After a few seconds of eye contact, Shi Ye replied calmly, “I overheard Manager Ma talking to someone else when I was checking in at headquarters.”
In fact, the notice regarding booking the flight a week in advance was sent to Ma Zhiming by Shi Ye himself. It was unexpected that Ma Zhiming would drag it out until the very last night to inform Yan Xi, making it clear that he was deliberately trying to sabotage him. Of all the scheming people at YK, Ma Zhiming held the lion’s share. However, this did prove that Yan Xi had not deliberately booked the wrong flight; the idea that it was a power move was purely Yan Xi overthinking things.
He had expected Yan Xi to be indignant upon learning the truth, or even to call Ma Zhiming on the spot to confront him. Instead, Yan Xi simply lowered his head to scrape the wood shavings off his chopsticks and said nothing more.
“Order 137, your dumplings! Enjoy!”
The soup dumplings were wrapped and steamed to order, eight in a basket, with thin, chewy dough and succulent fillings. They each had their own basket. As soon as they were served, Yan Xi grabbed one while it was still hot. Shi Ye did not move; he stared at them for a long time before hesitatingly reaching out with his chopsticks. However, by the time Yan Xi finished half of his, he looked up to see that the basket in front of Shi Ye was already empty.
Yan Xi paused, then pushed his remaining half-basket over. “Let us eat together.”
By the time Yan Xi looked up again after taking a sip of soup, the remaining four dumplings were gone. Shi Ye’s expression remained unchanged as he boredly used his chopsticks to grab at the air.
Yan Xi pulled out his phone, scanned the code, and ordered two more baskets. Because he was a regular customer, the owner gave him special treatment and bumped his order to the front of the queue. This time, Yan Xi did not look down. He watched with his own eyes as the two new baskets, a total of sixteen dumplings, vanished into Shi Ye’s stomach as if caught in a whirlwind.
Seeing him look unsatisfied after finishing, Yan Xi probed, “Do you want more?”
Shi Ye rubbed his belly, looking hesitant. “Never mind. A bit of porridge to pad my stomach should be enough.”
Yan Xi stared in silence.
The owner personally brought over the fifth basket of dumplings. Looking at the four empty baskets on the table, he gave Shi Ye a thumbs up. “Young man, you have a good appetite.”
After the meal, the two had a disagreement regarding how to return to the apartment. It was only two subway stops away, but Yan Xi was tired and suggested taking the train. Shi Ye, however, mentioned his habit of morning and night jogs and noted that since he had eaten so much, he needed to get some exercise.
Consequently, they parted ways at the subway station.
Watching Yan Xi’s figure disappear into the entrance, Shi Ye slowed his pace, stopped on the side of the road, and pulled out his phone. His hair was messy from the night wind; he casually brushed the loose strands from his forehead, revealing a pair of sharp, rebellious dark eyes.
Leaning against a windbreak, he opened a search engine and began to cram:
How to pretend I often take the subway
Do you need to swipe a card to take the subway
What is the process for taking the subway in China
“Brother Yan, where should I put this new batch of blind boxes?”
“The POS system is updated; try it later, Store Manager.”
“All inventory has been verified and put into stock.”
“Brother Yan, the electronic tags are set up and ready to be enabled.”
Ever since the intern arrived, the store had been much livelier; it finally felt like it had some popularity. However, while foot traffic had increased slightly, sales remained dismal. As of now, the store’s top-selling item was the ceramic coffee mug on the island display near the door, meant to attract customers. It was essentially a giveaway, affordable and high-quality.
“Hi! Both handsome guys are here? I heard you have new mugs in stock, so I came to grab one.” A girl with a round face pushed the door open, smiling and greeting them familiarly.
“Yes, the new items are over there. Please, feel free to look around,” Yan Xi said politely.
Shi Ye, acting as the intern, proactively went over to help her choose. It was not until the customer had selected her mug, checked out, and left with the bag that Yan Xi voiced the question that had been on his mind. “Do you know her?”
Shi Ye stared at him steadily.
Yan Xi touched his own face. “What is it?”
Shi Ye asked with a mix of helplessness and surprise, “Brother Yan, do you not recognize her?”
Yan Xi frowned. “Who is she?”
Shi Ye pointed outside the door. “The girl from the bubble tea shop on the next street. She was here three days ago wanting to buy your hippo, but you would not sell it. You forgot already?”
Yan Xi had an epiphany. “Oh, she was wearing her work uniform the last few times she came in. She is in casual clothes today, so I did not recognize her.”
“The last few times?” Shi Ye was even more shocked. “She has been here several times?”
“There are so many customers coming and going every day, how could I possibly remember them all?” Yan Xi replied evasively, changing the subject. “It is quiet at noon; go get some sleep if you are bored.”
Shi Ye stretched his back and obediently went to rest in the back partition.
Since he was free, Yan Xi took out his newly purchased wood-carving tools and materials, planning to make a small trinket to pass the time.
“Welcome!”
The voice prompt at the door was crisp, echoing through the empty store. A guest had arrived. Yan Xi put away his tools and looked toward the door.
A man and a woman walked in. The woman’s makeup was exquisite and glamorous, and she wore a cherry-red lipstick. Yan Xi was uncertain of her identity, but the man behind her was an acquaintance, one Yan Xi recognized all too well: Cheng Zhen.
Cheng Zhen clearly had not expected to run into Yan Xi here, and his expression grew complicated. Guilty as if he had done something wrong, he quickly tightened his grip on the woman’s hand, both as a declaration of his status and a warning to Yan Xi.
