Chapter 14
At 2:30 pm the next day, Lin Xiaotang and Xiao Wei carefully transported one hundred meticulously packaged chestnut cupcakes to the 28th floor of the Jin Mao Tower. The elevator doors opened, revealing a spacious, bright, and highly modern office area, where the metal logo of "Baijia Accounting Firm" gleamed with a cool and luxurious luster under the lights.
A well-dressed and impeccably made-up receptionist greeted us with a smile: "Hello, is this the cake delivery from 'Corner' Coffee Shop? Thank you for your hard work, this way please."
The smile on Lin Xiaotang's face froze completely the moment she saw the logo. Her heart felt like it had been clenched tightly, and her breath caught in her throat.
Baijia Accounting Firm.
Perth's company.
All her good mood and the joy of making up for the loss vanished instantly, replaced by anger and embarrassment at being fooled and manipulated. She almost immediately pictured Persian's face, filled with guilt and pain.
So this is how he was "compensating" her?
"Wait a minute." Lin Xiaotang's voice turned cold. She reached out and stopped Xiao Wei, who was about to help carry the cake, and looked sharply at the receptionist. "We're not selling this cake."
The receptionist's professional smile froze instantly, replaced by astonishment and anxiety: "What? You're not selling them? Miss, are you kidding me? We've already paid in advance! The order is confirmed! Dozens of us are having our annual meeting right now, and afternoon tea is about to start. Everyone's waiting for these cakes! And now you're saying you're not selling them?"
"I can refund your money." Lin Xiaotang's tone left no room for negotiation, her chest heaving slightly with anger. "I'm not doing this business."
"How can you be like this!" The receptionist exclaimed, her tone becoming increasingly rude. "How can you change your mind at the last minute? This is a breach of contract! Are you playing us for fools? You can refuse to sell, but you must compensate us for the losses incurred! You've disrupted our annual meeting schedule!"
"I'll pay up!" Lin Xiaotang was also provoked and refused to back down. "I said I won't sell, and I won't!"
The two argued incessantly in the quiet, upscale corridor, their voices attracting curious glances from many offices.
Just then, the door to a conference room opened, and Bai Sinian walked out. He seemed to have heard the commotion outside, and his brows furrowed slightly. When he saw that the two sides arguing were Lin Xiaotang and the receptionist, he was visibly taken aback, then quickly walked over.
"What's going on?" His voice was still low and restrained, but a complex look flashed across his face when his gaze fell on Lin Xiaotang's tense face.
The receptionist, as if seeing a savior, hurriedly explained, "Mr. Bai, the owner of 'Corner' suddenly said he's not selling the cake anymore and wants a refund. We need it for the company's annual party right now..."
Fu Sinian raised his hand to stop the receptionist from speaking. He looked at Lin Xiaotang, his eyes filled with understanding and a hint of barely perceptible apology: "Ms. Lin, shall we go inside and talk?" He pointed to the office next door.
"No need," Lin Xiaotang refused coldly, not even looking at him. "There's nothing to talk about. I'll take the cake with me, and I'll refund your money."
Bai Sinian paused for a moment, then whispered to the receptionist, "You go ahead and get busy, I'll handle things here." Although the receptionist was full of doubts and dissatisfaction, she still left as instructed.
Only the three of them remained in the hallway, along with a cart full of cupcakes.
Bai Sinian looked at Lin Xiaotang, his tone calm but with an undeniable honesty: "I've roughly calculated that during the two weeks you were closed, plus the losses from handling the ingredients in advance, you'll definitely lose money this month, and even the rent might be a problem. All of this is because of me."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the exquisite cakes: "My company is having a major meeting today and needs afternoon tea snacks. Since we're going to order them anyway, consider this money as compensation for your loss. It's fair, business to business and personal to personal."
"I don't need your compensation!" Lin Xiaotang gritted her teeth, feeling her dignity being trampled on. "Bai Sinian, do you think this will make me feel any better?"
“That’s not what I meant.” Fu Sinian’s voice lowered, tinged with weariness. “But right now, there are dozens of people waiting inside. The annual meeting can’t be left unattended; this is official business.”
His gaze fell on the cakes that Lin Xiaotang and Xiao Wei had spent the entire morning making, and his voice carried a different meaning: "And, can you really bear to watch these... things that you and the shop assistants worked so hard to make be wasted because of our personal matters?"
That last sentence, like a needle, gently pierced Lin Xiaotang's barrier of anger. She subconsciously glanced at the cakes, each one adorned with perfect chestnut fluff and golden sugar threads—the result of her and Xiaowei's morning's work. If she really took them back, what could she do? Eat them herself? Give them away? In the end, most of them would probably just go to waste.
Xiao Wei watched her nervously from the side, hesitant to speak, her eyes full of heartache and reluctance.
Lin Xiaotang bit her lower lip tightly, her heart churning with inner turmoil. Bai Sinian's words, both publicly and privately, left her with no reason to refute. Refusing would make her seem unreasonable and would cause even greater waste and loss; accepting, on the other hand, made her feel like an object of pity and charity, leaving her feeling incredibly resentful.
Finally, she glared fiercely at Bai Sinian, her eyes filled with anger, grievance, and a helpless surrender.
Without saying another word, she turned around abruptly, grabbed the still bewildered Xiao Wei, and almost ran towards the elevator, leaving behind the cart full of cakes and the silent Bai Sinian behind her.
The elevator doors closed, shutting out the suffocating and embarrassing space that had been there for her.
Persian stood there, watching the direction they had left, motionless for a long time. The light at the end of the corridor cast a long shadow of him, making him appear exceptionally lonely. He slowly walked to the cart, picked up a chestnut cupcake, and felt its cool touch on his fingertips. He looked down at the delicate dessert, his eyes filled with a pain and sorrow more intense than ever before.
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