Even after the meeting ended, Cen Jin’s mood was indescribable, with no outlet for her feelings.
Back at her workstation, she immediately opened WeChat and messaged Chun Chang.
Cen Jin typed rapidly: I’m about to suffocate.
Chun Chang replied: When are you not at war with the whole world?
Cen Jin choked: The person who cut ties with me is now working part-time downstairs, and being completely brazen in front of me. Would you feel any better if it were you?
Chun Chang: Little brother Li Wu?
Cen Jin: Who else could it be?
Chun Chang was gleefully schadenfreude: Damn, little brother’s got some persistence! Can you handle it? I know I couldn’t.
Cen Jin: Right now, several women beside me are still discussing him.
Chun Chang felt discontent: How strange, why do your coworkers all get to see Li Wu in person before me?
Her focus had completely derailed, and Cen Jin could only respond with a “?” to humor her.
Chun Chang: You care so much! If you really can’t stand little brother flaunting himself and attracting attention, just go downstairs now and drive him away, or lock him back up at your place, never letting him appear in front of you or your colleagues again.
Cen Jin felt like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.
She had realized it long ago, starting from that afternoon when she stumbled upon her photo in Li Wu’s dorm room. Her world began to tilt, falling toward an unpredictable direction, and everything concerning that boy was no longer completely under her control.
Especially during that minute when he just appeared in the conference room—although she kept a straight face the whole time and didn’t look at him once, she was already completely uncomfortable, her heart in tangles.
Her territory had been imperceptibly eroded. The youth had parasitically returned to her jungle in another way, and this time, she didn’t have powerful enough weapons, so she had no way to slash or expel him.
Cen Jin was utterly tired of this feeling.
There was a bit of frustration and some reactive stress from being challenged.
As well as a hint of pride that she didn’t even want to admit to herself.
Cen Jin couldn’t articulate these complex emotions. She only knew that when a relationship tends toward losing control, indifference is the best way to handle it.
Cen Jin closed WeChat, forcing herself to stop thinking about this matter, and turned to focus on her work instead.
Around nine in the evening, Cen Jin went to the basement level to get her car and head home.
Passing by Meet, she deliberately ignored it. Only after her car had completely passed did she glance in the rearview mirror. The nighttime café reflected in the tiny mirror surface looked like a warm-colored wishing bottle.
The people inside were like matchsticks—impossible to tell who was who.
Cen Jin withdrew her gaze and accelerated away.
―
Today was already Li Wu’s seventh day working part-time at Meet. Following the manager’s arrangement, he and Cheng Rui had clear divisions of labor—one responsible for making drinks, the other for cashiering.
Both wore the uniform store attire: gray mandarin collar shirts with brown aprons tied outside.
Li Wu was tall and slim with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a typical clothes hanger figure. The work uniform made him look composed and artistic.
The injection of fresh blood indeed caused Meet’s customer flow to increase.
The white-collar workers at Jiuli Building, having heard the news, had been coming to the store these past couple of days under the pretense of consumption to observe the fresh meat. Those specifically requesting Li Wu for delivery were also increasing daily.
Whenever there was downtime, Cheng Rui would pull Li Wu aside to secretly admire and sigh over the beautiful sisters who came to sit in the store:
“Damn, that sister looks just like Suzy!”
“Wow, that short-haired one has such a great figure!”
“God… just think about what we used to see back at school.”
“Li Wu, I finally understand why you like older sisters—they’re all so beautiful. Who wouldn’t want to date an older sister after seeing them?”
Li Wu maintained a blank face: “…What about Tao Lianwen?”
Cheng Rui immediately shut up and patted his chest: “Though they’re beautiful, all of them combined can’t compare to Tao Lianwen’s position in my heart.”
Li Wu’s lips curved slightly, offering no comment.
Cheng Rui suddenly remembered something: “But we’ve been here a whole week, how come we haven’t seen your sister yet?”
Li Wu’s smile faded: “I saw her today.”
“Huh?” Cheng Rui’s eyes widened: “When?”
Li Wu said: “When I delivered coffee to her company this morning.”
Cheng Rui asked with concern: “How’d it go? Did you get to talk?”
Li Wu lowered his eyes, showing slight disappointment: “How could we? She wouldn’t even look at me.”
“Did you look at her?”
“I did,” Li Wu wiped the counter. “But I didn’t dare do it openly.”
Cheng Rui was exasperated, even demonstrating the action: “Why are you such a coward? If I were you, I’d deliver the coffee right to her with both hands and stare straight at her, with that kind of passionate, sincere, love-filled gaze.”
Li Wu looked disgusted: “You’re sick.”
“How dare you insult me when I’m giving you advice?”