Chapter 12

Ruan Xinyi found it utterly baffling. She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet Wen Xihan had been glaring at her for no apparent reason.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she fixed her gaze on Wen Xihan's graceful figure, staring so intently as if trying to force a flower to bloom from it.

The gaze from behind was intense and bold, so obvious that Wen Xihan couldn’t ignore it.

This behavior from Ruan Xinyi, in a way, felt like a cat-and-mouse game—the more you try to avoid it, the more determined she becomes...

Wen Xihan walked quickly, taking just a few steps to reach the office door.

As she was about to open it and go in, she glanced back mysteriously.

Ruan Xinyi was still in the same position, staring with an increasingly unmasked gaze. Recalling her own uncharacteristic behavior from the previous night, Wen Xihan felt even more frustrated. She threw Ruan Xinyi another glare, clearly irritated.

Once again, Ruan Xinyi was glared at: "???"

Ruan Xinyi couldn’t understand. What had she done to upset her? Why couldn’t she even get a pleasant look this morning?

While Ruan Xinyi was trying to make sense of it, Wen Xihan was even more puzzled. She had agreed with Qi Jingning the night before to only have two drinks. But after those two, one drink turned into two bottles, then two bottles became more, until the cans they emptied had all mixed together, and she had no idea how many two-bottle servings she and Qi Jingning had actually consumed.

The consequence of her hangover was that she had almost missed getting up this morning and had barely made it to the office on time.

Fortunately, Wen Xihan never lost control when she drank. She clearly remembered everything that had happened the night before and everything she had said to Qi Jingning.

The good news was that she hadn’t said anything inappropriate in front of Qi Jingning or shared things that were really bothering her.

As a longtime good friend, Qi Jingning could naturally sense that Wen Xihan wasn’t in a good mood. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have drunk so much, especially considering they had to work the next day. However, Qi Jingning thought that Wen Xihan was troubled by issues with Fu Fangbai, not realizing that Wen Xihan was actually upset about her little niece, Ruan Xinyi. As for Fu Fangbai, he had long been forgotten by Wen Xihan, tucked away in some distant corner of her mind.

Then, the two of them chatted for half the day, though their conversation was full of mismatched topics…

However, Qi Jingning was right about one thing—life is for oneself to live. She didn’t need to cater to or care about others' opinions; as long as she was happy with her life, that was all that mattered.

At this stage in her life, perhaps the one thing that made her a bit luckier than Qi Jingning was that she didn’t have to face pressure from her parents or relatives pushing her to get married. Ruan Su certainly wouldn’t pressure her either...

"Are you happy with Fu Fangbai?" Qi Jingning asked seriously while holding a can of beer.

Wen Xihan thought for a moment before responding, "It’s just like everyday life."

Upon hearing Wen Xihan’s response, Qi Jingning wasn’t surprised at all. She clapped her hands and pointed it out bluntly, "Xihan, you don’t really like Fu Fangbai, do you? When you agreed to his pursuit, it was only because you thought it was the right time to settle down, and Fu Fangbai happened to be the right fit."

"Like, suitable." Wen Xihan forced a smile, clinking her beer can with Qi Jingning's to awkwardly shift the topic. "What about you? Is Auntie planning to introduce you to any suitors?"

Qi Jingning: "..."

"Woo woo—"

Wen Xihan picked up her phone from the table, noticing a message from Fu Fangbai.

She didn’t open it but glanced at the pop-up notification. The first message was an animated emoji, and the second one asked how her new job was going.

Biting her lip, Wen Xihan didn’t reply and placed the phone back down.

Perhaps she should find some time to have a proper talk with Fu Fangbai.

---

The whole morning, Ruan Xinyi was relatively free. Apart from occasionally helping photocopy some documents, she spent most of her time checking and organizing files that needed to be signed by Wen Xihan.

Her quick thinking and efficient work pace allowed her to finish everything in no time.

Seeing how quickly Ruan Xinyi had gotten the hang of things, Zhou Xuan felt reassured and joked, "It’s good that you're here, Xinyi. It feels like I can finally catch my breath."

Ruan Xinyi blushed slightly and replied, "Sister Zhou, you're exaggerating."

Zhou Xuan patted her shoulder, lifting some documents from the desk. "No exaggeration, no exaggeration. You rest for a bit. I’ll take these to General Manager Wen."

Ruan Xinyi checked the time—it was nearly 11 o’clock.

She grabbed a newly bought mug, took out a can of Blue Mountain coffee from her drawer, and slowly made her way to the tea room.

Seeing that the hot water was ready, Ruan Xinyi added three spoonfuls of pure coffee powder into her cup, filled it with water, and stirred it. Afterward, she returned to her desk with the cup in hand.

The fresh coffee scent lingered in the air as she sat down. The rich aroma spread far, slowly brewing and fermenting in the air, leaving behind a lingering aftertaste.

Zhou Xuan couldn’t help but take a deep breath, asking, "Xinyi, what kind of coffee is that? It smells so good."

Ruan Xinyi handed her the glass jar. "Blue Mountain coffee. Sister Zhou, would you like to make some? It's really good."

As she said this, Ruan Xinyi blew on the steam rising from her cup and took a small sip.

Ruan Xinyi loved Blue Mountain coffee because its flavor was so unique. It had the rich, bitter taste of coffee, but after the bitterness came a subtle, unexplainable sourness that blended with the sweetness.

It was like life—one must first experience bitterness and sourness to fully appreciate the sweetness that follows.

As she savored the faint aftertaste, Ruan Xinyi couldn’t help but think of Wen Xihan.

