Chapter 14

Chapter Summary: That appearance was unforgettable.

Yao Ye initially thought Li Fengjian's small request was indeed a bit "small," but after a moment's thought, she realized there was more to it than met the eye.

Since they met, she and Li Fengjian had only ever met at the Belle Shopping Mall, and although it was quite frequent, it could only be considered 'work-related' meetings. But now, they were going to meet outside of Belle, no longer as guests of Fengjian Hall or as Tulip's parents...

If it's not a date, then what is it?

Thinking of this, Yao Ye thought to herself, "Cunning, so incredibly cunning! I haven't even agreed to anything yet!" But before leaving, she still carefully dressed herself up, checking everything from her clothes to her hairstyle. Only then did she step out into the spring breeze, only to be shivering from the cold as soon as she stepped outside.

Time flies! The end of the year is approaching, and it's the lively Christmas season.

He arranged to meet her in front of a newly opened Christmas market. When Li Fengjian first saw Yao Ye, with her long hair flowing in the wind and her skirt billowing like leaves, his eyes were filled with admiration. But then a gust of cold wind blew by, and Yao Ye immediately sneezed, her shoulders hunched. He couldn't help but take off his scarf and wrap it around her neck again and again.

"It's getting colder today, why are you wearing so little?"

Yao Ye's face was immediately half-buried in her scarf. She blinked her big, bright eyes, thinking, "Hmph, it's all because of you." But she said aloud, "Mind your own business! What girl goes out without dressing up?"

Li Fengjian looked down at her and couldn't help but smile. The cold seemed to give them even more reason to be close, so close that Li Fengjian felt he could easily hook her fingers in his.

Oh, he did. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Yao Ye was drawn to the colorful trinkets at the market, pointing them out to him, "Look, there's Santa Claus... those crystal ball ornaments are so cute... hey, there are Christmas drinks, let's go check them out!"

Li Fengjian could only smile and silently withdraw his 'thieving hand', following her to the beverage stall. Yao Ye was truly cold; after ordering a cup of hot ginger tea, she instantly felt warmer.

“Speaking of Mr. Li,” she said, holding a paper cup in both hands as they continued shopping side by side, “Christmas is coming soon, does Kazamado have any new products for the occasion this year?”

"Hmm... I haven't thought of anything yet."

"Oh dear, you've been lazy this year. Last Christmas, you made a red and green cherry milk tea, which was at least in line with the Christmas spirit."

“You remember it quite well.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

Holding the paper cup, she looked around. "Of course I remember it clearly, because it was one of the rarest new products from Kazamado, a really awful one."

"...Um...so it was taken off the shelves very quickly."

“I remember it was taken off the shelves before Christmas Day! Was it because other customers also complained that it tasted bad?” She looked up at him.

“No,” Li Fengjian said, “you were the only one who complained that it tasted bad from beginning to end.”

"Uh..." Yao Ye was taken aback, then belatedly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She quickly changed the subject, "So, you haven't decided on any new Christmas products yet this year?"

"To be honest, no." Li Fengjian gave a wry smile. "Lately, it seems like my mind isn't on work at all."

So, where are your thoughts? Yao Ye wanted to ask, but as if she already knew the answer, she was too shy to ask.

She quickened her pace, only to suddenly spot a familiar pair of figures in the bustling crowd. Startled, she whirled around, bumping into Li Fengjian, who was walking closely behind.

To be precise, she bumped into his arms.

Startled, Li Fengjian reached out and grabbed her, managing to steady her as she staggered.

"What's wrong?" he asked hurriedly.

"You, you, you let me go first!" she said.

"Oh..." He slowly released his grip. "What's wrong?"

She blushed and took two steps back, then pointed forward, "Look, look, isn't that Su Yan and Xiao Dong?"

Li Fengjian looked in the direction she was pointing, "Oh my, it really is!"

"They're here on a date too!" Yao Ye peeked at them with a smile. "Well, it makes sense, it's the first day the Christmas market is open, of course there are lots of couples. Hehe, from what I've observed, Su Yan and Xiao Dong are doing really well, she's completely forgotten about that scumbag Zhang Zhicheng!"

Li Fengjian paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, "From what I've observed, they're indeed doing very well. Xiao Dong originally wanted to ask me for leave today, but I didn't approve it."

"Why?"

