At seven o’clock in the morning, the conference room with its modern decor was bathed in soft light. A small meeting regarding the transformation of YK Company’s offline concept stores began on time.
The core team members, including staff from the design, production, and marketing departments—all relatively new but highly capable employees—were present. Though they were slightly unhappy about the early hour, none dared to voice any dissent. Shi Ye, sitting at the head of the table, opened the discussion concisely; despite the early start, he showed no signs of fatigue.
A set of detailed market data and trend analyses appeared on the screen as his assistant stood up to explain: “As you can see, the data indicates that with the continued popularity of ACG culture, the figure market is showing strong growth and has become an inescapable focal point. For our offline concept stores, this represents not only a new opportunity but also a necessary direction for our transformation.”
The screen switched to show several creative draft designs from Yan Xi’s proposal, with Assistant Zhao Qingqing explaining how to create a style that aligned with YK’s brand image. Then, the discussion began. Unlike previous senior-level meetings, the young staff did not engage in bureaucratic posturing. They voiced their opinions freely on everything from setting up display areas and improving the customer shopping experience to increasing brand loyalty through membership systems. As they talked, Shi Ye reviewed the team member files that the Personnel Department had compiled overnight.
At 9:00 AM, the official start of the workday, Yan Xi walked into the building.
“Hello, Assistant Yan. Oh, my apologies, it is Store Manager Yan now!” Magie, the receptionist, greeted him enthusiastically while applying makeup in the mirror.
Yan Xi nodded politely and headed straight for the elevators. According to the notice issued by the company a few days prior, he no longer needed to report through the Administrative or Project Departments; he was now authorized to report directly to the CEO’s office. Regardless of whether this was a tactic, for Yan Xi, it certainly streamlined his workflow.
He pressed the button for the top floor. Exiting the elevator, he walked familiarly toward the largest office in the middle of the floor, a route he had walked for three and a half years. The door was slightly ajar, with light spilling out. Yan Xi breathed a sigh of relief; he seemed to have good luck today as the CEO was in. His knuckles bent to knock, but he stopped himself. He had almost forgotten the procedure. The notice said he could report to the CEO’s office, not necessarily the CEO himself.
He moved a few meters to the adjacent door and knocked on the glass. “Excuse me, is Assistant Zhao in?”
The current CEO’s assistant was a recent hire. She was young, inexperienced, and handled mostly daily affairs rather than being part of the core management. Yan Xi had never met her before, so he remained cautious. However, having gone through the team files that morning, Zhao Qingqing recognized him immediately and trotted out to welcome him.
“Hello, I am Zhao Qingqing. You must be Store Manager Yan, right?”
Zhao Qingqing was as fresh and clean as her name suggested. After a brief exchange, Yan Xi stated his business clearly: he hoped to see President Shi.
“President Shi just finished a meeting,” Zhao Qingqing said. “Please wait a moment while I go ask.”
Footsteps and voices echoed in the quiet hallway. Yan Xi sat on the sofa, reviewing his materials on his phone to ensure he was fully prepared. A few minutes later, Zhao Qingqing returned. The young woman held her hands together in front of her, her eyes flickering slightly. “I am sorry, President Shi had an emergency meeting and just left.”
Yan Xi put away his phone and said regretfully, “What a pity. I will come back another day.”
Zhao Qingqing turned sideways and gestured. “I will see you out.”
Yan Xi walked slowly. As they passed the CEO’s office, his gaze naturally drifted toward the slightly open door crack. The office was indeed empty, save for a cup of steaming coffee on the desk and a computer with its screen lit. Yan Xi paused. A rich aroma of coffee drifted out. Zhao Qingqing hurried forward to pull the door shut, stammering, “President Shi left in a hurry and forgot to close the door.”
Yan Xi smiled but said nothing, continuing on his way. He knew the layout of the CEO’s office better than anyone; he had overseen the construction of the lounge area himself. President Fang used to hide in that lounge when he did not want to see certain clients. Some things were better left unsaid. Although he had not met the CEO today, he understood the man’s attitude.
As they reached the elevator, Zhao Qingqing added, “Oh, right. President Shi specifically mentioned during the meeting this morning that regarding the store transformation, all departments should coordinate as quickly as possible; there will be a plan announced soon. Before that, you may continue working according to your own plan.”
It was an unexpected result. Yan Xi was baffled. “This was President Shi’s own idea?”
“Yes,” Zhao Qingqing confirmed. “It was his idea.”
Yan Xi: “May I ask, when did President Shi hold the meeting with the departments?”
