I have to admit, Lu Zhengting's cooking was really decent—full of color, aroma, and flavor, comparable to the skills of a professional chef. Xia Yan ate until she was stuffed; if her stomach hadn't protested, she could definitely have had another bowl. She didn't hold back in praising his culinary skills.
After dinner, without needing Xia Yan to shoo him away, Lu Zhengting took Xiaohan and left on his own. Xia Yan didn't react at all. She tidied up the room briefly, then went back to her bedroom, lay on the bed, and read for a while. Before sleeping, she picked up her phone and scrolled to the photo she had secretly taken that afternoon.
Lu Zhengting stood by the kitchen counter, his head slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on the object in his hands. The edges of his sleeves were meticulously rolled up to his elbows. The pendant light above the kitchen counter glowed with a warm orange hue, but he happened to be standing in the backlight, his profile sharply defined. Xia Yan stared at the photo for a long time, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifting. She rolled over, wrapping the small blanket around her waist.
Suddenly, she opened Weibo, posted the photo, and added a caption: "A man cooking is the most handsome." As soon as it was sent, she felt the urge to delete it. But then she thought, Lu Zhengting probably doesn't use Weibo, and even if he did, he wouldn't know her account. Besides, she had deliberately blurred him out.
The next day.
Xia Yan went straight to the project department to report in. The daily, weather-defying roses had already moved from the finance department to the project department. Seeing the vibrant roses on her desk, she couldn't help but sense the unfriendly stares around her. She lowered her eyes and focused her attention on her work.
Luckily, Ke Yaru wasn't there to cause trouble, so Xia Yan felt somewhat at ease. At lunchtime, Ye Yunchen walked straight out of his office and stood in front of her, waiting to go eat together. Xia Yan had refused before, but Ye Yunchen seemed particularly persistent.
Xia Yan buried her head in the documents, not even looking up. "Brother Ye, I still have some things to finish. You go ahead and eat first."
"It's okay, I'll wait for you."
"That's not good. Haven't you been busy with the new project lately? You don't need to wait for me, and I don't know when I'll be done."
Ye Yunchen smiled indulgently. "It's fine, I'll wait."
She vaguely heard whispers around her and knew those bored women were gossiping about her again. Ye Yunchen was famously a gentleman in the project department—gentle and polite to everyone, the epitome of a refined man.
Xia Yan frowned, sighed helplessly, quickly organized her files, and then, under everyone's gaze, followed Ye Yunchen out of the company.
Lin Xujia had been ignored by Ye Yunchen for a while. Thinking that Xia Yan and Ye Yunchen both worked at Lu's, she couldn't suppress her unease. At noon, she left work early and came to Lu's, sitting in the lounge on the first floor. She had planned to surprise Xia Yan and hadn't called ahead, but instead, she saw Ye Yunchen and Xia Yan walking out of the elevator together, chatting and laughing as they left the company. Her expression froze instantly.
"Xia..." Before she could finish Xia Yan's name, she saw Ye Yunchen reach out and ruffle Xia Yan's hair. In that moment, she fell silent.
Her hand tightly gripped the handbag on her lap. She had left work early and driven over, never expecting to see this. The smile on Xia Yan's face stung her eyes, and the undisguised affection in Ye Yunchen's gaze felt deeply ironic. Her cold stare followed the two as they disappeared. Then she overheard a few women nearby mention Ye Yunchen's name.
"Coco, I heard Xia Yan was transferred to the project department?" one woman said.
"Who hasn't heard? You all know about Ye Yunchen chasing Xia Yan, right? Before, when Xia Yan was in finance, the whole company was buzzing about it. Now that she's in the project department, he's bound to be even more attentive."
"Weren't you trying to go after Ye Yunchen before?"
"Forget it. I wanted to, but he doesn't even acknowledge me. Ye Yunchen only has eyes for Xia Yan."
"That's true. I just saw them go out to eat together."
"Sigh, looks like the company's losing another quality guy."
Their words reached Lin Xujia's ears without missing a beat. She glanced at the woman called Coco, recalling the scene of Xia Yan and Ye Yunchen leaving together, and was instantly furious. So Ye Yunchen was already eager to pursue Xia Yan, while she had been foolishly waiting for him to come to her. She narrowed her eyes, picked up her bag, and walked out of Lu's Group. Standing under the scorching sun, she decisively called Xia Yan.
This time, Ye Yunchen didn't choose the same restaurant as before. Instead, he picked a different style—a Japanese restaurant with a décor full of Japanese ambiance. Xia Yan chose a seat by the window, and Ye Yunchen sat across from her. Xia Yan listened as he talked until her phone suddenly rang.
