaze meet her stunned expression.
A brief exchange of glances.
But upon closer observation, it was merely an extremely casual, utterly ordinary look.
As if he had never seen her before.
The fleeting connection between them stirred no ripples at all.
In just an instant, his gaze swept past her face and quickly shifted elsewhere.
Zhou Wensen took the opportunity to explain the reason for their visit:
“My apologies. There’s been an unexpected traffic incident near the project site, and the leadership was concerned about keeping you waiting on the road, so they specifically instructed me to find a nearby place to host you for a while.”
Of course, issues with the project couldn’t be openly discussed.
Thus, Zhou Wensen offered an inconsequential excuse to gloss over the matter.
However, it remained uncertain whether such an obvious pretext would be accepted…
In the tense silence as they awaited a response, the assistant behind the man suddenly spoke respectfully, “Mr. Pei.”
His brow lifted slightly as he turned to his assistant and asked:
“What is it?”
The assistant took a step forward, leaning close to his superior and whispering a few words into his ear.
The assistant’s voice was very soft.
No one else could hear what was said except him.
The man listened with lowered eyes, his expression calm and unreadable.
Worried about potential complications and fearing his request might be rejected, Zhou Wensen felt a wave of tension.
Usually a confident and dynamic young talent, he now clenched his hands, his gaze fixed intently on the man addressed as Mr. Pei, not daring to miss even the slightest change in his expression.
Fortunately, after the assistant finished speaking, the man’s handsome face remained as composed as ever.
It seemed the matter wasn’t particularly significant.
Shortly after, Wen Ruosui heard him address everyone in a cool, detached tone:
“No rush. Let’s sit for a while.”A low, resonant voice reached her ears, perfectly matching the one from the private room in the bar.
He did not refuse.
Zhou Wensen immediately beamed with joy: “Great, great! Then let’s sit here for a while!”
As for Wen Ruosui, she looked at the person before her, finding it difficult to articulate her feelings at that moment.
Perhaps it was someone she had mentally prepared herself to never encounter again, yet suddenly, he appeared before her eyes—as if the heavens had silently heard her prayer—
The opportunity to thank him once more.
And now, that opportunity had arrived.
He was right there in front of her.
Unfortunately, though, she hadn’t brought the cleaned suit to the shop, so she couldn’t return it to him.
And…
He didn’t seem to recognize her.
This left her somewhat bewildered.
Noticing Wen Ruosui’s distraction, Zhou Wensen gently tapped her wrist and whispered softly beside her:
“Hey, Suisui, what’s wrong? Hurry and take us over.”
Zhou Wensen’s voice broke the quiet air around her.
Wen Ruosui snapped back to reality.
She then put on a smile again and said politely and warmly:
“Alright, gentlemen, please follow me this way.”
Perhaps because he was facing a major client of the company, coupled with the fact that the other party’s appearance perfectly aligned with his aesthetic preferences and hadn’t rejected his suggestion, Zhou Wensen began to exhibit a highly enthusiastic demeanor.
Despite being a manager at a foreign company, he practically took on the role of a café attendant.
Especially when interacting with the handsome man, Zhou Wensen exuded an almost flamboyant energy:
“Mr. Pei, don’t let the small size of this café fool you—it’s actually a wonderful place. This time of year in summer is the most comfortable. Basking in the sun while enjoying coffee, paired with a mango mousse, is truly delightful…”
His words were filled with praise.
As if afraid others wouldn’t appreciate the charm of the place.
While Zhou Wensen spoke, Wen Ruosui, walking ahead, drifted back into her thoughts.
So his surname was Pei.
The world was truly full of surprises and unexpected turns, leaving her with no choice but to marvel.
She had thought she would never see this person again, yet the heavens had heard her voice and brought him back into her life. It was like finding a hidden path after a long journey.
She quietly pondered:
Perhaps she could find an opportunity later to thank him again.
Lost in thought, Wen Ruosui led the group to a window-side seat, stopping by the window.
Beneath the soft sunlight by the window stood a retro carved square table for four, accompanied by rattan chairs.
On the table sat a simple vase holding a dried “Sui Bing Lan” rose, elegant and refined.
She gestured and said:
“Please have a seat here, gentlemen.”
The spot seemed bathed in sunlight but wasn’t overly bright or hot.
Outside the window, a large old banyan tree filtered the sunlight through its green leaves, blocking the intense heat while preserving the vibrant greenery, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere.
As she finished speaking, the man surnamed Pei was the first to pull out a chair and sit down.
Zhou Wensen followed closely, taking a seat opposite him. As for the two assistants, perhaps feeling it improper, they didn’t sit at the same table but instead found seats elsewhere.
At that moment, Xiao Hui approached with a tray.The girl with a bun hairstyle said energetically, “Here are your coffee and desserts.”
When she saw the man sitting opposite Zhou Wensen, she was probably also stunned by his appearance. Xiao Hui’s hands holding the tray trembled slightly, nearly spilling the coffee.
Wen Ruosui reacted quickly, steadying the tray for her.
She softly reminded, “Be careful.”
Xiao Hui stuck out her tongue at her and whispered, “…Sorry, I was dazzled by his looks and didn’t notice.”
“…”
Such a straightforward reason.
Wen Ruosui blinked at Xiao Hui, signaling that it was fine.
To be honest, Zhou Wensen was quite good-looking—a handsome, fair-skinned young man who usually attracted plenty of attention from girls in the shop.
But in front of this exceptionally handsome man, everything else paled in comparison.
She recalled the restrained look in his deep eyes that night in the punk-themed private room, sensing a unique aura about him—
both ascetic and alluring.
Truly breathtaking beauty.
But no matter how good-looking the customers were, work still had to be done.
Since Xiao Hui was holding the tray and couldn’t manage easily, Wen Ruosui took the initiative to pick up two lattes from the tray, placing each cup and saucer in front of the two men.
Additionally, she set the dessert plate from the tray in the center of the table and arranged the cutlery in convenient positions.
Her movements were smooth and unobtrusive.
Before leaving the table, Wen Ruosui spoke softly to the two men:
“These are the pre-ordered items. Please enjoy them at your leisure. If you need anything, feel free to call me.”
Zhou Wensen was quietly checking his phone at that moment, likely reporting to his boss. He quickly looked up and said briefly:
“Okay, thanks, Suisui.”
Then he lowered his head again, typing rapidly on his phone.
As for the man sitting on the other side, he had turned his gaze to the window from the moment he sat down, looking relaxed and indifferent, as if something outside had caught his attention.
Since his focus wasn’t here, Wen Ruosui didn’t say anything more.
So she turned and left with Xiao Hui.
But what she didn’t notice was—
after she turned away, the man slowly looked back, his deep gaze inadvertently falling on her retreating figure.