“Seven o’clock this morning.”
Yan Xi’s hand paused in the air as he reached for the elevator button for several seconds. “Thank you, I understand.”
After dinner, Yan Xi sat on the sofa and opened his browser. The red unread count in the bottom right corner was rising at an alarming rate. The video he had posted three days ago had hit the homepage, and his old fans had followed the scent, howling in the comments section that their master had finally returned. Yan Xi thought that since he was free that night, he might as well create the other figure for the Ling-style Twins, the outdoor unit doll, Chengfeng.
The drafts and models were already designed; today was mainly about building the skeleton and fine carving. Once his tools were ready, Yan Xi sat on the rug, aimed his camera at the desk, and started a livestream. It was not prime time, and there had been no announcement, so the room had only about thirty viewers at first. Yan Xi worked quietly, occasionally looking up to answer questions from fans. As time passed, more followers joined, and the chat became lively.
Fans started making requests: Can the two figures have a height difference? Can you make the size difference obvious? Don’t rush to make the clothes, finish the body first and show us.
Yan Xi did not know how to answer such comments and chose to ignore them, waiting for the topic to fade. After stacking the clay, he picked up a craft knife and maneuvered it nimbly over the material. He was so focused that he did not hear the door open behind him.
“Brother Yan.”
The sudden voice startled Yan Xi. The knife in his hand slipped, slicing across his fair hand and drawing a drop of blood. Shi Ye was at Yan Xi’s side in an instant. He knelt, grabbed his hand, and spoke with panic in his voice: “You are bleeding! Do not move.”
Yan Xi, equally flustered, struggled to pull his hand away and quickly shut off the stream. In the final second before the screen went black, Yan Xi saw the barrage of chaotic comments. Shi Ye ignored the stream and grabbed his hand. “Do not move, let me treat it.”
Luckily, the first-aid kit was in the living room. Shi Ye used iodine and a cotton swab to clean the blood, applied gauze, and then pulled Yan Xi up without a word. “We are going for a tetanus shot.”
“No need,” Yan Xi said, gripping his wrist. “The wound will heal before we even reach the hospital.”
“No, you must,” Shi Ye said firmly. “We do not need to go to the hospital; there is a clinic just around the corner.”
Even as Yan Xi protested, he was already being pushed out the door by Shi Ye. The clinic was still open, with only a doctor nearing sixty inside. The doctor skillfully examined the wound, re-dressed it, and administered the shot. “Observe for thirty minutes; you can leave if there is no reaction,” the doctor said before returning to the pharmacy.
Shi Ye and Yan Xi were left in the observation room. Yan Xi sat in a green chair, his hand held gently by Shi Ye. The warmth from his palm dissipated the chill caused by the blood loss. Shi Ye stood by his side, leaning over to inspect the wound with meticulous care, afraid to touch the sensitive spot.
“It is really fine, I am not a child.” Yan Xi felt uncomfortable and tried to pull his hand back, but Shi Ye held it tighter. “Wait.”
His expression was earnest as he pressed down the edges of the medical tape. A sudden sound echoed outside, and heavy rain began to pelt the glass like rhythmic, dense drumbeats.
“It is raining,” Shi Ye said, distracted by the window.
Yan Xi took the opportunity to pull his wrist back and rest it on his lap. “You should sit down; standing must be tiring.”
“Okay.” Shi Ye sat obediently on the adjacent chair.
Rainwater pooled into streaks on the window. A subtle silence filled the air. Yan Xi stared at the clock on the opposite wall, counting down the seconds. Shi Ye watched the rain flowing down the glass as if captivated by the scenery, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing against his thigh.
After thirty minutes, the doctor returned, gave a few instructions on aftercare, and told them they could go home. They stepped out of the clinic. The rain had slowed significantly, but even then, Yan Xi’s shoulder was damp within ten meters of the door.
“Wait, Brother Yan.” Shi Ye stopped and blocked his path. Before the words left his mouth, he removed his jacket and draped it over Yan Xi’s head like a makeshift umbrella. “Let us go. This way you will not get wet.”
The heavy black jacket shielded Yan Xi from the rain and blocked his view. The world became small and warm in an instant. Unable to see Shi Ye’s face and having no time to refuse, he felt a hand on his shoulder as he was ushered through the mist.
The surroundings became blurry and hazy as if veiled in thin gauze, with only the road under the streetlights barely visible. With his vision limited, his sense of smell became sharper.
Suddenly, Yan Xi caught a familiar, rich, and mellow aroma.
The scent of coffee.