"He has things to do, and so do I!" He said matter-of-factly, as if to say with his eyes: It's a huge deal for me to finally get a date with a girl I like.

Yao Ye smiled, pursing her lips. "Then how did he get here?"

“That child was rebellious before. Perhaps he secretly ran away after I left,” Li Fengjian sighed, his face showing the helplessness of an elder.

Was Xiao Dong very rebellious before?

"You wouldn't believe it, would you? Kazama-do used to run a small roadside shop, and his family lived upstairs. When he was young and naive, he was addicted to games, neglected his studies, and ended up with a useless diploma before becoming a freeloader. His parents complained a lot about this, and one day during an argument, Kazama-do simply ran away from home."

"Huh? And then what?"

"Actually, he didn't go far. He had no money and nowhere to go, so he went into Kazamado, ordered a milk tea, and just sat there. Later, he wanted to borrow the store to charge his phone, so I took the opportunity to ask him to help deliver a few orders. He then wanted to stay overnight at the store, so I asked him to clean. Before long, he settled in at the store. Kazamado is very busy, and he's so busy that he doesn't even touch his phone. His parents are very happy and let him continue to help out at the store, which he still does now. They even said that once he's skilled enough, they'll fund him to open his own milk tea shop, so he can have a livelihood."

Wow, Li Fengjian, you're amazing!

"It was just a lucky accident. I only have one requirement for his parents."

"What?"

"If you really want to open a shop for him, please keep it far away from Kazamado."

"Hahaha..." Yao Ye couldn't help but laugh heartily, until she noticed Su Yan and Xiao Dong not far away, seemingly heading this way. She quickly said, "Oh dear, let's hurry up and leave, so as not to disturb them."

After saying that, the two walked to the other end of the market. However, when they passed a simple bar, Yao Ye suddenly saw a familiar face and her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh dear, hurry up and run!" She was genuinely frightened and grabbed Li Fengjian's wrist, frantically pushing open the door and hiding inside the bar.

"What's wrong? Who did you see again?" Li Fengjian enjoyed holding her hand, but he was even more curious about who could have scared her like this.

Even after the two sat down at the bar, she still kept her head down like an ostrich. "This Christmas market is so popular! My sister and her fiancé are strolling around hand in hand. It was close! My sister's eyes swept over and she almost saw me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Fengjian was both amused and exasperated. "Yao Ye, you're already a college student. It's not like you were dating a boy in middle school. So what if you were seen?"

"Of course I can't let my older sister see!" Yao Ye grinned, blurting out while secretly observing the outside world. "In my family, my eldest sister is like a mother! If she sees us, she'll interrogate me endlessly when we get back, asking about everything from how we got together to when we got together. She'll ask about every single detail, it'll be such a hassle!"

After she finished speaking, You Ran didn't realize anything was wrong. Her eyes were still warily staring out of the glass doors and windows. It took her a long time to come back to her senses.

Oh no! From Li Fengjian's fierce gaze, she suddenly realized that she might have accidentally blurted out her innermost thoughts.

Li Fengjian smiled contentedly, "Actually, I also want to know, when exactly did we get together?"

"Forehead……"

"Does it count now?"

"I...I..." Yao Ye was almost crying from her own stupidity. Her face turned bright red, and she hurriedly turned to the bar owner and loudly ordered, "I'm thirsty, do you have anything to drink here?"

The owner came over and said, "Mulberry wine is our specialty."

"Then have two cups," Li Fengjian said gently. "Can you still drink? I mean, you just finished a cup of hot ginger tea."

Yao Ye snorted and turned her face away, "I can drink it, it's none of your business!"

The mulled wine arrived quickly, sweet and warm, with aromas of cinnamon and fruit. Yao Ye, who doesn't drink much, was instantly captivated by its wonderful flavor, sipping it slowly until the glass was gone.

"It seems you like it very much," Li Fengjian said.

"Mmm..." Yao Ye nodded, "It tastes good, and it makes me feel warmer."

"Would you like another drink?" he asked softly.

Before she could answer, the sharp-eared shop owner had already brought it over, this time in a large cup, and then smiled as he charged Li Fengjian.

So Yao Ye happily began to enjoy her second cup, but just as she was about to finish it, she suddenly heard the sound of a door being pushed open behind them, followed by the voices of a man and a woman talking.

"It's so cold."

"You're not dressed warmly enough today. What if you catch a cold?"