Yan Xi could not be bothered to appreciate Cheng Zhen’s award-winning acting, so he coldly looked away and said in a flat tone, “Welcome.”
“What does this shop sell?” The woman was attracted by the figures on the shelves and only noticed Yan Xi when she walked near the counter. After all, not everyone was face-blind; she recognized the handsome young man behind the counter at a glance.
Surveying Yan Xi from head to toe, the woman turned back to Cheng Zhen, her raised eyeliner forming a sharp curve. “Oh, is this not your junior?”
Cheng Zhen twitched the corner of his mouth. “Yes, what a coincidence.”
A woman’s intuition is sharp. The beautiful man in front of her had made her feel uncomfortable from the very first moment she saw him. The source of that discomfort vaguely pointed back to Cheng Zhen beside her.
With a hint of unspoken bitterness, the woman linked her arm through Cheng Zhen’s and laughed coquettishly, “Business is so bad here; just treat it as supporting your junior and buy something.”
Cheng Zhen did not want to stay long and whispered to his girlfriend, “There is no need; he is not a junior I am very close with.”
“It is fine, I just want to spend some money today.” The woman picked up a black ornament from the shelf and asked Cheng Zhen with a smile, “Look, does this not look like a burnt steak?”
It was the commemorative display piece for the tenth anniversary of YK. Yan Xi did not want to stir up trouble, so he held his tongue.
After wandering around, the woman finally stopped in front of the ceramic hippo on the counter and pointed at it. “This is the only thing in the whole shop worth looking at. How much? I am buying it.”
Yan Xi replied, “I am sorry, this is a display item, not for sale.”
The woman sneered sarcastically, “Hunger marketing? What year is this to still be playing such tricks?”
Yan Xi’s calm expression finally shifted. He replied somewhat stiffly, “Miss, you might have misunderstood.”
“Do not dawdle,” the woman said impatiently, pulling out her phone. “Just give me a price.”
Yan Xi remained firm. “Sorry, this really is not for sale.”
“Junior, why be so inflexible?” Cheng Zhen stepped forward with a dark face to help her. “You are running a business; you should not turn away money, right?”
This was his way of telling him to quit while he was ahead and not to be ungrateful. Facing the two of them as they pressed their attack, Yan Xi’s knuckles, which were resting at his side, gradually turned white.
“Hello! That is a limited edition item in our shop; it is 3,800 yuan.” A clear, bright voice suddenly came from behind, breaking the stalemate.
Shi Ye walked out of the partition while yawning, still looking a bit sleepy. His clear and resonant price quote was heard perfectly by everyone in the shop. The woman’s eyes widened, her face clearly saying, “Are you crazy?”
Before she could say, “You might as well just go rob someone,” Shi Ye cut her off.
“Beautiful lady, you really have great taste!”
Shi Ye walked closer, looked at Yan Xi with curiosity, and asked, “Manager, I seemed to hear just now that these two customers are your friends?”
Yan Xi did not know what kind of game he was playing, so he let out a vague “Yes” in resignation.
Shi Ye turned his face toward the woman and said enthusiastically, “Miss, you not only have great taste, but you are also such a kind person for being willing to support your friends!”
The woman was choked up and could not find words.
Shi Ye blinked with a handsome, playful smile, his tone tinged with a hint of regret. “But having said that, I personally prefer that one.”
Curious, the woman followed his finger. On the center shelf sat a vintage coffee machine model. It was a replica of a new product YK had launched the previous year and was one of the more expensive items in their shop.
Shi Ye said with a hint of regret, “It is a pity, although it is a new design, the price is relatively low, only 990 yuan. I wonder if that would properly show your sincerity in supporting your friend?”
The woman dragged Cheng Zhen over, took the dark green model from the transparent cabinet, and stroked the texture on its surface, seemingly thinking it over seriously.
“You should drink coffee often; it would look very stylish if you bought it and placed it next to your coffee machine.”
After finishing his sales pitch, Shi Ye leaned sideways against the counter. While stroking the ceramic hippo, he asked Yan Xi in a low, teasing voice, “Brother Yan, what kind of friends are those two?”
Yan Xi’s gaze darkened. “Not very close friends.”
“But I get the feeling that the way that man looks at you is a bit strange,” Shi Ye turned around, leaned in close, and asked cheekily, “Would that not happen to be an ex?”
Yan Xi did not respond.
Shi Ye watched his tightened knuckles and smiled. The conversation took a subtle turn. “Ex-girlfriend, right?”
Yan Xi slowly relaxed his fingers, tacitly accepting the misunderstanding. “Yes.”
Cheng Zhen’s girlfriend agonized for over ten minutes between the coffee machine model and the ceramic hippo, finally making her choice. “That is the one, let us pay.”
Shi Ye took the coffee machine figurine from her, efficiently packed it into a box, and placed it into an exquisite, sturdy paper bag along with the receipt. He smiled genuinely. “Thank you for your purchase!”
Having achieved the largest sale since the store opened, Yan Xi turned toward the door, preparing to see them out.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed behind him.
Crash.
The ceramic hippo, which had been sitting perfectly fine on the counter, shattered into fragments on the floor. The scattered shards of porcelain looked like sharp mirrors, reflecting Yan Xi’s stiff figure.
Cheng Zhen spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, I am so sorry. I accidentally knocked over your limited edition item.”