After hanging up, Xia Yan waved her phone and smiled. "It's Xiaojia. She's at the company entrance now. I've asked her to come over."
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen's expression shifted slightly.
Xia Yan looked at him, puzzled. "Brother Ye, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Lin Xujia is coming?"
"Yeah, I think she arrived at the company just as we were leaving, so she missed us."
Lin Xujia arrived quickly. Standing at the entrance of the Japanese restaurant, she put on a natural smile, hiding the jealousy inside as she found their table. She gave Ye Yunchen a faint smile, as if nothing had happened that night. She sat quietly beside Xia Yan, a flicker of coldness passing through her eyes as she looked at Xia Yan.
For Xia Yan, Lin Xujia's arrival didn't affect her at all; in fact, it might create an opportunity for the two of them.
Halfway through the meal, Xia Yan excused herself to go to the restroom. Seeing her disappear, Ye Yunchen glanced indifferently at Lin Xujia. But instead of blushing like before, Lin Xujia looked straight at him.
Lin Xujia stopped eating, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped her mouth. "I'm done."
"Why are you here?"
Lin Xujia paused, then smiled. "Brother Ye, I came to see Xia Yan. I didn't know you'd be eating here with her before I arrived."
Ye Yunchen's guarded look hurt Lin Xujia, but she hid the pain, glancing at the man she loved across the table and staying silent.
When Xia Yan returned from the restroom, Ye Yunchen had already paid the bill. Not seeing him, she turned to Lin Xujia. "Where's Brother Ye?"
"He got a call and left first."
Xia Yan said "Oh" and then added, "Xiaojia, why did you think to have lunch with me today?" "Xia Yan, I missed you, that's all."
Xia Yan raised an eyebrow and teased, "Missed me, or missed Brother Ye?"
"Of course, I missed you. But speaking of which, now that you're working at Lu's, has your President Lu been giving you any special treatment? You have to tell me the truth."
"He's a busy man; he doesn't have time to pay attention to me. And Xiaojia, let me tell you, Lu Zhengting and I are just friends. He's not mine."
"Tsk, I was just joking. Don't be mad. Next time, I won't say he's yours, okay?" Lin Xujia glanced at Xia Yan dismissively and added, "Xia Yan, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you have such a good opportunity and you don't know how to seize it."
"What good opportunity?"
"The chance to get close to him first."
Xia Yan looked at Lin Xujia, amused and exasperated. "I don't think that's a good opportunity." As she finished speaking, something else came to mind, and she asked, "Xiaojia, isn't your company on this side?"
"Yeah, I drove over."
"Crushing on Brother Ye like this isn't a solution..." Xia Yan wanted to create opportunities for them, but thinking about Ye Yunchen's pursuit of her gave her a headache.
In the days that followed, Xia Yan thought Lin Xujia had finally wised up. Almost every free moment, Lin Xujia would come to the company to eat with her, turning their duo into a trio.
Ten days later, Ye Yunchen became the project department's manager—Xia Yan's direct boss.
Xia Yan finished her work and looked up to see Ye Yunchen standing in front of her. She stood up abruptly. "Manager Ye, is it past quitting time?"
"Xia Yan, it's not work hours now. You can still call me Brother Ye."
"Brother Ye, why haven't you left yet?"
"I know a new sushi place opened near the department store. I thought we could go together," Ye Yunchen said gently.
Xia Yan frowned slightly and bit her lip. "Brother Ye, sorry, I have plans tonight. I can't go eat with you."
As she spoke, her phone on the desk rang. The screen lit up with the caller ID: Lu Zhengting. Xia Yan quickly grabbed the phone. "Brother Ye, I need to take this."
No matter how fast Xia Yan moved, Ye Yunchen caught a glimpse of the name on the screen. The image of Xia Yan turning her back to him, covering the phone as she spoke, stuck in his mind. When she hung up and came back, he smiled faintly.
"Brother Ye, I really can't make it."
"That's okay. If you're busy, we can go another time. Do you need a ride?"
Faced with Ye Yunchen's thoughtfulness and gentleness, Xia Yan felt troubled. She quickly shook her head. "No need, I'll just take a taxi."
Ye Yunchen's gaze followed Xia Yan's retreating figure until she entered the elevator. He paused, then followed. From the company, he watched her get into a taxi and quickly drove after her.
Xia Yan sat in the car. Late summer was giving way to early autumn, but during this seasonal transition, the heat still lingered, and the night breeze carried waves of warmth. She was lost in thought when her phone rang again.
She pulled out her phone, slid her slender finger across the screen, and a deep voice came through. "Where are you?"