She probably liked her coffee a little sweeter, and the mocha she had ordered yesterday was exactly to her taste: slightly sweet, refreshing, smooth, yet not overwhelming.

So, she had purposely ordered a mocha for Wen Xihan yesterday.

The scent of coffee filled the air, and Zhou Xuan unconsciously swallowed. "You drink it black? Don’t you add any sugar or milk?"

Just looking at the pure dark brown coffee in Ruan Xinyi’s cup made Zhou Xuan reflexively feel a bit of bitterness in her mouth.

"Mm..." Ruan Xinyi quickly took two milk balls and a sugar cube from her drawer and handed them to Zhou Xuan. "I usually just add a bit of milk. I don’t like it too sweet."

"I see." Zhou Xuan smiled. "I thought young people like you all prefer sweet things."

Ruan Xinyi tore open one of the milk balls, added a little to her cup, and stirred it gently with a spoon. "It’s not that. I ate too many sweets as a kid and got cavities, so I gradually started avoiding overly sweet things after that."

Speaking of which, the reason she had cavities back then was that she had an aunt who loved sweets. According to Ruan Su, she used to follow her aunt around, secretly eating a lot of candy behind her back, and ended up with cavities…

However, in terms of liking sweet things, Wen Xihan seemed to resemble that aunt, whom Ruan Xinyi hadn’t seen in years.

After Zhou Xuan went to the tea room, Ruan Xinyi glanced at her cup of Blue Mountain coffee, now mixed with the milk ball and faintly smelling of milk. She absentmindedly opened her drawer and added a sugar cube.

After stirring it in, she took a small sip.

With the sugar added, the Blue Mountain coffee was much sweeter and had a different flavor. The sweetness lingered on her tongue after swallowing, soft and lingering, just like the taste she had felt on Wen Xihan’s lips the night before. It left a deep, unforgettable aftertaste.

---

At lunch, Ruan Xinyi still went with Zhou Xuan to the company canteen.

Before going down, Zhou Xuan had specifically asked Wen Xihan about it, and after learning that there was no need to pack food for her, they took the elevator downstairs together.

Because they were delayed for a few minutes, they missed the lunch rush, and the elevator was just occupied by the two of them.

Zhou Xuan sighed and said softly, "I’m not sure about General Manager Wen’s tastes, but I felt like the meal I packed for her yesterday didn’t quite suit her. When I went in to deliver the documents, I saw she hardly touched the food."

"Maybe General Manager Wen was too busy yesterday and didn’t have time to eat before it got cold," Ruan Xinyi reassured her. "Also, she’s been abroad for so many years. It’s normal if she’s not used to the local flavors."

Zhou Xuan smiled, accepting Ruan Xinyi’s explanation. "That should be it." After a brief pause, she added, "But as her assistant, we should familiarize ourselves with General Manager Wen’s eating habits and interests. It’ll save us a lot of trouble in the future."

Ruan Xinyi nodded, expressing strong agreement.

Aside from knowing about the romantic connection from that night and the fact that Wen Xihan liked sweet foods, Ruan Xinyi knew very little about her.

The line at the canteen window wasn’t long, and they received their food in just a few minutes.

Ruan Xinyi had chosen her dishes and finished paying when she was about to find a seat with Zhou Xuan. At that moment, she saw Wen Xihan walk through the door.

Wen Xihan’s cold yet beautiful face, her almond-shaped eyes barely visible behind her frameless glasses, gave off an air of aloofness. With her striking appearance and graceful demeanor, Wen Xihan immediately caught the attention of many as soon as she entered.

Perhaps unaccustomed to the bustling atmosphere of the canteen, Wen Xihan furrowed her brow slightly and subconsciously adjusted her glasses.

The cuffs of her shirt were rolled up twice, revealing a delicate, fair wrist bone. In the bright sunlight, fine peach fuzz on her skin was visible. With every movement, she exuded effortless elegance and nobility.

When Zhou Xuan saw that Wen Xihan had come to the canteen alone, she felt a bit disheartened and said, "She probably didn’t like the takeout from yesterday, so she came here by herself today."

With a small "tch," Ruan Xinyi turned to grab some chopsticks and, without hesitation, remarked, "General Manager Wen looks like a picky eater—spoiled and pampered. There’s probably a lot of food she can't stand."

She even grumbled, "Maybe the whole canteen doesn’t have anything to suit her taste."

"Xinyi..." Zhou Xuan said cautiously.

"Hmm? What’s up?" Ruan Xinyi picked up two pairs of chopsticks and two small spoons. As she turned around, her gaze unexpectedly met Wen Xihan’s, who had somehow joined the queue at the adjacent window.

The spoons in her hand clinked loudly. Ruan Xinyi forced a smile and said dryly, "What a coincidence, General Manager Wen! I was just wondering why the food in the canteen smells so good today. It turns out you’ve arrived!"

Inside, she was frantically wondering: When did she get here, and how much of what I just said did she overhear?

Wen Xihan responded with a nonchalant "mm," and in a serious tone, corrected her, "I’m not picky."

Ruan Xinyi: "..."

Great, she heard everything.

Zhou Xuan, stepping up as the mediator, quickly said, "General Manager Wen, it’s your turn…"

"Mm." Wen Xihan glanced at Ruan Xinyi meaningfully and added, with hidden meaning in her words, "Compared to you, though…"

Understanding Wen Xihan’s meaning, Ruan Xinyi laughed lightly and boldly admitted, "You’re right, General Manager Wen. I am a picky eater—just like my beloved drink, I’m picky about people too."

Wen Xihan: "…"

------

<     |      Index     |     >