"You still have the nerve to say that? Isn't it just for you to see? It can't be that it's for the parents of the tulips to see, can it?"

Yao Ye didn't need to turn around to know that it was her older sister and her soon-to-be brother-in-law, wearing lace dresses, walking in hand in hand.

Feeling a bit dazed after drinking two glasses of mulled wine, Yao Ye was momentarily stunned when the man beside her suddenly pulled her into his arms. Li Fengjian opened his coat and wrapped her completely in his embrace, then shielded her, holding her close, and slowly moved away from the bar, taking the opportunity to hide behind a decorative pillar next to the bar.

Yao Ye was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe. You see, when she asked for leave today, she told her sister that she was "going out to play with Su Yan."

So she didn't care about anything else and just kept burrowing into Li Fengjian's arms, turning up his coat collar to cover her trembling half of her face, and whispering to him, "Thank you, you reacted quickly!"

For a moment, Li Fengjian's legs went weak. Not because of the mulled wine, but because Yao Ye was too close to him, far too close; she was practically pressed against him. He could even vaguely feel the rise and fall of her body. And the intoxicating scent of alcohol emanating from that whispered conversation—all of this made Li Fengjian's heart flutter.

"Are you drunk?" he whispered.

"No, just two drinks." She frowned, still peering at the bar, and saw that her sister and brother-in-law had already taken their seats.

"Hmm..." But he felt that she must be a little drunk, otherwise why would she lean on him so unreservedly? But he had to admit that he enjoyed this moment immensely.

Fortunately, Yao Qin and her boyfriend only ordered two cups of mulled wine to go, and quickly took their cups out. Yao Ye immediately felt relieved and took off Li Fengjian's coat, emerging from behind the decorative pillar, but lost her balance and almost fell.

Li Fengjian quickly followed her out and helped her up, saying, "You still say you're not drunk."

"No, it just feels a little unsteady on my feet," Yao Ye blinked.

Li Fengjian gave a wry smile, looking at her flushed face, "I'll take you back."

…………

That night, it took Yao Ye a long time to cool off and for the blush on her face to slowly fade.

One day after that, Yao Ye visited Kazamado and saw the newly posted posters of new products as soon as she entered the store.

"A new Christmas mulled wine milk tea?" Yao Ye read aloud.

"I specifically studied the recipe for mulled wine, trying to preserve the flavor as much as possible while removing the alcohol content," Li Fengjian said as he walked out from behind the bar.

"I definitely have to try it." Yao Ye ordered a drink with great anticipation, took a sip, and said, "It's delicious, but without the alcohol, it seems to lack a bit of flavor."

Li Fengjian smiled, "After all, this is a popular beverage shop, and it would be inconvenient if it contained alcohol. However..."

"But?" She glanced at him as she drank. Oh dear, how come he couldn't hide that wolfish look in his eyes again?

“However, I specially bought a bottle of red wine and kept it in the store, which means that our store can specially customize an alcoholic version for you,” he said.

"Oh?" Yao Ye blinked. "Why?"

“Because…” His smile grew even more wicked as he leaned closer to her and lowered his voice, “the way someone looks after drinking red wine is unforgettable…”

…………

Afterwards, Yao Ye asked Li Fengjian about Xiao Dong's escape.

Li Fengjian said, "I was worried the shop would be too busy, so I didn't approve that kid's leave. He actually took advantage of my absence to have Aunt Sun shut down Fengjiantang's delivery system, so that Aunt Sun could barely manage on her own. Then he added double the usual delivery volume to the shop's account. So, I have nothing to say."

Wow! That's really something.

Li Fengjian said, "That kid hasn't been this willful in a long time. It seems he's serious about Su Yan."

"That would be perfect."

"We can take a look at where they go on their next date."

"Hey, they're on a date. We... um..."

"What about us?" he teased her.

"We're just fulfilling your small request to meet somewhere outside of Belle, that's all!" Yao Ye said, arms crossed.

Li Fengjian then smiled deeply, "Is that so? I thought you also considered our meeting as a date."

"No way, don't flatter yourself."

"No?" Li Fengjian said. "Do I need to remind you what you said when you saw them at the Christmas market?"

"What did I say?" Yao Ye looked at him suspiciously.

Of course, the forgetful woman doesn't remember, so let us, the audience, help her recall.

While secretly observing, Yao Ye said with a smile, "They've come over for a date too!"

……………………